Friday, July 11, 2014: Florida QB heading for fifth school in four years

   Leading off today: The comparison isn't fair, but I have to admit that Lloyd Daniels' name came to mind instantly when I read the lead to a story in USA Today.

   Daniels, of course, was a legendary basketball player in New York City in the mid-1980s. But his path to college and pro stardom was stymied by bad advice, a lack of self-discipline and a plentiful supply of enablers disguised as friends and advisers. After attending five high schools in three states and dabbling briefly in college, Daniels ended up an international journeyman whose 20-year pro career included parts of five seasons in the NBA -- far from the stardom predicted for the 6-foot-7 swingman.

   Cue Brevet Killett, a high school quarterback in Florida who appears destined to enroll in his fifth school in four years according to the paper. There's no indication he is plagued by any of the demons that kept Daniels from maximizing his talent, but Killett clearly has itchy feet.

   The 6-foot-2 lefty began at Holiday (Fla.) Anclote as a freshman. transferred to nearby Palm Harbor University High as a sophomore and moved on the following year to St. Petersburg Gibbs. After one season there, he moved across the state to Fort Lauderdale, intending to play for Strahanan High, where his half-brother was hired this year to be the offensive coordinator. But the head coach was fired in May, leading to a change in the coaching staff and turning Killett into a free agent again. It's not yet known where he'll resurface.

   Killett's saga was part of a bigger story about transfers being on the rise. As noted by the paper, Cabrillo High in California had 20 players transfer in last season, most from other Long Beach schools.

   Miramar (Fla.) Everglades coach Art Taylor attributes much of the increased player movement to football camps and traveling 7-on-7 squads.

   "In my 30 years of coaching, it's getting worse and worse every year," he told the paper. "I make sure myself and my staff are around at these camps because there are people there who will tell parents things, that if they go to this school, they have a better chance at getting into a college. A college coach doesn't care what high school you go to. It's whether you can play ball and whether you have the grades."

   Ryan picks Fighting Irish: Iona Prep basketball star Matt Ryan tweeted Friday that he has committed to play for Notre Dame beginning in 2015. The 6-7 wing received interest from a number of majors, and Notre Dame was persistent despite hip surgery that cost Ryan almost his entire junior season.

   Ryan is continuing his recovery from torn labrums in both hips and isn't playing summer ball, which didn't bother Notre Dame.

   "They recruited me like I was 100 percent healthy," Ryan told The Journal News.

   New facility planned: Utica College wants to build a dome measuring 500x281 feet to host a variety of sports including track and field, The Observer-Dispatch reported. The proposal cleared one hurdle Tuesday when the Utica Zoning Board approved a height variance for the 81-foot-high, air-supported structure.

   "We're ecstatic," track and cross country coach Jason Rose told the paper. "As a coaching staff and as a team, we're ecstatic to have our own facility to practice, to hold

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meets, to hold alumni events."

   AD Dave Fontaine said construction could start as early as this fall. The facility will have a 200-meter track, four multi-sport courts and a multi-sport artificial turf field. The dome will cost "several million dollars," Fontaine said.

   The story made no mention of seating capacity when the dome is configured for track meets, but the fact that restrooms and a concession stand are part of the plan is encouraging. That could give Section 3 another option for indoor track meets and perhaps even be an option for the state meet each March in place of the preposterously expensive Barton Hall at Cornell University.

   Speaking of facilities ... : There's no need to be alarmed -- probably -- but the Glens Falls Civic Center will be up for public auction Aug. 18, and bidding information released by the city this week indicates the new owner will not be obligated to honor the final two years of the contract to host the NYSPHSAA boys basketball tournament.

   "I am not alarmed by it," longtime state tournament director Doug Kenyon said. "I did not realize that. That comes as a surprise to me. I have had conversations about the tournament with the mayor and city councilors."

   In a tweet Friday, NYSPHSAA boys basketball chairman Bill Higgins said: "I have no doubt that the NYSPHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament will be in Glens Falls In 2015."

   The contract for the state volleyball tournament also is not guaranteed, The Post-Star reported. Section 2 basketball and wrestling are also affected.

   Assuming the Civic Center remains available, Kenyon said his committee will be bidding on the public school tournament and the Federation tournament for 2017-19.

   "I would think if you were the new owner of the Civic Center and you had high school events that brought in 30,000 in the course of a year, you would want to have them keep coming," he said.

   Private ownership of the building likely means higher rental fees, but other arrangements with local municipalities to defray costs would probably not be affected.

   Still, the existing financials on the building are frightening: Glens Falls budgeted a $605,350 arena subsidy for 2014, but building operator Global Spectrum has projected a $920,543 shortfall for the year based on current bookings, the paper reported.