Bryant Has a Different Feeling a Year Later

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – A year can make a lot of difference, although not all by itself.  One team that has used that time to make good improvements appears to be the Bryant Bulldogs, especially if their exhibition game on Friday night is any indication.

One can only take so much out of such a game, as minutes and substitution patterns are designed to get a good look at a number of players and lineups.  But the Bulldogs shot over 69 percent from the field in their 88-55 blowout win and appeared to click on all cylinders.  If you want to get into a psychological aspect, the Bulldogs lost their second exhibition game last year, so getting a win only helps.

Most important of all is how they looked, and that was decidedly good.  There’s no question the players and coaches feel it, as there’s a different energy and optimism this time around.  A lot has to do with the team’s newcomers, but the holdovers looked good as well and that’s also aided by the newcomers.

“We knew the freshmen we brought in could play,” said senior guard Chris Birrell, a starter on last season’s team.  “We make them better, they make us better.  We’re just trying to get better every day.”

One freshman, Claybrin McMath, looks like he’ll be an instant impact player.  He’s active, athletic and will make plays often, and at 6’8″ he’s one of the players who adds a good deal of size to this team.  Another, Vlad Kondraytyev, should be a fixture in the lineup whether he starts or not and he also checks in at 6’8″.  Add in point guard Raphael Jordan, a point guard who led the Bulldogs with 18 points on 7-8 shooting on Friday, and UMass transfer Papa Lo, who made all three of his shots and should be a shot-blocking presence inside, and it’s clear the newcomers will give this team a different look.

“I am excited about this team,” said senior guard Cecil Gresham, the team’s leading scorer last season.

“You don’t want to be too optimistic, but in terms of being competitive, it’s a huge leap forward for us with our size and our athleticism,” said head coach Tim O’Shea.

Jordan will play behind Birrell and give the Bulldogs a classic contrast at the position.  There’s the senior leader who knows the offense and initiates it in Birrell, and there’s the young and exciting player with a higher ceiling but less experience in Jordan.  Both have Gresham to get the ball to on the wing, as the senior had a good year in the team’s inaugural Division I season and should be better with a better support cast around him.  He should get better looks and opportunities to create with more size on the team now, as will players like Sam LeClerc (who will likely see time at the point as well) and Adam Parzych who also play off the ball.

“It opens it up a lot more,” Birrell said of the added size.  “(Opponents) have to respect us down low, and they can’t really press up on us as much because we do have a post presence.”

Besides McMath, Kondraytyev and Lo, the Bulldogs also have a holdover on the inside in Nick Pontes.  The senior has come back in much better shape, a clear beneficiary of the team changing up its off-season workouts.  He made a couple of plays at the defensive end that he simply would not have made last year, and now that he doesn’t have to play center should be better off at both ends.

The Bulldogs have a more manageable schedule this time around.  While there are still tough road games against teams from power conferences, gone are the guarantee games they have to hope on one plane after another for.  The longest trips for non-conference games are to Indiana and St. John’s, and they will leave New England just once in November.  With a better roster in terms of talent, athleticism and size, they aren’t saying they’re going to win but know they’ll have a much better chance this time around.

“We’re going to be very competitive,” said O’Shea.  “A year ago, we were in survival mode.  But now, we can play some of these bigger schools, and with our size, it’s going to be a different game.”

After playing 14 games against Northeast Conference foes a year ago, the Bulldogs will play a full slate of 18 games that will count in the standings.  They won’t be eligible for the conference tournament until the transition to Division I is complete, but they will affect the standings and are eligible for individual awards.  A year ago, they went 6-8 against Northeast Conference foes and know they can do better with the current roster.

“We expect to be at the top of the conference,” said Birrell.  “We were 6-8 last year, and with the additions we made this year there’s no reason we shouldn’t be at the top of the conference.”

Coming a year after the team lost an exhibition and was being physically overwhelmed quite often, that right there shows what a difference a year has made for Bryant.

Young Players Show Talent in Rising Freshman Games

NEW YORK – On Sunday, the Jim Couch Foundation presented the second annual Rising Freshman Games, held at Baruch College in Manhattan.  It was a series of three games that featured talented freshmen from Boston to New Jersey, with two teams from New York although several players took the court for both teams.

Here is a look at some players from each game.

Upstate 65, New York 54

Featuring many players in the Albany City Rocks program, the Upstate team took home a 65-54 win over one of the New York teams to open the day.  Although New York made some runs in the second half, you never had the feeling they were about to break through and seriously threaten Upstate.

Upstate was led by the solid backcourt of tough point guard Darrien White (PG, Albany (NY) Academy) and game MVP Maurice West (SG, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS).  Although New York City has been known for its point guards, White was the best one on the court this day, as he’s quick, stronger than he looks and fearless, as he constantly drove to the basket and made things happen by creating contact and finishing.  He also rebounded and simply made his team go while scoring 12 points.  West, who had 14 points, has the makings of a good scorer, as he scored in transition and from long range and has a little physical maturity for his age.

Another wing who showed some promise is Julian Moore.  He has some size and scored 13 in the game, but he’ll need to work on his shot release as his shooting foot leads a lot when he goes up, making his release look awkward.

Trahmier Burrell (SG-SF, Albany (NY) High) is a baby physically with some athleticism, similar to promising forward Casey Hall (PF, Latham (NY) Shaker HS), who scored 10 points and ran the floor well.  West’s school teammate, Damere Hannah (Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS), went for 10 points and showed a good touch on a couple of runners.

The best prospects on the New York team were a pair from St. Raymond’s.  Kendall Kinlock (PF-C, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s) played in both New York games and showed a lot of potential, as he’s long, has a good lower body and got a few stickbacks.  If he develops inside, including getting rid of the habit of putting the ball on the floor inside, he’ll move toward a high ceiling.  Shane Rector (PG-SG, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s) was a warrior on the court, as he was active and around the ball often, and in perhaps the best play of the game made a nice long bounce lead pass for a basket.  He scored 19 points and later played in the last game of the day just like Kinlock.

Jaquan Lynch (SG-SF, Brooklyn (NY) Jefferson HS) looks like he develop into a solid wing, as he went for 13 points by playing bigger and finishing with contact.

New Jersey 76, Connecticut 65

In a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated, the New Jersey team knocked off a team from Connecticut in the middle game of the day by a score of 76-65.

Manny Suarez (PF-C, Cliffside Park (NJ) High) was the inside catalyst, scoring 12 points and being a constant presence at both ends.  The lefty has some length, which he used on defense inside, was around the ball and rebounded well.  He got good help from co-MVP Jared Sina (Gladstone (NJ) Gill St. Bernard School), who’s not the most physically gifted athlete but was very heady and got teammates involved while scoring 17 points of his own.  Another floor leader who impressed was Chris Myers (PG, Hackensack (NJ) High), a very thin but quick point guard who drove all day to make things happen.

Jordan Forehand (SG, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) had a game-high 25 points and looked every bit the scorer that number would suggest, as he went to the basket all day and finished when fouled.  School teammate Jamar McGloster (PF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s) is well-built and looks like he can be a solid inside player before his high school career is over.  He was helped inside by Jordan Arthur (PF, Plainfield (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep), who has a good body and showed a good deal of polish on his post moves for his age.

Keione Osborne (SG-SF, Englewood (NJ) Dwight Morrow HS) was one of the good complements on the team, as the thin wing showed a good touch from mid-range.  Another one, Kyle Menard (New City (NY) Clarkstown North HS), had a big stretch in the third quarter and impressed by taking a charge and driving and dishing.

Jahvaney Beckford (SG-SF, Manchester (CT) Cheney Tech) was the best player on the Connecticut side, battling all day and taking contact when he got near the basket.  They also had Daquan Clark (SF, New Britain (CT) High), who is Earl Clark’s cousin and had his moments, and Trevor Thigpen (SF, New Haven (CT) Hillhouse HS), who struggled to finish but looks to have promise while playing for a powerhouse school.  Cane Broome (PG, East Hartford (CT) High) also showed some potential, as the lefty is just a baby physically and went for 15 points.

Boston 74, New York 73

Boston had a double-digit lead after a dominating second quarter, but couldn’t hold it as a poor third quarter and a carryover into the fourth allowed New York to get back into the game and eventually take the lead late in the game.  But a few clutch plays down the stretch allowed Boston to escape with a 74-73 win.

Without question, the players who had the most buzz were Kuran Iverson (SF-PF, Hartford (CT) Northwest Catholic HS) and Ramon Gibbons (SG, Roxbury (MA) Charlestown HS).  But the player who was Mr. Clutch for Boston was Zach Lewis (PG-SG, Hartford (CT) Northwest Catholic HS), who had 15 points with three three-pointers, including the game-winner in the final seconds.  Before that, the slight point guard made several key steals and baskets to help them maintain the lead.

Iverson certainly grabbed attention with his tantalizing potential, but also showed that his skills and I.Q. have not caught up to his body just yet as all too often he tried to do too much and came up empty.  He’s a classic example of a young player who doesn’t yet realize how good he can be.  When he figures it out, he’ll head toward a very high ceiling as he’s athletic, can block shots and run the floor, and he rebounded well on this day to go with his 19 points.

Gibbons likewise tried to do too much at times and forced his share of plays that weren’t there, but in scoring 22 points he showed that he can flat-out score and is built like a football player.  He rebounded and is simply too strong for many other guards his age, and he uses that strength well when driving to the basket.

Boston’s point guards did not play well on this day, as Khalil Dukes (PG, Hartford (CT) Capital Prep) showed poor shot selection and Kaleb Joseph (Fr. PG, Nashua (NH) High) just never got untracked but has some physical gifts to work with.  Diamonte Zayba (SG-SF, Sheffield (MA) Berkshire HS) acquitted himself well with 11 points, finishing well when he got to the basket including in transition.

The aforementioned Shane Rector and Kendall Kinlock also made appearances in this game for New York, with Rector scoring 15 points in a solid outing and Kinlock continuing to run the floor and show a penchant for rebounding his own misses.

Davonne Ragin (SF, Bronx (NY) Wings Academy) has a wide body but was very effective for stretches of the game.  He has some baby fat he’ll need to shed but moves reasonably well, although that is more of an issue on the wing than it would be if he were taller and played inside.  In scoring 11 points, he showed a touch shooting the ball but also missed his fair share of shots.  Also joining Ragin on the perimeter was Steven Bush (SG, Roselle (NJ) Catholic HS), who scored 14 points helped by several three-pointers off the catch.  As the game went along, Jason Boswell (SG-SF, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s) looked like he could be one of the next stars to come out of St. Patrick’s, as he’s athletic and solid fundamentally.  He went for 14 points and his body isn’t there yet, although he’s not a baby physically.

CAA Coaches Optimistic About NCAA Chances

When practice is just starting and no games have been played yet, everyone is optimistic about the season.  But that’s not the only reason optimism was running high in the nation’s capital at CAA Media Day.

The 2005-06 season was a breakthrough one for the CAA even before George Mason made its magical run to the Final Four.  For the first time since 1986, the conference had multiple teams playing in the NCAA Tournament.  They also had one team that could legitimately claim to have been snubbed, and two more who could have claimed as much with the NIT.

A year later, the conference once again saw two teams in the NCAA Tournament, but no magical run came.  VCU knocked off Duke, which caught plenty of attention, but the Rams couldn’t repeat the magic against Pittsburgh in the second round despite a valiant effort.

The past two seasons have seen the conference send one team to the NCAA Tournament.  While the CAA continues to be well-represented in other tournaments, with Old Dominion winning the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament and James Madison reaching the semifinals of it, the ultimate metric used to evaluate conferences, right or wrong, is the number of teams in the NCAA Tournament.  As such, it’s no secret the conference would love for its 25^th anniversary season to be one where multiple teams reach the NCAA Tournament.

Over those last two seasons, there has been a good deal of personnel turnover, and youth has been seen.  But this season, a lot of the best players return from last season and several teams return most of their starters.  Included in that category are many of the top teams from last season, and that’s one reason the dean of CAA coaches has high hopes for this season.

“When you look at a season before it ever begins, you’ve got to look at the previous season and what teams did,” said George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga, whose team returns just two starters from last season.  He ran off the number of wins in 2008-09 and returning starters of teams like Old Dominion, VCU, Northeastern, James Madison and Hofstra, and thinks it adds up to something.  “If they perform like they’re hoping to perform, we could have a Missouri Valley-type season like the Valley had in 2005-06,” Larranaga added.

He was referring to a season where the Missouri Valley sent four teams to the NCAA Tournament, two of which reached the Sweet 16.  One of them, Wichita State, fell victim to the Patriots during their run to the Final Four.

The potential could be seen for a couple of years leading up to this one in the young talent, as well as transfers.  In 2007-08, seven of the 16 all-conference players were underclassmen.  Last season, nine of 16 were underclassmen who now return this season.  In addition, ties in voting for the all-rookie team last season meant that six players made the team instead of five and is indicative that there was some depth among the youngest players in the conference last year.

When the best players finish, it’s never a given that holdovers, be they complementary players or newcomers, are ready to keep things at quite the same level.  It’s also well-documented how important experience is for mid-majors, especially as a counter to a talent gap against opponents with more talent but less experience.  In light of that, a year or two on the down side isn’t necessarily surprising, nor is a good upswing after that.

“I always say in this league, you have your cycles,” said Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint, who looked to a year later to when his team had a legitimate claim to being snubbed from the NCAA Tournament.  “The year we were really good, the teams all grew together.  I think you’re in that type of cycle again, where you lost all those guys, and those guys get replaced, but they may not be ready to replace them at that point in time.  I think we’re in one of those cycles where the teams grow together, with four and five starters coming back from almost every team.”

Old Dominion, picked as the favorite in the conference by coaches, sports information directors and media, has been a consistent contender in recent years.  Head coach Blaine Taylor has recruited well, certainly, but also gradually developed players so they can be leaders as upperclassmen and used the redshirt option with players better than most coaches.  He sees the potential for the conference this season and has a clear idea of how he will know if that is being reached.

“I think anytime the league has a lot of veterans back and teams return a lot of starters, it’s a chance for that league to maybe have one of those years,” said Taylor, whose team returns all five starters and many reserves who have started games in their careers.  “Here’s where I’ll be looking: when we get to right before Christmas, I hope I look around and we have lots of schools with really good records.  That means we’re helping each other in January and February.”

Part of why Taylor will look at that goes beyond the obvious point of non-conference performance.  When the CAA saw two teams in the NCAA Tournament, the teams had their share of good non-conference wins along the way.  Those big wins have largely been lacking the past two seasons, a major reason it has been a one-bid conference.  But this time around, as Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora notes, “everyone is challenging themselves with non-conference scheduling,” which means that opportunities will be plentiful.

A look at schedules certainly backs up Pecora, whose team opens at Kansas and could face Connecticut in the NIT Season Tip-Off, and could face Ivy League favorite Cornell in the Aeropostale Holiday Festival.  The three teams picked atop the conference all have plenty of challenges.  Old Dominion goes to Richmond, Dayton and Georgetown and opens the South Padre Island Invitational with Missouri.  Northeastern has no easy games in a non-conference schedule that opens at Siena and has trips to America East favorite Boston University and out west for two tournaments, the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic and Cable Car Classic.  VCU hosts Oklahoma (bringing former head coach Jeff Capel back to Richmond), Nevada and Richmond.  In addition:

• Delaware plays at Siena and Villanova and takes on Virginia Tech in Philadelphia.
• Drexel goes to Villanova and Kentucky.
• George Mason is in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic, opening against Villanova, and later hosts Dayton and Creighton while traveling to Big South favorite Radford.
• Georgia State travels to Florida State.
• James Madison opens at Ohio State in the 2K Sports Classic and later hosts Radford.
• Towson goes to Dayton.
• UNC Wilmington takes on Penn State in the Charleston Classic and later hosts Wake Forest and travels to Richmond.
• William & Mary has perhaps its toughest non-conference schedule ever, as the Tribe travels to Connecticut, Wake Forest, Radford and Maryland and hosts Richmond.

The long and short is, opportunities for quality wins will be there for the conference, whose teams will all play a BracketBusters game as well.

Optimism tends to fade a little in some places once the games start.  But with the challenges in schedules and the talent returning this season, the optimism will likely last well past the beginning of the season in the CAA.

NABC Will Sponsor Division III All-Star Game

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced that it will sponsor a senior all-star game in Division III much like the ones that already exist in Division I and II.  The game will be played this season at the Division III men’s basketball championships on March 19 and 20, 2010 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va.

The game will be played on Saturday, March 20 at 10 a.m. and will replace the consolation game.  Two ten-man teams will comprise the rosters for the game, with two players coming from each of the eight regions in Division III and two each from the two semifinal teams that do not make the championship game.  Coaches will be selected from among past and present recipients of the NABC Division III Outstanding Service awards.

The committee for selecting the participants will include a representative from each of the eight regions of Division III.  University of Chicago head coach Mike McGrath will chair the selection committee.

Kansas: Morningstar Receives Probration for DUI Arrest

Kansas guard Brady Morningstar can get his drunken driving charges dismissed if he stays out of trouble for the next year, according to an Associated Press report.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charges against the 23-year-old, who was arrested Oct. 3 on suspicion of DUI near Lawrence if he does not have any more legal problems in the next 12 months.

Court records show Morningstar had almost twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system at the time of his arrest. He’s been suspended from playing in any games for the first semester.

Temple: Christmas Faces Gun Charges

Former Temple star Dionte Christmas, cut by the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, has been arrested on firearms charges, according to an Associated Press report.

Philadelphia police say Christmas was stopped Thursday night for erratic driving in North Philadelphia and was found to be driving without a license. Also, a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol was found under Christmas’ seat. The 6-5 guard, who averaged 19.5 points in his senior year at Temple, was taken to the 35^th Police District, where he was charged.

Kentucky: Is Wall Eligible to Play?

The NCAA is investigating whether Kentucky freshman John Wall violated rules for amateurs by playing for a coach who was a certified agent, according to an Associated Press report.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive informed ESPN.com that the amateur status of Wall and Mississippi State freshman Renardo Sidney are under review by NCAA investigators. Sidney’s status has been well reported this summer as the family tries to explain how, despite coming from modest means in Mississippi, it afforded a lavish lifestyle while Sidney played for a Los Angeles high school.

The questions about Wall’s status relate to his AAU coach, Brian Clifton, who was certified as an agent in 2007-08. According to NCAA rules, Wall would have received illegal benefits from an agent and must repay them if they total more than $101. In addition, Wall would face a suspension that equals at least 10 percent of Kentucky’s games — roughly a three-game suspension.

Wall is the jewel of new Kentucky coach John Calipari’s first recruiting class with the Wildcats. Wall figures to be the team’s starting point guard in a few weeks when the Wildcats play Morehead State. In addition to Wall, Calipari also can brag about bringing in five other elite prospects:

• PG Eric Bledsoe
• PF DeMarcus Cousins
• SF Darnell Dodson
• SG Jon Hood
• C Daniel Orton

Central Florida: It’s Gotta Be the Shoes

Michael Jordan’s son, Marcus, a player for Central Florida, wants to use his dad’s shoes, but it could cost the school $3 million, according to an Associated Press report.

Jordan, a freshman, does not want to wear shoes made by adidas, the brand the university has a contract with for all of its sports, because he wants to honor his father’s Nike Air Jordan shoes. However, the contract with adidas requires him — and all coaches and athletes — to wear its products only.

Central Florida said in a statement that it’s talking to adidas to work out the situation.

Indiana and Knight Reach Settlement in Lawsuit

Former Indiana coach Bob Knight is getting $75,000 from private donors to settle his lawsuit against the university for what he claimed was inappropriate defense from the entity when he was sued by a former assistant coach, according to a Rivals.com report.

Knight admitted to shoving his former assistant Ron Felling in 1999 after hearing him criticize his coaching and settled with him by paying him $25,000 in 2002. A letter from Indiana states that the settlement with Knight is a reimbursement for the former coach’s expenses from the lawsuit.

UCLA: Another Bruin Joins the Injured List

Sophomore center J’mison Morgan joined five other scholarship Bruins on the injured list Tuesday after suffering some swelling in his left knee, according to a UCLA release.

UCLA was expected to miss Morgan, who underwent an MRI late Tuesday, guards Jerime Anderson (left groin) and Malcolm Lee (concussion), and forwards Brendan Lane (left ankle) and Mike Moser (lower back) when it returned to practice today. Forward James Keefe (left shoulder) was expected to practice limitedly.

It’s anticipated that Anderson will miss another week while Lane will be out for 1-2 weeks. Moser is day-to-day.

Washington: Flu Cripples Huskies’ Practices

With a flu bug spreading through the lineup, the Washington Huskies have not been able to run a full practice since Saturday, according to a university release.Coach Lorenzo Romar said that for three practices, the Huskies have had only seven players available. The virus has limited Darnell Gant, Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Tyreese Breshers, among others.
“We were able to practice on Saturday,” said Romar, in his eighth season as the Huskies’ head man. “But we haven’t been able to have a full practice because of a breakout of the flu. Half the team has had the flu so we haven’t been able to really get after it.”

Stanford: Freshman Tears ACL

Stanford freshman forward Andy Brown will miss this upcoming season after tearing his left ACL in practice, according to a university press release.

Brown tore the same ACL in January while playing for Mater Dei High School.

Santa Clara: Heart Condition Forces 7-footer to Step Away

Santa Clara sophomore center Scott Thompson will take a leave of absence due to a heart condition that has prevented him from participating in preseason activities and that likely won’t allow him to play at all this year, according to a university release.

The 7-foot, 245-pound Thompson averaged 0.9 points and 0.8 rebounds per game in 26 games last season.

“It’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, but when it comes to my health, it’s a most important decision,” he said.

Southern Illinois: Salukis Dismiss Sophomore Guard

Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery kicked sophomore Ryan Hare off the team for violating team rules, according to a university release.

The Salukis return most of their starters from last season’s team, and Hare had looked to build on his 7.5 points and 3.1 assists per game last season. The guard was arrested Sept. 19 and charged with aggravated battery and criminal trespassing.

Iowa: Hawkeyes Start Practice With an Injury to Juco Transfer

Iowa junior forward Devon Archie injured his right shoulder during practice Saturday and will miss four to seven weeks while recovering, according to a university release.

Archie transferred to Iowa after spending two seasons at Vincennes Community College, where he averaged 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game last season.

Saturday was the first day that teams could practice for the upcoming season, which the Hawkeyes will open Nov. 8 in an exhibition game against Marian University.

Louisville: Smith and Jennings Get One Year of Probation for Resisting Arrest

Louisville senior guard Jerry Smith and sophomore forward Terrence Jennings received one year of probation and 40 hours of community service in a plea deal with Jeffersonville, Ind., City Court officials, according to an Associated Press report.

Smith and Jennings pleaded guilty to resisting law enforcement, which is a misdemeanor offense. They were arrested Oct. 11 after Jennings got into a fight at a restaurant, where off-duty police were working.

The fight spilled outside the restaurant, and Jeffersonville police officers tried to arrest Jennings by forcing him to the ground. Police reports indicate that Jennings tried to stand up, and the police struck him with a Taser twice.

After watching the police use a Taser on his teammate, Smith tried to check on Jennings. He also was arrested when he refused to back away when the police ordered him to do so.

Last season, Smith averaged 7.8 points per game and shot 41.2 percent from three-point range. Jennings added 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

UCLA: Anderson Misses First Practice of Campaign

UCLA sophomore guard Jerime Anderson missed the first practice of the 2009-10 season because of a sore groin, according to the Press-Enterprise.

Anderson played in all of the Bruins’ game last season and averaged 2.3 points per game as the team’s backup point guard.

Illinois: Jordan Returns to Illini

Like his old man, Illinois junior guard Jeff Jordan has decided to return to the team after leaving earlier in the year, according to a university release.

Jordan averaged 1.0 and 0.4 points per game last season as a sophomore.

“Jeff recently indicated his interest in coming back to the team,” coach Bruce Weber said. “After meeting with him and discussing the situation, we are pleased to give him this opportunity. He has obviously missed a great deal of time away from the program the last six months, and he has a lot of work ahead of him.

Florida: Gators Prepare to Enter Season Down Two

Florida might not have the services of freshman guard Nimrod Tishman and sophomore forward Adam Allen to start the season, according to CBSsports.com.

Tishman is ready to practice with the Gators, but the NCAA has not yet cleared him to play. Coach Billy Donovan plucked Tishman from an Israeli team, and the NCAA is still investigating his amateur status to clear him for collegiate eligibility.

Allen figures to miss most of the season because of a nagging knee injury. He has scar tissue in his knee that causes pain when he puts pressure on it.

Wake Forest: Gaudio Gets Two-Year Extension

Wake Forest has extended the contract of coach Dino Gaudio through the 2013-14 season, according to a university release.

Gaudio took over in August 2007 after the sudden, tragic death of Skip Prosser. Gaudio worked with Prosser in Winston-Salem for six years as an assistant coach. As head coach, he has complied a 41-20 record in two seasons and led the Demon Deacons to a No. 1 ranking in the polls last season.

“Dino has continued to move our basketball program forward, much as was anticipated when he was hired two years ago,” said Director of Athletics Ron Wellman. “We are pleased with the progress of the student-athletes, both on and off the court, and Dino is responsible for that progress.”