College RapidReports Correspondent, CBSSports.com

Congrats, we're in the same boat. I was selected for one of them as well.

 

Does anyone know if the Syracuse basketball position has been filled? I'm a big Orange fan and looking forward to the new feature on CBS Sports for all the college teams. Thanks a lot.

 

Here's the lineup for basketball. Congrats to all.

CLEMSON: Travis Sawchik
DUKE: Shawn Krest
GEORGIA TECH: Larry Hartstein
MARYLAND: Dave Carey
NORTH CAROLINA: Brett Friedlander
WAKE FOREST: Marc Pruitt
CONNECTICUT: John Silver
GEORGETOWN: Elliott Smith
LOUISVILLE: Evan Hilbert
MARQUETTE: Mike Singer
NOTRE DAME: Mike Hutton
PITTSBURGH: Chuck Finder
SYRACUSE: Thomas Casale
VILLANOVA: Andy Jasner
WEST VIRGINIA: Patrick Southern
ILLINOIS: Cody Westerlund
INDIANA: Pete DiPrimio
MICHIGAN STATE: Dana Gauruder
MINNESOTA: Dana Wessel
OHIO STATE: Doug Bean
PURDUE: Phil Friend
WISCONSIN: Tammy Madsen
BAYLOR: Kim Gorum
KANSAS: C.J. Moore
KANSAS STATE: Rob Cassidy
MISSOURI: Steve Walentik
OKLAHOMA STATE: Adam Kemp
TEXAS: Carter Strickland
ARIZONA: Anthony Gimino
CAL: John Breech
OREGON: Chris Hansen
UCLA: Sean Ceglinsky
STANFORD: Kyle Bonagura
WASHINGTON: Mike Allende
ARKANSAS: Jimmy Carter
FLORIDA: Lyle Fitzsimmons
KENTUCKY: Brett Hait
LSU: Glenn Guilbeau
TENNESSEE: Daniel Lewis
VANDERBILT: Matt Rybaltowski

 

I'm surprised the Columbia Tribune let Steve Walentik take this position, considering he is the beat guy on Mizzou basketball.

 

Would be nice if they did a similar thing for hockey.

 

Why is that surprising? It's not at all.

Like the NFL RapidReports, his bio is going to link back to his blog and and the newspaper website. If someone follows him on RapidReports, they're more likely to read his work in the Tribune and then maybe the Tribune sells a few more digital subscription plans.

 

Yep -- you are correct. Big-time conflict of interest.

Numerous papers wouldn't allow that. Several reporters (myself included) at newspapers I've worked at have had to turn down such opportunities because of that.

Haven't heard of many of these writers so not sure what to make of the CBSSports.com commitment. Guess we'll see when college hoops season gets here.

Was there a similar list put out per college football?

 

And I'm not trying to single out Walentik. I imagine there are other beat writers who took this position, too. He's the only one I know of.

Also, I don't know if there's been a list of football writers put out.

 

He's not alone. Glenn Guilbeau covers LSU sports for Gannett. Seems like a conflict.