No matter what, Hayward was going to be on the end of one of the most memorable shots in NCAA Tournament history. Make it, and he’s a legend. Miss it, and Butler was thisclose to doing the impossible. The latter happened. Oh well.

It’s unfair to Hayward for this to be the case, though, because the dude can straight up ball. He has gone from a wiry, dangerous scorer who ate up rebounds at Butler to one of the craftiest scorers in the NBA. There are few basketball players with a more well-rounded offensive game than the Jazz’s small forward. Looking at his shot charts are always a fun exercise, because Hayward is capable of getting the job done from every area of the court.

This video illustrates the versatility of Hayward’s offensive game. He can pull up and can a three in someone’s grill just as easily as he can drive by them and throw down. If he gets stuck, he’ll go deep into his bag of tricks and make a defender look silly.

Hayward put all of these skills on display in 2015-16, and in turn, he had his best scoring season as a pro. He dropped 19.7 points per game for the Jazz, who are everyone’s favorite young team this year thanks to guys like Hayward, Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Rodney Hood.

The craziest part about this is that even though Hayward’s scoring numbers have gotten better every year, it’s not wild to think that he can get better. His shooting numbers weren’t too great last season—among players who had at least 500 field-goal attempts, Hayward’s effective field-goal percentage was 105th in the League. That put him behind dudes like Rajon Rondo, Arron Afflalo and Jeremy Lamb, among others. His true shooting percentage was a bit better (tied for 54th among dudes with 500-plus FGAs), but that’s mostly because Hayward hit just over 82 percent of his free throws.

Basically, once Hayward begins picking his spots better—which, considering Dante Exum is back from injury and the team acquired George Hill, is very possible—he can very easily become a more efficient scorer.

He has the potential to average 20-plus points a game. He has shown that he can average 5-plus assists and rebounds per game in the past. The list of 20-5-5 guys last year was Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

If Hayward reaches his ceiling, at least offensively, he’ll become one of the best players in the NBA. He’s absolutely capable of doing this, especially with the collection of young talent around him in Utah.

For now, he’s our 33rd-best player in the League. Not bad for a guy who’s most well-known for missing a shot once, right?

—

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2016-17—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

Follow the entire #SLAMTop50 countdown.

The post SLAM Top 50: Gordon Hayward, No. 33 appeared first on SLAM.

But like clockwork, all anyone ever wants to discuss during the lead-up to the season is whether this is it for Dirk. They’ll say he’s getting older. They’ll say his team is getting worse, and he can’t carry a team like he used to when he was one of the best basketball players on earth. They’ll point to the fact that his minutes are declining, that his shooting numbers from the field keep going down little by little, all that stuff.

So instead, let’s talk about why we think Dirk is the 38th-best player in the NBA heading into this season.

Dirk rules. Dirk has always ruled. Even though, yes, his numbers aren’t what they were a decade ago, he still gets buckets—his 18.3 points per game were the most on the Mavs by a pretty comfortable margin last year. Hell, prior to 2014-15 when Monta Ellis was Dallas’ highest scorer, the last time someone other than Dirk led the team in scoring was Michael Finley in 1999-00. Dirk still averaged 17.5 a game that year.

He just keeps producing, even as the dudes around him in Dallas fluctuate. He never complains about the team’s lack of a second star as he gets older and his window for winning another title keeps closing—if anything, he wants to do everything he can to help the Mavericks win a title, as evidenced by the fact that he always takes less money so the team can go get other players (Dirk got paid this offseason, and when asked about it, Mark Cuban said, “Dirk gets to do whatever he wants to do, period, end of story…Dirk has done so much for this franchise that he’s earned that opportunity.”

And really, why is this supposed to be the year that Dirk falls off? Take a look at his per-36 numbers for the course of his career, this dude has been a model of consistency since he stepped into the league. Plus part of the reason that people are so bearish about our favorite 7-foot, bucket-getting German is that he has to “carry his team” because the dudes around him are so…not great.

Well, that argument is kind of off the table this year. It’s usually off the table because Rick Carlisle is one of the best coaches in the NBA when it comes to getting the most out of his players, but let’s take him out of the equation. Dirk’s supporting cast this year includes a rejuvenated Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut.

That’s the best starting five around Dirk since the year Dallas won the title, no? That’s not to say that the Mavs are destined for a Championship this year, but it does mean that some of the pressure to carry Dallas is off of Dirk. Instead, he can just focus on scoring (which he does really well), shooting the ball better than any 7-footer ever (ditto), and rebounding (he pulled down 7.4 per 36 minutes last year, his highest mark since 2012-13).

Oh, and being the 38th-best player in the NBA. But let’s face it: It’s Dirk. Knowing him and knowing how this whole thing usually works, he’ll end up being in the top-20, because just when you think he’s cooked, he does something incredible.

—

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2016-17—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

Follow the entire #SLAMTop50 countdown.

The post SLAM Top 50: Dirk Nowitzki, No. 38 appeared first on SLAM.

You probably read that sentence and went “well yeah, obviously he’s really good at basketball if he’s SLAM’s 44th-best player in the NBA heading into 2016.” And you’re right to have that reaction, as it is obvious that Bledsoe is one of the best basketball players alive if you’ve watched him play, well, ever.

But for reasons outside of his control, people seem to forget that when Bledsoe is on his game (hell, even when he’s not fully on), he’s one of the most electric players in the NBA. There are a few reasons for this—one being that he’s been a second fiddle for so long. At Kentucky, he was the “other” guard to John Wall. With the Clippers, he was the “other” guard to Chris Paul. During his first year in Phoenix, he was the “other” guard to Goran Dragic.

Then in 2014, he took the reigns of the offense from Dragic (who was traded to Miami) and started to establish himself as the guy in Phoenix. But December 26, 2015 happened, and Bledsoe only appeared in 31 games due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. That’s the unfair lasting image of Bledsoe from last season, a dude who slipped awkwardly against Philadelphia and sat there holding his injured knee.

This is unfortunate because Bledsoe was awesome prior to his injury. It kind of slid under the radar because the Suns weren’t especially good in 2015-16, but Bledsoe was quietly churning out averages of 20.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He even had a game with at least 4 rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, making him the first guard to do that since Dwyane Wade in 2009.

His injury also kind of led the Suns down a slippery slope. Prior to Bledsoe getting hurt, the team went 12-19. That’s not great, but it’s better than the 11-39 mark the team had after its star guard went down (which doesn’t include the aforementioned game against Philly, which Phoenix lost).

So now Bledsoe is back, he’s healthy, and the Suns are in a position to be a fun team this year due to a full year of a Bledsoe/Brandon Knight backcourt, year two of Devin Booker, and a young but fun 1-2 punch in the front court of Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss.

And of course, Bledsoe is at the heart of all of this. He is the team’s engine, an explosive guard who is perpetually improving as a shooter (prior to going down he was hitting just above 37 percent of his attempts from three) and is able to impact the game on both sides of the ball.

Will there be rust to work off? Of course, and he’s come back from meniscus injuries and performed really well in the past, so he knows what’s ahead of him.

But there’s a long history of super athletic dudes coming back from knee injuries and needing a few weeks (if not a few months or an entire season) to return to top form. Maybe he won’t be able to blow by guys as easily as usual, and maybe some of his highlight-reel dunks won’t look as effortless as we’ve seen in the past.

Still, watching Bledsoe lead the young Suns is going to be a whole hell of a lot of fun, because Eric Bledsoe is really good at basketball.

—

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2016-17—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

Follow the entire #SLAMTop50 countdown.

The post SLAM Top 50: Eric Bledsoe, No. 44 appeared first on SLAM.

Stoudamire isn’t a stranger to coaching the game. While he has not been a head coach ever since he retired from the NBA in 2008, Stoudamire has worked with Rice University as its director of player development and with the Memphis Grizzlies, the University of Arizona and the University of Memphis (his most recent gig) as an assistant. In recruiting, Stoudamire was the primary recruiter for Arizona in its pursuit of five-star forward Ray Smith, who the team landed in the class of 2015.

Pacific went 8-20 during the 2015-16 season, finishing with the worst record in the West Coast Conference. The team went 6-12 in conference play, which was tied for second-worst with Portland and Loyola Marymount. The good news for Stoudamire is that he won’t have to worry about a huge roster overhaul, as the team only loses two seniors heading into the 2016-17 campaign.

The news of Stoudamire’s hiring comes on the same day that he published a letter to his younger self on The Players’ Tribune.

The post Damon Stoudamire Named New Head Coach at University of the Pacific appeared first on SLAM.

But Simmons reportedly won’t be a finalist for the Wooden Award, given annually to the best player in college basketball.

This is according to a report by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, who writes that Simmons did not qualify due to an academic-related issue.

Part of the criteria is that a player needs to have at least a 2.00 GPA. The rest of the requirements are related to performance on the court—save for actually being enrolled in a school.

The 15 finalists for the award will be announced on Saturday.

More from ESPN:

LSU freshman Ben Simmons has not been certified by his school in order to be eligible for the Wooden Award with a source telling ESPN on Saturday that it’s for academic-related reasons.

 

“From what I was told, he didn’t meet all of the requirements,” Tigers coach Johnny Jones told ESPN. “He wasn’t certified by the school to be on the ballot.”

 

The 6-foot-10 Simmons, who is averaging 19.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists this season, was benched for the start of the Tennessee game Feb. 20 for an academic issue.

The post Report: Ben Simmons Academically Ineligible For Wooden Award appeared first on SLAM.

High school basketball coach is fed up. Head butts referee out cold. https://t.co/mxux4vUaYg

— Sheila Mikailli (@SheilaMikailli) January 6, 2016

This is not a good way to express your disagreement, random high school basketball coach. The full story behind this incident is nuts—basically, Jerry Devine of Neshaminy High School in Neshaminy, Pa. got really mad when an official in his team’s game against a rival school called a charge. He got T’d up for yelling at one of the referees, and was so mad that he decided that the only way to properly express his outrage was to headbutt a different ref. Unsurprisingly, the coach has been put on administrative leave by the school. Watch the jarring video above.

The post High School Coach Headbutts Referee (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Brice Johnson had a monster game for North Carolina in its 106-90 win over Florida State. The Tar Heels’ big man had 39 points on 14-for-16 shooting and 23 rebounds. He also had this dunk, in which he violently finished an alley-oop over a Florida State defender.

The post North Carolina’s Brice Johnson Puts a Florida State Defender on a Poster (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

OH MY GARY PAYTON II DID IT AGAIN! HUGE dunk for @OregonStateMBB! #Pac12 https://t.co/42ZCYosadZ

— FS1 (@FS1) January 4, 2016

Gary Payton II is one of the most fun players to watch in all of college basketball. He’s able to impact a game in a number of ways, and sometimes, he’ll ruthlessly put some poor dude on a poster. That happened on Sunday when he yammed all over someone en route to a 13 point, 6 assist, 6 rebound and 2 steal performance in the Beavers’ win over Oregon. While he may not be the caliber of player that his Hall of Fame father was (yet), he’s already a much better dunker.

The post Gary Payton II Dunks All Over an Oregon Defender (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley picks up his 2nd technical and is ejected from the game with 59.6 to go #Pac12 https://t.co/qUycVNs92t

— FS1 (@FS1) January 3, 2016

Bobby Hurley got tossed during the final minute of Arizona State’s loss to Arizona on Sunday afternoon. Since he was heading to the locker room anyway, Hurley decided to get his money’s worth out of his ejection. He screamed at the refs, started walking towards the locker room, tried to fire up the home crowd, screamed some more, walked to the tunnel leading to the locker room, continued to scream, untucked his shirt a little and kept screaming at the refs even though they were nowhere near him. Give Hurley credit – when he gets tossed from games, he goes down in a blaze of glory.

The post Arizona State’s Bobby Hurley Got Tossed and Completely Lost His Mind (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

.@BenSimmons25 pic.twitter.com/9vQLOERMF0

— Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) January 3, 2016

Want to know why Ben Simmons is such a highly-regarded prospect in the upcoming draft? It’s because he can do stuff like this. LSU’s ultra-versatile freshman was able to use his prodigious mix of length, athleticism and anticipation to catch this pass that looked like it was going to be out of his reach and finish with a smooth layup. This goes to show that any time the Tigers are on TV, you need to watch because Simmons is capable of doing awesome stuff.

The post Ben Simmons Converts an Alley Oop Layup (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

If you haven’t watched Duke guard/forward Brandon Ingram play basketball, you better get to watching. The freshman star had 25 points during the Blue Devils’ win over Boston College on Saturday, and none of them were more impressive than this two-handed jam over a pair of BC defenders. Here it is from another angle:

Brandon Ingram is awesome.

The post Duke’s Brandon Ingram Dunks Over a Pair of Defenders (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Valentine, who is unanimously viewed as the best college basketball player in the nation, had to get a small microscopic procedure on Monday, and because of that, he’s going to be out for the next two to three weeks. Based on this timetable, Valentine would probably reappear on January 7 against Illinois, January 10 against Penn State or January 14 against Iowa.

More from the Detroit Free Press:

Michigan State senior guard Denzel Valentine will be out two to three weeks after undergoing “extremely successful” arthroscopic knee surgery today, coach Tom Izzo said.

 

“It’s very, very, very minor,” Izzo said of a piece of cartilage that had to be removed after Valentine came down awkwardly on a lay-up during Sunday’s practice.

 

But Izzo also said Valentine is “crushed” to miss time — including Tuesday’s game between No. 1 MSU (12-0) and Oakland University at the Palace of Auburn Hills (7 p.m., ESPNU). A win would give this team the record for best start in school history. Valentine’s brother Drew is an assistant coach with the Golden Grizzlies.

The post Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine Out 2-3 Weeks After Knee Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

Michigan State, which will be without the services of national player of the year contender Denzel Valentine for 2-3 weeks, received 64 of a possible 65 first-place votes in this week’s Associated Press Poll and 29 of a possible 31 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll.

The Spartans’ top challenger is different in both polls, but each team comes from the Big 12. The AP put Kansas in the No. 2 spot, while the Coaches Poll has Oklahoma.

Here’s this week’s AP Poll:

1. Michigan State (64 first-place votes)
2. Kansas (1)
3. Oklahoma
4. Maryland
5. Virginia
6. Xavier
7. North Carolina
8. Arizona
9. Butler
10. Providence
11. Iowa State
12. Kentucky
13. Miami (FL)
14. Purdue
15. Duke
16. Louisville
17. Villanova
18. SMU
19. West Virginia
20. George Washington
21. Texas A&M
22. Cincinnati
23. Baylor
24. Utah
25. South Carolina

And here’s this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll:

1. Michigan State (29)
2. Oklahoma (2)
3. Kansas
4. Maryland
5. Virginia
6. Xavier
7. North Carolina
8. Arizona
9. Iowa State
10. Duke
11. Kentucky
12. Butler
13. Purdue
14. Providence
15. Louisville
16. Miami (FL)
17. Villanova
18. West Virginia
19. Texas A&M
20. George Washington
21. Cincinnati
22. Baylor
23. South Carolina
24. Gonzaga
25. Vanderbilt

The post Michigan State Still No. 1in AP and Coaches Polls appeared first on SLAM.

The @MonmouthBench does the Sistine Chapel celebration pic.twitter.com/ITkPbGyik6

— FS1 (@FS1) December 16, 2015

If you haven’t watched Monmouth’s bench do silly stuff to celebrate things that happen on the court, we promise that it’s the best thing in all of college basketball. The latest example came on Tuesday night, when the bench mob busted out a Sistine Chapel roof celebration. These guys should be named kings of the earth.

The post Monmouth’s Bench Did a Sistine Chapel Celebration (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Congratulations to the UT-A player that just made it onto the Kerwin Roach poster. @TexasMBB pic.twitter.com/ifqVsMGzHx

— Sports Night (@Sports_NightTX) December 2, 2015

Good Lord, Kerwin Roach. The explosive freshman guard for the Texas Longhorns had college basketball’s dunk of the year on Tuesday night when he yammed all over a UT-Arlington defender. It’s still really early in the college basketball season, but it’d be a surprise if anyone has a more vicious slam this year.

Here it is from another angle:

Kerwin Roach!!! pic.twitter.com/mzm2QHfnjt

— Zach DiSchiano (@zachdischiano) December 2, 2015

The post Texas Guard Kerwin Roach Put Some Dude on a Poster (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Dontavious Smith SHATTERS the backboard during the @RiverHawkMBB game… #AEHoops https://t.co/iPNawrIfYS

— America East (@AmericaEast) November 24, 2015

There’s about a 100,000,000,000,000 percent chance that you didn’t keep an eye on Tuesday afternoon’s game between UMass Lowell and Wheelock. To be honest, neither did we, but this attempted dunk by UMass Lowell’s Dontavious Smith was nuts. Smith steals the ball, goes the length of the court, goes up for a dunk and fails. However, he still got the highlight when he ripped the rim off of the backboard and shattered the glass.

The post This UMass Lowell Player Goes for a Dunk, Fails, Shatters Backboard Anyway (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

LSU’s star freshman Ben Simmons is required viewing any time he’s on television, mostly because he does insane stuff like this. Simmons showed off his entire skill set on this play, as he grabbed a rebound, dribbled the length of the court and threw down with one hand on a 6-foot-11 center.

The post Ben Simmons Goes Coast-to-Coast and Throws Down (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

The post Grayson Allen Lights Up Georgetown for 32 Points (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Cartwright to Dunn, ALLEY OOP SLAM for @PCFriarsmbb! #GavittTipoffGames https://t.co/npXob41WKJ

— FS1 (@FS1) November 19, 2015

What’s the best way to break the zone? If you’re Providence, it’s pretty easy: have someone lob the ball up to your star guard and have him slam it home. During the Friars’ game on Wednesday night, Illinois tried busting out a zone, so Kyron Cartwright threw a pass from nearly mid-court to Kris Dunn, who snuck behind the defense and got an easy two points.

The post Providence’s Kris Dunn Flushes Backdoor Alley-Oop (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

The post WATCH: 7-6 Tacko Fall Vs 7-6 Mamadou N’Diaye appeared first on SLAM.

North Carolina is still the top team in America, with Kentucky, Maryland, Kansas and Duke rounding out the rest of the top five. Along with the Tar Heels, Wildcats, Terrapins and Jayhawks, Virginia was the only other team to receive a first-place vote (the poll came out before the Cavaliers fell to George Washington on Monday night).

As for the rest of the poll, the only team that fell from the rankings was Wisconsin, which was the No. 17 team in America but fell to Western Illinois in its season-opener.

Here’s the entire poll, via ESPN:

1. North Carolina (37 first-place votes)

2. Kentucky (8)

3. Maryland (14)

4. Kansas (5)

5. Duke

6. Virginia (1)

7. Iowa State

8. Oklahoma

9. Wichita State

10. Gonzaga

11. Villanova

12. Arizona

13. Michigan State

14. Indiana

15. California

16. Utah

17. Vanderbilt

18. Notre Dame

19. Connecticut

20. Baylor

21. Purdue

22. Butler

23. LSU

24. Michigan

25. Oregon

The post North Carolina Still No. 1 in AP Top 25 Poll appeared first on SLAM.

From North Carolina, via Tar Heel Blog:

University of North Carolina senior guard Marcus Paige fractured the third metacarpal on his right (non-shooting) hand in practice on Tuesday and is expected to be out of action for three to four weeks.

 

Paige has received a number of first-team preseason All-America honors and was selected the Co-Preseason Player of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

 

…

 

“I hate it for Marcus,” says head coach Roy Williams. “He’s such a wonderful young man – one of the most outstanding people I have been lucky to coach. I know he’ll handle this with the same level of maturity and responsibility that he does everything else.

 

“Our team will certainly be challenged in his absence. We will need everyone up and down the roster to step up their games and take care of each other and our team until he gets back.”

The post North Carolina’s Marcus Paige Out 3-4 Weeks With Fractured Right Hand appeared first on SLAM.

Rounding out the top five of the poll are Kentucky, Maryland, Kansas and Duke. The Wildcats, Terrapins and Jayhawks all received first-place votes in the poll, while the defending national champion Blue Devils were passed over. Outside of that group, the only other team to receive a first-place vote was sixth-ranked Virginia.

Here is the entire top-25, via ESPN:

1. North Carolina (35 first-place votes)
2. Kentucky (10)
3. Maryland (14)
4. Kansas (5)
5. Duke
6. Virginia (1)
7. Iowa State
8. Oklahoma
9. Gonzaga
10. Wichita State
11. Villanova
12. Arizona
13. Michigan State
14. California
15. Indiana
16. Utah
17. Wisconsin
18. Vanderbilt
19. Notre Dame
20. Connecticut
21. LSU
22. Baylor
23. Purdue
24. Butler
25. Michigan

The post North Carolina Ranked No. 1 in Preseason AP Poll appeared first on SLAM.

Today, some of those rumors gained a little more merit, as a book by a former escort titled Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen claims that Louisville recruiting trips were similar to strip clubs.

ESPN discussed some of the details from the book:

Said one of the recruits, who ultimately signed to play elsewhere: “I knew they weren’t college girls. It was crazy. It was like I was in a strip club.”

 

A book, “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen,”published this month by self-described former escort Katina Powell, 42, details nearly two dozen stripping and sex parties from 2010 to 2014 inside Billy Minardi Hall, the on-campus dorm for athletes and other students named for Louisville men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino’s late brother-in-law. Powell, who first spoke to Indianapolis Business Journal Book Publishing, has said that McGee arranged the parties and paid her $10,000 for supplying dancers during the time period.

 

Powell told Outside the Lines in an extensive interview that McGee also supplied cash for “side deals,” which included sex with some recruits, guardians who accompanied them on visits and some Louisville players.

 

The former player who said he had sex with a dancer told Outside the Lines that McGee provided him with one-dollar bills to tip dancers and paid for one of the dancers to have sex with the player in a separate room. One of the other former players, who said he attended the parties as a recruit and player, said McGee “would give us the money, just the recruits. A bunch of us were sitting there while they danced. Then the players left, and the recruits chose which one [of the dancers] they wanted.”

McGee is former Cardinals graduate assistant Andre McGee, who five former players and recruits allege put together parties which featured strippers that he paid for.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino responded to these allegations, saying that he has no idea if they’re true and that McGee owes it to everyone to tell the truth.

Rick Pitino spoke to @ESPNDanaOneil & @YahooSports in phone call today regarding Louisville sex scandal accusations: pic.twitter.com/uqzSaH3n2V

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 20, 2015

h/t ESPN

The post Former Louisville Players Say School Hired Escorts In Recruiting appeared first on SLAM.

Here is everything, heading into this season, that we know about George. We know that, when he has been healthy over the last three years—the entirety of the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, along with a handful of games with limited minutes during the 2014-15 season—George has been one of the best two-way players in the League.

On offense, he can score all over the court and has shown that he’s getting better and better as a distributor, plus he’s a a matchup nightmare, as he’s 6-9 and can shoot over almost anyone who guards him.

On defense, George is revered for his ability to lock people down, as he was a First-Team All-Defense selection in 2014 and a second-teamer the year before.

Having said that, the only other thing we know about George is that he’s coming back from one of the ugliest injuries that we’ve seen a pro athlete suffer. You’ve probably seen it, but on the off chance you’ve been able to avoid watching it, George’s lower leg snapped during a Team USA scrimmage in the summer of 2014.

It was one of the most horrific injuries that you’ll ever see a human being go through. If you have any kind of skepticism about George’s ability to come back and be the Paul George that took the lead by storm a few years back, it’s 100 percent justified.

And yet, we here at SLAM think that he is going to be the 22nd best player in the NBA this year. It’s certainly a bit of a risk to place George this high, but when you remember the kind of player that he is capable of being, it’s certainly a fair spot.

The biggest thing George has going for him is that he doesn’t have to worry too much about getting back in game shape. Somehow, Indiana’s star power forward—we’ll get to that in a second—was able to recover from his injury to get back in time for six games last season.

All things considered, he looked pretty good, as he averaged 8.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game. If he kept this pace up for 36 minutes a night, which is right around what he usually logs when he’s healthy, he’d average 21 and 8.7.

There’s nothing to guarantee that George does that, but if he hypothetically does, he’d join a list of guys who are really, really good.

One reason this is so attainable for George is the switch to power forward. With the way the NBA is evolving, even the Pacers—one of the teams that has prided itself on being ultra-physical and slowing down the game in an attempt to grind out wins—understand that being able to space the floor and push the ball is more important than anything else.

In fact, even Pacers president Larry Bird thinks the team needs to change the way they play so that the team can play at a faster tempo to score more points—and understandably so, because the Pacers were 23rd in offensive rating last season.

George moving to the 4 makes this change easier. While he isn’t exactly fond of the decision now, a guy like George is the perfect player for the NBA’s small-ball era. He’s tall, strong, athletic, and can impact the game all over the court on both sides of the ball.

Sure, he needs to get a bit better around the rim, but his offensive game is well-refined and he can defend almost anyone 1-4.

And if some team decides to go big and throw in a more traditional power forward, like the Spurs with LaMarcus Aldridge or the Cavaliers with Tristan Thompson for example, it’s safe to assume that Pacers coach Frank Vogel will, you know, slide him to the 2 or 3 like any coach would.

This is going to be a year of adjustments for George. From a new position to his full comeback from one of the most horrifying injuries that we’ve seen a basketball player suffer, there’s going to be a bit of a learning curve for Indiana’s superstar.

But if there’s one thing that we’ve learned about him so far, it’s that we should never count out Paul George.

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2015-16—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

The post SLAM Top 50: Paul George, no. 22 appeared first on SLAM.

Details are in the release, but essentially, the NCAA alleged that an assistant coach did all of the online coursework for a player to get him eligible. The NCAA did not name the individuals involved, but Goodman reported that the coach was Ulric Maligi and the player was junior guard Keith Frazier.

From the NCAA:

A former assistant men’s basketball coach encouraged a student-athlete to enroll in an online course to meet NCAA initial eligibility standards and be admitted to the university. After he enrolled in the course, a former men’s basketball administrative assistant obtained the student’s username and password then completed all of his coursework. The student-athlete received fraudulent credit for the course and, as a result, competed while ineligible during his freshman season. When speaking with NCAA enforcement staff, the student-athlete admitted that the former administrative assistant asked him to provide false information during the interview. In its decision, the panel noted it is very troubled that academic advising was administered by athletics staff.

 

The former administrative assistant violated NCAA’s ethical conduct rules when she provided false information during her interviews and attempted to influence a student-athlete to provide false information during his interview. The administrative assistant initially cooperated with the investigation, but later ended the second interview early, refused to provide documentation and denied additional interview requests.

 

While the university noted the head basketball coach received rules education, the panel noted it did not see a record of steps the he took to establish and ensure a culture of compliance within his program. Although the head basketball coach did not have direct knowledge or involvement in the misconduct, he did not follow up on the completion of coursework. Upon learning of the misconduct in 2014, the head basketball coach did not report it to the compliance staff, conference office or enforcement staff for more than a month. When asked by the NCAA enforcement staff about the potential violations, the head basketball coach initially denied having any information about the conversations with the former administrative assistant and student-athlete.

 

The head basketball coach failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program. He failed to report the violations when the former administrative assistant committed academic fraud on behalf of the student-athlete and he initially lied to enforcement staff about his knowledge of the potential violations.

The post SMU Hoops Penalized for NCAA Violations, Larry Brown Suspended appeared first on SLAM.

The investigation is not a formal one, just looking into potential violations that a source told CBS Sports could eventually be a Level 1 violation, the most serious violations the NCAA can bring against a program.

More from CBS Sports:

According to the NCAA, Level 1 violations are violations “that seriously undermine or threaten the integrity of the NCAA collegiate model as set forth in the Constitution and bylaws, including any violation that provides or is intended to provide a substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage, or a substantial or extensive impermissible benefit.”

 

SDSU officials released a statement subsequent to this report. It read: “Earlier today, San Diego State reached out to representatives of the NCAA’s enforcement staff following a media report regarding allegations involving the school’s men’s basketball program. Members of the NCAA staff confirmed for the university that they have not commenced a formal investigation. Prior to the media report today, the NCAA had not contacted any member of the university regarding an investigation into the program. San Diego State takes all potential NCAA issues seriously and will cooperate fully with the NCAA.”

 

It’s important to note San Diego State officials didn’t say the NCAA told them they aren’t investigating allegations of potential rules violations, only that the NCAA said it hasn’t commenced a “formal” investigation. Given the way the NCAA works, that’s unsurprising because the NCAA always investigates before launching a “formal” investigation, and, a source told CBS Sports, that’s very much the case here.

 

“So it’s just semantics,” a source said.

 

Meantime, the San Diego Union-Tribune independently reported Wednesday night that the NCAA is indeed “examining allegations of potential rules violations” by San Diego State. Whether the investigation will eventually lead to a “Letter of Inquiry” from the NCAA remains undetermined, as is always the case at this stage of an investigation.

The post Report: San Diego State Under Investigation for Potential NCAA Violations appeared first on SLAM.

Fortunately the two schools announced that the rivalry is renewed, and the Orange and the Hoyas will play a four-year series beginning this year.

Georgetown will host Syracuse on December 5, and both sides hope to extend this series for a long time beyond just the next four years.

From CBS Sports:

With Syracuse’s move to the ACC in 2013, scheduling couldn’t be shored up so that the two longtime and bitter rivals could manage a game. But the good news is we’re all set for the renewal of the clash this season. The schools have confirmed Dec. 5 to be the first of a four-year series. The Hoyas get hosting duties this upcoming season.

 

Then Syracuse will host come 2016 and 2017, with Georgetown getting the fourth game back in its building, the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. By then, if all parties have their priorities in line, the non-conference series will have been renewed for another decade-plus. If not for the remainder of the century.

The post Syracuse and Georgetown Renew Rivalry With 4-Year Series appeared first on SLAM.

Holt was cited for illegal possession of an alcoholic beverage last week with freshman teammate Thomas Bryant, who will reportedly face internal discipline for the action.

A native of New York, Holt averaged 3.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game as a freshman.

More from ESPN:

For Holt, it was a second strike. In November, he ran into Devin Davis, a former teammate, with his car, leaving Davis with a severe brain injury. Holt was not cited by police, who police determined Davis jumped in front of the car and that both players had been drinking under age.

 

“Sophomore Emmitt Holt has been dismissed from the men’s basketball program effective immediately for demonstrating exceptionally poor judgment in the circumstances surrounding his recent citation, particularly coming after his involvement in the Devin Davis accident which should have motivated him to make better decisions,” the strongly-worded two-sentence statement said.

 

The statement did not specify what punishments Bryant is facing.

 

Indiana State Excise Police released their report Aug. 24, acknowledging the 19-year-old Holt and 18-year-old Bryant were each found with a bottle of vodka in a parked car outside a local business at about 12:50 a.m. Holt and Bryant, police said, were passengers in the car.

The post Indiana Dismisses Emmitt Holt After Second Alcohol Citation appeared first on SLAM.

Killeya-Jones, who is the No. 18 recruit in the country according to 247 Sports, committed to UVA on January 1, 2015. However, Killeya-Jones decided to decommit from the Cavaliers on June 2, and picked up an offer from John Calipari 10 days later.

On Wednesday, Killeya-Jones officially announced that he’ll join the Wildcats’ 2016 class.

#BBN pic.twitter.com/WwhJoHE4X2

— SKJ (@The_SKJ) August 19, 2015

More from 247 Sports:

The next mobile big man and hyphenated name is on his way to Kentucky.

 

Lynchburg (Va.) Virginia Episcopal School 5-star power forward Sacha Killeya-Jones committed to the Wildcats Wednesday morning.

 

The versatile 6-foot-10 big man had a very strong AAU travel/showcase season, which included impressive performances at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va. and at the Adidas Summer Championships, where he leaded Team Loaded Virginia to the tournament title in Las Vegas.

 

His play in the spring and summer fueled Killeya-Jones’ rise in the rankings, from a fringe top-50 prospect to No. 18 overall in the 247Sports rankings.

The post Kentucky Lands Five-Star Forward Sacha Killeya-Jones appeared first on SLAM.

The Nigeria native is one of the best shot blockers in college basketball, and announced in June that he would leave the Red Storm. Due to NCAA transfer guidelines, he will sit out during the 2015-16 season.

More from ESPN:

Obekpa announced the news on his Instagram page, and multiple sources confirmed the decision to ESPN.com.

 

Obekpa, a 6-foot-10 center from Nigeria, started 24 games for St. John’s last season before leaving the program in late June. He averaged 5.8 points and 7.0 rebounds while also ranking fifth nationally in blocked shots at 3.1 per game.

 

He will sit out the 2015-16 season and then have one year of eligibility remaining.

The post St. John’s Transfer Chris Obekpa Commits To UNLV appeared first on SLAM.

Thank you to Arizona for the opportunity to play for an outstanding program but I've decided to reopen my recruitment pic.twitter.com/YMynXuhD6o

— TJ Leaf (@Tyleaf_22) August 7, 2015

According to 24/7 Sports, which ranks Leaf 11th in its composite ranking, the 6-9 California native held offers from 19 schools, including UCLA, Duke and Florida.

More from ESPN:

Leaf went public with his decision to decommit and praised Arizona coach Sean Miller and his staff for their recruitment of him.

 

“This is definitely one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I have decided to decommit from Arizona and reopen my recruitment,” the tweet read. “The school and staff of Arizona have been great to me, and I have nothing but respect for Coach Miller and the entire staff and wish them nothing but the best. But at this point in my life I know it is best to explore my options and pursue other basketball opportunities.”

 

Leaf spent the past couple of weeks playing for the Israeli national team during the U18 European Championships, winning MVP honors after averaging 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds in nine games.

The post 2016 Five-Star Forward TJ Leaf Decommits From Arizona appeared first on SLAM.

Former Memphis forward Austin Nichols, who averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game for the Tigers in 2014-15, announced that he will join the Cavaliers.

Nichols will have to sit out this season as part of the NCAA’s transfer rules, but he will have two years of eligibility left starting in 2016-17.

More from ESPN:

Memphis Tigers transfer Austin Nichols is joining the Virginia Cavaliers, he told ESPN Radio on Sunday.

 

Virginia coach Tony Bennett announced the transfer Monday, saying Nichols is a “great fit for our program and system.”

 

Nichols had strongly considered Virginia coming out of high school.

 

After hiring a lawyer, the 6-foot-9 forward was given an unconditional release by Memphis earlier this month, making the former top-25 recruit free to accept a scholarship from any Division I program.

 

Sources told ESPN that Virginia had been high atop Nichols’ list of suitors because of a connection between his former summer coach, Ernie Kuyper, and the family of John Paul Jones — whom Virginia’s arena is named after. Kuyper runs an event in Memphis called the Jack Jones Shootout.

The post Memphis Transfer Austin Nichols Commits To Virginia appeared first on SLAM.

From Yahoo Sports:

It’s no mystery what potential title game Maui Invitational organizers wanted to create when they designed this year’s bracket.

 

They were trying to set up a championship clash between Kansas and Indiana when they placed the two blue bloods on opposite sides of the draw.

 

The Maui Invitational bracket released Tuesday has the reigning Big 12 champion Jayhawks pitted against host Chaminade in the opening round of the tournament. Assuming Kansas avoids an upset of monumental proportions, it would meet the winner of UCLA-UNLV in the semifinals.

 

Indiana will open against Wake Forest on its side of the bracket. The winner of that game will likely meet a much-improved Vanderbilt team that finished last season on a hot streak unless the Commodores fail to get past rebuilding St. John’s in the opening round.

 

A Kansas-Indiana matchup would be an appealing one given that both teams will likely begin next season ranked in the top 15 in the nation.

The post Loaded Maui Invitational Field Headlined By Kansas, Indiana appeared first on SLAM.

Both the Hurricanes and the Golden Gophers have won the event—which enters its ninth year in 2015.

The event will begin on November 19, with the championship game taking place on November 22. All games will take place in Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan.

From ESPN:

Big East surprise Butler and Utah, which made the Sweet 16 last season, are the two headliners of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off and could be headed for a title-game showdown, based on matchups that multiple sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday night.

 

Butler will take on Missouri State, with Minnesota and Temple on one side of the bracket. On the other side of the bracket, Utah plays Texas Tech, and Mississippi State plays Miami. The tournament will be played Nov. 19-22 in San Juan.

The post Butler Bulldogs, Utah Utes Headline 2015 Puerto Rico Tip-Off appeared first on SLAM.

Tatum is the top small forward in the country, and held offers from a bevy of high-profile schools, including Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina and UCLA. The St. Louis native helped lead the Team USA U19 Team to a gold medal at the FIBA World Championships in Croatia earlier this month.

More from ESPN:

“I love the way the program is run and I love the way the academics are set up,” Tatum said of Duke. “My relationships with the Duke coaches were the best, and they made me a priority. They did the best job of recruiting me and have been at almost all my games, and that means a lot.”

 

Tatum’s only official visit was to Duke, in February for the Blue Devils’ game against Syracuse. He also made unofficial visits to Kentucky and Saint Louis.

The post Duke Lands Five-Star Wing Jayson Tatum appeared first on SLAM.

These will mark the seventh and eighth meetings between the two teams, with the most notable matchup coming during the 2000 National Championship game, which Michigan State won.

From CBS Sports:

The first game between the two will happen in East Lansing at MSU’s Breslin Center on Dec. 12. Florida gets hosting duties not in 2016, but the season after (2017-18). The teams famously met in 2000 when they played in the national title game. MSU won 89-76 to earn its first (and only, to date) national championship under Izzo.

 

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since we played Florida in the national championship game,” Izzo said. “To be able to mark the 15th anniversary with a game against the Gators is a special opportunity. Between this game and playing Louisville in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, we are excited to bring some of college basketball’s top programs to our home fans this season. It’s part of a continual quest to schedule great non-conference games at Breslin Center for our fans that have been so loyal and give us one of the best home court advantages in the nation.”

The post Michigan State, Florida Agree To Home-And-Home Series appeared first on SLAM.

Isaac—the No. 10 overall recruit in the country, according to 247 Sports—held offers from nearly 30 other schools, including Kentucky and Louisville. He announced his decision to commit to the ‘Noles on Twitter:

So much help and guidance to get to this point! But in making my own decision I've closed my recruitment and commit to FSU!! #GoNoles

— Jonathan Judah Isaac (@JJudahIsaac) July 6, 2015

More, from ESPN:

Five-star forward Jonathan Isaac, a 6-foot-9 prospect from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida), tweeted Monday that he has committed to Florida State.

 

“I think Florida State is so special,” Isaac told ESPN.com after the announcement on social media, “the people they have there, people they have coming in. I want to be part of a special program. They’re going to be great.”

 

Isaac had trimmed his list to 12 schools last month and said Wake Forest, Miami, LSU, Kentucky, Stanford and others were firmly in the mix before he decided on Florida State.

 

“I had it in my heart,” he said. “I just decided Florida State is where I want to go. I didn’t want to waste coaches’ time. I knew where I wanted to go.”

The post Florida State Picks Up Commitment From 2016 5-Star Forward Jonathan Isaac appeared first on SLAM.

But John Calipari has reloaded through recruiting, and today, he pulled in one of the 10 best players in the Class of 2015.

Five-star guard Jamal Murray out of Toronto announced that he is headed to Lexington, and joins what is now the top class in the country, according to 247 Sports.

He joins four other incoming freshmen recruits: five-star center Skal Labissiere, five-star point guard Isaiah Briscoe, four-star shooting guard Charles Matthews and four-star junior college transfer Mychal Mulder.

From Yahoo Sports:

Canadian guard Jamal Murray is headed to University of Kentucky.

 

Murray announced his decision Wednesday, selecting the Wildcats over Oregon.

 

”Beyond blessed to announce that I will be attending the University of Kentucky,” Murray said on Twitter.

 

The 6-foot-5 Murray was the most valuable player in the Nike Hoop Summit All-Star game, leading the world team with 30 points in a 103-101 victory over the United States Selects.

 

Murray played for Canada in the 2014 FIBA under-17 world championships.

The post Kentucky Lands Five-Star Canadian Guard Jamal Murray appeared first on SLAM.

Maker confirmed on Friday that he intends on staying in high school, playing on the same team as his younger brother and waiting until 2016. According to his guardian, Indiana and Arizona State have been in contact with Maker the most, but he has also attracted interest from plenty of major programs, like Kansas and Kentucky.

From ESPN:

Elite prospect Thon Maker will now graduate with the Class of 2016 after announcing in the winter he planned on moving up to the 2015 class.

 

“I’m definitely going to stay and play it out,” Maker told reporters at the NBPA Top 100 Camp.

 

Maker, a 7-foot center originally from South Sudan, will return to Orangeville Prep (Canada) for his final season. He also explored the prospect of graduating in December and enrolling at a college for the second semester.

 

A big factor in Maker’s decision to move back to 2016 was the opportunity to play with his brother, Matur, who is a talented 2017 prospect.

 

“I had to ask, ‘What do you want to do?'” Ed Smith, Maker’s guardian, told ESPN.com. “And he said he wants to play with his brother.”

 

Maker has completed all his core classes, according to Smith. He will take his SATs in the fall.

 

“It’s helped him tremendously,” Smith said of the decision. “Going into the Hoop Summit [in April], he was staying up until two, three o’clock in the morning. He wasn’t playing well. Once he knew [moving back to 2016] was a possibility, he got back into a rhythm. He’s feeling good. He’s playing really, really well right now.”

The post Elite High School Prospect Thon Maker Will Remain in the Class of 2016 appeared first on SLAM.

From Scout:

Tyus Battle is taking an official visit to Syracuse and reopening his recruitment, sources told Scout on Friday.

 

Battle, a five-star prospect, had committed to Michigan on May 11th over Duke, Louisville, Syracuse and Ohio State. Battle had originally scheduled a visit to Syracuse, but canceled it when he committed to John Beilein.

 

Following the Syracuse visit, Battle would have one official trip remaining, as he has already taken trips to Duke, Louisville and Michgan.

 

A 6-foot-6 wing, Battle is ranked No. 19 overall in the 2016 class and is recognized as one of the best scorers in the class.

The post Five-Star Guard Tyus Battle Decommits From Michigan appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

The North Carolina Tar Heels extended the contract of coach Roy Williams for two years through the 2020 season, it was announced Friday.

 

The school announced terms of the deal Friday. The deal will pay Williams a base salary of between $408,169 this fall and $595,409 in 2019-20, and supplemental compensation ranging from $1.55 million this fall and $1.75 million in the final year. There’s also a $40,000 annual expense account, along with outside contracts with Nike and for multimedia obligations.

 

Williams, who had three years remaining on his previous contract, also could earn an addition $1 million each season in NCAA tournament incentives.

 

“I’ve said I want to coach another six to 10 years, so this contract takes me right to the edge of that, which is good,” Williams said in a statement released by the university. “I appreciate the confidence Chancellor (Carol) Folt and (UNC ahtletic director) Bubba Cunningham have in my leadership of the basketball program. They’ve demonstrated that with this contract extension, and with their support over the past several years, which have been a challenge for all who love Carolina as I do. I thank them on behalf of our basketball program and me personally.”

The post North Carolina Gives Roy Williams Contract Extension Through 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

From CBS Sports:

Murray State’s Steve Prohm has reached an agreement in principle to become the next head coach at Iowa State, a source told CBSSports.com on Monday.

 

A formal announcement is expected soon.

 

Prohm has been the head coach at Murray State the past four seasons and compiled a 104-29 record. The 40-year-old has made one NCAA Tournament. He’ll replace Fred Hoiberg, who left last week to coach the Chicago Bulls.

The post Report: Iowa State Will Name Murray State’s Steve Prohm Its Next Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

His 113-point outing was the NCAA record for the most points scored by one player in a single game for 58 years, when it was broken by Jack Taylor of Grinnell College’s 138-point performance.

From the L.A. Times:

Clarence “Bevo” Francis, who scored 113 points for a small Ohio college in a 1954 game and was one of college basketball’s great scorers, has died. He was 82.

 

Francis died Wednesday at his southern Ohio home after a lengthy illness, the University of Rio Grande announced on its website.

 

Francis’ landmark game came against Michigan’s Hillsdale College on Feb. 2, 1954, and put tiny Rio Grande College on the map. The school in southeastern Ohio, now called the University of Rio Grande, had less than 100 students at the time.

 

“Bevo’s legacy, at least in part, is that dedication, determination and heart can change the world,” Michelle Johnston, the university president, said on the school’s website. Francis’ exploits “charted a course for our institution that led us out of a sea of challenges toward a positive future.”

 

A year earlier, the 6-feet-9 center scored 116 points against Kentucky’s Ashland Junior College, a record that was retroactively erased after the NCAA said it would recognize only games played against four-year, degree-granting institutions.

The post College Basketball Legend Clarence ‘Bevo’ Francis Dies At Age 82 appeared first on SLAM.

Still, people have asked Cal if he regrets his decision to stay in the college ranks, and while he’s said no, he was recently asked again now that Cleveland is four wins away from its first NBA title in franchise history. Despite this, Cal didn’t change his answer.

From Yahoo!:

Last spring, John Calipari had a chance to become the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Speculation on NBA jobs is an annual occurrence for the Kentucky coach but this was different.

 

“The only thing that was ever serious was the Cleveland thing,” Calipari said Monday here outside Detroit at the “Coaches Beat Cancer” event, run by Oakland University coach Greg Kampe.

 

While there was no guarantee, there was, at the time, a possibility that LeBron James would return to the franchise, offering the chance to coach one of the greatest players of all time for an instant title contender. Opportunities like that just don’t present themselves very often.

 

Cal, of course, said no to Cleveland. LeBron said yes. The Cavs open the NBA Finals on Thursday at Golden State.

 

So any regrets? Any pangs of wistfulness? After all, wishing you could do two things at once, run in dual tracts, doesn’t denigrate the path chosen. Every coach would like to win an NBA title.

 

“No,” Calipari said. “No, nope. Because what happened, and the reason I did what I did, was based on having guys come back who wanted to be coached. I didn’t feel comfortable not being at Kentucky.”

The post John Calipari Says He Doesn’t Regret Turning Down Cleveland Cavaliers Job appeared first on SLAM.

The addition should provide the Hoosiers with some much-needed depth in the frontcourt, as the squad dismissed forwards Devin Davis and Hanner Mosquera-Perea last month.

From the Indianapolis Star:

Indiana was able to address its need for experience and depth inside Tuesday when Michigan transfer Max Bielfeldt picked the Hoosiers.

 

Bielfeldt announced his decision via Twitter, and confirmed it in a phone conversation with The Star.

 

“I think it was a mix of the athletics and school, academics,” Bielfeldt said, when asked what made Indiana his choice. “I think I’ll fit in well with the guys, and playing for (IU) coach (Tom) Crean, I think he’s really good at developing players.”

 

A 6-8, 245-pound forward, Bielfeldt started three games and appeared in 30 last season averaging 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He was named the Wolverines’ sixth man of the year, according to his official Michigan biography.

Excited to announce I’ll be spending my fifth year of eligibility at Indiana University! #B1G

— Max Bielfeldt (@MaxBielfeldt) June 2, 2015

The post Michigan Transfer Max Bielfeldt Commits To Indiana appeared first on SLAM.

From The Chicago Tribune:

Chris Collins didn’t even raise a glass with wife Kim the night he agreed to a contract extension to remain at Northwestern.

 

“Maybe we gave each other a hug,” Collins told the Tribune. “I was never worried about it. I want to be here for the long haul and build a program.”

 

The extension, yet to be announced by the school, resulted from Collins’ end-of-season meeting with Jim Phillips, NU’s athletic director.

 

Phillips said negotiations were easy on the multiyear extension. Collins would not divulge the deal’s length, saying he will stay in Evanston for at least the “foreseeable future.”

 

“It’s not ‘coach Cal’ money,” he said in reference to Kentucky coach John Calipari’s $7 million-plus annual salary. “But it’s in the ballpark of what guys in our league are making. I want to be at Northwestern and love what we’re doing. I just wanted to be treated fairly.”

The post Chris Collins Gets Contract Extension From Northwestern appeared first on SLAM.

3rd times a charm.. UCONN! #BeyondBlessed pic.twitter.com/WWZAnG9pq2

— Sterling Gibbs (@SterlingGibbs4) May 16, 2015

From CBS Sports:

Ex-Seton Hall guard Sterling Gibbs, possibly the No. 1 transfer left on the market, has officially decided to take his talents to Connecticut.

 

This ends what was apparently a rather well-known dance over the course of the past few weeks. It was reported initially a couple of weeks ago by Andrew Slater of 247Sports.com, then again this afternoon by Evan Daniels of Scout.com. Gibbs refuted the reports both times, but then eventually confirmed the news in a tweet of his own this afternoon.

 

…

 

According to the Asbury Park Press, Gibbs and freshman Isaiah Whitehead got into a heated shouting match after a game at Georgetown. Plus, Gibbs’ former roommate and friend Jaren Sina decided to transfer midway through the season after saying the locker room “was not a good situation (for him) right now.” Gibbs’ and Sina’s departure has left the Pirates in a bit of a rough situation for next season, although Whitehead, Angel Delgado and Khadeen Carrington will hopefully stem the tide as they rise from freshmen to sophomores.

The post UConn Lands Seton Hall Transfer Sterling Gibbs appeared first on SLAM.

Here is the full lineup, via the Big Ten:

Nov. 30 — Clemson at Minnesota, Wake Forest at Rutgers

Dec. 1 — Maryland at North Carolina, Virginia at Ohio State, Michigan at NC State, Purdue at Pittsburgh, Northwestern at Virginia Tech, Miami at Nebraska

Wednesday, Dec. 2 — Indiana at Duke, Louisville at Michigan State, Notre Dame at Illinois, Wisconsin at Syracuse, Florida State at Iowa, Penn State at Boston College

Of course, while all eyes will be on UNC/MD, there are still a ton of match-ups between some of the marquee programs in the sport, like Virginia/Ohio State, Indiana/Duke and Louisville/Michigan State. Television information will be announced at a later date, but all games will be on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

The post North Carolina-Maryland Headlines ACC/Big Ten Challenge appeared first on SLAM.

Guthridge is known for his loyalty to Smith, as he was an assistant under the former North Carolina coach from 1967 until 1997. He took over the Tar Heels’ job after Smith retired, and led the squad to an 80-28 record. North Carolina went to the NCAA Tournament in each of his three years at the helm, and in his first and third years, Guthridge led the team to the Final Four. He was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year in 1998 and retired from coaching in 2000.

Sad news. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. 33 yrs on UNC bench. In our prayers.

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) May 13, 2015

Rest in peace. #TarHeelFamily pic.twitter.com/erHGicS1pL

— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) May 13, 2015

The post Former North Carolina Coach, Longtime Assistant Bill Guthridge Dies at 77 appeared first on SLAM.

Sulaimon was dismissed by the Blue Devils in January because Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski claimed he “has been unable to consistently live up to the standards required to be a member of our program,” and it is believed that his dismissal stemmed from multiple sexual assault allegations.

From ESPN:

Former Duke Blue Devils guard Rasheed Sulaimon told ESPN he has committed to Maryland and will spend his final season in college with the Terps.

 

“For everything I’ve been through, my family and I wanted me to be at a place where I trusted everyone,” Sulaimon said. “I’ve known Coach [Mark] Turgeon and [assistant coach Dustin] Clark since I was 13. I trust them.”

 

Sulaimon, who was dismissed from the Blue Devils program in January, took a visit to College Park over the weekend and met with athletic director Kevin Anderson, president Wallace D. Loh and the Maryland players.

 

“We did our due diligence,” Turgeon told ESPN. “We were extremely thorough and talked to a lot of people and vetted the entire situation. I’ve known Rasheed and his family since he was 13, and I believe in him. There’s a trust factor, and we’ve had a strong relationship.”

 

Sulaimon said he is on track to graduate in early August. Due to the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule, he will be eligible next season — his final one in college.

 

His addition makes Turgeon’s team a legitimate candidate to cut down the nets in April.

 

“They have a chance to be a special team,” Sulaimon said. “They are great guys off the court, and they embraced me. At the end of the day, I wanted to go somewhere to have the opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself.”

 

Said Turgeon: “He wanted a chance to win at the highest level. He’s a piece that fits what we’re doing here — both personality-wise and on the court. He’ll add leadership. We had other options, but we felt like Rasheed was the best one.”

The post Former Duke Guard Rasheed Sulaimon Will Play for Maryland in 2015 appeared first on SLAM.

The 38-year-old White is a Florida native who has spent the last four years at the helm of the Bulldogs’ program. In that time, he has guided the team to a 101-40 record with three straight appearances in the NIT.

Louisiana Tech basketball coach Michael White has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Billy Donovan at Florida, multiple sources have told Yahoo Sports.

 

A meeting between Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley and White could take place as soon as today, sources said.

 

The 38-year-old White, son of Duke athletic director Kevin White, has done extensive recruiting in Florida as an assistant at Mississippi and as head coach at Louisiana Tech. Last season’s Tech team included five players from Florida on the roster.

 

Similar to the style Donovan first employed at Florida, White coaches a fast-paced style, which could be seen as an important selling point to a fickle Florida basketball fan base. Louisiana Tech has ranked in the top 50 in Ken Pomeroy’s tempo statistics the past three years.

The post Report: Louisiana Tech’s Michael White Is ‘Leading Candidate’ for Florida Job appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

Florida’s search to replace basketball coach Billy Donovan began weeks — really months — ago.

 

The Gators have been collecting information on potential successors since at least February, probably even earlier.

 

Although athletic director Jeremy Foley said Monday he would sit down with his search team later in the day and discuss potential candidates, he made it clear that school officials have been planning for Donovan’s departure for some time.

 

Foley said the process only intensified when the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder fired coach Scott Brooks on April 22.

 

“We heard some undercurrents that this [was] a possibility, so we began looking at coaches probably several weeks ago,” Foley said.

 

The Thunder hired Donovan on Thursday, prying him away from Florida after a 19-year college career that included two national championships, four trips to the Final Four and 14 appearances in the NCAA tournament.

 

Donovan was formally introduced at his new job Friday. He returned to Gainesville over the weekend and, during a news conference Monday, formally and tearfully said goodbye to the football-first program he essentially put on the college basketball map.

 

Foley choked back tears while talking about his relationship with Donovan, saying “what we really didn’t know 19 years ago was the type of person we were getting. One of the best, you know?”

The post Florida Began Preparing for Billy Donovan’s Departure Several Months Ago appeared first on SLAM.

He had as strong of an April as any prospect in the country, earning MVP honors at the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.

More from the Kansas City Star: 

The prospective missing piece for Kansas basketball is a teenage big man who began playing organized basketball just five years ago.

 

Cheick Diallo, a Mali native and 6-foot-9 power forward, announced Tuesday that he will continue his basketball career at Kansas, completing the latest spring recruiting coup for KU coach Bill Self.

 

Diallo, who played his high school basketball in Long Island, picked Kansas over a list of finalist that also included Kentucky, Iowa State and St. John’s.

 

The latest recruiting domino fills a major need in the paint for the Jayhawks, offering size, length and athleticism. Rated as the nation’s No. 5 overall recruit by Rivals.com, Diallo comes to Kansas after a sterling finish to his prep career.

 

Diallo was selected MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game in early April before earning co-MVP honors at the Jordan Brand Classic in Brooklyn two weeks ago. His numbers in the Jordan Game were especially impressive — albeit with the All-Star game caveats. Diallo finished with 26 points on 12-for-16 shooting and snared 11 rebounds.

 

Diallo’s backstory, in broad ways, mirrors that of former Kansas standout Joel Embiid, a native of Cameroon. Growing up in Mali, West African nation of 14.5 million people, Diallo didn’t start playing basketball until around 2010 or 2011. He was discovered in Bamako, Mali, by Mali-American talent scout named Tidiane Drame, who has since guided Diallo’s path in America. After coming to the United States, Diallo landed at Our Savior New American High School in Long Island, N.Y., where he began refining his his raw game and lived with a host family.

 

Throughout the recruiting process, Self made it clear that the frontcourt would be a priority. The Jayhawks’ lack of inside scoring was a persistent problem last season.

 

The Jayhawks also lacked a true rim protector. The numbers are familiar by now. KU shot 46.4 percent inside the three-point line, which was the lowest mark of the Self era. Junior forward Jamari Traylor shot just 48.6 percent and finished on just 54 percent of his shots at the rim. Sophomore Landen Lucas was slightly better in a smaller sample, shooting 53 percent from the floor and 59 percent at the rim. But neither player profiles as a true low-post option — somebody that can catch with their back to the basket and score.

 

The post 5-Star Power Forward Recruit Cheick Diallo Commits to Kansas appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

Men’s basketball is likely heading toward reducing its shot clock from 35 to 30 seconds, the chair of the NCAA rules committee told ESPN.com on Monday.

 

Belmont coach Rick Byrd said a year ago the chances were 95 percent against change, but changed his tone Monday.

 

“Now there’s a real decent chance,” Byrd said. “It’s pretty evident a lot more coaches are leaning that way. The opinion of coaches on the shot clock have moved significantly to reducing it from 35 to 30. And all indicators are pointing toward that.”

 

The rules committee will meet May 12-15 in Indianapolis and review all the data and surveys on the matter from this past season. The NIT, CBI and CIT postseason tournaments all experimented with the 30-second shot clock this past March. The rules committee can change rules every odd year.

 

“I think it’s fair to say the buzz about the game is that scoring in the 50s can be ugly,” Byrd said. “There’s a lot of talk about it — more coverage than ever before. All of that has created acceptance from the coaches side.”

 

Byrd said coaches, fans and media are expecting the rules committee to do something that impacts scoring.

 

“There’s not a lot we can do unless we rewrite the rules,” he said. “There will be pressure to do something, and one of those things to do is to lower the shot clock to 30. I think that would improve the pace of play.”

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Russell was arguably the best guard in college basketball this year, as he was named a consensus All-American and the 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The Kentucky native was second in the Big Ten in scoring and third in assists, as he averaged 19.3 points and 5.1 dimes per game. He also pulled down 5.7 rebounds per game, which led the Buckeyes. ESPN’s Chad Ford has Russell as the No. 4 overall player in the Draft.

From ESPN:

Ohio State freshman D’Angelo Russell has decided to go pro, declaring for the NBA draft Wednesday.

 

“This was a hard decision because I knew I could come back and play with my teammates who I love, and to be coached by coach Thad Matta again would have been awesome, but at the same time I wanted to pursue my dream of playing in the NBA,” Russell told ESPN.com on Wednesday. “I know what I am capable of and the sky’s the limit with effort. I know I have a lot to work on.”

 

Russell is a 6-foot-5 combo guard who excels both as a playmaker and as a scoring threat. He produced 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as a freshman for the Buckeyes.

 

Just one year after entering college basketball as the No. 13 overall player in the ESPN 100, Russell is bound for the pros.

 

“You never know when this opportunity comes,” he told ESPN.com. “I believe I am ready because my approach was to unpack my bags, get committed to winning and listening to the coaches — as opposed to coming in and saying ‘I am a pro’ and trying to leave. I wasn’t trying to get in and out at Ohio State.”

The post Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell Declares for 2015 NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

According to an interview that his mentor, Ed Smith, gave with Scout.com, it appears that Maker could be in line for a reclassification into the 2015 class–as he previously indicated to us in a feature on him in our March Madness issue. Maker has a list of four schools that he is considering, and according to Smith, he could be eligible to play in the second semester of the 2015-16 season.

From Scout.com:

Thon Maker’s reclassification, future college destination and even whether he will play college ball have been among the biggest storylines in high school hoops.

 

A 7-footer with unique skills and mobility, Maker, who ranks as a top 10 player, has built quite the fan following and has his pick of high major basketball programs.

 

But before Maker, a standout at Orangeville (Canada) Prep, picks his future school. He first must decide when he will go to college. He was planning to be a member of the 2015 class – and he still could be – and go to college in late August. But it looks like Maker could go to school during the second semester of the upcoming college season.

 

“It’s shaping up like it’s going to be mid-year,” Maker’s mentor Ed Smith told Scout. “It’s looking more and more like it’ll be that. He has his core done. That’ll be done on June 23. He’s fine in his core. It’s just getting the work done.”

 

“For our sake we are going step by step to see what makes sense for him,” he added. “If we can get a mid-year situation that’s good for him and he can walk in then we’ll go with a mid-year situation.”

 

According to Smith, there are currently four schools – Arizona State, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky – under consideration. Maker has taken visits to all but Arizona State. He hasn’t and doesn’t plan to conduct any in-home visits in the near future.

The post Thon Maker’s Mentor Thinks Maker Will Reclassify, Be Eligible in Late-2015 appeared first on SLAM.

In his three years at UConn, Ollie has established himself as one of the best coaches in college basketball, as he has accrued a 72-33 record. He has won at least 20 games in each of his three years, and in 2013-14, Ollie led the Huskies to a national title. Ollie also has ties to the Thunder, as he played with the squad in 2009-10. He was a teammate of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka during that time.

From Adam Zagoria:

UConn coach Kevin Ollie is being “seriously considered” for the OKC coaching job, source close to the situation tells @SNYtv

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 20, 2015

The post Report: UConn’s Kevin Ollie Being ‘Seriously Considered’ to Replace Scott Brooks as Oklahoma City Thunder Coach appeared first on SLAM.

From GoDuke.com:

Duke freshman Justise Winslow will enter the 2015 NBA Draft, head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced Tuesday.

 

“We’re very happy for Justise and his family,” said Krzyzewski. “He had a sensational year, both on and off the court. He was an amazing factor for our success in winning the national championship. From everything we have found out, Justise is projected to be a high lottery pick and we believe that to be true. This is a great time to take advantage of this opportunity. We’re behind him all the way and love him and his family.”

 

Winslow, an All-Final Four team selection, joins Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Jabari Parker (2014) and teammate Jahlil Okafor (2015) as Blue Devil freshmen to enter the NBA Draft after just one season of college basketball.

 

Winslow, the third-highest freshman scorer in the ACC this season, averaged 12.5 points per game on 48.6 percent shooting from the field. In 31 of his 39 appearances, Winslow scored 10-or-more points, the second most double-digit scoring games by a freshman in the ACC this year, behind only Okafor (35). Winslow’s 31 double-digit scoring games ranks tied for third on Duke’s freshman list, while his 492 total points tied with Jason Williams for eighth on the Duke rookie chart.

 

Winslow also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game, second most by a freshman in the conference. He became just the second player 6-6 or under for Krzyzewski to average at least 6.0 rebounds per game, joining Chris Carrawell (6.1 rpg. In 1999-00). Winslow posted seven double-doubles during the 2014-15 season, including three-straight double-doubles in games against Virginia, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. Winslow was recognized for his athletic prowess by being named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and the USBWA All-District III Team.

 

“This year at Duke University, my dreams and aspirations have literally come true,” said Winslow. “Since I was a kid in third grade playing for the Houston Jaguars, I envisioned one day playing at the collegiate level and winning a championship. If you fast forward 10 years and my dream became a reality. The friendships and relationships I’ve formed with those a part of the Duke and Durham community have been even better than winning the National Championship. With that being said, my family and I have decided that I should declare for the NBA draft this year. Considering the success and growth that I have experienced over this past year as a player and as a person, I believe it is time to take the next step on my career path and play at the highest level.”

The post Duke Forward Justise Winslow Declares for NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

Wichita State’s starting backcourt of Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker will return for their senior seasons.

 

Point guard VanVleet confirmed to ESPN.com that he will return, and sources told ESPN that shooting guard Baker also will return for his senior season. He was leaning toward leaving school, especially because he’s already graduated, but changed his mind after coach Gregg Marshall decided to spurn Alabama and he received information from the NBA draft advisory committee.

 

According to several NBA executives, Baker (6-foot-4) was considered a likely second-round selection if he had entered the draft.

 

VanVleet (6 feet, 195 pounds) started every game for the Shockers last season and ranked seventh nationally with a 3.10 assist to turnover ratio. He was second behind Baker on the team in scoring with 13.6 points, and his 5.2 assist average led the Missouri Valley Conference.

 

VanVleet also was regarded as a second-rounder by NBA executives.

The post Report: Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker Will Return for Senior Seasons appeared first on SLAM.

From GoDuke.com:

Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor will enter the 2015 NBA Draft, head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced Thursday. Okafor, a consensus first team All-America selection, joins Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012) and Jabari Parker (2014) as Blue Devil freshmen to enter the NBA Draft after just one season of college basketball. The five previous freshmen early entrees were each selected among the first 13 players in their respective drafts, including Irving, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2011.

 

“What a great decision!” said Krzyzewski. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Jahlil and he has earned it. Obviously, he has done an incredible job here at Duke and he will always be a part of our Duke basketball family. We could not be happier for him and his family.”

 

“As early as I can remember, I’ve fantasized and dreamed of the day that I could play professional basketball,” said Okafor. “ I recall at the age of six, promising my mom and dad that when I made it to the NBA I would buy them both different colored trucks. They would laugh with me in support and encouraged me to dream big and work hard. With that being said and now at the age of 19, my dream is still alive! My freshman year has been an amazing experience to say the least. It exceeded my expectations! I love Cameron and Duke University! I can’t thank my coaches, teammates and family enough for making this year so special and helping me grow on and off the court. With Coach K’s and my family’s blessing I will be fulfilling my life-long dream and proudly entering my name into the NBA draft.”

The post Duke’s Jahlil Okafor Declares for 2015 NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

The Kentucky Wildcats will lose their top seven scorers — Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, Dakari Johnson, Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison — to the NBA draft from the team that won 38 straight games before losing in the national semifinals.

 

Towns and Cauley-Stein are both considered lottery picks by NBA executives. Towns is likely to go either first or second overall along with Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor — who has yet to officially declare for the NBA draft.

 

…

 

The NBA draft is June 25.

 

The losses account for 85 percent of Kentucky’s scoring from this past season and 77 percent of its rebounding.

 

The loss of seven players leaves Kentucky with freshman point guard Tyler Ulis, veteran forward Alex Poythress and athletic forward Marcus Lee. Ulis should step into the starting role, Poythress will return after a season-ending torn ACL after just eight games but Lee’s role is up in the air with another strong recruiting class coming into Lexington.

The post Kentucky’s Top Seven Scorers Declare for 2015 NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

Plenty of college basketball fans are still talking about the missed call at the end of Monday’s National Championship Game between Duke and Wisconsin. The ball went out of bounds during the game’s waning moments and it was ruled that Wisconsin touched it last. During the review of the play, CBS showed pretty clearly that the ball went off of Duke’s Justise Winslow. But it was still ruled Blue Devils’ ball because the referees did not have clear evidence to overturn the original call. Of course, Duke ended up upending Wisconsin, 68-63.

Today, NCAA head of officiating John Adams appeared on Sirius XM radio to explain how the officials could have blown that call. Basically, Adams claimed that they didn’t have the same view as the at-home audience.

From The Dagger:

To explain how the blown call transpired, NCAA head of officiating John Adams appeared on Sirius XM radio and made a pretty surprising admission that they never saw the definitive replay that viewers saw at home.

 

“All four of our officials were involved in the review. We never saw, on our monitor, what everybody saw at home, if you can believe that,” Adams said.

 

However, after the officials left the monitor and made their ruling, Adams said he saw the zoomed-in view of the ball clearly touching Winslow’s finger.

 

At that point he had the opportunity to quickly make a decision.

 

“I saw it after they had left the monitor, and actually thought about, is it in my prerogative to get up, run over to the table, buzz the buzzer, and tell them to come back and look?” Adams said. “That’s how critical I thought the play was and concluded that this is a job for the guys on the floor. I’ve never done it before. Why would I do it tonight and perhaps change the balance of the game?”

The post NCAA Official Explains Missed Call at End of Duke-Wisconsin Game appeared first on SLAM.

Ultimately, the decision is up to each individual player, but Cal expects Willie Cauley-Stein, Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, Karl-Anthony Towns and Trey Lyles to enter the Draft, while he isn’t sure about Dakari Johnson and Devin Booker.

From ESPN:

Kentucky coach John Calipari knows it’s only a matter of time before his players seek success at the next level, and he expects five to seven players to make the jump to the NBA this offseason.

 

“There’s not going to be any brainwashing, forcing, pushing either in or out,” Calipari told reporters in Indianapolis on Monday after his election to the Basketball Hall of Fame. “I want each kid to make a decision for themselves.

 

“I did tell a couple of the kids that it’s a man’s league; it’s not a child’s league. If you’re not ready for a man’s league, you need to come back.”

 

The Wildcats are coming off a 38-1 season, losing to Wisconsin in the national semifinals on Saturday.

 

“We could lose seven guys,” Calipari said. “I would guess five at the minimum. But I would say seven is a distinct possibility.”

 

Calipari projects that Willie Cauley-Stein, Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, Karl-Anthony Towns and Trey Lyles will declare for the NBA draft. He’s not so sure about Dakari Johnson and Devin Booker.

 

“It’s time to take another step,” Cauley-Stein told reporters after the Wildcats’ loss to Wisconsin. “I mean, obviously, I’m not 100 percent on it, but I’m pretty sure I know what I want to do. Gotta talk to a couple more people, but probably was my last game here.

 

“… You know, we’ll never be on the same team like this again. That’s going to set in. We got a month of school left with each other, and that’s it. I mean, that’s what you’ll remember.”

The post John Calipari Thinks Kentucky Could Lose 5-7 Players to the NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

Former NBA coach Avery Johnson has verbally agreed to become the head coach at Alabama, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

 

The 50-year-old Johnson, an ESPN analyst, is from New Orleans and played in the NBA. He coached the Dallas Mavericks from 2005 to 2008 and the Brooklyn Nets from 2010 to 2012.

 

Johnson, who played 16 years in the league and was a point guard on the 1999 champion San Antonio Spurs, achieved his greatest coaching success with the Mavericks. Dallas won 60 games twice, and Johnson was the NBA coach of the year in 2006 after guiding the Mavs to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat in six games.

 

His son, Avery Johnson Jr., also plays in the SEC as a freshman point guard at Texas A&M.

The post Report: Former NBA Coach Avery Johnson Will Become Next Head Coach at Alabama appeared first on SLAM.

To get ready for the Final Four, we caught up with ESPN college basketball analyst and former National College Player of the Year Jay Williams to talk about the four teams left in the field and his work with Dove Men+Care on its “Real Strength Moments” campaign.

SLAM: Let’s start with the first semifinal. Kentucky has managed to go 38-0, which is amazing. What is it that makes this team so special?

Jay Williams: Number one, it starts with their coach and it actually ties into this whole campaign, Bill, about Dove Men+Care because you get a chance to see what real strength is. The way that John Calipari has coached this team has been beyond tremendous, it really has. You think about what it takes to get a team to buy into something, it takes a ton of work and a ton of belief and a ton of effort, and it’s already an arduous process with veterans, talking about teams who are juniors and seniors to buy in, yet alone a team that’s filled with freshmen and sophomores, and the fact that he’s been able to take all these guys who could be potential first-round draft picks and get them to buy into something bigger than themselves, and get them to look outside of their own personal benefits, and get them to buy into the “metric system” or the “platoon system”—whatever system you want to call it—is fascinating.

It’s brilliant, it really is, and he’s constantly challenging kids throughout the entire year, and you see the bond they have and the sense of togetherness, that’s what real strength is about. And to do this in the midst of this social media frenzy and this technological frenzy of constantly in your face, asking you questions about being undefeated, that’s very within itself, for these kids not to think but the goal. They’re not chasing greatness about being undefeated, they’re chasing a Championship, and those are two completely different things.

SLAM: How do you think they are two completely different things?

JW: Well, you know, when you think about chasing perfection, you’re so worried about doing everything perfect that you end up losing focus on why you’re really playing the game, if that makes sense. You’re thinking about not messing up rather than being aggressive and being reactive, and I’ve heard John Calipari say this multiple times. He’s like, “I want our guys to turn the ball over more.” It’s shocking when you hear a coach say that, usually you hear a coach saying the complete opposite: “We need to cut back on our turnovers.”

He wants his players to live in the moment and be aggressive, and not think about the repercussions of “I have to be absolutely perfect on the court.” He wants them to be them, and by them being them, that will equate to being successful. It’s because of John Calipari that this team understands what it takes in order to achieve that level of success.

SLAM: One of the teams that has been mentioned all year as the type of team that can beat Kentucky is Wisconsin, and of course the two sides are going to match up this weekend. Why do you think people have said Wisconsin creates such a matchup nightmare for Kentucky?

JW: Well because we saw it, number one, last year in the Final Four when the game came down to the wire, and if Aaron Harrison doesn’t make that shot we’re talking about Wisconsin in the national championship game against UConn. So one shot away. And then I’ll say that it’s the basketball IQ of Wisconsin. It’s the fact that they have five players on the court that all possess the ability to shoot the basketball and they all understand how to play.

The one thing that I will say: that Notre Dame game against Kentucky, Notre Dame didn’t utilize enough head fakes. If you realize [Notre Dame guard] Jerian Grant had [Kentucky center] Dakari Johnson at the top of the key one possession and he gave him a head fake, and Dakari bit on it and [Grant] jumped into him, got to the free-throw line and made three free throws. Well, Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes all possess the basketball IQ to utilize ball fakes and head fakes, and they will be able to get Kentucky up in the air.

Now, if they can capitalize on that, you could see Kentucky get in foul trouble, and it would be remiss to think that the gameplan is not associated around getting Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble. It’s very much similar to the way Frank Kaminsky attacked Kaleb Tarczewski of Arizona, they will do the same to Karl-Anthony Towns. Frank Kaminsky’s ability to roam on the perimeter, Frank Kaminsky’s ability to play down low, and with Nigel Hayes, they will attack Karl-Anthony Towns, and if they catch him off-balance defensively, that could be a difference maker in the ballgame.

SLAM: This game is a matchup of college basketball’s best offense in Wisconsin against its best defense in Kentucky. Which side wins?

JW: It’s hard for me to bet against Kentucky. Yes, I would still favor Kentucky in the ballgame because these kids have not shown one ounce of tightness. You talk about what togetherness really means, you talk about what brotherhood really means, once again what real strength really means, these kids believe that they are going to win each and every game. Through all the chaos, through all the media hype, there’s a band of brothers there and it’s difficult for me to bet against the Wildcats.

SLAM: Moving onto the other semifinal, you’re a Duke guy and you won a National Title while you were in Durham. What are some similarities you see between the 2001 team and this squad?

JW: I don’t know if I see similarities because I think we’re two completely different teams. There are a couple, there’s one from a leadership perspective with [senior guard] Quinn Cook. Not that I’m comparing Quinn Cook to Shane Battier—Shane Battier was the National Player of the Year and obviously played on the frontline whereas Quinn plays in the backcourt—but Quinn Cook has come such a long way with this team. I’ve watched him mature a whole lot over his four year span at Duke.

When he first came in he was very emotional, he wore his emotions on his sleeve and it got the best of him, and there were times sophomore year that he equated leadership with how he did offensively on the court. Junior year he was growing into where this year, it takes a lot for a player to allow another player, another All-American at the same position, to come in and to run the team. And it’s because of Quinn Cook’s sense of confidence within himself that he’s able to do that and he would not have been able to do that sophomore year, I don’t know if he would have been able to do it last year.

But by him allowing Tyus Jones to come into the equation and building Tyus Jones up to be great, it’s made him better and it’s made this team better, and there’s a sense of togetherness within this team that reminds me of the bond we had in 2001, and not every team has it, not every team has the special togetherness like these kids do, and it’s very unique and different.

SLAM: And it certainly doesn’t hurt having guys like Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow in there who are just freaks of nature.

JW: You need to have a couple of draft picks on your team to get to this point, I think it’s fair to say.

SLAM: Yeah, and on the other side is Michigan State, which may be a team that some people may think doesn’t have those super talented draft picks, which isn’t to say that they don’t have great players. But how on earth did Tom Izzo get this team, which compared to past Michigan State teams isn’t considered “great,” to the Final Four?

JW: Well they don’t have the same caliber of players. I did the McDonald’s All-American Game the other day and we said that there’s a total of 18 McDonald’s All-Americans in the Final Four. Seventeen of those play for Duke and Kentucky, the only other McDonald’s All-American is [Michigan State forward] Branden Dawson, he’s of that caliber.

The thing I love about this Michigan State team is that, they may not have the sexiness associated with the name power that comes along with Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, but those dudes play hard each and every possession. And all the things I just recited are things that they put on their bulletin board, those are motivational factors for these kids. And Tom Izzo, once again, finds a way to get the most out of his players.

You have Tum Tum Narin, who’s a starter now, and that kid is relentless with his pressure. You have Travis Trice, who has found his offensive swagger if you want to call it that. That’s your senior, a guy that was a starter at the beginning of the year, came off the bench in the middle of the year, now to being a starter again. Denzel Valentine, that’s a tough kid. Branden Dawson, who will fight you each and every possession. And even Gavin Schilling and Matt Costello, two guys who nobody really expected to come up with, but those guys have found the voice, they found out who they are this season.

This team is a team that’s together, they fight and that’s how they got to this point. And now people talk about “what do you need to do to win the Final Four?” Now that you’re here, everything’s gravy, now it’s a toss up, who really wants it more? And there’s a bad taste left in the mouth of Michigan State, because they played Duke in the Champions Classic at the beginning of the year, and they’re not the same team they are now that they were then.

SLAM: So let’s also pick this game. Will Duke’s talent win out or will that toughness and that swagger that Michigan State has, will they be able to pull another rabbit out of the hat and win?

JW: Duke would be my favorite in this game because I think they’re going to have a very difficult time trying to guard Jahlil Okafor. Last time they tried to double with Branden Dawson but Jahlil Okafor is so good at passing out of double teams, and Justise Winslow and their ability to space out the floor, I think Jahlil Okafor will be the deciding factor in the ball game. I think the Championship game will have Duke and Kentucky, it’s a game that everyone wanted to see at the beginning of the year, it will be the highest-rated game in the history of college basketball.

SLAM: If you had to pick a winner of that game?

JW: I’m going Kentucky, it’s hard for me to pick against the Wildcats.

SLAM: Got it. One question before you go, you’re working with Dove Men+Care on its Real Strength Moments campaign during the Tournament. How are you involved with that?

JW: It actually ties into all of the things that we were just talking about. We were talking about a sense of brotherhood, we were talking about the emotions of the Tournament, the bond that these players have with their coaches, and the “real strength.” The thing about what real strength means that I think we’ve seen multiple examples of throughout this entire NCAA Tournament, and unfortunately on a negative side, but it’s gonna happen on the positive side as well, where you’re gonna see so many guys out there be able to win a cChampionship, and you’re gonna see that bond of how a player really wanted to achieve something great for his coach, that connection that they have.

Players who exhibit real strength—it’s OK to cry at the podium. And that’s the value of being a man just like pounding your chest after you have an and one. It’s the same thing. We’re gonna get a chance to see a bandwidth of emotions throughout the next couple of days, and that’s what this whole campaign is about. It’s OK.

The post Q+A: Jay Williams appeared first on SLAM.

From TexasSports.com:

The leader of a Virginia Commonwealth University program that advanced to the 2011 Final Four and posted at least 26 wins in each of his six seasons at the school, Shaka Smart has been named the 24th head basketball coach at The University of Texas, Men’s Athletics Director Steve Patterson announced Friday. The 37-year-old Smart will be introduced at a Friday news conference on the UT campus.

 

“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to be the head men’s basketball coach at The University of Texas,” Smart said. “I’m very appreciative of President Bill Powers and Athletics Director Steve Patterson for believing in me and giving me the chance to work with a tremendous group of young men. Coming to The University of Texas presents an opportunity to be a part of a special community. My highest priority is spending time and developing relationships with our current players, our former players and the young men who will make up the future of Texas Basketball.”

 

While at VCU (2009-15), Smart posted an overall record of 163-56 (.744) and guided the Rams to five NCAA Tournament appearances. The 163 wins tied him for the second-highest number of total victories during the first six years of a head coaching career in NCAA history. VCU and Duke are the only two programs in the country to have posted at least 26 wins in each of the past six seasons.

 

VCU is one of only 11 schools in the nation to earn a NCAA Tournament bid in each of the past five years (Cincinnati, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, San Diego State and Wisconsin). During Smart’s tenure, the Rams posted a 27-9 (.750) mark in postseason play and a 33-10 (.767) record in the month of March, including a 7-5 mark in five NCAA Tournament appearances. The Rams’ NCAA appearance this past March marked the first time in school history VCU had advanced to the Big Dance five straight years, and the first time in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia that a Division I basketball program had accomplished that feat.

 

Prior to Smart’s arrival, the Rams were ranked a total of nine weeks in The Associated Press poll in program history. During his six years, VCU made 22 appearances in The AP Top 25, including three straight rankings in the final AP poll in 2012-13 (No. 25), 2013-14 (No. 24) and 2014-15 (No. 25), a program first.

 

“Leaving VCU was not an easy decision for me and my family,” Smart said. “I will be eternally grateful to the players at VCU with whom I shared such special experiences. They have taught me so much and changed my life.”

 

“I’m looking forward to building on the past success of Texas Basketball,” Smart said. “This is a proud program that goes back over 100 years, and I embrace that history. There is tremendous potential in this program, and my job is to work extremely hard to ensure that we realize that potential. I can’t wait to get to work.”

The post Shaka Smart Named Texas Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

From CBS Sports:

Gregg Marshall has reached an agreement in principle to remain at Wichita State with a substantial raise, multiple sources told CBSSports.com on Wednesday.

 

This development ends Alabama’s pursuit of Marshall.

 

Sources told CBSSports.com that Marshall’s new deal is for seven years.

 

He’ll earn more than $3 million per year.

 

Alabama is the latest of many so-called Power-5 jobs Marshall has passed on — joining a list already featuring Missouri, Tennessee, N.C. State and California. The 52-year old has taken Wichita State to four straight NCAA Tournaments, earned a No. 1 seed, made the Sweet 16 twice and advanced to the 2013 Final Four. He’ll have a preseason Top 25 team again next season, provided Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker return for their senior years.

The post Gregg Marshall To Sign 7-Year Deal With Wichita State appeared first on SLAM.

From the Associated Press:

Texas athletic director Steve Patterson is scheduled to travel Thursday to meet with Virginia Commonwealth coach Shaka Smart to make an offer to coach the Longhorns, a person with knowledge of the trip told The Associated Press.

 

Texas hopes to introduce Smart as its new coach as early as Friday, according to the person who requested anonymity because the talks with Smart are considered private.

 

Patterson has zeroed in on Smart since firing Rick Barnes last weekend after 17 seasons. Smart, 37, has been among the hot candidates for several high-profile jobs since leading VCU to the 2011 Final Four.

 

Smart’s teams have won at least 26 games each of the past six seasons.

 

After reports of Texas’ interest in Smart, a VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin said, “Nothing is a done deal. He is still our coach.”

 

Barnes’ Texas teams won three Big 12 titles and made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances. But Texas hasn’t advanced past the first weekend of the tournament since 2008.

 

Details of Texas’ contract offer were not immediately available.

 

Smart’s compensation this year adds up to $1.8 million. If he leaves before May 1, he will owe VCU a $500,000 buyout, and his contract also contains a provision that if he becomes the head coach at another institution, that school would have to play VCU in a home-and-home series, or pay VCU $250,000.

 

Barnes’ salary this past season was $2.62 million.

The post Report: Texas AD to Meet With VCU Coach Shaka Smart appeared first on SLAM.

Bad news for the rest of the Big Ten, as Maryland announced that star guard Melo Trimble will return for his sophomore season today. Trimble—who was projected to be a first-round pick if he declared for the 2015 NBA Draft—was a first-team All-Big Ten selection during his freshman campaign, and helped lead the Terps to a 28-7 record this year with a 14-4 conference mark during the school’s first year in the Big Ten. The Maryland native averaged 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals a game.

More, from the school’s official site:

Guard Melo Trimble will return to the University of Maryland for his sophomore campaign, head basketball coach Mark Turgeon announced Wednesday.

 

A native of Upper Marlboro, Md., Trimble led the Terps in scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game and ranking in the top five in the conference. His 207 made free throws rank third all-time in single-season Terrapin annals. Trimble was a first team All-Big Ten selection and a USBWA Freshman All-American.

 

“We did our due diligence and also had a number of great discussions with Melo and his mom regarding what would be best for his future,” Turgeon said. “He is excited about playing with a great team and is looking forward to his sophomore year at Maryland.”

 

“I am excited about spending another year with my teammates and building on what we accomplished this year,” Trimble said. “I want to thank Coach Turgeon for helping my mom and I through this process. This was the best decision for me. Being a member of the Maryland basketball program has been an unbelievable experience and I can’t wait to be back in front of the best fans in college basketball next season.”

 

Trimble helped guide Maryland to a school-record 26 wins in the regular season. The Terps punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.

The post Maryland’s Melo Trimble Will Return for Sophomore Year appeared first on SLAM.

Barnes replaces Donnie Tyndall, who was fired after one year due to questionable conduct when Tyndall was the coach at Southern Miss. After making the NCAA Tournament every year from 2006-11, the Volunteers have missed the Tournament three of the last four years. Amazingly, Barnes missed the Big Dance once during his tenure in Austin.

From ESPN:

Tennessee has hired former Texas coach Rick Barnes to be the Volunteers’ new basketball coach, the school announced Tuesday.

 

Tennessee has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon, where Barnes will be introduced. He will be the Vols’ fourth men’s basketball coach in six seasons.

 

“Rick Barnes is an elite basketball coach in every respect,” Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said in a statement. “Rick brings an extremely impressive track record of excellence, as well as much-needed stability, to our men’s basketball program. This is an exciting day for our Tennessee family.”

 

Barnes was fired by Texas athletic director Steve Patterson over the weekend despite going to 16 NCAA tournaments in 17 seasons.

 

The 60-year-old Barnes won 402 games at Texas, the most in school history, and three Big 12 regular-season titles. This season, he became just the 13th active coach to reach 600 career wins. Texas made the Final Four in 2003 for the first time in more than 50 years.

 

The Longhorns did not live up to expectations this season, barely sneaking into the NCAA tournament before being eliminated by Butler in their opening game.

 

Barnes is 604-314 in 28 seasons overall, with stops at George Mason, Providence and Clemson.

 

He replaces Donnie Tyndall, who was fired after one season for cause because of unethical conduct at his former post, Southern Mississippi. Tyndall went 16-16 in his lone season at Tennessee.

The post Tennessee Hires Former Texas Coach Rick Barnes appeared first on SLAM.

• Duke C Jahlil Okafor
• Wisconsin F/C Frank Kaminsky
• Kentucky F/C Willie Cauley-Stein
• Notre Dame G Jerian Grant
• Ohio State G D’Angelo Russell

Kaminsky was the only unanimous first-team selection. He is arguably the best college basketball player in America, as he has carried the Badgers’ offense—which is the most efficient offense in the country—all year. The senior is averaging 18.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, and is one of the main reasons that Wisconsin won both the Big Ten regular season and postseason championships.

Surprisingly, Okafor was not a unanimous selection, as he was left off of one voter’s first-team squad. Okafor has carried Duke this year, as he is averaging 17.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a night for the Blue Devils.  Not only is Okafor a national player of the year contender, but Duke’s star freshman could end up being the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Kentucky’s only player on the team is its defensive anchor, Cauley-Stein. While he doesn’t have the gaudy numbers that the other four players on this squad possess—he’s only averaging 9.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game—he’s been a crucial part of what the Wildcats have wanted to do on both ends of the court all year. He’s also played more than any Kentucky player this year, as he’s averaging 25.8 minutes per night.

While neither Grant nor Russell will play in this year’s Final Four, both were spectacular throughout the 2014-15 season. Both were the primary playmakers for their squads this year, and while Russell had the leg up in scoring and rebounding, Grant averaged more assists and steals. Both are expected to head to the NBA—Grant is a senior, while Russell is expected to declare for the Draft—and both guys are projected first-round picks.

h/t ESPN

The post Frank Kaminsky, Jahlil Okafor Headline 2014-15 AP All-American Team appeared first on SLAM.

From NorthJersey.com:

The one name that could return the Nets to all of those things they thought they could be, that they seemed primed to be, is currently guiding the best college basketball team in the nation, a coach who crashed and burned with the Nets once already. The Nets can be saved by John Calipari.

 

“He desperately wants it,” the front office official said. “He won’t say it out loud. The NBA is the only place he’s ever failed and it drives him nuts. He’s not the same guy he was then. He came to the NBA and he wasn’t ready. He’s ready now.”

 

If it seems like grasping at straws, a big name to save the day, maybe it is. But NBA sources point to ties that are already in place. In the Nets’ struggles, the one person who has held the trust of Prokhorov is the man behind the marketing, the tireless Brett Yormark. While the product on the court has struggled, the branding of the Nets has been a blueprint for other franchises. While Calipari may have left some rifts when he was fired by the Nets, he remained close with Yormark.

 

Calipari would have little left to accomplish at Kentucky if the team finishes off the greatest season in NCAA history, unbeaten and marching toward a title. And in front of him lays his greatest recruiting coup.

The post Report: Kentucky Coach John Calipari ‘Desperately Wants’ to Coach In the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

Christmas took a few minutes to talk with us about the Tournament, who he has winning it all (hint: it’s not an ACC team), Jim Boeheim’s legacy at Syracuse and his upcoming pro career.

SLAM: Which team is going to win the NCAA Tournament?

Rakeem Christmas: I think Kentucky is.

SLAM: You’ve played against five of these teams, correct? I have it down as Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame and Louisville.

RC: Yeah.

SLAM: If you had to power rank those five teams what would that look like?

RC: Duke, Notre Dame, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State.

SLAM: What is it that makes Duke so good?

RC: They have all-around players. I mean, they have a good point guard, a good shooting guard, they have a good bench. Everyone just plays their role, they know what they have to do and they just go out there and do it.

SLAM: You had to guard [Duke center] Jahlil Okafor earlier this year. Would you say that he is the best player in college basketball?

RC: Yeah. He knows how to use his body, he knows where he needs to get and he knows all the things he’s good at and what he’s not good at. So he keeps doing what he’s good at and it’s working for him so far. He’s having a hell of a year this year. He’s a very good player.

SLAM: Yeah you guys did a really good job against him and he still had a pretty good game. He’s just that talented of a guy.

RC: He just uses his body, he knows where he needs to get and he gets there and he gets the ball. He takes his time and he tries to finish it, and he’s good at finishing around the rim.

SLAM: How many of the teams that you have played against do you think eventually can make it to the Final Four?

RC: Duke and Notre Dame can get there. It’s March Madness, it’s just about runs and a lot of people are making runs. NC State, I didn’t think they were gonna get this far. They’re playing hard and they’re winning games so I guess it’s about runs. You never know what’s gonna happen.

SLAM: You said Kentucky is the team to beat. What is it about Kentucky that makes them so good, in your eyes?

RC: They have great players in their system. [Kentucky coach John Calipari] just brings in a-whole-nother group and they just come in and do what they have to do. He not only brings in a couple people, he brings in a whole new group and they come in and play their roles and do what they have to do. He does a good job of coaching his players and they just go out there and go after it.

SLAM: Let’s really quickly talk about Syracuse. It was announced that Coach Boeheim is going to retire in three years. Did you have any indication that he planned on doing that?

RC: I had no idea. I know coach Boeheim loves coaching and that’s what he’s good at, so I had no idea this was happening. It wasn’t like he was gonna tell us.

SLAM: What did he mean both to you and to Syracuse hoops?

RC: He means a lot to Syracuse. He’s been around for years and he’s one of the best to coaches out there. He knows how to get players ready, that’s what he did for me. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing and he had to coach me up to this year and I figured I’d listen now. He does a great job with his players and getting them ready for after college, and I’m thankful I lived there.

SLAM: Yeah, I used to live Upstate and Boeheim is like a God up there.

RC: Yeah. [Laughs]

SLAM: You made a huge jump this year—you went from a guy who got a couple of points and a couple of rebounds and a couple of blocks a game to an All-Conference caliber performer. What did you attribute that to?

RC: I knew with the seniors leaving, someone had to set up so I had to go and work hard and get ready for this year. They gave me a lot of confidence in myself and I had a lot of confidence coming into this year. I knew I had to do what I did and to try and help my team get wins and that’s what I started doing.

SLAM: The next thing on the horizon for you is playing pro ball. How are you getting ready for the NBA Draft?

RC: Just been going out here and getting a lot of jump shots up. That’s something I’m going to have to show scouts this year is that I can hit a jump shot. Just go out there, give it my all and just try to carry over what I did at Syracuse—getting rebounds, blocking shots, making plays and just giving it my all.

SLAM: How would you describe your game? As a guy who even if you’re not going to get buckets you’re going to find other ways to make an impact on the floor?

RC: Yeah. If I’m not scoring I’m trying to get rebounds, trying to block shots. Just try to give my teammates a little and make some plays. I’m really just the kind of person who wants to go out there and help my team win.

SLAM: Have you heard any evaluations from scouts or anything like that on where you’re going to get picked?

RC: I have no idea, I haven’t talked to them about that. Like I said, right now I’m just trying to focus on working on hitting that jump shot from the free throw line and getting ready for the Draft process.

SLAM: Last question, if you had to pick a team to play for in the NBA, where would you most want to play? I know you’re from Philly, are the Sixers maybe a team you wanna head to?

RC: I’ll play anywhere. Anyone that wants me to come for them, like I said, I just want to go out there, have fun and play the game that I love. Anywhere would be a good choice for me.

Image via Getty

The post Q+A: Rakeem Christmas appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

Mississippi State has hired former UCLA coach Ben Howland to lead its men’s basketball team, the school said Monday night.

 

Mississippi State and Howland agreed to a four-year contract, multiple sources told ESPN. The four-year contract is the maximum length of a deal allowed for a state employee under Mississippi law.

 

Howland will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

 

Howland, 57, led the UCLA Bruins to three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2006 to 2008. He took UCLA to a first-place finish in the Pac-12 in 2012-13 but was fired after the season.

 

He has been a television analyst the past two years.

The post Mississippi State Hires Ex-UCLA Coach Ben Howland appeared first on SLAM.

Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield showed why he was the Big 12’s Player of the Year during the Sooners’ 72-66 win over Dayton on Sunday. Hield dropped 15 points on the Flyers, dished out 5 assists, grabbed 3 rebounds and had a steal and a block. The blocked shot you see above was especially huge as he swatted away a layup attempt by Dayton’s Darrell Davis in the waning moments of the game.

h/t SB Nation

The post Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield Had a Huge Block In the Sooners’ Win Over Dayton (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Atkins had a pretty good game—10 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks—and was upset that his teammates didn’t match his intensity on the floor. The senior told reporters after the game that he felt like he wanted to win more and that his team played like “some pussies.”

https://twitter.com/martinrickman/status/579718253162827777

https://twitter.com/martinrickman/status/579722086077231104

The post Virginia’s Darion Atkins on Loss to Michigan State: ‘We Were Just Playing Like Some P*ssies’ appeared first on SLAM.

Senior guard Travis Trice was a big reason why 7-seed Michigan State upset 2-seed Virginia earlier today, 60-54. Trice dropped 23 points on arguably the best defense in college basketball, including this long three near the end of regulation to give the Spartans an eight point lead.

The Ohio native celebrated the make by doing what everyone does after a huge three: busting out the Jordan shrug. You know, this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLDNxhFCXPs

The post Michigan State’s Travis Trice Drills Three Against Virginia, Does Jordan Shrug (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

h/t UPROXX

The post Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton Had a Monster Block Against Butler (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Good lord, Willie Cauley-Stein. This is the meanest dunk of the NCAA Tournament so far. Kentucky’s big man dunked all over a helpless Cincinnati defender during the Wildcats’ 64-51 win over the Bearcats. Cauley-Stein had 9 points, 2 rebounds, an assist and a block. UK’s next game will take place next weekend against either West Virginia or Maryland.

h/t The Cauldron

The post Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein Put Cincinnati Defender On a Poster (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

The post Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell With Nasty Crossover on VCU’s Doug Brooks (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Also: peep the dude on the stool on the sidelines. That’s Ron Hunter—Georgia State’s coach and R.J.’s dad. Hunter tore his Achilles during the squad’s win in the Sun Belt title game on Sunday, but coached from the sidelines via a stool. However, his son’s game-winner was so good that it literally made him fall out of his seat.

The post Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter Knocks Down Long Three to Eliminate Baylor (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Today, SMU coach Larry Brown (read about him in SLAM 187 here) weighed in on that debate and decided to bring it a step further: Not only does he think that John Calipari’s Wildcats could beat an NBA team, he thinks that they could make it to the playoffs if they played in the Eastern Conference.

Larry Brown just said “I honestly believe Kentucky would make the NBA Playoffs in the East” — Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 18, 2015

Brown will have a chance to watch Kentucky play once or twice during the tournament, as his Mustangs will play at least their first game in Louisville, the same place where the Wildcats will kick off their National Championship campaign. However, the two squads are on opposite sides of the bracket, so the only way the two squads would play would be if they met in the national championship game in Indianapolis on April 6. SMU will take on UCLA on Thursday at 3:10 p.m.

Hopefully by then Brown can get rid of the worst case of the hiccups that we’ve ever heard of.

Larry Brown says he has had the hiccups for over 24 hours straight — Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 18, 2015

H/T: SB Nation, Matt Jones

The post Larry Brown *Hiccup* Thinks Kentucky *Hiccup* Would Make the NBA Playoffs *Hiccup* appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim will retire in three years and athletic director Daryl Gross has resigned to take another position at the school in the wake of harsh NCAA sanctions levied against the university earlier this month.

 

The school also announced that it will appeal certain portions of the NCAA’s penalties.

 

Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud issued a statement to the university community notifying it of the news Wednesday.

 

“Coach Boeheim has also told me that he intends to retire as Head Coach in three years,” Syverud said. “His goal in making this decision and announcement now is to bring certainty to the team and program in the coming years, and enable and plan for a successful, longer-term transition in coaching leadership. Coach Boeheim’s commitment to ensuring that the men’s basketball program remains strong even after his tenure is just one more example of his deep loyalty to our University.”

The post Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim Plans On Retiring In Three Years appeared first on SLAM.

The Illinois native has missed the squad’s last six games due to questions about his eligibility, and even though he is reportedly waiting to be questioned by the NCAA, Self seems assured that Alexander won’t see the floor again this year.

From SI.com:

Kansas coach Bill Self told ESPN’s Andy Katz on Monday that he doesn’t expect freshman forward Cliff Alexander to be available for the NCAA tournament.

 

Alexander, one of the top recruits in the 2015 cycle, has not played since Feb. 23 due to an NCAA investigation into his mother’s alleged connection with a loan firm.

 

Alexander’s counsel, Paul Stafford, said in an email to Sports Illustrated’s Brian Hamilton that “until we hear otherwise from the NCAA or the University of Kansas, the investigation is ongoing and we shall continue our efforts to cooperate with the NCAA and to get Cliff Alexander back on the basketball court.”

 

Last week, Hamilton reported that Alexander has turned over phone records, text records and bank statements to the NCAA, which is seeking “other information that is out of Alexander’s hands.”

 

Self has been expecting to play through March without Alexander “for at least a week now,” reports The Kansas City Star’s Rustin Dodd.

The post Kansas’ Cliff Alexander Not Expected To Play In NCAA Tournament appeared first on SLAM.

The bad news is that the Johnnies will need to play that game—and every possible game up until the Final Four, should it advance that far—without junior center Chris Obekpa. The 6-10 big man from Nigeria has been suspended for two weeks due to a violation of team rules. Obekpa is averaging 5.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.

From ESPN:

St. John’s has suspended junior center Chris Obekpa for two weeks for a violation of team rules.

 

The school announced Sunday that the suspension would include any postseason games this season until March 29. Among them will be the ninth-seeded Red Storm’s NCAA tournament opener Friday against eighth-seeded San Diego State in a second-round South Region game in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

“All of the young men associated with our program are held to standards consistent with the aims and mission of our University,” coach Steve Lavin said in a statement. “Accountability is tied to the decision making of our student-athletes. It is our hope Chris will learn from this experience.”

 

Lavin told ESPN that it wouldn’t have been ethical to withhold the announcement of Obekpa’s suspension until after Sunday’s NCAA tournament reveal. An NCAA official said the suspension could have affected the Red Storm but did not say if that regarded selection or seeding.

The post St. John’s Suspends Junior Center Chris Obekpa for Two Weeks appeared first on SLAM.

Alexander’s availability could be tied to the speed in which the NCAA gets to addressing his case. According to his attorney, Alexander has turned over phone records and bank statements, and he is currently waiting for the NCAA—which reportedly wants more information before talking to Alexander—to call him in for an interview.

From ESPN:

The attorney for Cliff Alexander said Thursday that the Kansas freshman is waiting for the NCAA to interview him and has otherwise complied with the NCAA’s investigation into potential impermissible benefits.

 

Attorney Paul K. Stafford said in a statement that Alexander has turned over his telephone records, text message records and bank statements but that the NCAA has refused to interview him, instead requesting more information.

 

“Mr. Alexander has been ready, willing and able to be interviewed since March 2, yet he has been informed that the NCAA will not interview him until they receive additional documents that are not his documents, the content of which he has no knowledge, and documents which have never been in his control or possession,” the statement read in part.

 

Kansas announced prior to its game against Texas on Feb. 28 that Alexander would not play due to an NCAA issue. Yahoo! Sports reported that the NCAA was investigating whether someone in Alexander’s family received impermissible benefits from an NBA agent. The website also reported that a UCC file tied Alexander’s mother, Latillia, with a finance company that specializes in loans to professional athletes and agents.

The post NCAA Has Not Interviewed Cliff Alexander In Eligibility Investigation appeared first on SLAM.

Ellis—who is averaging 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds this year for the No. 9 Jayhawks—suffered the injury during the squad’s 76-69 win over West Virginia last week.

From the Kansas City Star:

Kansas’ Perry Ellis will miss Thursday’s Big 12 Tournament matchup against TCU, KU coach Bill Self said on his pregame radio show.

 

Ellis, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, is recovering from a sprained right knee suffered last Tuesday in a home victory over West Virginia. Self on Wednesday said he was hopeful that Ellis would be able to play on Thursday, but for now, he will rest another day.

 

Self said he was hopeful that Ellis would be available to play on Friday, if Kansas advanced to the semifinals. Ellis, an All-Big 12 selection, leads Kansas with 14.2 points per game. He also sat out last Saturday’s loss at Oklahoma.

The post Kansas’ Perry Ellis To Miss Big 12 Tourney Opener appeared first on SLAM.

In an attempt to fix the current system, the NCAA, the NBA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches are reportedly working on a proposal which would overhaul the current draft process. In the plan, the three organizations are proposing a combine in mid-May which would replace the current pre-draft camp in May. It would consist of college seniors, international players and underclassmen on an invite-only basis.

After the proposed combine, an underclassman could then make his decision on whether or not he wants to return to school. According to ESPN, the NBA would hope that an underclassman could wait until after the combine to decide on whether they want to hire an agent and forfeit their collegiate eligibility.

From ESPN:

The NBA, NCAA and National Association of Basketball Coaches have joined forces to offer a proposed solution to prevent underclassmen from leaving early for the draft if they aren’t assured of being a high pick.

 

The proposal, the result of a series of meetings first held at the 2014 Final Four, would move the withdrawal date for American college players to late May, nearly five weeks later than the current late-April date.

 

“This may be one of the best things the NABC has ever done,” said Kentucky coach John Calipari, who has had players leave school who weren’t lottery or first-round picks — players who could have benefited from knowing where they would be drafted. “This is the first time the NABC understood that they represent the players.”

 

The current deadline to declare for the draft would remain in late April, as stated in the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players’ association (this year’s deadline is April 26). The official withdrawal date of 10 days before the draft (mainly for international players) would not change.

 

Under current NCAA rules, once an underclassman submits the official paperwork to the NBA to declare for the draft, the player forfeits his eligibility and cannot return to school.

 

If the proposal is accepted, underclassmen would be able to participate in a new invitation-only combine in mid-May that would enable NBA teams to evaluate players and then offer feedback on their draft prospects. The pool would include all draft-eligible players: seniors, underclassmen and international players. But Dan Gavitt, NCAA vice president of the men’s basketball championship, said the finite number wouldn’t change if a player withdrew. The goal would be to increase the current NBA draft combine number by 20 to 30 percent (currently 65 to 70 players attend the draft camp in Chicago annually).

 

“Now, when you put your name in, if you’re not invited that should tell you to go back to school,” Calipari said. “Now after the combine you can make a decision — go back to school or choose to go.”

 

Kiki Vandeweghe, the NBA’s vice president of basketball operations, said an invitation-only combine would replace the Chicago draft camp, which doesn’t involve any underclassmen who have remaining college eligibility.

The post Plan Proposed to Extend NCAA Early-Entry Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

From ESPN:

North Carolina coach Roy Williams said starting center Kennedy Meeks is sick and will miss Wednesday’s second-round ACC tournament game.

 

Williams said Meeks had a fever, didn’t practice Monday and would not participate in Tuesday morning’s session before the Tar Heels head to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the tournament. No. 19 UNC plays the Boston College-Georgia Tech winner.

 

“Running a temperature, they got it down last night, but it was back up this morning,” Williams said. “They tested him for [mononucleosis], strep [throat], everything comes up negative. … He won’t play tomorrow; we’ll have to wait and see after that.”

 

The 6-foot-9 sophomore, who is averaging 12.0 points and 7.6 rebounds, has started all but three games this season for the Heels. Williams benched him against Boston College and Pittsburgh, but he rejoined the starting lineup in their Feb. 18 loss at Duke.

 

Meeks’ absence could mean sophomore forward Isaiah Hicks gets thrust into the lineup at power forward and Brice Johnson moves to center. Hicks has started three games this season, including versus Boston College, against whom he scored a career-high 21 points.

The post North Carolina Center Kennedy Meeks Out For ACC Tournament Opener appeared first on SLAM.

After Virginia fell on Saturday to Louisville, there were a lot of people wondering how the final regular season version of the AP and Coaches’ polls would shake out. Would the Cavaliers remain the No. 2 team in America, or would the loss drop them a few spots?

Today, we got the answer, and there is a new second-best team in the country behind the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats: the Duke Blue Devils. After taking down rival North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Mike Krzyzewski’s team jumped to the No. 2 spot in both of America’s major polls. The AP’s top five is rounded out, in order, by Virginia, Villanova and Arizona, while the Coaches’ has the Wildcats third, the Cavaliers fourth and the Wisconsin Badgers fifth.

Here’s the entire AP Poll, via ESPN:

1. Kentucky (65 first-place votes)
2. Duke
3. Virginia
4. Villanova
5. Arizona
6. Wisconsin
7. Gonzaga
8. Maryland
9. Kansas
10. Northern Iowa
11. Notre Dame
12. Wichita State
13. Iowa State
14. Louisville
15. Oklahoma
16. Baylor
17. Utah
18. Wast Virginia
19. North Carolina
20. SMU
21. Arkansas
22. Butler
23. Georgetown
24. Davidson
25. Boise State

And here is this week’s Coaches’ Poll, also from ESPN:

1. Kentucky (32)
2. Duke
3. Villanova
4. Virginia
5. Wisconsin
6. Arizona
7. Gonzaga
8. Maryland
9. Notre Dame
10. Kansas
11. Northern Iowa
12. Wichita State
13. Louisville
14. Oklahoma
15. Iowa State
16. Baylor
17. Utah
18. West Virginia
19. North Carolina
20. Arkansas
21. SMU
22. Butler
23. Georgetown
24. Davidson
25. San Diego State

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From Syracuse.com:

The NCAA today ordered Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim suspended for nine games as a result of multiple infractions over the past eight years.

 

SU basketball and football were both placed on five years’ probation, according to the 94-page report.

 

The NCAA ordered SU basketball to lose three scholarships a year for four years, or 12 total, the NCAA ruled.

 

The NCAA ordered Syracuse to return to the NCAA all money it has received from the former Big East Conference revenue-sharing for its appearances in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 NCAA basketball tournament

 

Chancellor Kent Syverud said the school may appeal: “The university is considering whether it will appeal certain portions of the decision. Coach Boeheim may choose to appeal the portions of the decision that impact him personally. Should he decide to do so, we would support him in this step.”

 

The NCAA, in a news release, criticized Boeheim not keeping control of his program.

 

“During the 10-year period of violations, the head basketball coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program and did not monitor the activities of those who reported to him as they related to academics and booster involvement,” the release said.

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Today, a report in Sports Illustrated elaborated on Sulaimon’s current situation. According to the report, Sulaimon is “not currently under investigation by the school,” and his dismissal was because of “an accumulation of events.”

From Sports Illustrated:

Dismissed from the Duke basketball program in January, Rasheed Sulaimon has been in the national spotlight this week because of allegations that he committed sexual assault, while the school has had to deflect inquiries of an institutional coverup.

 

Yet SI.com has learned that Sulaimon is not currently under investigation by the school. This was confirmed by Bob Ekstrand, who is serving as Sulaimon’s advisor. While Ekstrand is a local Durham attorney, he is reluctant to identify himself as Sulaimon’s “lawyer,” since the former player is not subject to any current legal proceedings.

 

Multiple sources say there was not one specific incident that served as the impetus for Sulaimon’s dismissal. Rather it was an accumulation of events that led to that action, including a missed 11 p.m. curfew that occurred shortly before he was kicked off the team.

 

On Monday, Duke’s student newspaper, The Chronicle, published a story claiming two female students told peers at two separate retreats last year that they were sexually assaulted by Sulaimon. The Chronicle reported that high-ranking figures within the Duke athletic department, including men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, became aware of these allegations as early as March 2014, roughly 10 months before Sulaimon was dismissed.

 

Krzyzewski and the athletic department have not publicly addressed any specifics regarding the situation, citing federal privacy laws. The university looked into allegations against Sulaimon at some point last year, SI.com has learned. The alleged victims did not file an official complaint to the school or the local police department. It is unclear if they participated in the investigation.

 

Sulaimon was notified when an investigation was opened, and then told weeks later that the matter was closed and the university did not have enough information to proceed.

 

A source tell SI.com that that was the last time Sulaimon had heard from Duke’s Office of Student Conduct in Student Affairs. There is currently no open investigation against Sulaimon, at least to his knowledge. However that should be telling: It is standard procedure for accused students to receive initial notice if an investigation is being opened against them.

 

The Durham Police Department confirmed that it had no report on Sulaimon.

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Despite all of the criticism for Crean, he has the support of his boss, IU athletic director Fred Glass. In a statement to ESPN, Glass said that he is “bullish” on his head coach, who has his “full support.”

From ESPN:

Tom Crean’s job at Indiana is not in jeopardy, and athletic director Fred Glass told ESPN on Thursday that he fully supports the Hoosiers’ coach.

 

Glass said he had to respond after a 77-63 home loss to Iowa on Tuesday dropped the Hoosiers to 9-8 in the Big Ten, 19-11 overall heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Michigan State at Assembly Hall.

 

“I’m bullish on Tom,” Glass told ESPN. “He’s done a really good job with these guys. It’s ridiculous to say that someone is coaching for his job for one game and that it would be up or down in one game.”

 

Glass said he met with Crean on Wednesday and reassured him about his job security.

 

“He’s a great coach,” Glass said. “He has my full support. I have a great deal of confidence in Tom’s body of work. This team overachieved early and then hit a tough patch.”

 

Glass said the terms of Crean’s contract buyout — likely paid over multiple years and not as a lump sum — would not be an impediment to any decision. The Hoosiers could buy out the deal for $12 million until July 1 and then $7.5 million after. It would drop to $4 million in July 2016 and then down to $1 million for 2017-20.

 

“There is a sense that Tom is only keeping his job because of the buyout,” Glass said. “And while that’s a big number and a significant amount of money, that’s not what is keeping him in the job. I think he needs to be the coach. … I want him to be the coach here.”

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From ESPN:

Kansas junior forward Perry Ellis is doubtful for Saturday’s regular-season finale at Oklahoma, but Jayhawks coach Bill Self expects him back for the Big 12 tournament.

 

“It wasn’t anything serious,” Self told ESPN. “He’ll probably miss a week.”

 

Ellis played 17 minutes in Kansas’ 76-69 home victory against West Virginia on Tuesday night before suffering a knee injury late in the first half when teammate Landen Lucas fell on his leg.

 

Ellis underwent an MRI, which showed that he suffered a sprain.

 

He is averaging 14.2 points and seven rebounds for the Jayhawks, who clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with the overtime victory over the Mountaineers.

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From The Chronicle:

Rasheed Sulaimon’s dismissal from the Duke basketball program is clouded by allegations of sexual assault, which surfaced nearly a year before he was released from the team in January. Multiple sources close to the situation have confirmed that members of the athletic department were made aware of the allegations as early as March 2014.

 

The Duke men’s basketball department has not provided a detailed explanation of the dismissal, which was the first in head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 35 years at the helm of the program. Sulaimon, a junior, was dismissed from the Duke basketball team Jan. 29 after he “repeatedly struggled to meet the necessary obligations,” Krzyzewski said in his official statement.

 

Sulaimon’s dismissal came not from a singular incident, but was the result of multiple actions detrimental to the program, Matt Plizga—the men’s basketball sports information director—told The Chronicle the day of the dismissal.

 

The Duke athletic administration declined to speak with The Chronicle after multiple attempts were made to discuss the allegations.

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Here’s Stallings’ official comment on the incident, via The Tennessean:

“One of our players acted inappropriately and violated what we believe is good sportsmanship following the game,” Stallings said in the statement. “In my haste to resolve the situation, I made a very inappropriate comment. While obviously it was not meant literally, it was still inappropriate. I apologized to the player immediately following the game. Displaying good sportsmanship is of the highest priority in our program win or lose. I am very remorseful of my actions (Thursday).”

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Here’s Louisville’s statement on the Chris Jones matter/dismissal timeline: pic.twitter.com/ArMgctHe6p

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) February 26, 2015

And here is a recap of the charges against Jones, via the Louisville Courier-Journal:

Former University of Louisville basketball player Chris Jones pleaded not guilty on charges of raping one woman and sodomizing another.

 

Judge Sheila Collins released Jones on home incarceration in lieu of a $25,000 bond.

 

The warrant, signed Wednesday by Jefferson District Judge Katie King, says that one of the women was hospitalized Sunday and able to identify Jones as her assailant. One of the women is 19 and the other 20, according to the warrant.

 

A second warrant says Jones, along with two other people, forced a woman to have intercourse and oral sex. She also identified Jones as a U of L player, according to the warrant. She was taken to University of Louisville Hospital, where she was treated.

 

Those defendants have been arrested and are to be arraigned Thursday morning in Jefferson County Jail. Jessie Halladay, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office , identified them as Tyvon Walker and Jalen Tilford. Walker was charged with one count of rape and Tilford with one count of rape and one count of sodomy.

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From ESPN:

Nathan Power, the fan who threw an elbow at Kansas forward Jamari Traylor as he was walking off the court after Kansas State’s 70-63 victory Monday night, has been cited for disorderly conduct.

 

“Nathan Power voluntarily met with K-State police and was issued a notice to appear for disorderly conduct,” Kansas State University said in a news release. “Power was cooperative throughout the process, and the K-State Police Department considers this matter closed.”

 

Power apologized Tuesday in a letter to the editor posted online by the KSU school newspaper, The Collegian.

 

The Kansas State police department had said earlier in the day — when Power had yet to be identified — that it was looking for help in its pursuit of him. The department later released an update via Twitter and said its search had ended.

 

“I want to take this moment to share a sincere apology in breaking from the Wildcat way and stepping outside what is acceptable in the spirit of the game,” Power wrote. “Following the basketball game, I simply let my emotions get the best of me in all of the chaos.”

 

During the postgame chain of events, in which a swarm of students and fans stormed the court after the win over their main rival, the eighth-ranked Jayhawks, Power can be seen running across the floor and slamming into Traylor with a hard shoulder to the junior’s shoulder, thereby knocking him off-balance before the fan is quickly grabbed by someone else.

 

“In my excitement, I was not careful of the people I was around. I am sorry that I made the KU basketball team — Jamari Traylor in particular — feel disrespected,” Power wrote. “By no means can I change what took place, but in the future, I will be aware of how emotions can impact good judgment.”

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From The Courier-Journal:

A day after his first game back from a suspension, Chris Jones has been dismissed from the University of Louisville basketball team.

 

The school made the announcement on Sunday afternoon and said there would be no further comment on the matter. Jones did not return multiple messages seeking comment, though a source close to the point guard said Jones was “devastated” by the decision.

 

Spokespeople for both U of L police and the Louisville Metro Police said Sunday that there had been no reported incidents involving Jones in recent weeks.

 

“He’s finished,” coach Rick Pitino said when reached by The Courier-Journal on Sunday afternoon. “There won’t be any comment.”

 

U of L takes on Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. Monday night in Atlanta, and freshman Quentin Snider is expected to start in Jones’s place.

 

The news comes five days after U of L announced an indefinite suspension of Jones just before the Cardinals’ trip to Syracuse. He missed that game, which Syracuse won, but Pitino indicated that he wasn’t sure if Jones would return after the one-game suspension or remain suspended.

 

“We missed him a lot but, you know, it’s his selfishness that hurt the team,” Pitino said Wednesday. “It’s all cleared up – he could play the next game if he does what the assistant coaches tell him to do. If he doesn’t, he sits again. And I don’t care if he sits the whole season, to tell you the truth. I (couldn’t) care less. Because if he doesn’t do the right things and act like a Louisville man, he can move on and try to go to Belgium somewhere.”

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