The Field of 65

Friday Night Preview

2007-11-16T15:51:00.000-05:00

Well Thanksgiving is next week which means that all across the country preseason tournaments are in full swing. With that in mind here is a look at some of tonight's most intriguing match ups.

Illinois-Chicago vs. Winthrop
I love mid-major basketball, and this pairing of the Big South against the Horizon League should make for a great game. Winthrop has had a strangle hold on their conference for years, and are led by a trio of seniors, including tiny guard Chris Gaynor who put up 17 points in the Eagles season opening win over Queens NC.
Illinois-Chicago is going to be fun to watch this season due in large part to another guard, Josh Mayo. The 5'10" senior has averages of 23.5 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in his first two games. His 34 point performance on 11-17 shooting against Bradley was very impressive as the Flames won their season opener.

#18 Arkansas vs. Providence
The Razorbacks have had a an easy time to start the season, winning their first two games over Wofford and the College of Charleston by 22 and 27 points respectively. Dynamic sophomore guard Patrick Beverley has picked up where he left off last season, posting averages of 15.5 points and 6 rebounds in his first two games. Senior Steven Hill has not been seeing much time in the post after many thought he would make the leap from role player to impact player this season.
The Friars escaped with a 66-64 win over Temple yesterday, and without a ton of talented size, they will likely struggle with Arkansas.

Gardner-Webb vs. Oklahoma
Could the Runnin' Bulldogs pick up another win against a BCS conference team? Don't count out the possibility. Despite dropping their first game of the season to UConn last night 78-66, Gardner-Webb has still be getting great production out of their top players. Sophomore Grayson Flittner has impressed, putting up 18 points per game in his first four contests, while undersized senior forward Thomas Sanders has been a monster, averaging 18 points and nearly 12 rebounds thus far.
The Sooners however did look solid in a 10 point loss to Memphis last night. If Oklahoma can slow down the pace of the game they should be able to hold off the 'Dogs.

#3 Memphis vs. UConn
This is the marquee game for Friday night. The Tigers have looked every bit a national title contender thus far thanks to stellar play by freshman phenom Derrick Rose and backcourt running mate Chris Douglas-Roberts. Of course the fact that Joey Dorsey has been a man possessed on the boards doesn't hurt matters either.
After struggling with Morgan State on opening night, the Huskies have picked up their play in their next two games. Jerome Dyson and A.J. Price have been pacing UConn in the backcourt, while junior Jeff Adrien has been averaging close to a double-double inside. A big key in this one will be the play of 7'3" Hasheem Thabeet who certainly has the capability of slowing down Memphis's frontcourt, but it wont be easy.

Opening Week Wrap Up

2007-11-11T23:27:00.000-05:00

Rejoice, the college basketball season is officially underway. The first week was highlighted by a couple of big upsets and the arrival of several heralded freshman. Here's a look at some of the big stories from the season's opening.

Gardner-Webb Who?
New Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie certainly didn't anticipate his second career game in blue to pan out like this. Unranked Gardner-Webb out of the Atlantic Sun Conference shocked the 22nd ranked Wildcats 84-68 in front of a sold out crowd of Kentucky faithful. Despite a solid 12-point 12-rebound performance from blue chip freshman forward Patrick Patterson, Kentucky shot a paltry 35.5% from the floor and were outrebounded 36-28. The Runnin' Bulldogs however had no trouble finding the basket, shooting 53% from the field, and seeing four starters reach double figures in scoring.
This by no means sinks Kentucky, it just was an unexpected upset, and not a solid way for Gillispie to begin his coaching career in the bluegrass state. For Gardner-Webb though this is the kind of win that can make a season. Now this isn't to say that they are going to run away with their conference and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in March; of course the chances of them making the tournament as an at-large bid is small too. At the end of the season though, having a signature win like Kentucky on your resume is never a bad thing for a mid-major team.

Other Early Season Upsets of Note
O.J. Mayo had his college debut spoiled by Mercer who shocked #18 USC in the Trojans season opener. The Bears could not have been hotter, hitting on nearly 60% of their shots, and were led by sophomore guard James Florence who poured in 30 points, despite shooting just 2-9 from beyond the arc. This loss drops USC coach Tim Floyd's opening game record with USC to 0-3.
A couple of lesser upsets were UNC-Greensboro's 83-74 win on the road at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets obviously lost a lot with the early departures of Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton, but the team still has a decent amount of talent, including guard Anthony Morrow who put up a 23-point performance in the loss. Greensboro's senior forward Kyle Hines was by far the best player on the court though. The 6'6" bruiser posted 25 points and 9 rebounds in leading all players in scoring.

Freshman Make Early Statements
Entering the season there were those who though this year's crop of freshman could be deeper and more talented than last years group which produced Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Well, so far so good. Here's a look at the stat lines thus far of some of the most heralded freshman in the country.

Kevin Love (UCLA) - 22 points, 13 rebounds vs. Portland St
Michael Beasley (Kansas St) - 32 points, 24 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks vs. Sacramento St
Derrick Rose (Memphis) - 2 game averages: 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists
O.J. Mayo (USC) - 32 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists vs. Mercer
Nick Calathes (Florida) - 21 points, 3 assists vs. North Dakota St

All-American Selections

2007-11-04T21:05:00.000-05:00

With the season just a couple of weeks away, and preaseason action already underway, I felt it was time to unveil my All-American selections for the upcoming year. So without further wait, here they are.

Darren Collison - UCLA - Junior
There may not be a faster player in the entire country than Collison. The Bruin point guard brings so much to the table on both sides of the ball. He has proven to be an effective scorer, able to penetrate the lane and light it up from beyond the arc (44.7% shooting last year). More than simply a scorer though, Collison has tremendous court vision and with his stellar first step is able to draw and kick to open teammates, to the tune of nearly 6 assists per game last season.
Defense is where Collison steps up a level though from good player to All-American. He may be the best perimeter defender in the country. He led the Pac-10 last year with 2.2 steals per game thanks to his quickness and phenominal anticipation. With Collison at the helm this season, UCLA is primed for another Final Four run.

Chris Lofton - Tennessee - Senior
How happy were Vol fans when Lofton decided to put the NBA on hold for one more year? They were thrilled. One of the best pure shooters at the college level, the reigning SEC player of the year will bring his 20.8 points of scoring back to Tennessee this season, along with his veteran leadership.
Behind Lofton and a roster filled with talent, Tennessee is the early favorite in the SEC this season, and should be near the top of the polls for most of the year.

Chase Budinger - Arizona - Sophomore
The youngest player on my list, Budinger is a physically gifted player with plenty of talent. The first thing that jumps out about the sophomore's game is his tremendous athleticism. Budinger has great leaping ability and is very quick with the basketball. Those abilities translated into nearly 16 points and 6 rebounds as a freshman. With the departure of Ivan Radenovich and Marcus Williams, Budinger will likely be the focal point of the Wildcat offense along with highly touted freshman guard Jerryd Bayless.

Tyler Hansbrough - North Carolina - Junior
In Hansbrough you are looking at the clear preseason favorite for national player of the year. There is no player that works harder throughout the course of a game, and there may be no post player more polished than him. Despite not being an off the chart athlete, Hansbrough still posted averages of 18.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in leading the Tar Heels to the elite eight. With plenty of talent back, and another year of experience under his belt, Hansbrough could be hoisting a national championship trophy in March.

Roy Hibbert - Georgetown - Senior
Teams will be hard pressed this season to physically match up with the massive Hibbert who measures out at 7'2" 278 pounds. The senior showed a lot of improvement over the course of last season, and now that teammate Jeff Green has moved on to the NBA, the Hoyas will look to Hibber to lead the way. In order to do that he will have to improve his numbers of 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds last season, but he certainly has the ability to do so. A strong season could land Hibbert in the lottery come draft day in June.

Let the Madness Begin: Part 2

2007-10-19T20:59:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. So we're one week closer to tip-off time which means it's time to pick up where I left off last week and finish the ABC's of college basketball this season. So without further delay....

N is for...New Mexico State. The team with the best chance of knocking Nevada off from their pedestal at the top of the WAC. Last season's conference tournament MVP Justin Hawkins (15.6 points, 6.6 rebounds) will lead a hungry Aggies team that will continue to make some noise this year.

O is for...O.J. Mayo. After all the years of hype he has finally reached college. Mayo will make an immediate impact at USC and could already be the team's best player. It will certainly be exciting to see him in action and see what he can do against college players. Don't be shocked if and when he bolts after his freshman season though.

P is for...Parity. That's the direction the college game is continuing to move towards. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the recruiting game where big time schools like Duke, who used to be guarenteed a fresh batch of McDonald's All-Americans every season, are now losing players to schools not as traditionally rich in basketball history.

Q is for...Quaintance. As in Haminn and Rob Quaintance. Not related, actually from opposite sides of the country (Florida and Arizona), but what are the odds that two players would share a same last name as obscure as that?

R is for...Rhode Island. The Rams surprised a lot of people by challenging in the Atlantic 10 last year, this year though URI wont be able to sneak up on anyone in conference play. Rhode Island returns ten players from last year's squad, including senior forward Will Daniels (17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds) who will challenge for conference player of the year honors.

S is for...Saint Louis. Why you ask? Because Rick Majerus is back where he should be, on the bench coaching. It will be a lot of fun to see what the former Utah coach can do in his first season with the Bilikens.

T is for...Trouble. If Louisville's Derrick Character can stay out of any off the court issues this year, he has the chance to emerge as one of the brightest starts in the Big East this season.

U is for...University policy. This is something that Pepperdine's Kingsley Costain apparently wasn't aware of when he broke the policy and was kicked off the team. Pepperdine will be hurting as Costain was the team's top returning scorer from last season.

V is for...Victory. As in a national championship victory. Something that fans in North Carolina are dying for and wont accept anything less.

W is for...Washington State. The Cougars aren't a secret any longer. After being picked for dead last in the Pac-10, Washington State shocked the nation by posting a 26-8 record and earning a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. With most of last year's team back, expect another big year out west.

X is for...Jeff Xavier. The junior guard from Providence is the only player in D-1 basketball with a last name starting with X.

Y is for...Young talent. In the second year of the NBA's policy that players must play one year of college basketball before declaring for the draft, it will be another season of underclassmen having a major impact on the game, and in many cases dominating them.

Z is for...Brian Zoubek. With Josh McRoberts a Trailblazer now, the 7'1" prospect out of New Jersey will get a chance to show his stuff for Duke, who will need him to be an impact player in the tough ACC this season.

Let the Madness Begin: Part 1

2007-10-12T17:14:00.000-06:00

All across the country tonight basketball teams will partaking in their first official practices of the season. What used to be known as Midnight Madness has changed in recent years in order to have college students in bed earlier so they can do homework (please), but the tradition and excitement of the event is still the same for hoops fanatics everywhere. In honor of the official start of the season, I have compiled an ABC's of college basketball. Here's to the new season!

A is for...ACC. Many are questioning the depth of the conference this season, with North Carolina likely as the only sure thing. This is still going to be a dangerous conference with teams like NC State, Duke, and a slew of other talented programs that could make some noise on the national scene this year.

B is for...Billy Gillispie. Kentucky is absolutely in love with their new head coach, and when practice kicks off tonight at 7 in Wildcat country, the Gillispie era will begin with plenty of anticipation.

C is for...California hoops. UCLA and USC will clearly be making plenty of noise this season. With the addition of Kevin Love at center, the Bruins could very well be primed to make a third straight Final Four appearence and contend for a national title. The Trojans will have a slew of young talent as well, lead by heralded freshman O.J. Mayo.

D is for...DeAndre Jordan. The 7-footer will make an immediate impact at Texas A&M. Rated as the second best center in his class by Rivals, Jordan is a physical talent that gave the Aggies a real scare when he thought about withdrawing his commitment after coach Billy Gillispie left to take the Kentucky job.

E is for...Early season matchups. Here's a list of some of the top games before New Years: Georgetown vs. Memphis (Dec 22), Texas vs. Michigan St (Dec 22), Marquette vs. Wisconsin (Dec 8), North Carolina vs Ohio State (Nov 29), Arizona vs. Kansas (Nov 25), North Carolina St vs. Michigan St (Nov 28), Indiana vs. Southern Illinois (Dec 1)

F is for...Foul language. The NCAA has stated it will crack down on coaches swearing during games this season. Four letter words or stepping out onto the court during a game could earn coaches a quick technical foul.

G is for...George Mason. Only two years removed from their magical final four run, everyone is still asking, who will be the next Mason?

H is for...Harris, Eugene. The former Florida State player and long time assistant coach for various schools got his first head coaching job just a couple of weeks ago when he was selected for the recently opened Florida A&M job.

I is for...Iona. After a miserable 2-28 season last year, the Gaels will return a more experienced roster and healthy roster, one that hopes to improve upon one win in the MAAC from last season.

J is for...Jump for joy! College basketball is back!

K is for...Kosta Koufos. How will Greg Oden's heir apparent fair? The NBA's #1 draft pick has said that he is impressed by the freshman's game.

L is for...Ashton Lawrence. Who is this you might ask? A reserve junior forward for Coastal Carolina, and this is probably the only time you will ever hear his name.

M is for...Maryland. How will Gary Williams and the Terps do with a roster that has just three seniors and seven freshman? The youngsters will have to grow up real quick in a tough ACC.

Stay tuned for part two next week!

Freshmen Preview

2007-10-05T11:45:00.000-06:00

Year one of the NBA's new age restriction on the draft proved to be a massive success at the college level. A plethora of freshman had tremendous impacts across the country including the likes of Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Brandon Wright and Mike Conley Jr. With year two just a few weeks away, this crop of freshman, though they likely will not produce a player of Durant or Oden's caliber, should prove to have an immediate impact. Several of this year's newcomers have been receiving significant press even before they arrived at their respective campuses. With that said, here is a breakdown of some of this year's top incoming freshman.

Best Player
Michael Beasley - Kansas State
The Wildcats should be fun to watch when Beasley teams up with Bill Walker this season. Beasley brings the total package offensively. At 6'10" with a large frame, Beasley should have no problem asserting himself physically right away; there will be few players in the country that will be able to stop him from what he wants to do. The most intruiging part of his game though is the fact that Beasley is an inside and outside threat. He can post up and handle his own down low, and then step outside and attack from the perimeter. Don't be surprised if Beasley is the focal point of the Kansas State attack from day one.

Biggest Impact
Kevin Love - UCLA
Love was rated as the number one player in his class by several scouting services, but regardless of ranking, he could be the missing piece for UCLA's national title hopes. Love is already a very polished post presence and should fit right into the Bruin offense from day one. UCLA has had solid big men the last few years, but none of them have been of the same pedigree as Love.

Most Anticipated
O.J. Mayo - USC
After what seems like forever, Mayo has finally reached college. We first heard about him several years ago as the heir-apparent to Lebron James as the next high school phenom. Though things may have not completely gone as planned along the way for Mayo, he is still one of, if not potentially the best player in his class. A tremendously gifted player physically, Mayo possesses tremendous explosivness and scoring ability. Don't be surprised if he leads this year's class in scoring. Tim Floyd has gotten himself and the Trojans a player that could really put the program near the top of the AP rankings this year.

Best Playmaker
Derrek Rose - Memphis
What is the only thing scarier than having the top freshman point guard in the country flying down the court at you on a fast break? Surrounding that same point guard with the type of talent that the Tigers sport this season. Memphis pretty much their entire team from last season's 30-win club, and now add Chicago's finest in Rose. The Windy City native is a lightning fast getting up and down the floor, but the most dangerous part of his game is his already highly developed basketball IQ. Rose just has a knack for finding open players in transition, and that will fit in very well with John Calipari's offense.

Basketball and the College Application Process

2007-09-28T14:00:00.000-06:00

It's been over four years since I began the process of looking for the college that I would one day spend four years of my life at. It was an exciting, yet stressful time. My brother, who is a high school senior, is now in the midst of the decision making process as well, narrowing down his list of schools that he will apply to. Over the years people have asked my opinions on various schools and never once have I been in a position where I haven't been able to comment. More often than not though, I really dont provide any information that would be useful to the applicant. My reason for knowing so many more schools than the average human being: college hoops.

Friend: Joey what do you think about UNH, I hear they are an up and coming state school?
Me: Well...I'm a big fan of the America East Conference.

My mother for one reason or another was a big fan of Villanova when I was starting to look at colleges. I told her I couldn't see myself going to a school that had failed to lock up any top flight recruits for what would have been my junior and senior years of school. Boston University was another school that was proposed as being a good fit for me. As much as I love Mid-Major basketball, I needed something like the ACC.
At times I feel like I have accumulated more useless information about colleges that will never be useful to really anyone.
My brother showed a lot of interest in Quinnipiac and my mother asked what I thought of the area, and what did I know about the academic record of the school. My response was that the Bobcats had posted a 14-15 record in the last year, but with seven seniors on this years squad, it was certainly an up and coming school.
Every school that I applied to, save for one, was in a major sports conference. That isn't to say that I chose to attend Maryland purely based on ACC athletics. The school has one of the best journalism programs in the country, and that was a major factor in my decision, as well as the proximity to Washington DC, a fantastic city. However, when I did begin to look for schools, I relied on what I knew: college basketball. I could never tell you anything about East Tennessee State as a University, but I could certainly tell you that they won the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 16-2 record last season.
Will any of this knowledge ever help me in the real world? Probably not outside of the realm of sports. That doesn't mean I dont think its cool I know all of it though.

Giving Him His Due One More Time

2007-09-21T14:38:00.000-06:00

My position as a writer/scout for DraftExpress.com has given me some unique opportunities to watch a tremendous number of talented basketball players. It has also given me the chance to sit down and talk with some of them. During the months of April and May and I was placed in charge of the site's "NBA Draft Diary" column in which I would get to interview elite college players who were going through the process of trying to get drafted by an NBA team. After these interviews I would compile stories about the experiences of the players leading up to draft day.
As a basketball fan, just getting to learn first hand all of the preparation and training that goes on for one night, was tremendously interesting in itself. The most enjoyable part of my work though was getting to see these players beyond the basketball court and learn about them as people. By far the most inspiring story that I heard was that of Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell.
I interviewed Dowdell in late May and subsequently wrote my story on the interview just a couple of days later.
The first thing that struck me about Dowdell was how down to earth he was, and how generally interested he was in the interview. Here was an All-Conference college basketball player, a guy who has done more interviews than I care to imagine, and he was still doing his best to give me a great interview. As a journalist, especially one involved in sports, that is always greatly appreciated.
Now given that Dowdell was a Virginia Tech student, and the shooting was still recent news, I had to turn to that subject during the course of the interview. Even though the focus of the column was the preparation for the draft, I would have been foolish not to bring up the shooting, and this is where Dowdell suddenly became more than a basketball player, but he became an individual to strive to be like.
You see, Dowdell was so moved by the tragedy, and was so grateful to Virginia Tech for the four years he had spent there, that he donated $5000 of his own money to the relief fund. That's a tremendous gesture for any college student to make, but for Dowdell it was especially moving. Dowdell is from Pahokee, Florida, a town known for its storied history of producing pro football players, but also known for its immense poverty.
Here was a kid who had almost no money, and despite being such a good basketball player, was at best a 50-50 shot to even get drafted, let alone be signed to an NBA contract, and yet he was so grateful for the education and opportunity that he had been given by his school, that at the first chance he got he donated almost everything he had. The sad part of this story is that when I was at the draft in late June I spent the entire second round hoping to hear his name called, but it never was. Like so many other NBA hopefuls, Dowdell was not one of the 60 players to have their names announced at Madison Square Garden.
I haven't talked to or heard much of Dowdell since our interview a few months ago. I can only imagine that like so many other talented players that go undrafted, he is exploring options over seas in hopes of one day making an NBA roster. The point here though isn't whether or not Dowdell one day reaches the pros, the point is what kind of character he showed. Knowing full well that he was facing an uphill battle to get drafted and bring in a big time salary that he and his family could so desperately use, he still donated what money he had to his university. It isn't often that you see that kind of appreciation from people, especially ones who potentially have so much to gain. We would all be wise to mimic the actions of someone like Zabian Dowdell in our own lives.
So Zabian, wherever you are right now, just know that there is still one writer and a fan, who still appreciates what you did and is pulling for you.

Welcome Back/Summer Happenings

2007-09-12T14:45:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone and welcome back to The Field of 65. I've been off for a couple of months with the summer and the start of the school year, but I'm back ready to bring you everything that is college basketball.
This summer provided me with oppurtunities to cover some top notch basketball events thanks to my position with DraftExpress. For starters, I was a credentialed member of the media at the 2007 NBA Draft, conducting interviews for DraftExpress. Getting to talk to some of the players that were in the green room was a fantastic experience. Jeff Green, out of Georgetown and now of the Sonics, in particular struck me as a very personable guy. Draft night itself was great as I was back in the media room partaking in more interviews. I got the chance to chat briefly with Al Thornton of Florida State shortly after he had been drafted by the Clippers and he seemed very excited about playing with a team on the cusp of making the playoffs.
I also got the chance to cover some of the best high school basketball competition of the summer. In June I was in Queens scouting the semi-final and championship games of the Nike IS8 League. IS8 brings together some of the best players in the tri-state area every year. Some of the top players in action were Lance Stephenson (Rivals #4 class of '09), Kevin Jones (#79 class of '08), Erving Walker (#131 class of '08) and St. John's freshman Justin Burrell (#50 class of '07).
IS8 was just a warm up for the end of my summer, when DraftExpress asked me to cover the Boost Mobile Elite 24 at Rucker Park in Harlem. In just its second year of existence, the Elite 24 is the only outdoor high school All-American game in the country, and brings together the very best players in the entire country. Eight of the top ten players in the class of '08 were in action, including dynamic, Arizona-bound point guard Brandon Jennings (#8 class of '08), athletic big man B.J. Mullens (#4 class of '08) who has committed to Ohio State, and UCLA signee Jrue Holiday (#3 class of '08).
With such an exciting summer under my belt, I am only that much more excited to bring you as much college basketball opinion and news as I can this season.

Taking A Break

2007-05-21T23:46:00.000-06:00

The Field of 65 will be taking a break for a couple of weeks with the lull in college basketball news taking place during the summer months. Check back at the end of June and early July though for a recap of the NBA Draft, and check back periodically all summer for news and thoughts. Full time posts will be back in the fall with previews for every conference and team in the country. Thanks for reading.

Preseason Top 25: #10-#1

2007-05-14T21:34:00.000-06:00

#10 - USC
Sure, Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt have declared for the NBA Draft, and Lodrick Stewart has graduated, but if there is one team in the country that can lose its top three scorers and still be dangerous, it's the Trojans. Taj Gibson will be one of best young post players in the country next year after posting averages of 12.2 points and 8.7 rebounds as a freshman. O.J. Mayo, one of the nation's top prospects, will headline the #2 recruiting class in the country according to Rivals.com. Joining Mayo will be small forward Leonard Washington who is ranked #29 at his position by Scout.com.

#9 - Kansas State

Here is another team with young talent primed and ready to take launch itself into the national picture. Kansas State may have lost leading scorer Cartier Martin, and head coach Bob Huggins may have jumped ship after only one season, but there is still plenty of reason for Wildcat fans to be excited for the '07-'08 season. Five-star small forward prospect Bill Walker missed most of last season with injury, and decided not to transfer after Huggins's departure, which is stellar news for K-State. He will be teaming up with incoming freshman Michael Beasley (Rivals.com #1 recruit) to form one of the best young duos in the country. Beasley has the skill and size to dominate at the college level right away. Four-star recruit Dominique Sutton will also be joining the team in the fall. A little senior leadership doesn't hurt either, which is why the return of forward David Hoskins (14.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg) will be such a welcome site for Wildcat fans.

#8 - Michigan State

Is it possible that Drew Neitzel is only just now entering his senior season? That is the case, and that's great news for Michigan State. After putting up averages of 18.1 points and 4.3 assists last season, there is no reason to think that Neitzel won't be popping up in national player of the year talks. The crafty guard will get plenty of help thanks to the return of forward Raymar Morgan (11.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and a top 10 recruiting class. Head coach Tom Izzo did a stellar job once again, and this fall will be welcoming point guard Kalin Lucas, and shooting guards Durrell Summers and Chris Allen. All three players are ranked in the top 10 nationally at their position by Scout.com.

#7 - Indiana

This is the year that Indiana returns to the national powers of college basketball. The decision for big man D.J. White to return for school was enormous for the Hoosiers and they will gladly welcome back his 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds. Guards Armon Bassett and A.J. Ratliff provided solid scoring last season and will help fill the scoring void left by the graduation of Roderick Wilmont and Earl Calloway. Bringing further scoring help will be one of the nation's top recruiting classes. Eric Gordon, the number two prospect in the country according to Rivals.com, headlines a class that includes three other players ranked in the top 25 nationally at their respective positions.

#6 - Tennessee

With their top six scorers returning from a team that made the Sweet 16 last year, it's sure to be a fun 2007-08 season in Vol country. SEC Player of the Year Chris Lofton (20.8 ppg) flirted with the NBA but decided to return for his senior campaign. Joining him will be JaJuan Smith (15.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Ramar Smith (10.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.1 apg) as the top offensive producers for Tennessee. Freshman forwards Wayne Chism and Duke Crews are primed for breakout seasons after each posting averages of at least 8 points and 5 rebounds. With so much talent and experience back there is no reason to think that the Vols wont be the best the SEC has to offer next year.

#5 - Kansas

It really says a lot about the amount of talent on the Jayhawks if they can lose Brandon Rush and Julian Wright to the draft and still be a top 5 team. Mario Chalmers (12.2 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Sherron Collins (9.3 ppg) will man things in the backcourt, while Sasha Kaun and Darrell Arthur (9.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg) will be a formidable duo in the post. Four-star recruits Cole Aldrich and Tyrel Reed will just give Bill Self more fire power off of his already deep bench.

#4 - UCLA

Even though it would have been great if Arron Aflalo returned for his senior year to finally win that elusive national championship, there is still plenty of reason to expect a third straight Final Four appearance from the Bruins. Darron Collison (12.7 ppg, 5.7 apg) is back and should be one of the top point guards in the country, and with Josh Shipp (13.3 ppg) and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (8.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg) as offensive weapons, there is no reason to think that UCLA won't be putting up big offensive numbers. Add in the nation's number one big man recruit Kevin Love who will join the team in the fall, and UCLA is primed for another deep run into March.

#3 - Louisville

The Cardinals return their top seven scorers from last season. Terrence Williams (12.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.8 apg), Edgar Sosa (11.4 ppg) and David Padgett (9.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) will provide a very strong nucleus for Rick Pittino's team. Big freshman forward Derrick Character showed some real flashes last year, and if he stays out of trouble could become a real force in the Big East. Louisville will also have the benefit of a tremendous amount of depth this year, with a very young squad returning from last season. The Cardinals will get even more depth inside when George Goode, the nation's #19 power forward joins the squad for next year.

#2 - Memphis

The Tigers are going to be loaded for the '07-'08 season. Senior Jeremy Hunt is the only significant loss from last season, but there is plenty of firepower back. Chris Douglas-Roberts (15.4 ppg) will team with incoming freshman Derrick Rose to form one of the nation's best backcourts. Joey Dorsey (8.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg) and Robert Dozier will have more than enough ability to deal with just about any frontcourt they encounter during Memphis's schedule. Add in three other recruits ranked in the top 20 nationally at their position, and the Tigers will be one of the favorites next season to win a national title.

#1 - North Carolina

Had Brandan Wright stayed for his sophomore season the Tar Heels would have been a lock for my top spot, instead they just sneak by Memphis as my preseason favorite to win a national title. Even without Wright, UNC will still have a top flight point guard in Ty Lawson, an athletic scoring wing player in Wayne Ellington, and an All-American big man in Tyler Hansbrough. With Danny Green, Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard filling out the top six in the playing rotation, there is enough talent and athleticism to take North Carolina straight to a championship.

Preseason Top 25: #15-#11

2007-05-10T23:58:00.000-06:00

#15 - Duke

Sure Josh McRoberts is gone after his sophomore year, leaving the Blue Devils without a proven big man in the ACC, but their backcourt will have enough talent to keep them near the top of the conference. Demarcus Nelson, Greg Paulus and John Scheyer are all back after averaging 12 points or better each. They key will be Paulus, who after having a stellar freshman season at point guard, took a step back during his sophomore campaign. Freshman Gerald Henderson, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas also showed some promise during their first season in Durham.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski has done another fine job with recruiting, bringing in the nation's #8 class this fall. The top prospect in Duke's '07-'08 class is small forward Kyle Singler.

#14 - Connecticut

What's not to like about UConn next season? Sure they finished towards the bottom of the Big East, but few teams last season can say they had as much young, raw talent. Here's the really intruiging part; all that talent is back. Jeff Adrien should emerge as a true force in the conference after posting 13.1 points and 9.7 rebounds as a sophomore; Jerome Dyson (13.8 ppg) and A.J. Price (9.4 ppg) will provide a talented scoring trio for the Huskies. Of course it doesn't hurt that 7'3" shot blocking machine Hasheem Thabeet finally made the decision to come back another year either. Thabeet was drawing potential looks as a lottery pick and could be the most dominant big man in the Big East next year if a certain 7-footer from Georgetown doesn't come back.

#13 - Stanford

Many felt that at 18-13 Stanford was undeserving of a spot in the NCAA Tournament this year; dont expect that to be the case next season. Sophomore guard Anthony Goods will bring his 12.8 ppg back, but the real story will be with the big men. Standout forward Lawrence Hill (15.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and twin 7-footers Brook Lopez (12.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Robin Lopez (7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) will form the best frontcourt in the Pac-10. Look for Stanford to be right near the top of the conference.

#12 - Washington State

Last year's surprise team will prove that its success was not a fluke in '07-'08. The Cougars lose athletic forward Ivory Clark, but return everyone else from a team that went 26-8 and nearly got to the Sweet 16.

Derek Low (13.7 ppg) and Kyle Weaver (11.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.6 apg) will make for a very steady senior backcourt in a conference stacked with guards. Daven Harmeling and Robbie Cowgill will provide nice third and fourth scoring options on offense. Of course the real strength of Washington State is its defense. The Cougars led the Pac-10 in scoring defense last season, and with nearly the entire team back, look out for them to do more of the same next year.

#11 - Arizona

When are the Wildcats ever not in the preseason picture? Chase Budinger's decision to return for his sophomore year makes Arizona a real threat out west. The super athletic forward made an immediate impact in the Pac-10, averaging 15.6 points and 5.8 rebounds. Yes, losing Marcus Williams to the NBA Draft and seniors Ivan Radenovic and Mustafa Shakur to graduation hurts, but a top five recruiting class should fill some of the voids. Head coach Lute Olson will be welcoming shooting guard Jerryd Bayless and small forward Jamelle Horne to campus in the fall. Both players are ranked in the top five at their position by Scout.com. If UCLA should falter Arizona will be in line to win the Pac-10.

Preseason Top 25: #20-#16

2007-05-08T23:29:00.000-06:00

#20 - Texas
Anytime you lose a player of the Kevin Durant's caliber it stings. However with the amount of talent back next season for the Longhorns, things won't sting as much. D.J. Augustin is one of the best young point guards in the country and should be the top floor general in the Big 12 next season. A.J. Abrams (15.5 ppg) should see his scoring numbers go up next year with Durant gone, and is a threat to go off with the ball on any given night.
The real keys for Texas will be two other freshman from this year's team: Damion James and Justin Mason. Mason (7.6 ppg) if he continues to develop will be a nice third wheel in the backcourt with Augustin and Abrams. James will be the real player to watch though. The 6'7" swingman posted solid numbers (7.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg), and if he steps up his game, the Longhorns will have three viable scoring options on offense.

#19 - Georgetown
This pick hinges a lot on whether or not Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert turn pro or not. Both players have declared, but neither has signed with an agent yet. If even one of these guys is back, throw the Hoyas into the top 10. Assuming neither is back though there is still enough talent to keep Georgetown ranked. Jonathan Wallace, Jessie Sapp and Dajuan Summers all averaged right around double figures last season, and all should expect those numbers to go up next season. Wallace in particular is a threat with his 49% shooting from beyond the arc.
The Hoyas will be welcoming even more fire power to the backcourt with the signings of point guard Chris Wright and shooting guard Austin Freeman, both of whom are ranked in the top 6 at their position by Scout.com.

#18 - Oregon
The Ducks had five players average double figures last year; they return four of them. Granted top scorer and assist man Aaron Brooks graduates, but there is more than enough offense coming back to pick up the slack. Bryce Taylor and Malik Hairston flirted with the NBA but are returning, and stellar freshman Tajuan Porter is back as well, giving Oregon a three headed scoring attack that will create loads of problems for opponents.
Keep in mind, this is a team that came within one game of making the Final Four, losing a hard fought game to eventual champ Florida.

#17 - Syracuse
There is plenty of reason for fans in upstate New York to be excited for the 2007-08 season. Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris will be entering their second season of playing together, and the two should really start to mesh well. Devendorf (14.8 ppg) emerged as a nice scoring option for Jim Boeheim, and though Harris didn't explode onto the Big East scene like he was expected to his 8.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg still gave glimpses of a future star.
Of course the real excitement for Orange fans is the '07-'08 recruiting class which is ranked #3 nationally. Donte Greene, one of the nation's top forwards, is the crown jewel of the class. Other top recruits joining Greene will be guards Johnny Flynn and Antonio Jardine, and center Rick Jackson; all three players are ranked in the top 20 nationally at their position by Scout.com.

#16 - North Carolina State
The Wolfpack will have the size and talent to compete for a spot in the upper half of the ACC next season. Redshirt freshman Brandon Costner (16.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is a stud and his partner down low Ben McCauley (14.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg) is no slouch either. Swingman Gavin Grant and guard Courtney Fells each averaged double figures last year as well and will bring the backcourt scoring punch necessary to compete in an elite conference.
NC State will get even stronger and deeper down low next season, as they bring in one of the country's top centers J.J. Hickson, and Tracy Smith a top-15 power forward recruit out of Mount Zion Academy.

Look for team's 15-11 on Thursday night.

Preseason Top 25: #25-#21

2007-05-06T21:25:00.000-06:00

#25 - Ohio State
Even with Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook all having declared for the draft, the Buckeyes will still be in good shape next season. Assuming all three players stay in the draft, there is still plenty of talent coming back. Othello Hunter, who proved to be a solid back up post player, will see his numbers (5.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg) increase tremendously, and freshman David Lighty really came on at the end of the season and in the NCAA Tournament, so look for big things from him next season. Thad Matta continues his string of stellar recruiting classes, getting commitments from four 4-star recruits and the nations #2 center Kosta Koufos. So despite losing a tremendous amount of talent, Ohio State will still be near the top of the Big Ten next season.

#24 - Alabama
It was a tough season for the Crimson Tide, especially for sophomore guard Ronald Steele who was slowed with knee problems. Plenty of other players stepped up though to provide solid production. Richard Hendrix, Alonzo Gee and Mykal Riley all averaged better than 12 points and 4 rebounds this season. If Steele can bounce back this season and return to familiar form from his freshman season then 'Bama should improve on this year's 20-12 record.
Top recruits Rico Pickett and Senario Hillman will be joining the Tide in the fall as well, making the backcourt even deeper for next season.

#23 - Southern Illinois
Sure, Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Jamaal Tatum is gone, as is Tony Young, but that doesn't mean the Salukis won't be the favorite to win the MVC again next season. Forwards Randal Falker (12.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Matt Shaw (11.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) are both back, as well as sophomore guard Bryan Mullins who led the team in assists at 3.5. Of course don't forget that Southern Illinois managed to keep head coach Chris Lowery as well, which will prove to be a tremendous boost for the team keeping a man of his abilities on the bench.

#22 - Mississippi State
Does a birth in the NIT Final Four spell success for the Bulldogs in '07-'08? You bet. Sophomore swingman Jamont Gordon withdrew his name from the early entry list much to the delight of his team. Mississippi State would be perfectly fine if Gordon was to repeat his performance from this season; his 16 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists all led the team. Charles Rhodes will also be back to man things in the post. Rhodes had a very productive junior year, posting 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Four-star recruits Kodi Augustus and Ravern Johnson will be joining the team next season, adding more youth and depth to a team that will have only two seniors.

#21 - Pittsburgh
How does a team go about replacing Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall. It isn't easy. At 7'0 270 and 6'10 225 respectively, Gray and Kendall dwarfed pretty much all opponents in the paint. Sophomore Tyrell Biggs (6'8" 245) will be the most experienced returning big man, but saw only 11 minutes per game last season. Junior College transfer Cassin Diggs will bring some size with his 6'10" 265-pound frame, but has little to no experience.
The key for the Panthers will be backcourt play. Antonio Graves, Levance Fields and Ronaldo Ramon are all back after averaging around 9 points each last year. Ramon in particular could have a breakout year with his deadly 3-point shooting abilities.

That's all for segment one, check back soon for teams 20-16.

What To Look For: Preseason Top 25

2007-05-04T12:53:00.000-06:00

With the early entry list set for the NBA Draft it's time to look ahead to next year. In the upcoming two weeks I will be bringing you my top 25 teams for next year, counting down from #25 to #1. I will be doing 5 teams every few days, and bring in depth analysis on each team and what lays ahead of them for the 2007-08 season. Stay tuned this weekend for numbers 25-21.

Weekend Review: Curry and Pruitt Declare, Majerus Back on the Bench

2007-05-01T01:27:00.000-06:00

According to The Oklahoman Oklahoma State's JameOn Curry has declared for the NBA Draft. The junior guard does not plan to hire an agent yet, but has said he will attend the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando. "It's a win-win situation," he said. "I'm going to be motivated to go out and play and have them tell me what I need to work on." Curry was the second leading scorer for the Cowboys last season at 17.3 points, and was their top assist man at 3.7. Curry has until June 18 to withdraw his name from the draft and return for his senior season at Oklahoma State.

The LA Times reports that USC's Gabe Pruitt has entered his name in the NBA Draft. Pruitt, a 6'4" guard, averaged 12.5 points and 4.2 assists for the Trojans, and also led the team with 47 steals. The junior, who is 25th on the schools all-time scoring list with 1,102 points, does not intend to hire an agent.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Rick Majerus has been announced as the new head coach for St. Louis University. Majerus returns to basketball after a three year absence; during that time he was an analyst for ESPN. Majerus has an all-time coaching record of 422-147, with 15 post season appearances. He found the majority of his success with Utah, where he made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, including playing in the 1998 National Championship game against Kentucky. Majerus replaces Brad Soderberg who was fired after five seasons with the program.

James Declares, Thabeet Returning

2007-04-27T00:53:00.000-06:00

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Marquette's Dominic James declared for the NBA Draft on Thursday. The sophomore guard stated that he will no hire an agent, leaving him the option to return to school for his junior year. "There's a definite possibility of being drafted," James said. "You've just got to take advantage of it. This is a goal I've been working for my entire life, and I feel like I'm ready to see where I'm at as a player." James said he would only remain in the draft if he was likely to be a first round pick. He led Marquette in scoring and assists this season at 14.9 points and 4.9 assists.

After several weeks of speculation as to what he would do, Connecticut freshman Hasheem Thabeet finally made a decision on his future. According to the Hartford Courant Thabeet announced he would be back for his sophomore season. "I am very excited about next season and returning to UConn for my sophomore year," said Thabeet in a statement. "I look forward to continuing my education as a person and as an athlete. We have all been working very hard since the season ended and will continue doing everything we can to get better each day and have a great season next year. I would also like to express my appreciation to all my fans and those who have taken interest in my career here at UConn." The 7'3" center averaged 6.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks which was third in the nation.

According to the Charleston Daily Mail former West Virginia coach John Beilein has agreed to a $1.5 million buyout of his contract with the Moutaineers. The deal will cost Beilein $1 million less than originally stipulated in his contract which ran through 2011-12. Beilein left West Virginia recently to take the head coaching position at Michigan.

Collison Returning; Crittenton, Stuckey and Mays Declare

2007-04-26T01:27:00.000-06:00

According to the LA Times UCLA guard Darren Collison will not be declaring for the NBA Draft. The sophomore was projected by many experts to go as high as the middle of the first round. Collison averaged 12.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.2 steals for the Bruins, while shooting a stellar 44.7% from the outside. It was also announced that Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was also be back next season for UCLA. Add incoming freshman Kevin Love to the mix, and UCLA should be the preseason favorite to win the Pac-10 again.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Georgia Tech freshman Javaris Crittenton declared for the NBA Draft Wednesday but will not hire an agent. Crittenton's announcement comes just one day after teammate Thaddeus Young announced his intentions to enter the draft. Crittenton was an ACC All-Freshman selection after averaging 14.4 points and 5.7 assists. He is looking to be a late first round selection.

According to the Seattle Times Eastern Washington guard Rodney Stuckey has declared for the NBA Draft. Stuckey has been nothing short of stellar in his two seasons in college, averaging better than 24 points each season. He has announced he will not hire an agent at this time, wanting to see where his stock is before making a final decision. "It's a good option," Stuckey said. "It's the best thing for me to do, get feedback with where I'd be in the draft."

According to The State Clemson junior James Mays will be testing the NBA Draft waters. The 6'9" forward, who averaged 12.2 points and 6.4 rebounds this past season, has said he does not intend to hire an agent just yet, leaving the option for his senior season open. James is not projected at this point to be a first round pick.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Oklahoma point guard Bobby Maze has been given his release from the university and will transfer. The 6'3" freshman averaged 5.6 points and 2.1 assists. "This decision is best for Bobby and for our team," head coach Jeff Capel said in a statement. "I appreciate Bobby's efforts this past season and certainly wish him well in the future." The Sooners have already signed three guards during the recruiting process, but Maze's departure does hurt their depth somewhat.

Signings of Note From Today
Kentucky: Alex Legion - 6'4" SG - Mouth of Wilson, VA - 19 ppg - #11 shooting guard according to Scout.com
Houston: Zamal Nixon - 6'1" PG - Brooklyn, NY - 16.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 5.6 apg - Top 5 Senior in New York according to Hoopscoop.com
Vanderbilt: Darshawn McClellan - 6'7" PF - Fresno, CA - 18 ppg, 10 rpg - Metro Athletic Conference (CA) MVP

Rush, Singletary and Young Leaving Early; Lofton Back For Senior Year

2007-04-25T01:25:00.000-06:00

According to DraftExpress.com Kansas's Branon Rush will be declaring for the NBA Draft on Friday at a press conference. The sophomore will not be hiring an agent and will wait to see if he is to be a top-20 pick before deciding whether or not to return to school for his junior year. The 6'8" guard led the Jayhawks in scoring at 13.8 and was a deadly outside shooter, hitting 43.1% of his 3-point attempts. Rush is an extremely talented and athletic player and his departure along with the departure of Julian Wright could drop Kansas from a national title contender to a team in the lower portion of the top 25.

According to the Daily Progress Virginia's Sean Singletary is expected to enter the NBA Draft. Sources to the Progress on Friday that the two-time first-team All-ACC guard will enter his name but will not hire an agent, leaving the option for a senior season open. Singletary led the Cavaliers in scoring and assists at 19 and 4.7 respectively, while finishing second with 4.6 rebounds per game. Most NBA Draft sites at this point are projecting Singletary as a second round choice.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Georgia Tech's Thaddeus Young has made himself eligible for the NBA Draft. The freshman does not plan to immediately hire an agent, wanting to get a sense of his stock first. "What we're trying to do is get a more definitive idea of where he'll shake out," Tech coach Paul Hewitt said. "Because of the way the NBA rules are set up, he nor his family could talk to anybody [in the NBA] unless he puts his name in. Now he can find out for sure what's what." Young averaged 14.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in his first season with the Yellow Jackets.

According to the Tennessean SEC Player of the Year Chris Lofton will be returning to Tennessee for his senior year. Lofton made the announcement Tuesday afternoon. “I think that I knew all along that I was coming back,” said Lofton. “I just wanted to see.” Lofton led the SEC in scoring last year at 20.8 points, while connecting on a conference best 3.42 3-pointers per game.

According to the Dallas Morning News Texas A&M's Joseph Jones declared for the NBA Draft on Tuesday. The junior big man averaged 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds last season in helping the Aggies to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Jones at this point does not intend to hire an agent, leaving him the option to return for his senior season.

The Associated Press has reported that VMI's Reggie Williams plans to forgo his senior season and enter the NBA Draft. The 6'5" forward led all Division 1 players in scoring at 28.1 points. "I felt that I had a successful season and I would like to explore my options at the next level," he said. Williams, who does not plan to hire an agent yet, had 15 games this season of 30 or more points, including 4 games of more than 40.

According to the Courier-Journal former Mississippi St guard Reginald Delk has decided to transfer to Louisville. The 6'4" sophomore shooting guard, who left Mississippi St last week, averaged 9.5 points and 2.0 rebounds last season. “We watched film on him, and all the coaches think he can be very good player for us,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. “He’ll fit in very well with what our needs are.” Delk comes to the Cardinals after starting his first two years at Mississippi State.

Signings of Note From Today
New Mexico State: Darrington Hobson - 6'6" SF - Decatur, IL - 19 ppg, 12 rpg, 7 apg - #25 small forward according to Scout.com; #116 overall according to Rivals.com
North Florida: DeVon Jones - 6'6" F - Jackson, TN - 10.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 63% FG - high school's all-time leader in blocked shots
Florida A&M: Roderick Green - 6'7" Forward - Redland Junior College - 10 ppg, 8 rpg - Played for #1 ranked Juco team in the country

Weekend Review: Wright Declares For Draft

2007-04-24T00:47:00.000-06:00

According to the Daily Tarheel North Carolina freshman Brandan Wright declared for the NBA Draft today at a press conference held in the Smith Center. Wright was the ACC Rookie of the Year as well as the ACC Tournament MVP. With his 6'10" frame and freakishly long 7'4" wing span, Wright finished second on the Tar Heels in both scoring and rebounding with 14.7 and 6.2 respectively. He is widely considered to be the number three pick in this year's class behind Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.
Despite losing the player with the most potential on their squad, the Tar Heels will still be a national championship contender with the return of All-American Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, and Wayne Ellington.

The Herald Journal in Logan, Utah has reported that Utah St guard Jaycee Carroll officially announced he will be making himself eligible for the NBA Draft. Carroll led the Western Athletic Conference in scoring last season with 21.3 points per game this past season. The 6'2" junior is likely to return to school if he is not a lock to be a first round selection. I think it is important for the development of my game to see how I compare against the best collegiate basketball players in the country," Carroll said.

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald Baylor guard Aaron Bruce will enter the NBA Draft but does not plan on hiring an agent so that he may return to school. The junior has career numbers of 14.3 points, 3.5 assists, and shoots 40% from beyond the arc. The only situation in which Bruce would not return to Baylor is if he was going to be a first round pick. "Our staff fully supports Aaron in taking a step in pursuit of his dream to one day play in the NBA," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Right now the way the system is set up it is a great opportunity for juniors to see what the workouts are like and to get a realistic view of what the experts think of their chances."

According to the Daily Princetonian Georgetown assistant, and Princeton alum, Sydney Johnson will be the new head coach for the Tigers. Johnson has spent the last three seasons with the Hoyas, and during his playing days was a two-time All-Ivy League selection, and was the conference player of the year in 1997.

Signings of Note From the Weekend
George Washington: Xavier Alexander - 6'7" SF - Oklahoma City, OK - 23 ppg, 10 rpg - 2-star recruit according to Scout.com
UAB: Terrence Roderick - 6'6" SG/SF - Allentown, PA - 22.3 ppg, 7 rpg - #11 prep player according to HoopScoop
Providence: Marshon Brooks - 6'5" SG - Tucker, GA - 18.9 ppg, 7 rpg, 53% FG - Class AAAA All-State selection

Oden To Declare

2007-04-20T00:33:00.000-06:00

According to a report in The Columbus Dispatch Ohio St freshman Greg Oden will officially declare for the NBA Draft on Friday and is expected to sign with an agent. It has been expected almost since he first stepped foot on campus at Ohio St that Oden would be gone after one season. The 7-footer lived up to expectations, finishing as the runner-up in voting for the Wooden Award behind Kevin Durant. Oden is expected to be the number one pick, but will not fall any farther than second.
Fellow freshman Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook are also expected to announce that they will be declaring for the draft. At this time neither Conley nor Cook is expected to sign with an agent, leaving both players the option to return to school. Conley is considered to be the top point guard prospect and would most likely be a top-10 pick. Cook is the biggest question mark, and stands a chance to go undrafted should he keep his name in the draft.
A source close to all three players said that the players will be releasing a statement through Ohio St in which they declare their intentions. Though this will hurt the Buckeyes if all three players in fact leave school, they still have a very solid recruiting class coming in and plenty of young talent still on the roster.

According to an AP report on ESPN.com Nevada junior guards Marcelus Kemp and Ramon Sessions will enter the NBA Draft. Neither player will be signing with an agent, giving them the option to return to school. Kemp was a first-team all-Western Athletic Conference selection who averaged 13.5 points, while shooting a very strong 40.6% from beyond the arc. Sessions was a second-team all-Western Athletic Conference selection, averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 assists.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that Memphis's Chris Douglas-Roberts would be returning for his junior year with the Tigers. "I'm not even going to test it," Douglas-Roberts said. The 6'6" sophomore averaged 15.4 points on 54.3% shooting on his way to earning first-team All-C-USA honors. With the return of the Tiger's core, and a very good recruiting class that includes top-5 prospect Derrick Rose arriving in the fall, Memphis will be a very good team next year.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times Big Ten conference officials have approved a new 18-game schedule for next season. Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson weighed in on the possibility of the change: ''There would be a big difference if we played 18 conference games this year,'' Sampson said. ''We already play Kentucky, Connecticut and Georgia Tech, so that's really like 21, and then we go to Southern Illinois, too, so that's like 22.''
The Sun-Times also reported that Illinois junior center Shaun Pruitt will enter the NBA Draft. Pruitt who averaged 11.4 points and 7.4 rebounds (third in the Big Ten) is not expected to sign with an agent.

Signings of Note From Wednesday and Thursday
Iowa: Jeff Peterson - 5'11" PG - Hyattsville, MD - 2-star recruit according to Scout.com
Illinois: Rodney Alexander - 6'7" SF - Redlands CC (Juco Soph) - 13.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 58.7% FG - Ranked #14 among Juco players by Rivals.com
Oklahoma St: Brad Garrett - 6'5" SG - College of Southern Idaho (Juco) - 15.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 41.3% 3P - 3-star recruit according to Scout.com
Auburn: Boubacar Sylla - 7'1" C - Tarzana, CA - 2.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg - Ranked #27 Center in class of 2007 by Scout.com

Barnes Gets Raise; White Staying At Indiana

2007-04-17T11:09:00.000-06:00

The Houston Chronicle reports that Texas head coach Rick Barners has received a $200,000, now making his annual salary $2 million. This raise comes less than two weeks after Barnes had turned down the offer to take over as head coach at Kentucky. In addition to the raise, Barnes was given a two-year extension on his contract which will not keep him in Austin until 2017.
"This is a good thing for Rick (Barnes) and a good thing for the University of Texas," athletic director DeLoss Dodds said in a statement. "Coach Barnes has been terrific for the university. His record on the court and our players' success in the classroom speak for themselves, and we're also a top-five program in the nation financially under his leadership."
In his nine years at Texas Barnes has led the Longhorns to the NCAA Tournament each year, and the Sweet 16 in four out of the last six seasons.

According to the Indianapolis Star Indiana forward D.J. White will be returning for his senior year. White averaged 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds last season, both of which were tops for the Hoosiers.
"We talked about it (Monday) and he told me that he really wanted to be a part of this program again next season,'' head coach Kelvin Sampson said. "He had fun this year, and he really enjoyed being on this team. And I think he looked ahead to next year and realized we have a chance to be pretty good and I just think he wanted to be part of that.''
With White returning and McDonald's All-American Eric Gordon joining the team in the fall, Indiana will be very tough in the Big 10 next season.

According to the Rocky Mountain News Air Force will name Jeff Reynolds as their new head coach. Reynolds has been an assistant with the Falcons for the last two seasons, and has also served as an assistan with Tulane, UNC-Greensboro, and UNC-Wilmington. Reynolds will be the fourth Air Force coach in five seasons and will look to continue the success of the program. The Falcons have gone 90-35 over the last four years.

According to the Detroit News the University of Michigan has agreed to honor request of Alex Legion to be released from his signed letter-of-intent. Legion, a 6'4" wing player out of Oak Hill Academy, was one of three players that the Wolverines signed during the early signing period. The other two players, Corperryale Harris and Kelvin Grady will both be staying at Michigan to play under new head coach John Beilein next season.

The Clarion-Ledger reports that twin guards Reginald and Richard Delk will be leaving the Mississippi State basketball team.
"It's probably their sophomore year that had a lot to do with it," said their father, Rickie Delk. "In Richard's place, he'd like to play a little bit more point. And Reginald wanted more up-tempo ball. Both of them are used to playing up-tempo ball."
Mississippi State will now have to rely on Jamont Gordon, Barry Stewart and Ben Hansbrough for their backcourt play next season.

Signings of Note Today
Michigan State - Devin Roe: 6'8" PF - Lakewood, OH - 21 ppg, 10 rpg - Ranked #5 in class of 2008 by Scout.com
Oklahoma State - Anthony Brown: 6'8 F - Carl Albert State College (Juco) - 21.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg
Providence - Jamine Peterson: 6'5" SF - Fitchburg, MA - 12 ppg, 9 rpg - Three-star recruit according to Scout.com
Temple - Craig Williams: 6'8" F - St. Croix, Virgin Islands - 25 ppg, 10 rpg - MVP of All-Virgin Island Hoop Classic

Weekend Review: Young Leaving USC; No Decision Yet From Oden

2007-04-16T14:40:00.000-06:00

According to the LA Times USC's Nick Young is expected to declare for the NBA Draft on Tuesday afternoon. The junior swingman led the Trojans in scoring at 17.5 points, shooting a stellar 52.5% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc. Young has flipped flopped back and forth on the issue of leaving school early. Early in the year he stated he would be back for his senior year and was looking forward to playing with the fantastic recruiting class of O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson. Since that time though many scouts have stated that Young is likely to be a mid-first round pick and that played a major role in his decision to leave.
Junior guard Gabe Pruitt has stated that he does not yet know if he will enter the Draft or return for his senior year.

According to the Indianapolis Star Ohio State freshman Greg Oden has yet to make a decision in regards to leaving school for the NBA Draft. On Friday in a report Oden's father stated his son would be declaring, but that statement was made with no information coming from Oden himself. According to the latest report, Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook will all meet today with Mike Conley Sr. to discuss plans for the future. No decisions are expected to be made today.

The Charlotte Observer reported that Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz turned down an offer to coach at South Alabama. Lutz passed on a six year deal worth $300,000 per season to finish out the remaining years on his contract with the 49ers. Lutz has compiled a 168-112 record in his time at Charlotte and is coming off a 14-16 2006-07 season.

Signings of Note
USC - Angelo Johnson: 5'10" PG - Tarzana, CA - 13.6 ppg, 4.0 apg - Ranked #79 overall and #12 among point guards by Rivals.com
USC - Demar DeRozan: 6'5" SF - Compton, CA - Ranked #55 overall by Rivals.com
Cincinnati - Yancy Gates: 6'8" PF - Cincinnati, OH - 19.4 ppg, 7 rpg (junior numbers) - Ranked #17 overall in class of 2008 by Rivals.com
Texas A&M - DeAndre Jordan: 7'0" C - Houston, TX - 26 ppg, 15 rpg, 8 bpg - Ranked #8 overall by Rivals.com

Green and Hibbert Declare; Aggie's Top Recruit Not A Lock

2007-04-13T21:40:00.000-06:00

According to the Washington Post Georgetown juniors Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert will both be submitting their names for the NBA Draft. The two big men were responsible for leading the Hoyas to their first Final Four appearance in 22 years. Green was the player of the year in the Big East, averaging 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists. At 6'9" and able to post up or play on the perimeter Green is very appealing to pro scouts and almost certainly a lottery pick if he chooses not to return for his senior season.
Hibbert is also a likely lottery pick, especially after a very impressive performance in the Final Four against Greg Oden. At 7'2" and 278 pounds Hibbert is one of the biggest players in the country and really came on strong in the NCAA Tournament, posting double-doubles in four of five games.
Georgetown reported that neither player will sign with an agent, allowing them to retain their NCAA eligibility. This is fantastic news for the Hoyas who suffer tremendously if both players were to leave.

According to the Dallas Morning News Texas A&M's top recruit DeAndre Jordan is considering asking for a release from his signed letter of intent. This potential request comes after former Aggie coach Billy Gillispie left to take the head coaching position at Kentucky. The 7-foot Jordan, who is the 8th ranked prospect in the class of 2007 according to Rivals.com, isn't sure what step he will be taking next, but said he is trying to feel out the coaching staff right now. He has stated that if Kentucky showed interest he would consider going there, but Gillispie said he would not do that to his former school and will not recruit the player. Jordan is expected to make an announcement on Sunday as to whether or not he will ask for the release.

Signings Of Note From Today
Washington - Venoy Overton: 6'0" PG - Seattle, WA - 21.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 3 spg
Wake Forest - Gark Clark: 6'3" SG - Montverde, FL - 14.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 43% 3P - Ranked as #25 shooting guard by Scout.com
Maryland - Cliff Tucker: 6'6" SF - El Paso, TX - 21.4 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.5 apg, 4.4 spg, 2.8 bpg - Ranked #89 overall by Rivals.com
Southern Miss - Brandon Cooks: 6'8" PF - Mendenhall, MS - 19 ppg, 9 rpg
Houston - Milos Klimovic: 6'6" F - Hillsborough CC - 14.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 42% 3P
Cal State Fullerton - Greg Russell: 5'6" PG - Saratoga, CA - 16.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 5.6 apg - All-State selection

More Departures and Signings

2007-04-13T02:18:00.000-06:00

According to the Chicago Tribune DePaul sophomore Wilson Chandler is declaring for the NBA Draft. This decision comes as surprise to the Blue Demons who were expecting the 6'8" forward to be the centerpiece of their team next season.
"This decision did not come easy for me because of my feelings for DePaul University," Chandler said.
Despite this sentiment Chandler has stated that he is committed to turning pro. This season he was voted second team All-Big East after averaging 14.9 points and 6.9 rebounds; both numbers were tops on DePaul. Even with these accolades many scouts aren't very high on the 19-year old; ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford ranks Chandler 85th on his list of prospects.
The departure hurts DePaul tremendously on the inside where they must now rely on juniors Karron Clark and Wesley Green, neither of who was very productive this season.

According to The Oregonian, Oregon State's Marcel Jones plans to enter the NBA Draft. The 6'8" Jones led the Beavers in scoring with 15.3 points and was second in rebounds with 5.7. It is likely that the junior will be back for his senior season though, as he doesn't plan on signing with an agent, but is merely testing the draft waters.

According to a report in the Dayton Daily News Ohio State freshmen Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook are all likely to declare for the NBA Draft. Albert Powell who was an assistant coach for all three players on their AAU team stated that there is a "90 to 95 percent" chance the group will be leaving school. "If it's one," Powell said "It's all of them."
All three players families plan to meet in Indianapolis this Sunday to discuss the future of their sons.

Good news for Oregon fans as The Oregonian reports that forward Malik Hairston will be back for his senior season. Hairston averaged 11.3 points and 6 rebounds for the Ducks this season, and with Aaron Brooks graduating Hairston's return is a big boost for Oregon who will look to improve on their Elite 8 appearance this year.
It was also reported that assistant coach Scott Duncan will be leaving Oregon to take an assistant coaching position at UCLA. Duncan will replace former assistant Kerry Keating who recently took the head coaching job at Santa Clara.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that University of Washington freshman Phil Nelson will be transferring. Nelson was one of four highly touted freshmen for the Huskies, the most prominent being Spencer Hawes who has already declared for the draft and is likely to sign with an agent. Nelson stated that he was unhappy with his role at Washington despite averaging 14.9 minutes and appearing in 31 of 32 games. He averaged 4.7 points. Head coach Lorenzo Romar was surprised at Nelson's desire to transfer.
The 6'7" swingman will transfer to the Big Sky conference where he will play for Portland State under the guidance of former Huskies assistant coach Ken Bone. Nelson will have to sit out a year as a transfer player.

According to The Hartford Courant Connecticut freshman Hasheem Thabeet wants to stay with the Huskies for another season, but because of financial reasons he may not be able to. UConn head coach Jim Calhoun said that Thabeet would be in "true hardship" if he stayed another year in college. The situation which involves Thabeet's mother who has come over from Tanzania is apparently very complex.
The 7'3" Thabeet is very tough to place as a draft prospect because he is so raw. NBADraft.net has Thabeet going as the 14th pick in their latest mock draft. The freshman was mainly a defensive presence this season averaging 6.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks in 24.6 minutes.
It was also reported that Donnell Beverly, a 6-foot-4 point guard from Lawndale, Calif., was expected to make a commitment to UConn. Beverly averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists his senior year, and is expected to fight for time as back up point guard behind junior A.J. Price who is expected to be the starter.

According to the Charlotte Observer South Alabama has been granted permission by Charlotte to speak with their coach Bobby Lutz about their open head coaching position. The job has been open since Monday when former head coach John Pelphrey left to take the head coaching position at Arkansas. According to other reports, South Alabama is also showing interest in Lipscomb head coach Scott Sanderson and Alabama assistant Philip Pearson.

Other Signings Of Note From Today
Illinois - Quinton Watkins: 6'3" SG - Compton, CA - 19.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3 apg, 2 spg - Ranked 88th by Rivals.com
Purdue - Greg Hill: 6'2" SG - Merrilville, IN - 17.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg
Utah - Tyler Kepkay: 6'0" PG - Juco Soph (College of Eastern Utah) - 27.9 ppg (led all Juco players) - first team Junior College All-American
Indiana - De'Andre Thomas: 6'8" F - Juco Soph (Chipola Junior College) - 15.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg - Ranked 17th among Juco players by Hoopmasters.com
Butler - Jermain Raffington: 6'8" F - Juco Soph (Southeastern Community College) - 10.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 53% FG
Oregon State - Michael Stovall: 6'5" SG - Chicago, Ill - 20 ppg, 8 rpg, 4 apg - Top 10 Senior in Illinois by several Illinois recruiting sites
Missouri - Justin Safford: 6'8" PF - Bloomington, Ill - 17.8 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.1 bpg

Spring Signing Period Begins

2007-04-11T22:06:00.001-06:00

Wednesday was the first day of the college basketball spring signing period. I will be having daily updates of course on as many signings as I can. I will continue posting on any updates in the coaching world as well.

According to the Detroit News Corperryale Harris of Detroit Redford and Kelvin Grady of East Grand Rapids will both be staying with the University of Michigan, honoring letters of intent they had already signed. This announcement ended weeks of speculation as to what the players would be doing after head coach Tommy Amaker was replaced with West Virginia's John Beilein.
The 6'4" Harris averaged 22 points per game during his senior season and is the 12th rated shooting guard in his class according to scout.com. It is believed that the announcement that Wolverine assistant coach Mike Jackson would be staying with the program had a significant role in Harris's decision to stay.
"I'm staying," Harris said. "That's where my heart is. With Jackson back, it made me feel more comfortable. But I still had to make the best decision for me. I talked to Kelvin last week. He's staying."
Grady is listed at 5'10" and is the #27 ranked point guard in the class of 2007. All focus now will turn to a third Michigan recruit, Alex Legion of Oak Hill Academy (VA) who could be making his decision to stay or leave at some point this week. Legion would be another welcome addition to the backcourt in Ann Arbor; a 6-4 shooting guard ranked 11th at his position in the country.

According to Scout.com and AP reports JayDee Luster, one of the most prolific point guards in the history of San Diego High School basketball has signed a letter of intent to play at New Mexico State. Luster, who is listed at 5'9" and will be graduating from Hoover High this spring, is San Diego's all-time leader in career assists with 857 and career steals with 559. His senior year was cut short after 11 games by a car accident, but Luster still finished his career with 1,890 points.

According to the Tulsa World and an AP report, Glenn Andrews, a 6'3" guard out of T.C. Williams High School (VA), has signed a letter of intent with Tulsa. Williams averaged 18 points on 45% shooting from the field, and an impressive 39% from beyond the arc.
"We're excited to have Glenn join our basketball program,"Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik said. "Glenn is an exceptional shooter who will fit in nicely with our returning team. He's an athletic player who has a scorer's mentality."
Andrews will be joining an experienced back court for the Golden Hurricane who will be returning their top two scorers Roderick Earls and Ben Uzoh.

Washington State's official athletic website reports that sophomore guards Mac Hopson and Chris Matthews will be transferring.
"Our program wishes Mac and Chris nothing but good things," head coach Tony Bennett said in an interview. "For the last two years, Chris has helped our program rebuild and Mac was an important part of our 2007 NCAA team. We will help them in any way we can."
Hopson averaged 4.2 points in 16 minutes this year while Matthews averaged 3.7 points in 11.5 minutes.

The Detroit Free Press reports that former Michigan coach Tommy Amaker has accepted an offer to be the new head coach at Harvard. Amaker was fired by the Wolverines in March after six straight seasons of failing to make the NCAA Tournament; he had a 109-83 record during that stretch. He will be replacing former Harvard coach Frank Sullivan whose contract was not extended after 16 seasons with the program. The Crimson were 12-16 last season and haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 1946.

According to The Register-Guard Oregon head coach Ernie Kent agreed to a 5-year contract extension that would keep him with the Ducks through 2011-12. The deal will pay Kent $1 million annually with incentives potentially bringing that total to $1.3 million. In his ten years with Oregon Kent has compiled a record of 193-120; this season the Ducks went 29-8, winning the Pac-10 Championship and advancing to the Elite 8.

Durant and Afflalo Gone, Hansbrough and Lawson Back

2007-04-10T22:24:00.000-06:00

According to The Daily Texan Texas freshman, and national player of the year Kevin Durant announced he would be declaring himself for the NBA Draft after just one year in Austin. Durant, the Big 12 freshman and player of the year, averaged a stellar 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds. He was one of only three players in D-1 basketball to average better than 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"I enjoyed my year here at Texas," Durant said in a written statement. "All the fans and everyone here at Texas made me feel right at home, considering I was so far away from home. I will always be a Longhorn and never forget what the people at Texas have done for me."
Durant is almost unanimously being projected as a top two pick in the draft, the only thing holding him back from being the uncontested top pick is whether or not Greg Oden decided to declare as well.
Texas, despite losing their star, will still be a very good team come the 2008 season. The Longhorns will be bringing back D.J. Augustin who emerged as one of the nation's top young point guards and fellow guard A.J. Abrams who averaged 15.5 points and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection. Freshman Justin Mason will bring added depth to the backcourt after showing real promise this past season, and Damion James a G/F like Durant will help on the boards after averaging 7.2 rebounds in 25.9 minutes.

The LA Times reported that junior All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year Arron Afflalo will forgo his senior season at UCLA and enter the NBA Draft. Afflalo led the Bruins to consecutive Final Fours the last two seasons, only to be beaten by the Florida Gators each time.
"At this point in time, it's time for me to move on, do some different things. I hope everybody understands this is a well thought-out decision," Afflalo said today in an interview.
Afflalo who led UCLA in scoring this season with 16.9 points is being projected to fall somewhere between the late first round to the middle of the second round. Bruin head coach Ben Howland had his own thoughts on Afflalo's stock.
"Arron will end up being a first-round pick," Howland said. "I've done a lot of research over the last week, talked to NBA GMs and there's a lot of people very excited about Arron. He will have a long and fruitful career."
Bruin fans now will be waiting to see if Darren Collison and Josh Shipp will be declaring for the draft as well. Both players are likely to return, and with incoming freshman and McDonald's All-American Kevin Love, could make another run to the Final Four next season.

North Carolina fans can breathe a little easier today. The Raleigh News & Observer reported that freshman guard Ty Lawson and sophomore All-American forward Tyler Hansbrough will both be back in Chapel Hill next season. The duo made the announcement Tuesday night at the team awards banquet.
The Tar Heels now have two of their three superstars back for another year, with freshman Brandon Wright still not having made an announcement regarding his decision for next season. With Hansbrough and Lawson back, and a tremendous amount of young talent including Wayne Ellington, North Carolina will be primed for a Final Four run next season.

In other news, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian reported that UMass head coach Travis Ford signed a 5-year extension. Ford who still had three years remaining on a 5-year deal he signed back in 2005, is now signed to coach the Minutemen through the 2014-15 season. Last season Ford led UMass to a 24-9 record and a share of the Atlantic-10 regular season title. The Minutemen lost in the second round of the NIT to eventual champ West Virginia. Ford's name certainly was on some school's lists as a hot commodity with the job he has done so far with the Minutemen.
With optimism riding high at UMass, Ford will be without some of his top players, Stephane Lasme, Rashaun Freeman, James Life and Brandon Thomas are all graduating this spring.

DeVon Hardin Declares for Draft

2007-04-09T22:34:00.000-06:00

According to AP reports Cal center DeVon Hardin declared for the NBA Draft but has not signed with an agent, giving him the option to return to school in the fall. The junior is listed at 6-11, 235 pounds and was considered a possible first round pick this year prior to sustaining a season-ending stress fracture that cut short his season after just 11 games.
"DeVon is using this opportunity just as the rule was intended," Bears coach Ben Braun said. "He will have a chance to test his marketability before his final year without jeopardizing his eligibility, and the feedback he receives should help him considerably."
Hardin averaged 10.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season and is currently fifth all-time in blocks at Cal. His departure would leave the Golden Bears without a legitimate inside presence for next season.

A story from the Oregon Daily Emerald reports that junior guard Chamberlain Oguchi will transfer out of Oregon, stating lack of playing time as the reason. He started the first 6 games of the year for the Ducks before going down with an ankle injury; he would start 4 more games all season. In all, Oguchi appeared in 32 games and averaged 4.8 points per game.
"I haven't felt like the opportunity to play has been there for me, throughout my career," Oguchi said in the report. "It's a decision I made and will hopefully better my basketball career."
The junior was one of the top free throw shooters for Oregon, but overall was one of the team's weakest shooters, hitting just 31.3% of his shots from the field.

According to the Buffalo News on Tuesday afternoon St. Bonaventure will be holding a press conference to announce their new head coach. Robert Morris coach Mark Schmidt is expected to be named to the position, taking over for former coach Anthony Solomon who was fired after his fourth season with the school.
Schmidt was 82-90 in six season with Robert Morris and guided the team to a 17-11 record this past season. Schmidt has worked as an assistant coach at Xavier, Penn State, and Loyola of Maryland.

Turgeon to Aggies; Wright Leaving Kansas

2007-04-09T08:35:00.000-06:00

The Houston Chronicle has reported that Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon has agreed to take over as the new head coach of Texas A&M, replacing Billy Gillispie who took the Kentucky job last week. In his seven years with the Shockers Turgeon was 128-90, and led Wichita State to the 2006 Missouri Valley Conference championship and a Sweet 16 appearance as a 7 seed. Turgeon brings plenty of coaching experience with him to the Aggies; he spent time as an assistant at Kansas under both Larry Brown and Roy Williams, was an assistant under Brown for one season with the Philadelphia 76ers, and was head coach of Jacksonville State for two years.
This isn't the first time that Turgeon's name has been in the mix for a high profile job. In the past couple of season's his name has been mentioned for both the Kansas job that was filled by Bill Self, and the Oklahoma position which was filled by Kelvin Sampson.

According to a report from the University Daily Kansas sophomore forward Julian Wright not only will be entering his name in the upcoming NBA Draft, but it appears he will be signing with an agent as well. Wright, who up until Sunday had been stating he would be back for his junior season, is expected to make the announcement this afternoon at a press conference. Wright is expected to be at least a top 10 selection, and has been placed in the top 5 on several mock draft boards.

Arkansas Finds a Coach and Some Other Moves I Missed From Earlier

2007-04-08T20:58:00.000-06:00

After Creighton's Dana Altman pulled a 180 on Arkansas it appears as though the Razorbacks have found another man for the job. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Arkansas is hiring South Alabama's John Pelphrey as the team's new head coach. Pelphrey agreed to take the position earlier today.
The 38-year old has been the head coach of South Alabama since 2002 and during that time has gone 80-67 with the Jaguars. This should officially end the Razroback's search for a head coach after they fired former coach Stan Heath last month.

According to ESPN.com news services Iona has agreed to buy out the final two years of head coach Jeff Ruland's contract. In 9 years with the Gaels Ruland compiled a 139-135 record, while winning three MAAC championships and making three NCAA Tournament appearances, the last one being in 2006. Iona finished a horrific 2-28 this past season.
To be fair to Ruland, he lost essentially the entire squad that had won the 2006 MAAC championship. This year's Iona team was young, inexperienced, and riddled with injuries.

The Connecticut Post reported that UConn assistant coach Tom Moore will be the new head basketball coach at Quinnipiac. Moore has spent the last 13 seasons as an assistant coach with the Huskies, but this will not be his first head coaching position. Moore coached D-3 Worcester State from 1989-94, compiling a record of 76-59.
Quinnipiac fired head coach Joe Desantis March 7 after the Bobcats finished this past season 14-15. This is a nice addition for Quinnipiac who are getting a guy with some head coaching experience and has spent more than a decade under the guidance of Jim Calhoun, a proven winner.

Nike Hoops Summit

2007-04-08T12:34:00.000-06:00

Had a chance to watch some good young talent compete yesterday in the Nike Hoops Summit game. The US All-Stars pulled away from the World All-Stars in the second quarter and never really looked back, winning 100-80. The amazing thing about this game was how cohesive the US team was. Usually in games of this kind we're used to seeing an every man for himself style of play which leads to lots of turnovers. This team however played very team oriented basketball for the majority of the game and played very solid defensively as well on the other end of the floor.
There were plenty of players and story lines worth mentioning from this game, especially from the World All-Star team, since this is was the first time many people got to see any of those athletes play, but here are a few that I thought were newsworthy.

Derek Rose & O.J. Mayo
For all of the hype that has surrounded the budding rivalry between these two gifted players, they worked incredibly well as teammates. Mayo led all US players with 20 points, and had a much improved performance from the McDonald's game, while Rose was at his usual consistent best. They work so well together for the same reason opposites attract; they complement one another. Mayo loves to shoot and create for himself, while Rose is more of a traditional point guard. Memphis has to be very excited to be getting such an explosive, yet team oriented player to their program next year.
The US team was really playing its best basketball when both Rose and Mayo were on the court. They had 6 steals and 7 assists between the two of them. Several of those steals led to easy baskets at the other end of the floor, and were a big reason the US team was up 40-13 at one point in the second quarter.

Michael Beasley
Beasley certainly didn't play his best game, only going 3-15 from the field, he did manage 9 rebounds though. The real story had to do with his televised interview during the game regarding his future with Kansas State. Beasley said he had spoken with the Wildcat coaching staff, and would like to still play at K-State but would wait to see how things played out. The good news for Wildcat fans is that it doesn't appear as though Beasley has given up the idea of playing for K-State, in fact it seems as though he is leaning in that direction. Beasley's mother has stated that her son will still attend Kansas St in the fall. Despite all of the statements, Beasley still has listed Florida St, NC State, and Memphis as schools that he is considering in addition to Kansas St.
At this point you really can't blame Beasley for looking at other schools, Bob Huggins really dropped the floor out from under this kid. Kansas St can at least take solace at this point that Bill Walker has announced he will stay with the Wildcats rather than have to sit out another year as a transfer player.

Nicolas Batum
After hearing so much about Batum I finally got a chance to see him play yesterday and he didn't dissapoint. The 18-year old out of France is a very gifted athlete, and from what I saw may have the highest ceiling of any player on the court yesterday. Batum is listed at 6'8" and has a 7'1" wingspan which helped him tremendously on end of the court. He didn't seem to be intimidated by the US team, driving and dunking aggressively a couple of times during the course of the game.
Batum is more than just a slasher though; he showed great range on his shot going 3-5 from beyond the arc, on his way to leading all scorers with 23 points in 28 minutes. He is still about a year away from entering the draft which will give him time to add a little more weight (he is 209 pounds), and to continue developing his skills, which from reports he is already doing at an alarmingly fast rate. Batum is being projected by many right now as a lottery pick in 2008, and he should be very fun to watch in the European leagues in the next year.

Omri Casspi
Though he wasn't the most hyped player coming in, nor did he have the most impressive game, Omri Casspi definitely made an impression on the scouts in attendance. The forward out of Israel had a very respectable 14 points in 29 minutes, but it was the way in which he scored those points that made him stand out. With the World team being crushed in the second quarter Casspi decided to become a little more selfish with the basketball and proceeded to score 9 points in the span of just a few minutes.
He displayed a tremendous amount of toughness, clearly not intimidated by the US players as he drove to the basket. Casspi also displayed a very impressive court sense for an 18-year old player. Give him another year or two and Casspi will be a very solid role player in the NBA.

Durant Completes Sweep

2007-04-07T16:22:00.000-06:00

According to an AP report Kevin Durant has won the Wooden Award, making him the first freshman to ever win the award. With this latest trophy the stellar freshman out of Texas has completed a sweep of every major player of the year honor in men's college basketball. Durant blew away the field, defeating second place finisher Greg Oden by 1,493 points in the voting. The future NBA lottery pick averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game this season.
It really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that Durant has won the player of the year honors in such convincing fashion. There wasn't another player in the country that could come close to matching the consistent stellar play that Durant exhibited all season long. If I have the top pick in the NBA Draft this summer I don't see how there is anyway that you can pass on Durant.

In other news according to the LA Times Long Beach State has hired former Minnesota coach Dan Monson as their new head basketball coach. Monson brings a solid resume to the 49ers who chose not to renew the contract of their former coach Larry Reynolds.
Monson was responsible for putting Gonzaga on the map after leading the Bulldogs to a 52-17 record in two seasons and an appearance in the 1999 West Regional final. Monson then left for the allure of the Big 10 and guided Minnesota to a 118-106 record in seven seasons with the team. He resigned from the position in November after a slow start.
This is a good move for Long Beach State. Monson is a proven winner, and he is fresh off coaching in a big time conference in the Big 10. Despite this though, Monson will certainly have his work cut out for him next season. The 49ers were 24-8 and appeared in the NCAA Tournament this past season, but they graduate their top seven scorers, and will be very young with four of their six returning players going into their sophomore year.

Donnie Jones to Coach Thundering Herd

2007-04-06T14:55:00.002-06:00

Well the old adage has always been, put together a winning program and you assistant coaches will get head coaching jobs elsewhere. Florida's head coach Billy Donovan must face that now as his long time assistant coach Donnie Jones will be leaving the Gators. According to a report from The Gainesville Sun on Saturday afternoon Jones will be announced as the new head coach of Marshall.
Jones spent four years as an assistant coach at Marshall, two of which were under Billy Donovan, before he followed Donovan to Gainesville in 1996.
"It's exciting to go back because it is home, but I'm excited about the school there," Jones said in a report. "I think it's a great situation, a great program. Even though it is home, it's a place that I'm real excited about coaching at."
Marshall finished tied for 8th in Conference USA last year with a 7-9 record, they were 13-19 overall. They decided not to retain 4th year head coach Ron Jirsa at season's end.

In other news, according to the LA Times it is official now that UCLA assistant coach Kerry Keating has been hired by Santa Clara as their new head coach. Keating will be formally announced at a press conference on Monday. Keating has spent the last four years with the Bruins as one of the top recruiters in the country.

Kansas St Finds Replacement for Huggins

2007-04-06T14:55:00.001-06:00

It took very little time for K-State to get over the departure of former head coach Bob Huggins. According to a report by The Topeka Capital-Journal the school's athletic department will be releasing a report that names Frank Martin as the Wildcats new head coach. Martin was the top recruiter and assistant under Huggins this past season, and has served as an assistant coach for Northwestern and Cincinnati in the past as well. This will be the first ever head coaching position for Martin.
This is good news for K-State fans, as Martin was very instrumental in the recruiting of blue chip prospect Michael Beasley. In addition, Martin will be keeping assistant coach Dalonte Hill on his staff. Hill coached Beasley for the DC Assault AAU team. This doesn't ensure that the McDonald's All-American Game MVP won't still follow Huggins to West Virginia, but it certainly gives the Wildcats a fighting chance.

UCLA Coach May Depart; Plummer Leaving Dayton

2007-04-06T14:55:00.000-06:00

According to a story in The Daily Bruin UCLA assistant basketball coach Kerry Keating has been listed as a finalist for the head coaching positions at both Long Beach State and Santa Clara. Keating has proven to be one of the top recruiters in the nation during his four years with the Bruins, and this would be his first head coaching position.
Long Beach State finished the 2006-07 season with a 24-8 record and earned the automatic NCAA Tournament bid out of the Big West Conference. Their season came to an end as a 12-seed in the tournament, falling to 5th seeded Tennessee 121-86 in the first round. The 49ers chose not to extend the contract of former head coach Larry Reynolds due in part to recruiting violations that were uncovered towards the end of the season.
Santa Clara narrowly missed an NCAA Tournament birth this season. After posting a 21-10 record, the Broncos fell to Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference championship game.

According to reports from Dayton's official athletic website, junior forward Norman Plummer has been granted his release by the Flyers to transfer to another school.
"After meeting with Norman, we all agreed that it would be best for him to complete his college career at another school," head coach Brian Gregory said in the article.
Plummer was a starter his first two seasons with Dayton, but saw his minutes drop this past season. After averaging 9.1 and 10.0 points per game in each of his first two years, Plummer averaged a career low 8.2 points per game this past season. Plummer has not yet stated where he intends to transfer to.

Fazekas Leaving Nevada Early

2007-04-04T17:34:00.002-06:00

According to the Reno Gazette-Journal Nevada senior Nick Fazekas, the school's all-time leading scorer will be withdrawing and not completing his final semester so that he may train for the upcoming NBA Draft. The 6-11 Fazekas was named first team All-American by several pubilcations and was one of only three D-1 players to finish the season averaging better than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Nevada head coach Mark Fox wasn't thrilled with his stars decision to not complete school, but understands it happens in today's college game.
"Unfortunately, it's probably fairly common," Fox said in the Gazette-Journal report. "I want him to finish his education. One day, I think he will. That's very, very important to me and I think it is to him, too."
Based on scouting reports, Fazekas will likely be a first round selection in the draft.

Gillispie to take Kentucky Job

2007-04-04T17:34:00.001-06:00

According to a report in the Courier-Journal Kentucky will announce today that Billy Gillispie is the new head coach of the basketball program. Gillispie has spent the last five seasons with Texas A&M where he compiled a record of 100-58.
Gillispie has proven to a be a coach that can turn programs around in his time on the bench. The former assistant coach under Bill Self got his first break when he was hired as head coach of UTEP in 2002. He took the Miners from a 6-24 team in 2002, to a 24-8 record and an NCAA Tournament birth in his second season.
With the Aggies, Gillispie took a team that was 7-21 the prior to his arrival and turned them into a team that won 20+ games in each of the last three seasons, including a top 10 ranking and a Sweet 16 birth this year.
Kentucky has announced a pep rally for this afternoon at 12:15, more updates will come as they unfold.

So Long Gators...and Bob Huggins?

2007-04-04T17:34:00.000-06:00

The 2006-07 college basketball season has been over for just a little longer than 72 hours but that hasn't meant a lack of news in the NCAA. Here's a run down of all that has taken place since Florida cut down the net in Atlanta on Monday night.

Monday

- After being named NABC Coach of the Year, Todd Lickliter resigns from his position as head coach of Butler and takes the open position as Iowa's new coach. For Lickliter it was the best of his six season with the Bulldogs, leading them to a 29-7 record and a birth in the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual champ Florida. Lickliter will be replacing Steve Alford who left to coach New Mexico on March 23rd.

Tuesday

- Dana Altman pulled a 180 on Arkasas, quitting from the position as head coach, just one day after a press conference announced him to the position. Altman who has spent the last 13 season with the Creighton Blue Jays, will return to the team next season.
"This is something I'm doing for my family," Altman said in an Associated Press report Tuesday. "I wish I would have come to that decision earlier."

- Former West Virginia head coach John Beilein confirmed that he would be leaving Morgantown for Ann Arbor, and take the head coaching position at Michigan an AP report stated. Beilein went 104-60 in his time with the Moutaineers, including a 27-9 record this past year, the second most wins in school history. Beilein face high expectations from the Wolverine faithful who have seen their team in the NIT three out of the last four years.

- Colorado St junior forward Jason Smith announced he would be declaring for the NBA Draft. The 7-footer averaged 16.8 points and 10.1 rebounds during the past season while earning first-team All-Mountain West Conference recognition for the second straight year. Smith will not be signing with an agent to afford him the chance to return for his senior season if he isn't happy with where he is being projected in the draft.

- According to a report in the Daily Egyptian, third year Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery agreed to a 7-year contract extension that will pay $750,000 a year. Lowery helped guide the Salukis to a #4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a Sweet 16 birth this past season.

Wednesday

- Butler announced a press conference for Thursday afternoon where they would announce Brad Stevens as the new head coach of the basketball program. Stevens served as an assistant under former head coach Todd Lickliter for six seasons before taking the position.
"He's a familiar face to the program, having coached under Todd Lickliter and Thad Matta, and he embraces the Butler Way," said Director of Butler Athletics Barry Collier in an AP report interview.

- Air Force head coach Jeff Bzdelik resigned and took the head coaching position at the University of Colorado. In his two season with the Falcons Bzdelik led the team to a 50-16 record, one of just 17 D1 teams to win 50 games in the last two years.

- An AP story reported that Purdue players Chris Lutz and Johnathan Uchendu would be transferring to schools closer to home. Lutz, a guard, led the Big-10 in 3-point shooting at 47 percent, but only started in 10 games after starting in 24 as a freshman. Uchendu, a 6-11 freshman, had little impact on the team, averaging just 1.8 points per game.

Thursday

- Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Taurean Green all announced in a televised press conference that they would be forgoing their senior seasons at Florida and would enter the NBA Draft. The four juniors led the Gators to back-to-back national championships.

- Florida head coach Bill Donovan put to rest the rumours that he too would be departing Gainesville by stating that he would not be taking the head coaching position at Kentucky.

- In an unexpected turn of events, Kansas St coach Bob Huggins resigned after just one season with the team and took the head position at his alma mata, West Virginia. Huggins had originally turned down an offer to coach the team back in 2002.
School president Jon Wefald was not happy with the decision, and make his feelings known. "We feel like we are heavyweight contenders here at K-State. It is kind of like we are in the ring and we are doing very well. Then we get hit with a right cross and knocked out," Wefald said in an AP report.
What will be interesting now is to see if Bill Walker follows Huggins to West Virginia. In addition blue chip prospect Michael Beasley may go to West Virginia as well. Beasley is one of the top prospects in the class of 2007 and has stated that he wasn't crazy about going to Kansas St and that Huggins was the main reason behind his decision.

- University of Washington freshman center Spencer Hawes announced his intentions to enter the NBA Draft. The 7-footer was a first-team All-Pac 10 Freshman selection and led the team in scoring, establing school freshman records for scoring and blocked shots. Hawes does not intend to sign with an agent yet to leave the option to return to school open for himself.

- Arizona sophomore Marcus Williams announced he would be signing with an agent and leaving school to enter the NBA Draft. The All-Pac 10 selection led Arizona in scoring at 16.6 points per game and is hoping to be a first round selection.
"It's always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA," Williams said in an AP report, "and I feel like I'm in a good position to take that next step."

- The BG News reported that Bowling Green has named Louis Orr the new head basketball coach. Orr most recently had a five year stint at head coach of Seton Hall where he led to Pirates to a record of 80-69 and two NCAA Tournament appearences. In a written statement released by the Bowling Green Athletic Department, Orr stated that he and his family are "very excited about this new chapter in our life."