Air Force: Reynolds Taps Air Force Prep School Assistant

Former U.S. Air Force Academy Prep School assistant coach Capt. Tom Bellairs will join the staff of Air Force head coach Jeff Reynolds as an assistant, according to a Mountain West Conference release.

Bellairs is a former Falcon and No. 3 on the team’s all-time rebounding list with 694. He graduated in 2003. After college, he joined the Prep School for a season, helped them to a 31-3 record and was selected to the All-Air Force and All-Armed Forces teams. He then moved on to work for the Los Angeles Air Force Base for the next five years.

Marist: University Sues Former Coach for Breach of Contract

Marist officials have filed a lawsuit against former coach Matt Brady, now James Madison’s coach, for breach of contract related to the recruitment of former Marist players, according to USA Today’s Brent Foster. In Brady’s contract with Marist, signed in 2007, the university required:

If the contract were terminated for any reason (including going to another school) he would have to turn over all basketball records and files, end all contacts with Marist recruits, not offer a scholarship to current Marist players or any player he or his staff visited or recruited.

Brady left Marist for James Madison in 2008, and the lawsuit alleges that he recruited four Marist players to join him. Three of those players were on James Madison’s roster this past season.

A legal expert said this case is unusual and could be difficult to win for Marist.

Gary Roberts, dean of law at Indiana, said he had never heard of a clause in a contract causing this kind of dispute before, but said such a case lcould set the stage for similar situations.

“It’s possible,” Roberts said. “I think a lot of people will see how this turns out.”

Roberts said it will be hard for Marist to prove its case because the school has suffered no financial loss. Sullivan said the university is seeking monetary damages of “no set amount.”

East Tennessee State: Coy Dies in Car Crash

East Tennessee State rising sophomore Seth Coy died July 29 in a car crash in Kentucky when his car hydroplaned and flipped, according to a report on Cincinnati’s WCPO Web site. A police report states that Coy was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle in the crash. Coy averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game as a freshman last season.

Atlantic 10: New Logo for New Tournament Format

The Atlantic 10 has unveiled a new logo for the conference’s tournament, and the Press of Atlantic City’s Susan Lulgjuraj posted the image on her blog. Atlantic City, N.J., hosts the Atlantic 10 conference championship, which will run from March 12-14 in 2010. Unlike past years, the tournament’s opening-round games will occur on campus. The top four teams of the 12-team field receive byes to the quarterfinals, which is the first round played in Atlantic City. The other eight teams will play at the home court of the better-seeded team.

California Mandates Part-Time Coaches

California officials and an employees union accepted a proposal to institute furloughs for all public university faculty and staff members to help close the state’s $584 million deficit, according USA Today’s Jack Carey. Furloughs — or mandatory unpaid days off — will affect coaching staffs of all public university teams, such as California, Fresno State, UCLA and USC. Faculty and staff members will take a furlough day twice a month, and universities plan to rotate the days to accommodate team needs.

University of California spokeswoman Leslie Sepuka said some flexibility is likely: “This is not going to be a one-size-fits-all program due to varying local needs.”

NCAA Joins Lawsuit to Block Sports Gambling in Delaware

The NCAA has joined the major professional sports leagues — MLB, the NBA, the NFL, the NHL — in a lawsuit that strives to prevent Delaware from allowing single-game bets, according to the Associated Press. In the lawsuit, the groups assert that betting would:

“Irreparably harm professional and amateur sports by fostering suspicion and skepticism that individual plays and final scores of games may have been influenced by factors other than honest athletic competition.”

Delaware hopes to start offering single-game sports betting in September with the start of the NFL season. State officials decided to institute the betting plan to help fund state programs. The state’s plan looks to take advantage of a loophole in a 1992 congressional ban on sports betting. Congress allowed Delaware, Nevada, Montana and Oregon to continue sports betting program that were already in place between 1976 and 1990. The NCAA and professional sports leagues object to Delaware’s plan because the state never offered single-game sports betting during that period and is basically starting a new betting product.

Memphis: Former PG Burks Shot in Stomach 

Former Memphis Tigers point guard Antonio Burks was shot in the stomach during a robbery July 20, according to ESPN.com news services. He was said to be in critical condition after undergoing surgery that night.

Burks, who also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, had internal bleeding after he and four other men were robbed in the backyard of a Memphis house where he was reportedly watching a dice game. Another man, Vincent Williams, was also shot in the stomach and in critical condition. Burks is 29.

Memphis police arrested a 16-year-old and charged with him accessory after the fact, according CBSsports.com. Police officials said they are close to closing the case.

St. John’s: Mason Jr. Cleared to Return for Fifth Season

According to a St. John’s release, swingman Anthony Mason Jr. has been granted a medical hardship by the Big East Conference and will be part of the team during the 2009-10 season, his fifth and last with the Red Storm.

Mason Jr. averaged 14 points in three games during 2008-09 before an MRI revealed a torn peroneal tendon in his right foot. In early June, after surgery and rehabilitation, he was cleared to return to the courts. He averaged 14 points per game during 2007-08.

“I am really grateful to the Big East and St. John’s for granting me another year to play,” Mason Jr. said. “Having been out for almost the whole year, I watched and learned a lot. I can’t wait to go out and perform with my team on the court this season.”

Memphis: Prize Recruit Skips College for Foreign Pros

Another skilled high school player is skipping college and going pro overseas instead, according to a FoxSports.com report. The “victim” of the decision this time: Memphis.

Latavious Williams, a 6-8 athlete, will not be joining a Tigers team he still wasn’t academically qualified to play for in the first place. Instead, the 19-year-old will be looking to sign with a team in another country. Williams was ranked No. 17 by Rivals.com. Scouts.com, however, dropped him out of its rankings altogether partly because of academics.

There’s no imminent deal yet although there’s been conversations with several teams, said Williams’ adviser, Trey Godfrey. Williams expects to command a six-figure salary that will give him a chance to help his family out.

“He made the decision when taking into account his family situation,” said Godfrey, who is a certified agent. “He wants to put himself in a situation where he can help out and he saw this as a good opportunity.”

West Coast: Success in Vegas Makes Everyone Want to Come Back

The West Coast Conference men’s and women’s basketball championships will keep their location of the Orleans Arena through 2012 after the conference and the venue reached a three-year contract extension last week, according to a conference release.

The 2009 WCC championship, the first-ever at a neutral site, set conference records for total championship attendance (33,320) and single-session championship attendance (7,845). It’s no wonder the WCC wasted no time in making the deal with the Las Vegas arena.

“I am very pleased that the West Coast Conference and The Orleans Arena have agreed to extend our partnership for the next three years,” said Jamie Zaninovich, Commissioner of the West Coast Conference. “Thanks to the efforts of The Orleans management and staff, our 2009 basketball championship was an overwhelming success and we expect to improve upon the experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans with this contract extension.”

Buffalo: Wolfley Joins the Bulls

Rising sophomore Derek Wolfley has decided to transfer from Iona to Buffalo and will have three years of eligibility starting in the 2010-11 season, according to a university release. Wolfley averaged 1.0 point and 0.9 rebounds per game as a freshman with the Gaels. Coach Reggie Witherspoon said he’s glad to bring in Wolfley, who played high school basketball in western New York.

A Western New York native, Wolfley is a 2008 graduate of Attica Central High School where he was a four-year standout for the Blue Devils. He is Attica’s all-time leading point scorer, with 1,474 career points. He added 932 rebounds, dished out 260 assists and recorded 233 career blocks. As a senior, he averaged 23.8 points, 15.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.4 blocks leading his team to a 15-6 record and the No. 3 seed in NYSPHSAA Section V.

“Derek is a hard-working Western New York kid,” Witherspoon said. “We’re glad that after he decided to leave Iona, he wanted to join our program.”

UCLA: Former Bruin Star Sues for Royalties

According to Yahoo Sports, former Bruin Ed O’Bannon, who won a national championship with UCLA in 1995 and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player, is filing a suit against the NCAA because he feels the entity illegally forces athletes to sign away their rights to the commercial use of their images in video games and DVDs, among other things, and does not give any percentage of the earnings to them.

The suit asks for an unspecified restitution to former athletes for using their images and an injunction from current student athletes to keep the NCAA from licensing the rights to these.

NCAA spokesman Bob Williams declined to comment, saying the NCAA was still reviewing the case.

Niagara: Mihalich Gets Contract Extension

Niagara coach Joe Mihalich’s contract has been extended, according to a university release. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

Last season, Mihalich guided the Purple Eagles to their most victories (26) since 1921-22 and was a game away from making the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last five seasons. The coach, entering his 12th season, also won his 200th game along the way, and Niagara hosted an NIT game.

“Our investment in the men’s basketball program is centered around our investment in coach Mihalich,” Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin said. ”He is an ambassador for the university, a mentor for all of our student-athletes and an elite-level head coach. What he did last year and has been able to do with our program throughout his career is amazing and we want it to continue for a long time.”

Tennessee: Selby Ditches Commitment to Vols

Top 10 national recruit, point guard Josh Selby is no longer committed to Tennessee, according to a report from USA Today.

Selby announced his commitment break on his Facebook page, and Volquest.com and CBSsports.com confirmed the news. Selby’s mother, Saeshon Witherspoon, said the 6-1 point guard might still end up with the Vols, but he’s considering other options.

“With Josh blowing up at the last couple camps, there are other schools that we know are now options for him,” Witherspoon said. “I’m not saying that he is no longer interested in Tennessee. They are still a school that he will consider.”

Legends Classic Regional Hosts Announced

The four regional hosts for the 2009 Legends Classic have been announced.  National runner-up Michigan State heads the field, along with Florida, Rutgers and UMass.  All four schools will advance to the championship rounds, held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ on November 27 and 28.  The event tips off with regional games on November 18-22.

July First Half Recap & Analysis

The first live period of July is in the books, and before you know it, we’ll be into the second one.  July 22 is the first of ten more days of madness to close out the month.  In nine days on the road, we learned a good deal about a number of players primarily in the northeast region, as that time saw us largely in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for events.

One thing that became quite clear, with this being the first time I went on a trip like this, is how wearing it can be.  I wasn’t even playing in games, and felt road weary during the latter third of it, so I can only imagine how it was for the players, many of whom were playing 2-3 games daily each day.  In light of that, it’s not a surprise that numerous players were playing through or sitting with bum ankles.  More than a few players whose teams took off the final day or two of the first live period said they don’t mind because they could use a little rest.  It all really just reinforces a comment last year from my colleague Jay Bilas, who noted that, “Individually, most of these events are very good. Taken as a whole, however, it is hard to justify the way things work for young players in our country, and it’s really hard to feel good about the state of the game.”

With Division I coaches unable to attend travel team tournaments in April, July has now become magnified for them and the kids.  It’s unfortunate that such is the case, but we all have to live with the reality.  And with numerous events going on, college coaching staffs aren’t going to see everyone they want to, try as they might.  It’s tougher for kids to know where to go so as to get seen as well, even more so with the economy being the way it is as teams are not traveling quite like they did in past years.

These kids have about a week to rest and heal up after the end of the first live period, and then it all begins anew on July 22 for ten more days.  In the meantime, here is our analysis of players we saw during the first live period.  We break it up into several categories and list the ten best in each of the first three, then a few less for the last two, in alphabetical order only.

Best Players We Saw

Waverly Austin (6’11″ Sr. C, Fernanding Branch (FL) Progressive Christian School)

Aaron Bowen (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Jacksonville (FL) Wolfson HS)

Andre Drummond (6’10″ So. PF-C, Middletown (CT) St. Thomas More)

Tyrone Garland (6’1″ Sr. PG, Philadelphia (PA) John Bartram HS)

Sterling Gibbs (6’1″ Jr. PG, West Orange (NJ) Seton Hall Prep)

Kyrie Irving (6’2″ Sr. SG, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS)

Durand Johnson (6’6″ Sr. SG-SF, Baltimore (MD) Parkville HS)

Cleveland Melvin (6’8″ Sr. SF-PF, Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep)

J.J. Moore (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Brentwood (NY) High)

Patric Young (6’9″ Sr. PF, Jacksonville (FL) Providence School)

Improved Their Stock the Most

Ike Azotam (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Roxbury (MA) Marianapolis Prep)

Melsahn Basabe (6’7″ Sr. PF, Long Island (NY) St. Mark’s School)

Naofall Folahan (6’10″ Sr. C, Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep)

Khyle Marshall (6’6″ Sr. SF, Davie (FL) Charles Flanagan HS)

Frantz Massenat (6’3″ Sr. PG, Hamilton (NJ) Trenton Catholic HS)

Shabazz Napier (6’0″ Jr. PG, Charlestown (MA) Lawrence Academy)

Chase Plummer (6’6″ Sr. SF, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS)

Ryan Rhoomes (6’8″ Sr. PF, Flushing (NY) Cardozo HS)

Ronald Roberts (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep)

Ryan Romich (6’5″ Sr. SF, Groton (MA) Groton-Dunstable Regional HS)

Solid Under-the-Radar Players

Tavon Allen (6’7″ Jr. SF, New Haven (CT) Hillhouse HS)

Theo Boyomo (6’8″ Sr. PF, Kent (CT) School)

Darrun Hilliard (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, Bethlehem (PA) Liberty HS)

Willy Kouassi (6’10″ Jr. C, Miami (FL) Center of Life Academy)

Keaton Miles (6’6″ Jr. SF, Dallas (TX) Lincoln HS)

Frank Mitchell (6’6″ Sr. PF, Hillsborough (NJ) High)

Soutiri Sapnas (6’1″ Sr. PG-SG, Newtown Square (PA) Marple Newtown HS)

Daniel Stewart (6’6″ Sr. PF, Philadelphia (PA) St. John HS)

Anthony Taylor (6’2″ Sr. SG, Egg Harbor (NJ) Township HS)

Kerry Weldon (6’4″ Sr. SF, Bronx (NY) St. Agnes HS)

Left Something to be Desired

Devon Collier (6’8″ Sr. PF, Bronx (NY) St. Anthony’s)

Joey DeLaRosa (6’9″ Jr. C, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS)

Derrick Gordon (6’1″ Jr. SG, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS)

Sidiki Johnson (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS)

Khalil Murphy (6’7″ Sr. PF, Pennsauken (NJ) APEX Academies)

Young Players to Watch

Kyle Anderson (6’7″ So. SF, Paterson (NJ) Catholic HS)

Dallas Anglin (6’1″ So. PG-SG, Plainfield (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep)

Aaron Bodie (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Newark (NJ) Eastside HS)

David Joseph (6’0″ So. PG, Hollywood (FL) Zion Lutheran Christian School)

Tafari Whittingham (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Avon (CT) Old Farms HS)

Duke: Blue Devils Get Some Backcourt Help

Duke received good news when recruit Andre Dawkins decided to enroll a year early, pending NCAA approval. Dawkins has committed to Duke and was scheduled to arrive on campus for the 2010-11 season. The Blue Devils desperately need the services of one of the top-rated shooting guards because of graduations and transfers, leaving Duke with Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith to lead the backcourt. The Virginia native averaged about 22 points per game last season.

Joe Brown Memorial Tournament Player Evaluations

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. – The 2009 Joe Brown Memorial Tournament was smaller than the past two years.  Formerly known as the Playaz Ball, the event is now in the third year of being named in honor of a man who was a long-time supporter of the program.  This year’s event had one division with 16 teams, so it was easy to see each team at least once.  The Juice All-Stars did not show up, so one pool essentially had three teams competing.

The playoff rounds, held on Wednesday, consisted of two semifinal games and a championship game, which we were not present for.  Instead, all the pool play action on the first day was enough to get good looks at the teams and prospects.  In light of that, here is a look at some of the players we saw on the first day of this event.

Tavon Allen (6’7″ Jr. SF, New Haven (CT) Hillhouse HS) A day after getting a look at him, he was no less impressive.  The thin lefty wing went for 20 points against a good New York Panthers team and has plenty of upside.

Dallas Anglin (6’1″ So. PG-SG, Plainfield (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep) Playing for a Playaz team that was a hodgepodge of players from their teams since their main teams were at the Peach Jam, he was perhaps their best player on Tuesday as he went for 20 and 11 points in their two games.  He has a ways to go physically, but the early promise he showed here means he’ll be one to keep an eye on.

Myles Davis (6’0″ Jr. SG, Plainfield (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep) He didn’t do his best scoring here, but he’s established what he can do in that respect.  Instead, he was playing the point often, where he’s not a jet but a plus athlete, and he didn’t let his lack of scoring hurt the team as others picked it right up from him.

Joey DeLaRosa (6’9″ Jr. C, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) A day earlier, he showed some signs of progress, but they were missing on this day.  He didn’t dunk when he should have on one play, put the ball on the floor inside a few times, and missed a stickback.  While his body has gotten better, from a basketball standpoint he still has a good deal of work to do.

Andre Drummond (6’10″ So. PF-C, Middletown (CT) St. Thomas More) A day earlier, he gave just a taste of what he showed here.  He had college coaches paying close attention to him, and with good reason as he showed just how immense his improvement has been in the past year.  He was running the floor, driving and dishing with an occasional no-look pass mixed in, knocking down jump shots out to three-point range and showing very good ball skills.  It wasn’t all good, however, as he didn’t look like the shot-blocker he was, leaked out and even basket-hung several times, and didn’t get back on defense after some turnovers.  There’s no question the potential is there, however, just from the improvement he’s made in the past year.  Anyone who hasn’t heard of him yet will know who he is by the end of the month.

Sidiki Johnson (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) Immensely talented, there are a lot of things he can do, but he also leaves one wondering if he’s a player you win with.  The lanky lefty was very active and got the ball often, but tended to be selfish and got a technical foul for an expletive shouted either at an opponent or official.  There is plenty of upside as he’s not done maturing physically, but that’s not the main area of concern.

Travon King (Sr. SF, Teaneck (NJ) High) Athletic wing grabbed some attention with a dunk he made with Andre Drummond at the basket, although Drummond didn’t make much of an attempt to stop him.  But he was more than just a highlight reel play, as he frequently attacked the basket and drew fouls a few times, scoring 21 points in a win for his team.

Javae King-Gilchrist (6’1″ Sr. PG, Teaneck (NJ) High) A point guard with some intriguing talent, he’s not overly quick but uses long strides that can mask that.  He’s a baby physically, capable of scoring and finding teammates, and he has range out to the three-point line although that’s not his forte.

Frantz Massenat (6’3″ Sr. PG, Hamilton (NJ) Trenton Catholic HS) It was another solid outing for the lefty point guard, who is having a very good month.  Here, his jumpers weren’t going for a while, but he was unselfish and made some nice passes, including a couple from behind the three-point line to the opposite low block for layups, and he passed well on the move.  While he didn’t score much, he finished while getting fouled, knocked down a short runner and did knock down at least one three-pointer.  Mid-major plus prospect.

Riley Maye (6’8″ Sr. PF, Hightstown (NJ) Peddie School) An intriguing post player, he has some length and his body can still mature more physically.  He showed the ability to score in traffic as well as from mid-range, but he didn’t exactly pile on the points here and didn’t look consistently good.

Jakari McCalop (6’7″ Sr. SF, East Hartford (CT) High) A plus athlete with a good body, he quietly had a good day of games overshadowed by teammate Josh Turner.  He ran the floor well, as it seemed like he was in transition often, and showed a little touch from mid-range.  In his last game of the day, he went for 25 points.

Frank Mitchell (6’6″ Sr. PF, Hillsborough (NJ) High) Solid blender player does a variety of things to help his team, although none exceedingly well that they stand out.  Instead, he plays very well within the team concept and the flow of the game, as he runs the floor, passes, and knows when to take the shot.  A highlight was a play where he made a nice long bounce pass from the corner to the opposite low block.  Mid-major prospect.

Xavier Pollard (6’1″ Sr. SG, Suffield (CT) Academy) A good scorer, he shot the ball very well from long range en route to 21 points in an early game, but he didn’t stop there.  Athletic and with a good body, he scored on the go as well, using a quick drive to the basket on a few occasions that was aided by his earlier shooting.  An undersized shooting guard, he’s at best a mid-major prospect.

Peter Prinsloo (6’10″ Sr. C, Dover (DE) High) His best offense is the three-point shot, which he can get off since he’s sometimes guarded by smaller defenders.  Here, he knocked down a couple of them, while also making a post move to his left to score, which showed that he can score inside but doesn’t often do it.  He didn’t do much aside from that, not being the factor on the glass you would want a player his size to be.  Mid-major minus prospect.

Ronald Roberts (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep) As he’s done before, he was very active and got most of his points and rebounds that way.  In two games, he went for 16 and 15 points, respectively, and he continued to look better than he did the prior time out.  High-major minus prospect.

Jose Rodriguez (6’4″ Jr. SG, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) Athletic guard was solid scoring on drives, as he’s very fluid when he gets going to the basket.  While he mainly scored by finishing with a layup, he also hit a couple of mid-range jumpers off the dribble.  His body isn’t there yet, so there’s a good deal of upside.

Ameen Tanksley (6’4″ Jr. SF, Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep Charter School) Lefty wing battled inside all day, playing bigger than his size and getting his share of rebounds.  In going for 11 and 19 points in his team’s two games, he scored often inside, finishing drives and at times being a garbage man from misses and loose balls.

Malik Thomas (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, New York (NY) Wadleigh HS) A baby physically with some length, he reached double figures in scoring in all three of his team’s games with a high of 19.  Not much of a shooter, he scored on plays like a runner with contact and later on drives to the basket, and he started off his team’s first game with a nice pass right away for a basket.

Josh Turner (6’5″ Sr. SG, Waterbury (CT) Sacred Heart HS) When he was a rising sophomore, he showed a great deal of potential, but hasn’t always lived up to it since then.  Here, he really came alive in one game, as he went for 31 points with a variety of scores.  He’s mature physically and scored on runners and stickbacks of his own miss, with the highlight being a cut-back on a drive near the baseline to score.  He’s often handled the ball, but seems ultimately better playing off the ball.  Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.

Kerry Weldon (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, New York (NY) St. Agnes HS) It seemed like every other play, there was an offensive rebound by his team, and he was usually the one there.  Very active and athletic, he has a nose for the ball and runs the floor well, and often finds himself in position for stickbacks, which he got several of here.  He plays bigger and has a good frame, and is more of a scorer than a shooter although he didn’t put up big numbers in that category.  Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.

Other players who caught our attention:

David Appolon (6’2″ Jr. PG-SG, Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep Charter School)

Aaron Bodie (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Newark (NJ) Eastside HS)

Roy Mabrey (6’1″ Sr. PG-SG, Lincroft (NJ) Christian Brothers Academy)

Wayne Newsome (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Piscataway (NJ) High)

Chase Plummer (6’6″ Sr. SF, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS)

Tafari Whittingham (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Avon (CT) Old Farms HS)

James Ziemba (6’7″ Fr. PF, Metuchen (NJ) St. Joseph’s HS)

Providence: Friars Bet on Keno Through 2016

Providence coach Keno Davis, the 2008 National Coach of the Year, has signed a new contract that will keep him with the Friars through 2015-16, according to a university release. The school also announced athletic director Bob Driscoll has received a contract extension until 2016.

In just one season at Providence, Davis brought excitement back to campus with several achievements. The Friars’ 19-14 overall record was the most wins by a first-year coach and most wins since 2004. Providence also upset No. 1 Pittsburgh, 81-73, on Feb. 24, the first time the school achieved such a feat in 33 years. Finally, the Friars won a Big East Tournament game for the first time since 2003 and obtained an at-large NIT bid.

“With Keno’s coaching and recruiting skills and Bob’s leadership, I believe our athletic department is as strong as ever,” Providence College President Rev. Brian Shanley said. “I felt it was necessary to make a long-term commitment to Keno and Bob to ensure the success of the athletic department, including our flagship program — men’s basketball.”

Troy: Trojans Add Graduated Crimson Tide Center

Following graduation at Alabama and an NCAA waiver, center Yamene Coleman will play his final season at Troy, according to an Associated Press report.

The 6-9, 240-pound Coleman spent four seasons with the Crimson Tide, redshirting one. He graduated in May and will bring his 4.0 points and 4.0 rebounds average from last season to Troy for one last year of eligibility.