College Basketball on Hoopville - News Archive

Holst Heads to Aggies: Former Montana head coach Don Holst was hired as an assistant coach at Utah State. Holst, who was an assistant under current Utah State head coach Stew Morrill for four seasons at Montana, led the Grizzlies to a 57-56 record in three seasons, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002. Holst was a high school coach in Montana for 12 years prior to joining the Grizzlies. [5/31/05]

Cyclones Tab Mennenga: Iowa State head coach Wayne Morgan announced the hiring of Michael Mennenga as an assistant coach. Mennenga spent the last five seasons as an assistant for the resurgent University of Buffalo. An alum and student athlete from Morehead State, Mennenga then was an assistant at Maine for four seasons, before moving to Buffalo. Mennenga replaces Darryl Sharp, who resigned last week to return to pursue opportunities in his native Minnesota. [5/31/05]

Pistol Pete Packing?: New Mexico State is in the midst of upheaval after a univeristy marketing plan suggested Pistol Pete, the gun totin' mascot receive a makeover, or even be put out to pasture. NMSU has already unveiled a new logo, and plans for Pete are uncertain. The current costume is allegedly decades old and has scared children. A national marketing firm will make a recommendation on Pete's fate in the coming weeks. [5/31/05]

Spartans Nab NBA Assistant: Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo announced the hiring of former NBA assistant coach Jim Boylen as an assistant on his Spartan coaching staff. Boylen, a Grand Rapids, Michigan, native and MSU assistant from 1987-1992, brings 13 years of NBA experience to the Breslin Center. He served 11 years as an assistant to Rudy Tomjanovich at Houston, and one-year stints at Golden State, and Milwaukee last season. His hiring fills the vacancy left by the departure of Doug Wojcik, who left for the head coaching job at Tulsa. [5/30/05]

Ball State Loses Assistant: Ball State assistant coach Scot Bunnell resigned from his position on Tim Buckley's staff in order to take over the head coaching position at Lafayette (Ind.) Jeff High School. Bunnell, who had been an assistant for the past seven seasons at Ball State, wanted to return to high school coaching for more at-home time with his family. Bunnell was referred to the position by former Ball State assistant Ron Hecklinski, who is the head coach at Anderson (Ind.) High School, and will be a rival of Bunnell's new school. The two were Ball State assistants in the 90's under Dick Hunsacker. [5/29/05]

Bonner to be a Minuteman: New UMass head coach Travis Ford has announced that West Virginia center Luke Bonner will transfer to the Minuteman program. Bonner, a 7-foot reserve from Manchester, New Hampshire, averaged just over 4 minutes per game for the Mountaineers this past season, averaging 1 point and 1 rebound per contest. Under NCAA transfer rules, Bonner must sit out next season but will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Luke is the younger brother of Toronto Raptors' forward Matt Bonner, who played college ball at Florida. [5/29/05]

Pooh Arrives in Wichita: Wichita State head coach Mark Turgeon announced the hiring of Alvin "Pooh" Williamson as an assistant coach for the Shockers. Last season, Williamson started as an assistant at Tulsa (his alma mater) and was the interim head coach when John Phillips resigned in December. Williamson had a 7-15 record in those games. Williamson, the starting point guard on Tulsa's back-to-back Sweet 16 teams in 1994 and 1995, has experience as an assistant at Illinois State, Tulane, and Washington State. [5/29/05]

Putting Life Before Basketball: UTEP guard Giovanni St. Amant announced that he will not return to school this season because he wants to return home to care for his ailing mother. St. Amant would have been a senior in 2005-06 and he one of the few players remaining who has been part of the Miners' renaissance. UTEP went from 6-24 during St. Amant's freshman season to two consecutive NCAA appearances. But St. Amant's mother became ill last year and spent six months in a Long Beach, Calif., hospital. [5/28/05]

Amaker Hires Two: Michigan head coach Tommy Amaker has announced the appointment of two new faces to the Wolverine coaching staff. Mike Jackson has been hired as an assistant coach after spending the past two seasons in that capacity at Dayton. Jackson previously was an assistant at Toledo for two seasons, and the University of Detroit (his alma mater) for five seasons. Dave Pilipovich was named as the program's administrative assistant. Pilipovich previously was an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan University for the past five years, and also has served at Robert Morris, Georgia State, and Florida Atlantic. [5/28/05]

Giddens Started It?: The Kansas City Star is reporting that witnesses have named Kansas sophomore J.R. Giddens as the primary instigator in last week's bar fight that led to his stabbing. Four witnesses claim Giddens and possibly as many as 10 other men attacked 24-year-old Jeremiah Creswell outside the Moon Bar near Lawrence. Creswell and other witnesses claim that Giddens confronted him, and that Creswell was beaten with fists, bricks and bottles, and kicked. He used a 4-inch folding knife to stab blindly at some of the attackers. Giddens, who averaged 10.1 per game last season, had an artery in his right leg severed in the fight, and will be on crutches for at least six weeks. Creswell required 12 staples to close a gash on his head, while two others were hospitalized for three and seven days, respectively, due to their injuries. [5/28/05]

Bzdelik Hires Three: New Air Force head coach Jeff Bzdelik filled out his coaching staff by announcing the appointment of three assistants. Larry Mangino remains as an assistant coach for his sixth season and will be joined by newcomers Jeff Reynolds, and Derrick Clark. Mangino was head coach at Ferrum College for four seasons and Clark University for five seasons, and was also an assistant at George Washington and Yale. Reynolds joins the Falcons after serving as an assistant at Tulane, UNC-Wilmington, and James Madison and also was head coach of D-II powerhouse Wingate (N.C.) University. Derrick Clark served as an assistant at Metro State for the past seven seasons, where the Roadrunners earned two D-II national championships. [5/27/05]

Anteaters Promote Chen: UC Irvine head coach Pat Douglass has announced the promotion of Steve Chen to assistant coach. Chen was video coordinator and administrative assistant for the Anteaters the past three seasons, and he replaces Todd Lee on the staff. Lee departed to accept the head coaching position at Kentucky Wesleyan (Owensboro, Kentucky). Chen was previously an assistant coach at Foothill High School from 1996-2001, while he earned a degree in Computer Science from Cal State-Fullerton. [5/27/05]

Villanova Elevates Two: Villanova head coach Jay Wright announced the promotion of two of his coaching staff members. Assistant coach Brett Gunning has been promoted to associate head coach, and Patrick Chambers, formerly coordinator of basketball operations, has been promoted to full assistant coach. Gunning has coached with Wright for eleven seasons, including seven at Hofstra, and was a student assistant at both Villanova and UNLV. Chambers has served as an assistant at Philadelphia University and at Philadelphia's Episcopal Academy, and replaces Fred Hill, who left Villanova in April. [5/27/05]

Thanks, But No Thanks: Memphis coach John Calipari politely declined the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers when they started to pursue the Tigers' coach. Calipari had spoke with Cavalier officials about the team's vacancy but decided to withdraw from the hunt. He returns to the Memphis sidelines for a sixth season after a failed attempt to be an NBA coach for the New Jersey Nets. [5/27/05]

Illinois State Dismisses Gordon: Illinois State has announced that Lorenzo Gordon, reigning Missouri Valley Conference newcomer of the year, has been dismissed from school for academic reasons. Gordon led the Redbirds in scoring and rebounding with a 16.3/6/5 split last season. Gordon, a St. Louis native, transferred from Mineral Area (Mo.) Community College before last season. His departure leaves only one starter from the RedBirds' 17-13 team. [5/27/05]

Former Razorback in Stabbing Incident: Former Arkansas Razorback Ali Thompson has been arrested and charged with felony battery. Thompson was arrested after getting into a fight with Farmington, Ark. resident Altorie Wheeler, 24. Both of the men were treated at Washington Regional Medical Center for stab wounds. According to a Fayetteville Police Department spokesman, Wheeler has an outstanding New Jersey warrant for "dangerous drugs." Meanwhile, this is Thompson's fifth scrape with the law since his playing days as a forward from 1995-98. A DUI with a suspended license ended his playing days for the Hogs in 1998, and Thompson then was arrested for forging a prescription for Xanax. 1999 saw the addition of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver charges, and an 18-month sentence for prescription fraud. [5/27/05]

Kennedy Leaves Southeastern Louisiana: Southeastern Louisiana head coach Billy Kennedy has announced his resignation in order to take the associate head coaching position at Miami (Fla.). Kennedy led the Lions to the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance last season with a 24-9 record. Kennedy had a record of 80-94 in six seasons in Hammond. [5/27/05]

Hornets Swap Assistants: Hoopville Senior Writer Nicholas Lozito is reporting that Sacramento State assistant coach Zac Claus has left the Hornets' coaching staff. Claus, who was an assistant for three seasons in Sacramento, is leaving to pursue other coaching opportunities. Claus was the team's big-man coach and recruiting director. Head coach Jerome Jenkins has announced the hiring of former UC Riverside assistant Bryant Moore to replace Claus. Moore returns to Sacramento where he was an assistant at Sheldon High School. [5/27/05]

Eagle Transferring to Purdue: New Purdue head coach Matt Painter has announced that Boston College forward Gordon Watt will be transferring to the Boilermakers program. Watt, who averaged 1.3 points in six games as a freshman last season is returning to be closer to his Evanston, Illinois hometown. He will have three years of eligibility remaining at Purdue after sitting out next season due to NCAA transfer rules. [5/26/05]

UConn Risks Losing Calhoun, Auriemma: The agents for Connecticut head coaches Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma have warned the state of Connecticut that they risk losing their vaunted head coaches if the state goes ahead in outlawing outside deals. The state, tightening the screws on statewide corruption after the downfall of former Governor John G. Rowland last year, is examining all high-profile state contracts. The coaches, who have seven national titles between them, risk losing high-income apparel and consulting deals with Nike, according to their agents, and may leave the school to head to different institutions. If the perks are banned, the state may have to chip in additional funds to make up the difference. [5/26/05]

Herrion Named Head Coach: New Hampshire has announced the hiring of Bill Herrion as head coach of the Wildcats basketball program. Herrion, who was recently fired as head coach at East Carolina, returns to the America East where he had much success as the head coach of then league member Drexel, leading the Dragons to a 167-71 record from 1991-1999. Herrion left his new position as associate head coach at Arkansas after only two month to take this position. Herrion also has experience as an assistant at Boston University and George Washington in the late 80's. [5/26/05]

Cal Bear Transfers to Fresno: New Fresno State head coach Steve Cleveland has announced that California forward Dominic McGuire will be transferring to the Bulldogs. McGuire averaged 7.2 points and 5 rebounds per game last season, averaging 24 minutes per contest. McGuire will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out next season due to NCAA transfer rules. [5/26/05]

Sycamores Add Assistant: Indiana State head coach Royce Waltman announced that Stan Gouard has been hired as an assistant on his Sycamores coaching staff. Gouard comes to Terre Haute after spending the past three seasons as an assistant at D-II Indianapolis, and was an assistant at his alma mater, Southern Indiana, for the previous year. As a player, Gouard led Southern Indiana to the D-II national title in 1995, and was a two-time NABC Player of the Year. [5/26/05]

Kimble Gets an Extra Year: The NCAA has announced that University of Texas-El Paso center will received an additional year of eligibility, and will play this upcoming season. Kimble, who started his career at Pepperdine in 2000, collapsed during a practice his junior season, and sat out a season after being diagnosed with the same heart condition that claimed the life of Hank Gathers. Kimble then received his doctor's clearance to resume his career, but Pepperdine would not give him clearance. Kimble then transferred to UTEP, but had to sit out an additional year due to NCAA transfer rules. [5/26/05]

Prioleau Jumps to Marquette: Marquette head coach Tom Crean has announced the hiring of Jean Prioleau as an assistant coach. Prioleau comes to Milwaukee after spending the past five seasons as an assistant at Wichita State, and also was an assistant at Fordham, his alma mater. Prioleau played professionally in the CBA, USBL, and in Switzerland, Italy, and Turkey. Prioleau replaces Bo Ellis, who resigned earlier this week to run a Chicago-area youth outreach program. [5/26/05]

Sharp Departs: Iowa State assistant coach Darryl Sharp has announced his resignation, citing personal reasons. Sharp, who has been an assistant for two seasons under Wayne Morgan, came to Ames from Minneapolis-area AAU club Howard Pulley. Sharp planned to return to Minnesota to spend more time with his family. [5/26/05]

Steinbrenner Wasn't Involved: Delaware head coach David Henderson has announced the resignation of assistant coach Billy Martin, to accept a head coaching and teaching position at Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, NC. Martin, who was an assistant for the Blue Hens for the past five seasons, is a North Carolina native, having graduated from UNC Wilmington and former high school coach at East Montgomery High School in Biscoe, NC. Martin's resignation is effective June 15th. [5/25/05]

Promotions in Chicago: Loyola-Chicago head coach Jim Whitesell has announced two changes to his coaching staff. Former coordinator of basketball operations Shay Boyle has been promoted to assistant coach, while Scott Riley will step in Boyle's old role. Boyle, who replaces Howard Moore, was an assistant coach under Whitesell at Lewis University for three seasons. Riley, who played and was a student assistant under Whitesell at Lewis in the 1990's, comes to Chicago after five seasons as an assistant at North Dakota. [5/25/05]

Mister Anderson . . .: Colorado head coach Ricardo Patton announced the hiring of John Anderson as an assistant on his Buffaloes' staff. Anderson comes to the Buffs after an 18-year career at Hillcrest High School in Memphis, where he had a 253-194 record. Anderson, a three-time winner of Tennessee's High School Coach of the Year award, replaces Jason Shelton, who resigned in March to take the head coaching position at Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, Tennessee). [5/25/05]

Ellis Leaves Golden...er, Marquette: Marquette assistant coach Bo Ellis has announced that he is leaving Tom Crean's coaching staff. Ellis, the captain of Marquette's 1977 national champion squad, is leaving at the end of June to captain a youth outreach program with the Chicago Public Schools, to help inner-city and at-risk students. Marquette is still in the throes of deciding what to name its sports teams come fall. [5/24/05]

Bears Appoint Former Lion: Northern Colorado head coach Craig Rasmuson announced the hiring of former Loyola Marymount assistant Richard Reed as a member of the Bears' coaching staff. Reed spent the past three seasons on Steve Aggers' staff for the Lions, and previously was an assistant at Cal Poly Pomona. The Bears again will be a D-I Independent for 2005-06, and will join the Big Sky Conference for 2006-07. [5/24/05]

Gaels Nab an Eagle: Iona head coach Jeff Ruland announced that former Boston College guard Steve Hailey will be transferring to the Gaels. Hailey, who played two seasons at BC as a point guard, averaged four points per contest last season. Hailey will sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Gaels also landed Kenny Jackson from Des Moines (IA) Community College. Jackson averaged 14 points last year, and will be eligible for the start of the season. [5/24/05]

Williford Joins Eagles: Jason Williford has been hired as an assistant on Jeff Jones' American University coaching staff. Williford comes to the Eagles after five seasons as an assistant at Boston University. As a player, Williford played four seasons under Jeff Jones at Virginia, and also was an assistant at Virginia Union for one season. Williford played professionally in both Korea and Iceland. [5/23/05]

Catamounts Name Two: Vermont has announced the hiring of two new assistants, John Sanow and Hajj Turner, to Mike Lonergan's coaching staff. Sanow has 17 years of coachiing experience, including eleven seasons at St. Francis (PA), and stints at D-II Gannon (Erie, PA) and the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. Turner worked with Lonergan last season at Maryland as men's basketball coordinator, and also has interned at the NCAA in Indianapolis. As a player, Turner played under both Denny Crum and Rick Pitino at Louisville, graduating in 2002. [5/23/05]

Delta Devils' Stribling Retires: Mississippi Valley State head coach Lafayette Stribling has announced his retirement. After coaching in the high school ranks for 26 years, Stribling took over the Delta Devils program in 1983, and amassed a 315-207 record in 22 seasons. He took the team to three NCAA Tournaments. A university spokesman stated that a replacement should be hired by mid-June. [5/23/05]

Prairie View Names Hawkins*: Prairie View A&M announced that assistant coach Darrell Hawkins will serve as interim head coach until a successory to Jerome Franics is found. Hawkins, a four-year letter winner at Arkasas, had just completed his third season under Francis for the Panthers. Hawkins also played professionally in the CBA, USBL, and overseas in Europe and Asia. Head coach Jerry Francis resigned April 29th after a 29-55 record in three seasons. [5/23/05]

Reynolds on Fire: A faulty transformer is to blame for the fire and subsequent evacuation of N.C. State's Reynolds Coliseum yesterday. A transformer on the east side of the building exploded and started a fire in the basement of the 56-year old facility, which burned for over an hour, and caused one Raleigh firefighter to be treated for minor injuries. Though the men's hoops program moved to the RBC Center several seasons ago, the facility is still used by the women's basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball teams, as well as athletics offices. [5/23/05]

Williams Suspended from Eagles: Boston College sophomore Sean Williams was suspended from the university yesterday following his arrest for marijuana possession. Williams, who averaged 4.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shot and was expected to start next season, pleaded innocent and is scheduled to appear in a pretrial hearing on July 8th. In a statement, the university stated that Williams was suspended for both the summer and fall semesters. He's the second Eagle to get into trouble this week, as Akida McLain was arrested in Pittsburgh for allegedly passing counterfeit $20 bills. [5/21/05]

Pierce Going to Chicago: Beleaguered former Iowa guard Pierre Pierce got a bit of good news yesterday when a judge ruled he could travel to Chicago for the NBA pre-draft camp. Pierce was dismissed from the Hawkeyes in January following charges of burglary, criminal mischief and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse against his former girlfriend. Dallas County District Judge Gregory Hulse waived the restriction on staying in Iowa so Pierce could attend the camp, but would not allow him to travel to California to train. Prosecutors argued against the move, citing Price's 323 phone calls to the victim in the past two months. The trial is scheduled for August 16th. If convicted of all counts, Pierce could face up to 56 years in prison. [5/21/05]

Buzz Hires Three: New Coastal Carolina head coach Buzz Peterson wasted no time in filling out his coaching staff, naming Ed Conroy, Jamie Kachmarik and Mike Boynton as assistant coaches. Conroy is no stranger to Peterson, having spent the past five seasons on Peterson's staff at Tennessee and Tulsa. Conroy also had stints as an assistant at Furman, VMI, and NC State (also with Peterson). He was a three-year starter for The Citadel. Kachmarik, a Bowling Green alum, stays on for his third season at Coastal Carolina. Previously he was an assistant at William and Mary, as well as video coordinator for Ohio State's Jim O'Brien in the late 90's. Former USC Gamecock Mike Boynton enters his first season as an assistant coach, after being graduate assistant at Furman last season. Boynton, a 2004 graduate of South Carolina, was a four-year letter winner for the Gamecocks, and ranks highly on many career lists at South Carolina. [5/20/05]

Lions Fill Out Staff: New Loyola Marymount head coach Rodney Tention filled out his Lions coaching staff yesterday, naming Brian Priebe, Calvin Byrd, and Steve Wachs as assistant coaches. Priebe, who stayed on after Steve Aggers was fired in March, enters his sixth season at LMU following four seasons as an assistant at Eastern Washington. Byrd joins the Lions after four seasons at Pacific as an assistant, and previously was an assistant at San Francisco. Byrd was a McDonald's All-American in 1989 and played at Villanova, and extended his career in Europe and the ABA. LMU alum Steve Wachs returns after spending six seasons as an assistant at Cal Poly Pomona, who reached the D-II Elite Eight. [5/20/05]

Middie joins Tulsa: Former Naval Academy letter winner Hassan Booker, 30, has been hired as an assistant for Tulsa. New head coach Doug Wojcik, who coached Booker at Annapolis, made the announcement. For the past two seasons, Booker, a lieutenant, was an assistant with the Navy's women's basketball squad while also instructing in advanced navigation. This is his first men's coaching position. [5/20/05]

Rebels add Grensing: UNLV head coach Lon Kruger has announced the hiring of former Creighton assistant Greg Grensing to his Runnin' Rebel coaching staff. Grensing, 47, started as an assistant with current Creighton head coach Dana Altman at Kansas State, both under Kruger. Grensing followed Altman to Creighton and the two worked together for the past 15 seasons. Prior to working in Manhattan, Grensing spent two seasons as an assistant at Idaho State, and two seasons at Pan American (now part of the UT system) under Kruger. A Kansas native, Grensing graduated from Southwest Texas State. [5/20/05]

Evening Madness!: The NCAA board of directors has approved a measure to move up the first practice for the 2005-06 season to be October 14th at 7 p.m. local time, thus doing away with the traditional Midnight Madness clock-watching. The measure, sponsored by the Pac-10, ensures that fans and players alike can get home at a reasonable hour, and it allows coaches to not waste a day and actually practice, instead of recovering from an event that ends at 2 a.m. Another key change passed was to allow players to play in exhibitions and still redshirt prior to the start of the regular season. [5/19/05]