Excerpt from Bob Dunning's column:

Many of us were struck by the beautiful photograph of Natalie, arms outstretched, extending a version of the American flag known as the “Thin Blue Line” flag several years before she became a Davis police officer.

Accompanying the photo, Natalie wrote, “I would like this photograph to serve as my gratitude for all those law enforcement men and women who have served, who are currently serving and those who have died in the line of duty protecting our liberties in this great country.”

For many of us, it was the first time we’d seen the Thin Blue Line flag.

The photo was not posted in anger or hatred or defiance or righteousness. It was posted with love and with pride. In it, she looks happy and joyful and free as a breeze, proud in the very best of ways. It is indeed one of the most striking and beautiful photographs I’ve seen in a long time.

Unfortunately, a group of students at UC Davis, known as the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission, didn’t want us to hold all those wonderful thoughts about Natalie.

Adding insult to tragedy, they attacked the photo as racist, seemingly because some white supremacists in Charlottesville decided to co-opt that flag as their own.

Associating Natalie with such a group is flat-out wrong and the ECAC knows it, but they simply couldn’t bear to see so much positive attention being showered on a member of the Davis Police Department.

Relations between law enforcement and groups who feel they are being unfairly targeted are a serious topic that deserves our constant concern and attention.

However, 22-year-old Natalie Corona, the pride of Arbuckle and a woman who desired to do good in this world, was precisely the kind of person members of the ECAC should be applauding. They chose instead to attack and attack hard. Their words served only to further the divide.

For now, our love and prayers and our very souls should be turned toward the Corona family, holding them all up as high as we can and thanking them for the gift of Natalie, who died trying to make our town a better place for all of us.

https://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/dunning/bob-dunning-natalie-is-a-gift-we-should-be-thankful-for/

Les has already offered 8 guards and one power 6'11 power forward for 2020 to date according to verbalcommits.com . He has stated that he believes in never leaving his teams wanting for guards...

https://verbalcommits.com/schools/uc-davis

Totally agree. I think this team is still capable of making a run so, hopefully, we won't finish in the bottom of the league. Our ability to attract the type of athletes we need to compete year in and out at a high level, which seems to be falling behind the best teams in the conference, could take a big step backwards if we fall to the bottom of the league.

Amazing turnout and support...

I thought the Ags actually played pretty well for most of the game. Like DrMike posted in the other game thread, we had a short period in the final 5 minutes of the first half where we didn't play well and SB created separation and went up by 12 points. We made a run to get within 3 in the second half but couldn't take the lead.

Both teams played tough defense. I thought the main difference in the game was their 3 point shooting (11-24, 45.8%) and rebounding (37-21) and our poor 3 point shooting (4-15, 27.6%). The Gauchos are very athletic and long and they made a bunch of contested shots. They have players that can create off the dribble and make tough shots with the shot clock running down.

Alabama transfer, Armond Davis. was a one man wrecking ball for them. He hit a bunch of critical shots, was 5-7 from 3 and scored 23 points. He's an elite player and he killed us.

Bright spots:

1. Joe Mooney continues to have a hot hand and is playing incredibly hard. He also made a spectacular, acrobatic layup in traffic while getting fouled very hard and completed the 3 point play. He could be the team's go to scorer next season at the rate he is progressing.

2. Matt Neufeld is getting better with each outing and the Ags are looking to get him the ball on the low post and let him go one on one. He only logged 17 minutes though and the he looked gassed at times with the pace of the game.

3. We defended well for the most part. I'm sure it was discouraging for the Aggies when they play great defense late into the shot clock only to have SB pull up and knock down a tough shot time and time again. That's just a credit to the Gauchos. They are deep with good D1 athletes.

4. We had a decent crowd (3189) considering the team has only won 4 games this year. SB also had a quite a few fans seated behind their team and they were very vocal. Maybe they had a local area reunion or something?

Needs to get better:

1. 3 point shooting. It's been our Achilles heel all season and continues to be so. Joe Mooney is red hot right now but we need more than just Joe. Even though we were matching baskets with the Gauchos at times we were falling behind because we were trading a basket in the paint for a 3 pointer from UCSB.

2. Caleb Fuller has been seeing fewer and fewer minutes lately. I thought he might be playing a bigger role for the Ags by this time in the season but that hasn't happened yet.

3. Les needs to bring in a few more players that match the kind of physical talent that teams like UCSB have. He can usually get the Aggies to simply play harder on defense but teams like the Gauchos have the ability to break down good defenses with their superior athleticism and offensive ability. We saw that last night.

The Gauchos' 3 point shooting and rebounding was the difference in the game and our 3 point shooting was as it has been all season...missing. I thought both teams play pretty solid defense. The Ags didn't play poorly, they just weren't quite good enough to match the talent of the Gauchos.

Ags win 75-51.

55-36 Ags after 3. Morgan with 25.

33-24 Ags at the half. Bertsch has 16 and McKeown 8. Morgan picked up her 3rd foul just before the half ended.

I think Hawk is here to stay. I suppose everyone has number they can't refuse but this is the perfect fit for Hawkins and his love of everything about the Aggies runs deep.

On the other hand, Kevin Blue is on his way to becoming a hot ticket item and other school's will come calling. Blue loves the Aggie ideals also but he's young and I doubt that we will be able to match some of the offers he'll probably receive. I think Chancellor May will do all he can to keep Blue here but $$$ could be a limitation for us. I hope we manage to keep Blue for a really long time though...

The following is my write up about the Aggies that I wrote for GauchoFreg's preview of the game over on the UCSB basketball page of the Big West forums:


To say it's been a tough season for the Aggies this year would be an huge understatement. I don't think many people who follow Big West basketball, and certainly not any Aggie fans, would have predicted that the Ags would find themselves with only 4 wins against 12 loses at this point in the season. The Ags have played their most ambitious preseason schedule ever after the team reportedly told Coach Les that they wanted to challenge themselves against more major programs in the preseason. Les complied and, in doing so, he openly stated that there would be a real possibility that the team could get exposed if they were unable to step up to the level of their competition and, for the most part, that's what has happened.

So what has accounted for such big drop off in the win column for the Aggies this year? Well, certainly, the tougher preseason schedule has had a lot to do with it but another big factor has been injuries to two key players. AJ John and Stefan Gonzalez have both been sidelined for much of the preseason. John is just now slowly getting back on the floor after battling a persistent knee problem and a concussion while Gonzalez has been out with an undisclosed injury. Both of these players were being counted on for their ability to score from the perimeter and John adds length and rebounding as well.

The other big factor in the Aggies' struggles this season has been a precipitous drop off in offense. Les preaches defense but you can't win on defense alone and the Aggie offensive production has been miserable most of the year. Last year the Aggies averaged 72.3 ppg and this year they are averaging only 64.1 ppg. The biggest area of offensive demise has been in 3 point shooting. Last year the Ags shot 37.2% from 3 but that has dropped off to a paltry 23.3% this year. The inability to shoot the 3 and stretch the floor on offense is the Achilles heel of the team and our opponents have been focusing on making the Ags beat them from the outside by clogging up the middle on defense.

All is not doom and gloom though. The Ags have played very well in a few games. Against Indiana, they led by as much as 14 in the second half before the Hoosiers caught fire in the final 7 minutes of the game and they played outstanding ball in a 2 point loss at Arizona. They also just lost two close games on the road to Irvine and Long Beach to open BW play and, while they didn't finish with a win in either game, they showed that they can be a tough out against any team in the league.

So how do the Ags match up against Santa Barbara? In a nutshell, not very well. On paper, UCSB is significantly better in every major statistical category than the Aggies The only advantage I can realistically see for the Aggies is that the game is being played in Davis and the Ags just might be one of the most frustrated, hungry teams in the nation. Consequently, the Aggies will play their hearts out; that's guaranteed. If they can get some shots to fall and play solid defense, they could make this a close game or even edge out a win. After all, it is the wild, wild Big West...

The Aggie Players:

TJ Shorts II 5'9 160 Sr PG: What more can be said about the Aggies' diminutive PG. He is, quite simply, the best PG ever to wear an Aggie uniform and he is a pure joy to watch for any college basketball fan.

Siler Schneider 6'3 183 Sr G: Siler has had his struggles this year especially shooting from distance. He brings toughness, hustle and energy to the floor every game for the Aggies and tends to be a streaky shooter. He can score in clusters when he gets it going. Unfortunately, he also has a tendency to drive the ball into trouble and make TO's as well.

Garrison Goode 6'7 225 Sr F: Garrison is primarily a strong defender and rebounder but he has had his best offensive production of his career this season as the Ags have had to focus on going inside more.

AJ John 6'8 225 Sr F: AJ has struggled with injuries this year and has missed most of the preseason. He was a key in the Aggies' offense last year after Chima Moneke was lost and he has the ability to light it up from distance when he's feeling it. He was brilliant against Indiana but, other than that, he has not been himself. He's still working to shake off the rust and get back into playing shape. The Ags desperately need him to get healthy.

Joe Mooney 6'3 187 Jr G: Joe has been frustrated most of the season. His usually reliable shooting was off and he was seeing less and less playing time. That changed in a big way last weekend at Irvine and Long Beach. He scored 14 and 29 points respectively in those two games primarily on a combined 10 of 16 from 3. Welcome back Joe!

Matt Neufeld 6'11 225 Jr C: Matt sat out last year after transferring from St Louis. He is smooth and fairly agile for a big man but has have trouble staying out of early foul trouble. His offensive game is getting better with each outing and he can be a significant contributor for the Aggies if he can just stay on the floor longer.

Stefan Gonzalez 6'2 195 Jr G: Stefan was expected to be a great 3 point shooter for the Aggies this year after transferring from St Mary's and sitting out last year. Unfortunately, he has been out with injuries and has not seen that much playing time. The Ags hope to see him back soon and healthy as they need all they help they can get to score from the perimeter.

Damion Squire 6'0 175 Fr G: Damion has seen a lot of action as a true freshman. He's a solid ball handler, can shoot from distance and plays with poise for a true freshman.

Caleb Fuller 6'5 210 Fr F: Caleb hails from Ipswich, England, and came to the Aggies this year with lots on international experience. He's very strong and athletic and a bit raw. He's still adjusting to the physicality and speed of the American D1 game. He has the potential to become a significant player for the Aggies.

Colin Russell 6'10 221 Sr F: Colin is seeing more playing time this season in relief of Goode and Neufeld. He's primarily a defender assigned to be a physical presence in the paint for the Ags.

Rogers Printup 6'4 205 Jr G: Rogers is a uniquely special player for the Aggies. He is deaf but can read lips and is able to communicate with the coaches and his teammates. He can be a deadly 3 point shooter with a quick catch and shoot release.

Gio Nelson 6'4 186 RSFr G: Gio has a nice looking outside shot but has seen very little PT this year.

Jonah Underwood 6'8 220 Jr F: Jonah sat out last year after transferring from San Jose City College. He has seen only a few minutes of PT when the Aggie big men have gotten into early foul trouble.

In conclusion:

Aggie fans are looking forward to the Gauchos coming to the Pavilion on Thursday night. In many ways this is a pivotal game for the Aggies. The Ags have played very well at times this year against good teams but have nothing to show for it. They're hungry, extremely hungry. Starting off Big West play with games at Irvine and Long Beach on the road and UCSB at home is a tough way to begin chasing another conference championship but so it goes. The Ags need a win in a bad way and, if they are able to pull the upset against the Gauchos, it could be the turning point of their season.

This could be a good one!

Side note: It's not uncommon to see the former head coach of the Aggies and the Gauchos, Bob Williams, seated court side at the Aggie basketball games. I'd bet we'll see him sitting there court side on the baseline near the Aggie bench for this one too.

A move up would be complicated for sure and building a championship program at the FCS level has to be our first priority. I do believe, like Edwards said, that we are "too big and too prestigious" to stay at the FCS level forever.

The greater Sacramento area is extremely hungry for an local college program that they can get behind at the FBS level. The only representative FBS program in the central valley is Fresno State. Sure, there's Cal and Stanford in the bay area and Nevada up the hill but there's a huge void from Fresno north to the California border. There's only UCD and Sac as possibilities to fill that void some day and we're a much better candidate for that given our size and prestige than the commuter school across the Causeway.

:up:

Dr. May is a very impressive Chancellor. We're lucky to have him.

Hahahahah... Good one, DrMike!

What a wonderful story of determination and loyalty about Sean Harlston. Congratulations to his family for raising such a fine young man and teaching him values that will carry him successfully forward in his life. He's another perfect fit for the Aggie Athletics family.

The legal gray area you mentioned was agonizing for me and many of my colleagues. I've sat behind a closed door with some very scary people and it is unsettling to say the least and I worked a lot with people who have been the victims of violence. When I was first starting out it was hard for me not to take "work" home with me but, much like police officers, after a while you become less "shocked" by what you see and experience and focus on doing the best job you can to be of help given the circumstances.

The decisions by Les that you noted were masterful coaching. He's a great strategist of the game and has the experience to be able to make those great decisions in the heat of the moment.

I'm a retired mental health professional. Over the course of my career there were numerous times when I worked with individuals who were downright "scary" because of their mental health issues.

The California Tarasoff law requires psychotherapists and other mandated reporters to warn identifiable potential victims of a serious threat of harm and to notify the police of the same when the threat of violence is met under the guidelines of the Tarasoff law. I only had to do that twice in my career, but I can not tell you how many times someone "felt potentially dangerous" to me but the situation did not meet the all of the strict mandates of the Tarasoff law necessary for me to be able to break the legal confidentiality of the potential perpetrator.

Those cases were always the most stressful for me because there is a fine line between required reporting under Tarasoff and breaking the legal confidentiality of the potential perpetrator. Thank god I never woke up and opened the paper with a headline about a client of mine having committed some heinous crime but there were times I worried that that was a real possibility.

Perhaps I am jaded because of my professional experiences but there are a lot of people out there that live on the edge of potential violence. The fuse is already lit and has been simmering for a long time. It's just matter of if and when they might explode. If that happens and, especially if they have access to assault weapons, it can be potentially horrendous. There are red flags but, unfortunately, no sure way of predicting such violence.

http://jaapl.org/content/34/3/338

Her police career still in the future, Natalie Corona posted this photo on her Facebook wall in 2016, with the following caption: "I would like this photograph to serve as my gratitude for all those law enforcement men and women who have served, who are currently serving, and those who have died in the line of duty protecting our liberties in this great country." Facebook/Courtesy photo




https://www.davisenterprise.com/media-post/dpd-shooting-photos/attachment/blue-line/