Adidas, the global sportswear powerhouse that manufactures game jerseys for the NBA and several National Football League teams — including the Buffalo Bills — notified the owners of the American Classic Outfitters factory in Perry about six weeks ago that it was canceling a contract that began in 2008 and was supposed to run through the end of 2014.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., is among those calling on Adidas to change its mind and continue to produce NBA uniforms in the United States rather than move the work from ACO and two other U.S. suppliers to factories in Thailand. He made an appearance at the factory Tuesday afternoon to urge such a change in plans.

“It is flat wrong for Adidas to take away the production of NBA game jerseys from the company and workers here in New York who have done so well for the NBA for so long,” Schumer said in a statement issued by his office Tuesday morning. “And to do it in this economic climate adds insult to injury. Basketball is a marquee American sport and the NBA is its premier stage.”

But the factory’s owners say they have to consider that opportunity lost and start looking for other possibilities.

“We’ll make a plea to anybody who wants quality uniforms made in the USA,” said Rob Knoll, a senior vice president of St. Louis-based R.J. Liebe Athletic Lettering Co., who was visiting the Perry plant Tuesday. “This facility is still a viable operation.”

Liebe bought the 300,000-square-foot Perry facility Nov. 3, Knoll said, knowing that Adidas had already given notice of its decision to cancel its production there. That move came less than two years after beginning a relationship that required ACO to make about $1 million in improvements to the plant and to produce exclusively for Adidas.

Knoll said the Adidas cancellation is to take effect at the end of the year, with the possibility of some small jobs trickling over into 2010. After that, unless the German-owned maker of sports equipment changes its mind, the Perry facility will no longer make the jerseys that stars such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant wear to work. It also would be the first time in league history that its players have worn jerseys made outside the United States.

About half of the NBA’s game jerseys have been made in Perry, Knoll said, along with all of the jerseys worn by Women’s National Basketball Association players and those used by the teams in the NBA’s developmental leagues. The plant has also manufactured jerseys for NFL teams including the Bills, the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If Adidas executives want to change their minds, Knoll said, “we certainly will welcome them.”

If the factory cannot find other customers, its loss would be a serious blow to the economy of Perry and Wyoming County.

“When you have a county with 43,000 people and 93,000 cows, 100 employees are a significant number,” said Michael Heftka, executive director of the Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency.

Heftka is hoping that leaders such as Schumer can put pressure not only on Adidas, but on the NBA, to reverse the decision.

“We called on Sen. Schumer to see if he can’t ask the NBA commissioner to insist that game- day uniforms be made in the U.S.,” Heftka said.

Heftka said ACO qualifies for state Empire Zone assistance but currently receives no government aid and is fully on the tax rolls.

“It happens,” he said.

ACO itself is the reborn remnant of a much larger operation, a factory for the Champion sporting goods line, which once employed as many as 1,000 people at the Perry factory before leaving in 1999, Heftka said. Local businesspeople created ACO soon afterward, he said, employing as many as 200. The facility’s history with the NBA goes back about 40 years, Knoll said, and before the exclusive deal with Adidas, it also made uniforms for pro, college and high school teams.

Adidas AG is based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and, according to its Web site, employs nearly 39,000 people worldwide. In addition to the Adidas shoe and apparel lines, it also owns the American-based Reebok athletic wear brand and TaylorMade golf equipment.

The Village of Perry, estimated population 3,660, sits at the junction of Routes 39 and 246 in northeastern Wyoming County, between Silver Lake and Letchworth State Park, about 55 miles east of Buffalo.

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KU was overwhelmingly dominant. They led at one point 37-15 including a 23-0 run in the first half. At another point, they led 53-17. And, the final margin was 50. For the most part, the game was an exhibition in KU’s depth – which included CJ Henry getting his first minutes and making the most of them (3-4, 8 points, including 2-3 from threes). But, of course, with that comes the problem of the 10th man. Self’s nine-man rotation didn’t last long and it is only going to get worse in few weeks when Withey and Morningstart to demand time.

Obviously, anyone who watched the contest realizes that Cole Aldrich didn’t have a particularly good game. An EFF of 9 would have to be considered horrible for him. His first two games were 20 and 31. And, he had a 23 average last season. Still, I think it was obvious the emphasis against Central Arkansas was going to be perimeter play. That kept CA out of the mix most of the night with only seven shots and two FTAs.

BTW: I loved the nickname given to him by “Big Al in the truck” - Swat King Cole. Clever, even if it doesn’t roll off the tongue.

Robinson was back to previous form with 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes. He’s a machine. Johnson was very solid in his time in the game. And, Reed was the old Reed we knew we had (4-5 from threes). Collins looked good, but I’m starting to get nervous seeing him (horizontally) on the floor so often.

KIEFF AND CUS

I really hammered these two guys last year and IMO justifiably so. However, now it is time to really start singing their praises. Here are their main stats in the three games this season.

-

They have combined to play just under 3 full games between them. That means the bolded numbers above represent the PF position per game – and that’s pretty outstanding for two sophomores especially considering they were highly suspect last season. In fact here is the comparison between the first three games in 2009-10 to 2008-09.

-

Their joint rebounding per game is lower, but overall, they are playing at a much higher level.

BY GROUP

I mentioned before that I see KU’s groups as Leaders (Collins, Aldrich, Reed), Sophomores (Twins, Taylor) and Freshmen (X, Johnson, Robinson). That’s three in each group. However, now that CJ is playing, he’s got to be included in the freshman group. When Withey is eligible, he will have to be in the sophomore group and, of course, Morningstar will be in the leadership group. That will make four per category – a super nice mix. I’m keeping stats for each game based on EFF.

-

UGLY POINTS

After the Memphis game, I indicated that KU had 106 UGLY points. The formula is (100 minus points scored) + missed FG + missed FT + turnovers + fouls. Against Central Arkansas, KU had a 66 rating. That’s on par with the other four games (including exhibitions). KU had a 61 vs Pittsburg State, 67 vs Fort Hays State and 69 vs Hofstra.

GAME FLOW

KU didn’t have a single 4 minute segment in double figures against Memphis. Of course, the competition level is a little different, but vs C-Ark, they had five double digit segments – including the last four. KU scored 57 points in the second half.

-

PLAYER PRODUCTION

Here are the player’s points and EFF. Cus and Robinson tied for the best game (19).

EFF = (Pts + Reb + Ast + Blk + Stl – Missed FG – Missed FT – TO)

NOT IN THE BOXSCORE

-

Hustle = Blocks + Steals + Off Rebound

After the Memphis game, I complained that KU didn’t shoot the trey often enough and that they didn’t press. Believe it or not, I actually saw a full court press against Central Arkansas. Ok, it was only once or twice, but that’s still infinitely more than normal. Maybe… just maybe… Self will employ it in the future. And, instead of only five three-pointers against Memphis, the Hawks shot 19 Thursday night, hitting 11. Obviously, my opinion had nothing to do with it, but it’s always good when I don’t have to complain.KU was overwhelmingly dominant. They led at one point 37-15 including a 23-0 run in the first half. At another point, they led 53-17. And, the final margin was 50. For the most part, the game was an exhibition in KU’s depth – which included CJ Henry getting his first minutes and making the most of them (3-4, 8 points, including 2-3 from threes). But, of course, with that comes the problem of the 10th man. Self’s nine-man rotation didn’t last long and it is only going to get worse in few weeks when Withey and Morningstart to demand time.

Obviously, anyone who watched the contest realizes that Cole Aldrich didn’t have a particularly good game. An EFF of 9 would have to be considered horrible for him. His first two games were 20 and 31. And, he had a 23 average last season. Still, I think it was obvious the emphasis against Central Arkansas was going to be perimeter play. That kept CA out of the mix most of the night with only seven shots and two FTAs.

BTW: I loved the nickname given to him by “Big Al in the truck”  – Swat King Cole. Clever, even if it doesn’t roll off the tongue.

Robinson was back to previous form with 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes. He’s a machine. Johnson was very solid in his time in the game. And, Reed was the old Reed we knew we had (4-5 from threes). Collins looked good, but I’m starting to get nervous seeing him (horizontally) on the floor so often.

KIEFF AND CUS

I really hammered these two guys last year and IMO justifiably so. However, now it is time to really start singing their praises. Here are their main stats in the three games this season.

-

They have combined to play just under 3 full games between them. That means the bolded numbers above represent the PF position per game – and that’s pretty outstanding for two sophomores especially considering they were highly suspect last season. In fact here is the comparison between the first three games in 2009-10 to 2008-09.

-

Their joint rebounding per game is lower, but overall, they are playing at a much higher level.

BY GROUP

I mentioned before that I see KU’s groups as Leaders (Collins, Aldrich, Reed), Sophomores (Twins, Taylor) and Freshmen (X, Johnson, Robinson). That’s three in each group. However, now that CJ is playing, he’s got to be included in the freshman group. When Withey is eligible, he will have to be in the sophomore group and, of course, Morningstar will be in the leadership group. That will make four per category – a super nice mix. I’m keeping stats for each game based on EFF.

-

UGLY POINTS

After the Memphis game, I indicated that KU had 106 UGLY points. The formula is (100 minus points scored) + missed FG + missed FT + turnovers + fouls. Against Central Arkansas, KU had a 66 rating. That’s on par with the other four games (including exhibitions). KU had a 61 vs Pittsburg State, 67 vs Fort Hays State and 69 vs Hofstra.

GAME FLOW

KU didn’t have a single 4 minute segment in double figures against Memphis. Of course, the competition level is a little different, but vs C-Ark, they had five double digit segments – including the last four. KU scored 57 points in the second half.

-

PLAYER PRODUCTION

Here are the player’s points and EFF. Cus and Robinson tied for the best game (19).

EFF = (Pts + Reb + Ast + Blk + Stl – Missed FG – Missed FT – TO)

NOT IN THE BOXSCORE

-

Hustle = Blocks + Steals + Off Rebounds

s

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Tennessee is coming off one of the biggest blowouts in school history, as it’ll be looking to have a repeat performance of its 75-point destruction of NC Asheville, 124-49. It was the second biggest margin of victory in NCAAB Picks: East Carolina vs. Tennessee Basketball Odds – Nov 20th, 2009the school’s history, second only to the 79-point rout of University of New Mexico back in 1966.

“I like the chemistry. I like the way they’re sharing the ball,” Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl said. “I like the fact that they’re able to see what they’re capable of doing if they apply themselves.”

For the underdog Pirates, they’re coming off back-to-back losses: 89-58 to Wake Forest on Sunday and a 74-68 defeat at the hands of Campbell. The loss on Tuesday marked East Carolina’s 16th straight L against ranked teams, not to mention both of its losses against Tennessee in 1978 and 1991.

With a Volunteers win, Tennessee would move on to play either DePaul or Northern Iowa in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam tournament’s semifinals on Sunday.

Bet on NCAAB Picks: East Carolina vs Tennessee Basketball Odds – Nov 20th, 2009 at internet sportsbook SBG Global and receive up to 295% in Cash Bonuses and start winning today!

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Unable to gain weight and realizing that playing quarterback wasn’t in his athletic future, C.J. McCollum gave up on football and concentrated more on basketball in the eighth grade.

The basketball coach at Glen Oak High in Canton, Ohio, had to love that decision because McCollum scored with ease there — as he did in his first home game at Lehigh Wednesday night at Stabler Arena.

The Mountain Hawks, who were picked to finish second in the Patriot League, relied mostly on McCollum’s team-high 22 points to beat Quinnipiac 79-71 in a non-league matchup.

McCollum took charge with his dribble and shooting to score seven of his points in the final six minutes. That’s when Lehigh (1-2) turned a four-point advantage into a more comfortable 66-56 lead off a McCollum soft, hanging jumper in the lane with 3:49 remaining.

”I’ve been a scorer all my life,” said McCollum, who scored a school-record 1,405 points at Glen Oak, twice earning first-team all-state honors.

”It’s a bit of an adjustment playing at the collegiate level, but when I have open shots, I just try to knock them down,” added McCollum, who was named Ohio’s Gatorade player of the year as a senior. ”My brother [Eric] always told me that wherever I go, just try and play my game and just try to do things within the offense.”

With Lehigh seniors Marquis Hall (nine points, 10 assists) Zahir Carrington (four points) both failing to get their offensive games in gear, McCollum demonstrated the skills that had him on the recruiting list of St. Bonaventure of the Atlantic 10 and some Mid-American Conference schools.

Lehigh easily won over McCollum.

”When it came down to it, basically it was academics and I really liked this school a lot,” he said. ”I felt like I could come in and help out the team, and I like the coaching staff, too.”

McCollum entered the game averaging 12.5 points per game, second behind Hall. He was more aggressive than Hall in the clutch minutes and was more than the Bobcats (1-1) could handle in the open floor.

Lehigh junior guard Rob Keefer came off the bench to add 13 points in just 14 minutes, and junior guard Michael Ojo, another reserve, added 11 points and eight assists.

McCollum’s play was the biggest key. He was 9 of 16 from the field, including 4 of 8 on 3-pointers.

”It was so critical for our success in this game, and hopefully will be critical for us as we continue to progress throughout the season,” Lehigh coach Brett Reed said. ”C.J. is a very skilled player who has a feathery, soft jump shot. It allows him to stretch the defense, but he’s multidimensional as well with his ability to put the ball on the deck, create some offense and start to shift the defense a little bit more from what we’ve had in the past.”

It’s a good thing McCollum’s game is already in gear because multiple players Lehigh expected to lead the charge this season are still in a shell. Carrington, the defending league rebounding champ, is only averaging 4.3 points per game, and junior guard Prentice Small is only averaging 3.7 points after going scoreless against Quinnipiac.

But Reed isn’t as worried because he’s still playing around with his starting lineup. McCollum and 6-foot-9 freshman Gabe Knutson (four points, five rebounds) both look like they’ll remain starters with Hall and Carrington.

”At this time of year it’s a constant evaluation to see who can produce, who can answer the bell and then who can be consistent in their performance as well,” Reed said.

QUINNIPIAC (71)
Justin Rutty 9-122 1-3 19, Jonathan Cruz 2-7 0-0 4, James Johnson 1-6 7-9 4, Jeremy Baker 0-3 3-4 3, James Fedeine 9-20 3-4 22, Deontay Twyman 1-7 0-0 3, Dave Johnson 0-2 1-2 1, Eric Coggins 0-0 0-0 0, EvannBaker 0-1 0-0 0, Ryan Bodgan 0-0 0-0 0, Jamee Jackson 3-4 3-5 9. Totals: 25-62 18-27 71.
LEHIGH (79)
Zahir Carrington 2-6 0-0 4, Gabe Kutson 2-5 0-3 4, Marquis Hall 2-6 4-6 9, C.J. McCollum 9-16 0-0 22, Dave Buchberger 0-2 1-2 1, John Adams 0-1 4-4 4, Prentice Small 0-3 0-0 0, Rob Keefer 3-6 5-6 13, Michael Ojo 3-7 4-5 11, Justin Manerri 2-2 5-6 9, Jordan Hamilton 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 24-55 23-32 79.
Quinnipiac — 32 – 39 — 71
Lehigh — 33 – 36 — 79
3-pointers – Q: 3 (Johnson, Feldeine, Twyman); L: 8 (McCollum 4, Keefer 2, Hall, Ojo); Rebounds – Q: 43 (Feldeine 10, Rutty 8); L: 37 (Ojo 8, Knutzon 5); Assists – Q: 13 (Johnson 5); L: 18 (Hall 10); Turnovers – Q 15, L 13.

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One of those teams is 18th-ranked Mississippi State.

The biggest surprise for the conference, however, was a positive one. Rotnei Clarke blew past SEC and Arkansas records on his way to a 13-of-17 performance from downtown to post 51 points against Alcorn State.

Here are Week One’s awards.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rotnei Clarke (33.5 ppg, 2.0 stl, 66.7% 3PT)

COACH OF THE WEEK: Trent Johnson (3-0 with win over Western Kentucky)

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Marshawn Powell (16.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.5 blk)

A breakdown of each team’s performance thus far follows.

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After opening the season with exhibition wins over Grace College and St. Joseph’s (Indiana), it’s time to find out just how good this youthful team can be.

Let’s take a look at IU’s first 12 games of 2009-10.

Nov. 13: Howard

The Bison hail from the MEAC and finished last year with an 8-23 record reminiscent of IU’s own 6-25. Their leading scorer from last year, Eugene Myatt, is no longer on the roster. Belgian junior forward Kandi Mukole and Indianapolis native Kyle Riley, a guard, will lead the attack, but I expect this one to be a blowout at Assembly Hall.

PROJECTION: Indiana cruises, 1-0

Nov. 16: USC Upstate

In their third year as a D-I program, the Spartans of Spartanburg, SC don’t appear to pose much of a threat. However, they do have a cool media guide available online! They also have the seasoned Eddie Payne, who is entering his 25th year as a head coach. So they’ve got that going for them, which is nice.

PROJECTION: Indiana wins in a walk, 2-0

Nov. 19: Ole Miss (O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off )
*Nov. 20: Kansas State/Boston University
*Nov. 22: TBA

The Hoosiers will travel to sunny Puerto Rico to take part in the Tip-Off this year. Ole Miss is a quality opponent hovering just outside the top 25, and Hoosier transfer Nick Williams (traitor!) will get to observe his former teammates from the Rebels bench.

The tourney features a tough field including ranked Villanova, Georgia Tech, and Dayton, as well as Ole Miss and Kansas State. Really, the only soft teams are Boston U. (Indiana’s likely Round Two opponent) and George Mason. The website (linked above) is a good resource if you want to dig deeper into the field.

PROJECTION: L vs. Ole Miss, W vs. BU, L vs. Georgia Tech, 3-2

Nov. 28: Northwestern State

A member of the Southland Conference, the Demons are another team that struggled last year. They have games against Texas Tech and Indiana in their early schedule, so we’ll have a better idea of whether they pose any threat to IU after the Red Raiders get their shot.

PROJECTION: W, 4-2

Dec. 1: Maryland

Senior Greivis Vasquez leads a seasoned Terrapins team that lost to Memphis in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament. Maryland is lacking in quality big men but is deep at guard and swingman and will test the defense of Verdell Jones, Jeremiah Rivers, and the rest of the Hoosiers backcourt.

This is a home game for IU, and I expect Assembly Hall to be rocking for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Maryland has a cakewalk through its early schedule before coming to a truly hostile environment.

PROJECTION: Close L, 4-3

Dec. 8: Pittsburgh

Despite losing its top three players in Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, and Levance Fields, the Panthers may still be a tough opponent for the young Hoosiers. Coach Jamie Dixon gets his teams ready to contend year in and year out and runs a tough offense and defense.

This one will come down to whose young players are more ready to step into the limelight. The Hoosiers may actually have the advantage in experience, as Dixon is going with an entirely new starting lineup to open 2009-10.

PROJECTION: W, 5-3

Dec. 12: No. 5 Kentucky

Another awesome game at Assembly Hall. I remember the last time the Wildcats came to town in 2007, when Jordan Crawford schooled his big brother Joe and paced IU to a win.

Patrick Patterson probably remembers too, which can’t be good for Indiana. I expect the junior big man and Kentucky’s top-notch gang of freshmen to put on a show in what could be a great game for fans of high-flying, fast-paced basketball.

PROJECTION: L, 5-4

Dec. 19: North Carolina Central

They opened the season with an 89-42 loss at North Carolina. In just their third year as part of Division I, they simply aren’t ready for major conference talent.

PROJECTION: W, 6-4

Dec. 22: Loyola (Maryland)

Part of the MAAC, they started out well last season before losing eight of their final nine games. The Greyhounds will have begun conference play by the time this Christmas break matchup rolls around, and I’m seeing…hang on…crystal ball?

PROJECTION: W, 7-4

Dec. 28: Bryant University

Like NC Central and USC Upstate, Bryant is a newcomer to the D-I scene. Still, they won eight games last year, including upsets at Yale and against Long Island at home. Seniors Nick Pontes and Cecil Gresham are capable players.

But this team was blown out by every major-conference opponent they faced last year, scoring only 36 at Big Ten also-ran Iowa, and I don’t expect a whole lot to have changed since then.

PROJECTION: W, 8-4

So there you have it. Heading into their New Year’s Eve home date with Michigan, the Hoosiers should have a bunch of wins under their collective belts, and hopefully one or two upsets against major-conference opposition to help them grow a little bit of swagger.

It’s a major bonus to have virtually all of their tough early matchups at Assembly Hall, aside from the Puerto Rico tourney, and home court advantage will definitely be a factor.

This early schedule ought to give Indiana fans a chance to see who’s for real among the bumper crop of freshmen and who has improved from last year’s core of Jones, Devan Dumes, and Tom Pritchard.

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