 |
We look back at the Providence Jam Fest, which was live for the first time in seven years. |
 |
Sam looks back at the career of Albany's Jon Iati, one that wasn't simple at any point in time. |
|
|
Another Kingwood Classic is in the books, and this one had a little different feel than prior ones. |
 |
Ray shares some words of wisdom that a former college coach offered at a recent camp. |
|
|
Sam checks in with more off-season news and notes, plus some analysis, from around America East. |
|
|
Our first look at grassroots basketball this spring came from the Northeast Hoops Festival in Connecticut. |
|
|
With the season over, Sam looks at some odds and ends within America East. |
|
|
Ray recaps the final three NIT games, where one team dictated tempo but came up short against a driven senior. |
|
|
We take a look at some players who caught our eye at a recent Adidas Junior Phenom Camp. |
 |
Davidson's great run in the NCAA Tournament came to an end on Sunday after nearly continuing just a little longer. |
|
|
The coaching carousel is ready to spin a little faster, but the reality is that changing a coach may not change much. |
|
|
Ray looks at a new book on the most intense rivalry in women's college basketball. |
|
|
Jay checks in from Detroit and now knows who an emerging star is, and offers some coaching thoughts. |
|
|
In the second round games in Bridgeport, it was the Big East women over those of the Big 12. |
|
|
In a battle featuring seniors, a couple of freshmen shined but a senior stole the ball and the game. |
 |
Zach shares a tale thinking about Davidson's super shooter, who's continuing what his father once did. |
|
|
Hoop Mountain held the first Greater Boston All-Star Game in more than a decade on Saturday. |
 |
Bill offers his list of the toughest places to coach and win, with a common theme in several of them. |
Iowa's Leading Scorer Transfers After Feeling Disrespected: Iowa junior guard Tony Freeman will transfer to another school after feeling that coach Todd Lickliter disrespected him in a post-season meeting. Freeman, who led the Hawkeyes with 13.8 points per game last season, was the Hawkeyes' only all-conference team selection. He said Lickliter told him that he did not fit in the Hawkeyes' plans for the future, adding that the coach asked about his grades and whether he considered transferring. After that meeting, Freeman decided to leave the school. [5/08/08]
Arizona Boots Simon From Bench: Arizona will not keep assistant coach Miles Simon on coach Lute Olson's staff, opting not to renew his contract. Simon had been working on a year-to-year contract since 2005. The school did not give a reason for his departure, and Olson said he never comments on personnel matters. [5/08/08]
Pearl and Two Volunteers Part Ways: Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl has kicked sophomores Duke Crews and Ramar Smith off the team. Pearl said the dismissals are the culmination of several problems that each player has had. Smith averaged 7.4 points and 3.2 assists per game last season, and Crews added 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game after overcoming a heart condition that forced him to miss some time. Crews and Smith will transfer to another school, Pearl said. [5/07/08]
Crean Won't Welcome Back Bassett and Ellis: Indiana coach Tom Crean said he will not reinstate Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis, upholding a decision by former interim coach Dan Dakich. Dakich dismissed the players because they missed an appointment and refused to run laps as punishment. With nearly every major contributor from last season gone, Crean will have a completely clean slate in Bloomington. [5/07/08]
Huggins Signs 11-Year Contract: West Virginia coach Bob Huggins signed an 11-year contract that will pay him $1.5 million per season to coach his alma mater. Huggins agreed to a five-year offer sheet when he became the Mountaineers' coach last year, but he did not sign an official contract. The contract will include a $4 million buyout if Huggins decide he wants to leave before the contract expires. He led the Mountaineers to a 26-win season and Sweet 16 appearance in his first season. [5/06/08]
Hoosier Doesn't Go Quietly: Indiana freshman forward Eli Holman will transfer from the Hoosiers to another school. While informing new coach Tom Crean of his decision, Holman became upset and knocked over a potted plant in the coach's office. Crean and his staff called the police because they felt Holman was a danger to himself. After police talked to Holman and he calmed down, he left without any charges. Holman averaged 1.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in only 7.5 minutes per game. With Holman leaving, Crean is down to eight scholarship players for next season. [5/06/08]
Lofton Dealt With Cancer Before Season: Tennessee senior guard Chris Lofton had surgery and radiation treatment in spring 2007 to treat testicular cancer, which doctors found after Lofton was selected for a random drug tests. During the evaluation, doctors found high levels of a hormone that led them to the cancer diagnosis. Lofton started the 2007-08 season, and coach Bruce Pearl said he attributes that to Lofton's off-season treatment. By the end of his senior season, Lofton had 431 three-pointers for his career, which is good for third all-time in NCAA history. [5/06/08]
Cougars Give Bennett a Raise: Washington State gave coach Tony Bennett a raise, bumping his salary to $1 million a year and extending his contract through 2015. One of the hottest young coaches in the country, Bennett has led the Cougars to back-to-back 26-win seasons and NCAA Tournament berths. Washington State has returned to respectability after being a perennial bottom feeder in the Pac-10. Bennett is still one of the lower paid coaches in the conference, but he works in a smaller market in Pullman, Wash. [5/06/08]
Buckeyes End O'Brien Saga: Ohio State closed a long and contentious chapter of its team history by paying Jim O'Brien $2.74 million for improperly firing the former coach in 2004. Ohio's Supreme Court ordered the university to pay O'Brien after determining that the school violated the terms of O'Brien's contracts by firing him abruptly in 2004 after learning of recruiting violations he committed while recruiting a Serbian player whose family had fallen into hard times. [5/06/08]
Jaguar Scoring Specialist Enters Draft: IUPUI junior guard George Hill submitted his name for the draft before the April 27 deadline. The Jaguars' leading scorer averaged 21.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and led IUPUI to a 26-7 record. Hill said he will not hire an agent, so he can return for his senior season if he withdraws by June 16. [5/06/08]
Alabama State Player Dies: Deshean Porchea, a sophomore at Alabama State, died after collapsing as he walked off the court following a pick-up game on campus. Porchea, 19, never regained consciousness. He averaged two points per game last season.
[5/01/08]
UCSB Assistant to Leave for San Francisco: UC Santa Barbara assistant coach Danny Yoshikawa is taking a similar position at San Francisco, where he will work under his childhood friend, recently appointed coach Rex Walters.
[5/01/08]
NCAA Said It Followed Limit on Beer Ads: The NCAA, which has a self-imposed limit on 60 seconds of beer advertising for every televised hour of competition, said it followed those guidelines during the Final Four. More than 100 college presidents and athletics directors signed a letter claiming they had broken the limit. However, the NCAA official said it only would have exceeded the limit if advertising from pre-game and halftime shows were taken into account. The NCAA said the policy only covers the competition itself.
[5/01/08]
Stanford Brings In A New Duke: Johnny Dawkins spent the last nine seasons being the head assistant coach for Duke before being hired as Stanford's head coach. He is replacing Trent Johnson, who was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year last season. Although Dawkins has no previous head coaching experience, he was the Blue Devils' top assistant and the right-hand man of Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Cardinal finished 28-8 last season and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001.
[4/30/08]
Memphis Head Coach Signs Extension: Coach John Calipari will remain Memphis' coach through the 2012-13 season after signing an extension that will pay him $2.35 million a year. His contract includes an annual raise of $500,000 and a $5 million bonus for staying to the end of the contract. Coach Calipari led the Tigers to a Division I record of 38 wins while receiving his second Naismith National Coach of the Year award. Calipari and his staff will be starting over as Memphis' entire starting five has entered the NBA Draft this year.
[4/30/08]
Hansbrough Transfers to Notre Dame: Ben Hansbrough informed Notre Dame coach Mike Brey of his decision to transfer to the university Monday night after visiting South Bend, Ind., this past weekend. Hansbrough is the younger brother of National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough. Tyler's younger brother will sit out this upcoming year and will be eligible for the 2009-10 season.
[4/30/08]
Legendary Coach Dies: Will Robinson died Monday at age 96. He was the first black Division I coach and was known for discovering Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman while scouting for the Detroit Pistons. Robinson broke through the racial barrier when he was named coach of Illinois State in the the 1970s. He scouted for the Pistons for 28 years, and the team renamed its locker room after him en route to their third title during the 2003-04 season. He had been sick for 15 months and had been in a nursing home for more than a year.
[4/30/08]
Marquette Guard Declares for NBA Draft: Jerel McNeal will enter his name into June's NBA Draft, but he will not hire an agent, leaving room for the possibility of his return to school. McNeal averaged 14.9 points and 4.9 assists per game this past season for Marquette.
[4/30/08]
UCLA Gets a Big Return: Darren Collison announced Saturday that he would return for his senior season as UCLA's point guard. This is big news for the Bruins after losing freshman phenom Kevin Love along with Russell Westbrook to the NBA Draft. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute also declared for the draft but he might return because he is not guaranteed to be a first-round pick. Collison averaged 14.5 points and 3.8 assists per game this past season and will be at least one returning starter for the Bruins.
[4/30/08]
USC Loses It's Second Top Scorer: A source close to Southern California forward Davon Jefferson told CBSSports.com that he will place his name in the NBA Draft. He will hire an agent to confirm that he will not be returning to USC. Jefferson averaged 12.1 points per game and will join USC's other top scorer, O.J. Mayo, in June's draft.
[4/30/08]
Another Tar Heel Tests the NBA Water: North Carolina forward Danny Green approached coach Roy Williams with his father to inform him that he wanted to enter the NBA Draft after the decision of his teammates. The Tar Heels' sixth man will not hire an agent to keep his eligibility if he decides to return to school. Green was second on the team in three-pointers with 56 shots made beyond the arc.
[4/30/08]
Young Returns: Pittsburgh's Sam Young will return for his senior season after considering entering the NBA Draft. Young decided that his team has a shot at something special with the players that are returning. Young averaged 18.1 points per game and was selected as the most improved player in the Big East last season.
[4/30/08]
Grant to Transfer to Miami: Guard Malcolm Grant is transferring from Villanova to Miami. Grant, who hit 47 percent of his three-point attempts as a freshman for the Wildcats, will be eligible to play for Miami in 2009-10. [4/29/08]
UAB's Davis Gets Two-Year Extension: Mike Davis, head coach at Alabama-Birmingham, has signed a two-year extension that will also give him a $25,000 a year raise. His contract now runs through the 2012-13 season and has a base salary of $625,000 a year. Last year, he led the Blazers to a 23-11 record and an NIT appearance.
[4/29/08]
VCU's Grant Gets Extension: Virginia Commonwealth coach Anthony Grant has agreed to a contract that will keep him at VCU until 2013-2014. Although the terms of the extension were not released, Grant is receiving a raise. Grant is 52-15 at VCU and has won two Colonial Athletic Association titles.
[4/29/08]
Texas A&M's Carter to Enter Draft: Josh Carter, a junior swingman for Texas A&M, has announced he will enter the NBA Draft. Carter, who led the country in three-point shooting two seasons ago, has not hired an agent. Carter is the second Aggies player, following 7-foot freshman DeAndre Jordan, to test the NBA Draft waters this year.
[4/28/08]
Tennessee's Tyler Smith Stays in School: Tyler Smith, who was projected to be a first-round NBA Draft pick, will stay at Tennessee. The 6-7 small forward averaged 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists a game last year for the Volunteers.
[4/28/08]
Two From Missouri Enter NBA Draft: DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, two starters for Missouri, have both entered the NBA Draft without hiring an agent, meaning they could return to school. Lyons led the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 53.1 percent and led the team in scoring with 13 points a game. Carroll averaged 13 points and seven rebounds a game last season. [4/28/08]
Macklin Tires of the Bench: Georgetown sophomore forward Vernon Macklin is leaving the Hoyas in search of a better opportunity. Macklin played behind Roy Hibbert for the past two years and might be in a similar situation next season with freshman stud Greg Monroe arriving in Washington. Macklin averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game. [4/28/08]
Ford Suspends Junior Guard: One of new Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford's first moves is suspending junior guard Terrel Harris. Ford said in a statement that Harris violated a team rule and did not specify a length for the suspension. Harris averaged 10.5 points per game for the Cowboys last season. [4/28/08]