Today is a new day for the Morning Mix. Everybody’s favorite morning round-up has been in need of a face lift for a long time, and today is the day it finally happens. It’s nothing too big, and there might be a tiny bit of tinkering over the next few days. But we feel that the new Morning Mix will serve as a much better canvas for the daily palate of college basketball news.
#ReadoftheDay: Tremendous story from Jeff Eisenberg about the hard work and patience put in by Cincinnati’s Sean Kilpatrick. Read It. (The Dagger)
Top Stories:
NCAA cracks down on hardship waivers for transfer players: The NCAA has put a bunch of restrictions on hardship waivers which should help curb the number of players seek immediate eligibility due to family-related hardships. In the past few years, the hardship waiver has been abused repeatedly by players who don’t like their current situation and want to play somewhere else without having to sit out a season. The NCAA got this one right.
Trevor Mbakwe will pay back scholarship if the Gophers don’t make NCAA tournament: The Minnesota senior forward has vowed to repay his final year of his scholarship if he can’t lead his team to the NCAA tournament. The Gophers enter the season likely to gain an at-large bid, but will largely depend on the health of Mbakwe, who missed nearly all of last season with a torn MCL.
Something peculiar is going on at Detroit: Last Wednesday, Titan’s assistant coach Derek Thomas, along with Athletic Director Keri Gaither, resigned effective immediately. On Friday, Carlos Briggs, another member of the Titan’s coaching staff, resigned. No one knows why and neither of the sides have commented. Peculiar.
Hoops Housekeeping:
- After being denied eligibility by the NCAA in September, Former Indiana signee Ron Patterson has committed to Syracuse. The 6-foot-2 guard left Indiana and enrolled at Brewster Academy and is now set to join the Orange next fall. (Syracuse Post-Standard)
- Two Indiana big-men, Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Peter Jurkin, are still waiting to be cleared to play by the NCAA. (Inside The Hall)
- Texas A&M freshman guard Shawn Smith was ruled a partial qualifier by the NCAA. He will remain on scholarship and will be able to practice, but will not be able to play in games (Sporting News)
Observations & Analysis:
- Oakland is expecting big things from Providence transfer Duke Mondy (CollegeBasketballTalk)
- Gonzaga was once again selected as the preseason favorites to win the West Coast Conference (Spokesman-Review)
- Expectations are high for the Kentuecky Wildcats. What can we expect from Kentucky freshman this year? (Kentucky Sports Radio)
- A quick recap of exhibition games involving Big East teams (Syracuse Post-Standard)
- While the Big East is hemmoraging basketball programs, the Atlantic-10 seems to be stockpiling them. Championship Week in the NYC-metro area is sure to be interesting (New York Daily News)
- Season preview for the Rider Broncs (Keepin’ Track of the MAAC)
- An excellent Q&A session with NJIT head coach Jim Engles, who has the Highlanders headed in the right direction (College Chalktalk)
- The top-15 most intriguing non-conference games featuring Big East teams (The Dagger)
Odds & Ends:
- Michigan State unveiled the camoflauge uniforms they will wear for the Friday season opener. The Spartans will face the UConn Huskies at the Ramstein Air Base as part of the Armed Forces Classic. (MLive.com)
- Creativity at it’s best: The “Under 6-foot All American Team”. (Run The Floor)
- Stan Van Gundy to call Navy-Marine Corps Classic on NBC Sports Network, will contribute to NBC Sports Radio Network. (ProBasketballTalk)
- Every wondered how you go about building a NBA D-League roster? This infographic breaks it down (NBA.com)
Video(s) of the Day:
There is no denying that the 2012 NCAA Tournament came up short in providing its usual assortment of last second heroics. But No.6 on the list of reasons “Why We Love College Basketball” reminds us of one of the few true shining moments. (Rush The Court)
Best.Technical Foul. Ever. (Yahoo Sports, The Dagger)
Do you like the new Morning Mix? Hate it? Have a suggestion or wanted something featured? Troy Machir will take all your praise, insults and inquiries via Twitter (@TroyMachir)
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DePaul grants forward Donnavan Kirk permission to pursue transfer opportunities
May 24, 2013, 4:38 PM EDT
AP
With the recent news that former Purdue forward Sandi Marcius would transfer to DePaul, it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped in this scenario. That would be Donnavan Kirk looking to finish his collegiate career at another institution. On Friday the school announced that it has granted Kirk permission to…
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Northeastern becomes final piece of 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off puzzle
May 24, 2013, 2:37 PM EDT
Last November the organizers of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off announced its completed eight-team field, with programs such as Florida State, Georgetown and Michigan being confirmed participants. Also among the eight teams: Auburn. But apparently something changed with the Tigers’ schedule, leading to a report from Andy Katz of ESPN.com that Northeastern would be the eighth…
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Despite allegations Green Bay will retain head coach Brian Wardle
May 24, 2013, 1:40 PM EDT
AP
During the spring multiple allegations surfaced regarding Green Bay head coach Brian Wardle’s treatment of some of his players, and some of the charges went well beyond the use of profane language. In one instance former center Ryan Bross alleged that he was forced to run sprints until ultimately soiling his shorts, despite stating the…
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Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski appears on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ (VIDEO)
May 24, 2013, 12:45 PM EDT
Getty Images
In an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” this morning, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski discusses topics such as his decision to return as head coach of the US men’s national team for the 2016 Summer Olympics and his future at Duke. Also of note were Krzyzewski’s comments on incoming freshman Jabari Parker, stating that…
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BBQ ad no laughing matter to Ohio State compliance department
May 24, 2013, 11:54 AM EDT
Getty Images
Earlier this week an advertisement for Calhoun’s BBQ done by former Tennessee basketball player Steven Pearl hit the airwaves, and it included a reference to current Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft. But that reference has led to the compliance department at Ohio State getting involved, looking to make sure it’s clear that there was…
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Is Sheldon Jeter’s transfer ‘issue’ because of a lack of communication?
May 24, 2013, 10:20 AM EDT
Getty Images
In the aftermath of Sheldon Jeter’s decision to transfer from Vanderbilt it was reported that Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings was blocking Pittsburgh as a possible destination. Some assumed that tampering was the reason for the move, but according to a report by Andy Katz of ESPN.com that may not be the case. Regardless of…
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Illinois forward Myke Henry requests release from scholarship
May 24, 2013, 8:52 AM EDT
AP
With the graduation of leading scorers Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson, there was a chance that 6-6 forward Myke Henry would see more opportunities to produce for Illinois in 2013-14. However it seems as if the Chicago native won’t be around to realize such possibilities, as it was reported by the Champaign News-Gazette that Henry…
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Charlotte, head coach Alan Major agree to extension through 2017-18
May 23, 2013, 10:50 PM EDT
Getty Images
Head coach Alan Major led the Charlotte basketball program to its first 20-win season since 2008 this past year, as the 49ers won 21 games and received a bid to the Postseason NIT. Next up for Major’s program is Conference USA, and the former Ohio State assistant will make the move with a new contract…
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Colorado assistants get new titles in hopes of bolstering head coaching prospects
May 23, 2013, 9:30 PM EDT
AP
While the head coaching carousel is the focus every offseason the many changes within a coaching staff can also have an impact. At Colorado, head coach Tad Boyle is fortunate to have led the same staff for each of his three seasons in Boulder, resulting in the most successful stretch in the history of the…
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Saint Louis, Wisconsin headline 2013 Cancun Challenge field
May 23, 2013, 8:00 PM EDT
Getty Images
The eight-team field for the 2013 Cancun Challenge is finally set, with 2013 NCAA tournament participants Saint Louis and Wisconsin headlining the field. The event will feature two four-team fields, with the Billikens and Badgers being joined by Old Dominion and West Virginia in the Riviera Division. The Mayan Division bracket consists of Bowling Green,…
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Atlantic 10 announces that all members will play in 2014 conference tournament
May 23, 2013, 6:20 PM EDT
With four departures (Butler, Charlotte, Temple and Xavier) and one arrival (George Mason), the Atlantic 10 Conference will have 13 members for the 2013-14 academic year with Davidson joining in 2014. Those changes have brought about another for the conference: beginning next season, all members will play in the Atlantic 10 tournament at the Barclays…
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Coach K: ACC will be ‘best conference in the history of the game’
May 23, 2013, 5:26 PM EDT
While much of this past season was spent lamenting the changing of the Big East, another result of conference realignment was the improvement of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s basketball product. Sure Duke and North Carolina managed to carry their share of the load in the years following the move from nine to 12 schools, but…
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Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski made it official on Thursday afternoon: he’ll be coaching Team USA basketball through at least the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. That’s been known for almost a week now. The interesting bit of news that came out of his press conference on Thursday afternoon had nothing to do with…
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I’m not sure there is a coach in the country that is better at developing players in his program than Bill Self at Kansas. Over the years, the best players that have come through Lawrence during his tenure have been moderately recruited — i.e. somewhere around the top 40 or top 50 of most lists…
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Bringing in ex-Gator Cody Larson worth the risk South Dakota State
May 23, 2013, 1:05 PM EDT
Cody Larson’s basketball career never got off the ground in Florida. After redshirting as a freshman, Larson was involved in a bizarre incident along with a team manager and Erik Murphy where he tried to break into a car after sneaking into a bar after closing time to inquire about a lost wallet. After being…
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It’s late May, it’s Thursday, and you don’t want to be paying attention at work when it’s nice out. So take 10 minutes and watch some dunks.
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Vanderbilt has made a change to their coaching staff, as Kevin Stallings went out and plucked Yanni Hufnagel off of Tommy Amaker’s staff at Harvard. “I couldn’t be more excited to join Coach Stallings and the rest of his outstanding staff here at Vanderbilt,” said Hufnagel. “Coach Stallings is not only recognized as one of…
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Michigan has no plans to part ways with Adidas at any point in the near future, according to a report from MLive.com. There had been some speculation in the last month that the Wolverines would end their contract with the apparel company because of the way that Adidas had handled a worker’s rights issue at…
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Kentucky phenoms choose 2013-14 preparation over other possibilities
May 22, 2013, 10:04 PM EDT
AP
As a recruiting class that has been hailed by some as the best in the history of college basketball, Kentucky’s incoming freshmen will receive a lot of attention throughout the 2013-14 campaign. And with the skills that players such as Julius Randle, Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson and James Young possess a number of…
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AP
A third player with eligibility remaining will not return to the BYU program next season, as it was reported that 6-8 forward Agustin Ambrosino will not be a member of the basketball program in 2013-14. Ambrosino, who played an average of 6.2 minutes in 31 games last season, joins Raul Delgado (transferring to Metro State)…
