Memphis Involved In Possible NCAA Recruiting Violation

The 2008 NCAA runner up Memphis Tigers may have committed an NCAA recruiting violation, the university reported on Thursday. The school has reported that a booster, who is also a president of a FedEx in Memphis, contacted another FedEx employee, who is the mother of a top high school player that Memphis is recruiting. The recruit, Abdul Gaddy, a five star from Tacoma, Washington, said that the booster told his mother, "I heard about your son, how good he is." The Athletic Director at Memphis R.C. Johnson said that he was not aware of the phone call until he was contacted today to comment about the incident. The phone call will probably be considered a secondary violation and Memphis will not be punished.

As for Gaddy, he is easily a top fifteen player in the class of 2009, and is a top three point guard. About two months ago Gaddy took back his solid verbal commitment to Arizona, but the U of A is still considered the favorite for Gaddy's college destination.

Illinois Dismisses Junior Guard Jamar Smith

Only two days after a prosecutor asked a judge to revoke Jamar Smith's probation for supposedly drinking alcohol, the Illinois junior shooting guard was dismissed from the team. Bruce Weber made the decision after Smith violated the terms of the probation and felt that Smith needed to focus on the conflict at hand, rather than basketball. Smith is currently serving two years of probation after driving under the influence in 2007 and injuring former Illini teammate Brian Carlwell. Smith's hearing will be on September 17, and the judge will decide whether Smith should have his probation revoked. Under the probation, Smith was not allowed to drink, even though he is 21. Smith sat out all of last season and was supposed to return as a starter for the 2008-09 season. He averaged 8.o PPG in 53 games for Illinois over two seasons.

Ex-Indiana Guard Jordan Crawford Transfers to Xavier

Made official today by Xavier, freshman Indiana guard Jordan Crawford will transfer to the Musketeers. Crawford played in 30 of 33 games for the Hoosiers last season, starting in eight and averaging 9.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 2.3 APG. Crawford helped Indiana finish third in the Big Ten with a record of 25-8 and an appearance to the NCAA Tournament. As for Xavier, they finished ranked eighth in the nation with a record of 30-7, advancing to the elite eight. Tom Crean should be ready for a tough first season at Indiana, who will be returning only two players from last season. Kyle Taber, who averaged 1.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG and walk-on guard Brett Finkelmeier, who played in only 11 minutes and had two points all season.

Crawford will be a significant addition to Xavier, the team that dominates the A-10 conference almost every year. I expect Crawford to see an increase in playing time and should start in a couple of seasons. With a couple of four star recruits coming in next season, Xavier should win the A-10 and win a game or two in the tournament.

UNC's Ty Lawson Charged With Drunk Driving

North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson was charged with driving after drinking alcohol. Lawson was stopped by the police in downtown Chapel Hill in the morning because of loud music and after being checked, the car smelled of alcohol. Charges were given to Lawson following a sobriety test. Lawson was also charged with driving a suspended or revoked license and for violating a Chapel Hill noise law. Lawson as a sophomore averaged 12.7 PPG, 5.2 APG, 2.7 RPG and 1.6 SPG and has entered the 2008 NBA Draft.

Kelvin Sampson May Be Clean Of One Recruiting Violation

A high school coach has provided phone records that prove Kelvin Sampson is clean of one of ten three-way phone calls, that were all determined violations by the NCAA. Sampson was forced to resign as Indiana head coach in February due to being charged with over 100 phone call violations, including three-way calls. Because of Sampson's recruiting violations at Oklahoma State, he was prohibited to be involved in three-way calls if they started with a member of his coaching staff. The original violation was that a former Indiana assistant coach Rob Senderhoff was visiting a recruit and phoned Sampson from the recruit's high school. Than Senderhoff gave the phone to the recruit so that he was talking directly to Sampson, which is a violation. However, the high school coach has provided phone records that he called Sampson, not Senderhoff, which is clean. The NCAA Committee on Infractions is scheduled to hold a hearing with Sampson next Friday.

South Carolina's Devan Downey Has Assault Charges Dropped

South Carolina's leading scorer Devan Downey had his assault charges dropped today at the court hearing. A student at the University of South Carolina filled a simple assault warrant against Downey in May and asked at the hearing that the charge be dropped. Downey started all 32 games for the Gamecocks in 2007-08 averaging 18.4 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.2 RPG and 3.2 SPG as a sophomore.

Arizona's Nic Wise Will Return For Junior Year

It took Nic Wise two months to ponder where he was headed for next season and Wise has decided that he will stay at Arizona. Wise considered leaving the Wildcats for Houston, Rice or Texas for his last two seasons of eligibility. As a sophomore, Wise averaged 9.2 PPG, 4.4 APG and 2.3 RPG. Wise is expected to be a captain for Arizona next season and wanted to make sure that Lute Olson would be the Wildcats head coach all season long before returning.

UConn's Jim Calhoun Being Treated For Second Cancer

Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun is being treated for cancer for the second time, but expects to be ready for the Huskies 2008-09 season. Calhoun's doctor believes that he is now cancer-free and will begin receiving treatment on June 24 to make sure that the cancer does not return. The hall of fame coach is expected only to miss time to recruit while getting the cancer treatment. Last season, Calhoun missed multiple games because of illness. Squamous cell cancer was found in Calhoun's neck, which he had surgery on May 6 to remove. The squamous cell cancer was not related to the prostate cancer Calhoun had in 2003. Calhoun's Huskies are looking at a possible preseason #1 rank and an early favorite to be the 2009 National Champions. 

Possible Credit Card Used To Supply O.J. Mayo With Thousands Of Dollars

The California Attorney General's office is investigating whether an American Express card was used to provide O.J. Mayo with thousands of dollars in benefits. The credit card was issued to a sickle cell charity to disguise its use to accommodate Mayo. Things are starting to get pretty serious with this Mayo case and a special agent of the California Department of Justice will investigate the situation by following the money line. According to Rodney Guillory, the agent promoter for Mayo, was supposed to use the credit card only for "emergency purposes" but used it to book a hotel room, buy meals at restaurants and purchase clothes and a flat screen t.v. for Mayo.

Alabama's Ronald Steele Withdraws From NBA Draft

Alabama redshirt point guard Ronald Steele will withdraw from the draft and return for his senior season. A medical redshirt for the 2007-08 season due to a knee injury, attended the NBA Draft camp in Florida this last week and decided it was better to finish out his college career. Steele should improve an Alabama team that went 17-16 overall and 5-11 in the SEC last season. As a sophomore, Steele was an SEC first-team guard while averaging 15.9 PPG in SEC games. As a junior, Steele averaged 8.6 PPG, 4.0 APG and 1.7 RPG. His knee injuries in 2006-07 hurt his production that season. With Alabama's strong recruiting class (a five star and two four star recruits) and Steele's return, the Crimison Tide should make it back to the NCAA tournament.

Lute Olson Reaches Divorce Settlement

Arizona head coach Lute Olson has reached a divorce settlement with his second wife, Christine Olson. Although a settlement has been agreed on by both partners, Christine Olson is upset that this marriage is coming to an end. Olson had been with his second wife for five years, after his first wife of 47 years, Bobbi Olson, died of ovarian cancer in 2001. Olson is returning to coach for Arizona after a year of absence.  The Wildcats went 19-15, including a first round exit in the tournament last season under interim head coach Kevin O'Neill.

Rutgers Gives Head Coach Fred Hill Contract Extension

Rutgers head coach Fred Hill has received a two-year contract extension from the university. The two-year extension will run through the 2012-13 season, but will not increase Hill's salary. Hill became the Scarlet Knights' 16th head coach in school history in 2006, succeeding Gary Walters. Before being named head coach at Rutgers, Hill was an assistant for 24 years, including stints at Villanova and Seton Hall. Rutgers went 11-20 last season and finished last in the Big East.

Louisville Center Clarence Holloway Ends Career Due To Disorder

Louisville center Clarence Holloway has ended his basketball career after being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. Holloway sat out all of his freshman year because of open-heart surgery to fix the wall of his aorta and the aortic valve. The 7-foot-1 center has a syndrome that is caused by lengthened body parts and cardiovascular defects. People with Marfan syndrome usually have disproportionately features and aorta trouble and therefore are told not to excessively exercise.

Syracuse's Donte Green Is Lock For Draft

After being voted by the NBA to be one of the top 15 agility testing prospects, Donte Green signed with an agent, solidifying his spot in the NBA Draft. The Syracuse forward led the team in scoring with 17.7 PPG and added 7.2 RPG and 2.0 APG. Green, known as the player in the draft with the most undeveloped talent, is projected as a late lottery to mid first round selection. Green talked with Syracuse coaches Jim Boeheim and Rob Murphy before making the decision final. The final deadline for players to withdraw from the June 26 NBA Draft is June 16.

Personally, I think that Green should have stayed one more year at Syracuse and developed his talent, but Green is definitely good enough. Green was inconsistent, especially defensively, at times for the Orange and I think one more season would have been perfect. Also Syracuse would have been much better this upcoming season with Green and been ranked within the top 15. This is a good example why college players should only be able to enter the draft after their sophomore seasons. 

Purdue's Scott Martin Is Transferring To Notre Dame

Purdue freshman forward Scott Martin has made it official that he will transfer to Notre Dame next season. While starting eight games, Martin averaged 8.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 1.4 APG for the 25-9 Boilermakers. Martin is transferring from a Purdue team that lost in the second round of the tournament to Xavier and will be a preseason top ten, possibly a top five, ranked team for next year. Martin was one of many successful freshman at Purdue last season so his loss shouldn't hurt their preseason rank. He stated that he decided to transfer because he needed something different. Martin chose Notre Dame over Butler and Valparaiso. As for Notre Dame, they are a definite top five team next year and the addition of Martin gives them a bright future for the next two seasons. Martin is the second player to transfer to Notre Dame this offseason, the other being Ben Hansbrough from Mississippi State. Both will have to sit out next season and will play for the first time for Notre Dame in 2009.

Georgetown's Jeremiah Rivers To Transfer To Indiana

Georgetown guard Jeremiah Rivers, son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, will transfer to Indiana next season. Due to NCAA rules, Rivers will have to sit out next season before playing his junior year in 2009-10 for the Hoosiers.  Rivers averaged 2.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 1.0 APG in 34 games for Georgetown las season. Rivers stated that he is transferring because Georgetown did not benefit him offensively. Rivers will likely see his numbers go up at Indiana, where he will be a vital part of their success. Rivers chose Indiana over Georgia Tech and Central Florida.

Mike Jarvis To Coach Florida Atlantic

According to media reports, Mike Jarvis, former George Washington and St John's head coach, is on the verge of signing a four-year contract to coach Florida Atlantic. Jarvis has been out of college basketball since 2003 when he was fired by St John's. In addition, Jarvis coached at Boston University and most notably, coached Patrick Ewing in high school. Last season, Florida Atlantic went 15-18 and finished eighth in the Sun Belt Conference. 

Memphis' Antonio Anderson Withdraws From NBA Draft

Memphis guard Antonio Anderson has removed his name from the NBA Draft and will return to 2008 runner-ups for his senior season. Anderson said that he is withdrawing from the draft because he was a projected second-round pick, which was not high enough for him. Anderson, the Conference USA tournament MVP, averaged 8.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.4 APG and 1.2 SPG.

Regardless of Anderson's return, Memphis was going to dominate Conference USA and win it easily. With Anderson coming back, it just makes them an even better team come tournament time. John Calipari, should be able to fill the holes left by Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts with their recruiting class. Tyreke Evans, one of the best guards from the class of 2008, should fit perfectly into Memphis' system. Memphis is destined to be ranked in the preseason top 15 and a sweet sixteen appearance is likely.

USC Was Unaware of O.J. Mayo's NCAA Violations

When the NCAA asks USC if they knew that O.J. Mayo had accepted gifts from an agent promoter, the university will answer that they were unaware of Mayo's actions. Rodney Guillory, an agent promoter for Bill Duffy Associates Sports Management, was supposedly supplied with $200,000 to accommodate Mayo. USC has stated that they banned Guillory from receiving tickets to Mayo's games. However, according to the Daily News, Guillory was seen at USC's basketball offices, near the locker room and at summer pickup games at the Galen Center. Since 2000, the NCAA has known that Guillory is an agent promoter and has been involved with college basketball players in the past. The NCAA plans to speak with USC within the next couple of weeks. Mayo has denied that he received gifts while in high school and at USC and has recently ended his connection with Bill Duffy Associates.

If you need help deciding whether Mayo is guilty or not look at this photo and look at the man who is behind Mayo on the left.

 Yep, you guessed it. It's Guillory.

Providence's Dwain Williams Will Transfer To Long Beach State

Providence point guard Dwain Williams will transfer to Long Beach State to play his last two seasons of eligibility. Williams averaged 11.0 PPG, 2.3 APG and 1.7 RPG in 21 games as a sophomore for Providence. He will have to wait one year before playing his junior season for Long Beach State. Williams stated that he transferred so he could be closer to his family.

Indiana Dismisses Brandon McGee, Have Only Three Players Returning

Indiana's new head coach Tom Crean has parted ways with forward Brandon McGee, dismissing him after only one season. The Hoosiers are now left with only three players from last season's roster. Reported by Indiana, McGee has been kicked off the team because of academic and team violations. McGee averaged 1.5 PPG and 1.0 RPG in only 17 games, but was supposed to play a larger role this season. Crean has done everything he can to replace dismissed and graduating players by signing six others to scholarships. Most recently, Crean brought in 7-foot, 255-pound center Tijan Jobe from Olney junior college in Illinois. Jobe is eligible to play in 2008-09 and averaged 4.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG last year. The only returning players for Indiana are guard Jordan Crawford, forward Kyle Taber and guard Brett Finkelmeier.

Crean's first year as Indiana's head coach seems to be getting worse and worse every couple of weeks. Players are getting booted from the team left and right and are left with three returning players, only two of which are on scholarship. Crean may be realizing this wasn't the dream job he thought it would be. It may take him a few more seasons to get Indiana back to the program it was durning the Bobby Knight era, but I think Crean can make it happen. Don't expect the Hoosiers to be anything special next season and they should be at the bottom of the Big Ten.

Jerel McNeal Pulls Out Of Draft and Will Return To Marquette

Guard Jerel McNeal has made it official that he is pulling out of the NBA Draft to return for his senior year at Marquette. McNeal saved his eligibility by not hiring an agent when he declared in late April. He was one of only two Golden Eagles to start every game this season and averaged 14.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.5 APG and 2.2 SPG. McNeal said that coming back to school is a better choice for him so that he can accomplish some of his basketball and academic goals.

This is a great decision by McNeal and I hope that we see a few other players who have entered the draft, return to college. First of all, McNeal's draft projection was being a late second round selection to being undrafted, so McNeal wasn't even ready. Why not stay one more and improve on your game? Secondly, McNeal is coming back to a Marquette team that is returning four starters and their top four scorers from a season ago. I'm not saying that they are going to be a final four team or anything, but I think they could easily make it a round further in the tournament. New head coach Buzz Williams should be able to get the Golden Eagles past the second round.

Former Wildcat Reggie Geary Will Return As Assistant

Former Arizona player and assistant coach Reggie Geary has been rehired to coach for the Wildcats. Geary played for Lute Olson from 1992-96 and was coordinator of recruiting and basketball operations in 2005-06. Geary has coached in the NBA's Developmental league for the Anaheim Arsenal for the past season and a half.

Bucknell Hires Dave Paulsen To Be New Head Coach

After eight years coaching in Division III, Dave Paulsen has been hired to be Bucknell's new head basketball coach. Paulsen coached at Williams where he totaled a record of 170-53, including a Div. III national title in 2003.  He replaces 14 year coach Pat Flannery.

Iowa's Tony Freeman Is Headed To Southern Illinois

Iowa's leading scorer from a season ago, junior Tony Freeman, is transferring to Southern Illinois. Freeman averaged 13.8 PPG, 3.2 APG and 3.1 RPG for the 13-19 Hawkeyes. He said that he is leaving Iowa because head coach Todd Lickiter did not value his talent. SIU is welcoming Freeman because they need him to lead the younger players. Due to NCAA transferring rules, Freeman will sit out one season and then play his senior year for the Salukis.

IUPUI Coach Ron Hunter and Team Will Travel to Nigeria to Donate Shoes

When IUPUI head coach Ron Hunter coached barefoot against Oakland on Jan. 24, he expected to donate 40,000 pairs of shoes. Instead, him and his team will deliver nearly 200,000 pairs to Nigeria in July. Samaritan's Feet, a charity that gives poor children new pairs of shoes, helped inspire Hunter for the idea to coach a game without shoes.  Before the game had even begun Hunter had raised 110,000 pairs of shoes.  The charity has seen tremendous success over the past few years and is on its way toward achieving their mission:  "To equip 10 million impoverished children with 10 million shoes in 10 years," the website states.  Hunter has encouraged coaches all across the country, to coach barefoot for Samaritan's Feet.  Recently the NBA helped contribute to the charity when TNT's Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson went barefoot on the air during their Emmy Award winning show, Inside the NBA.  Not to mock the Samaritan's Feet in any way, but I am writing this post barefoot for the cause.

Akron's Rydell Brooks Arrested After Police Shooting

20-year-old Akron basketball player Rydell Brooks was arrested Sunday morning after shooting at police during a chase. According to police, Brooks ran from his car and fired as the police chased after him. Brooks faces attempted murder and felonious assault charges. He averaged 4.7 PPG as a freshman in 2006-07 in Niagara before transferring to Akron.

WVU Lands Top Fifteen Recruit Devin Ebanks

The second best small forward in the 2008 recruiting class, Devin Ebanks, is headed to West Virginia. Ebanks chose to play for Bob Huggins ruling out Memphis, Rutgers and Texas. Ebanks is an athlete wingman who can run the floor and has a terrific mid range jumper. It may be that Ebanks committed to WVU because of Huggins, who recently signed an 11-year contract extension. Ebanks addition to the Mountaineers should put them into the elite group of teams in the Big East.

Personally if I was Ebanks I would have picked Memphis because him and Tyreke Evans could have done some serious damage next season together, but none the less, WVU is a good fit. Ebanks should fill the role of Joe Alexander, who seems to be a lock for the draft. Ebanks will be an immediate impact for Huggins and the Moutaineers will be competing with UConn, Pitt, Notre Dame, Louisville and Syracuse for the Big East championship. With their best two players other than Alexander returning, Da'Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff, West Virginia should return to the sweet sixteen.

Darrell Arthur's Grades Altered in High School?

NCAA officials are investigating if Kansas forward Darrell Arthur's grades were altered in high school, therefore making him eligible to play basketball. Arthur was second with 12.8 PPG and 6.3 RPG for the National Champions last season. According to grades and records from Arthur's former teacher, he was not passing math as a junior, but his grade was unknowingly improved. South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas has already lost their 2006 state title due to grade alterations of another player, which makes Arthur's grade change a likely possibility. Arthur was a top recruit in the class of 2006 and led South Oak Cliff to back-to-back state championships, adding the tournament MVP award in both. The 2008 National Champion Kansas Jayhawks could face consequences if Arthur is found to be ineligible and therefore forfeit any games he participated in. The only way that Kansas would be punished was if both Arthur and the university knew about alteration of the grade. It seems as if Kansas was unaware of the grade change because the NCAA receives all athletes' high school transcripts and they determined that Arthur was eligible to play basketball in college.

UNC's Alex Stepheson To Transfer

North Carolina sophomore forward Alex Stepheson has been granted permission by the university to contact other schools about transferring. Stepheson stated that he needs to be closer to his family to due unspecified health concerns.  While backing up sophomore forward Deon Thomspon, Stepheson averaged 4.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG last season.  North Carolina head coach Roy Williams said he was disappointed about the decision but understands that Stepheson's family needs his supports.

BYU's Trent Plaisted Signs With Agent, Losses Eligibility

Center Trent Plaisted has officially signed with agent for the NBA Draft and therefore will not be eligible to return to BYU for his senior season.  Plaisted entered the draft without an agent last month.  The 6-11 junior was second on the team with 15.6 PPG and first with 7.7 RPG.  Plaisted is currently projected as a late first to early second round selection.

In Plaisted's case, he might as well give the draft a shot.  At BYU, Plaisted wouldn't have seen tremendous team success and his numbers probably wouldn't have increased.  He proved that he was a consistent 15 and 7 forward/center in the Mountain West, so his stock wouldn't have improved that much after his senior year.  Plaisted is appealing at the next level because he is a quick and athletic big man that gets most of his points around the rim.  He still needs to improve on his low post defense and his shot blocking.

Dan Dakich Reaches Settlement With Indiana

Indiana's interim head coach Dan Dakich and Indiana University have reached a $185,000 settlement, the amount he was scheduled to earn next year with Indiana. Dakich became the Hoosiers head coach in February after Kelvin Sampson violated five recruiting violations. Dakich, an Indiana basketball alum, went a disappointing 3-4 as head coach, including a first round loss in the tournament to Arkansas

Nuggets Assistant Muke Dunlup Joins Arizona Staff

Lute Olson has brought in yet another new assistant coach for his team this year by welcoming Mike Dunlap, who is leaving the Denver Nuggets. Dunlap was an assistant in Denver for the past two seasons and prior to that was head coach at Metro State College of Denver. Dunlap was extremely successful there going 248-50 while adding two NCAA Division II national titles in 2000 and 2002. Dunlap had been a candidate for the Oregon State and California openings and interviewed for the Chicago Bulls, before landing a job with Olson and the University of Arizona.

It should be a very interesting year for the Wildcats and the return of Olson, who has decided to clean house of the assistants from last season. Olson has gotten rid of everybody that coached under interim head coach Kevin O'Neill last year, all guys originally brought in by Olson. Arizona could have a very ugly season next year if things don't fall into place. Arizona standouts Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger are already gone and Nic Wise hasn't made it official that he is returning. Also, the U of A's top recruit Brandon Jennings, still has to improve his high school test scores for the University. However, if Budinger pulls out of the draft and everything else goes as planed, Arizona should be fighting for a Pac-10 championship.

NCAA to Investigate O.J. Mayo

NCAA president Myles Brand has promised to investigate O.J. Mayo for allegedly receiving gifts and money while in high school and at Southern California.  A former friend of Mayo's, Louis Johnson, has claimed that Bill Duffy Associates, a sports agency, provided Rodney Guillory, another friend, with $200,000 to accommodate Mayo.  Johnson claims Mayo received about $30,000 in cash and gifts from Guillory.

I think that it was a definite for the NCAA to investigate this situation with Mayo.  These are serious allegations with a lot of evidence, which could prove many NCAA violations.  My guess is that the NCAA will investigate, but in the end it will go away and no big punishments will be handed out.  Similar allegations occurred with LeBron James and Reggie Bush and in the end nothing really happened, so I expect the same.

NCAA May Change Goaltending Rule

An NCAA committee has proposed a change in the goaltending rule, which will not allow players to touch a ball that has hit the backboard and is above the rim, regardless if the ball is heading up or down.  The current rule states that it is only goal tending if the ball is coming downward after hitting of the backboard.  Another rule was the idea of enforcing that home teams wear light colored uniforms and away teams wear dark colored uniforms, unless both teams agree to switch.  These are two of about 50 rules that the NCAA committee will consider.  The NCAA's playing rules oversight panel will look further into the rule changes next month.  The proposed change to widen the free-throw line was not taken into any consideration by the committee.

These are just a few of the minor rules that the committee thinks about every year that never really have a major impact on college basketball.  The goal tending rule shouldn't make that much of a difference and the jersey thing seems to be an unwritten rule already. The rule that the NCAA and NBA Commissioner David Stern need to think about is pushing back the age limit for when players can enter the draft.  In a perfect world, they'd push it back till after sophomore or junior year of college.

Freshman Phoneme O.J. Mayo May Have Violated NCAA Rules By Receiving Gifts

To make a long video short, O.J. Mayo, a future lottery pick in this year's draft, likely accepted money and gifts while he was in high school and college at USC, violating NCAA rules. A close friend, Louis Johnson, is accusing Rodney Guillory of giving Mayo about $30,000 in cash and gifts. Mayo has denied the allegations.

Duquesne's Shawn James Hires Agent For Draft

Duquesne Dukes' center Shawn James hired an agent making it official that he will enter the NBA Draft.  James, who is 24, played two seasons at Northeastern before transferring to Duquesne.  During his redshirt season at Duquesne, James was shot in the left foot after a campus party and was forced to have surgery. James is foregoing his senior season while averaging 12.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 4 BPG for the Dukes last year.  The 6-10 center had his best season at Northeastern when he averaged 12.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 15 APG and 6.5 BPG, as a sophomore.  That year James had 196 blocks, the second most in NCAA history.

Bob Huggins Hospitalized in Airport Fall

West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins was taken to the hospital on Thursday after tripping on an airport tarmac, falling to the ground and bumping his head on the pavement. Huggins was taken to a hospital in Charlotte, N.C., but nothing seems too serious. According to WVU athletic director Ed Pastilong, Huggins has a significant bump on his head, but he did not lose consciousness at any time. Huggins was in Charlotte for a West Virginia Athletic Club event and tripped as he was checking his cell phone while getting off the plane.

Indiana's Eli Holman Transfers to Detroit Mercy

Indiana freshman center Eli Holman, who threw a tantrum in Tom Crean's office last week, made public his decision to transfer to Detroit Mercy. Holman was forced to become a medical redshirt last season after injuring his left wrist and therefore will have all four years of eligibility at Detroit Mercy. Holman averaged 1.0 PPG and 1.7 RPG in only six games last season, but would have been a major contributer for the Hoosiers in 2008-09, due to Indiana's lack of depth. During Holman's senior season in high school, he averaged 24.7 PPG, 12 RPG and 10 BPG at Richmond (Calif.) High School. Holman's ability to score inside, his athleticism and ferocious defense, is what made him appealing to big time college programs.

I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Holman about a month and a half ago and it seemed that he was happy to be an Indiana Hoosier. I guess that what transpired quickly after that made him want to transfer. Holman probably originally signed with Indiana because of Kelvin Sampson and ever since he resigned, Indiana has spun downhill. Holman would have been only the eighth scholarship player left at Indiana after players graduated, entered the NBA Draft and three others were dismissed. Indiana could be looking at a very ugly season. I don't exactly know why Holman would want to transfer to a team that just went 7-23 and finished last in the Horizon conference, however, this is a good addition by Detroit Mercy and they should be greatly improved. Holman is the third new player the Titans have added, the others being junior college forwards Thomas Kennedy and Xavier Keeling.

Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty Dismissed From George Washington

Junior forward Cheyenne Moore and freshman guard Miles Beatty were dismissed from the George Washington basketball team today. Head coach Karl Hobbs explained to the media that both players did not reach their expatiations as student-athletes.  Moore transfered from Clemson in 2006 and averaged 5.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG and 1.0 APG while playing 23 games for the Colonials last season.  Beatty averaged 4.8 PPG, 1.1 RPG and 1.1 APG in 14 games.

Why keep liabilities on your team?  No basketball program in the country needs players with character issues both on and off the court.  Both guys were given chances and I guess neither could clean up their acts.  Can't blame George Washington for making this choice.

Georgetown's Jeremiah Rivers Will Transfer

Georgetown sophomore guard Jeremiah Rivers has made the decision to transfer, becoming the second Hoya to do so this offseason.  Rivers is the son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.  Jeremiah said that he discussed the idea with his family, deciding to move on to a school better suited for him.  Rivers played in all 34 of Georgetown's games this year and averaged 2.5 PPG and 2.4 RPG.

This is a good decision by Rivers and it shouldn't hurt John Thompson III and Georgetown.  Rivers was getting the minutes, 18.6 per game, but wasn't producing with only 2.5 PPG and 1.0 APG.  Rivers should be more effective and a change of scenery might allow him to have an impact.  Georgetown shouldn't be missing out because they are consistently at the top of the Big East and Thompson III is a great recruiter.

Former Dukie Nate James Hired As Assistant

Former Duke player Nate James was hired on Tuesday by Mike Krzyzewski to be the team's new assistant coach. James played for the Blue Devils from 1996-2001, totaling a record of 71-9 including Duke's most recent National Championship in 2001. James is leaving his position as the program operator at Duke's new practice facility and now is taking over for Johnny Dawkins, who was named the new head coach at Stanford last week.

I know that assistant coaches being hired isn't big news, but this is a good signing for Coach K and Duke. It is tough replacing a long time assistant, but James is familiar with Duke and their tradition. He is still young, but he had tremendous success as a player, so he should have no problem being on Duke's coaching staff.

Arizona HIres Russ Pennell As New Assistant Coach

Former Arizona State assistant coach, Russ Pennell, has been hired for the same job by their rivals, the Arizona Wildcats.  Pennell will replace former assistant and interim head coach, Kevin O'Neill, who is currently working for Arizona's athletic department.  Pennell fills one of two assistant head coaching vacancies for the U of A.  The other became open last week when assistant Miles Simon's contract was not renewed.  Pennell worked at Oklahoma State under Eddie Sutton and at Mississippi until settling as an assistant for Arizona State from 1998 to 2006.  Pennell will join Lute Olson and Arizona as they try to making it to their 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament, currently the longest streak in the country.

Ekpe Udoh Will Leave Michigan

Sophomore forward Ekpe Udoh has decided to transfer from Michigan, but has not yet chosen a destination for his junior year.  Udoh said that it was a tough decision for him and didn't mention any reasons for transferring.  Udoh averaged 6 PPG, 5 RPG and 2.9 APG, for the 10-22 Michigan Wolverines, who finished second to last in the Big Ten.  Udoh may be transferring because he was not happy with first year coach John Beilein.

West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins Signs Extension

Bob Huggins made his contract extension official by signing West Virginia's offer of 11-years at $1.5 million a year with incentives.  During this past season and Huggins' first as West Virginia's basketball coach, he made $800,000. Huggins earned this long-term contract and raise after leading the Mountaineers to a 24-10 season and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.  Huggins will mostly likely be married to West Virginia for the rest of his coaching career, with this contract lasting until he is 65.

To me this is a bit too long of an extension for Bob Huggins.  Huggins is definitely worthy of being West Virginia's head coach, but it may be a risk to sign him for 11 years because of his past.  He had a DUI back in 2004, which helped contribute to his resignation at Cincinnati. Other than that mishap, Huggins has been a great coach and is perfect for being at West Virginia over the long hall.  WVU is Huggins alma mater, and he led them to their third Sweet Sixteen in four years in 2008.  Also, Huggins is an effective recruiter and was responsible for bring Michael Beasley to Kansas State.  If Joe Alexander returns for his senior year, West Virginia will be looking at a preseason top 10 ranking, and could go farther than the Sweet Sixteen in the 2009 tournament.

Tennessee Dismisses Sophomores Duke Crews and Ramar Smith

Tennesse Volunteers head coach Bruce Pearl has dismissed sophomore forward Duke Crews and sophomore guard Ramar Smith after multiple failed drug tests.  Pearl stated that both players were given multiple chances to clean up their acts and now both will have to transfer.  Smith started about half the games for the Vols at point guard and Crews came off the bench.  Smith and Crews where highly anticipated five star recruits coming out of high school, but both saw their sophomore numbers and minutes decline from their freshman seasons.  This is not the first time Crews had behavior problems.  Crews served a month long suspension prior to the season after marijuana was found in his campus apartment.

This was a good decision by Pearl.  After giving these guys multiple opportunities to mature from their mistakes, they failed to improve, and therefore, 

deserved to be dismissed.  As young student-athletes, making mistakes is alright, just don't make the same mistake twice, and that is what Crew and Smith did.  Tennessee shouldn't suffer much from their absences, because their numbers declined, and Bruce Pearl has been a great recruiter.  He has done a phenomenal job building Tennessee into a college basketball powerhouse, so Pearl should have no problem filling their spots.  Tennessee should be a top 20 team even without Crews and Smith because they are returning four contributers and are welcoming an impressive recruiting class.

Indiana Center Eli Holman Intends To Transfer

Indiana's freshman center Eli Holman met with coaches thursday, telling them he planned to transfer, which would make new head coach Tom Crean's rebuilding project even more difficult.  Sources say that Holman threw a tantrum in the coaches office that required assistance from the campus police.  Crean stated that he was surprised by Holman's behavior and wants to help him figure things out. Holman was not threatening anyone but was obviously upset, for what is now an unclear reason.  The 6-9 center was a medical redshirt last season after injuring his left wrist and averaged 1.0 PPG and 1.7 RPG, in only six games.  Holman was to be a crucial part of the Hoosiers next season, but if he leaves, Indiana will be left with only five returning players from the 2007-08 season.

This is potentially really bad news for Indiana.  If Holman does in fact transfer, it may take another year or two for Crean to get Indiana back to the top.  Holman was Indiana's top recruit last season after Eric Gordon, and was a top 100 player in the very deep 2007 recruiting class.  The Hoosiers are already without their starting five from last season, which could make for an ugly first season for Crean. Due to Kelvin Sampson's violations, Crean has already lost one scholarship, and could lose two more if the Indiana players don't score higher on the NCAA academic progress report.  Crean is welcoming a less than impressive recruiting class, and these loss of scholarships could lead Indiana toward the bottom of the Big Ten.  Holman's absence would just fuel the fire and leave Crean with a depleted Indiana roster.

Washington State Gives Tony Bennett Raise and Contract Extension

Washington State head coach Tony Bennett received a contract extension lasting through 2015, and a raise of $200,000, which will total $1 million a year. Bennett was desired by many high profile programs, but decided to stay where he found success at Washington State. Bennett has led the Cougars to back-to-back 26 win seasons, tying a school record, and led them to consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, the first coach in school history to do so. Also, Washington State finished third in the Pac-10, considered by many to be the best conference in the nation, made it to their first ever sweet sixteen, and was ranked #15 in the end of the season polls.

This was an important contract extension for Washington State. After Bennett's success over the past couple of seasons, it was destined that Bennett would get a head coaching job at one of college basketball's elite programs. With Washington State's extension, they lock up one of the youngest, and most improved coaches. At 38-years-old, Bennett could be the head man at Washington State for many years and develop that program into one of the nation's best. As Bennett continues to gain experience and starts seeing top tier recruits, Washington State should be a consistent top 20 program.