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.
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. .
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.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee forward Emmanuel Negedu will not play or practice during the 2009-10 season but will remain on scholarship after suffering sudden cardiac arrest last week.
The 20-year-old sophomore from Kaduna, Nigeria, underwent surgery Tuesday to have a cardiac defibrillator implanted in his chest to monitor his heart's rhythm and delivery energy when an irregularity occurs.
"I just want to say thanks to all those people that care about me and show me they care," Negedu said in a statement. "God is going to see me through this. With God, all things are possible. God is always in control."
Negedu had just completed a team weightlifting session and had been racing a teammate on the Vols' indoor football field when he collapsed on Sept. 28. He lost consciousness and had no pulse.
Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl has apologized for telling a joke in which he contrasted some members of his team as being from "the hood" and others from parts of Tennessee "where they wear the hood."
Last we saw Pat Summitt, she was knocking heads in Knoxville, running her demoralized Lady Vols team through a rigorous practice just days after the season was over. Yes, over.
Her Tennessee team lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game for the first time in the history of the program to upstart Ball State and she was making a point, one that's still clearly and quickly articulated five months later.
"Losing is unacceptable at Tennessee," Summitt said Monday after finishing up a workout with several of her players. "They were the first team to be in that situation. They were obviously hurt and embarrassed. There's no question they knew that the former players were really disappointed and really upset about it. That had an impact too."
Alabama junior Anthony Brock's turn from the grief of attending the funeral of his grandmother Saturday to hitting the game winning shot Sunday is the stuff of poorly written TV scripts. That's part of what makes sports so fantastic. These things really happen.
On Sunday, the Vols got knocked off by Alabama on a desperation shot from mid-court with time expiring.
Anthony Brock was the hero who took the shot, throwing Alabama into hysteria. Yet a day earlier Brock was gripped with sadness, as he was mourning the loss of his grandmother at her funeral. It wasn't until late in the night that he re-joined the team. With little sleep for an early afternoon game and a heavy heart, Brock scored 11 points and shot 3-of-3 from behind the arc, including the game-winner.
Bruce Pearl seems like a pretty intense dude. He's willing to paint himself orange and run around Knoxville, Tenn., shirtless, for one thing. For another, he yells a lot. Well, on Thursday night against South Carolina, he was rocking a blazer-white T-shirt combo. And at one point during the first half, he ripped said blazer off. Brent Musbergernoticed, too. Enjoy.
Tennessee spent the first half of Sunday's game against Florida showing that it knew two things about the outcome of this game: The winner would be tied with South Carolina for first in the SEC East and find themselves on the right side of the bubble watch heading towards the SEC Tournament.
The second half was a different story. The Gators outscored the Vols 42-34 in the final 20 minutes, cutting the lead to three points with 54 seconds remaining. But Tennessee managed to hold on for a 79-75 win, hitting just enough free throws to stave off the Gators.
NCAA Basketball tennessee Volunteers 
Kay Yow is still very much a presence in the North Carolina State women's basketball program.
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.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee forward Emmanuel Negedu will not play or practice during the 2009-10 season but will remain on scholarship after suffering sudden cardiac arrest last week. 
Last we saw Pat Summitt, she was knocking heads in Knoxville, running her demoralized Lady Vols team through a rigorous practice just days after the season was over. Yes, over.
Tennessee spent the first half of Sunday's game against Florida showing that it knew two things about the outcome of this game: The winner would be tied with South Carolina for first in the SEC East and find themselves on the right side of the bubble watch heading towards the SEC Tournament.
