NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Obama as Sports Czar? Mostly Good

Terence Moore — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:51:00 EST

In case you've never seen the video, the President of the United States can't bowl. He should declare any alley he visits a major disaster area. Then again, after First Brother-In-Law Craig Robinson thought the other day about the pathetic ways of Barack Obama whenever he rolls a ball toward a set of pins, he told me with a playful frown, "I mean, bowling isn't even a sport, so why bring it up?"

Why, indeed? Except for bowling, this President is becoming the Commander In Chief of all things athletic. Just take it from Robinson, the older brother of First Lady Michelle Obama. Robinson also is the miracle worker of a basketball coach at Oregon State when he isn't the unofficial head of the Barack Obama Fan Club.

We chatted in the back room of an ESPN studio in southern California this spring, when Robinson said of his sister's husband, "What people slept on with Barack is how really smart he is. When he's reading through the paper, he's not just reading the business section or the political section. He's reading the sports section, and he retains everything, because he's such a big fan."

So let's get this out of the way: Teddy Roosevelt was an avid outdoorsman, and he was such a devotee of intercollegiate athletics that helped create the NCAA. Dwight Eisenhower played Augusta National so often that they named a tree after him. Speaking of golfing Presidents (and there were a slew of them), John F. Kennedy regularly shot around 80 with a picturesque swing.

Not only that, Richard Nixon drew plays for the Washington Redskins when his buddy George Allen was the coach. Gerald Ford was cast as a klutz after he nailed more than a few spectators with golf shots, but he was a center for a couple of national championship teams at Michigan. Then there were Bill Clinton's jogs around the National Mall between pit-stops at local fast-food joints.

All of that said, Obama is five months into his White House stay, and he already is the greatest President ever when it comes to sports stuff. He can talk it. He can play it. He also can predict it. In addition to proving omniscient with his pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers to take the Super Bowl, he worked the brackets before the start of March Madness to crown North Carolina as king, which happened.

This is mostly good. As for the bad, when a sports-loving President is wrong about something regarding how they play the games, he can make things worse, especially since he is more powerful than David Stern times Roger Goodell, Bud Selig, the bosses of the various players' unions and the Phillie Phanatic.

Consider, for instance, that Obama is among the slew of knee-jerk folks who want at least an eight-team playoff system for the big boys of college football. They prefer such a thing without regard for its effect on the true student-athlete who already has too many games and practices. It also would create more cheating scandals, and it would heighten the confusion even more over who should play for a national championship (why eight teams? Why not 12, 16, 64? Who decides on who makes the playoffs? Where do they play, and what happens to the bowls?)

That's another column. Back to this one and the good (mostly) involving Obama's love affair with sports. For instance: he can use a stroke of his pen to deliver a left hook to the 96-year-old conviction of black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. Earlier this week, the United States Senate approved a resolution by voice to implore Obama to pardon Johnson for his imprisonment regarding the romancing of a white woman. Well, that was the real reason for Johnson's conviction. The official reason was that he violated something called the Mann Act, which made it illegal to transport women across state lines for immoral purposes.

Obama will stick and move on the matter.

At least he should.

He also should warm up his left arm by playing catch around the White House grounds with his daughters or somebody. It was just announced that he will join Kennedy, Nixon and Ford as the only Presidents ever to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at an All-Star Game. He'll do so on July 14 in St. Louis . He'll have a tough act to follow when it comes to Presidential ceremonial first pitches in general. George W. Bush was a master at them, and none was more impressive than his post-911 fastball to home plate at Yankee Stadium with the whole world watching.

Actually, after Ronald Reagan took the mound at Wrigley Field for an opening day, he forever established that Presidents never again can pull a Woodrow Wilson by making one of those sissy tosses from the stands to a catcher nearby.

Obama will rise to the occasion, though. He always does -- when he doesn't have a bowling ball in his hands. A basketball? That's another story, because playing hoops is his passion. Along the campaign trail last year, he heaved a 3-point shot at the spur of the moment upon request and sank the thing with ease. He enjoys pick up games, and he enjoys fitness, period. He works out nearly daily with an average week consisting of four days of weight training and two of cardio.

"He's a golfer now, and I know he and my sister play tennis," said Robinson during our chat last spring, soon after he took basically the same Oregon State team that won zero Pac-10 games before his arrival two seasons ago to an 18-18 finish that culminated with a championship of the College Basketball Invitational.

Added Robinson of Obama, "I'm glad to have him as our President."

Sports folks should be, too.

You know, depending on what Obama does with that Jack Johnson thing and what he doesn't do with that college football playoff thing.

Obama as Sports Czar? Mostly Good originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After Defections, Cal, Washington Are Pac-10 Favorites

Gary Washburn — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, NBA Prospects, Oregon State

The upheaval at USC and constant defections at UCLA may have sent conference supremacy north.

The NBA draft's early entries have one month to return to school (June 15), but it doesn't appear any of the Pac-10 entries are coming back. Six underclassmen -- USC's DeMar DeRozan and Taj Gibson, UCLA's Jrue Holiday, the Arizona duo of Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger and Arizona State's James Harden -- will participate in the draft combine beginning May 28 in Chicago, and none are likely to return to their schools. Even Holiday, a projected late first-rounder, is reportedly close to hiring an agent and remaining in the draft.

UCLA also loses All-America point guard Darren Collison and key scorer Josh Shipp, leaving the Bruins young, raw and virtually unproven. The Trojans, meanwhile, who made an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Pac-10 tournament, could be gutted with Daniel Hackett likely headed for Italy, top recruit Renardo Sidney bolting for Mississippi State and the program under major scrutiny regarding allegations of payments to representatives for former guard O.J. Mayo. Coach Tim Floyd, if he remains at USC, will be in another major rebuilding mode in Los Angeles.

Such ruin in Southern California and major defections with the Arizona schools leaves the two most stable programs in Washington and California. The Huskies lose all-time rebounder Jon Brockman and solid guard Justin Dentmon, but coach Lorenzo Romar will depend on freshman talent along with Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Isaiah Thomas, improving Quincy Pondexter, who sparkled toward season's end, and defensive ace Venoy Overton.

Romar, always a master recruiter, was able to get Tacoma, Wash., guard Abdul Gabby, who is expected to join Thomas in the backcourt. Bruising juco forward Charles Garcia and freshman Clarence Trent will make the Huskies perhaps the deepest team on the West Coast.

California returns four of the five starters that stunned the conference by winning 22 games and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Gifted but enigmatic swingman Patrick Christopher decided to return to school for his senior season while speedy guard Jerome Randle and redshirt senior Theo Robertson give the Bears a chance to compete for the conference title.

And there will be some noise heard from the Oregon schools with Ernie Kent's job essentially at stake this season and the Ducks coming off an awful 2-16 conference record. Craig Robinson brought home a CBI title -- College Basketball Invitational for those non-diehards -- to Oregon State in his first season and the Beavers return their top four scorers.

After Defections, Cal, Washington Are Pac-10 Favorites originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 16 May 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Women's Hoops Gets Serious in Pac-10

Gary Washburn — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:43:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Coaches, Oregon State

Stanford has ruled the Pac-10 Women's basketball landscape for the past 20 years, and California and Arizona State have recently emerged to make the conference a three-team scramble for supremacy. But two recent hires by Oregon and USC have made it apparent that women's basketball is indeed becoming a higher priority on the West Coast.

Oregon shocked the women's basketball community by hiring former NBA championship coach Paul Westhead to replace the fired Bev Smith. Westhead was fired along with P.J. Carlesimo from the Oklahoma City Thunder in December, but he comes to Eugene, Ore., with a WNBA title from the Phoenix Mercury.

While Oregon has been a fruitful recruiting base for Stanford and other national powers, the Ducks have advanced to just one NCAA tournament since 2001. Westhead's fast-paced style should attract recruits and some much-needed attention to the program. Meanwhile, USC athletic director Mike Garrett nabbed five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper to lead the Trojans, who haven't been a national power since the days of Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper.

"He has coached and played at the highest level and with the greatest players in the world," Garrett said after the announcement. "He'll be an excellent in-game coach, he'll do a great job preparing his teams and he'll wow the recruits. And I'll say this: we'll be a strong team defensively."

Cooper won two WNBA titles with the Los Angeles Sparks and will coach the Sparks this summer and take over the USC program in the fall. The hiring of Cooper away from the WNBA is a serious indication that Garrett wants the women's program to snatch some of the attention given to Stanford, which has reached two consecutive Final Fours and won at least a share of the past nine Pac-10 titles.

Women's basketball is getting increasing national attention and prestige but West Coast schools have ignored this trend. Stanford is the lone Pac-10 program to consistently compete with the powers -- UConn, Tennessee, Rutgers -- on the East. But if Cooper and Westhead have any say, that will change quickly.

Women's Hoops Gets Serious in Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 07 May 2009 15:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-10 Roundup: Arizona Teams Struggle, LA Teams Roll

Shane Bacon — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:48:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Pac-10, Oregon State

On a night when the University of Arizona honored famed coach Lute Olson during halftime, something became very clear as the ceremonial speeches ended and the basketball began. If the Wildcats want to continue their NCAA streak of 25 consecutive tournament appearances, they would need more than an uplifting video (it got dusty in my apartment) and the memory of a coach that has been through a lot the last two years. The Wildcats need a W.

It wasn't happening, as Jerome Randle absolutely murdered the 'Cats in the second half, helping California (22-8, 11-6) improve to third in the Pac-10 with the 83-77 win and put the Wildcats in another uncomfortable position similar to last season -- leaving their March Madness dreams up to chance.

Arizona's Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill did all they could do to keep their team in the game, combining for 52 fo the Wildcat's 77 points, but Randle was absolutely molten from outside, hitting 8-of-11 threes, all coming when the momentum looked to be shifting.

Now, the Wildcats (18-12, 8-9) have to beat Stanford on Saturday and possibly win their first Pac-10 Tournament game to have a chance at making the NCAA Tournament. That task probably seemed a lot more likely before Arizona went on a four-game losing streak, and Stanford didn't show themselves to be capable of taking down a talented Arizona State team on the road as they did on Thursday, 74-64.

In Tempe on Thursday, the Sun Devils were abysmal, going 0-for-6 to start the game and scoring their first basket with 11:50 left in the first half. This was the third-straight loss for an ASU team that looked to be securing a solid spot in the postseason picture before the trip last week to Washington. Now, the Sun Devils have California on Sunday to try and get some positive momentum going before they head to Los Angeles for the Pac-10s.

UCLA and USC both rolled over Oregon State and Oregon, respectively, on Thursday. The No. 17 Bruins are doing the opposite dance of the Arizona teams, carding their third-straight win and improving their tournament resume as the days roll by. The win also kept them in the hunt for a split of the Pac-10 crown, needing a win on Saturday against Oregon and a loss by Washington to Washington State.

Josh Shipp had a career-high 27 points for the Bruins, and DeMar DeRozan of Southern California had 19 in the Trojans' rout of the Ducks.

Pac-10 Roundup: Arizona Teams Struggle, LA Teams Roll originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Barack Obama Out-Recruit Frank Sinatra? We May Find Out

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:14:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, Pac-10, Oregon State

College basketball coaches are always looking for that edge. And Oregon State's Craig Robinson is no different than say, Ben Howland, Mike Montgomery or Tim Floyd in that respect. (Well, given USC's recent troubles, maybe Floyd isn't a good example.)

College recruiting can be competitive and tough. So any coach would be foolish to turn down any recruiting help. Especially recruiting help from family. Especially family that just happens to be the President of the United States.

Robinson was on ESPN 710 in Los Angeles and he admitted to hosts John Ireland and Steve Mason that he wouldn't be above having his brother-in-law, President Barack Obama, make some recruiting pitches for Oregon State.

From SportsRadioInterviews.com, (via Deadspin):

"I think the President has the right to call any citizen that he feels like calling any time he wants. I haven't had to use him yet, but I think I ought to petition the NCAA to see what the ruling will be on that before I do it."

But don't think that having the President doing your recruiting is going to help that much. That's a lesson Jerry Tarkanian learned when he was coach at UNLV. When Tarkanian was on the trail of some East Coast recruits, he sent the Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra in to close the deal. The first was a tall kid from from Long Island that ended up going to South Carolina. The other was Mike O'Koren from New Jersey.

Tarkanian recants how well Sinatra was as a recruiter in his book, Runnin' Rebel:

Well, I thought there was something (Sinatra) could do. I had gotten to think that Sinatra could be real helpful in recruiting, especially if we hooked him up with some Italian-American kids back East. I thought that if we could ever send Sinatra into a recruit's home, have him meet the Italian mother, well, it would be over. They'd do whatever Sinata told tehm to do. I figured it would be a lock. How could they turn down Frank Sinatra? So I told Sinatra my plan, and he loved the idea. He said to set it up. ...

I just couldn't believe my plan had backfired. We went 0-for-2 on Sinatra's recruits. Dean Smith might be the greatest recruiter in the history of college basketball. Forget about signing Michael Jordan, James Worthy and the rest. Dean Smith beat Frank Sinatra on a kid from Jersey City. Impossible.

And it got worse for Tarkanian,when O'Koren scored 31 points as North Carolina beat UNLV in a 1977 Final Four matchup.

That Frank Sinatara, he really could sing, but he sure couldn't recruit.

Maybe President Obama can do a better job.

Could Barack Obama Out-Recruit Frank Sinatra? We May Find Out originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA Not Underrated at All

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

This is never why you listen to the stat heads. They will let you down. Just when you start to doubt UCLA, the Bruins go on a huge winning streak with impressive wins. And just when you completely buy in and believe that UCLA has turned the corner, the Bruins lose on the road at Arizona State, 74-67.

Are we ever going to get an accurate read on this team or are we doomed to be on the back end of a trend?

Probably the latter.

Now, let's not sell No. 18 Arizona State short here. It is a very good basketball team (though, its fans should act like it and not rush the court) and already has a win at Pauley Pavilion. So this shouldn't have been a huge surprise, even though it sure feels like one. The Bruins had looked so good recently, I thought this was going to be a blowout. Factor in a home loss to the Sun Devils and this spelled revenge game.

Arizona State was ready. The Sun Devils were a dog at home (tough for a ranked team) and they played like they took that personally. The defense was great, and James Harden relishes playing against his hometown team. The Devils don't need to worry about the bubble any longer.

Now, you have to question UCLA, which still has not beaten a Top 25 opponent. The projected No. 5 seed seems pretty fair right now, and the Bruins don't seem underrated at all. And all of you college basketball fans know too well that No. 5 is the most dreaded seed in the tournament (outside of No. 16, of course). After a remarkable run of Final Four appearances, could UCLA be looking at a first-round knock this season?

Bruins fans had better hope I'm picking that way.

In other Pac-10 action:

Arizona 83, USC 76: The Wildcats are going to end up making it to the tournament. The streak is going to live. But if Arizona goes to the tournament, is that enough to get Russ Pennell the full-time gig? Wildcats fans will say no, but I think he will get the nod.

Washington State 67, Oregon 38: Ducks fans should prepare themselves for taunts of "Hang Time" in the near future. If Oregon hasn't called Reggie Theus yet, what is it waiting for? Theus is the best possible coaching candidate out there. The Ducks should pull the plug on Ernie Kent right now. This is just sad. Look for Oregon to take its name off the jersey again. And who could blame them?

Washington 79, Oregon State 60: The Huskies really needed this state of Oregon sweep. Oh sorry, was that me already giving Washington Saturday's game against Oregon? Well, really, you can hardly blame me.

UCLA Not Underrated at All originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oregon Coach Ernie Kent's End Is Near

Chas Rich — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:42:00 EST

Filed under: Oregon, Pac-10, Oregon State

Ernie Kent is an Oregon alumnus and has had a fairly successful tenure in Oregon, but the Kent era seems to be drawing to a close. The Ducks went 6-6 before conference play and have slumped to an 0-9 mark in the Pac-10 after falling to Oregon State 57-54.

The Ducks lack inside scoring and their defense has been horrible. Only guards Tajuan Porter and LeKendric Longmire have shown much fire for Oregon in conference play. That really seems about it. Part of it is youth, but that also goes to the coaching.
The Ducks' outrebounded the Beavers by 15 and Oregon State shot miserably from the free throw stripe, but Oregon couldn't take care of the ball or stop Oregon State defensively. The Beavers shot nearly 50 percent overall and better than 50 percent from outside the arc.

Oregon State shoots the ball effectively, but their defense is suspect. Against Oregon, however, the Beavers looked a lot better than they are, helped by the fact that Ducks other than Porter or Longmire hit just eight of the 25 shots they hoisted.

Still, Oregon State is actually riding a four-game winning streak and are clearly improving as the season continues. Craig Robinson has this team playing much better as a team than the individual talent. The team that started the season losing to Howard, Nevada-Reno, Yale and Montana State no longer resembles the team now playing in Corvallis.

That only creates more pressure on Ernie Kent at Oregon. The Ducks are getting closer to a shiny new arena, and Kent has been there for 12 years. There seems to be a weariness with Kent. He has reportedly felt unappreciated at times by Oregon, but has also put his name out for other jobs, which hardly endears him to the fans and boosters.

Oregon Coach Ernie Kent's End Is Near originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If You Were Skeptical About Cal, Don't Be

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:25:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

Washington State certainly isn't the team it wa in the past. But you can't overlook the effort Cal showed in Pullman, Wash., Thursday night in a 57-50 win.The Cougars no longer have the superstars they once had, but they still play pretty good defense. Washington State held Bears star guard Jerome Randle to only eight points, well below from his 20-points-per-game average.

Yet, Cal didn't fold.

Instead, other players stepped up. Patrick Christopher scored 22 points, and was 4-of-6 from 3-point range. This is the kind of team effort you can expect from a team coached by Mike Montgomery. This would have been a huge letdown game for Cal in the past. Especially after such a huge win against Arizona State. A trip to Pullman would have easily derailed the momentum of this team under the former regime.

In fact, you can reason that this game says more about Cal's character than its upset win over Arizona State. Look at what Boston College did after it beat No. 1 North Carolina -- it lost to Harvard. But the Bears didn't fold, instead putting up a great effort. This win is pretty impressive and Cal fans, go ahead and get excited about this team.

Some other games around the Pac-10 Thursday:

Washington 84, Stanford 83: The Cardinal, on the other hand, you can be very skeptical about. Stanford can't play Cal State Northridge every week, eh? Saturday's game at Washington State will be a big test for them. Washington has put together some nice wins, but they still need to beat a good team. Beating Stanford is a nice start. But they need to prove it against UCLA, Arizona State and -- can you believe it? -- Cal.

No. 20 Arizona State 69, Oregon State 38: The Sun Devils had no trouble bouncing back from their loss to Cal. And this was the game they were giving us on free television. What gives? And what's up with Oregon State? Are they packing it in after win its token Pac-10 game of the seasons? This makes USC look even worse.

Arizonan 67, Oregon 52: Did they play "Glory Days" during halftime? Congratulations Oregon, you are the bigger underachiever.

If You Were Skeptical About Cal, Don't Be originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oregon State Finally Wins in the Pac-10

Chas Rich — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:19:00 EST

Filed under: USC, Pac-10, Oregon State

It's been a while. Clearly change has come. Not simply to that place where Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson's brother-in-law will be taking up residence, but in Corvallis as well. The Beavers had not won a game within the Pac-10 in 23 months. The last time was a home win over Washington in late-February 2007. A span of 21 games.

It had to end sometime. So why not against a team many pegged for the top-25, but now looks like a surefire bubble team. Oregon State knocked off USC in overtime, 62-58.

Oregon State made it a complete defensive game. Every possession was contested. Both sides had to use most of the shot clock to get an attempt. It wasn't a case where the teams just couldn't make a basket. Oregon State shot 50% and USC hit 44%. Neither side got many opportunities.

While both teams relied heavily on frontcourt play, the game was ultimately decided by the backcourt and perimeter shooting. Oregon State's Roeland Schaftenaar hit a three with four seconds left to force overtime and then Omari Lawrence hit a tying three after USC's DeMar DeRozan missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Despite only being tied, USC panicked and settled for jumpers. Oregon State's guard Calvin Haynes, countered with two straight drives to the basket for lay-ins.

Oregon State Finally Wins in the Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toughest Ticket to Score on the Opening Week: Oregon State-Howard

Chas Rich — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:36:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, Pac-10, Campus, NCAA Basketball Gossip, Oregon State

You might have heard that there is actually scalping of Presidential Inauguration tickets occurring for absurd sums, despite the fact that the tickets are free and haven't even been distributed as of yet. Washington D.C. is juiced over all things related to President Elect Barack Obama. Everyone wants to see him, anywhere.

So, this Friday the Howard Bison have a home opener against the Oregon State Beavers. Considering the fact that Oregon State's head coach is Obama's brother-in-law, well the speculation has been brewing for a while, and considering how hard it can be for Howard to get sell-outs even in a 2700 seat gymnasium, they don't seem eager to dismiss the possibility.

"If they are in Washington, I don't know why they wouldn't come to the game," Howard Coach Gil Jackson said. "He likes basketball, and he and Craig are boys. They are supportive and would probably want to see Craig play as much as they could. My sister is coming to the game."

Datcher said 20-25 security personnel are usually on hand for home games, including those who man doors. An appearance by the Obamas would mean enhanced university security -- Datcher did not have specifics yesterday -- in addition to the Secret Service detail for the Obamas.

"How they handle security, they may not publicize that ahead of time," Jackson said. "They may just show up."

Depending upon who is in the gym, a ticket to watch two teams that won a combined 12 games last season could suddenly become coveted. A ticket-office official said tickets are still available ($15 and $20) but declined to say how many remained.

This game was scheduled before Oregon State Coach Craig Robinson took the job. The Howard Athletic Director indicated that he expected to find out sometime Wednesday. No word as to whether he'll be sharing the news with anyone else.

Toughest Ticket to Score on the Opening Week: Oregon State-Howard originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oregon State Coach Craig Robinson Takes Stage With Brother-in-Law Barack Obama

Michael David Smith — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:22:00 EST

Filed under: Coaches, Oregon State

Late Tuesday night in Chicago, President-elect Barack Obama addressed a huge crowd of supporters in Grant Park. When he had finished his speech, he was joined on stage by his family, including his brother-in-law, Oregon State basketball coach Craig Robinson.

Robinson, the brother of Michelle Obama, hugged President-elect Obama and waved to the crowd, and he was obviously enormously proud to be there, surrounded by history. But Robinson is a basketball coach, not a politician, so it's no surprise that he was at Oregon State practice this morning before flying to Chicago, and he'll fly back to Oregon in time for tomorrow's afternoon practice.

Although Robinson is in his first year as Oregon State's coach and previously coached in relative obscurity at Brown, he is, as a member of America's first family, one of the highest-profile college basketball coaches in the country.

Oregon State Coach Craig Robinson Takes Stage With Brother-in-Law Barack Obama originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Pac-10

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

With the fall beginning and college basketball just around the corner, it's time to look back at what our favorite teams did during their summer vacations. Some did some good things; some had a bad time. So let's look back at who did what in our How I Spent My Summer Vacation series.

Today's look is the Pac-10 Conference.

The Pac 10 is coming off a season where six of its members (Arizona State was jobbed) reached the field of 64. And UCLA was bounced in the Final Four, again. Hey, at least it's not the Sweet 16 anymore, UCLA. Although, you have to wonder if the Bruins squandered their best shot under Ben Howland. No matter, the team is loaded again. So you could probably pencil the Bruins in for the Final Four. Just figuring out who will beat them is the kicker.

Let's see how each team did during its summer vacation.

Arizona
The good news is that Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise all return from last year's team, but head coach Lute Olson won't after a dramatic resignation in October and revelation that he'd suffered a stroke and suffered from depression. Not much else has gone right for Arizona since. The Wildcats lost three recruits in the immediate aftermath of Olson's departure and likely hobble into the season a bit shellshocked.

Arizona State
Coach Herb Sendek and the Sun Devils were screwed out of the tournament, but there is a solid program building in Tempe. He recently scored a verbal agreement from Corey Hawkins, son of former NBA guard Hershey Hawkins. Corey, however, is a junior, so there will be some waiting. But this is a sign that the Devils are on the rise. And why shouldn't they be? They have a beautiful campus, beautiful women and a pretty good facility. Expect them to make some noise and be players in the Pac-10 this season.

Cal
The cross-bay rivalry between Stanford and Cal took a new turn as Mike Montgomery was introduced as the Bears new leading man. Montgomery said that he now has a bigger recruiting window in Cal, than he did at Stanford. The team did lose top recruit Garrett Sim, who went to Oregon. Because obviously Sim hates good coaching.

Oregon
The Ducks extended the contract of Ernie Kent, proving that they don't like good coaching, either. Hey, just trying to have a little fun here, folks. Kent gets a lot of heat from Ducks fans, and it seems a little bit undeserved. He takes the Ducks to the tournament every year and has a couple of Elite 8 appearances. Now suddenly the fans in Eugene think they are UCLA fans. And that shouldn't quell this season, with a young team and Tajuan Porter. But Michael Dunigan is a nice player and this team should at least be interesting. But face it Ducks fans, you are going to have Kent to kick around for a while.

Oregon State
The Beavers long for the success that Kent has provided at Oregon. Craig Robinson is the new coach in Corvallis. Robinson is the brother-in-law of presidential nominee Barack Obama. He even appeared at the Democratic national convention. Now he is trying to show that he is an agent of change in college basketball.

Stanford
The Trees hired a new coach, Johnny Dawkins from that great coach factory, Duke. Of course, Montgomery was hired at Cal before Trent Johnson bailed for LSU, preventing a reunion. (Nice career move, Johnson. Why leave the Pac-10 for the SEC?) Dawkins was unsuccessful in his first order of business -- finding a pair of 7-foot twins to replace the Lopez twins.

Washington
Remember that time when the Huskies were actually a pretty good basketball team? The Huskies were coming off consecutive Sweet 16 berths in 2005 and 2006. Now they languish behind Washington State and Gonzaga in the state of Washington. Lorenzo Romar probably isn't in jeopardy, but he's getting close. Jon Brockman returns and he's still a load. But reports indicate that he's much leaner and has some new post moves. Expect the Huskies to play that up-tempo style that Romar used earlier in his tenure with Washington.

Washington State
The Cougars only return two starters, losing most of its scoring. Which, of course, means they only lost about 20 points per game. Just kidding, people. Tony Bennett was brought in an outstanding freshman class to help his team remain among Pac-10 elite. One of those recruits is Klay Thompson who, just like his dad Mychal, doesn't know how to spell his first name.

UCLA
The Bruins will miss Kevin Love, but Howland has the team loaded again. Darren Collison, Mike Roll and Josh Shipp all return. Jrue Holliday, J'Mison Morgan, Jerime Lee and Malcom Lee bring a lot of athleticism to the team. Morgan (6-foot-10), will be a monster down low. Morgan had originally committed to LSU, but probably made a wise choice coming to Pauly. UCLA will be much more athletic this year and should be able to dominate and a Final Four berth is the minimum.

USC
There is an old Jerry Tarkanian quote -- at least attributed to him -- that the NCAA was so pissed at (insert big name school here) that they put (insert mid-major school here) on probation. While USC is not a mid-major school, you have to wonder if the basketball program will eventually be held responsible for all of the alleged activities of the school's football team. Does that seem fair? No. But this is the NCAA. The Trojans hoop team could end up paying dearly for the O.J. Mayo payment allegations. And if not, maybe Yahoo! can do some more investigations.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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