Kentucky: Gillispie Arrested and Arraigned for DUI

Former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie was arrested in Kentucky and arraigned Thursday for drunk driving, according to an Associated Press report.

Police arrested Gillispie at about 3 a.m. while he drove a white Mercedes. Police observed Gillispie going 63 mph in a 45 mph speed limit zone. He also sat motionless at a green light for more than a minute. 

When Lawrenceburg police officer Michael Corley pulled over Gillispie and confronted him, Corley said he could smell alcohol, noticed Gillispie had glassy eyes and heard Gillispie slur his speech.

Gillispie denied that he had been drinking and refused sobriety tests, which led to his arrest and arraignment for the DUI.

Kentucky fired Gillispie in March after a lackluster two-year stint in Lexington. Gillispie has not found a new coaching home yet. The Wildcats hired Memphis coach John Calipari to replace Gillispie.

Florida International: We Don’t Want the Champs!

According to a report from SportingNews.com, Isiah Thomas-led Florida International wants to avoid playing defending champion North Carolina in the season-opening 2K Sports Classic so much that it’s threatening to withdraw from the tournament.

Despite Florida International’s emphatic refusal to play North Carolina in the first game of the season Nov. 9, Gazelle Group representative Rick Giles, promoter of the tournament, which benefits Coaches vs. Cancer, expects Florida International to “do the right thing” and accept its match up against the Tar Heels. Giles and his group want the marquee appeal that Thomas’ coaching debut vs. North Carolina will bring.

Florida International signed a contract in 2008 to open the 2009-10 season at either Ohio State or North Carolina, Giles said. The Golden Panthers wanted Ohio State and were blindsided upon learning they were scheduled against the Tar Heels, Athletic Director Pete Garcia said.

Thomas shared Garcia’s shock after the schedule news came out.

“I had no idea,” Thomas said. “No one contacted me, our athletic director, no one. Maybe in 2010, 2011 we can play North Carolina, but not this year.”

Regardless of what happens in the classic’s earlier rounds, North Carolina, Ohio State, California and Syracuse will meet in the semifinals and finals Nov. 19-20 at Madison Square Garden.

Oklahoma State: Cowboys Get Pilgrim’s Services Immediately

Matt Pilgrim will be able to join his Oklahoma State teammates for the 2009-10 season after the NCAA granted him a waiver Aug. 21, according to a university release.

The 6-8 forward averaged 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in his two years at Hamptom College from 2006-08. He transferred to Kentucky for 2008-09 but sat out the season because of NCAA rules.

Cowboys head coach Travis Ford was thrilled after learning of the ruling that will allow Pilgrim to play without sitting out another season following his latest transfer.

“We are excited that Matt will be able to be a part of the program this season,” Ford said. “He will make an immediate impact on this team with both his abilities and his experience. He will make us a better team and brings a toughness with him.”

Grambling: White Dies After Two Weeks in Hospital Following a Workout

According to a Southwestern Athletic Conference release, Grambling State junior Henry White passed away on Wednesday at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. White had been hospitalized since Aug. 14 after a workout at Grambling.

Grambling is investigating the circumstances that might have contributed to his passing.

“The university community is deeply saddened by the loss of one of its promising student- athletes, and our deepest sympathy is extended to his family,” Grambling President Horace Judson said.

Kentucky: Calipari Awards Krebs a Scholarship

Kentucky senior Michael Krebs finally got a scholarship, according to a university release. It was the 13th and last available scholarship for the 2009-10 Wildcats.

Krebs was a walk-on from 2007-09 and has appeared in a total of 17 games. Last season, he played in 13 games and saw 1.9 minutes of action per match. He made 1-of-4 three-point attempts.

Florida Gulf Coast: Brown Joins ’09 Recruiting Class at Last Minute

According to a Florida Gulf Coast release, the Eagles have a late addition to the team: guard Sherwood Brown, an A-student who averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game at Olympia High School in Orlando, Fla.

The 6-3 Brown also averaged 1.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game while helping the Titans to the 2009 FHSAA Class 6A State Championship game.

Brown joins guards Brett Williams and Hunter Miller as newcomers at Florida Gulf Coast for the 2009-10 season.

Court Denies Delaware’s Gambling Plan

A federal appeals court rejected the state of Delaware’s plan to initiate single- and multi-game bets on sports, including NCAA basketball, according to CBSSports.com. The NCAA and several professional sports leagues challenged the state’s plan to raise money that would help it cover a budget shortfall.

According to an exemption in the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, Delaware is eligible to offer the same type of gambling games it provided between 1975 and 1992. In Delaware’s case, it offered a game in which gamblers could pick several NFL games in a lottery. The state attempted to use that precedent to extend gambling to more sports and for single games.

Texas: Backcourt Depth Boosted by Brown

Texas received word that freshman guard J’Covan Brown is clear to play, according to FOXSports.com’s Jeff Goodman. The NCAA ruled Brown academically ineligible last year, and he worked on his grades to successfully become eligible for the upcoming season. Brown will have an opportunity to compete for the starting point guard position with Dogus Balbay and Jai Lucas.

Hawaii: Rainbow Warriors Add Transferred Firepower

Hawaii just got itself two new Rainbow Warriors as a report from FoxSports.com states that ex-Arizona Wildcat Zane Johnson and former Duquesne player Aleksandar Milovic have transferred to the university on scholarships. Both players will have to sit out the 2009-10 season before becoming eligible to play.

The 6-5 Johnson was at Arizona for two years. Last season, he started 11 Pac-10 Conference games and made 41 percent of his three-pointers as the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. Meanwhile Milovic, a 6-7 swingman, saw limited action as a freshman at Duquesne following a high school senior season in which he averaged 21.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

Johnson and Milovic join Douglas Kurtz, Jeremy Lay and Dwain Williams to complete Hawaii’s 2009-10 recruiting class.

Middle Tennessee State: Davis Picks Operations Director

Former Odessa College assistant coach Mike Scutero has been named Middle Tennessee State’s new director of basketball operations, according to a release from the university.

In five years at Odessa College, Scutero helped the Wrangler team to three consectuive 20-win seasons, including a conference championship in 2007-08. Before that, Scutero had been a coach at Winter Springs High School in Winter Springs, Fla.

“Mike has an outstanding work ethic and excellent energy and will be a good addition to our staff,” Middle Tennessee’s head coach Kermit Davis said. “We look forward to having him and his family as part of the Murfreesboro community.”

Rutgers: Fred Hill Takes Care of Some ‘Family Matters’

Junior Corey Chandler was kicked off the Rutgers basketball team for violating athletic department policies, according to an Associated Press report.

Rutgers coach Fred Hill did not give specific reasons for the guard’s dismissal, calling it a “family matter.”

Chandler averaged seven points and 3.3 rebounds in 32 appearances last season. In 2007-08, he had averaged 11.9 points and four rebounds per game.

Hill also announced that the team has a new assistant coach in Sal Mentesana and that Craig Carter will be the program’s recruiting coordinator.

Boston Best 40 Gets Overwhelming Response

NATICK, Mass. – When Andrew Mirken lined up all the kids to put teams together for the afternoon portion of the Boston Best 40 on Saturday, he suddenly realized something: he had a few more kids than he expected.

The count: 91 kids.  It’s hard to believe that just a couple of short weeks earlier, the coach at the Rivers School, site of the event, was hoping to find more kids, as if even getting 40 was going to be tough.  Ranging from late middle school to high school sophomores, the event brought in far more kids than expected.

The event started out with the young players getting an engaging talk from Bo Ruggiero, head coach at Cohasset High School and a member of the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  He went over a few simple fundamentals for the kids to take home with them about balance, passing and shooting.  Once that was over, it was time for stations to close out the morning to further instruct the kids on various aspects of the game.

The afternoon session was game time, with each team playing one game apiece, then two all-star games.  One was with the youngest players, all clearly at a different physical stage of development than the older players, hence the separate games.  While it’s too early to assess the true potential of every player here, a few showed that they will be worth following over the next few years.

Rene Castro, a sophomore guard who played at Milton (MA) High last year but is headed to Beaver Country Day School this year, has potential but at times can leave an observer shaking their head.  He has talent, especially with the ball, and some physical gifts, but also a maddening tendency to not play hard or to go too much for show.

Dimitri Flores, who will enter Merrimack (NH) High soon, won’t make the highlight reels with athleticism but has some offensive talent.

Ramone Gibbons, who will attend Charlestown (MA) High School, already has a terrific body.  Built like a football player, he’s very athletic, and this wasn’t his first rodeo as he was recently the MVP of the Basketball Spotlight Classic in New Jersey.

Carlin Haymon, an incoming freshman at Rivers from the Mission Hill section of Boston, had some good moments at the point guard spot.  He’s already shown a lot of potential at several events over the past few months.

Kaleb Joseph, who has shown his potential at a few other events in the last few months, was also among the participants.  He is long and not done growing yet, and here he made several nice drive-and-dish plays.

John Powell, a lefty who is set to enter his sophomore year at Ashland (MA) High), showed some promise here.  Although at times he tried to do a little too much and needs to improve his touch shooting the ball, he was active and got his share of rebounds that led to run-outs.

Jacquille Taylor was the big man with the most promise here.  He’s very long and has a slight frame, so it’s clear he’s a long way from being finished physically.  From a basketball standpoint, he doesn’t have a great touch in close or much feel for the game, but he doesn’t lack a motor, so there’s reason to think he will develop over the next few years.

Jared Terrell, who is about to begin his high school career, is a well-built athlete who impressed on a few occasions.  While his scoring certainly caught our eye, his ball-handling was also noteworthy.

Southern Miss: Eagles Add One Guard, Lose Another

Southern Miss will gain the services of former Kansas State guard Buchi Awaji, who transferred to the Eagles and received a waiver so that he can play this season, according to the Hattiesburg American. He will add some depth to the Eagles, who lose Rodney McCauley, who left the team to transfer to Ranger College in Texas. Awaji had better statistics than McCauley last season, averaging 4.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game compared to McCauley’s 1.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

Oklahoma State: Cowboys Must Wait for Johnson

Oklahoma State won’t have the services of recruit Karron Johnson, according to an Associated Press report. Johnson will attend a junior college, and he could join the Cowboys later if he meets academic standards. Johnson was a top 100 recruit according to Rivals.com.

Florida: Frontcourt Depth Diminishes

Florida might enter the season with fewer players available in the frontcourt because Adam Allen had a second leg surgery and Eloy Vargas could be academically ineligible, according to the Associated Press. Neither player figures to have a central role for the Gators, who don’t have too many experienced players to fill the front line.

Cincinnati: Center From ’61 and ’62 Championship Teams Dies

Former Cincinnati center Paul “Duke” Hogue died Monday of heart and kidney failure, according to an Associated Press report. Hogue was the most outstanding player of the NCAA Tournament when the Bearcats won the 1962 championship.

Don’t Take Protesting Fans Too Seriously

Don’t take the words of sports fans too seriously when it comes to the off-court happenings of players and coaches.  The truth is they don’t care as much as they let on.

Oftentimes, when an athlete or coach has a transgression off the playing field, many take issue with the person still having a job, especially one that pays the kind of money they make.  The phone lines on sports talk shows light up for days, while letters to the editor and message board posts on the matter are seemingly endless.  The reaction to Michael Vick signing with the Philadelphia Eagles is just the latest of many examples of this, and surely the college basketball world will see something similar with the recent news that has come out with Louisville head coach Rick Pitino.  And while I don’t expect the phone lines on sports talk shows, and even non-sports talk shows, to burn up with discussion of Pitino the same way they have for discussion of Vick, the larger issue is that fans are far more accepting of the transgressions of athletes and coaches than they like to let on.

Fans will talk the talk of moral indignation at these actions, but won’t walk the walk when it comes to spending their money on their favorite players or team.

For years now, fans and even non-fans have complained about the salaries of athletes and coaches.  I won’t get into the economics involved that more than justifies their salaries, except to note that as long as the seats are filled, televisions and radios are tuned to watch the games and memorabilia is flying out of the stores, they deserve every penny of their salaries.  But this is a critical point to keep in mind as questions arise about whether or not Pitino should still be the head coach at Louisville or how much it will affect recruiting, if at all.

I’m not out to defend Pitino’s actions, or those of anyone one else who has engaged in wrongdoing of some sort.  Even if Pitino has done nothing illegal – and based on reports, it appears he has not – he did cheat on his wife.  That’s a matter for him and his wife to hash out in private, not public.  As more details come out, there is sure to be the perception that there is more than meets the eye to the entire situation between him and Karen Cunagin Sypher, and most times the court of public opinion is far more harsh than just about any court of law.  I am a firm believer that actions have consequences, and I’m sure that will be the case here.  What those consequences will be, I don’t know and don’t pretend to have a crystal ball.  But when it comes to sports fans, the material consequences seem to be quite minimal.

There are numerous examples that can attest to this.  In Major League Baseball, despite the years of suspicion of steroid use by players, many stadiums across the league have been filled up for years, only seeing any appreciable decline this year as the recession hits more and more people.  Fans loved every minute of the home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998.  Manny Ramirez certainly was not hurt in All-Star balloting by testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, as Ramirez was seventh in the balloting among National League outfielders this season.  When he returned from his 50-game suspension in July, he received nothing short of warm ovations by home fans who weren’t exactly in a hurry to sell their season tickets because of what one of their players had done.

Vick and Donte’ Stallworth are far from the first NFL players to commit a noteworthy transgression off the field, but fans keep tailgating, filling NFL stadiums and watching Monday Night Football on ESPN.  This continues despite numerous players failing drug tests every year or getting arrested for a wide range of offenses.  Once again, fans don’t care at the end of the day.

In the NBA, Kobe Bryant cheated on his wife several years ago.  Plenty of Lakers jerseys with the number 24 on the back can still be found worn by young kids today and he’s still beloved in Los Angeles.  The Staples Center is still packed for home games; fans didn’t start trying to sell off their season tickets because of what Kobe did off the court.  Bulls fans didn’t start selling off their season tickets en masse because Michael Jordan gambled away some money while his team was winning six titles in eight years.

In college basketball, we’ve seen coaches like Bob Huggins get arrested for DUI and Andy Kennedy for assaulting a cab driver.  (Kennedy later pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge from that incident.)  Southern Miss head coach Larry Eustachy was photographed with while drinking with college students on a road trip in 2003 while head coach at Iowa State.  In each case, life has gone on for each coach, although Eustachy lost his job at the time only to resurface at Southern Miss.  Huggins’ team at West Virginia may have the personnel to compete for the Big East title this season.

While some parents might not be fond of Pitino’s actions, this likely means nothing to recruits.  Players care about just a couple of things when considering a school.  Can a coach get on television?  Can he get a team to the NCAA Tournament?  Can he get players to the NBA?  If the answer to each is yes – and Pitino has done all three – that’s what matters to young players.

This is also what matters to fans.  Fans want to see their team in the NCAA Tournament; if you don’t think so, one need only look to Pitino’s arch-rival school and former employer for a good example.  Kentucky changed head coaches this past off-season because they were playing in the NIT, not the NCAA Tournament, last March.  Their new head coach, John Calipari, has had two Final Four appearances by his teams vacated by the NCAA, but Wildcat fans won’t care about that as long as the Wildcats are winning games, especially in March.  (The NCAA’s action against Memphis will be under appeal, but for now the national runner-up season of 2007-08 is off the NCAA’s books.)

As the season approaches, Pitino will surely be asked more about the situation with Cunagin Sypher.  There will be more written about it and how it might affect the team.  But all the speculation in the world about recruiting or his job can be put to rest right now.  He will still be the head coach at Louisville, and if he loses any recruits at all because of it, he will get plenty of others who are eager to play for a coach whose teams are consistently in the NCAA Tournament and who consistently sends players on to the NBA.

For that matter, fans won’t have a problem with it and will continue to pack Freedom Hall, wear Cardinal memorabilia and watch and listen to games on TV and the radio.  At the end of the day, fans care about the bottom line and not whether or not those who play for or coach their team are nothing but saints.

Unless and until that changes, those looking for athletes and coaches to suffer real consequences need to hold fans’ feet to the fire as much as they do the athletes and coaches whose wrongdoing they take issue with.  And unless and until large numbers of fans take real action showing their disapproval of off-field transgressions, I will continue to consider the words of those who think it’s a travesty that Michael Vick has an NFL job or that Rick Pitino should resign as head coach at Louisville to be nothing more than grandstanding hot air.

Mississippi State: Renardo Sidney Clears One NCAA Hurdle

According to a report from FoxSports.com, Mississippi State freshman Renardo Sidney was cleared by the NCAA Eligiblity Center and enrolled in classes on Monday but has yet to be allowed to play for the Bulldogs due to questions regarding amateurism.

The 6-11, 255-pound Sidney faces inquiries about how he and his family were able to afford rent in a $1.2 million home in Los Angeles. The ongoing NCAA investigation is likely to last into the fall. Sidney, who lived in California for much of his high school years, will be allowed to participate in individual and conditioning workouts.

The Bulldogs are also waiting on 7-1 center John Riek to be cleared by the NCAA.

Memphis: Williams Get Permission to Play Immediately

Former Duke guard Elliot Williams was granted a waiver by the NCAA and won’t have to sit out the 2009-10 season following his transfer to Memphis, according to a FoxSports.com report.

The 6-4 Williams averaged 4.2 points per game for the Blue Devils last season but decided to trasnfer to the Tiger program to be close to his mother, who is battling cancer.

Memphis: Tigers’ 2008 Final Four Run Won’t Be in Record Books

Memphis must vacate 38 wins from its 2007-08 season in which the Tigers were only a few minutes away from winning the championship before folding to Kansas, according to ESPN.com’s Dana O’Neill. The NCAA handed down the penalty to punish the program for major violations related to a fraudulent SAT score by Derrick Rose and improper travel payments to Rose’s brother.

However, the penalties will not affect the current Tiger team.

A source said the current Memphis program will not be penalized and will escape a postseason ban or loss of scholarships.

According to charges levied by the NCAA Infractions Committee in May, Memphis and coach John Calipari knew of “fraudulence or misconduct” related to Rose. The Educational Testing Service started examining Rose’s high SAT score, which jumped significantly from previous results, in March 2008 during the NCAA Tournament. The organization rejected the score in May 2008. 

In the university’s response to those charges, the school said Calipari and Memphis officials did not learn about Rose’s invalidated SAT until after the 2007-08 season when the Educational Testing Service issued its rejection. However, Memphis officials knew in October 2007 that the Chicago Public Schools system was investigating other charges involving Rose, specifically involving charges that someone changed his grades.

The reverberations of the NCAA’s decision will resonate throughout Tennessee and Kentucky, where Calipari is now coach of the Wildcats. Calipari did not provide much opinion to ESPN.com when questioned today.

Calipari, appearing at the Kentucky State Fair on Thursday, had no comment because the report had not been officially released, but did say he would be “disappointed” if Memphis was stripped of its trip to the Final Four.

“We don’t know anything, because I’m not going to comment because I have to wait on the finding,” Calipari said. “I would be disappointed if that’s what they chose to do.”

Meanwhile, high-level state officials, including Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart, have publicly supported Calipari. Beshear spoke today at the Kentucky State Fair, while Barnhart backed his coach when questioned by the Associated Press last week.

“I’m not worried about it because they have never said Coach Cal did anything wrong at all,” Beshear said. “I think he’s a very upstanding guy. I think that’s his reputation and I think that reputation will be with him here. I really don’t foresee any problems.”

“There’s one thing John says: ‘I want my banners to count for something and I want to put the rings on the fingers and let them stay there,’ ” Barnhart said. “That’s important to him, and so he is embracing any help that we give him to make sure we’re able to, at the end of the day, not have to look over our shoulders and worry.”