UCLA Freshman Chace Stanback To Transfer

Freshman small forward, Chace Stanback, has made the decision to transfer away from UCLA and will play for another school next season. Stanback played in 25 games averaging 1.8 PPG and 0.7 RPG, in only 5.6 minutes for the Bruins. Stanback has stated that he wants to look at other programs that are better suited for him; a program where he can play more minutes. As of now, Stanback is the fifth UCLA underclassman who will not be playing for the Bruins next year. The other four are starters who have declared for the NBA Draft.

This is a good choice by Stanback, so he can get the opportunity to have a successful college basketball career. At UCLA, a program that brings in the best of the best every year, it would be tough for Stanback to get a lot of minutes. However, if Stanbeck transfers to Oregon, his second college choice after UCLA, he could be a key player for their program and make an impact.

Ben Hansbrough to Play For Notre Dame Next Season

Ben Hansbrough has made his decision public that he will transfer from Mississippi State to Notre Dame.  Hansbrough helped the Bulldogs advance to the second round of the tournament, losing to Memphis in the round of thirty-two.  Hansbrough had 19 points in the 77-74 loss to the Tigers, in a game much closer than expected due to free throw shooting.  Ben is the younger brother of AP Player of the Year, Tyler Hansbrough, and averaged 10.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 2.6 APG for Mississippi State.  He made his final decision of Notre Dame over Purdue and Oklahoma State.  Hansbrough will sit out a year and play for the Fighting Irish as a junior in the 2009-10 season.

I think this is a good move by Hansbrough and an even better addition for Notre Dame.  Hansbrough had been saying that he didn't feel comfortable at Mississippi State, so why not transfer to a better situation for yourself.  Notre Dame is more successful program than Mississippi State and Hansbrough proved that he could play at that level by being a consistent scorer.  Although both Mississippi State and Notre Dame finished second in their respective conferences, Notre Dame did it in a much better and deeper conference, the Big East. When Hansbrough actually plays in two years, the Big East Player of the Year, Luke Harangody will be a senior, which could make Notre Dame very dangerous.  They have already been projected as a top 10 team for next season, so when their best player is a senior, they should be right there again in two years from now.  

UCLA's Josh Shipp Will Join Teammates In NBA Draft

UCLA junior wingman Josh Shipp will enter the NBA Draft and becomes the fourth Bruin starter from last season to do so. Shipp has decided not to hire an agent, which keeps the option on the table for him to return to UCLA for his senior season. Shipp averaged 12.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG and led the team in 3-point field goals on the Bruins third consecutive Final Four team. Shipp started a school-record 39 games as a junior and made his NBA decision on the last day that underclassmen could declare for the draft.

I think that it is a good decision for Shipp to declare and get a taste of the NBA Draft process. Ship was personally successful, on a very successful team, so he might as well declare without an agent and can comeback if it doesn't work out. I think that in the end he will return to UCLA. Shipp should return because all of his numbers went down from his sophomore year to his junior year and his minutes went up, so that may be a cause for concern for NBA teams. He is only projected as a late second round pick to being undrafted, so chances are Shipp comes back to play for Ben Howland. If Shipp does indeed return, UCLA should be the favorite to win the Pac-10.

UConn Center Hasheem Thabeet is Coming Back

Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet will return to school and play his junior year in college for the Huskies.  The 7-foot-3 block machine from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was projected as a middle to late first round selection, but has decided to play at least one more season under coach Jim Calhoun.  Thabeet averaged 10.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG and most impressively 4.5 blocks per game. Thabeet greatly improved from his freshman year to his sophomore year and that's why he anchored UConn's defense this past season.

Thabeet is making the best decision for him and for his team. Projected as a middle first round pick, I think Thabeet can improve his draft stock to a lottery pick after next season.  He has played less than six years of organized basketball, so one more season in college should allow him to learn and progress even more.  Thabeet was only second on his team in rebounds and needs to improve on this before he gets to the NBA.  At 7-3 he should be able to gather at least 10 RPG in college.  As for UConn, if A.J. Price returns and recovers from injury, UConn should be a preseason top 5 with all of their starters coming back.  They will also add five star point guard Kemba Walker, which will give the Huskies a serious shot at the Final Four.

UCLA's Darren Collison Will Return For Senior Season

UCLA guard Darren Collison has decided to come back for his senior year, electing not to join three of his Bruin teammates in the NBA Draft.  Collison has been on all three of UCLA's Final Four teams of the past three years and will give winning a National Championship one more shot.  Collison was second on the Bruins this past season with 14.5 PPG, and he also averaged 2.6 RPG and 3.8 APG.  Currently, Collison is the only starter from the Bruins who has decided to return for the 2008-09 season.  His teammates, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have already declared for the NBA Draft but the fifth starter, Josh Shipp, still hasn't made up his mind about the NBA.

We're starting to see a few notable players who have decided to return to school, which is great thing for them and college basketball. Collison was one of the quickest players last season and it will be much better to see him back on the court for the Bruins, rather than on an NBA court.  It's a good decision for Collison because he would have been a late first round pick, and at 6-0, 160, he would have been very undersized for a NBA point guard.  Collison shot a great percentage from everywhere on the floor last season, including the free throw line, and I expect him to improve on that, which will increase his draft stock.  Collison should also improve his scoring averaging making it closer to 20 PPG, and improve his assists to 5 APG.  UCLA should be right there in the Final Four mix, when they welcome Jrue Holiday to UCLA next season.

Stanford Names Duke's Johnny Dawkins As Head Coach

Duke associate head coach Johnny Dawkins has been named the new head coach at Stanford, replacing Trent Johnson.  Johnson, the Pac-10 Coach of the Year, left Stanford in early April for LSU.  Dawkins has spent his eleven years of coaching along side Duke's head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and Dawkins has also spent time with the U.S. Olympic team in charge of player development.  Also, Dawkins played at Duke under Krzyzewkski and ended his career as Duke's all time leader in points scored with 2,556 points.  He is currently second behind J.J. Redick. Dawkins will takeover the a Stanford team that went to the Sweet Sixteen, but he will be without the Lopez twins who have entered the NBA Draft. However, the core of guards are returning, Lawrence Hill, Anthony Goods and Mitch Johnson.

This is a great coaching hire for Stanford.  To be able to get a former Duke player, who coached under Coach K for over ten years is a tremendous hire for Stanford.  Stanford was in dire need of a coach who could keep them at the top of the Pac-10 and Dawkins is the right guy.  Stanford will probably have a down year next season, but I suspect that they will be back at the top in a couple of seasons.  Since Dawkins is already experienced in player development, he shouldn't have a problem with recruiting.  This is a great hire to counter California's coaching hire of Mike Montgomery.

Danny Green Follows Teammates To the NBA Draft

North Carolina's junior sixth man, Danny Green, will join two of his teammates by declaring for the NBA Draft.  Green, like Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson, will not hire an agent.  Green and his father met with UNC's head coach Roy Williams to discuss the possibility of going to the NBA and Green decided to test his luck in the Draft.  Green was fourth on the Tar Heels with 11.5 PPG and was second with 4.9 RPG.

I don't think this is a good decision for Green and I think that he will wind up returning for his senior season at UNC.  Right now, Green is projected as being a late second round pick or being undrafted, so I think in the end he will come back.  It is extremely tough for bench guys in college to be top picks in the NBA, especially if they are juniors or seniors.  At 6-5, Green is pretty small for a NBA shooting guard or small forward, so it would pretty tough for him to make a name for himself at the next level.  If he returns to UNC and joins Tyler Hansbrough, the Tar Heels can be serious contenders for the National Championship.

Tyler Hansbrough is Returning; Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson Are Not

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, the consensus AP Player of Year, has decided to return to play his senior year and will not enter the NBA Draft. However, a couple of his sophomore teammates, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington, will declare for the draft but won't sign agents, leaving the option to return to UNC.  Hansbrough averaged 22.6 PPG and 10.2 RPG during his junior year, while leading the Tar Heels to a 36-3 record, including a trip to the Final Four.  It seems as if Hansbrough's only goal now is to win a National Championship, and this is why he is coming back.  Also, it has already been decided that Hansbrough will have his jersey retired, regardless of what happens in the 2008-09 season.  Hansbrough's goal will seem much farther out of reach if his point guard and shooting guard from last season do indeed go pro.  Ellington averaged 17 PPG and 4.5 RPG, and the pace maker, Lawson averaged 12.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 5.2 APG.

Finally, one of the higher profile players in the country has decidee to come back. Hansbrough is making a great decision by returning and giving one last shot at cutting down the nets.  I can't see a player that works this hard not win a championship, and maybe next season will be his year.  I still think UNC can win it all next year even if Ellington and Lawson leave because of the solid recruiting class Roy Williams will be bring in.  I think winning a championship is much more important to Hansbrough than getting drafted late in the first round.  As for Lawson and Ellington, I think that they should both stay and help Hansbrough out.  If they did return, UNC would have

their top eight players back for 2008-09, and they would easily be the preseason number one.  Lawson's stock has dropped immensely after being injured and Ellington is at best is a late first round selection.

Terrell Holloway Receives Final Scholarship From Xavier

Senior high school point guard Terrell Holloway has received his final scholarship offer from Xavier. Originally, Holloway wanted to play at Indiana, but after Kelvin Sampson's resignation, Holloway gave Xavier a solid verbal agreement.  Holloway is a four star recruit from Cincinnati and averaged 14 PPG during his senior season.  He is considered to be a top twenty point guard in the class of 2008 and should see plenty of time as a freshman at Xavier.  The Musketeers will be without point guard Drew Lavender and shooting guard Stanley Burrell next season due to graduation. 

Texas Guards D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams Declare For NBA

Texas' team leader, D.J. Augustin, and another top performer, A.J. Abrams, made the decision today that they will head to the NBA.  These top two scorers for the Longhorns have not yet signed an agent. However, it has been reported that the only reason Augustin has not signed an agent yet, is so that if he gets injured, he can return to school.  The first team All-American, Augustin, averaged 19.2 PPG, 5.8 APG and 2.9 RPG. Augustin also won the Bob Cousy Award, given to the season's top point guard. Currently, he is projected to be a top ten selection and will definitely be a lottery pick.  Abrams averaged 16.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 1.5 APG.

For Augustin's future this is a good decision because many Longhorns that

were great at Texas and left early, have done pretty well in the NBA.  T.J Ford, Daniel Gibson, LaMarcus Aldrgide and Kevin Durant all left early when they had the possibility of being on a National Championship caliber team, if they had stayed.  Augustin is at the peak of his college career, and his draft stock may never be higher, so entering is a good choice.  As for Abrams, I don't think he is making the right decision.  At 5-11, it will be extremely hard for him to score the way he did this past season.  Also, Abrams only showed he could score, rarely assisting to his teammates or gather rebounds.  As for Texas, they will no longer be considered a preseason number one for 2008-09, without these guys.

Kansas' Mario Chalmers Will Give NBA a Shot

The man who hit the miracle three-pointer to send the National Championship game into overtime, Mario Chalmers, says he will enter his name into the NBA Draft.  Chalmers will not sign an agent, and if it appears that he won't be drafted in the first round, he will return to the Kansas Jayhawks for another shot at cutting down the nets. Chalmers, a junior leader, was tied for second on the team with 12.8 PPG and added 4.3 APG, 3.1 RPG and 2.5 SPG.  It is not Chalmers athletic ability or range that is being questioned, but his ability to play point guard is Chalmers NBA concern.  Kansas' depth at guard over the past few seasons has rarely allowed him to play the point, a position occupied by Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins. Chalmers' definitely won't be question on his ability to make clutch shots.

I think that this is a good decision for Chalmers because it allows him to either enter or come back for his senior year.  He is smart by allowing himself to get evaluated and see where he will end up on the draft board before signing an agent.  Chalmers will forever be known for hitting one of the biggest shots in NCAA history, but he had played great all year before that moment.  He shot an impressive .516% from the field, which shows he can make shots consistently at the next level.  Like I stated early, Chalmers rarely handled the ball and ran the offense, so that is something he needs to address.  If the NBA things doesn't quite work out this year, Chalmers could return to Kansas and try to become back-to-back champions.

Kevin O'Neill Resigns With Arizona Athletic Departmant

Arizona's assistant basketball coach and interim head coach for the 2007-08 season, Kevin O'Neill has signed to become the assistant athletic director at the U of A.  O'Neill took over for hall of fame coach Lute Olson at the beginning of this season after Olson took a personal leave of absence.  When Olson announced in March that he will return to his coaching duties, it become evident that O'Neill would no longer be a part of Arizona basketball. It seemed likely that O'Neill would get a head coaching job elsewhere. Now O'Neill will be a part of all Arizona athletics.  O'Neill went 19-15 as the Wildcats interim coach, as well as continued Arizona's streak of 24 consecutive tournament appearances, the longest active streak. O'Neill signed a contract that lasts until June 30.

I think that this is an excellent move for Arizona to bring back O'Neill, who did a solid job as head coach this year.  It was obvious that Olson wouldn't bring O'Neill back to his staff, but now that O'Neill is returning to be a part of Arizona, we might seem they reunite.  It would be a perfect situation for Arizona if O'Neill was given the position of being the head recruiter.  Not that Olson and the Wildcats need any recruiting help, but it would just make things a little better. For possible incoming recruits it is good to know that you are being contacted first by a proven coach and then by a hall of fame coach. Also, If Olson needs to take another leave, O'Neill is siting their waiting.

Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier enter NBA Draft

Memphis Tigers' Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier have decided to join the other three members of Memphis' starting five by declaring for the NBA Draft.  These will be the last two members of the runner-ups to go pro. However, Anderson and Dozier will put off signing an agent to keep their senior year of eligibility.  Anderson averaged 8.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.4 APG, and Dozier averaged 9.2 PPG and 3.7 RPG.  Dozier was primarily known for his defense during his three years at Memphis and many times was given the responsibility of guarding their opponents best offensive player.  It is unlikely that either Anderson or Dozier will get drafted but both will get the opportunity to work out with NBA teams.

I doesn't make much sense to me that Anderson and Dozier would want to enter the NBA Draft knowing that they probably won't get drafted, but at least they will get some experience practicing with NBA teams.  If they don't get drafted they can always come back and play their senior years for Memphis with future freshman, Tyreke Evans.  If they do come back, both players should have better years because Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey will be gone.  I suspect that Memphis will have another great year and will dominate Conference USA if Anderson and Dozier wind up no getting drafted.

Clemson's K.C. Rivers Will Return to School

Clemson's leading scorer, K.C. Rivers has decided to stay in school and play another season for the Tigers.  During his junior year Rivers averaged 14.7 PPG and 6.3 RPG. Clemson went 24-10, lost in the ACC tournament championship game and went to their first NCAA Tournament in ten years. Rivers said he wanted to return for his senior year to achieve both academic and basketball goals.

This is definitely the right decision for Rivers. To tell you the truth I don't think he would have gotten drafted if he entered the draft, and now he'll get another year to improve.  I love to hear when a player wants to return to college to accomplish academic goals.  It shows that Rivers understands what college is all about.  Also, with him coming back, Clemson should have a decent team and will a bubble team, rather than a definite out, to return to the NCAA Tournament.

Doug Oliver is Interviewed For Stanford Head Coaching Job

Stanford has begun the interview process on finding a new coach by beginning with their top assistant, Doug Oliver.  Oliver just completed his second season as the lead assistant for Stanford, backing up head coach Trent Johnson.  Johnson, Pac-10 coach of the year, surprisingly parted way with the Cardinal and will coach at LSU next season.  Oliver became head coach for part of one game this season when Johnson was ejected in the second round of the tournament against Marquette.  Stanford went on to win that game 82-81 in overtime. Oliver was in charge of working with Stanford's big men and offensive schemes when it came to on the court coaching.

I think that this is a good place for Stanford to start looking for a new coach and Oliver seems like a likely candidate.  Oliver comes from within the system and has proven that he can be successful.  His main duty last year was to work with Brook and Robin Lopez, and Oliver did a tremendous job grooming those guys to make Stanford have the best front court in the nation.  I suspect that if Oliver gets the head coaching job, we could see many more top big recruits committing to Stanford, so they could player under Oliver.

Ohio State's Kosta Koufas Will Declare For the NBA

Ohio State Buckeye freshman center Kosta Koufos will head to the NBA, but will wait to sign with an agent. The nineteen-year-old was second on the team with 14.4 PPG and first with 6.7 RPG. Most impressively, Koufos had 22 points and 9 rebounds in the NIT Championship victory over UMass. ESPN currently has Koudos ranked 13 on their draft board.

If I were Koufos, I would definitely return to play another season at Ohio State because of the possible success that the Buckeyes could have next year. Koufos had a good year and if there were to pair him with B.J. Mullens, considered by many to be the top incoming center for the 2008-09 season, your looking at arguably the best front court in the nation. However, Koufos may be going to the NBA because he wants to avoid competition with Mullens. Ohio State is also adding a top five shooting guard, William Buford, which if the pieces are set could lead to tremendous success next year. Ohio State shouldn't be too upset if Koufos goes pro because of the superior talent they are bringing in over the next three years.

Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans Named Co-MVPs in Jordan Brand Classic

Future college superstars Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans earned co-Most Valuable Player honors in the Jordan Brand Classic high school all-star game last night. The annual Jordan Brand Classic took place at the world's most recognized basketball arena, Madison Square Garden in New York City. Oak Hill Academy's Jennings led the Blue Jerseys to a 124-112 win over the White Jerseys. The future Arizona Wildcat created offense for the Blue with 14 assists, a Jordan Classic game record, and added 10 points. Jennings said that he would brake the assists record and he did just that. American Christian's Evans led all scorers with 23 points and had seven rebounds and four assists. He verbally committed to play for the Memphis Tigers earlier this week. Other notable performances were 21 points from future Tennessee Volunteer Scotty Hopson, 20 points from future WVU Mountaineer Devin Ebanks and 13 points and 12 rebounds from future Wake Forest Demon Deacon Al-Farouq Aminu.

After watching a couple of these high school all-star games, I believe that the best player of this class is Brandon Jennings. Jennings' quickness combined with his ability to score and distribute the basketball has shown me that he is at the top. While his goal in both the McDonald's High School All-Star Game and the Jordan Brand Classic were to break the assist records, Jennings still showed off some of his scoring skills. He is still a true point guard because he runs the offense and passes, but can take over any game by simply scoring. Jennings should be highly successful at the U of A under coach Lute Olsen, a program that has seen some top notch point guards.

So What Was the Best Coaching Signing?

Since there wasn't any big news today in college basketball, I decided to make a post on which team signed the best coach.  So far there have been sixteen notable coaching signings and my best signing is Tom Crean at Indiana.  Crean is taking over for one of the most prestigious college basketball programs in the country and he shouldn't have any problems.  After ten seasons at Marquette, Crean proved he could recruit and win games with typically less talented teams.  Crean's Marquette teams averaged 20 wins a season and his most successfully year was the Final Four in 2003 with Dwayne Wade. I see Crean coming in right away and improving the already successful Hoosiers program.  It will probably only take Crean a couple of seasons until Indiana is winning big ten titles, being a consistent top 20 team and making it to elite eights and Final Fours. The crazy Hoosiers fans in Bloomington should be extremely excited for the upcoming seasons with Tom Crean and hopefully, he will bring back the Bobby Knight days.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Becomes Third UCLA Player to Go Pro

UCLA junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has decided that the NBA is the right choice for him next year, rather than returning to school.  He will wait to sign an agent incase he changes his mind about the NBA.  Mbah a Moute joins Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook as the other Bruins to declare for the pros this week. During his junior year, Mbah a Moute averaged 8.8 PPG and 6 RPG, and was also apart of three consecutive Final Fours for UCLA.  UCLA's head coach sees Mbah a Moute as a player who can be an excellent defender at the next level, but will still need to work on his jump shot.

To me, I don't think it would have made much of a difference for Mbah a Moute to return to UCLA or go to the NBA.  Throughout his college career he has been a great lengthy defender, who averages just under 10 a game and grabs rebounds.  UCLA is already losing so many of his teammates that it makes sense why Mbah a Moute would want to go pro as well.  Hopefully, Mbah a Moute can work on his midrange jumper and develop into a solid NBA player.  I don't think UCLA will take much of a step back because they will continue to bring in top recruits year after year under Ben Howland.

Chris Douglas-Roberts follows Derrick Rose to the NBA

Memphis first team all-american Chris Douglas-Roberts has declared for the NBA Draft, joining teammate freshman sensation Derrick Rose.  Douglas-Roberts led the national champion runner-ups with 18.1 PPG, while adding 4.1 RPG. The Conference USA player of the year's most impressive stat all year though was his .541 FG% and hitting 41.3 percent of his threes.  Unfortunately, Douglas-Roberts may be remembered for his missed free throws at the end of National Championship game, but CDR was one of the most athletic players this year in college basketball.

I think this is a good decision for Douglas-Roberts and he is definitely ready for the NBA.  He was the best player all year long for the Tigers and really proved himself this season.  Douglas-Roberts developed into a complete player and is now a serious threat from anywhere on the court.  To me there seems no reason why CDR would want to return to Memphis because repeating the team success they had seems highly unlikely.  In addition to Douglas-Roberts, the Tigers will be losing Rose, and seniors Joey Dorsey and Andre Allen.  Even though Memphis will be adding a couple of the nation's top high school recruits I don't see they making it back to the championship game.

Kevin Love Enters the NBA Draft

UCLA's first team All-American center, Kevin Love has declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft.  The freshman led the Bruins to the Final Four for a third consecutive year while averaging 17.5 PPG and 10.6 RPG.  Love brought back memories when UCLA use to have dominant centers like Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Bill Walton in the John Wooden days.  Love is projected to a top ten draft pick when June 26 rolls around.  Love's teammate Russell Westbrook has also declared for the NBA Draft.  Westbrook averaged 12.7 PPG, 4.3 APG and 3.9 RPG for the Bruins.

I am sad to see another extremely talented freshman leave early for the NBA. This draft should be one of the most freshmen filled drafts ever and easily has the most talented freshmen class.  There haven't been any household name freshmen who have decided to return to school yet, which will leave us with a less than impressive sophomore group for next season.  I'm just hoping that next years freshmen can be half as good as this years.  The list of players that college basketball is losing keeps growing and growing everyday.  I wish the best of luck to Love, one of the smartest and most fun to watch players we had this season.

Champions Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur Are Going Pro

Two of Kansas' starters, Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur, have declared themselves for the NBA Draft. Rush led the team in scoring with 13.3 PPG, gathered 5.1 RPG and dished 2.1 APG. Arthur was tied for second on the team with 12.2 PPG and was also second in rebounds, 6.2 per game.  Rush declared for the NBA after last season but after injuring his knee, he removed himself from the 2007 NBA Draft.  Mario Chalmers, who hit the magical three pointer to send the National Championship into overtime has yet to make a decision.

To me I think that this is a bad decision for both

players.  Rush does have a very good shot but has never averaged more than a 13.8 PPG in his three seasons at Kansas and at times fails to create a good shot. For Rush, the question is whether he would rather be drafted in the mid to late first round, or get another shot at a national title with Kansas.  There is no doubt I'm taking my chances with a national title.  With Arthur, who is a little bit more qualified at 20 years old and more of a NBA type body, 6-10, 225, shouldn't leave this soon either.  Arthur does lack muscle and strength which could really hurt him down low in the NBA.  I can't understand why these guys wouldn't want to make another run at a championship.

Top Recruit Tyreke Evans Commits to Memphis

The top high school recruit who was undecided about his college destination, Tyreke Evans, verbally committed to the University of Memphis yesterday.  Considered by many to be a top five player in the class of 2008 and considered by some to be the most talented athlete, decided on Memphis simply because they were coached by John Calipari.  Calipari, easily the best coach among Evans' other choices, led the Tigers to the National Championship and the Tiger also tied the record for the most victories in a three season span. Evans, who choose Memphis over Villanova, Texas and Connecticut, won't sign his letter of intent until Calipari signs a contract extension.  The point guard wants to guarantee that he will be coached by Calipari throughout his college basketball career, even if it lasts only one year.

I think that out of Evans' top college choices he definitely made the best decision by going with Memphis.  For a larger point guard like Evans, 6-5, 205, he fits perfectly in Memphis' dribble-drive-motion offense.  This more modern offense allows players to be more selfish with the ball and take their man off the dribble, a skill Evans excelled in during his high school career.  The three time Pennsylvania player of the year shouldn't have a difficult time fitting in with the Tigers and I see Evans dominating Conference USA within the first few games.  Evans averaged 29 PPG in his senior year and will be the perfect compliment with another future freshman, power forward five star recruit Angel Garcia.

Kevin Love To Decide On NBA Tomorrow

UCLA's All-American center Kevin Love will announce whether he is headed to the NBA at a campus press conference on Thursday.  The freshman led the Bruins to a third consecutive Final Four but the Bruins couldn't overcome the Memphis Tigers.  Love led UCLA in scoring with 17.5 PPG and in rebounds with 10.6 per game.  Stan, Love's father and UCLA head coach Ben Howland will join Love at the press conference tomorrow.

If I had my wished I would want Love to stay for another season at UCLA, and I truly think he should stay.  Love was the most entertaining center this season and as a college hoops fan, you would definitely want to see him back on the court for the Bruins.  As for Love, he reminds me a lot of Glen Davis from LSU last year, a huge body down low with athleticism, but is on the shorter side for a NBA center.  At 6-10 he would be slightly undersized and would have to have tremendous talent.  Love does have tremendous talent and terrific basketball smarts, but I don't think we have seen the absolute best out of him yet.  Returning to UCLA, one of the best programs in the country, will allow Love to continue to progress, more specifically work on his low post moves and avoid being rushed to the NBA.

Memphis' Derrick Rose to Declare This Week

Sources close to Memphis point guard Derrick Rose say he will declare for the NBA Draft later this week. This comes to no surprise after Rose's NCAA Tournament performance. Rose averaged 14.9 PPG and 4.7 APG, in his only season with the National Champion runner-up Memphis Tigers. Rose elevated his game with 20.8 PPG in the tournament and considered by many to be a top two pick in the June 26 NBA Draft. If certain teams win the NBA lottery, Rose could be selected first over favored number one pick Michael Beasley, who officially declared yesterday. Also, Rose is in the process of signing an agent, which would make him ineligible to play another season of college basketball.

If you have read previous posts concerning players leaving early for the NBA, you know that I don't like it because it hurts college basketball, but in certain cases it is acceptable. In Derrick Rose's case, I am very understanding of his decision to declare for the pros. I'm not going to rant on again about why I don't like to see young guys leave, but I am going to praise Rose. Rose led the Memphis Tigers all season long and without him they probably don't even make it to the Final Four. He put Memphis over the top as an elite college program and John Calipari should give Rose a lot of credit for what he has done this season.

BREAKING NEWS: It's Official. Michael Beasley is Headed to the NBA

Kansas State's freshman power forward Michael Beasley made the announcement this afternoon that he will enter the June 26 NBA Draft.  This came to no surprise after his coach and close sources had said recently that Beasley will indeed go pro.  The All-American was the unchallenged Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 26.2 PPG and led the country with 12.4 RPG.  Beasley also had the third-most points and the second-most rebounds for any freshman in NCAA history.  He lead Kansas State to their first tournament win in 20 years and had 25 PTS in that memorable win over rival Kansas in January.

This isn't good news for college basketball fans, but it is an acceptable decision.  For freshman who have burst onto the college hoops scene and start dominating from day one, it is o.k. for them to declare for the NBA.  We've seen many of these impact freshman, more recently in the past five years: Carmelo Anthony,  Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant are just to name a few.  Even though these guys have been pretty successful so far in the NBA, I have always believed that the longer a player stays in school, the more he benefits.  The only time staying in school hurts a player is if they have a worse season than the year before and their draft stock falls a little bit.  For great players this will rarely be an issue.  Making the rule that all players have to attend one year of college before declaring has already been a huge step, but adding another year to that would just strengthen both college and the NBA.  Hopefully, David Stern is in the process of changing that rule from freshman to sophomore year.

Tennessee's J.P. Prince Out 3-4 Months

Tennessee guard J.P. Prince had arthroscopic reconstructive surgery on his left shoulder but should recover by the time practice starts in October.  Prince averaged 8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 2007-08.  Prince transfered from Arizona prior to this seasons, his sophomore year, and saw his minutes go up by 13 per game.  Prince's most notable games this year were his 23 PTS against Xavier, and when he scored 13 PTS and gathered 8 REB in defeating, than the number one Memphis Tigers.  Also, Prince was voted the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year by the coaches.

This injury shouldn't be that much of a concern for Bruce Pearl and Tennessee.  Prince was a very important player for the Volunteers this season, however, his surgery occurred less than one week after the college basketball season ended.  Yeah, you want Prince out there with his teammates getting ready for next year but this would be the ideal time for an injury.  Tennessee will be a preseason top 25 team if Tyler Smith returns and Prince has a successful surgery.  Lets not forget that Tennessee should be welcoming five star recruit, shooting guard Scotty Hopson in the 2008-09 season.

    

Micahel Beasley Sets Deadline For NBA Decision

Kansas State's Michael Beasley has set a time of 5:00 p.m. CDT Monday, to make up his mind whether he will enter the NBA Draft, or will return to K-State for his sophomore season. The AP Player of the Year runner up met with family and close friends this weekend to discuss the situation. Beasley, likely to be the number one pick in June if he declares, will hold a press conference at Kansas State at his deadline time. Although experts believe he will indeed declare for the NBA, the decision seems more up in the air than most people think. Indeed Beasley is destined for a multi million dollar contract, he has reiterated that he loves college and enjoys being a student, in addition to being an athlete.

I think that even though Beasley loves college, possible more than any other student-athlete, he will declare for the NBA Draft. With his size, 6-10, 235, quickness, talent, and basketball smarts, Beasley should have an easy transition to the NBA. I expect that if he goes pro, Beasley will have a greater impact than Kevin Durant has had with the Seattle Supersonics. The quality that makes Beasley so attractive in the NBA, was his ability to turn around the K-State program. Beasley put Kansas State basketball back on the map and lead them to their first NCAA Tournament victory in 20 years. I would love to see Beasley stick around for a bit longer in college and have an even better year as a sophomore, but Beasley has dominated enough to become an NBA superstar.

Mike Montgomery to Return to Stanford?

Soon after Stanford's head coach Trent Johnson made it official that he was making the switch to coach LSU next season, it was rumored that California's new head coach Mike Montgomery may be interested to returning to the Cardinal.  Montgomery coached at Stanford for 18 seasons, taking them to ten straight tournament appearances between 1995-2004, a final four appearance in 1998 and also became Stanford's all time winningest coach.  Montgomery quickly silence the rumor and made it very clear that he will be the head coach at Cal next season.

Montgomery is making the right decision to be the coach at Cal, and deciding not to pursue coaching at Stanford.  However, I do believe that if Montgomery was without a coaching job, he would definitely choose Stanford over rival Cal.  It would make sense for him to want to return to a job he was at for 18 seasons and had tremendous success.  Montgomery has obviously moved on from his days at Stanford and wants to rebuild basketball at Cal.  Cal finished second to last in the Pac-10 last season and Montgomery is a guy who can bring them toward the top and back to the NCAA Tournament, which they have missed the past two seasons.

So Who Will We See Next Season?

So far I have made a list of who has declared for the NBA Draft and who will return to school to play more hoops next year?  Here it is:

Who's In:

Joe Alexander, West Virginia

Ryan Anderson, California

Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

Chase Budinger, Arizona

Derrick Caracter, Louisville

Eric Clark, Louisville

Eric Gordon, Indiana

Donte Green, Syracuse

Richard Hendrix, Alabama

J.J. Hickson, North Carolina State

DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M

Brook Lopez, Stanford

Robin Lopez, Stanford

O.J. Mayo, USC

JaVale McGee, Nevada

Trent Plaisted, BYU

Anthony Randolph, LSU

Marreese Speights, Florida

Ronald Steele, Alabama

Robert Vaden, Alabama-Birmingham

Terrence Williams, Louisville

Likely to Enter:

Michael Beasley, Kansas State

Darren Collison, UCLA

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis

Kevin Love, UCLA

Leo Lyons, Missouri

John Reik, Prep School

Derrick Rose, Memphis

Brandon Rush, Kansas

Bill Walker, Kansas State

Russell Westbrook, UCLA

Undecided:

Ryan Anderson, California

Darrell Arthur, Kansas

D.J. Augustin, Texas

Nick Calathes, Flordia

Mario Chalmers, Kansas

Sherron Collins, Kansas

Austin Daye, Gonzaga

Wayne Ellington, North Carolina

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

Gerald Henderson, Duke

Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga

Kosta Koufos, Ohio State

Ty Lawson, North Carolina

Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova

Tyrese Rice, Boston College

Tyler Smith, Tennessee

Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut

The Only Smart Ones (Will Return to College):

Stephen Curry, Davidson

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

James Harden, Arizona State

Dominic James, Marquette

Davon Jefferson, USC

With everything I post I always add my opinion, so for this post I have decided to make categories.

Player Who Declared That is Least Ready: Donte Green

Green caught fire early in the season for Syracuse, but had a very inconsistent second half until the last six games, where he sparked again.  Green lead the Orange with 17.7 PPG, and was third on the team with 7.2 RPG.  His ability to score inside and out make him appealing in the NBA but Green's lanky body might not have the strength to take on large players at the next level.  Green's questionable defense at times is his greatest weakness and staying one more season at Syracuse for Jim Boeheim wouldn't be a bad idea.

Player Who Declared That is Most Ready: Brook Lopez

Lopez's size, 7-o, 260, and strength will allow him to have a much

easier transition to the NBA. Also, he showed this season that he can not only score but can play defense and get on the boards. Lopez lead the Cardinal with 19.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, also adding 2.1 BPG.  This stat line made him the best big men in the Pac-10 (Yes, I am saying he was better than Kevin Love). After watching him play many times this season, I couldn't but notice that he almost never missed, shooting with his right when he was in the post.  However, his biggest issue for the NBA is his ability to go to his left hand.  I think that Lopez's fiery emotion and competitiveness will someday make him an NBA All-Star.

Player Likely to Enter That is Most Ready: Michael Beasley

We all know that statistically, Beasley had the best season this year.  His 26.2 PPG and 12.4 RPG could not be matched.  And lets not forget that he had 3, 40 point games this year.  Beasley showed the college basketball world everything they wanted to see with his heart, determination and will to win.  At 6-10, 235, Beasley has both the basketball skills and the physical build to have an impact in the NBA right away.  Like Kevin Durant last season, Beasley has the ability to touch point inside, as well as shoot the three.  I'm won't be surprised if Beasley decides to go pro, but I will be shocked to see him return to Kansas State.  I will never forget when Beasley guaranteed that Kansas State would beat Kansas, and they did as the fans rushed the court, and when the second time around Kansas played sensation defense on him but Beasley still dropped 39.  I have enjoyed watching this special player for the little time it lasted.

Player On This List I Am Praying Stays One More Season: Tyler Hansbrough

In my time watching college basketball there hasn't been many players I have enjoyed watching more than Hansbrough. There hasn't been a player who has stepped on a basketball court that plays harder, with more emotion, dedication and heart than Hansbrough.  This is why I need to see him play one more season for UNC.  I can't see this guy not winning a championship for all his hard work he has put into the game of basketball.  The difficulty of shots he hits are unbelievable, and he leaves it all on the line every single game.  Stats aren't the reason why I want to see Hansbrough in baby blue one more year, its the fact that he plays for one reason, the love of the game.

Player who has made the best decision: Stephen Curry

With the kind of tournament Curry just had, it would be easy for him to decide to go to the NBA.  Not only will his decision benefit the fans who are dieing to see this kid perform again on the court, but Curry will benefit himself more than any other player on this list.  Curry right now is no big enough for the NBA at 6-3, 185, but another year at Davidson will allow him to bulk up. His spectacular tournament run averaging 32 PPG in four games, is one of the greatest tournament performances.  I can't wait to see Curry next season where he will likely improve on 25.9 PPG with a .483 FG%, and maybe, if we're lucky, another tournament run.

Marquette's Dominic James Will Return For Senior Season

Marquette's standout guard, Dominic James has made the decision to stay in school and play for the Golden Eagles during his senior year. James, who was second in the team in scoring, 12.9 PPG, and first in assists, 4.4 APG, made the announcement to a crowd of 500 at the Alumni Memorial Union. James was pondering whether to enter the NBA Draft, but has decided that one more year in college is best for him. James is very confidant with the hiring of Buzz Williams, who will replace Tom Crean as Marquette's head coach.

I feel that this is the right choice for James. James had a pretty good season, but he still isn't ready for the NBA.  He is too undersized at 5-11, 185, to have any impact in the NBA, and if he had entered, James would of spent most of his rookie year in the D-League. His low field goal percentage, .398, is the biggest question he needs to address during his senior year. Marquette had a very successful season last year going 25-10, finishing fifth in the very deep Big East, and making it to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. With James coming back, Marquette fans should be pretty excited for the 2008-09 season, and if Jerel McNeal, the teams most valuable player, also decides to stay, this Marquette team can win the Big East, and a Sweet Sixteen appearance is possible.

Bill Self Decides to Stay With Kansas

The head coach of the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks has said that he will not coach Oklahoma State next season.  Bill Self quieted the rumors that he may coach for his alma mater, and has agreed on terms of a contract that will keep him a Jayhawk for the rest of his coaching career.  Last week it seemed that there was potential that Self would return to Oklahoma State, where he played and was an assistant coach, because the alumni were planning to supply the University with large sums of money to bring Self back.  However, in the past couple of days, it had been reported that Kansas alumni would do the same to give Self a better contract.  Self has had tremendous success in only five seasons with Kansas, ever since he left Illinois.  He already has four Big 12 Conference Championships and of course that National Championship which they only won a few days ago under his belt.  "Home called, and we love home.  But this is home now," Self said.

If Self could have dreamed of anything happening to him over the past week this would be it. His Kansas Jayhawks knocked off the top team, North Carolina in the Final Four, came back against Memphis to win the championship, and is deciding to stay where he has just become king of the college basketball world.  I am completely behind has decided to stay at Kansas, where he will remain for the rest of his career.  It makes sense that he would have some feelings toward being the head coach at his alma mater, but after just cutting down the nets, you can't just leave your current situation.  If Self were to go to Oklahoma State  he would be moving from a top tier program to a second or third tier program, with less recruiting options and therefore less National Championship possibilities.  With Self staying at Kansas, he will consistently have a top team every year because of his excellent recruiting, not to mention how many final four runs are coming up in the future.  Lets not even forget about the near future with Self because the Jayhawks are likely to be a preseason top ten next year.

O.J. Mayo is Heading to the NBA Draft

The USC Trojan's freshman phenom O.J. Mayo is set to declare for the NBA Draft. Mayo is also planning to hire an agent, which will make him ineligible to return to USC for his sophomore season if he changes his mind.  Mayo led the Trojans with 20.7 PPG, and added 4.5 RPG and 3.3 APG.  His 3.5 turnovers per game is one of his biggest questions heading into the draft but it is still projected that he will be a top ten pick going as high as the third overall selection. Mayo's leadership is another one of his major question marks.  He failed to lead USC to any major team success, as they were bounced out of the first round of the tournament by Michael Beasley and Kansas State. USC's head coach Tim Floyd called Mayo's decision "no surprise".

I definitely think that this is a bad decision for O.J. Mayo.  Although he is extremely talented, he didn't show me enough this season to be ready for the NBA.  I understand that Mayo may need the money for his family, but it's not like he can't play for the Trojans for a year or two longer on a full ride scholarship.  Mayo, who was very inconsistent at the beginning of the season, started to find his comfort zone during the second half of the conference schedule.  One of the major positives I saw from Mayo this year is that he cleaned up his act from high school.  This year Mayo was trouble free both on and off the court.  I feel that with all the hype Mayo was bringing into this season, we should have seen a lot more out of him and his team.  It's sad to say that Mayo's two top scoring games of the season will be remembered as losses.  His lack of leadership and dominance at the college level are the two biggest reasons why he should stick around for another year and polish his skills.  It's either his going to be an NBA star making millions of dollars, or Mayo will be another one of players who left school too early and never reached their potential. Hopefully, we won't be adding Mayo to that second list.

Stanford's Trent Johnson Signs With LSU

Yesterday, sources claimed that Stanford's head coach Trent Johnson had agreed to coach the LSU Tigers next season.  This rumor became fact today as  LSU introduced Johnson as the new guy in charge.  Johnson is leaving the Cardinal program after an impressive 28-8 season, making it to the Sweet Sixteen, as well as finishing second in both the Pac-10 Conference and the conference tournament.  It is believed that the main reason Johnson decided to leave Stanford and head to LSU is because Brook and Robin Lopez declared for the NBA Draft only one week before.  The 7-foot tall twins anchored the Cardinal all year long, most impressively Brook, who averaged 19.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 2.1 BPG.  Johnson has been Stanford's coach since 2004 taking over for Mike Montgomery, who was recently hired to coach the rival California Bears.  Montgomery lead the Cardinal to four Pac-Ten Championships and one Final Four in 1998, in 18 seasons at Stanford.

I think this is a great hire for LSU and the best possible coach they could have brought in for the 2008-09 season.  After a tough year finishing 13-18, the Tigers were in desperate need of a coach who could bring them back to the NCAA Tournament and hopefully back to the Final Four.  The Tigers are only two years removed from the Final Four and need a coach who can utilize his big men.  Johnson proved this with his ability to coach the Lopez twins, giving Stanford the best front court in the country this season.  The Tigers will need Johnson's big men coaching because they are bring in J'Mison Morgan from Dallas, Texas.  This five star recruit, and top ten center on all recruiting websites, brings his large frame, 6'10, 275, to Baton Rouge, a place that has seen many great centers come and go.  Also, LSU failed to win the big one  last year losing all five games against the AP Top 25, while Stanford went 5-3.  There is no way that this coaching hire hurts LSU, as Johnson will lead them back to the big dance next year.