Exam Week was pretty brutal, but we were rewarded with an excellent weekend of college hoops. We had two phenomenal games, a bevy of upsets, and a bunch of great plays, videos and quotes. In short, we have a lot to get to.
Lets hit the links.
Monday’s Top Games:
7:00 p.m. – Detroit @ No. 4 Syracuse
7:00 p.m. – Maryland-Eastern Shore @ UConn
7:00 p.m. – IPFW @ No.22 Notre Dame
7:00 p.m. – Valparaiso @ Oakland
8:00 p.m. – USC-Upstate @ Baylor
8:00 p.m. – No. 20 UNLV @ UTEP
8:00 p.m. – South Carolina State @ No. 12 Missouri
9:00 p.m. – Cornell @ Vanderbilt
Read(s) of the Day:
Jay Bilas relates the NCAA to the Kardashians. Yup. Read it. (ESPN Insider)
Read(s) of the Day:
Pat Forde dishes on Butler walk-on Alex Barlow, who hit the biggest shot of his career to beat top-ranked Indiana on Saturday. Read it. (Yahoo Sports)
Top Stories:
Contributions both large and small set stage for Mark Lyons’ gamewinner: Mark Lyons might get all the fanfare and press following his game-winning basket against Florida, but the Wildcats got contributions for various players, which ultimately set them up for success.
Florida’s failure to close out halves is what cost them in Tuscon: The No. 5 Gators looked to be in position to vault themselves into the top-3 in the in country. But three turnovers in their final five possessions doomed the Gators, and the Arizona Wildcats capitalized.
From music scholarship to high-major basketball, Andrew Del Piero getting minutes at LSU: The 7-foot-3 walk-on is also a former tuba player in the LSU marching band. But the big-man has put in a lot of hard work and is now a contributing member of the Tigers’ basketball program.
Mick Cronin sounds off on Big East realignment and defection of Catholic 7, says players should get paid: Cincinnati is currently in conference limbo thanks to the implosion of the Big East. Mic Cronin used the post game press conference following his team’s win over Marshall as the perfect time to open up about realignment, along with paying players.
Hoops Housekeeping
- Reigning NEC player of the Year Julian Boyd tore his ACL against Rice on Wednesday and will miss the rest of the year. The injury to the LIU-Brooklyn star forward is the worst case scenario for a Blackbird team already struggling to find it’s groove in the early season. (Blackbirds Hoops Journal)
- Former-UCLA big-man Josh Smith is interested in transferring to Georgetown or Kansas (Casual Hoya)
- Louisville sophomore forward Angel Nunez will be transferring out of school at the end of the semester (WDRB.com)
- Virginia Tech freshman forward Marshall Wood fractured a bone in his foot during the Hokies upset loss to Georgia Southern this weekend. The injury will not require surgery, but the team is now down to just seven scholarship players (The Washington Post)
- Rumors swirled last week about an arrest of Syracuse Sophomore Michael Carter-Williams for an incident at a local mall. Turns out he was busted for shoplifting (a robe and glove) by mall police, and the matter was handled internally. (College Basketball Talk)
Observations & Insight:
- Indiana’s loss to Butler just reiterates that there just isn’t a true dominant no. 1 team in the country (Eye on College Basketball)
- Butler’s win over Indiana was as historic as it was well-timed. (Eye on College Basketball)
- the anatomy of Alex Barlow’s game-winning shot against Indiana (Indianapolis Star)
- Memphis blew a first half lead and lost to Louisville in a tightly contested non-conference match-up. But don’t blame the Tigers for falling flat or giving up. (Memphis Commercial Appeal)
- Rhode Island pulled off an upset win over SMU this weekend. But Larry Brown wasn’t all that shocked. (Hoopville)
- Oregon State junior forward Devon Collier continues to emerge as a viable frontcourt threat for the Beavers (NW Sports Beat)
- A big shout out to Rutgers associate head coach David Cox, who coached the Scarlet Knights to victory on Saturday. Cox is filling in for Mike Rice while the head coach serves a three game suspension. I bring up Cox because believe it or not, he was one of the coaches of my freshman basketball team at St. John’s College High School in 2000. He was also the school’s Dean of Students. (Asbury Park Press)
- Dick Weiss does not think that the Rutgers program is headed in the right direction under Mike Rice. (New York Daily News)
Expansionocalypse:
- Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard had some strong thoughts as well about the Big East break up (My Central New Jersey)
- Now here’s something that doesn’t get discussed too much: Where does South Florida end up in all this mess? (Voodoo Five)
- Cincinnati and UConn want to create their own conference that covers the entire continental United States (Deadspin)
- Creighton is being looked at as a potential member to the new basketball-only Big East Catholic-7 conference. But are the Bluejays the only team from the MVC that could be on the move? (Peoria Journal-Star)
- Jim Boeheim gives the best post-game press conference bar none. Following Syracuse’s win over Canisius on Saturday the head coach gave another gem of a presser. Read the entire transcript which includes his thoughts on the implosion of the Big East and the Michael Carter-Williams shoplifting incident (The Citizen)
Picture of the Day:
Butler’s Big Blue II flashing a big smile after his team’s huge win over Indiana at the Crossroads Classic.
Dunks(s) of the Day:
Cincinnati stayed undefeated thanks to their 72-56 win over Marshall. But Elijah Pittman made sure the Bearcats didn’t leave completely unscathed.
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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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
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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
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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)…
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UMKC head coach Kareem Richardson completes coaching staff
May 22, 2013, 7:07 PM EDT
One week ago UMKC announced the addition of a fourth player to the program, as 6-10 forward/center Isaac Kreuer will return to the Kansas City metropolitan area after spending last year at the Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas. According to the Kansas City Star, first-year head coach Kareem Richardson has filled out his coaching…
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Report: Elon to officially join Colonial Athletic Association Thursday
May 22, 2013, 5:55 PM EDT
AP
With the loss of four institutions the Colonial Athletic Association has some work to do on the realignment front. Apparently the league has found a new member, as it was reported by the Wilmington Star-News that Elon will officially join the CAA on Thursday. Elon has announced a press conference for 2:00 p.m. EST Thursday…
