NCAA Basketball

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Tuesday's weather in Florida's state capital was Sunshine State-perfect for early November. Aubry Boyd opened his eyes and welcomed the bright, 75-degree day with a wish he has repeated for the past 14 years.

"Every day I wake up hoping it's a better day than it was yesterday," Boyd told FanHouse. "I am not complaining because I am still here. I still want to be part of life."

Paralysis and a motorized wheelchair have not stolen Boyd's genuine love for vitality and people. He still talks hoops, politics, religion and women over cold suds and wings with the fellas. He still wants to make a difference.

Boyd's smile and personality -- continued sources of pleasure and inspiration -- were on display Tuesday night when the Florida State basketball program honored one of its own.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Even before the start of both events during the past two days to celebrate the seven inductees into this year's Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame, everybody hoped. Everybody prayed. In fact, everybody who bleeds Hoosier red meant no harm, but they wanted Bob Knight to do the wrong thing.

Instead, Knight did the right thing.

He stayed away. And, yes, I know these aren't the same folks who used that myth nine years ago to get rid of the greatest college basketball coach ever.

Kay Yow is still very much a presence in the North Carolina State women's basketball program.

Her name is on the athletic department's Wall of Fame, and on the basketball court at Reynolds Coliseum. Her photo still hangs in the women's basketball locker room.

"She was North Carolina State basketball, and you don't and you can't wipe that away with a new staff," said new N.C. State head coach Kellie Jolly Harper.

Take it from the pioneer who started this idea of cozy, contractual relationships between the shoe giants and the NCAA schools: adidas has screwed up this time.

Sonny Vaccaro speaks from experience.

"What a PR nightmare for adidas. This should have been a no-brainer,'' Vaccaro said. "It's nothing but a personal thing against Michael Jordan.''

At issue is the recent decision by adidas to severe its relationship with the University of Central Florida, which has a contract that requires all of its athletes and coaches to wear adidas products.

Cincinnati freshman Lance Stephenson has been cleared by the NCAA and is eligible to play immediately.

A 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward, Stephenson was named the 2009 Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year.

"I am happy to be able to put this behind me," Stephenson said in a statement. "Since I committed to the Bearcats back in the summer, all I have wanted to do was get here and start playing ball with my teammates. I want to thank everyone that has given me encouragement and support during this, especially my family, coaches and teammates. They have been with me every step."

The NCAA had been investigating Stephenson's amateur status. Stephenson will make his debut Thursday night when the Bearcats play an exhibition against Saginaw Valley State.

So you think Air Jordans are expensive? The pair Marcus Jordan put on Wednesday night cost $3 million.

That's what his school's exclusive deal with adidas was worth. Now adidas has canceled the contract, and UCF athletes may have to play in their Crocs.

If we didn't know better -- and we don't -- we'd say it's all a Nike conspiracy.

It wanted adidas to make a stink over Jordan's feet so it can swoosh in on a white horse. But until that plot is exposed, we'll take this rift face value.

That means only one person can truly save the day.

Come on, Marcus. Put on the adidas.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive might have been hoping that when college football season ends, he would not have to be issuing weekly warnings to his high profile coaches to watch their mouths. But it looks more like he will be chiding coaches some time into April.

The addition of John Calipari at Kentucky means the SEC coaching family gatherings promise to be more entertaining. Calipari has never been one to build warm relationships with other coaches in his conference (right, John Chaney?). His soured relationship with Rick Pitino should make his meetings with Florida's Billy Donovan more interesting.

The warm and special relationship that was built during his time at Memphis, with Tennessee's Bruce Pearl will undoubtedly produce the most entertainment. .

It seems like every year the usual suspects are lined up as contenders for the best basketball conference in the country.

Big East. ACC. Pac-10. Big Ten.

But the Big 12 never seems to get much love, despite some impressive numbers that suggest the newest of the major conferences deserve to be part of the conversation. No conference has advanced more teams to Elite Eight (13) and Final Four (six) since 2002. The Kansas Jayhawks even cut down the nets in 2008.

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Skylar Diggins is an incredible basketball player now in her freshman year at Notre Dame. As a high school player, Diggins was among the best in the nation, averaging 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks a game. She also won many awards, including 'Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year' (twice), All American Honors (three times) and was named the '2009 Indiana Miss Basketball.' In this FanHouse Exclusive, we catch up Diggins and her parents to get the full story on Skylar.

Check out the video after the jump.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A fight over the shoes Michael Jordan's son will wear at the University of Central Florida has cost the school any future sponsorship with adidas.

"The University of Central Florida has chosen not to deliver on their contractual commitment to adidas," adidas spokeswoman Andrea Corso wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "As a result we have chosen not to continue our relationship with them moving forward."

There could have been bigger upsets Tuesday night. Mike Bloomberg could have lost the New York mayor's job to Stephon Marbury. Or "The Jay Leno Show" could have won its time slot.

If you were caught up watching those returns, you may have missed the biggest upset in the history of mankind, or at least New York.

Move over, Joe Willie. Step aside, Miracle on Ice.

Give it up for Le Moyne!

Le Who?

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