When we think of Harvard we think of rigorous scholarship, of ivy-covered buildings, of notable alumni from John Hancock to John F. Kennedy, from Henry David Thoreau to James D. Watson.
We don't think of basketball prowess, but new coach Tommy Amaker wants to change that, and Harvard's administration is giving him a huge hand in doing so: The school is lowering its standards to attract better basketball players.
There's a billboard at 7 Mile and the southbound Lodge Freeway in Detroit that shows the Michigan jerseys of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson, Jimmy King and Juwan Howard, with "Timeless..." underneath.
Michigan, of course, can't put up billboards promoting the Fab Five -- it can't even acknowledge the existence of the Fab Five. So who paid for the billboard? It was Jalen Rose himself.
"The motivation for that speaks for itself," said Rose, who didn't tell the other guys until after it was up, wanting it to be a surprise. "Being this (2006-07) is the year of the Fab Five 15th-year anniversary, people nationally are talking about it -- about how we changed college basketball and the landscape of the sport. We have no banners and representation at U-M, almost like we didn't go there."
That's where Rose pauses, emphasizing the location.
He wants the billboard to be a celebration, not a distraction. That's why he placed it on Detroit's west side, near where he and Webber grew up.
I lived 20 miles from Michigan's campus in 1991, and I loved the Fab Five. So it makes me a little sad that Rose acknowledges that if he had put the billboard up in Ann Arbor, it wouldn't be so widely celebrated. But Rose seems to think Webber is blameless in what the Fab Five has become -- a symbol of what's wrong with college sports -- and there he's wrong. There are lots of stupid rules in the NCAA, but they're rules that Webber agreed to, and if Webber's refusal to abide by those rules taints the Fab Five's legacy, that's Webber's fault.
Jimmy Walker, the great Providence guard who was named an All-American three times and led the nation in scoring in 1967, has died of lung cancer at the age of 63.
Younger fans know Walker mostly because he's the father of Jalen Rose. Walker's name was often mentioned during TV broadcasts of Michigan games when Rose and the Fab Five went to two Final Fours in the 1990s. At one point they held the NCAA Division I record for most career points scored by a father-son duo.
But the TV announcers often glossed over the fact that Rose and Walker didn't know each other. Walker was out of the picture before Rose was born, and in 2005, when Rose surpassed Walker's NBA point total, he spoke in a matter-of-fact tone about the biological father he had never met. Walker and Rose look a lot alike, but the only things Rose got from Walker were facial features and basketball talent.
Tommy Amaker, who was fired last month after six mostly unsuccessful seasons at Michigan, is expected to accept the head-coaching job at Harvard. Amaker, who has also coached at Seton Hall and was a player and assistant coach at Duke, beat out former Boston University and St. John's coach Mike Jarvis for the Harvard job.
Harvard seems like a good fit for Amaker, who is known for emphasizing academics. Amaker will be the only African-American coach at Harvard, which has 32 intercollegiate sports. Amaker's wife, who was associate dean of students at Michigan, is expected to get a job on the Harvard faculty.
Harvard, which has never won an Ivy League title in men's basketball, was criticized in some quarters for firing previous coach Frank Sullivan, who ran a clean program and held his players to high academic standards but had a losing record. Michigan is scheduled to play at Harvard next season.
Robert Traylor, the guy whose enormous frame gave him the nickname "Tractor," was such a unique athlete. I'm the same age as Traylor and grew up in the same area, so I've been following his basketball career since high school. He seemed like a can't-miss prospect.
It didn't quite work out. Traylor was good but not great at Michigan, and never did much of note in the NBA. Michigan has long since washed its hands of him, with the punishment the school received for recruiting violations surrounding him grossly exceeding any benefit the school got for his on-court performance. At age 30 he can't find an NBA team that wants him. And now he's facing eight to 14 months in federal prison.
The prison sentence is a result of laundering money for his cousin, Quasand Daniell Lewis, a drug dealer who is serving 18 years in prison. This Detroit News article about Traylor describes helping Lewis as "foolish" and says he "got some bad advice."
But I don't think that quite covers it. The best way to describe Traylor is greedy: It was his greed that led him to take money in violation of NCAA rules and his greed that led him to earn money participating in illegal activities for his cousin. Now it's landing him in prison. He's still young, though. Let's hope this guy who had so much promise at 20 and is in so much trouble at 30 is doing something productive with his life at 40.
The reports all day have been that Michigan has been talking, then negotiating with John Beilein to leave West Virginia for Ann Arbor. It looks like it has finally happened. CBS Sportsline is reporting that Beilein has accepted the offer and a news conference will take place within 48 hours.
This means that Michigan will be paying West Virginia about $2.5 million dollars for the Beilein buyout -- whether directly or via Beilein. That will be on top of whatever else Beilein will receive as an annual salary.
Looks like the Wolverines might be getting serious about basketball. You don't think that team to the south that is playing in the NCAA Tournament Championship tonight may have had added a little spur to upgrade?
That puts Lowery in line with the highest-paid coaches in the Missouri Valley Conference. On the other hand, Michigan State paid Tom Izzo more money in 2006 than Southern Illinois will pay Lowery in the next seven years combined. Basically, it's enough money to show that the Salukis intend to pour resources into their basketball program, but it isn't enough money to keep Lowery around if a major-conference team comes calling next year.
It does, however, take Lowery off the market this year, and it narrows down the Michigan basketball search a little more. Lowery was thought to be a strong candidate for the Michigan job, and if John Beilein stays at West Virginia and Kevin Stallings stays at Vanderbilt, Michigan is running out of candidates.
Maybe John Beilein isn't the primary target of Michigan's basketball coaching search. Gary Parrish of Sportsline is reporting that Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings is a top candidate for the Michigan job, and that he'll strongly consider taking it if it's offered to him.
An interesting aspect of this, though, is that Stallings sees himself as something like an actor who's reached the point where he doesn't have to audition for roles:
Stallings already indirectly informed Michigan officials that though he's interested he will not go through a formal interview process of any kind. In other words, if Michigan wants Stallings it must make an offer soon and without the circus that would accompany a public flirtation. Otherwise, he's out and content to stay at Vanderbilt.
I find it hard to believe that Michigan will make Stallings an offer without even interviewing him. And I find it hard to believe that Stallings would refuse to go through an interview if that's what Michigan wants. Parish doesn't even mention Beilein as a candidate for the Michigan job, calling UNLV's Lon Kruger, Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery and Butler's Todd Lickliter the other top candidates.
West Virginia coach John Beilein's team has advanced to tonight's NIT championship game. If reports out of Michigan are to be believed, it will be Beilein's last game as the Mountaineers' coach.
From all indications, John Beilein is not just a candidate to be Michigan's next basketball coach. Beilein is the candidate. Michigan athletic director Bill Martin is not tipping his hand publicly, but he appears to have zeroed in on West Virginia's Beilein.
Of course, it's not a sure thing that Beliein will take the Michigan job if it's offered. I think the consensus among coaches around the country is that Michigan isn't as attractive a job as Martin thinks it is. On the other hand, Beilein didn't make much secret that he wanted to leave for both Indiana and North Carolina State last year. If Michigan is willing to invest the kind of money in Beilein to give him a substantial raise and pay his $2.5 million buyout, the chances are good that tonight is his last game in West Virginia.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 1999. According to the Buckeyes official records, however, it's the first time since 1968. That's because the Buckeyes have taken down all evidence of the 1999 appearance and stricken it from all official records as part of their penalties for major recruiting violations that occurred in that time under then Coach Jim O'Brien.
Of course it's unfair to label the whole conference as dirty because of isolated incidents. Still, the Big Ten teams (and especially their fans) love to hold out their conference as all that is good and pure of conferences -- isn't that right Commissioner Delany? Exemplifying the student athlete and how they have programs that do things right and succeed.
Or do they? Consider the following for their basketball programs:
1999 -- Ohio State makes the Final Four, but the visit has been officially expunged because of major recruiting violations.
1997 -- Minnesota makes the Final Four, but recognition was officially expunged because of major academic fraud to keep players eligible.
1994 -- Northwestern. Well, they didn't actually win anything, but they were somehow involved in point shaving. Proving that some people will bet on anyone.
1992 and 1993-- Michigan has both of their Final Four visits officially expunged because of booster payoffs to the players. This all started coming out in 1996 after Robert Maurice Taylor's driving troubles and people noticed the ride he had.
1989 -- Illinois recruiting/payola scandal brought to light thanks to then Iowa Assistant Coach Bruce Pearl and a tape recorder. It resulted in a 1991 post-season ban.
When we think of Harvard we think of rigorous scholarship, of ivy-covered buildings, of notable alumni from John Hancock to John F. Kennedy, from Henry David Thoreau to James D. Watson. 
Jimmy Walker, the great Providence guard who was named an All-American three times and led the nation in scoring in 1967, 
Tommy Amaker, who was fired last month after six mostly unsuccessful seasons at Michigan, 
Robert Traylor, the guy whose enormous frame gave him the nickname "Tractor," was such a unique athlete. I'm the same age as Traylor and grew up in the same area, so I've been following his basketball career since high school. He seemed like a can't-miss prospect. 
The reports all day have been that Michigan has been talking, then negotiating with John Beilein to leave West Virginia for Ann Arbor. It looks like it has 
In the latest sign that 
Maybe 
West Virginia coach John Beilein's team has 
The Ohio State Buckeyes have advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 1999. According to the Buckeyes official records, however, it's the first time since 1968. That's because the Buckeyes have taken down all evidence of the 1999 appearance and stricken it from all official records as part of their penalties for major recruiting violations that occurred in that time under then Coach Jim O'Brien.
