NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Season Quietly Tips Tonight

Chas Rich — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: Syracuse, UNC, ACC, Big East, Campus, Media Watch

Tonight is the opening night for college basketball. Defending champion North Carolina tips off at 7PMtonight on ESPN, followed by Syracuse. Plus teams like California and Ohio State start their season as part of one of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. All with little hype despite being on one of the ESPN family of networks.

So, the quiet start kicks off what has become the annual lament among college basketball writers. There are no festivities. There is no "celebration." There is no coordination. There is only a quiet and disjointed start to college basketball.

The reasons are familiar. Both external and internal. Pro and college football are dominating most of the market. The NBA and NHL have been underway for a few weeks, as well. Plus the NCAA and basketball programs do themselves no favors with teams no organized start to the season. Teams kicking off their season with no rhyme or reason (other than planning around on-campus football games). College basketball just gets lost in the shuffle.
As usual there are the suggestions that the NCAA, the major conferences and ESPN do more to promote the opening night and week of college basketball. Make it some sort of "tip-off" event that celebrates the start of the season. Get some early high profile games going to drum up interest and kick the season off with a bang. Get the general public paying attention earlier and have fans take notice of more than just their own team's games.

Count me among those who have no interest in changing the system. I love college basketball. I will be in the small group watching games tonight instead of Monday Night Football. The last thing I want to see, though, is a big intersectional game played in the first week of the season.

There's a reason most major programs start out with a bunch of low-level patsies and less than stellar competition. Most teams are still getting their game together. They have only been practicing as a team for a month while classes are well underway -- unlike college football which gets to start practicing before the semester gets underway. They have played maybe two exhibition games against Division II or III opponents.

Unless it is a veteran team comprised of juniors and seniors, the players are still trying to get a better sense of how to play with each other. The play is sloppy and filled with mistakes. Coaches are still experimenting with rotations and maybe implementing wrinkles to their systems.

Even the best teams are not playing particularly crisp basketball for the first couple weeks of the season. I do not want to see Texas play Michigan State this week. I want to see it in December when the teams have worked out a lot of the kinks and will be at a higher level.

ESPN seems to have the better idea with waiting to actively kick off the season. Their college hoops marathon starting at midnight Eastern on November 17 is a fun idea engaging plenty of programs in one 24-hour period. Games include Gonzaga-Michigan State, Memphis-Kansas, Temple-Georgetown and Arkansas-Louisville. It is under-promoted at this point (which admittedly seems an impossibility when it comes to ESPN, but there it is).

College basketball has grown because it builds in attention and excitement all season long. It culminates with the NCAA Tournament, but every year the interest only increases as the season continues. The understated and underpublicized start to the season fits.

Season Quietly Tips Tonight originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arkansas Basketball Players Face New Inquiry Into Rape Allegations

Chas Rich — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: Arkansas, SEC, Campus, Police Blotter

A serious situation at the University of Arkansas seemed to resolve itself last month when it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to file rape charges against three unnamed Arkansas Razorback basketball players. For a program that has had numerous off-the-court distractions and dysfunctional coaching searches, this was a small relief not to have it hanging over its head when the season got underway.

So much for that plan. Questions quickly arose surrounding the prosecutor that determined there was insufficient evidence. Now the Razorbacks are looking at a case that's being reopened by a special prosecutor appointed by the state, just as the season opener looms.

John Threet is not only the Washington County prosecutor who found insufficient evidence, but he is the son-in-law of Frank Broyles, the legendary and now retired Arkansas athletic director. Not to mention he has a brother-in-law that is an athletic department spokesperson. A couple of rather close ties to the Razorback athletic department that could definitely raise conflict-of-interest issues.

Sure enough, the attorney for the woman making the accusations found them troubling enough to petition a county judge to appoint a special prosecutor. Prosecutor Threet filed his own motion in support of a special prosecutor and the judge issued the order the same day.

The attorney for the alleged victim claims that there is new physical evidence that supports his client's claim. The problem with the case, according to the prosecutor's office, remains the same. A lack of evidence showing force or a lack of consent. Witnesses are not forthcoming.

The special prosecutor, ultimately, may be limited to finding the process flawed, but not the determination.

Arkansas Basketball Players Face New Inquiry Into Rape Allegations originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIU Upset Over Having to Play UNC

Chas Rich — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:40:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, UNC, ACC, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, Campus, Coaches, Media Watch

Florida International has not played a game yet under new coach Isiah Thomas, but the program is acting like it is already a player in college basketball. They are threatening to pull out of the 2K Sports Classic Tournament, which benefits the Coaches vs. Cancer charity, because they are no longer slated to be the road patsy for Ohio State. Instead they are getting sent to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina.

The Golden Panthers had agreed to play in the preseason tournament even before Isiah Thomas was hired as the head coach. It had been presumed that they would go to Columbus to play the Buckeyes. Ohio State had indicated on its Web site that FIU would be the opponent. FIU and Thomas referenced starting the season there.

Last week, though, the Gazelle Group which operates the tournament contacted FIU about being switched. FIU's athletic director Pete Garcia refused, but he really did not have a choice. The contract FIU signed stated that FIU would play either North Carolina or Ohio state at the sole discretion of the Gazelle Group. Somehow that does not seem fair to FIU.

"Would they do what they're doing to us to Duke, or to North Carolina? No," Garcia said. "But they'll do it to FIU and any other school out there like FIU."

Hello? You are the patsy school that has to go on the road in this tournament, and expected to lose to the bigger program. You get some nice national exposure on ESPN and a check for the beating -- something nearly "any other school out there like FIU" would love to get. You are FIU. You are one of the worst programs in the country. Most people cannot keep you straight with Florida Atlantic. Of course they would treat you this way and not like a prestigious, brand-name program.

There is no principle to this. They signed a contract that is clear. Maybe they were hoping for a lighter beating from Ohio State rather than North Carolina, but that is not principle. That is whining. Clearly FIU's athletic director (and probably the coach) does not understand that a glamor hire does not elevate FIU beyond novelty act until they actually win something.

FIU Upset Over Having to Play UNC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nation's Top Shot-Blocker Becomes a Walk-On

Chas Rich — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, SEC, Campus

Jarvis Varnado has been the best shot-blocker in college basketball for the past two years. He also really loves his Mississippi State Bulldogs. To the tune of giving up his scholarship and taking out a student loan to pay for his senior year in Starkville. At least he is probably doing that.

The Bulldogs found themselves facing a possibility of having 14 players on scholarship. One over the thirteen player limit, assuming John Riek and Renardo Sidney are fully cleared by the NCAA to play this year. Varnado, came back to Mississippi State after an exploration of the NBA Draft.

Apparently the Varnado family discussed the matter with coach Rick Stansbury around the time of Varnado's draft decision and the commitments from Riek and Sidney. They offered to take out a student loan to pay Varnado's way for the good of the team and essentially make Varnado a walk-on.

Of course, while Riek and Sidney are in Starkville and eligible to take classes, they have not been cleared by the NCAA to play for the Bulldogs. If either is denied, it is certain that Varnado will be back on scholarship.

Still the cost of a year at Mississippi State including the tuition, room and board and books -- what the scholarship covers -- is nearly $14,000. This is not some wealthy family that could afford to make the decision easily. Varnado's father is a high-school basketball coach. Even if Varnado remains a second-round NBA Draft pick in 2010, that is quite the commitment to the team.

Nation's Top Shot-Blocker Becomes a Walk-On originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renardo Sidney Is the NCAA's Last Chance

Chas Rich — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, SEC, Campus, Media Watch, Recruiting

If the NCAA was hoping that Renardo Sidney would simplify the investigation by somehow failing to get academically qualified, they are out of luck. Sidney was cleared for meeting minimum academic standards by the NCAA Eligibility Center. That has allowed him to enroll at Mississippi State for classes in the fall semester and begin participating in conditioning and individual workouts.

That does not clear Sidney to practice with the team and play for Mississippi State. The NCAA is still investigating his eligibility as an amateur in light of reports of how his family managed to live in multi-million dollar homes and afforded a move from Mississippi to Los Angeles in the first place. All without any clear idea how they earned the money for it.
The question looms out there: what will the NCAA find? The Sidney family has hired a lawyer familiar with the NCAA investigators. They have vocally professed that Sidney and his family is clean. No one seems to believe it, but proving it may be a different matter. Especially when the family is not rolling over on the matter.

The Sidney case, ultimately, may be one of the last chances the NCAA has to show it is at all relevant with regards to dealing with incoming student-athletes. The NCAA is supposed to be a gate-keeper for incoming student-athletes. To determine if they are meeting the academic and amateur eligibility. If it can not even do that, then they are not doing their job.

Whatever comes of the NCAA's investigations into O.J. Mayo/USC and Derrick Rose/Memphis, the NCAA has to share some of the blame. They cleared the kids to play for the schools. Maybe the schools did not dig too hard. Maybe the kids were (shockingly) less than forthright with the NCAA. Yes, the NCAA has limited resources. The fact is the NCAA cleared the kids to play for a year at the respective schools, despite red flags that varied from subtle (William Wesley and Derrick Rose's brother's AAU team) to white-hot, neon (O.J. Mayo's entourage included Rodney Guillory who had paid two other players in the past).

The NCAA missed on those two matters. Miss with Sidney and they make it clear to programs that the best approach with questionable recruits is not to look too closely.

Renardo Sidney Is the NCAA's Last Chance originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do Cash Payments Outnumber Good Guys in College Basketball?

Chas Rich — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:13:00 EST

Filed under: Campus, Coaches, Media Watch, Recruiting

There are days when the whole of college basketball -- or simply all of major college athletics -- is just too depressing and miserable. Where even Dick Vitale can not create a saccharine enough visual of the coaches who populate the major basketball programs.

This seems to be one of those times. The New York Times' Pete Thamel ran a story on the hardship placed on D-I coaches "forced" to pay the ridiculous prices demanded by AAU coaches and sponsors for photocopied information at some of the various AAU sanctioned tournaments that take place during recruiting periods. The story got some play in the major sports blogosphere, but as noted by Eamonn Brennan at the Dagger, it is as much a follow-up/companion piece to an earlier story by Ken Tysiac at the Charlotte Observer (sadly stuck behind Charlotte.com's paid archive) that also discussed AAU coaches selling scouting services.

The gist of both stories is that coaches are mostly paying ridiculous money for information they already have -- the names, addresses, e-mail and cell phone numbers of recruits. Why? Because the AAU coaches want them to, and if the coaches don''t they fear the AAU coach may poison the well when the coaches go to recruit the players.

Thamel's story in the New York Times has some nice anecdotes of Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings taking something of a stand against paying for another "roster packet." It is vibrantly contrasted with the way other coaches at bigger programs, making far more money than Stallings clammed up on the subject.

While many coaches agreed that the cost of tournament packets was egregious, few spoke on the record. Those who declined included the Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the U.C.L.A. Coach Ben Howland and the Ohio State Coach Thad Matta. "It's one of the important things on our agenda," said Michigan Coach John Beilein, the head of the N.C.A.A.'s new Ethics Coalition. "That's all I'm going to say."
...
While [Michigan State Coach Tom] Izzo confirmed the story about the Milwaukee tournament, he declined further comment. His silence and the hesitancy of other prominent coaches to speak underscores the importance of their relationships with summer basketball programs.

"That's exactly what's wrong with our business," Stallings said. "There's a mentality where coaches want to cover themselves and not get out there and say what's right and call out the people that are wrong.

"That's precisely why things are the way they are. That's why we have culture issues in our game. It's a darn shame. The people who could have influence and do have a voice, they choose not to use it because it doesn't help them. They don't want anything unsettling their smooth little boat ride."

Well, that's not entirely true. The coaches are doing something. They are working quietly to have the NCAA pass new and likely more convoluted rules that will force a change. In time the coaches will push the NCAA to pass new rules that make it a rules violation for coaches to purchase these programs or subscription services.

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In this photo provided by University of Kentucky, Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, left, stands with University of Kentucky's head coach John Calipari on Friday, July 17, 2009 at Kentucky's campus in Lexington, Ky. James, a friend of coach Calipari, paid a surprise visit to the Wildcats on Friday. (AP Photo/University of Kentucky, David Coyle) ** NO SALES **

In this 1987 photo, University of Nevada basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian is shown. Former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian is having spinal surgery in California. Tarkanian's son, Danny Tarkanian, says his father is having a bone spur that's compressing his spinal cord removed Tuesday morning July 14, 2009, at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif. (AP Photo)

In this photo taken Thursday Feb. 19, 2009, Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz directs his team during an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009. Charlotte's success in Conference USA has given way trouble in the Atlantic 10. Following a 20-loss season, athletic director Judy Rose says she's disappointed and indicated coach Bobby Lutz's program faces a "critical year" to "step up and be one of the better programs in this league." (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski responds to a question during a news conference in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, June 30, 2009. Krzyzewski said he is "not going to the Lakers" and that he won't leave Duke "until I leave coaching." (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

In this photo taken on Feb. 19, 2008, Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson looks from from the bench during a college basketball game against Purdue in Bloomington, Ind. Indiana won 77-68. The NCAA said Tuesday June 30, 2009, that the NCAA Division I infractions Committee has upheld the violations stemming from more than 100 impermissible phone calls made while Sampson was coaching at Indiana. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Missouri guard Jimmy McKinney, left, watches game action with forward Kevin Young during second half action against Montana at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri, December 11, 2004. McKinney is a pro basketball player in Germany who wants to play baseball in the United States, his home country. (Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT)

MCT

The vote will be in secret and the coaches can blame the NCAA for the rules while telling the AAU coaches that they sympathize and it was not their idea. Everyone has deniability, and the NCAA adds another rule to the ever growing volumes -- and has one more thing they have to monitor with the behavior of coaches and their interaction during recruiting.

Money, though, is like water and no doubt the AAU coaches and other invested parties will find other things that they will be able to demand large payments in a quasi-legal way.

The whole thing is a moral, slimy mess where it is really difficult to find any side to support. The AAU coaches come away as exploitative, greedy slimy asses looking to make the most money off of their high school charges.

Of course the college coaches do much the same at the next level, making far more money along the way. Plus they preach the college experience and try to sell the ethics and moral components of kids becoming men and learning lessons to the kids,their family and the media. All the while, they are just looking to make sure they maintain that recruiting edge so they can win and get paid.

Then the NCAA is mixed in there. With more rules, restrictions and convoluted logic that encourages the appearance of innocence as long as nothing is too overtly corrupt. Speaking high-mindedly of the virtuous student-athlete while increasing rights fees for televising championship games and doing it all while stressing that money to pay the players would corrupt the spirit.

Do Cash Payments Outnumber Good Guys in College Basketball? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Racial Paternalism and College Sports

Clay Travis — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Prospects, Campus

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published an investigation that found just 26 major league baseball players and managers have college degrees. Twenty-six! That's out of a pool of a potential 1,042 players and managers. You want that in percentage terms, that's 2.5 percent. A staggeringly low percentage, even if you pull out all Latin American players (who don't have the same collegiate opportunities) from the equation. Yet, I defy you to find an article that utilizes this fact to make an argument that baseball players need better educations.

The same would hold true for tennis, hockey and golf. As a society, we don't care about the education of our athletes in those sports. In fact, what are the only two sports that we seem to care about when it comes to the education of athletes? Football and basketball. Which just so happen to also have the largest percentage of minority athletes. That's got me wondering, isn't our society guilty of racial paternalism when it comes to sports?

I think so. Put plainly, we don't trust a comparatively small pool of young black kids to make decisions about their professional sports futures, but we don't even blink when thousands of white kids head pro in sports without the slightest bit of education.

If I stacked every article ever written about the necessity of obtaining a college education, how many of them would focus on baseball? Any at all? Then think about how many articles you've read about the value of a college education when the players compete in basketball and football. Compare the two. It's shocking, right? No one ever -- and I mean ever -- questions the right of kids to sign baseball contracts directly out of high school. No talking heads ever pound their hands into a desk and wax eloquent about the need for a college eduction, millions be damned.

When I saw the pathetic percentage of major league managers and players with a college degree, the double standard was suddenly jarring. Unavoidable. But what was even more jarring was the silence. No one ever talks or writes about the dearth of major league baseball education. That's despite the fact that, every year, the basketball and football drafts, two and seven rounds, respectively, only select a little over 300 players for their leagues. The baseball draft, on the other hand, is epic -- more than fifteen hundred players will be selected before it's over. The vast, vast majority will never step foot on a major league baseball field. At least basketball and football draftees are immediately competing for the big contracts at the top levels of the sports. In fact, baseball alone selects almost five-times as many kids for their sport every year than basketball and football do combined. As if that weren't enough, given that basketball requires players be at least one year removed from high school and football requires three, neither of those leagues drafts an 18-year-old straight from high school. Baseball drafts hundreds every year. And no one utters a word of criticism about these kids forgoing their college education.

Why?

I think all we need to do is look at the racial make-up of the players in each of the four major league sports. Based on 2007 stats, 79 percent of NBA players and 65 percent of NFL players are black. The most recent numbers show that only 8 percent of baseball players are black and just 2 percent of hockey players are. Guess which sports allow 18-year-olds to come straight into the league?

But I'm sure that's a coincidence, right?

Look, I'm not saying that we as a society have decided that black athletes need to go to school and white ones don't. I don't think the decision is that simple or that most people make that decision consciously. After all, plenty of minorities support the guidelines put in place by the NFL and the NBA. You can even argue that the NBA and NFL draft systems make more sense than those put in place by the NHL and the MLB. Personally, I think they do. In fact, why don't all players get the right to go through the draft after their senior year like baseball players do? Give kids the right to see how much money they can make before they decide whether or not to go to college. As is, the NBA and the NFL require any kids who leave school early to do so without a parachute. Go pro and give up college forever, young man. Even if you don't get drafted. Talk about a draconian punishment. Every league should have a system just like major league baseball -- if a kid is good enough to get drafted at 18, give him the opportunity to take the money and pursue a professional career. Every contract in those leagues should then contain the language that if he fails at baseball, the team will pay for him to attend college.

But that's my prescription for an equalization of treatment across the board. What I think is the more interesting question is this: why does our society allow these disparate treatments and not think twice about it? Why have we set up a system where black kids playing in the NFL and the NBA are much more likely to have college degrees than white kids playing Major League Baseball or in the NHL? I think the answer is that our perception governs these situations. We think that young black kids should go to college and so the leagues (in cahoots with the NCAA) dictate this policy, making college a de facto minor leagues. We're willing, even eager, to allow it to happen in these sports but not in any others.

Again, why?

I don't claim to have an easy answer that every person is going to agree with, but I think it's a question that every fan should be asking of themselves. Why is it okay for NHL and MLB players to go pro without ever sniffing a college classroom, but it isn't okay for football and basketball players to do so? Is it simply because we want those players to play for our college teams, that we care more about college basketball and football than we do college hockey and baseball? Is that really a justification, these athletes should go to college because they entertain us when they put on our college's uniform? I don't think so.

I think this is about something deeper and more firmly ingrained in our national consciousness than anyone cares to acknowledge, I think the disparate systems are a vestige of racial paternalism. And what's the ultimate irony of today's system? We're ensuring that would-be white athletes get worse educations than would-be black athletes. For the people who claim that race isn't a factor at all when it comes to the disparate treatment, shouldn't they be outraged by the relative lack of education of NHL and Major League Baseball players?

I won't hold my breath waiting for the hue and cry of national outrage to swell up on a tide of indignation. The fact that you won't either should really make you reexamine why you don't care that only 26 major league baseball players have college degrees, but you think all basketball and football players should go to college.

Racial Paternalism and College Sports originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lance Stephenson Has Really Limited Choices

Chas Rich — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:52:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, Campus, Recruiting, Rumors

Lance Stephenson is one of the top high school players in the country. He was a McDonald's All-American. He is also just about the only major recruit not running screaming from the rubble of USC that is without a college destination.

Where once he seemed headed for Kansas, that door has closed. Arizona opted against wanting him. Now Maryland has decided they are not interested any longer.

At this point, the only programs that still seem to be pursuing him have nearly as many warts as he does. The choices for Stephenson have dwindled to a school under a major NCAA cloud and one that toils in obscurity, but with a new "name" coach.

Memphis needs talent and recruits. As the Tigers wait to find out what the NCAA has in store for them, they see no risk at this point in taking a player that will certainly draw heavy scrutiny from the NCAA for his academics and the Born Ready web documentary of Stephenson.

The other is regular Sun Belt Conference cellar dweller, Florida International now being coached by Isiah Thomas. Thomas tried to get Stephenson interested right after being hired, but it seemed to go nowhere. Now Pete Vecsey is reporting (for whatever that is actually worth) that Stephenson may be reconsidering the Miami school.

While in Orlando, an on-campus source informed me the Lincoln HS whiz had a sleepover a couple of weeks ago at Florida International University in Miami.

It is more rumor than anything else -- but what do you expect with a Vecsey story. Still considering Stephenson came from the same high school as Stephon Marbury, and Thomas' own history with Marbury the storyline seems too juicy to resist (or make up?).

In all the scenarios Lance Stephenson considered coming out of his senior year of high school, this definitely was not one of them.

Lance Stephenson Has Really Limited Choices originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Calipari Sweating Yet? Who Knows ... He's In China

Clay Travis — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Campus, Coaches

Saturday, Memphis appears before the NCAA Infractions Committee to discuss the Derrick Rose -- excuse us, name redacted -- imbroglio. Kentucky coach John Calipari will not be physically present. Why not? Because he has a previously scheduled trip to China. Boy, is that convenient. Coach Cal has known since mid-January that Memphis would be appearing before the infractions committee on June 5-7, 2009 (the letter preceding the notice of allegations informed Memphis of this date), and he just happens to schedule a trip to China during that time?

What a coincidence!

Calipari informed the NCAA via letter that he'd love to attend the hearing, but would be in China. The NCAA replied that they wanted him there anyway, by phone if necessary, foiling Calipari's ultimate rejoinder. "The NCAA hearing? I don't know anything about that. I was in China when they had the infractions hearing!"

This would be much funnier if I didn't believe the China gambit was planned by Coach Cal solely to put him as far as physically possible from the hearing, literally on the other side of the globe from Indianapolis. High comedy.

I'm picturing Cal sitting on the phone with his agent crossing off potential travel destinations. Cal to cronies, "I've got to be outside the country, as far from America as I can possibly get." It's a wonder Cal didn't choose to explore the virgin areas of the Amazon, so that this letter could arrive from his counsel:

"Due to his long-standing fascination with pink dolphins, Coach John Calipari will be traveling in the back country of the Amazon. There will be no telephones to reach him, no potential way to track him down. He regrets the inconvenience."

NCAA meet college basketball's own, Dr. Livingstone. One half expects for NCAA chairman Myles Brand to show up in Hangzhou with his hand outstretched, "Coach Calipari, I presume."

But honestly, is anyone else surprised? Cal to China during an NCAA hearing is, roughly speaking, five billion times as predictable as Nixon to China ever was. The only thing more ridiculous would be if Derrick Rose was currently visiting Australia. Or in China with Cal. (Does anybody have a GPS on World Wide Wes? I've heard he's a longtime disciple of the Dalai Lama. He's in the only place in the world where a cell phone ringing leads directly to lobotomy. Wes and Richard Gere are playing hide the gerbil from China.) Meanwhile Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson is putting his master's degree in P.E. from Northern Iowa to work. He's standing in front of a large globe.

"Astounding," Johnson remarks as he prepares for the NCAA hearing where he'll toss up his hands and say Memphis knew nothing about Rose's eligibilty, "who knew the world was round? Bully, we'll just dig a hole straight to China and that way Coach Cal can be both places at once."

Meanwhile Coach Cal is learning all he can about the Ming dynasty. He's always been a huge fan of the Ming dynasty. That's what he'll tell the UK basketball faithful when he comes back from China. "Y'all, John Wall is the Hongwu Emperor of the Big Blue Dynasty," Calipari will say. The crowd will cheer madly. Of course right now John Calipari could stand up in front of the UK fan base and say, "When each of your daughters turn 18, they belong to Patrick Patterson." And people would cheer even louder, tossing their camouflage UK hats high into the air in raucous celebration. "By God, Suzy Lee's son is going to have some height," they'd say.

Latest College Basketball Images

Crew members for NASCAR driver Joey Logano (20) right, wait to be fueled as rain falls at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., before the day begins for qualifying for the NASCAR Pocono 500 auto race, Friday, June 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton, Sr.)

Crews push cars for NASCAR driver David Ruetimann (00), left, and Kasey Kahne (9), right, to be fueled as rain falls at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Friday, June 5, 2009. The Pocono 500 is scheduled for Saturday. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton, Sr.)

Baltimore Orioles' Aubrey Huff slides back to third base late as he is caught leading off by the Seattle Mariners' Rob Johnson in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Seattle, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley (47) argues with home plate umpire Tony Randazzo after a ball hit by Orioles' Aubrey Huff was originally called a home run, then reviewed and called a foul in the first inning of a baseball game in Seattle, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki, of Japan, singles in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles, extending his hitting streak to 27 games, during a baseball game in Seattle on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Pall bearers prepare to unload the casket of Wayman Tisdale during his funeral, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Tom Gilbert)

The hearse carrying the casket of Wayman Tisdale moves through Tulsa, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Shane Bevel)

John Wall, flanked by his sister Tonya Pulley and Dr. Frank Summerfield, formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

John Wall formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

But false bravado aside, Coach Cal is nervous, very nervous as night comes to China. He's sitting down in the Beijing Kentucky Fried Chicken (you know he'll eat there) attempting to enjoy his drum stick and coke, while all the while the gnawing fear of the NCAA investigation stalks his every move. What if someone talks? He takes a bite of his drumstick, stares over his hunched shoulder. Reaches up to assure that his Chinese hair gel is still working, that his hair hasn't moved, that the sangfroid Coach Cal exterior is still in place. How could he, he of all people, have forgotten to pack his hair gel?

Because he's scared, very scared.

Cal knows recruiting one-year players for college basketball is built on a mountain of lies. They all pile up, one after the other so rapidly that it's hard to know the calculus of collapse. Careers are always, precariously, one Jenga block being pulled away from ruin. That's why Cal's looking over his shoulder. Why he's hoping that even on the other side of the world, people don't become aware of all the nervous tics that give away his fear.

Fortunately, I know the 10 signs that Cal is nervous.

1. He's changed the names on his telephone numbers so that "World Wide Wes" now appears as "Bill Keightley's widow."

2. After weeks of telephoning Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks with this plea, "I'm telling you, you've got to look at A.J. Stewart as a tight end, he'd be a stud." He's now given up pawning off Stewart on anyone else.

3. The other day he drove by Billy Clyde's abandoned house and thought to himself, "Man, Gillispie's one lucky guy."

4. He's shelved plans for his own Lexington restaurant, a la Pitino, because the first question he was asked was, "Do you want banners hanging from the ceiling?"

5. On late night walks around the Kentucky basketball offices he occasionally pauses in front of Adolph Rupp's portrait and repeats over and over again, "I am not a crook, I am not a crook, I am not a crook."

6. He logs onto CatsPause, pours a full glass of bourbon, and reads threads from anonymous posters because they make him feel better. Even if some of them misspell his name.

7. He no longer uses the UMass Final Four banner as his bedspread because he's making room for the one from Memphis.

8. After 498 consecutive tic-tac-toe losses, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart finally beat him in a game since Cal neglected to make any moves. When Barnhart exulted over his victory on his sixth move, Coach Cal didn't even bother to explain that Barnhart was playing against himself.

9. While appearing before a group of alums in Owensboro, Ky., Calipari exulted, "I love it here. Absolutely love it. I will never leave Memphis, cross my heart."

10. As he stares at the Great Wall, Calipari sighs, then turns to his traveling companions and says, "Check with Governor Beshear about building one of these on the banks of the Ohio. I want it in my contract. When the NCAA mongols come for me, and they will come, they'll be traveling south from Indiana. A wall will stall them. I'll be gone from here by then."

Is Calipari Sweating Yet? Who Knows ... He's In China originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis, Kentucky Athletic Directors Bungle John Calipari Situation

Clay Travis — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Campus, Coaches, Fans

Lost amid the kerfuffle overtaking John Calipari, Memphis, and Kentucky is the question that everyone should be asking: Is your average athletic director smart enough to handle their job given the intense pressure and attention that now descends upon the position?

Most are old jocks who've risen to prominence through equal parts glad-handing and reminiscing about the good ole days. They aren't particularly skilled in the black arts of modern-day communications or even, necessarily, at managing multi-million dollar businesses. I've wondered about this for a while, but the ham-handed way that R.C. Johnson of Memphis and Mitch Barnhart of Kentucky have dealt with the John Calipari imbroglio, has convinced me that neither of these guys are up to the job with which they've been entrusted.

Let's begin with Memphis' Johnson. He has his master's degree in P.E. from Northern Iowa. I'm sure there are all sorts of brilliant people in charge of multi-million dollar businesses who chose to pursue graduate studies in P.E., but I can't think of any. His actions at Memphis confirm this opinion. First, he allowed Calipari to insert language into the letters of intent that his players were signing that allowed the players out of the deal if Calipari wasn't there any longer; this is unheard of. Secondly, he waged a war to keep Calipari at Memphis without firing the shot that would have ended Kentucky's pursuit of Calipari immediately, releasing the NCAA letter of inquiry.

It absolutely boggles my mind that Johnson didn't leak this letter when Calipari began flirting with Kentucky. Memphis received the NCAA's letter in January. Did they really think they were going to appear before the NCAA infractions committee and no one was ever going to find out? All Johnson had to do was leak the letter in the week after the basketball season ended and Calipari would have been at Memphis for another five years. It would have taken that long for this mess to blow over. What did Johnson have to lose by doing this? Calipari wouldn't have left for Kentucky -- the Wildcats likely wouldn't have taken him -- he might have lost some recruits but given Coach Cal's abilities as a snake-oil salesman, he probably still could have convinced the recruits to come to Memphis.

Instead Johnson rounded up the boosters, increased his financial package, engaged in a futile pursuit of Calipari, and ended up settling on a young replacement who is most famous for sitting next to Miles Simon on the bench at Arizona.

Swing and a colossal miss.

If he didn't want to leak the letter because he believed it violated his moral code, he could have called Coach Cal into his office and said, "Here's the deal, we'll increase your salary by $500,000 and I won't release this letter to the press. We'll stand by you through the investigation. You can sign right here. Or you can get on the plane to Lexington and before you land, it will be on the front page of the Lexington Herald-Leader Web site. They'll drop their pursuit of you and we won't give you the raise, but we'll still be happy to have you as coach."

Instead, the Memphis athletic department is on the hook for everything that Calipari has ever done at Memphis and the coach gets away with merely a dark cloud chasing him to Lexington.

Does this make any sense? R.C. Johnson couldn't have bungled this situation worse if he'd been intentionally attempting to sabotage his own program. But, and this is key, Kentucky's Mitch Barnhart makes R.C. Johnson's masters in P.E. look like a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford.

Barnhart raises incompetence to a whole new level.

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John Wall laughs with his sister Tonya Pulley during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, where he announced he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall discusses his decision to commit to playing basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall, center, discusses his decision to commit to playing basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. At left is Word of God Christian Academy's Dr. Frank Summerfield and at right is Wall's sister Tonya Pulley. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall, right, and Dr. Frank Summerfield discuss Wall's decision to commit to playing college basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall discusses his decision to commit to playing college basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

First, let's be clear, whether you think Billy Clyde Gillispie is an uncouth idiot or not, his memorandum of understanding is valid. Kentucky's going to have to pay him a large percentage of the $6 million he's sued for before all is said and done. Don't let lawyers who have a dog in the fight try and convince you that this isn't a contract; lawyers will argue for whoever pays them the most. Right now both sides of the lawsuit are playing the media to convince non-lawyers that the other side is full of crap. That's normal. But, trust me, as an impartial observer, Gillispie has the much better position in this lawsuit. There's an offer, there's an acceptance, and adherence to the terms of the deal for two years. That memorandum is a functional contract. Everything else is just noise.

But what the hell is Barnhart thinking anyway? Who signs a coaching deal with someone and then refuses to expand upon a two-page memorandum because they want to be able to get out of the contract? Seriously, that's unbelievable. If you have that many reservations about a coach, how in the world is he your top choice? Making a decision like this convinced me that Barnhart was in over his head.

The subsequent interviews Barnhart gave this season convinced me of that even more. Barnhart was borderline unintelligible. Tubby Smith bailed out Barnhart by bolting for Minnesota, otherwise, Barnhart would have found a way to deed Rupp Arena to Smith and his representatives before that contract buyout was finalized.

Now, Barnhart and crew signed Big John even though they supposedly knew about the looming NCAA investigation. I know, I know, they claim that they cleared it with the NCAA. (Which, by the way, isn't permissible). They claim that Calipari assured them he had nothing to do with it, (Calipari: "Well, that depends on what the meaning of the word "know" is.") Really, when you get right down to it, Barnhart was so desperate to sign a big name to replace Billy G., he wouldn't have cared if Calipari had a side business smuggling Cambodians to Mexico. That's fine, but if you're a Kentucky fan don't you think you deserved the right to know that Coach Cal was on his way to ending up with two Final Four banners being stripped? I think so. The fact that they signed Cal without ever disclosing the investigation is a sham. They acted under the cover of night, because they likely believed they wouldn't be able to sign Calipari otherwise.

There's no doubt Coach Cal is smart, but he looks much smarter because he's playing three-dimensional chess against such weak bosses. That's how he managed to skip clean at UMass and Memphis while the programs crumbled in his wake. It's high time fans start paying more attention to the heads of their athletic departments, and demand something more than mere competence. They need someone smart enough to match wits with the smartest of coaches.

I can name 15 diehard Kentucky fans right now who would do a better job as athletic director than Mitch Barnhart. Same with Memphis. If you have any reasonably intelligent friends who happen to be fans of either program, you can probably do the same. With all the attention paid to coaches, and all the power they're accruing in today's collegiate game, isn't it more imperative than ever before that the man who is their ostensible boss have some semblance of ability? Gone are the days when athletic directors could be back slappers and good joke tellers, it's time for a new generation of athletic directors to take the reins. Guys who can do something more than negotiate great deals on tetherballs.

Memphis, Kentucky Athletic Directors Bungle John Calipari Situation originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 29 May 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis Having a Little Deja UMass

Chas Rich — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Campus, Coaches, Police Blotter

It is a coincidence.

Besides nothing ever was proven or even suggested by the NCAA that John Calipari even knew what Marcus Camby was up to at UMass. Just like there is nothing at this point to indicate that Calipari was aware of the things the NCAA is now accusing Memphis.

The NCAA is accusing the Memphis Tigers with failure to monitor with regards to actions relating to the 2007-08 season in which the Tigers went to the Final Four. While the name of the key player has been redacted the letter from the NCAA indicates that the player, "subsequently competed during the 2007-08 season and specifically the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship." In other words, Derrick Rose.

The general attitude of Kentucky fans, you can expect, will be that John Calipari is not being accused of anything. Of even knowing anything. That this is on Memphis and their athletic department and their oversight. Sure, the NCAA wants Calipari at the hearing, but that is only because he was the head coach at the time. What happened in Memphis stays in Memphis.

Memphis fans might take some grim satisfaction in that rhetoric from Kentucky fans. After all, it was very much the same thing they said when Calipari came to Memphis. The UMass stuff may have happened on Calipari's watch, but it was not his doing.

They passionately defended and protected Calipari when he was there. He was just the best recruiter. Rumors and unverified accusations of malfeasance against Calipari were from jealous fans and coaches from other programs. Nothing more. Nothing proven.

Ultimately next to nothing will likely happen to Calipari from the NCAA. Rose is denying any wrong-doing, and much like O.J. Mayo with USC, has little incentive to cooperate with the NCAA investigation beyond proclaiming his innocence. Plenty of deniability for Calipari.

Memphis will take the hit, just as UMass did. Like Rhode Island and then Georgia later paid the price for grabbing Jim Harrick. They all took their chances and rationalized things since at the times of the hires, there was nothing actually incriminating sticking to Harrick. Just rumors and veiled accusations.

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Memphis Having a Little Deja UMass originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 28 May 2009 10:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Useless Talk of Taxing College Sports

Chas Rich — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:44:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, SEC, March Madness, Campus, Fans, Media Watch

A great advantage for big-time college athletics is that they are tax-exempt. From the NCAA to the athletic departments at Texas and Ohio State, they can reap the revenue and not pay taxes because they are part of educational systems.

With the country in a recession, the national deficits rising and tax revenue declining, the U.S. Government has to find other revenue streams. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in a report, suggested looking into the commercial activities of collegiate athletic departments.

Senator Chuck Grassely (R-Iowa), who initially called for the CBO to investigate, at the very least would like to get some more transparency from the athletic departments around the country.

"The fact that congressional analysts had to rely on information collected by a major newspaper for source data highlights how little information is available about how these programs work. Given all the tax benefits involved, tight state budgets, and rising tuition despite the recession, it's pretty clear that Congress needs to engage and policymakers need to know more in order to act as responsible stewards of the tax policy that drives this fundraising and commercial activity. This report shows colleges receive tax benefits that aren't available to private businesses that engage in the same commercial activities. Colleges should explain how they use their commercial revenue to get the biggest bang for the buck in fulfillment of their educational mission."

The CBO used a database compiled by the Indianapolis Star in its report.

This will ultimately come to nothing. Congress will not, in any way, change the tax exempt status of colleges and their athletic departments. There will be, at best, a public hearing where Senators and/or Representatives can sanctimoniously berate some college presidents and athletic directors.

The college presidents and athletic directors will feebly counter with claims of how the athletic departments and programs support non-revenue sports, give back to the universities, and how athletic activities further the character and development of students. Nothing will come out of it, though, after a few brief moments in the news cycle.

Why? Because there is no way fans and alumni -- specifically voters in each state -- would be willing to see anything hurt their own school's athletic programs.

Do you think a member of Congress from Alabama, Florida or Texas would support legislation that would remove the tax-exempt status of corporate sponsorships, royalties and other revenue streams for the football programs? What are the odds of support to tax that revenue from an Ohio or Michigan Congressman? Do you think an Indiana or Kentucky Congressman would do anything that could be perceived as hurting the basketball programs in their states?

Royalties from licensing, corporate sponsorship programs and the like are huge income producers for programs like the Crimson Tide, Gators, Seminoles, Longhorns, Buckeyes, Wolverines and many other programs.

Fans of major programs are savvy enough to know that the money advantages translates into being able to have higher budgets for paying coaches, facilities and recruiting. They are not going to support losing that advantage. The BCS conference schools are in 35 states. There is simply no way that there would be political support in Congress for minimal tax revenue gains.

Useless Talk of Taxing College Sports originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 21 May 2009 10:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sooners Could Miss Booted Juan Pattillo

Terrance Harris — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Big 12, Campus, Fans

Don't look now, but Sunday's sudden dismissal of 6-foot-6 rising senior forward Juan Pattillo has made the Oklahoma Sooners frontline for next season much younger and far more inexperienced.

The Sooners were already coming into the 2009-10 season with major questions marks in their frontcourt with the departure of All-American Blake Griffin and his brother Taylor Griffin to the NBA. But things became more uncertain with the removal of the athletic Pattillo from the equation.

Head coach Jeff Capel announced Sunday that Pattillo had been removed from the squad for violation of team rules. The speculation in Oklahoma is that the former junior college transfer was jettisoned because of academic issues. Capel declined to comment further.
Pattillo, who had some impressive moments sprinkled in with a lot of inconsistency last season, would have contended for one of the starting forward spots. OU will now have five scholarship players to contend for its frontline positions, including incoming freshmen Keith "Tiny" Gallon, Andrew Fitzgerald and Kyle Hardrick. Also figuring into the mix are seniors Ryan Wright and Orlando Allen, who have been role players the past couple seasons.

In Pattillo, the Sooners would have had an athletic big man who showed some ability at both ends of the floor last season as finisher and shot blocker. Few in Norman will forget his 15-point effort during the Sooners' loss to Kansas when Blake was out with a concussion or his 14-point, 10-rebound output in a win over Baylor.

Pattillo also certainly had his moments of inconsistency throughout the year, but he began the year expecting to redshirt after transferring in the College of Southern Idaho. He decided to come out of the redshirt in January.

Pattillo, who served a one-game suspension for the Sooners Feb. 28th game against Texas Tech, averaged 6.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 15 minutes per game last season.

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British actor Russell Brand watches from court side as the Los Angeles Lakers play the Houston Rockets during Game 7 of their NBA Western Conference semi-final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 17, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL ENTERTAINMENT)

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British actor Russell Brand watches from court side as the Los Angeles Lakers play the Houston Rockets during Game 7 of their NBA Western Conference semi-final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 17, 2009. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES SPORT ENTERTAINMENT BASKETBALL)

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Cab driver Mohammed Jiddou,sits in his cab on May 14, 2009 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jiddou,who got into an altercation with Mississippi basketball coach Andy Kennedy said he's frequently recognized these days by passengers and doesn't always feel safe driving the streets because of last December's incident. (AP Photo/The Enquirer, Michael E. Keating

Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, right, secures a rebound against Georgetown's Austin Freeman (15) during second half action at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 3, 2009. Pitt defeated Georgetown, 70-54. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

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Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair (45) puts up a shot over Georgetown center Greg Monroe (10) during first half action at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 3, 2009. Pitt defeated Georgetown, 70-54. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

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Pittsburgh's Gary McGhee (52) goes high to grab a rebound between Georgetown's Greg Monroe (10) and DaJuan Summers (3) during first half action at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 3, 2009. Pitt defeated Georgetown, 70-54. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

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Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair, right, puts a shot up over Georgetown defenders Greg Monroe (10) and DaJuan Summers (3) during first half action at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 3, 2009. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

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President Barack Obama receives a jersey from coach Roy Williams of the University of North Carolina men's basketball team at the White House on May 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

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President Barack Obama welcomes the University of North Carolina men's basketball team to the South Lawn of the White House on May 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

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President Barack Obama welcomes the University of North Carolina men's basketball team to the South Lawn of the White House on May 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

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Sooners Could Miss Booted Juan Pattillo originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 18 May 2009 17:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose 'Lou Carnesecca's Sweater'

Chas Rich — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:16:00 EST

Filed under: Big East, Campus, Media Watch

That is "Thunder" the presently retired, and generally forgotten mascot of the St. John's Red Storm from the 90s. After mercifully bucking the trend of a cartoonish or anthropomorphic mascots for most of the decade, St. John's plans to bring back a mascot (H/T to Deadspin).

Clearly, that was what has been behind the declining attendance and malaise that covers St. John's basketball. No mascot to wander in the stands, scare children and pose for photos. The St. John's athletic department will even let you vote for the mascot -- including an updated version of Thunder. The choices are after the jump.

Shockingly, none of these are jokes. Here's the description for the disturbing and muscular "Thunderbolt."

A traditional expression for lightning or a symbolic representation, a thunderbolt has been a powerful symbol throughout history, and has appeared numerous times in mythology. Drawing from this powerful association, the thunderbolt is often found in military symbolism and is often depicted as the weapon of any deity associated with the stormy sky.

And reminds me of a bad power company mascot from the 70s.

The "Storm Hero" is supposed to be exuding "strength, courage, confidence and tenacity." It really looks like a copyright lawsuit waiting to happen with Time Warner, the parent company of DC Comics, with The Flash.

The good news is that the voting does allow for write-in candidates. Considering Lou Carnesecca's presence hovers over the program at all times, they really just need to make him the official mascot.

Choose 'Lou Carnesecca's Sweater' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke Getting Desperate With Crazies

Will Brinson — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, ACC, Campus, Coaches, Fans

The slow and steady decline of innovation with Duke's infamous Cameron Crazies is all the rage right now. Of course, this isn't Earth-shattering news. We told you about it a few weeks ago with their weakcheer sheet performance during the Carolina game.

But things have hit an all-time low now, as head coach Mike Krzyzewksi has resorted to writing pep talk letters to the Duke students, urging them to be "louder" and "more passionate" tonight as the Devils take on Florida State.

Later tonight at 8 p.m. against Florida State, though, we need it even louder, even more passionate, even more Duke blue and even hungrier, as we pursue our 11th win of the ACC season. And just as importantly, it's a special night for your classmates-three seniors (David McClure, Greg Paulus and Marty Pocius) who have represented the program so well during their time at Duke. We need to honor them with our best game of the year in Cameron-our loudest and our most passionate.

I know we can do it-two hours of complete Cameron chaos should be our lasting memory of the 2008-2009 home season. I hope you'll join us and be a part of this special night. I can't wait to be in that moment with you!

Now, in fairness, it is senior night, so there's very good reason to try and work the Crazies into a bigger frenzy than normal. And it's also worth noting that the Duke fans were loud at the Carolina game.

But come on. This is the last home game of the season and these are the Cameron Crazies we're talking about; there's absolutely no reason anyone should have to tell them to get excited, right? Yet, well over 12 hours before tip-off, Coach K felt the need to urge the students with a letter in the student newspaper. I'm not saying the Crazies can't be helped, but anyone who thinks they're just as amusing, clever and enthusiastic as in years past should probably think again.

Duke Getting Desperate With Crazies originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Rankings: Providencial Putz

Will Brinson — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Campus, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics when the polls come out.

Headlining: Pittsburgh took over first in the country after beating Connecticut two weeks ago. All it had to do was beat Providence and the Panthers would get to sit pretty at No. 1 overall, possibly cruising to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Yet, they somehow lost. It's a testament to this year's college basketball season, not only in terms of parity and a lack of elite teams, but general confusion as well. Don't bother telling me you saw that coming.

What you might have seen coming was UConn returning to the top spot. Because North Carolina was still below the Huskies following the Heels' loss to Maryland Feb. 21, and because Jim Calhoun's crew took out Marquette and Notre Dame, this was pretty obvious.

Free-Fallin': Arizona State (21-7). Say what you want about Herb Sendek's team, but at least they're consistent -- in a very weird way. Just a few weeks after their ascent up the polls was halted at No. 14 by back-to-back home losses to Washington State and Washington, the Sun Devils apparently felt like last week's ranking of No. 11 was just high enough. So naturally, they coughed up back-to-back overtime losses to -- you guessed it -- Washington State and Washington. Washington is the class of the Pac-10 now, but no one from this conference is cutting down nets in April anyway.

You Gotta Rise Up: Kansas (24-5). Bill Self is apparently "falling in love with this team." While that's awkward on any number of levels, it's kind of hard to blame him. The Jayhawks are streaking right now, having lost just twice in the 2009 calendar year, and those against two teams currently in the top 15. You may recall me mentioning this last week. It's worth repeating because the Jayhawks were labeled as "bunked" (i.e. underrated) before taking out the Blake Griffin-less Oklahoma Sooners and then throttling Missouri 90-65 at Allen Fieldhouse. They're good and it's not totally implausible that the defending champs win the the Big 12 tournament and bag a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Hyped: Wake Forest (22-5). The Demon Deacons have lost just five games, but they're highly inconsistent. And more than that, do they get up for lesser opponents? I know that seems like a silly, anti-statistical notion, but Wake has lost games to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami and N.C. State. If Wake ends up landing a two or three seed against an uppity 14th or 15th seed (although no one outside of Morgan State in Lundardi's sets are really terrifying right now) is it that inconceivable that the Deacons don't show up? At this point, I don't think so.

Bunked: Missouri (24-5). This might seem counter-intuitive, but I'm willing to chalk up Missouri's blowout loss to Kansas as a tremendous showing by the Jayhawks in a rivalry game tinted with revenge. Mizzou shot 20.5 percent from the floor in the first half and only scored 19 points. I think you will see a much, much different team Wednesday night against Oklahoma, and, despite the return of the Sooners' Blake Griffin, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict an upset. If that comes off, I look very smart for slotting them here. If not, just forget this column ever existed.

WTF? Did you know that Bob Huggins was capable of shedding tears? Because I did not. Huggy Bear just seems like the kind of guy who, while certainly compassionate, would end up rubbing his eyes and asking what this salty discharge was as he watched Cincy honor him. But maybe I'm just too cynical. I always assumed that anyone who would rock out this suit (caption possibly NSFW) wouldn't know what crying was.

People Who Vote Are Smart (Brought to You by Pollspeak.com): This choice was easy this week, as Ron Morris of The State in South Carolina apparently mailed in his vote from inside Shady Acres. For starters (in numerical order), he has Wake Forest, Marquette and Villanova ranked seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively. That would be fine, if Memphis wasn't 10th. But let's not dwell there too long. Duke is at 11. But wait, it gets worse! Florida State clocks in at 15th overall. Aside from sweeping Clemson, I'm struggling to find a quality win for the Seminoles. And, no, Florida doesn't count. Of course, sticking the 'Noles there wouldn't be an issue if Washington and Kansas didn't occupy the 21st and 22nd spots sandwiched between UCLA and Arizona State. Dios mio.

Ranking the Rankings: Providencial Putz originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Digger Phelps Bumps, Grinds and Jives

Will Brinson — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: California, UCLA, Pac-10, Campus, Fans, Media Watch, Video

Digger Phelps is one of ESPN's most colorful characters. I mean that literally, too. The guy matches his highlighters to his ties. Which, all ridiculousness aside, seems like it would be really difficult to manage in terms of a long-term dress code. Well, Digger only added to his colorful notoriety Saturday night, when he got down with some Cal cheerleaders during a timeout. On the bright side, at least he wasn't talking about Notre Dame. Via Bruins Nation.

Digger Phelps Bumps, Grinds and Jives originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terp Fans Prank Duke Hotel Rooms

Will Brinson — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, Maryland, ACC, Campus, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch

Maryland-Duke is not a rivalry to be taken lightly, even if Duke did wallop the Terps by 41 in Cameron earlier this season. Now that Maryland is firmly on the bubble (and climbing), though, the stakes are raised again. Which may explain why Maryland fans are going all out in their pre-game prep for Wednesday night's matchup.

"All out" here doesn't just mean "making funny chant sheets," either; the Terps have not only created Facebook groups dedicated to "Operation: Scheyerface 2.0" (via Joe Ovies) but they also spent the week prank-calling Duke's hotel room.

Yes, that's right -- someone figured out where the Blue Devils were staying, and for whatever reason, the hotel's operator freely connected Maryland fans to the rooms of Duke players and coaches. To wit, a poster on the message board Terpcenter claims to have had the following conversation with Greg Paulus:

"Hello, this is ****** with the Washington Times, sorry to bother you at this hour Mr. Paulus, but we are running a small piece tomorrow and I was hoping to take 2 minutes and ask you a question?"

Him: "Uhhh, sure"

"If you had to choose between Deron Washington, Danny Green, and Dwayne Collins, who's[sic] n*ts would you say tasted the best?"

Him: ...click.

While crude, that's also kind of amusing. Of course, so is this goal to get as many photos of Jon Scheyer's face up as possible.

This time, we need everyone to print out one black and white scheyerface (or more since I'm sure people will miss this) from the end of this description and taunt him. It doesn't matter which one, just pick one. If you are on the wall, I'm pretty sure shooting 2nd half free throws into a wall of Scheyerfaces would work to perfection. I can get quite a few, but not enough for every student and we can always go bigger. Larger signs and such are encouraged as well as the normal d00k signage. Feel free to use the wall for ideas, suggestions, etc.

Invite whoever, there needs to be some serious teamwork for this to work as well as possible.

See? That's creative. Please take note, Cameron Crazies. And next year, when Maryland comes back to Cameron, throw some anti-perspirant at Gary Williams. Or something more humorous than that. Point being, Maryland hates Duke and their fans are willing to go to almost any lengths to make grown men cry.

Terp Fans Prank Duke Hotel Rooms originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seton Hall Too Cheap to Be in Big East

Chas Rich — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:10:00 EST

Filed under: Seton Hall, Big East, Campus

Yes, times are tough. Everyone is looking to cut costs anywhere. Even athletic departments are not immune. That said, there are efficient cost reductions and there's being just plain cheap. Seton Hall has long been considered on the cheap side with their athletic department. They have skimped on academic support. They play their games off-campus. The college has been known to tap the athletic department budget to make up other budget shortfalls.

This move, however, takes the (undoubtedly moderately-priced and purchased from the supermarket) cake.

The university has decided not to send the pep band and cheerleaders to the Big East Tournament to save money. Apparently the cost of chartering a bus or maybe two to take that group of students barely nineteen miles to and from Madison Square Garden, was just too much money to spend.

According to Jerry Carino, a New Jersey sports writer and journalism professor, the school decided to do this after finding out that Cincinnati and maybe DePaul were not going to send their pep bands to the Big East Tournament, because of the cost of the flight and hotel for the band. All other programs in the Big East are sending their cheer squads and pep bands.

Apparently, Seton Hall felt that Cincinnati's absence provided sufficient cover not to send its own pep band and cheerleaders, despite only having to provide bus service. In the Seton Hall administration's collective mind, there was little difference between paying for airline tickets and hotel accommodations in New York City, as Cincinnati would have to do, and a local bus charter.

Yes, Seton Hall is a small school, and the present economic climate is difficult. If, however, they find that they can't afford to have their band and cheerleaders go to the conference tournament within easy driving distance, then it might be time for Seton Hall to reconsider if it should be playing Division I basketball in a major conference. Clearly the costs must outweigh the money they are making.

Seton Hall Too Cheap to Be in Big East originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas A&M Upends Texas

Will Brinson — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Texas A&M, Texas, Big 12, Campus, Coaches

Rick Barnes' Texas team came into a Rivalry Week matchup against Texas A&M needing a big win to make sure they didn't find themselves on the oh-so-slippery NCAA Tournament bubble.

Instead, they got straight up punched in the mouth by their disregarded in-state rivals, as the Aggies used a balanced attack -- five different scorers hit double-figures -- to down the Longhorns, 81-66, Monday night.

Texas A&M's leading scorer this season, Josh Carter, got 11 points but shot poorly from the floor (3-of-14) and beyond the arc (3-of-9). Fortunately for the Aggies, the front court had his back, as Chinemelu Elonu and Bryan Davis each scored 15 poins while combining for 15 boards.

Despite being outrebounded by the Longhorns, 32-25, the Aggies were more efficient from the floor and the free throw line, hitting at an impressive 85.7% from the stripe as a team.

This was a game, too, that wasn't really ever close; the Aggies started to pull away near the end of the first half, taking a seven-point lead into the locker room. A few brief runs to open up the half let the Aggies really pull away, leading by as many as 19 points with about 13 minutes to go in the game.

The Longhorns were able to cut the lead down to four with seven minutes to go, but the Aggies pulled away again on the strength of their free-throw shooting. And Texas found itself bouncing quickly onto the bubble.

It seems crazy to think that the Longhorns won't make the tournament (Digger Phelps called them an "Elite Eight Team" at halftime!) but a win over the Aggies would have put them in the pole position for fourth in the Big 12. And if you look at their schedule, which features Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas Tech down the stretch, and you're Rick Barnes, there is most certainly a sudden cause for concern.

Texas A&M Upends Texas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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