College Basketball on Hoopville - News Archive

Price Pleads Not Guilty: Connecticut guard A.J. Price pleaded not guilty to charges of larceny in connection with the theft of four laptop computers from an athletic dormitory. Price has been charged with three counts of felony larceny and with lying to police, and is due back in court on Sept. 27. The redshirt freshman missed all of last season after nearly losing his life from a brain hemorrhage in October. He has not been medically cleared to play in the event he is cleared of charges and reinstated to the basketball team. [8/31/05]

Giddens Charged With Misdemeanor: Recent transfer J.R. Giddens was charged with misdemeanor batter and disorderly conduct stemming from a fight outside a bar in May. Giddens, who later left Kansas after two seasons at the school, was stabbed in the leg in the incident and needed 30 stitches. He is scheduled to appear in court next month. [8/31/05]

Terrapin Guard Arrested: Maryland guard Chris McCray was arrested early Sunday morning after being involved in an incident off-campus. McCray was charged with refusing to leave the scene of a fight (which took place between two groups) and trying to flee when police tried to handcuff him. The senior guard was released on personal recognizance. [8/30/05]

Wooden Ends Association With Award: Hall of Fame coach John Wooden is withdrawing his support for the John R. Wooden Award, presented annually to the college basketball's player of the year. The Los Angeles Times reported that his decision came after a disagreement over the use of his name, which arose when he allowed his name to be used for another award. Wooden told the paper that he will not contest the Los Angeles Athletic Club continuing to give out the award. [8/29/05]

Clemson Legend Zatezalo Passes: Clemson basketball Hall of Famer George "Butch" Zatezalo has died at his home outside of Pittsburgh. He was 57. Zatezalo, a 1970 graduate, still holds the school record with a 23.5 points per game average. He also held the school scoring record with 1,761 points, which was broken in 1990 by Elden Campbell. He was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988. The cause of death was not immediately known. [8/26/05]

Hoosiers Appoint Twigg: Indiana head coach Mike Davis has announced the hiring of Louis Twigg as men's basketball program administrative assistant. Twigg, a Temple graduate, joins the Hoosiers after two seasons at LaSalle as Director of Basketball Operations. Twigg also has worked in that capacity at College of Charleston, and was video coordinator and student assistant at Temple under John Chaney, and also was a team manager at Maryland under Gary Williams. [8/26/05]

Privateers' Barnes Leaves Program: New Orleans announced that senior guard Chad Barnes has left the Privateer basketball program. Barnes, a Loyola-New Orleans transfer, appeared in all 30 games last season, starting 24. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.5 boards per contest. Barnes will stay enrolled at UNO in order to concentrate on completing his degree. [8/26/05]

Bliss Gets a Coaching Job?: Former Baylor head coach Dave Bliss has been named the new head coach of the CBA's Dakota Wizards. Bliss, who resigned during the aftermath of the Patrick Dennehy murder investigation, was one of five candidates for the position to replace Casey Owens, whose contract was not renewed. In the last days of Bliss' Baylor program, he admitted to paying $40,000 for Dennehy and one other player's tuition under the guise of "scholarships," failed to notify school administration of failed player drug tests, and told players to tell investigators that Dennehy paid for his tuition by selling drugs. Last June, former Baylor player Carlton Dotson plead guilty to killing Dennehy in June of 2003, and is now serving a 35-year prison sentence. The Bismarck, N.D.-based team is owned by Steve McCormick. [8/26/05]

Bearcats Name Kennedy Interim Coach: As expected, Cincinnati named assistant coach Andy Kennedy interim head coach for the 2005-06 season. Kennedy replaces Bob Huggins, who is stepping down as UC's head coach after reaching a settlement with the university on the remaining term of his contract. Due to athletic director Bob Goin's resignation, effective January 1st, 2006, the school will allow the new AD to hire the head coach of their choice, though it is expected that Kennedy will be considered for the position. Kennedy has been a member of the Bearcat coaching staff for the past four seasons. Prior to coming to the Queen City, Kennedy was an assistant at South Alabama and Alabama-Birmingham, his alma mater. Kennedy also played for one season under Jim Valvano in 1987, and also played professionally in the NBA, and internationally in Greece, Spain, and Puerto Rico. [8/26/05]

Tennessee Creates SRO Section: At the request of new head coach Bruce Pearl, Tennessee will be removing over 200 folding chairs from the student section at Thompson-Boling Arena to create a new atmosphere for Vols home games. Designed for the pull-out seats in the west end of the arena, only the pep band will remain seated. Additional student seats will be moved around the Vols bench, closer to the floor. The move, similar to what Pearl did at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is designed to create a high-energy feeling among the student section. [8/25/05]

Bulldogs Hire Wormley: The Citadel head coach Pat Dennis has announced the hiring of Clyde Wormley to the Bulldogs' coaching staff. Wormley, a Citadel alum who graduated in 2003, previously worked with Dennis as a graduate assistant in 2003-04, and played professionally in Mexico last season. Wormley replaces Terry Parks, who resigned to become the head coach at Brevard Junior College in North Carolina. [8/25/05]

SEMO Lands Sooner Transfer: Southeast Missouri State has announced that former Oklahoma forward Brandon Foust has transferred to the Redhawk program. Foust, a top high school recruit out of Columbus, Ohio, played in 28 games for the Sooners as a freshman in 2003-04, averaging 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest. He left Oklahoma after five games last season, at the end of the fall semester. Foust will sit out this season under NCAA transfer rules and will have two years eligibility remaining beginning with the 2006-2007 season. [8/25/05]

Buckeyes Argue Against Penalties: In the school's formal (1,700 page) response to the NCAA, Ohio State argued that the school shouldn't be held liable for some of the violations former head coach Jim O'Brien committed. The school pointed to O'Brien as the guilty culprit, as he hid violations from the school during its internal investigation. In June 2004, the school fired O'Brien after it was revealed that he gave over $6,000 to recruit Aleksandar Radojevic, and that he and former assistant Paul Biancardi arranged to have player grades altered. Biancardi, now the ead coach at Wright State, has denied any wrongdoing. Last season, Ohio State self-penalized the men's basketball team by removing itself from the postseason, and announced that the team would have two fewer scholarships than the NCAA maximum of 13 for 2005-06. The NCAA will announce its findings on December 9th. [8/25/05]

Huggins Says Goodbye, Works on Buyout: Former Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins appeared at a rally sponsored by a local radio station to say a tearful goodbye to his fans. Huggins, ousted by University president Nancy Zimpher earlier this week, thanked supporters for 16 wonderful years, and praised his former teams for representing the university and the city of Cincinnati. Huggins' buyout will be settled next week, including the final sum owed Huggins and the terms of the three-month transition period to the new coaching staff and the school's introduction into the Big East Conference. The school is expected to announce on Friday that Huggins' top assistant, Andy Kennedy, will be the interim coach. [8/25/05]

Louisiana-Monroe Petitions NCAA: Louisiana-Monroe has announced that the school will appeal to the NCAA the new rule banning Indian names and imagery. The Louisiana-Monroe Indians are one of 18 schools listed by the NCAA determined to have a mascot that was "hostile or abusive." Two days ago Florida State won its appeal to the NCAA to use its Seminole mascot in NCAA postseason appearances. Prior to the NCAA edict, the school stopped the use of the Chief Brave Spirit logo and stopped referring to campus as "The Reservation," which can only help. The University of North Dakota, a D-II school with a D-I hockey program, announced it will also appeal the NCAA ruling. [8/25/05]

Charges Dropped Against Spartan Recruit: Former San Jose State recruit Lorenzo Keeler had statutory rape charges against him dropped on Tuesday in a Massachusetts court. Keeler, along with four other Winchendon School players, were accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in October of 2004. Charges in the incident were not filed until spring, after the basketball season and after the Spartans had offered a scholarship. San Jose State had his scholarship offer revoked after the arraignment in mid-June, due to the anticipated court commitments that Keeler, a 6-2 guard, was expected to face. Keeler, who was recruited by Creighton, Siena, and Kent State, is expected to attend a junior college this season. [8/25/05]

Lipscomb Lands Auburn Tiger: Former Auburn big man Ryan Daniel has announced that he has left the Tiger program, and has enrolled in classes at Lipscomb. Daniel, a 6-11 sophomore, played in 18 games for Auburn last season, averaging three minute of action per contest. Daniel will practice with the Bison as a walk-on this season while sitting out due to NCAA requirements. He will then be on scholarship for head coach Scott Sanderson for the 2006-07 season, with three seasons of eligibility remaining. [8/25/05]

Tip-Off Classic Set: The UMass Minutemen will host the Alabama-Birmingham Blazers in this year's installment of the Tip-Off Classic, set for November 27th in Springfield, Mass. UAB is coming off a strong season in which they advanced to the second-round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to Arizona. UMass will be led by first-year coach Travis Ford, and will be hoping to recapture the glory of their previous Tip-Off Classic appearance, defeating then-No. 1 Arkansas in 1994. [8/25/05] [9/19/05]

Huggins Goes Quietly: A day after Cincinnati told coach Bob Huggins that he must resign or be fired, the school's most successful coach opted for the former. Huggins walked away from the program where he has won 399 games, collecting what probably will be about $3 million in a buyout of his contract. But under Huggins, controversy consistently surrounded the program, from Huggins' drunk driving arrest last year to low graduation rates to multiple players facing legal trouble. In May, school officials made it clear that they would not renew Huggins' contract when it expired in 2007. The public lack of support hurt recruiting, so Huggins and his lawyer pushed for the school to reconsider. It did - and decided to make the coaching change sooner rather than later. Assistant coach Andy Kennedy is the frontrunner to become interim coach. [8/24/05]

Alleyne Has Hernia Surgery: Kentucky junior center Shagari Alleyene had surgery recently to repair a hernia, and he should be ready to practice with the team in mid-October. Alleyne averaged 2.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game last season, in addition to swatting 44 blocks. [8/24/05]

Illegally Fast: Arkansas senior point guard Eric Ferguson, who has started 63 games for the Razorbacks, was arrested because he did not pay a speeding ticket. Coach Stan Heath said he did not plan to issue a severe punishment but said he was disappointed that the senior had not taken care of his business. [8/24/05]

Nittany Lion Lands in the Bronx: Former Penn State guard Marlon Smith has transferred to Fordham, near his home in the Bronx, N.Y. Smith did not offer a reason for leaving the Nittany Lions, but he could use better luck at a new school. After finishing the 2003-04 season with honors as one of the best freshmen in the Big 10 and leading the team with 13.4 points per game, Smith suffered a partially blocked artery in his brain last season and spent nearly a week in the hospital. He missed the last 18 games of the season. Smith said he wanted to attend a school that would give him a better chance to contribute to an NCAA-bound squad. Although mentioning Fordham and NCAA Tournament in the same sentence would have been laughable in recent years, the Rams are improving under new coach Derreck Whittenburg. The team finished 13-16 last season and 8-8 in the Atlantic 10. [8/24/05]

Volunteer Reserve in Trouble: Tennessee senior forward Jemere Hendrix was arrested Aug. 13 for marijuana possession and driving without a license. He was released shortly after police booked him. Coach Bruce Pearl said the staff is awaiting a legal resolution before determining possible punishment. Hendrix joined the Volunteers in 2002 after starting his career at Clemson. He played in 28 games last year and started three. [8/24/05]

Walk-on's Scholarship Seals Fate of Recruit: Iowa senior forward Justin Wieck, a former walk-on player, will be on scholarship with the Hawkeyes this season, grabbing the 12th and final scholarship. Because Wieck received the final scholarship, freshman recruit Nathan Skinner will not have a scholarship and will not attend Iowa. Coach Steve Alford knew that Skinner was unlikely to qualify academically, so he didn't wait any longer to dole out the team's last scholarship. [8/24/05]

Bennett is Back at Ball State: Michael Bennett has returned to Ball State's basketball program as director of basketball operations after completing his playing career with the team in 2005. Bennett replaces administrative assistant Chard Briscoe, who left to become an assistant coach at Geneva College in Pennsylvania. [8/24/05]

Grasso Back at Quinnipiac: Former four-year starter Jared Grasso has returned to Quinnipiac as an assistant coach. Grasso has worked at Hartford as an assistant for the past two seasons, and he also worked at Hofstra as a graduate assistant. In four years at Quinnipiac, Grasso was captain twice and is fifth on the school's all-time leaderboard for assists. [8/24/05]

Wildcats Vague About Recruit's Status: Classes have started at Kansas State, and one conspicuous absentee is 7-1 center Sidiki Sidibe, a recruit from France. Coach Jim Wooldridge maintains that Sidibe will arrive on campus and play for the Wildcats this season, despite rumors that he has signed with a professional team in France. But school records indicate that Sidibe is not enrolled at Kansas State. Students have until Sept. 2 to register for classes, so there's still time. But the AWOL center will have some explaining to do even if he does show up before the cut-off. [8/24/05]

Gators Must Wait on Backcourt Help: Florida thought recruit Derwin Kitchen would help the Gators forget the loss of guards Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson. But Kitchen won't be able to join the team this fall because he does not have the mandatory academic accomplishment to earn a high school diploma in Florida. And without a diploma, the school won't accept Kitchen as a student. A talented guard, Kitchen plans to retake the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and could also take the SAT or ACT tests until he earns a high enough score. The current plan is for Kitchen to enroll at the school in the spring, but he probably will not contribute to the team this season. [8/24/05]

Sacred Heart's New 'Deli': Sacred Heart announced that Massachusetts center Jeff "Deli" Salovski has transferred to the school and will be eligible in 2006-07 after sitting out this coming season according to NCAA rules. At 6-11, 285 pounds, Salovski's nickname sounds appropriate. And Sacred Heart will have plenty of meat in the frontcourt when Salovski is eligible because the team recently added 7-0, 235-pound freshman Liam Potter from the United Kingdom. At Massachusetts, Deli averaged 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game as a reserve. [8/24/05]

Illini Get a Sharpshooter: Former Dayton backup guard Trent Meacham has transferred to Illinois to play for coach Bruce Weber and the Illini. Meacham averaged 6.4 points and 2.7 assists per game last year, playing in every game for the Flyers. He also shot 46 percent from three-point range, which will help Weber maintain a guard-oriented attack in years to come. Meacham must sit out this season according to NCAA rules for transfers. He will have three remaining years of eligibility starting in 2006-07. [8/24/05]

Former Jayhawk Faces Drug Charges: Former Kansas player Jeff Graves, who helped lead the team to the 2003 Final Four under then-coach Roy Williams, has been arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Graves' brother may also face drug charges. Graves will appear in court Oct. 13. [8/24/05]

Former Cyclone Charged With Abuse: Former Iowa State Cyclone Terry Woods, now co-owner of the Des Moines Heat, has been arrested for kidnapping and sexually and physically abusing a possible former girlfriend. Woods was arrested Aug. 6 after a woman checked into the Iowa Methodist Medical Center and said she had been sexually abused. The relationship between Woods and the woman is unclear, but they apparently know each other. [8/24/05]

Your Choice: Cincinnati officials have told coach Bob Huggins he can leave on his own or by force. The school said Huggins has 24 hours to resign or it will fire him. Officials sent a letter to Huggins, informing him that they no longer wanted his leadership on the sidelines.

Huggins' tenure has been successful but troubled. Last summer, he was arrested for drunk driving, and his team has had several discipline problems. Under Huggins' watch, the Bearcats have violated NCAA rules more than once and faced probation. The timing of the school's decision is curious, however, as the coaching carousel stopped spinning long ago, Cincinnati prepares to join the mega-conference known as the Big East, and the school will have to dig to find a good new coach quickly. [8/23/05]

NCAA Backs Down: After weighing the argument presented by Florida State, NCAA officials have decided to remove the Seminoles from a last of teams that use "hostile" or "abusive" American Indian nicknames. They said the school demonstrated an amicable relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which approves the use of the nickname and logo. Florida State had been on the NCAA's original list and threatened to sue the NCAA if it did not recognize the school's long-standing relationship with the tribe. Utah is another school preparing to file an appeal with the NCAA. The school has approval from the Ute tribe [8/23/05]

Bama Backcourt Nearly Non-Existent: Alabama's starting lineup could feature only one guard and four forwards this season thanks to defections and academic problems. The latest hit came when JuCo transfer Ray George was deemed academically ineligible. Alabama also lost Kennedy Winston, who left for the NBA Draft, and Earnest Shelton, who graduated. The only swingmen on the roster favor the small forward position rather than shooting guard. The larger roster could create match-up problems for both the Crimson Tide and their opponents. But the lack of any natural shooters means that the Tide cannot afford to fall behind. And they can't afford foul trouble from point guard Ronald Steele. [8/23/05]

Tucker Back At It: Texas junior forward P.J. Tucker will return to the team this season now that he is academically eligible. Tucker missed the last 14 games of last season because of academic issues. He provides the Longhorns with an immediate game-changing option. Tucker averaged 13.7 points and eight rebounds per game last year. His return cements the Longhorns' spot in the top 10 to start the season. [8/23/05]

Ram Granted Sixth Year: Colorado State forward Freddy Robinson will be able to play two more seasons because the NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility. Robinson's season ended with an Achilles' tendon injury after he played only six games. He had been granted a fifth year because of medical hardship after he missed the 2002-03 season with a back injury. [8/23/05]

Colonel to Join Other Forces: Eastern Kentucky coach Jeff Neubauer announced that guard Zach Ingles has left the Colonels and Eastern Kentucky and will transfer. Ingles was a JuCo newcomer last year and led the team in three-point field goals and free-throw shooting. He averaged 11.7 points per game. Without Ingles, the Colonels have three returning starters from a team that won the Ohio Valley Conference and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 26 years. [8/23/05]

Former Crusader Returns to Valpo: Valparaiso coach Homer Drew has hired Ivan Vujic as an assistant coach. Vujic averaged 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a Crusader from 1998-2000. During Vujic's two seasons as a player at Valpo, the Crusaders reached the NCAA Tournament both seasons. [8/23/05]

Duquesne Roster Doesn't Go According to Plans: As Duquesne students arrive on campus for the fall semester, two would-be Duke players won't be there. Vandrell Rivers has been released from his commitment to attend Duquesne because he hasn't met NCAA standards for JuCo transfers. And walk-on Dave Mazza has opted to transfer. Duquesne also announced that former walk-on Adam Souply, a senior guard, will have a scholarship this coming season. [8/22/05]

Razorback Newcomer Will Wait: Ryan McBride, a junior transfer from Monterey Peninsula College in California, will sit out all of this coming season to catch up on SEC academic requirements. Coach Stan Heath knew McBride would not be eligible for the first semester and decided to redshirt him for the entire season rather than rushing him into the lineup during the spring semester. [8/22/05]

Cooke Lands at Colorado State: Former Virginia Tech point guard Marquie Cooke will next play at Colorado State after the Hokies kicked him off the team for unspecified reasons. Cooke averaged 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game as a freshman. Although Virginia Tech officials did not offer any specific reasons for dismissing Cooke, coach Seth Greenberg said he did not abide by the team's standards. [8/22/05]

Cougar Reserve Seeks New Start: Freshly cleared of several drug-related charges, College of Charleston forward Tavon Nelson has decided to transfer to another school, leaving behind the bad karma at Charleston. Nelson played in every game last season for the Cougars, averaging 2.6 points and three rebounds per game. He had been charged of drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine near a school and possession of a firearm during a crime. [8/22/05]

Greer Joins Brother in NBA: Wright State assistant coach Larry Greer has left the school to work for the Houston Rockets as a scout. His brother works for the Rockets as an assistant coach. Greer has been at Wright State for the past two years. He has also worked as an assistant at Boston University, Boston College and Brandeis University. [8/22/05]

Pierce Admits It: Former Iowa Hawkeye Pierre Pierce avoided a jury trial by pleading guilty to sexual abuse, third-degree burglary, criminal mischief and false imprisonment. Amid jury selection for his trial, Pierce decided to plead to charges that do not include a possible 25-year sentence for first-degree burglary. Pierce had been charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend in January. A judge will sentence him Oct. 14, when prosecutors and Pierce's lawyers will argue about the appropriate punishment for his crimes. [8/22/05]

Ducks Aren't Going Anywhere For a While: With the estimated cost continuing to rise, construction of the proposed new sports arena at the University of Oregon has been put on hold. The plan is still there to build it, but no date has been set, meaning the Ducks will continue to play at McArthur Court for the foreseeable future. [8/21/05]

Appeals Process for Mascots Outlined: The NCAA outlined the appeals process for schools that want to use Native American nicknames and mascots in postseason play, with the first review scheduled for next week. Appeals will go through a committee chaired by NCAA senior vice president for governance and membership Bernard Franklin, then could be reviewed by the NCAA's executive committee. A key factor will be support from "namesake" tribes that has approved the use of the nickname or mascot. [8/20/05]

Ducks Shake Up Staff: Oregon hired Yasir Rosemond as director of basketball operations and returned Mark Hudson from that position to that of assistant coach. Hudson served in Rosemond's new position for the past four seasons after four seasons as an assistant coach at the school. Rosemond played at the school from 1997-99 and had taken a position as an assistant at Portland State in the spring, but was more than happy to return to his alma mater. He spent the past two seasons at Redlands Community College, where he coached three junior college All-Americans. [8/19/05]

Blue Devils Hire Sparks: Central Connecticut hired Chris Sparks as an assistant coach, adding someone with plenty of New England ties. A 1999 graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Sparks held assistant coaching positions at the University of New England, Rhode Island College and Brown University before spending last year as the Director of the Eastern Invitational Basketball Clinic in Neptune, N.J. [8/19/05]

Clarke to Become a Miner, Butler Won't: UTEP has gained St. Louis transfer Darren Clarke, while Temple transfer Keith Butler had considered the Miners before opting for DePaul. Clarke, a 6'5" guard from Minnesota, averaged 3.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in his only playing season at St. Louis, and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after he sits out this season. [8/19/05]

Charlotte Adds Benson to Staff: Chuck Benson has joined the staff at Charlotte as Director of Basketball Operations. Benson has served as an assistant coach at Tennessee in two different stints, most recently from 2003 to 2005. He also spent seven seasons as head coach at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn. [8/19/05]

Former West Coast MVP Dies: Kenyon Jones, the MVP of the West Coast Conference in 1999-2000, died at age 27. Eurobasket.com reported that a heart attack was the cause of death, but a spokesman for the University of San Francisco, where the 6'10" center played for one season after three years at the University of California. After finishing his career at USF, he played four seasons in Greece's top professional league. [8/19/05]

Toledo Hires Grant: Toledo hired Michael Grant as an assistant coach, adding a man who has had two head coaching jobs among his college coaching experience. He was most recently head coach at Southern University for two seasons, posting a 26-31 record. That followed seven seasons as head coach at Central State in Ohio, where he posted a 126-94 record and led them to three postseason appearances. [8/18/05]

Richardson Joins ODU Staff: Old Dominion hired John Richardson to be its first director of basketball operations. Richardson joins the staff after a successful stint at Woodside High School in Newport News, Va., where he was the head varsity coach for the past three seasons and won two Virginia AAA State Championships. He also served as a varsity assistant and junior varsity head coach at the school, while also coaching at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. in 1999-2000. [8/18/05]

NCAA Says Arkansas State Can Stay: The NCAA certified Arkansas State to remain in Division I without conditions, after a two-year review process. The school properly managed its $9.4 million athletic budget last year and met other requirements, including adding two women's sports and enough scholarships to meet gender equity requirements. ASU President Les Wyatt praised the entire process, feeling the school also improved in areas outside of the requirements they had at the outset. [8/18/05]

Big Man Leaving Hoosiers: Freshman center Lucas Stejin has decided to leave Indiana for a junior college. The native of the Netherlands redshirted last season, when he did not play in the first 11 games and was declared academically ineligible for the second semester. He has not decided on a school. [8/18/05]

Moore to Become a Colonial: Clemson wing Cheyenne Moore has decided to transfer to George Washington. Moore, a 6'5" freshman wing, played all 32 games for the Tigers with 17 starts, averaging 6.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. The highlight of his season was a game-winning three-pointer with 3.4 seconds left in overtime against South Carolina. [8/17/05]

Wohlleb to Leave Thundering Herd: Forward Casey Wohlleb will transfer from Marshall, according to head coach Ron Jirsa. Wohlleb played in 27 games in his freshman season, averaging 2.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, and is the second Marshall player to transfer this offseason. His transfer leaves the Thundering Herd with six returning players from last season and seven newcomers this season. One newcomer, freshman Darryl Merthie, could wind up having to sit out the year due to academic eligibility issues. [8/17/05]

Dukes Add One, Move One on Staff: Duquesne added Glenn Gutierrez to its staff as Coordinator of Men's Basketball Operations, and named Rodney Perry, who held that spot for the past two seasons, as an assistant coach. Gutierrez spent the past five seasons as an assistant at Eastern Michigan under Jim Boone, who he also worked for at Robert Morris from 1996-2000 and California University of Pennsylvania from 1987-96. [8/17/05]

Schwab Moves On: Over a year after receiving a life-saving double-lung transplant, Trey Schwab will leave his job as a special assistant at Marquette to become outreach coordinator for organ procurement at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, where he received the transplant. He will leave on September 2. Schwab endured a long wait on the regional organ-donor list, needing the transplant because of an incurable lung disease. He then needed emergency open-heart surgery after the transplant due to a blood clot that resulted from a reaction to medication. [8/17/05]

A Sign of Bad Things?: A Tennessee graduate assistant made a color sign for a high school player who was to make an unofficial visit to the school in mid-June, then posted it beside the locker room in Thompson-Boling Arena. That act was determined to be a secondary violation, which the school reported to the Southeastern Conference on July 1. As a result, a member of the staff must now approve recruiting materials, and head coach Bruce Pearl and the graduate assistant were admonished in letters from the athletic director. [8/17/05]

Huskies Suspend Point Guards: Connecticut suspended point guards Marcus Williams and A.J. Price after their arrest in connection with the theft of four laptop computers. Williams, a junior, and Price, a redshirt freshman, face four counts of third-degree larceny. The Associated Press reported that police said Williams and two others tried to sell the computers, which have been recovered, at several locations in Manchester. Williams and Price are free on $10,000 bond and face an August 23 court date. [8/17/05]

Mitchell Joins UC-Riverside Staff: UC-Riverside hired Michael Mitchell as their director of basketball operations after a 14-year career playing abroad. Mitchell, who played at Fresno State before finishing at Colorado State in 1989-90, played in Australia, Germany, France and Ireland, representing the Irish National Team in 2001 and 2002. [8/17/05]

Chaney to Become a Hoosier: Utah wing Richard Chaney has decided to transfer to Indiana, where he will be reunited with former interim head coach Kerry Rupp, now an assistant at Indiana. Indiana would not confirm the transfer on Tuesday. Chaney, who will have one year of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2005-06 season, started 15 games last season and averaged 7.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He missed seven games with a broken hand. [8/17/05]

NCAA Buys NIT: Amidst a trial with claims of an NCAA monopoly, the NCAA opted to purchase the NIT for over $56 million. The money, over $40 million of which is for the sale of the preseason and postseason NIT and another $16 million to end the antitrust litigation, will be paid over a 10-year period. The sale was announced at a news conference held at Madison Square Garden, which will remain the host of the semifinals and finals of both tournaments for at least the next five years. The trial had started on August 1 and figured to go through most of the month. [8/17/05]

Huskies' Backcourt Takes Another Hit: Connecticut junior point guard Marcus Williams joined teammate A.J. Price as the Huskies' latest members of the Huskies’ backcourt to find legal trouble. Police arrested Williams and charged him with four counts of third-degree larceny. According to police reports, Williams tried to sell four laptop computers at a pawnshop, whose employees recognized Williams when he entered their store. The computers had been found in Price’s dorm room, and the sophomore point guard denied initially denied knowing of their presence, despite evidence that demonstrated he also tried to sell them.

Williams and Price figure to be the top two players on the Huskies’ depth chart at point guard. Fellow guard Antonio Kellogg was kicked off the team earlier this year after he was arrested for marijuana possession and assaulting a police officer. [8/16/05]

Razorbacks Solidify Heath's Position: Arkansas officials granted coach Stan Heath a one-year contract extension, assuring that Heath will lead the Razorbacks through 2010. The extension provides stability to a program that has been in flux for the past several years. Heath added experience to his staff this off-season by hiring former Akron coach Dan Hipsher. The team has the pieces in place to make a run at an NCAA Tournament bid. [8/16/05]

Kazimir Joins Wright State: Wright State has hired Dennis Kazimir to be the school's administrative assistant for men's and women's basketball. Kazimir has most recently worked as director of AAU tournaments for the Hoop Group in New Jersey. At Wright State, Kazimir takes over the position vacated by Ed Lansford, who left the school to teach. [8/16/05]

Hopkins Pays for NBA Consideration: SMU senior guard Bryan Hopkins will not play until December after flirting with the NBA this past spring. Hopkins is academically ineligible, and he attributes his struggles to the distraction of preparing for a run at the NBA Draft. He decided to return to school to try to improve his statistics after leading the Mustangs with 17.9 points per game last season. SMU plans to move Hopkins from point guard to shooting guard this season. [8/16/05]

Shockers End Ties With Former Sun Devil: Wichita State will no longer pursue former Arizona State forward Keith Wooden because of academic issues. School officials said Wooden has not communicated with the coaching staff to find a way to become academically eligible. He has had academic issues and was deemed ineligible for this past spring semester at Arizona State. A highly touted recruit in high school, Wooden had the potential to bolster the Shockers’ program. [8/16/05]

Jones Adds Three New Staff Members: Columbia head coach Joe Jones hired Andrew Theokas, Joe Conefry and Rob Kurzinsky to complete his staff for the upcoming season. Theokas comes to Columbia after working at Massachusetts for the past four years. Conefry has worked for the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Rider and Hofstra. And Kurzinsky has been coach of Rockland Community College for the past five years. [8/15/05]

NIT Continues Battle Against NCAA: Former St. John's coaching legend, Lou Carnesecca, testified in the NIT's case that the NCAA has violated antitrust regulations. Carnesecca said he was unaware of the rule that required teams to choose the NCAA Tournament over all other tournaments for several years. He remembers being able to choose to attend the NIT in the 1950s. But Carnesecca also acknowledged the thrill of the NCAA Tournament, saying its popularity skyrocketed in 1979 when Magic Johnson and Michigan State went toe to toe with Larry Bird and Indiana State.

Also, NIT lawyers introduced evidence from 50 years ago that demonstrated the NCAA sought to force schools to attend its tournament and not the NIT. Records from a 1957 NCAA committee meeting show that officials wanted to threaten nine schools if they did not comply. They considered retaliating against stubborn schools by banning them from NCAA team events. [8/15/05]

Aggies Lasso New Logo: As part of a larger marketing campaign, New Mexico State will unveil a new mascot this fall - Pete. The mascot, plain ol' Pete, replaces Pistol Pete because school officials decided to remove the firearm in favor of a lasso. The mascot formerly known as Pistol Pete - surprise, surprise - featured a cowboy holding a pistol. Officials said they did not make the change because of public pressure to remove the weapon from products but rather because the new image looked best among a number of proposed designs. The school also opted to only use crimson and white on sports uniforms, eliminating all black trim. [8/14/05]

Florida State Strikes Back: Baffled and angered at its inclusion on a list of schools with "hostile" or "abusive" nicknames or logos, Florida State responded to the NCAA Executive Committee by issuing an ultimatum for the committee to repeal the decision. School officials sent a notice to the NCAA committee demanding that it rescind Florida State’s inclusion on the list by Aug. 29, when classes start for the fall semester. If it doesn't happen, the school will likely move forward in a potentially ugly legal battle.

A notable development is the apparent use of wrong information by the committee. The NCAA placed Florida State on the list in part because of objections from other Seminole tribes. Florida State has approval from the Seminole Nation of Florida to use the tribe's likeness for logos and nicknames. The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma voted earlier this summer not to object to American Indian nicknames or logos. So the NCAA's argument doesn't hold water on that accusation.

Florida State has a cordial relationship with the tribe, including scholarships for tribe members, a plan to build a model of a chicktee village in Tallahassee, a pledge to help in the effort to build a Seminole history museum and the impending addition of a course on Seminole history. [8/13/05]

Price Arrested at UConn: The career of Connecticut sophomore point guard A.J. Price remains unstable as police arrested him for charges of larceny and lying to police. Price denied he knew that four stolen computers were in his room, but incriminating text messages show that he and two others tried to sell the computers. Considered one of the top recruits from last year’s class, Price missed all of last season because of a brain hemorrhage. Connecticut officials have not commented on Price’s status on the Huskies. But if the charges hold, Price could serve five years in prison. [8/12/05]

Towson Point Guard Chooses Butler: Former Towson point guard Mike Green has opted to transfer to Butler. In two seasons at Towson, Green averaged 33.4 minutes per game. Last season, he averaged 11.9 points and 4.3 assists per game. He led Towson in assists and was second on the team in scoring in each of the past two seasons. Butler gains a solid point guard to help the Bulldogs remain a perennial power in the Horizon Conference. [8/12/05]

Former Owl Killed in Philly: Former Temple forward Micheal Blackshear was shot to death in Philadelphia. An unknown person shot the vehicle that contained Blackshear and his cousin, then sped away in a dark-colored vehicle. Blackshear was hit once in the head and died. His cousin took him to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where police found the cousin, who tried to escape the scene. Police captured him and searched the vehicle for clues. Blackshear averaged 2.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for Temple before transferring to Cheyney earlier this year. [8/12/05]

Florida State Prepares for Battle Over Nickname: Days after the NCAA ordered 18 schools to drop "hostile" and "abusive" nicknames and logos in NCAA tournaments, Florida State took the first steps toward fighting their inclusion on the list. Florida State trustees voted to appeal the decision, and NCAA officials said they would gladly hear the appeal. But if they don’t decide in favor of Florida State, the school’s trustees have approved legal action. Florida State uses Seminole symbols with approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, schools officials said. In addition to Florida State, Utah also respectfully uses American Indian symbols, according to a member of the Ute tribe who is also executive director of Utah's Division of Indian Affairs. [8/11/05]

Wooden Award List Centers Power in East: Not surprisingly, the pre-season Wooden Award list has a distinctive East Coast flavor. The Big East leads all conferences with nine names on the list, while the ACC is second with eight. Lute Olson and other West Coast advocates cannot be too upset, however, because the Pac-10 received seven selections. Meanwhile, the SEC seems poised for another weak season, as it weighed in with only four names on the list – the same number as the Atlantic 10.

The list of 50 will be trimmed to 30 in mid-January. The All-American team will be announced March 28, and the award to the country’s best men’s college basketball player will be handed out April 8. Some of this year’s frontrunners include Duke’s J.J. Redick, Illinois’ Dee Brown, Texas’ Daniel Gibson, Connecticut’s Josh Boone and Boston College’s Craig Smith. Although they likely won’t receive national recognition unless their team’s pull off St. Joseph’s-like perfect regular seasons, Louisiana Tech’s Paul Millsap and La Salle’s Steven Smith – both on the pre-season list -- are two of the best players you probably don’t know. Try to catch them in action this year if you get a chance. [8/11/05]

Curry Rehabs Knee: Oklahoma State's lone returning starter, sophomore guard JamesOn Curry, had exploratory knee surgery Aug. 10 and will need a few weeks of rehabilitation. Curry averaged 9.4 points and 2.8 assists per game last season for the Cowboys. He will be a critical contributor in Oklahoma State’s attempt to maintain its recent success. [8/11/05]

Referee Management Dream Team in the Big South: The Big South has collected three referee veterans to lead its Referee Management Team. John Guthrie will lead the team as coordinator of men's basketball officials. He held the same position for the SEC for 25 years. Guthrie has been coach of Georgia, George Washington and Ogelthorpe University. Joe Forte – not of Tar Heel infamy - and Nolan Fine join Guthrie on the team. Forte is a graduate of High Point, a Big South school, and has been an NBA referee for 17 years and NCAA referee for 12 years. He officiated in the NCAA Final Four, NBA Finals and an Olympic Gold Medal game. Fine has 16 years of NBA experience in addition to years of officiating in the ACC. [8/11/05]

Governor Blasts NCAA: Florida Gov. Jeb Bush criticized the NCAA yesterday, saying that officials had insulted both the university and Seminole Indians by calling the nickname "hostile" and "abusive." According to the Associated Press, Bush announced, "I think they insult those people by telling them, 'No, no, you're not smart enough to understand this. You should be feeling really horrible about this.' It's ridiculous. How politically correct can we get? The folks that make these decisions need to get out more often." Bush also said the NCAA must have better things to do than sit around worrying about the nicknames adopted by its member institutions. The NCAA has stated that non-Florida Seminole tribes were against the use of the nickname and logo. The university plans on appealing the NCAA's decision to ban all American Indian mascots at all NCAA tournament events starting Feb. 1. [8/10/05]

Bobcats Add Fenske To Staff: Texas State head coach Dennis Nutt has announced the hiring of Charlie Fenske to his Bobcat coaching staff. Fenske, who was an assistant at Lamar last season, brings 30 years of coaching experience to San Marcos. Previously, Fenske was an assistant at Arkansas State for seven seasons, where he coached with Nutt, at Union College in Barbourville, Ky., Oklahoma State and Idaho State, his alma mater. Fenske also coached Nutt as a player during 10 seasons as an assistant at TCU from 1979-89. Fenske will serve as defensive coordinator and will oversee recruiting. [8/10/05]

Lynch Joins Cardinals Staff: Ball State head coach Tim Buckley has hired former Southwest Missouri State assistant Steve Lynch to his Cardinals coaching staff. Lynch replaces assistant Scot Bunnell, who departed in July to become head coach and assistant athletics director at Lafayette Jefferson High School. In his nine seasons at SMS, Lynch helped the Bears and current Iowa head coach Steve Alford to an overall record of 170-117, including eight Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships. Lynch also coached with Alford at Manchester College, where he played for three seasons. He and Buckley met at one of Alford's basketball camps in 1990. [8/10/05]

Holmes Hired at Lamar: Lamar head coach Billy Tubbs has announced the hiring of assistant coach Kermit Holmes. Holmes played for Tubbs at Oklahoma from 1989-91 and earned team MVP honors in 1991 after averaging 14.8 points per game and leading the team in rebounding at 9.3 rebounds per game. Holmes has been coaching since 2000 with the Athletes First AAU team and Midwest City (Okla.) High School. As a player, Holmes played in the CBA for seven seasons and played internationally in France, Mexico, and Turkey. [8/10/05]

Former Assistant Claims Breach: Abar Rouse, the former Baylor assistant coach who brought down the scandal-plagued Dave Bliss era at Baylor, is now suing his attorney, claiming a violation of attorney-client privilege. Rouse, now an assistant coach at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, alleges that Waco attorney LaNelle McNamara violated their compact by releasing copies of his audio recordings to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In the summer of 2003, Rouse secretly recorded Bliss telling some players to falsely portray Dennehy as a drug dealer. At that time Dennehy had been missing for five weeks, and teammate Carlton Dotson was being questioned in Maryland regarding his disappearance. Bliss resigned two weeks later, after Dennehy's body was found outside Waco. New head coach Scott Drew did not retain Rouse for his coaching staff. Last month, Dotson pleaded guilty to killing Dennehy and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Rouse alleges that McNamara acted negligently and is seeking $1.5 million in damages. Since the incident, Rouse has lost income and has had difficulty getting coaching positions because of his alleged reputation as a snitch. [8/10/05]

Wildcat Appears in a Different Court: Former Northwestern guard Brandon Lee was arraigned yesterday on charges of burglary and credit card fraud. Lee and former NU student Jessica L. McElroy allegedly stole credit cards and electronics from the Foster-Walker dormitory in July and then used the credit cards to make fraudulent online purchases. Being geniuses, the merchandise was then sent to McElroy's apartment, where postal inspectors recovered the goods. Both are currently out on $25,000 bail and are scheduled to appear in Cook County Circuit Court in Skokie Sept. 6. Lee, who was released from the Northwestern squad last week, got into trouble earlier this season, getting suspended twice for violations of team rules. [8/10/05]

Wild Wildcat Weekend: The University of Arizona has announced the lineups for the upcoming Lute Olson All-Star Classic Weekend in Tucson, scheduled for Aug. 14. Wildcat alumni attending include current NBA players Gilbert Arenas (Wizards), Richard Jefferson (Nets), Andre Iguodala (76ers), Damon Stoudamire (Grizzlies), Salim Stoudamire (Hawks), Jason Terry (Mavericks) and Luke Walton (Lakers). Ex-players such as Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott will also participate, and former guard Jason Gardner will become the fourth player in school history to have his jersey (No. 22) retired, joining Mike Bibby, Kerr and Elliott. [8/10/05]

Former Ohio Big Man Killed: Former Ohio University two-sport athlete Fred Cluff was killed in a two-vehicle accident Monday morning. He was 59. Cluff, a 6-7 hoops forward and right-handed pitcher on the baseball squad, played three seasons for the Bobcats from 1965-1968 and averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per contest as a starter over his career. He pitched in 11 games in two seasons, missing the 1968 season because of injuries. Cluff's wife and daughter were hospitalized in the accident, and his two grandchildren were treated and released. [8/10/05]

Wildcat Accused of Rape: A Lexington, Ky., woman filed a criminal complaint stating that she was raped by a former Kentucky basketball player at the university's Wildcat Lodge in April. The woman is accusing the former player of drugging her and then raping her on the afternoon of April 20. A police spokesperson said the suspect told police that he and the woman had consensual sex. The suspect's identity has not been revealed, however the agent for former Wildcat Chuck Hayes said his client has been notified of the investigation.

The woman first came forward in late April, then refused to cooperate in early May, resulting in the investigation being dropped. However, in early July, she came forward, and Lexington Police were able to interview her, resulting in 300 pages of transcription. Fayette County Attorney Margaret Kannensohn said she expect to have the case reviewed and a recommendation on probable cause within the next week. A judge will then determine if the case will proceed. [8/9/05]

Bluejays Name Muhleisen Manager: Creighton head coach Dana Altman has announced the hiring of Jake Muhleisen as a graduate manager. Muhleisen, a Lincoln, Neb., native, spent the past four seasons as a starter for Nebraska and graduated in May with a degree in Finance. He'll be taking classes toward his MBA at Creighton this season. The first three-year captain in Nebraska history, Muhleisen started all but two games of his injury-plagued career. He is a two-time first-team Academic all-Big 12 selection. [8/9/05]

Seminoles' 'Coach' Pavy Passes: Florida State basketball pioneer James Samuel "Coach" Pavy has died at the age of 82. Pavy scored the first points for Florida State's men's basketball program in 1946, the year it changed from an all-women's school to co-ed. Pavy, a World War II veteran, went on to play three seasons for the Seminoles. He coached four high school teams to Florida state championships in ten seasons and then spent 32 years as a coach at Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Fla. [8/9/05]

Former Quaker Returns to Bench: Pennsylvania head coach Fran Dunphy has announced the hiring of Shawn Trice as the Quakers' new volunteer assistant coach. Trice, a 1995 Penn grad and two-time All-Ivy player, has spent the past seven years as a sports coordinator for the YMCA in Detroit. Trice averaged 7.7 points and six rebounds per game in his career as a center/forward for Penn and was part of Penn's three undefeated Ivy seasons, including the 1994 team that upset No. 6-seeded Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament. Last season's volunteer assistant, Matt Langel, was promoted to a paid position to replace Gil Jackson, who left to become the head coach at Howard. [8/9/05]

Rebels to Honor Tark: University of Nevada - Las Vegas officials have announced that the basketball court at the Thomas and Mack Center will be named in honor of former head coach Jerry Tarkanian. "Tark the Shark," coached the Rebels for 19 seasons from 1973-1992, and had a 509-105 (.829) record during that time, never having a losing season. Tark's UNLV teams advanced to the NCAA Final Four four times, and won the 1990 national championship. Tarkanian posted a 729-201 record over 31 seasons, with the seventh-highest winning percentage and 12th most victories. Tarkanian was the second fastest coach to reach 700 career wins, behind only Kentucky's Adolph Rupp. The court will be dedicated Nov. 26, during the Rebels' game against Nevada. [8/9/05]

Stewart Joins NABC Ethics Committee: UC-Davis head coach Gary Stewart has been added to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Ethics committee. Stewart led the D-II powerhouse Aggies into D-I two seasons ago. Active in the NABC during his 20-year coaching career, Stewart was previously a member of the NABC Assistant Coaches Board of Directors. The committee, which was created 18 months ago to identify and solve college basketball coaching issues, consists of 18 coaches, including Kansas' Bill Self and North Carolina's Roy Williams. [8/9/05]

Two Wildcats Won't Return: Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody announced that Brandon Lee and Gary Lee will not return to the team next season. Brandon Lee, who played in 10 games as a freshman in 2004-05, is facing criminal charges in connection with a series of burglaries at a school dormitory after being arrested Monday. He was charged with four counts of residential burglary and four counts of unlawful use of a credit card. He was released on $25,000 bond and has an Aug. 10 court date. Gary Lee had academic struggles while at Northwestern and did not play any games as a freshman in 2004-05. [8/8/05]

Floyd Fills Out Staff: New USC head coach Tim Floyd announced his staff, which will consist of Phil Johnson, Rudy Hackett and DeMarlo Slocum. Johnson was most recently head coach at San Jose State for three seasons, his second stint as the school's head coach. He and Floyd have past history, as he was an assistant coach under Floyd for the NBA's Chicago Bulls. Hackett, an AP All-American at Syracuse in 1975 when his team reached the Final Four, was most recently assistant coach and dean of discipline at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif. Slocum was an assistant coach at Dixie Junior College in St. George, Utah last season after two seasons as an assistant at Georgia Southern. [8/8/05]

Muriel Killed in Car Accident: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi player Jeffrey Muriel was one of four people killed in a car accident in Ft. Worth. Investigators said that a pickup truck crossed lanes and crashed into a Chevy Caprice, which Muriel was driving along with three passengers, all of whom were also killed. A rising sophomore, Muriel played in 18 games last season, starting six. [8/8/05]

Rattlers Cited for Lack of Institutional Control: Florida A&M was cited for a lack of institutional control by the NCAA after numerous violations were found in an investigation. In all, the NCAA's notice of allegations listed 184 instances where athletes participated without meeting NCAA eligibility requirements, most of which occurred under former athletic director Jonathan Evans. The school can review the charges and respond up until September 5, and the NCAA Committee on Infractions is scheduled to hear the case during its October 14-16 meetings. [8/8/05]

Panaggio Joins Golden Eagles' Staff: Marquette hired Dan Panaggio as an assistant coach after four seasons as an assistant coach with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. The native of Rochester, New York has head coaching experience in the CBA, as he was head coach of the Quad City Thunder for nine seasons and won championships in 1994 and 1998 before spending the 1999-2000 season as an assistant coach at Indiana. [8/8/05]

Pecora Will be at Hofstra Longer: Hofstra has extended head coach Tom Pecora's contract through the 2009-10 season, as he was given a new five-year contract. Under the fourth-year head coach, the Pride has improved its record in the Colonial Athletic Association every year, culminating thus far with its 12-6 mark this past season. Sparked by wins in their first nine games, the Pride went 21-9 this past season and earned a berth in the NIT. [8/8/05]

Brand's Contract Extended: The NCAA Executive Committee has voted to extend the contract of NCAA President Myles Brand. The current vote was for two more years, then on an annual basis for the indefinite future, running through December 31, 2009. Brand first took office on January 1, 2003, and the Executive Committee can exercise an option to extend it further as early as 2008. [8/7/05]

Mangiapane Passes On: Long-time college basketball referee and former New York Knick Frank Mangiapane died at age 79. His wife said that a ruptured abdominal aorta was the cause of death. Mangiapane played with the original New York Knicks in 1946 after a career at New York University that included two trips to the NCAA Tournament. After his playing days, he was a college basketball referee in the New York area for over twenty years. [8/7/05]

Mascot Ban Begins in February: The NCAA will begin its ban on Indian mascots in its tournaments in February of 2006. The executive committee decided it did not have the authority to take further action against the schools. Florida State, one of 18 schools with mascots the NCAA deems "hostile or abusive", is threatening legal action. Major college football teams would not be affected since the Bowl Championship Series, not the NCAA, controls the postseason tournament in that sport. [8/7/05]

Krystkowiak to Coach Chinese Team: Montana head coach Larry Krystkowiak is coaching the Beijing Ducks, a Chinese team planning an exhibition game in Milwaukee on August 9. Joining him is former New York Knicks head coach John McLeod, as the team prepares to take on the Midwest USA Team composed of college stars at the Bradley Center. [8/6/05]

Bulls Add Heck to Staff: Buffalo hired Kevin Heck as an assistant coach after he spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Rutgers. This will not be Heck's first stint in the MAC, as he spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Kent State and two at Eastern Michigan. The native of Rossford, Ohio has helped his teams make seven postseason appearances. [8/6/05]

Miners Head For Spain: Texas-El Paso left for Spain and the Canary Islands, where they will spend the next eight days. During that time, they will play four games in the Canary Islands against foreign clubs, and head coach Doc Sadler cited the importance of new players like transfers Edgar Moreno and Tremaine Fuqua getting game experience along the way. [8/6/05]

Huger Joins Longwood Staff: Longwood University hired former Bowling Green star Michael Huger as an assistant coach. Huger recently spent 12 seasons playing overseas, the last nine in Belgium for three different clubs, and also coached and mentored a junior basketball program from 2001-05. The native of New York City played at Bowling Green from 1989-1993, twice earning Mid-American Conference honors and being a Naismith Award nominee in 1993 when he averaged 16.0 points and 4.1 assists per game. [8/6/05]

Hoosier Assistant Heads South: Indiana assistant Thad Fitzpatrick has resigned to accept an assistant principal position at Brookwood High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala. For Fitzpatrick, it is a return to the city where he spent six seasons prior to spending the last two as an assistant with the Hoosiers, and it is also a return to his wife and children, who stayed there while his daughter finished high school. Prior to his time at Indiana, Fitzpatrick was assistant principal and head basketball coach at Hillcrest High School, where Hoosier sophomore forward D.J. White attended. [8/6/05]

NCAA Turns Hostile Toward Abusive Nicknames: The NCAA executive committee ordered schools with “hostile” or “abusive” American Indian nicknames or logos to stop using them by February. The NCAA banned such images from post-season play. Also, offending mascots would not be welcome at tournaments, and band members and cheerleaders must change their uniforms by 2008. Florida State and Illinois are the highest profile of 18 programs with nicknames and logos that don’t pass the NCAA’s test.

Meanwhile, some activist groups sought more stringent action. The National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, for example, wanted the NCAA to issue a complete ban on American Indian imagery to cut off revenue generated from merchandise sales. The NCAA cannot force schools to change their nickname, but it is making life difficult. Offending schools cannot host future NCAA tournament games, and the NCAA encouraged schools not to schedule opponents with hostile or abusive nicknames and mascots. [8/5/05]

Logo and Nickname Fallout: Florida State officials expressed frustration and confusion about the NCAA’s decision to ban “hostile” and “abusive” American Indian nicknames or logos because the school has approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The NCAA counters that the school does not have permission from other Seminole tribes, and therefore, they must change their nickname and mascot. Florida State officials intend to take the matter to court if the NCAA doesn’t back down.

Meanwhile, the sports nation has been quick to shoot holes in the NCAA’s crusade to remove hostile and abusive American Indian imagery from the game. A Baltimore Sun story published a list of merchandise available on the NCAA’s Web site from teams with offending nicknames or logos. Blogger Jerry Palm sent an e-mail to the NCAA – which went unanswered – that questions why the NCAA does not consider the Rebels of Mississippi offensive to African-Americans. He also lists other nicknames like the Highlanders, Spartans, Trojans and Fighting Irish as potentially ethnically hostile. Other cynical comments – yet valid to some degree – question whether the NCAA will cave to PETA if the animal rights organization complains about the use of nicknames and logos that could be interpreted as cruelty toward animals. [8/5/05]

NIT’s Knight in Shining Armor: In the midst of an uphill battle against the NCAA, the National Invitation Tournament may have found its savior in Texas Tech coach and NCAA icon Bob Knight. NIT officials have filed a case that the NCAA has created a monopoly with its NCAA Tournament, and Knight agrees. He testified that the NCAA is a monopoly and has been trying to destroy the NIT for decades. A winner of three NCAA Tournament championships and one NIT championship, Knight said he might opt to take inexperienced teams to the NIT if he could choose between that post-season tournament and the NCAA Tournament. But NCAA rules require all teams to accept invitations to its tournament. That rule is the heart of the case. To add to the intrigue of Knight becoming the patron saint of the NIT, NCAA president Myles Brand fired Knight when he was president of Indiana. [8/5/05]

Jackets Reward Hewitt’s Success: Happy with the recent success of the program, Georgia Tech officials extended coach Paul Hewitt’s contract by one year. Hewitt will remain the Yellow Jackets’ leader through the 2010-11 season. In five seasons, he has led Georgia Tech to a 96-66 record and took the team to the 2004 championship game. Last year, Georgia Tech lost to Louisville, a Final Four contestant, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. [8/5/05]

Reality Check on Knight: Texas Tech coach Bob Knight will be the star of a new reality show in which one Texas Tech student will have the opportunity to walk on to the Red Raiders during the 2006-07 season. The show will feature Knight’s usual regimen of drills, conditioning and instruction. Although many viewers will be watching in hope of witnessing an infamous Knight rant, the show offers an opportunity for college basketball fans to better appreciate the countless hours of hard work that student-athletes undergo in preparation for the season. Even walk-ons, who frequently play only a handful of minutes in an entire season, must sweat a few buckets to claim their spot on the team. [8/5/05]

NCAA Committee Gives Teeth to Academic Rules: In addition to the mascot controversy, the NCAA executive committee added stronger penalties to the new academic standards. If a team falls below the standards based on the new scoring system, it will receive a warning first. A second consecutive year of non-compliance would produce restrictions on scholarships, recruiting and playing time. Three consecutive years would initiate a ban on post-season play. And four years would mean that all teams at the school are ineligible for post-season play.

On the other hand, the NCAA will reward teams that consistently excel in the classroom with public recognition and additional money. Significant improvement will also receive special recognition.

The NCAA also tweaked the academic point system. It will not penalize schools if an athlete leaves because of situations like a death of a family member or the elimination of a program or major at a school. However, the NCAA will not make exceptions for players that leave a school because of a coaching change. Schools won’t lose a point if a player is academically eligible when drafted, and they can receive a bonus point if a drafted player returns to complete his or her degree. [8/5/05]

Relph Back on Bonnies: St. Bonaventure reinstated sophomore point guard Tyler Relph after he had been suspended since April for driving while impaired. A judge cleared him of a driving while intoxicated charge, giving him a lesser offense. Relph’s license has been suspended for a year. The West Virginia transfer is expected to be the Bonnies’ starting point guard. He will sit out the team’s first game against Robert Morris Nov. 18. [8/4/05]

Buffalo Cuts Ties to Hall: Sophomore guard Wallace Hall is off the Buffalo team because of conduct detrimental to the team. Coach Reggie Witherspoon would not elaborate about the decision. Hall had been suspended since April because he was charged with possessing and selling marijuana. Playing sporadically last season, Hall averaged only 0.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. [8/4/05]

Albany Hires Recent Grad: Albany coach Will Brown completed his staff by hiring Jeremy Friel as director of basketball operations. Friel played for New Hampshire from 2002 to 2005 and graduated in May. He will be responsible for administrative duties, videotape exchange, travel coordination and summer basketball camp management. [8/4/05]

Pitt Adds Pirate to Backcourt: Pittsburgh prepared for the future by adding East Carolina’s scoring leader from last season. Mike Cook transferred to the Panthers after averaging 15 points, four rebounds and three assists per game last season as a sophomore. He requested a transfer after the Pirates fired coach Bill Herrion and hired Ricky Stokes. Cook must sit out this coming season according to NCAA rules for transfers, but he will be a welcome addition in the backcourt after senior point guard Carl Krauser graduates next year. [8/4/05]

Trojans Excel in Classroom When It Counts: Faced with the prospect of not playing during the 2005-06 season, several USC players passed summer school courses to regain eligibility for the fall semester. Guards Lodrick Stewart, Gabe Pruitt and Nick Young all took and passed summer classes after struggling academically last year. Freshman point guard Ryan Francis also took summer school, but he must wait for the NCAA Clearinghouse to certify his eligibility.

The eligibility of several important backcourt players will help new coach Tim Floyd rebuild the Trojans’ program. He has one more vacancy on his staff, and rumor has it that former San Jose State coach Phil Johnson is the frontrunner for that spot. [8/4/05]

Duck Goes for Three: Oregon guard Jordan Kent, son of coach Ernie Kent, will try to add a third sport this fall by trying out for the Ducks’ football team. As a track star and basketball contributor, Kent possesses the mix of speed and size that makes for an intriguing wide receiver prospect. Kent will test his ability to contend for a significant role on the team. If he doesn’t appear likely to contribute in either of his two remaining seasons, he will focus on track and basketball. [8/4/05]

Cowboys Host BCA Invitational: Wyoming will be the host for this year’s BCA Invitational, which will also include Charlotte, Alabama State, Butler, Coppin State, Lehigh, Northwestern and UNC – Wilmington. The Cowboys will be one of the favorites to win the invitational, in which each team will play three games. Charlotte will likely contend with Wyoming for the title. The tournament will run Nov. 13-15. [8/4/05]

Mizzou Tells Merchants to Steer Clear of Athletes: Missouri officials initiated a pre-emptive strike by warning merchants in Columbia, Mo., to remember that the NCAA bans special treatment for student-athletes. That means that merchants ranging from local car dealerships to restaurants cannot provide anything free to the Tigers’ players. An internal audit indicates that the school made such warnings several times in the past few years. It states that although no proof of violations by local merchants exists, suspicion is present.

The report also criticizes the university’s poor graduation rate for student-athletes, which decreased from 62 percent in 2003 to 58 percent in 2004. The report briefly mentions the reforms initiated by the basketball team following the Ricky Clemons scandal, which led to the removal of one assistant coach accused of providing gifts to players, including Clemons. The audit is part of a standard 10-year evaluation, which Tiger officials must submit to the NCAA by Oct. 15. [8/3/05]

NIT Goes Trust Busting: In attempt to resurrect the No. 2 post-season tournament, the financial backers of the National Invitation Tournament are suing the NCAA because they believe it has “willfully, deliberately set out to get a monopoly.” The five schools that back the pre-season and post-season NIT tournaments are Fordham, Manhattan, St. John’s, Wagner and New York University.

In response, the NCAA’s lawyers argue that the presidents of those schools are merely trying to get more money for their schools at the expense of the nearly 1,000 other schools that participate in NCAA tournaments. The current system has been in place since the 1960s when the NIT agreed to let the NCAA pick teams first for its tournament. The NCAA now requires schools to participate in only one post-season tournament, which NIT lawyers say establishes a monopoly. NCAA officials have considered repealing the rule, but they fear organizers of another tournament, including the NIT, could potentially create rigged tournaments that would produce the most attractive national championship game. [8/3/05]

Brown to Remain Top Dog an Extra Year: Albany rewarded the work of coach Will Brown by extending his contract by one year through 2006. He has been the Great Danes’ coach since 2002 after serving as interim coach in 2001. Albany had its best finish in the America East conference last season by finishing 9-9. With two all-conference players returning this fall, the Great Danes are one of the favorites to win the America East. [8/3/05]

Turiaf Moves to Recovery Stage: Former Gonzaga center Ronny Turiaf has returned to Spokane, Wash., to rehabilitate following heart surgery to repair an enlarged aortic root. Turiaf was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA Draft in June. Last season, Turiaf averaged 15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game. [8/3/05]

Big Blue Madness Envelops Rupp Arena: Kentucky’s version of the celebration that coincides with the first official practice of the season will move from Memorial Coliseum to Rupp Arena this fall. Big Blue Madness will pour into the Wildcats’ larger facility because Memorial Coliseum’s capacity has shrunk from 8,700 to 5,600 because of construction. The move also happens to mark the 30th birthday of Rupp Arena, which seats 23,000. Wildcat officials said they do not plan to make the change permanent, adding that this year is merely an experiment. [8/3/05]

Bad Blood Spills Into Court: The Kansas/Missouri rivalry is taking a legal turn as a trespassing trial has been delayed until Dec. 21. During the Tigers’ home game against the Jayhawks last March, three Kansas students bickered with the off-duty Columbia police chief, who attended the game as a fan. Chief Jack Watring took exception to the Kansas students’ sign, which read “Call it what you want, it’ll always be Allen Fieldhouse East.” The banner referenced the dispute at Mizzou about renaming Paige Arena to Mizzou Area. The arena is named for Paige Laurie, the daughter of a multimillion-dollar donor. But Laurie apparently paid a USC student to finish her coursework.

According to the Kansas fans, Watring argued with the students, then ordered Andrew Wymore to be removed. Officials say he attempted to re-enter the arena, hence the trespassing charge. District attorney officials have offered Wymore, a future law student at UCLA, a plea bargain of $50, which he refuses to accept because he said that would require an admission of guilt. He’s willing to wait until Dec. 21 to start the trial to defend his innocence. The trial must wait because the prosecution’s primary witness was out of town when the trial was supposed to start and Wymore must soon report to UCLA for the upcoming fall semester. Wymore had better hope that Kansas’ recent success in Columbia extends to the court of law. [8/3/05]

Richardson vs. America?: Although former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson lost in his last court appearance – a lengthy trial in which he claimed wrongful termination and accused Razorback officials of racism – he may soon get to take on the entire country. Panamanian Basketball Federation officials are considering hiring Richardson, but the deal is not final, despite reports that he will coach the team in the Bolivarian Games. A Panama basketball official said Enrique Grenald is leading the team for now, but the country would like to hire Richardson, if they can afford him. Richardson said he only expects enough compensation to cover living expenses. If Richardson becomes coach of Panama’s team, he would lead the squad in the Tournament of the Americas, which starts Aug. 24. Panama is in the same group as the United States. [8/3/05]

Former DePaul Coach Hopes Success Extends to New NBDL Franchise: The NBA is seeking to strengthen the NBA Developmental League by adding several new franchises, including a new team in Tulsa, Okla., dubbed the 66ers. Former DePaul coach Joey Meyer will be the 66ers’ coach. He has led the NBDL team in Asheville, N.C., to back-to-back titles. He also compiled a 231-158 record in 13 seasons as coach of the Blue Demons. The other new NBDL sites include Little Rock, Ark.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; and Fort Worth, Texas. [8/3/05]

Chippewa Legend Edwards Passes: Central Michigan Hall-of-Famer Don Edwards passed away last Saturday night. He was 61. Edwards, who was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus last fall, passed away in his home in Grand Rapids. "The Animal" Edwards played for four seasons (1962-66), and was team captain and MVP his junior and senior seasons. He led CMU to two conference titles, and set 24 records his senior season. Edwards' number 54 was retired in 2000, and was an inaugural inductee into the CMU Hall of Fame in 1984. [8/2/05]

Blazers Appoint Daniels: Alabama-Birmingham head coach Mike Anderson announced the hiring of Jeff Daniels (not the actor, we hope) as the Blazers' Director of Basketball Operations. Daniels was previously head coach at University of Montevallo (Ala.) for eight seasons (his alma mater), and most recently was an assistant at Valdosta State. Daniels played one season with Anderson at Jefferson State Community College in 1979-80. [8/2/05]

Two Forwards Depart Blue Raiders: Middle Tennessee State has announced that junior forwards Keith Christmas and Alex Weekes are transferring from the Blue Raider program. Weekes averaged 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season, while Christmas averaged one point and 1.2 rebounds in 16 games. Weekes' production was down from a solid freshman campaign when he started nine games, averaging 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest and leading the team with 25 blocks. No announcement was made as to their destination. Christmas and Weekes join Jonathan Loe, Bryan Smithson, and Darrio Scott as outbound transfers from Mufreesboro this offseason. [8/2/05]

Tide Rolls to D-II: Officials at the University of Alabama have announced that redshirt freshman center Shawn Taylor will be transferring to Chipola Junior College (Marianna, FL). The 6-11 Taylor played in 11 games last season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds. He will be eligible for this coming basketball season. Taylor is one of four scholarship players to transfer this offseason, joining Akini Adkins, Albert Weber, and Glenn Miles on the road out of Tuscaloosa. [8/2/05]

FAMU Self-Imposes Penalties: Florida A&M officials have announced that they will impose a one-year postseason ban on its men's basketball team, and elimination of one assistant coach as part of the widespread NCAA violations uncovered in an internal investigation completed in June. The upshot: Over 200 violations in 12 varsity sports over a seven-year period have been discovered, including allowing over 100 ineligible student-athletes to compete. The school has stripped itself of 28 football scholarships and 10 other scholarships, and has forfeited 11 MEAC Conference titles. The NCAA will complete its investigation this fall, but when the term "lack of institutional control" is used, it's never a good thing. [8/1/05]

Former Bobcat Pleads Guilty: Former Montana State point guard Frank Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of rape as part of a plea bargain that may allow him to avoid prison. Brown was arrested on November 23, 2004 on three counts of rape of a 15-year old girl. One count was later dropped. Montana State officials immediately suspended him from the squad, and he has been living in Las Vegas with his parents after posting a $20,000 bond. Prosecutors in Bozeman, Montana, have agreed to subject Brown to psychosexual evaluation, to determine if he can be treated in a community setting, or if further treatment is required, which would then lead to a trial. Brown could then face up to 100 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. [8/1/05]

Green Named To Sooner Staff: Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson announced the hiring of Jerry Green as the Sooners' director of basketball operations. Green is the former head coach at both Tennessee and Oregon, and had a 89-36 record at Tennessee, and a 72-70 record at Oregon. Green, whose contract was bought out by Tennessee in 2001, had been retired the past four seasons. Green has also been an assistant at Kansas, and at North Carolina-Asheville before becoming head coach during the school's transition to Division I. Green replaces Joshua Prock, who was hired as an assistant coach at Kentucky Wesleyan. [8/1/05]