Not too much action on the hardwood last night. Louisville beat UConn. Kansas beat Baylor. Grambling lost again, and Savannah State’s Preston Blackman scored 41 points in the Tiger double-overtime win over Morgan State. But despite a light smattering of hoops action, there are a plethora of news items we need to get to.
Lets hit the links.
Tuesday’s Top Games:
7:00 p.m. – No. 20 Notre Dame @ St. John’s
7:00 p.m. – Wake Forest @ Clemson
7:00 p.m. – Tennessee @ Kentucky
8:00 p.m. – Northern Iowa @ No. 12 Creighton
8:30 p.m. – Cincinnati @ DePaul
9:00 p.m. – Wisconsin @ No. 2 Indiana
9:00 p.m. – Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt
Read of the Day:
The Grambling Tigers have yet to win a game this season and are closing in on historic levels of ineptitude. Dom Cosentino wonders if Grambling is on course for the worst season in college basketball history. (Deadspin)
Read of the Day:
Rick Barnes has been criticized over the years for his lack of postseason success despite the number of players he has sent to the pros. But as C.J. Moore explains, we need to cut Barnes a lot of slack. Read it. (Basketball Prospectus)
Top Stories:
What Kevin O’Neill did wrong: The USC head coach was given the boot yesterday after a three-and-a-half year tenure. But what ultimately cost him his job? Sure his teams were riddled with injuries, but his inability to recruit to Southern California area was key.
Louisville defends no. 1 ranking, pushes past UConn: After a rocky first half, The Cardinals held the Huskies without a point for over four minutes in the half, surged ahead, and held on for a 73-58 final margin in Hartford.
Fairfield holds ‘Newtown Day’ in game against Niagara: The Stags invited around 300 kids and their parents from Sandy Hook Elementary and surrounding schools to watch their game against Niagara. The Stags came up short in the game however, losing 67-64.
Danny Berger’s heartfelt thank you letter: During a practice in early December, Berger’s heart-stopped. He got light-headed and passed out on the floor, where trainers first gave him CPR and then used an AED to shock his heart and bring him back to life. Late last week, Berger wrote a heartfelt and touching letter to thank those that saved his life.
Only thing better than the NC State wheelchair courtstorming is the pregame ‘Braveheart’ speech: Words cannot describe the awesomeness of this “Braveheart” pregame speech delivered by two college students to NC State fans waiting in line for the Wolfpack vs. Blue Devils game on Saturday. You need to watch this.
Hoops Housekeeping
- Kansas phenom Ben McLemore suffered an ankle injury in the late stages of the Jayhawks’ blowout win last night against Baylor. Bill Self believes he shouldn’t miss more than a few days. (KUsports.com)
- Wyoming’s second-leading scorer Luke Martinez has been suspended following his arrest in a bar brawl in which he injured his right ring finger. (The Dagger)
- Former Auburn forward Josh Langford has decided to transfer to Southeast Missouri State. (OVC Ball)
- Florida forward Casey Prather could miss up to two weeks of action due to a high ankle sprain he suffered over the weekend. (Fox Sports)
- Georgia State guard R.J. Hunter, the son of Panthers head coach Ron Hunter, suffered a stress fracture during the panthers buzzer-beating loss at home to Delaware on Saturday. (Mid-Major Madness)
- Butler guard Rotnei Clarke will miss the next two games because of the neck sprain he suffered against Dayton. The Bulldogs will be forced to face Gonzaga on Saturday without their best scorer. (Slipper Still Fits)
- Manhattan guard George Beamon has been shut down for the season because of a severe ankle injury and will apply for a medical hardship waiver. (New York Daily News)
- North Dakota State’s top scorer Taylor Braun will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a broken foot. (The Sporting News)
- The game between Temple and Detroit that was postponed due to prevailing weather conditions has been rescheduled for February 28. (Pickin’ Splinters)
- Prosecutors have dropped the sexual abuse charge against Iowa State basketball player Bubu Palo, meaning he may be able to rejoin the Cyclones’ program. (ESPN)
Observations & Insight:
- If USC every wants to have a successful basketball program, they will have to put aside excuses and get to work. (The Sporting News)
- Here’s an interesting name to watch for in the USC coaching search: Saint Mary’s Randy Bennett. I doubt the coach will leave Moraga, but you just never know. (SMC Hoops)
- The eligibility and academic issues that James Southerland is facing is different from those that Fab Melo faced a year ago. (Troy Nunes)
- Seth Davis’ “Fast Break” is a weekly column that is a must-read. No more teases, just read it. (Sports Illustrated)
- Pat Forde’s “Forde Minutes” is another reoccurring column that is worth your time. (Yahoo Sports)
- John Gasaway released his first “Tuesday Truths” of the season. this weekly column takes a look at how teams in the nation’s top 11 conferences are doing against their league opponents on a per-possession basis. It’s also a weekly must-read. (Basketball Prospectus)
- Jay Bilas and Chad Ford discuss the most overrated prospects in the country. James Michael McAdoo, Alex Poythress, and Le’Bryan Nash headline a list of guys who haven’t exactly lived up to the hype. (ESPN Insider)
- If you couldn’t already tell by looking at halftime scores of 19-14, Scoring in college basketball is at a historic-low. (USA Today)
- It’s pretty simple. If you rank Georgetown in the top-20 after they lost to Pittsburgh by 28-points, you deserve to get shredded by Gary Parrish. (Eye on College Basketball)
- Is Ole Miss an at-large team? The SEC is way down, but if the Rebels can avoid bad losses, they could grab a bid. (College Hoops Haven)
- A nice-read about Clemson coach brad Brownell and his emphasis on the development of court vision. (OrangeandWhite.com)
- After a rocky start to his rookie campaign, San Diego State freshman Winston Sheppard is living up to the hype. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Odds & Ends
- Fans are funny. It seems that a North Carolina fan believes the Tar Heels couldn’t beat a 4A high school team. (The Sporting News)
- The ACC is debating the idea of starting its own network. (Eye on College Basketball)
- Northwestern fans do not have fond memories of Kevin O’Neill, who spent three seasons as head coach of the Wildcats. (Sippin’ on Purple)
Picture of the Night:
Will Privette is a wheelchair-bound NC-State student who rushed the court after the Wolfpack’s huge win over Duke on Saturday. But when he was knocked out of his wheelchair, he got some assistance from C.J. Leslie, who saved him from the stampede. (Barstool Sports)
Video of the Night:
Brent Musberger did it again. Dude is on the prowl. (The Big Lead)
Dunk: of the Day:
This is what we like to call “unPOSTERIZED”.
Do you like the new Morning Mix? Hate it? Have a suggestion or want something featured? Troy Machir will take all your praise, insults and inquiries via Twitter (@TroyMachir)
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AP
With Rutgers guard Jerome Seagears having a change of heart and deciding to return to New Brunswick after initially announcing his decision to transfer to Auburn, head coach Tony Barbee found himself in need of a guard. On Wednesday the school announced that 6-3 guard Malcolm Canada, who played at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa…
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Andrew Wiggins takes flight during scrimmage at Kansas basketball camp (VIDEO)
Jun 19, 2013, 9:35 PM EDT
Kansas Basketball
Much has been made about the reaction to Kansas freshman wing Andrew Wiggins’ first workouts for his new coaching staff, with an unnamed source stating to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com that watching Wiggins was “like watching a video game.” On Wednesday some lucky campers at the Kansas Basketball Camp got to watch Wiggins play some…
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Villanova landed its first verbal commitment in the 2015 class, as 6-9 forward Tim Delaney committed to the school according to multiple outlets. Delaney, who attends Pitman (N.J.) High School, held offers from schools such as Oregon State, Penn State and Rutgers and also visited both Indiana and Butler according to Jeff Borzello of CBSSports.com.…
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AP
With talented players such as forward Ryan Anderson and guard Olivier Hanlan returning, there’s a feeling among many that Boston College can be one of the ACC’s most improved teams in 2013-14. A group that has taken its share of lumps in Steve Donahue’s first two seasons on the Heights, the Eagles took both eventual…
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John Calipari named honorary pace car driver for June 29 race at Kentucky Speedway
Jun 19, 2013, 5:20 PM EDT
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway announced on Wednesday that Kentucky head coach John Calipari has been named the honorary pace car driver for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quaker State 400, which takes place on June 29. In the release, Speedway general manager Mark Simendinger proclaimed the opening lap to be “one of the quickest fast breaks in…
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West Coast Conference announces changes to tournament format
Jun 19, 2013, 3:56 PM EDT
Getty Images
With the addition of Pacific, the West Coast Conference will have ten members beginning with the 2013-14 campaign. The arrival of the Tigers not only helps from a scheduling standpoint, but it also necessitated a change in the format the WCC uses for its conference tournament. The WCC announced the changes on Wednesday, with seeds…
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Tyus Jones on college with Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow: ‘We all like the idea’
Jun 19, 2013, 3:35 PM EDT
It’s no secret that Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor want to play their college ball together. They’ve been talking about it for a while, and given the fact that they are both ranked in the top three for Rivals Class of 2014 — Okafor is currently No. 1 while Jones is No. 3 — I’m…
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AP
Earlier this month, Alabama forward Devonta Pollard was arrested and charged in conjunction with the kidnapping of a six-year old girl over a family land dispute. Given that he was facing a serious felony charge, one could only imagine that Pollard would only be a member of the Crimson Tide for so long, and on…
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Don’t take Michigan’s point guard spot from Spike Albrecht just yet
Jun 19, 2013, 2:30 PM EDT
Reuters
Spike Albrecht spent the majority of the college basketball season as the answer to a trivia question: Who is the little white kid that backs up Trey Burke, the best player in the country? The way the 2012-2013 campaign ended, however, was much, much different. If you’ve forgotten, the kid who was signed late by…
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Northwestern completes their coaching staff by adding Armon Gates
Jun 19, 2013, 1:06 PM EDT
Northwestern head coach Chris Collins has filled out his coaching staff, as he added Armon Gates as his third assistant coach on Tuesday. Gates is a Chicago native that spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Loyola (IL). “We’re very excited to add Armon to our staff,” Collins said in a statement…
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Report: Darius Cobb, Ben McLemore’s AAU coach, to speak to the NCAA today
Jun 19, 2013, 12:25 PM EDT
Getty Images
Darius Cobb, Ben McLemore’s former AAU coach, will be meeting with the NCAA’s Enforcement staff today to discuss the involvement that Rodney Blackstock had with the former Kansas all-american and those close to him, according to a report from Eric Prisbell of USA Today. That could end up being a thorn in the side of…
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Communication plays vital role in development of Marquette’s Vander Blue
Jun 19, 2013, 11:30 AM EDT
Getty Images
A recent growing buzzword in college basketball is the importance of the “culture” of a program. Culture within a college basketball program dictates how things work and it’s use as a word and as a concept is meant to influence players — and in some cases fans — into believing that certain activities or teachings…
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Report: Gonzaga kicks off their 2014 recruiting class with top 150 guard Silas Melson
Jun 19, 2013, 10:52 AM EDT
Mark Few picked up his first commitment in the Class of 2014 as Portland native and Rivals top 150 shooting guard Silas Melson pledged to the Zags on Tuesday night, according to a report from ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman. Here’s how ESPN breaks down his game: He has a smooth shooting stroke out to 20-feet and…
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Michigan State needed Adreian Payne to return to school if they were going to make a run at a national title. With Derrick Nix graduating and with their only incoming front court player being Gavin Schilling — who isn’t exactly the second coming of Greg Oden — Tom Izzo’s team was going to have a…
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AP
If you aren’t familiar with Vine, it’s an app that allows users to record up to six seconds worth of video. That was plenty of time for Tennessee rising junior forward Jarnell Stokes to film Oklahoma State star sophomore guard Marcus Smart taking a sideline bounce pass and throwing down a 360 slam while the…
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Gorgui Dieng is gearing up for next Thursday for the 2013 NBA Draft. On Tuesday, following a workout with the New York Knicks, the former Louisville center had time to talk about his old team. “I think they’re going to have a better team this year,” Dieng told Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com and SNY.tv on…
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AP
A week after being cut loose by Iowa State, Indian Hills Community College forward Richard Amardi made a commitment to the Oregon Ducks. He has one year of eligibility left. Jeff Goodman first reported the news via Twitter on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-9 Amardi was on the wrong-end of a scholarship issue. He had originally committed…
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Penn State grants forward Jon Graham release, will transfer
Jun 18, 2013, 7:52 PM EDT
AP
After three years with the Penn State program, rising junior forward Jon Graham was granted a release and will be allowed to transfer for his final two seasons of eligibility, the school announced on Tuesday afternoon. “Jon and I have had several meetings to discuss his future and he has decided to seek opportunities to…
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AP
The return of Greg Whittington was going to be a crucial for the Georgetown Hoyas, entering next season without Big East Player of the Year Otto Porter. However, on Tuesday it was confirmed that Whittington has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. “Greg will return when he is 100 percent healthy,”Georgetown head coach John…
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Harry Giles (Wesleyan Christian Academy/Winston-Salem, N.C.) was one of 12 players selected to the USA Basketball Under-16 team, playing in the FIBA World Championship in Uruguay. The 6-foot-9 2016 recruit injured his left knee on Wednesday in a win over Argentina. On Tuesday, Giles told Jason Jordan of USA Today that he torn his ACL and MCL.…
