Best of the Bullogosphere: April 15

Happy tax day, Bulls fans! On to the news:

1. Former USF soccer player Zak Boggs has earned a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. He will pursue a Master's degree in Medical Sciences at the University of Leicester, with a focus on treating cancer through gene splicing. In his non-study time, he plays Major League Soccer for New England. We're not worthy.


2. USF athletic director Doug Woolard recently appeared on Costas Tonight to discuss realignment, as part of an episode on the state of college athletics. Costas waxes nostalgic about rivalries and comparable missions; Woolard gives an honest answer about how Big East membership has benefited USF as a university. He also explains to Doug Flutie why Boise State will not have to send its women's volleyball team all the way to Tampa. Watch the segment here.


3. Sam Cassell Jr. has set his final three schools: USF, Pittsburgh, and Maryland. Note that Florida State, where his father played, is not one of them. Also:

   

   That's 2. Only 99,998 to go. Next item:

4. We previously reported that Danny Otero made the San Francisco Giants roster. Greg Auman has tracked down where all the other ex-Basebulls are starting their minor league seasons. Barring an injury to a Dodger that gives 29-year-old Jeff Baisley a shot, our best major league prospect is still in the low minors: reliever Kevin Quackenbush has been just as unhittable in the Padres' chain as he was as USF's closer in 2011.
   
   Auman didn't mention Kevin Boles, who played for the Bulls from 1995-98 and is in his second season as manager of the AA Portland Sea Dogs. If Boles can somehow get a major league job this season, he'll extend USF's incredible streak of having an alumni managing in the major leagues every year since 1979! Of course, that was entirely Tony LaRussa. But LaRussa's illustrious career started with a mid-season promotion from Double-A manager to major league manager, so maybe lightning will strike again.
   


5. As if there weren't enough tough basketball coaches in the Big East, USF might have to face Larry Brown. Brown is interested in future Big East school SMU, and vice versa.
   

BONUS: Not USF-related, but a story that illustrates the insanity of college sports. A billionaire booster has bankrolled a swank new training facility for a college team, and promised the school more funding. The school has used the funding to hire a prominent new head coach away from another school. What's unusual about that? It's a chess team. Even more outrageously, the coach's entire national championship team transferred to the new school. And you thought John Calipari was a dick.