1. Is the Grim Reaper pointing toward Iowa City and the Hawkeyes? Leading scorer Matt Gatens is out indefinitely after tearing a tendon in his left hand, according to an Iowa news release.
2. No zombie recruit in Louisville —the NCAA cleared freshman center Gorgui Dieng to play after the NCAA looked into his eligibility, according to a Louisville news release.
3. Yes, recruiting can get messy with the involvement of third parties. But the NCAA isn’t ready to introduce an all-out ban on summer recruiting yet, which could have all kinds of consequences, according to a CBSSports.com report.
4. Nasir Robinson needs about a month to recover from surgery on his right knee, writes Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Robinson started every Panther game last season, averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
5. Binghamton will pay former coach Kevin Broadus $1.2 million to just leave and stop haunting university officials, writes John Kekis of the Associated Press. Broadus took Binghamton to the NCAA Tournament, and the team promptly imploded with criminal mischief, recruiting violations and academic shenanigans.

Don’t get sick at Long Beach State. You might be a bubble boy, but you’re still gonna be practicing your butt off.

This is how they get down in Hong Kong. One-handed three-pointers like it’s not a big deal.

Throwback special! Maybe the best combo of Halloween and hoops in a movie.

Wright State opens practice for a night of tricks and treats, including a costume contest. Here’s a contender.

Some ballers are just evil.

Get your undead game on.

March Madness, which extends to April, is like Christmas (or Hannukah, etc.) in spring. June brings the NBA and NHL finals, plus the NBA Draft and an occasional World Cup. January has college and pro football playoffs with college basketball conference action getting started.

But October is great across the American sports landscape. College basketball practices get started, and the hype machine gets rolling into high gear as the first polls come out. NBA action returns, and this year couldn’t be more dramatic with the Miami LeBrons drawing more attention than election season races. In the NFL and college football, we’re starting to figure out the contenders and pretenders.

And if that weren’t enough, we have the World Series to demand our attention for almost two weeks. San Francisco and Texas offer a change of pace from the recent East Coast domination, but both teams are worthy contenders.

So sit back and enjoy the moment.