Top Posts
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Ready to be charmed by Shaka Smart all over again? The VCU coach was the star of the 2011 Final Four, serving up great quotes, hilarious antics and some refreshing candor. As anyone who watched video of the Rams’ practices knows, Smart, 34, isn’t shy when it comes to the physical aspect of practices, either.…
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John Calipari hardly needs recruiting help, but LeBron James is giving it to him anyway. The Miami Heat star spend Tuesday hooping in Lexington, tweeting about his game with the current Kentucky squad, Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe and DeMarcus Cousins. As if that wasn’t enough, he threw in a #BigBlueNation hastag. LeBron never went to…
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Washington’s rarely hurting for talented players. The Huskies aren’t a destination spot, but Romar usually snags one or two solid local players every season to pair with guys from other areas. It’s all by design, too. The Huskies want versatile, athletic guys who can run the floor, hit outside shots and maybe even grab a…
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Turns out the NCAA is capable of common sense decisions. Siena freshman Lionel Gomis – a native of Senegal who took two years off from school when he was 14 because of various family issues – ran afoul of a new NCAA rule that requires players to finish their high school classes in a five-year…
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Good to know I wasn’t the only one transfixed by the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal match in Monday’s U.S. Open final. Vanderbilt’s Lance Goulbourne couldn’t stop watching. The 6-8 forward was a ball boy at the Open for five years, which developed into a serious love of the game. He also had some talent for it.…
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If it’s possible, Florida’s Brad Beal flying under the radar
Sep 14, 2011, 8:45 AM EDT
There’s no shortage of incoming freshmen earning acclaim as impact players. UConn just got one in Andre Drummond. Duke expects Austin Rivers to be its primary scorer. Kentucky has three of ‘em in Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. It’s no surprise that all five made Dick Vitale’s Dandy Dozen list. But I’m starting…
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When is one thing not like the other? When Junior Cadougan tries to sound like Mariah Carey. The Marquette junior did his best to butcher a “Name That Song” feature for the school (a player comes on the video board during a game, the crowd laughs, etc.) and played his part to perfection. Listen here.…
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Maryland appeases all parties, goes with Gary Williams Court
Sep 13, 2011, 4:49 PM EDT
Maryland pulled off the two-fer – it’ll name the floor at the Comcast Center after recently retired coach Gary Williams and honor ex-coach Lefty Driesell as well. That, dear reader, is how you appease your fan base. (Well, except for those who’ll want the school to highlight women’s coach Brenda Frese when she retires. But…
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Some guys spend their entire college careers searching for the perfect playing situation. Unhappy at one school? Transfer. Still unhappy? Transfer again. And some even manage to earn playing time and contribute at all three schools. At least 10 players who played last season did just that. Dan Hanner (who’s now on Twitter) tracked the…
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John Calipari’s Dominican Republic national team fell one win short of qualifying for the 2012 London Games. Now it’s back to more pressing matters — securing another elite recruiting class. The Kentucky coach wrote on his website Sunday about his basic outline for the week, how he’ll handle the latest recruiting visits and how he’s…
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Houston’s moving up in the world. And I’m not talking about conference realignment rumors. The Cougars secured two of their biggest basketball commitments in years Sunday night, landing a pair of consensus Top 100 recruits in Danuel House and Danrad “Chicken” Knowles, according to various reports. Retaining two in-state talents marks a significant moment for…
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Mark Gottfried will do anything to snag headlines from Duke and North Carolina. Including jumping out of a plane. N.C. State’s new coach will be part of a tandem jump and land at the 50-yard line for the Wolfpack’s football game this Saturday against South Alabama, according to Andy Katz. As an added bonus, he’s…
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Kansas coach Bill Self has tried to downplay the Big 12 implosion/revamp/status quo. Why worry about the Jayhawks’ conference future when nothing he does affects that? Once Texas and Oklahoma decide what they want, then he can focus on what his program’s next move is. However … he does acknowledge that everything is about to…
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When Gary Williams announced his retirement in May, the Terps’ search for a new coach wasn’t the only scramble going on. Maryland officials also wanted to find a way to honor their icon. The obvious solution? Name the floor at Comcast “Gary Williams Floor.” Except it was hardly simple. The Baltimore Sun reports Williams backers…
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Kansas’ three freshmen are hardly the only school still waiting for the NCAA to clear players. This post from Jeff Goodman lists Jahii Carson (Arizona State), LaQuinton Ross (Ohio State), Amir Garrett and Norvel Pelle (St. John’s), Olexiy Len (Maryland) and Marcari Brooks (DePaul) as guys waiting for academic clearance. All of them are expected…
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The 9/11 anniversary stories started last month, began pouring in last week and hit a peak over the weekend as the United States paid tribute to everything we lost that day. As for sports, it was a diversion and mostly continues to serve that role. But athletes, like everyone else, still vividly remember that day.…
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Half of Kansas’ incoming players still await NCAA clearance
Sep 9, 2011, 8:15 AM EDT
Kansas loses six key players from last season’s 35-3 team, four of whom were starters. The last thing Bill Self needs is for any of his six incoming recruits to miss out on playing time or potentially not be eligible to play this season. That makes the new few weeks a little nerve-racking. Freshmen Ben…
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UNLV fans are desperate for Shabazz Muhammad to stay in Las Vegas for college. One made a faux Nike Video – a nod to the Jordan Brand’s “Become Legendary” campaign – but another tweeted at Muhammad that he’d name his first-born after him. Is there an NCAA rule against that? Doesn’t matter. The top recruit…
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Indiana’s three rebuilding seasons under Tom Crean haven’t been easy for the basketball-proud school to endure. The Hoosiers have lost at least 20 games and finished either last or second-to-last every season. Fans want more. Players want more. Crean wants more. At some point, Crean’s job will depend on it. (Those new recruits can’t arrive…
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Florida reinstates Erik Murphy; Cody Larson still suspended
Sep 8, 2011, 5:32 PM EDT
Florida decided five months was enough for Erik Murphy. Gators coach Billy Donovan announced Thursday that the junior forward has been reinstated to the men’s hoops team. “Erik Murphy has served his punishment,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said in a statement. “We’re all disappointed with what transpired, but there’s no question Erik has learned a…
