NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Kentucky Leads SEC's Return From Woe

David Steele — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: SEC

When John Calipari told an interviewer at the SEC's basketball media day last month, "These fans -- I'm saying this lovingly -- are nuts,'' he was being very narrow-minded. In the SEC, this season and the last few, why single out the fans?

The idea has been thrown around that the arrival of Calipari (and his history) at Kentucky (and its history) is going to suck all the attention toward them and away from the rest of the conference. Truth be told, this might not be a bad thing. The SEC might not lead Division I conferences in dysfunction, but it's near the top. Only three seasons ago, it was celebrating one of its programs, Florida, completing the rare feat of repeating as national champion. But literally from the moment the Gators made that official by winning the 2007 title in Atlanta -- remember, coach Billy Donovan spent much of the postgame interviews fending off speculation that he was going to take over at, yes, Kentucky -- the SEC has been the home of constant chaos.

Half of the league's 12 schools have changed coaches since then, three this season; two newcomers, at Alabama and Georgia, follow coaches who departed in midseason, making Kentucky, which fired Billy Gillispie and hired Calipari, an isle of calm by comparison.

More Previews: ACC Big 10 | Big East | Big 12 | Pac-10

Two of the SEC's highest-profile recruits -- John Wall at Kentucky (again?) and Renardo Sidney at Mississippi State -- have been entangled in eligibility disputes. Arkansas is suddenly dealing with sexual-assault allegations involving its players that it thought had been resolved earlier this summer. Bruce Pearl at Tennessee blurted out a comment that invoked the Ku Klux Klan and had to apologize.

As for Donovan and Florida, both appear to still be victims of the "Curse of the Magic'': the Gators have not made the NCAA tournament since Donovan, in the summer of 2007, apologetically bailed on an NBA head-coaching job in Orlando after five days. Chances are slim that the curse will lift this season; in fact, his team likely won't even match the record of Alabama, led by new head coach and former Donovan assistant Anthony Grant, whose chance to coach at Florida was torpedoed by Donovan's flip-flop.

Of course, the bottom line on the recent madness was that the SEC was shut out, relatively speaking, from the field of 65: three got in, including Mississippi State, whose conference tournament win knocked at least one of its brethren off the bubble. (Jeff Lebo at Auburn made it clear that he's still not crazy about his 22-win team, with 10 conference victories, being left out.) None of the three survived the first weekend.

No wonder there is such a hunger for change and yearning for fresh starts. And there is very little griping about the diminished reputation of the SEC -- there is a lot more reason to see a bounce-back, despite the turmoil still enveloping some programs. Ole Miss's Andy Kennedy predicted that the SEC would have "three, four, five top-25 teams every week.''

"I think that this year, we can go back to teams in the conference competing for the No. 1 national seed,'' said Arkansas coach John Pelphrey, whose own team, which free-fell into the West basement last season, will be one of the more improved teams in the league.

The team most likely to re-emerge on the national radar is, no surprise, Kentucky. Calipari's baggage aside, there simply is too much talent returning (Patrick Patterson is the consensus best player in the league, and had fans breathing a sigh of relief when he decided not to go pro), too much coming in (Wall leads a group that stampeded to Lexington after Calipari was hired) and a coach that's already affecting a culture shift.

"Everything is different -- practices, coaching style, day in and day out,'' Patterson said. "There is a lot more enthusiasm, anticipation and competitiveness this year. It is a drastic change.''

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the Gillispie regime, but everybody concerned is working overtime to distance themselves from the past. The same is going on at Georgia with Mark Fox on board and with Grant at Alabama, also working with a deluge of new players. The rest of the expected powers -- primarily Tennessee, Mississippi State and South Carolina -- have much more returning talent. Pearl was talking about his own team and the competition when he said: "The league is going to beat up on each other, and I think the team that handles adversity and handles success the best is the team that is going to win the championship.''

The reason for all the buoyant outlooks is directly related to the recent nosedive: there was a talent void in the seasons since the Florida two-peat that took a while to be replenished. This year, the league not only has a wave of talented freshmen, eight of the 16 players picked for the two preseason all-SEC teams are seniors and four others are juniors; several, such as Patterson, Devan Downey and Dominique Archie of South Carolina, Tyler Smith of Tennessee and Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State, bypassed the NBA draft to come back.

And for what it's worth, Wall will miss only one regular-season game. Sidney's status, though, remains up in the air.

The depth of the conference itself is in dispute -- Georgia and Florida could be particularly gruesome -- but it would be a major upset if the best of the SEC cannot go head-to-head with the elite of the other conferences this year. The seismic shakeups all over the league will, ironically, end up returning it to normal.

Predictions

East
1. Kentucky
2. Tennessee
3. South Carolina
4. Vanderbilt
5. Florida
6. Georgia

West
1. Mississippi State
2. Mississippi
3. LSU
4. Arkansas
5. Alabama
6. Auburn

All-SEC

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; Tasmin Mitchell, LSU; Devan Downey, South Carolina; John Wall, Kentucky. Player of the Year: Patterson.

Top 5 TV Games: Arkansas vs. Louisville at St. Louis, Nov. 17; North Carolina at Kentucky, Dec. 5; Kentucky vs. Connecticut at New York, Dec. 9; Louisville at Kentucky, Jan. 2; Kentucky at Tennessee, Feb. 11.

Most Likely to Surprise: Arkansas. As long as the Hogs avoid any more trouble with the law. They're deeper, more experienced, just better than they were last year (they can't be worse).

Most Likely to Disappoint: Tennessee. Only because during Pearl's tenure, the Vols have underachieved more often than they should have. They're loaded this year.

Most Important to His Team: Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State. There simply isn't anyone who can do what the 6-9 shot-blocking machine does, or change a game the way he does. If the Sidney drama is ongoing all season, his return will mean success or failure for the Bulldogs.

Best Shooter: Tay Waller, Auburn. Beats out a wide field of mid-sized players who like to hoist it up.

Top Rebounder: Patterson. All that talent around him will probably enhance his numbers and impact. A 20-10 player waiting to happen.

Mot Underrated: Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas. If his team fulfills the biggest-surprise prediction, this sophomore guard will be a big reason.

Biggest Shoes to Fill: Kenny Boynton, Florida. Entrusted with replacing Nick Calathes, the Gators' only real marquee player, and with matching the hype of his own arrival.

Best Newcomer: Wall. Or haven't you seen the YouTube dunk on Jerry Stackhouse from last summer?

Hottest Coaching Seat: Kentucky. Too easy.

Kentucky Leads SEC's Return From Woe originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harper Filling Yow's Big Shoes

Michelle Smith — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: NC State, Oregon, Tennessee, ACC, Pac-10, SEC, Women's Basketball

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.

Harper is making one of the toughest transitions in college basketball this season. She is taking over the Wolfpack program, moving it in a new direction after the passing of Yow last January following a lengthy battle with breast cancer.

Yow fought bravely and publicly, her players and coaching staff rode the ups and downs of her treatment with her until her death. Stephanie Glance, Yow's assistant of 15 years took over the program until the end of the season and was the favorite of many who supported the program to take the job permanently.

But the administration was looking for a fresh start and Harper, who was a star guard at Tennessee under Pat Summitt and coached Western Carolina to two NCAA appearances in five seasons, was offered the job.

Harper said saying yes was not automatic.

"I made sure I did my homework," Harper said. "I had to talk to different people, to make sure I understood the landscape. Being a young coach, I did not want to jeopardize my future by putting myself in a bad situation. But after visiting the campus and talking to people and the players, I knew it was going to be a good situation."

Among those she talked to was her former coach, Summitt.

"It was important to me for her to have that confidence in me," Harper said. "Having her tell me that she thought it was a great fit for me and a great fit for N.C. State, that pushed it over the top for me."

Harper accepted the job and said she knew she had done the right thing when the North Carolina State coaches did their annual caravan around the state.

"I was 100 percent sure," Harper said.

Now comes the hard part, moving the program to a new place. Harper said her focus has been on the players.

"I can't imagine what those kids went through the last couple of years," Harper said. "Not only dealing with the loss of their head coach, but still trying to be student-athletes, with the uncertainty of the future of the program. There were so many things weighing on them."

The Wolfpack returns four starters and three seniors to the team that struggled to a 13-17 mark last season. Her starting lineup in Monday's exhibition game included junior Amber White, who missed last season with an Achilles tendon injury and sophomore Bonae Holston, who led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Harper, for her part, has worked hard to be visible and accessible, let the community in Raleigh get to know her better.

"I want to meet the fans, I want to get myself out in front of them," Harper said. "I want our program to be supported. I want them to step out and play in front of big crowds. I feel like they deserve that."

EXHIBITION FUN: The games that mean nothing have begun. Division I teams around the land playing an exhibition game or two before the real action begins next week.

That doesn't mean some of the scores aren't interesting.

For example, Tennessee defeated Cardinal Newman 124-34 a couple of days after Pat Summitt said her team has been overrated in the national polls. A 90-point win might not be a portend for the Final Four, but it certainly suggests that the Lady Vols have plenty of offensive game. Six players scored in double figures.

At one point in the first half, junior Angie Bjorklund had more points individually than Cardinal Newman had collectively as a team.

On the opposite coast, Oregon tried out its new fast-break offense under coach Paul Westhead and defeated Southern Oregon 109-47. Oregon got to triple digits without senior guard Taylor Lilley, who missed the game with an ankle injury.

Oregon hadn't hit double-digits on the scoreboard in any game -- exhibition or otherwise -- since 2005 and not at home since 1998.

Harper Filling Yow's Big Shoes originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Never a Dull Moment for SEC Coaches

Chas Rich — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC, Coaches

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. .
As Calipari made no secret of his feelings at SEC basketball media day.

"He was trying to take over the state, and I wasn't going to let him," said Calipari. "I conceded the rest of the state other than Memphis.

"I'm not recruiting Knoxville, you're recruiting Memphis; that's why I didn't want to play him in a home-and-home (series)," Calipari said, his audience swelling as he spoke. "What good does it do for me to go to Knoxville, other than to play in front of 22,000 people in orange ... I can't stand the color."

Which should make his trip to Knoxville as well as Florida, for that matter, a little more spicy.

Pearl, who always seems to enjoy any and all attention played the good sport.

"Why would he like orange? I think that's great," Pearl said. "I said when I took this job I wanted Kentucky to be my rival. If we're not competitive, it's not a rivalry."

Then there is Kevin Stallings at Vanderbilt to declare his lack of interest in public shots by coaches -- after he fired one.

"I don't agree with all the things Bruce does, or John will do ..." Stallings said. "I don't want to be out there publicly feuding with other coaches.

"If John and Bruce want to square off and have a 12-rounder, I'm sure people will pay attention to it. A little bit of that is probably good for the league."

Safe to say that SEC basketball is going to be a lot more entertaining this year. On and off the court.

Never a Dull Moment for SEC Coaches originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 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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A Look At the Top 5 Schedules in Women's College Basketball

Michelle Smith — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:53:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut, Oklahoma, Stanford, Tennessee, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, SEC, Women's Basketball

Part of the beauty of college basketball is that it isn't like college football. The top teams don't have to be afraid of playing a tough opponent; worried that risking a single loss would derail a season's worth of effort.

Instead, the best teams in college basketball want to cut their teeth on one another, learn from their shortcomings, shore up before spring, or build a resume for the NCAA committee by collecting wins against stiff competition.

The following is a list of the top five schedules in women's college basketball this season. These teams are going to do it the hard way. And you gotta admire that.

1) Tennessee. The Lady Vols never duck anyone (well, except maybe for that one team up north). The fact that they are coming off an unprecedented first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament doesn't change the degree of difficultly for Pat Summitt's program.

Tennessee routinely plays the most challenging schedule in the country and this year is no exception. The Lady Vols' non-conference schedule includes games against eight teams ranked in the first poll of the season, which was released Friday.

The Lady Vols' slate includes home games against Baylor, UCLA, George Washington, Texas, Louisville, Old Dominion and Oklahoma. The road schedule includes Virginia, Middle Tennessee and Stanford and a pair of big neutral-court games against Texas Tech and Rutgers.

At No. 8, Tennessee starts with its lowest ranking since 1985.

2.) Stanford. The second-ranked Cardinal have put together the best schedule in program history, one that includes games against five ranked teams and three conference champions. With many of the top teams in the Pac-10 rebuilding or reloading this year, Stanford will have to find out where it stands by going outside of the conference and, specifically, across the country.

Stanford will make two trips to the East Coast -- a season-opening journey to Old Dominion and Rutgers, followed by a Dec. 23 date against top-ranked Connecticut that will rank as one of the marquee regular-season matchups of the year.

Stanford's six-game home non-conference schedule includes Utah, Gonzaga, DePaul, Duke and Tennessee.

"We're playing such good competition that I don't know what will happen," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "There's a sense of urgency now, that if you don't have that schedule, I don't know that we could feel."

3.) Oklahoma. The 13th-ranked Sooners, who have been ranked in the AP Poll since the opening poll of the 2005-06 season, could play as many as nine of the teams ranked in the current preseason poll, and will face 10 others who received votes in the first poll.

Oklahoma's schedule includes tough road games against Georgia (Nov. 15), Tennessee (Jan. 3), and a matchup with Notre Dame in the Virgin Islands Tournament. The Sooners also face up-and-comer San Diego State, South Carolina, mid-major star Marist, and have home games against Baylor, Texas, Kansas and Connecticut.

4.) Rutgers. With the departures of Epiphanny Price and Kia Vaughn, the 25th-ranked Scarlet Knights are rebuilding, and just like last year, they will find out where they stand pretty quickly.

Rutgers' schedule includes eight ranked teams, four of them in the non-conference and four in the brutal Big East. The non-conference schedule includes home games against No. 2 Stanford, Boston College and Florida with a New York City date against Tennessee on Dec. 13.

Rutgers will go on the road to play Georgia and George Washington and will meet both Mississippi State and Texas in the Virgin Islands tournament on Thanksgiving weekend.

5.) Connecticut. The top-ranked Huskies don't always load up with non-conference opponents, but tough competition in the Big East always ups the RPI.

UConn's non-conference slate includes a neutral-court game against Texas in San Antonio, home games against Stanford and North Carolina -- the latter in the middle of the Big East schedule -- and road games against Florida State (Dec. 28) and Duke (Jan. 18).

If Connecticut blows through this schedule, a second straight national title could seem like a foregone conclusion come March.

A Look At the Top 5 Schedules in Women's College Basketball originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky Will Have to Wait Two More Weeks for John Wall

Chas Rich — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC

Oh, the uber-talented guard is practicing and with the Wildcats and impressing all who see John Wall play. It's just that the NCAA has suspended him for the first two games. Well, an exhibition and the season opener. So it is more like 1.5 games. Wall will miss the exhibition game against NAIA Campbellsville on Monday, November 2. He will also miss the season opener with Morehead State. That means his debut will be on November 16 against Miami (Ohio).

Wall's eligibility was called into question because his AAU coach/adviser/future entourage and hanger-on Brian Clifton had also been failing to be an NBA agent while Wall was being recruited as a high school junior. Clifton had helped pay for some of Wall's travel expenses for unofficial visits to schools. Wall also has to repay Clifton almost $800.

Somehow, Kentucky should be able to find a way to get past those first two opponents without Wall.

Kentucky Will Have to Wait Two More Weeks for John Wall originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gillispie Goes Halfsies With Kentucky

Chas Rich — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:07:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, Coaches

No one really expected ex-Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie's lawsuit against Kentucky for breach of contract to ever make it to trial. Neither side really wanted everything in the open court, and dragging into the actual college basketball season.

So it was not a real surprise that the parties agreed to mediation and a settlement was reached for roughly half of the $6 million dollars in dispute. Gillispie gets $2.98 million and his attorney and mediation costs paid by Kentucky. Or roughly one-tenth of the amount Kentucky is paying John Calipari over the next eight years.

Gillispie gets to put one more aspect of his time in Kentucky behind him. Arguably that was the easiest item. He still has to sell his house in a bad real estate market and settle that DUI charge.

Gillispie Goes Halfsies With Kentucky originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do Not Expect to See Renardo Sidney Suit Up for Mississippi State

Chas Rich — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, SEC, Media Watch

Sure, Renardo Sidney was academically certified to attend Mississippi State. That's meaningless if the NCAA will not certify his amateur status to play basketball for the single season before he goes pro. At the moment he is not cleared and the NCAA does not even have to make an actual decision as to his eligibility since Sidney and his family will not turn over requested financial records.

The NCAA wants tax and bank records from the Sidney family to help explain how the family could move from Mississippi to Los Angeles and afford to rent multi-million dollar homes to reside. Especially considering that Sonny Vaccaro has stated that he gave the Sidney's $25,000 to make the move and Renardo Sidney's father became a consultant to a sneaker company for no real reason other than because he is Renardo Sidney's father.

The Sidney family's lawyer is screaming that he will fight and take this to court.

[Donald] Jackson's reaction: "The bottom line is, they are not going to get income tax returns or bank statements, and if this ultimately means that this case has to wind up in court, it will just have to wind up in court. Because their position is that they have the right, in effect, they don't have to establish the existence of violation, that the Sidney family has to establish the existence of non-violations, and that is not how every other case in their initial eligibility process originates."

Now if this had been even a year earlier, the NCAA probably would have backed down or never gotten to this point. The NCAA probably would not want to deal with the lawsuit.

The difference is that the NCAA whiffed horribly and publicly in the cases of O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose. Both players were cleared by the NCAA to play at USC and Memphis respectively. Despite the warning signs, there was no smoking gun and the NCAA chose not look closely. After the players did their single season, much came out to show that they were not eligible. While it reflected worse on the schools for which they played and their lack of investigation, the NCAA also rubber-stamped their certification to play.

Sidney has already had plenty of red flags that have the attention of the NCAA and made it impossible to ignore. The NCAA has to see this through.

The lawsuit, if it actually happens, would start by seeking an injunction to let Sidney play. It would be likely that Mississippi State still would not play Sidney in the games. It would put those games at risk if the court eventually ruled in the NCAA's favor and made Sidney ineligible.

The Bulldogs will be a good team even without Sidney. They should make the NCAA Tournament and contend in the SEC. There is no way they would risk the season being voided by playing Sidney.

Do Not Expect to See Renardo Sidney Suit Up for Mississippi State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Billy Gillispie in Rehab, Source Confirms

Terrance Harris — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, FanHouse Exclusive

Former Kentucky and Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie has checked himself into the John Lucas After Care Program in Houston to help fight his alcohol addiction, a source close to the former head coach confirmed to FanHouse on Wednesday.

Gillispie, who was dismissed as the Wildcats coach after last season, was arrested on his third known DUI charge last month in Kentucky

"He didn't have a whole lot of choices," the source told FanHouse. "Either [go to] Lucas or go to Betty Ford or somewhere. This is the best PR move Billy Clyde can make."

Indeed Gillispie needs all the help can get. While still embroiled in a suit with the Kentucky for the remaining pay of his unsigned contract, Gillispie would have been in line for some high-profile openings based on his accomplishments both at UT-El Paso and A&M.

But his latest DUI charge might scare away some quality programs that were prepared to line up for his services after next season. Gillispie was also arrested on DUI charges in 1999 while an assistant coach at Tulsa and then in 2003 during his first season as head coach at UTEP. Those two arrests ended in virtual wrist slaps.

Checking into Lucas' rehabilitation center, however, could go a long way in rebuilding the trust of some athletic directors and college presidents. Lucas, a former addict himself, has helped several former and current NBA players fight addiction.

Billy Gillispie in Rehab, Source Confirms originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arkansas Players Not Charged With Rape

Chas Rich — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arkansas, SEC, Police Blotter

You know it has not been the best couple years for a program when the best news these days is that three unnamed Arkansas players will not face charges after being accused of rape. The players were never named, but speculation was rampant as you would expect.

A woman filed charges with the University of Arkansas Police Department, in which she alleged that she was raped at a fraternity party on August 27. The subsequent investigation found inconsistent evidence from witness and the alleged victim herself. Couple that with alcohol being involved, and it was not terribly surprising that the prosecutor declined to pursue the case.

Arkansas has not been the smoothest program since the firing of Stan Heath. There was the failed attempt to hire Billy Gillispie. Repeated rejections from other candidates. The acceptance of the job by Dana Altman, only to have him flee back to Creighton less than 24 hours later, before finally hiring John Pelphrey from South Alabama.

Since then, Pelphrey has had to suspend and dismiss several players. One former player, Patrick Beverley dismissed after the 2008 season, made allegations this spring that others did his school work. Another player, Jason Henry was suspended just before the SEC Tournament and subsequently left the team. This summer the Razorback program also received notice from the NCAA of poor performance on their Academic Progress Report (APR), which only partially relates to the recent turnover of players from the program.

Arkansas Players Not Charged With Rape originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Billy Gillispie Reportedly Enters Rehab

Chas Rich — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, Coaches, Media Watch

The rumors have long swirled among message boards and others that former Kentucky and Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie enjoyed the alcoholic beverages a little too much. Following his third arrest in his head coaching career for drunk driving (still no convictions, though) Gillispie seems to have reached a point that he has to admit that he has a problem.

Gillispie has checked himself in to the John Lucas After Care Program in Houston, according to WKYL TV. Lucas was a former NBA coach and player that famously battled addictions for years and eventually began running one of the most popular rehab programs for athletes and coaches.

Gillispie probably had little choice at this point. Even if Gillispie does not truly believe he has a problem, he probably needs to do this from a legal and professional perspective. Gillispie is more likely to be able to work something out over his latest arrest if he can show that he is dealing with his problem.

Yet this is even more important for his coaching career. Between the way things ended in Kentucky, the lawsuit regarding his contract (or lack thereof), and the multiple arrests for drunk driving, his coaching career was abruptly circling the drain. He needs to show prospective employers -- whether it is the athletic director of a school or a head coach that will hire him as an assistant -- that he is serious about addressing his issues with alcohol. A school would be hard-pressed to take a chance on Gillispie if he was unrepentant and unwilling to admit a problem. It's much easier to publicly support a figure that appears to be dealing with his problem.

Billy Gillispie Reportedly Enters Rehab originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Billy Gillispie Drives Career Off Road With DUI Arrest

Chas Rich — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, Coaches, Police Blotter

For Billy Gillispie, the road out of Kentucky isn't getting any easier. Gillispie, who was fired in April after two seasons as Wildcats coach, was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

According to a report by a Lexington television station, Lawrenceburg, Ky., police pulled Gillispie over at 2:45 AM Thursday morning. The 50-year-old coach, who said he was returning from a golf outing, refused to take a breathalyzer or blood test.

This is the third time that Gillispie has been charged with a DUI. He was charged with it in 1999 in Oklahoma, and pleaded down to a lesser charge. In 2003 he was arrested in El Paso, Texas on suspicion of of drunk driving, but the charges were later dropped.

For Gillispie, the formula should've been simple.

Lay low for a year, rehabilitate his image in the media and smooth over the rough edges of his departure from Kentucky. Try to get things quietly settled over the whole contract/no-contract/buyout stuff. Then wait for the offers to come next spring.

But this is not the way for another coach living in Kentucky to try and grab headlines from Rick Pitino and John Calipari.

Gillispie may beat the charge or he may plead guilty to some lesser offense. That is irrelevant to his coaching future. Combine this with his prickly personality and poor relationship with the media while at Kentucky and you have a coach that has done some serious damage to his future.

He can forget about a major conference team being willing to take a chance on him for a while. He will be lucky to get interest from a mid-tier mid-major for the foreseeable future. His coaching acumen and recruiting skills have never been doubted. Everything else, though, is a wreck.

Billy Gillispie Drives Career Off Road With DUI Arrest originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Tells Memphis 2008 Was Just Like 1985: It Never Happened

Chas Rich — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:51:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Coaches, Media Watch

For the second time in his career, John Calipari may again be the best coach never to have been to a Final Four, at least according to the NCAA.

According to sources that leaked it to most major sports media and the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Memphis Tigers will be forced to vacate their 2008 Final Four appearance and the 38 wins they had in the 2007-08 season. That, at least will be the decision of the NCAA Rules and Infractions Committee.

This, of course, will be the second Final Four appearance by a Calipari coached team to be vacated due to player eligibility issues -- something that is singularly unique to Calipari, and not accomplished by any other coach. Not in a way, though, that will enhance his resume. The odds are that the basketball Hall of Fame will not be calling on him soon.

The 1996 UMass squad had their appearance also vacated because of the eligibility of Marcus Camby. His eligibility had been compromised for accepting cash and gifts from a street agent. Like the UMass affair, John Calipari was not found to be at fault, and had already left for a bigger contract.

This is also the second time Memphis has had a Final Four appearance vacated. Its 1985 appearance in the Final Four under Dana Kirk was also vacated due to numerous NCAA violations.

The only good news for Memphis is that there do not appear to be any penalties going forward on the program. Memphis and new coach Josh Pastner can attempt to rebuild from the rubble of a Calipari departure and NCAA investigation without a postseason ban or loss of scholarships.

John Calipari, of course, is ensconced safely in Kentucky with a top-10 preseason team and a huge new contract. Derrick Rose is happily playing in the NBA with his hometown Chicago Bulls.

NCAA Tells Memphis 2008 Was Just Like 1985: It Never Happened originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:51:00 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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Kentucky's John Wall the Latest to Dunk on an NBA Player

Chas Rich — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, Video

NBA players participating in summer leagues and shoe camps need to remember just one thing: If you are going to try and provide some help defense, either be there timely or just do not try if you don't want to end up YouTubed. If you did not learn that from the Jordan Crawford dunk on LeBron James, then you have it coming. Right, Mr. Stackhouse?

Soon to be the latest uber-freshman for a John Calipari team, John Wall blew past some poor schlub trying to defend him on the perimeter. Jerry Stackhouse slid over to try and stop the easy basket, but was late and got the posterization.

Kentucky's John Wall the Latest to Dunk on an NBA Player originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Floyd Says Southern Cal Ignored Sidney's Recruiting Red Flags

Chas Rich — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:53:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, USC, Pac-10, SEC, Coaches, Recruiting

Former USC Coach Tim Floyd will not do interviews with the national media or the Los Angeles press, but he likes to talk to his hometown paper in Mississippi quite a bit. It was the Clarion-Ledger that broke the news of his resignation before USC even knew.

With the former Southern Cal verbal now a Mississippi State commit, Renardo Sidney, there's more than a little bit of interest in what he has to say on what happened to Sidney and his USC commitment. Especially with the NCAA still trying to get more information from the Sidney family regarding their finances, before clearing him to play. Floyd offered some thoughts on Sidney and USC.
To summarize, Floyd says Sidney is a good kid and he knows nothing about any problems, that USC broke off the commitment from Sidney in response to a coming LA Times story not from anything they learned about Sidney, and that USC never did any actual investigations into Renardo Sidney despite the fact that crosstown rival UCLA had stopped recruiting him weeks prior to his verbal to USC.

"Our school was reacting to an article that was going to be written in the L.A. Times," Floyd said. "Given the fact that the institution was involved in an institutional control investigation, they viewed it as preventive management. They could not put their finger on anything."

And neither could Floyd, he swears.

"I was probably as close to the situation as anybody in the country," Floyd said, "and if I thought the kid was receiving money from somebody or had asked for money, I would have not been a participant. But that wasn't the case."

Floyd, of course, was accused of giving money on demand to a member of O.J. Mayo's entourage.

The big part of this story is not that Southern Cal panicked in response to a forthcoming story about Sidney's family and the questions surrounding their finances and the closeness of a shoe rep from Reebok to the family, and Sonny Vaccaro paying for their move from Mississippi to Los Angeles. It's that USC according to Floyd, never actually concerned itself to look into these things when they were recruiting him and received a verbal commitment from him.

USC has ongoing investigations into the O.J. Mayo matter on the basketball side and Reggie Bush on the football side. In both cases, the big issue for USC was how much did they know or want to know about the money flowing to the player and his family. Whether the school was purposefully and willfully ignoring any signs of something strange. Creating a situation with the potentially dreaded "lack of institutional control" over athletic programs and the student-athletes.

USC has maintained a defense of cluelessness. That they were just unaware of what was happening, and that if the NCAA and Pac-10 cleared the players it isn't fair to punish USC.

Floyd seems to suggest that USC was willful in not looking into any potential hazards with a recruit so they can maintain deniability if it does become a problem. Floyd, himself, hardly looks particularly good since he continues to show he happily went along with this and was just as eager to know nothing about the potential barriers to getting the talent on the court.

Tim Floyd Says Southern Cal Ignored Sidney's Recruiting Red Flags originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Carolina Reports 14 Violations, Including Possible Bagel Bungle

Terrance Harris — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:11:00 EST

Filed under: South Carolina, SEC, Recruiting

The University of South Carolina has self-reported 14 secondary NCAA violations by various sports teams during the last six months in the athletic department.

Secondary violations are defined as inadvertent and isolated and usually carry a minimal sanction, if any at all. Six of the violations are considered Level 1, which means they will go to the NCAA for review while the Level 2 violations will be dealt with by the SEC. Two of the Level 1 violations were committed by Steve Spurrier's football program, while first-year Gamecock's basketball coach Darrin Horn committed five violations the school reported.

The ones that will generate a few head scratches will be the "impermissible snacks" violation during an away-from-home competition and an impermissible entertainment violation for a bowling trip. Both violations were committed by the men's basketball team.

FanHouse placed a call to the NCAA for clarification of the snacks rule. Apparently, USC violated NCAA Bylaw 16.5.2, which governs away-from-home competitions.

Coaches can go one of two ways on such trips; they can either go the unconventional route of feeding their student athletes as much as they would like throughout the trip, but student athletes can not receive any type of per diem. Or the coach can go the traditional route of providing breakfast, lunch and dinner only and under those rules, a student athlete can receive $15 per meal.

Apparently, the basketball team went the traditional route but was in violation when it provided the student athletes either fruit or bagels outside of breakfast, lunch and dinner, a source in the athletic department said.

Other violations included impermissible entertainment and text messaging, the latter which has gotten many athletic departments in trouble since the NCAA banned such communication two years ago. According to USC, an assistant football coach responded to a text from an unknown number only to learn it was from a recruit.

None of the charges seem serious, which means USC won't likely face harsh sanctions when the NCAA rules.

The school also reported a violation when recruits watched a video that depicted game action and also when one of the South Carolina newspapers interviewed a recruit on a visit.

South Carolina Reports 14 Violations, Including Possible Bagel Bungle originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Henry Family Reconfirms Commitment to Kansas for a Year

Chas Rich — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas, Kentucky, Big 12, SEC, Media Watch, Recruiting, Rumors

For a rather wild day, it looked like things were going to get even weirder than they usually do in the college basketball offseason. Even before the summer recruiting began. In the end, it was a lot of noise but no change. Xavier and C.J. Henry are still going to Kansas for the 2009-10 season, not reversing field to go to Kentucky to be with John Calipari.

Xavier Henry is one of the top-5 high school players in the country. He had already switched his commitment from Memphis to Kansas, but since he could not sign a new National Letter of Intent (NLI) he is not actually bound to Kansas until he shows up on the campus and signs the scholarship papers. His older brother, C.J. Henry, is a walk-on with the New York Yankees paying his way following a failed baseball career.

Then there is dad. Carl Henry played basketball for Kansas, and holds strong views about his sons, their talent, future plans and comparing them both rather favorably versus the other talent on the Kansas basketball team. He let many of them fly during a feature article in the Kansas City Star.

Among the gems: Xavier is not that interested in going to college, this is definitely a one-and-done thing for him (duh), they considered Europe for a year, C.J. is probably better than both Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor, and that coach Bill Self needs to be on-board with the Henry plan,

Shockingly, with opinions that suggested that the Henrys were bigger than Kansas, it was not embraced by the Jayhawk faithful. This led to an angry Carl Henry to go on a local sports radio station to complain that the article made him and his sons look like prima donnas and that all Carl does is talk. Plus, the negative reaction on the internet and elsewhere by Kansas fans has the Henrys so upset that they were leaning very strongly towards going to Kentucky instead. Interestingly, in the radio interview, Carl Henry admitted that there was nothing factually inaccurate in the story.

Recapping that last bit. A reporter hangs out with the Henrys. Gets the facts right. Carl Henry and his sons do not like the way it made them look, because it made them look spoiled. Carl in particular disliked that it portrayed him as someone always talking. So in response, Carl Henry goes on the radio to talk some more and announces that while they are not prima donnas, they had their feelings so hurt by the negative reaction to the story that they might very well go to Kentucky instead.

Well played, sir.

So for several glorious hours yesterday there was chaos on the Kentucky and Kansas message boards over all of this. Especially since a decision could come that night. It did, in a text message to the same Kansas radio show.

But late Tuesday, Xavier Henry sent a text message to Cory Anderson of the Chris and Cowboy Show on 610 Sports Radio confirming he would not change his mind.

"I'm goin to Kansas and that's final," the text read.

The thing is, that while most of this was about Carl Henry's mouth and the tantalizing talent of Xavier Henry, it was probably C.J. Henry's situation that kept things as the status quo.

The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy Tweeted this point.

The Henry's hadn't much leverage. If X took off on KU, what about CJ? Think the NCAA would have given him immediate eligibility everywhere?

C.J. was already a freshman on the Memphis roster this past year (PDF). He sat out while recovering from surgery. He has already had to apply to get immediate eligibility at Kansas. What are the odds the NCAA would let him switch to Kentucky as well? Probably not that good. Which means that Carl Henry was -- once more -- just doing a lot of talking.

Henry Family Reconfirms Commitment to Kansas for a Year originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Draft Deadline Decisions: Team Winners and Losers

Chas Rich — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:54:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, SEC, NBA Prospects

The deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA draft came and went Monday at 5PM. Plenty of underclassmen had already made decisions to not even test the waters (Willie Warren, Oklahoma) or previously decided to return (Patrick Patterson, Kentucky). Still, plenty of others never looked back by hiring an agent right away (Earl Clark, Louisville).

The focus is strictly on the players that took it up until this weekend or even right under the wire Monday afternoon. Before getting to the programs that "won" and "lost" with the decisions to stay or go there are two teams that have counter-intuitive situations.

LOSER THAT ACTUALLY WINS

Kentucky. Losing a Jodie Meeks-caliber player is not a good thing for most teams. It does, however free up shots, which is something the Wildcats will need. While Meeks took a huge leap in productivity last season and was reportedly a great teammate, he also averaged over 15 shots per game. Patrick Patterson returning to join a class that includes DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Jon Hood gives the Wildcats' offense huge potential. The additional bonus is that it takes a smidgen of pressure off of preseason hype for Kentucky and coach John Calipari.

WINNER THAT ACTUALLY LOSES

UConn. The Huskies are facing an NCAA investigation into the recruitment of Nate Miles and Ator Majok along with the UConn coaches' relationship with a former student manager, former personal assistant to Rip Hamilton and wannabe agent in Josh Nochisom. Miles never played a minute for UConn and has hired an agent to pursue his career far away from NCAA investigators. Majok, though, is remaining a student-athlete and will be required to answer questions from the NCAA (assuming they get around to asking before he declares once more). The potential is there for Majok never to get a minute with the Huskies plus the harm to UConn's program is very real.

WINNERS

Notre Dame -- Luke Harangody returns for his senior year with a great chance to finish as the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. This is good news for a team that will be in need of giving fans a reason to watch in a rebuilding season following a season of disappointment.

Maryland -- The decision by Greivis Vasquez to come back was mildly surprising. Not that he was likely to be drafted, but the rumors were swirling that Vasquez just wanted to go pro, whether it was in the NBA, Europe or in South America.

South Carolina -- Second-year coach Darrin Horn gets a nice present as Devan Downey decides to return for his final year. He had to sit out a year after transferring from Cincinnati, so this is a bonus. Dominique Archie returning was less of a surprise, but important to the Gamecocks hopes in 2009.

LSU -- The return of Tasmin Mitchell should not have been a surprise, but he took his time coming to his senses.

Tennessee -- The SEC seems to be jumping from joke back to power in just one season. It's not just Calipari to Kentucky, the conference has now has some depth. Tyler Smith's return will help keep Tennessee from slipping further.

Villanova -- The return of Scottie Reynolds does not make the team more of a threat in terms of talent. There is plenty of that in the Wildcats backcourt. Reynolds, though, provides serious leadership and a guy you want to take the last shot in a game.

Arizona -- This was quite the turnaround from the end of the season, when the coaching search seemed to be a mess. No recruits coming in, and plenty of early departures. Nic Wise deciding he would return, though, provides a senior leader for coach Sean Miller.

Texas -- Damion James' return was a real surprise. He seemed determined to go pro after seeing D.J. Augustin leave early and A.J. Abrams graduate. James provides stability on the wing and should benefit from Florida transfer Jai Lucas running the point with McDonald's All-American shooting guard, Avery Bradley helping to spread the floor.

Georgia Tech -- Paul Hewitt is well respected. He has a Final Four appearance. He is a tremendous recruiter. But he also has had little success the last few years. That could change. Gani Lawal could not get a first-round guarantee, so the sophomore returns.

LOSERS

St. Mary's -- Patty Mills' decision to stay in the draft should not have been a surprise. If he had not missed a good chunk of the season injured, there would have been no doubt. The longer he took to decide, though, created hope that he might come back and lead the Gaels to dethroning Gonzaga.

Gonzaga -- Every scout and GM, armchair and real, has been aware at how soft and thin Austin Daye is. They practically marvel over it. He is the personification of the terms "project" and "potential upside." He will get drafted somewhere at the end of the first round or the beginning of the second and disappear for a few years maybe to re-emerge down the road. Gonzaga, meanwhile loses a big plug in the middle, and may actually be vulnerable in the WCC.

USC -- No one expected DeMar DeRozan, Daniel Hackett or Taj Gibson to return, it only became more obvious after Tim Floyd's sudden loss of energy to coach.

Wake Forest -- Not really a surprise Jeff Teague decided to make it official. He and James Johnson had started looking to the NBA Draft sometime in February.

Texas A&M -- As nice, and unsurprising, as it was to get Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis back for their senior year, it was a big blow to lose the blossoming big man Chinemelu Elonu. Especially after sportswriters in Texas had finally learned to spell his name without double checking the Aggie media guide.

Draft Deadline Decisions: Team Winners and Losers originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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