I don?t recruit. I can?t offer scholarships. I don?t draw up in-bound plays in the huddle or bark out offenses from the sidelines. I don?t coach. But, I do know some things about sports and I do have some questions.

Why did the men?s basketball team?s second-leading scorer, Joel Jones, come off the bench for so long?

Jones is the Hornets? most explosive player and has the ability to score in bunches. He brings a certain attitude and nastiness to the court that, at times, make Sac State look like favorites. Jones does things on offense (particularly in the lane) that former Hornet hoopsters Pablo Gonzales and Ricky Glenn wish they could do off a dribble-penetration.

Granted, head coach Jerome Jenkins understands and knows his players a lot better than I do. But it took me just few minutes to realize how much of an impact Jones has on the court. I have no clue why it took Jenkins three months to come to that realization.

I?ve always thought the way a team gets out of the gates was a determining factor in the outcome of a game, particularly road games. The Hornets, who have been winless on the road forever, need everything they got away from Hornet Gym. Was sitting Jones for the first five minutes of every contest really helping the squad, or was it hurting it?

If Jenkins were really trying to get this team to the playoffs, he would have started Jones every game. If he were really trying to win, he?d be making Jones a bigger part of the big picture.

With the national signing day for college football behind us now, I can?t help but think about some of the local talent we have watched star at other schools.

Could you imagine a Hornet offensive unit jam-packed with such college football all-stars as Stanford?s Randy Fasani, Oregon?s Onterio Smith and Tennessee?s Donte Stallworth? All grew up playing football in the greater Sacramento area and all took their talent somewhere else.

Could you imagine it? Fasani, Smith and Stallworth all donning green and gold jerseys.

“Fasani changes the play at the line of scrimmage. Fasani fakes the hand-off to Smith, looks deep for Stallworth. Stallworth has got three steps on the closest cornerback?TOUCHDOWN!”

Or, better yet:

“The Hornets line-up in the I-formation. Smith takes the pitch from Fasani. Smith dances out, just one man to beat. Oh, what a move! He?s at the 20, he?s at the 10?TOUCHDOWN!”

Sac State and the Big Sky Conference would have never been the same. Instead of priding ourselves on the athletes who have moved on to developmental leagues like the Canadian Football League and NFL Europe, we?d start spotlighting more and more football players succeeding in the big show.

Why not build the offense around Sydney Gatson this season?

Gatson is the closest player the women?s basketball team has to being a “baller.”

She is the heart and soul of a winless Sac State team that will inevitably remain winless this season. She carries the team on offense and, if Kristine Knowlton didn?t block so many damn shots, she would be their defensive catalyst, too.

The flashy guard routinely scores in double figures for the Hornets, while spending a majority of her minutes on the court trying to create shots for her teammates.

Do we really have what it takes to compete in Division I athletics?

At some point, we really need to decide if being in Div. I is worth it. Outside of volleyball, we consistently loom in the depths of the Big Sky and the Big West. If we can?t compete with the big boys, why not move to a division where we can compete?

Though I don?t have all the logistics, I do know that success breeds success. If Sac State were to become competitive, it would draw more and more attention to the program. If we were to piece together some winning seasons, and maybe even take home a couple of championships here and there, Sac State might land that promising prospect, or get the special attention from the community and the media.

Right now, as it stands, Sac State doesn?t get any of that. Granted, some games are televised and covered in print, but not nearly enough. Unfortunately, high school programs get more love than we do. And, that?s the truth.

Is that how it goes? Do the big name Div. II schools like UC Davis and North Dakota get the same treatment? I really don?t think so.

But, than again, I?m not a coach. I don?t organize game plans and I don?t decide who gets the starting nod. I?m just a sports fan with a couple of questions.