Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, April 15th

Wake Forest Duo to Enter Draft:
After one of the most successful seasons in school history, Wake Forest is suffering the consequences. All-American sophomore guard Chris Paul and 6-9 junior center Erik Williams have both announced their intentions to enter the 2005 NBA Draft. Paul, who is expected to be picked in the top five, averaged 15.3 points per game and 6.7 assists per game. Williams draft status is more uncertain. He is not going to sign with an agent and will allow the possibility of returning to Winston-Salem next season. Williams put up 16.7 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. The Demon Deacons ascended to their first No. 1 ranking early in the season. Williams’ family has asked the NBA evaluation committee for a report about Williams’ draft potential. They are expected to hear back by May 2. Williams has until June 21 to withdraw his name from the draft list.

Walsh to Join Florida Teammate on Early Entry List:
Matt Walsh has become the second Florida Gator this week to declare early for the NBA Draft. Contrary to Anthony Roberson, however, Walsh is exploring his options and is likely to return for his senior year depending on his draft status. If he is projected to be picked in the first round, Walsh could leave. He admitted that he just wants to see where he stands, though. With an age limit looming in the NBA, waiting a year could improve Walsh’s draft status.

Leitao Leading Candidate for Virginia Job:
Virginia appears ready to offer its coaching position to DePaul coach Dave Leitao. Reports speculated that Leitao flew to Charlottesville Thursday to meet with Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage to finalize details of his acceptance. In three years at DePaul, Leitao has led the Blue Demons to a Conference USA championship, its first NCAA win since 1989 and two NIT appearances. The Blue Demons will join the Big East next season. Leitao is the first coach to officially interview for the Cavaliers’ coaching position. He first met with Littlepage last Friday at the Portsmouth, Va., pre-draft camp. The Cavs are prepared to double Leitao’s current salary. He has a 58-36 record in three years in Chicago. Pete Gillen resigned after seven years at the conclusion of the season. Leitao would join a growing list of Coaching Changes .

Slocum to Take Over at Youngstown State:
After winning 580 games at the NAIA and Division II levels, Jerry Slocum is ready to take the step up to Division I. Slocum will replace John Robic at Youngstown State. Robic’s contract was not renewed after going 58-113 in six seasons. Slocum has posted 25 winning seasons in 30 years as a head coach, and his teams have appeared in six consecutive DII tournaments.

Oklahoma State’s Steyn Moving On:
Unhappy with his playing time, Oklahoma State backup center Frans Steyn has decided to transfer. The 7-2 center is likely to move on to a Division II, III or NAIA school because has only one year of eligibility remaining. He had started four games early in the season, as the Cowboys experimented with a big lineup. He is looking for an opportunity to show his potential to European professional teams. He only averaged 2.7 points per game in 6.5 minutes and only played two minutes in the last 13 games. His decision is curious, as OSU loses six scholarship seniors this year.

Buckeyes Lose Backup:
Seldom used reserve Jermyl Jackson-Wilson, has decided to leave Ohio State. Jackson Wilson played only 25 minutes this season and scored only six points. He is uncertain of his next stop. A native of Milwaukee, the 6-5 freshman wants more playing time.

St. Louis’ Clarke Leaving to Find More Playing Time:
St. Louis University sophomore guard Darren Clarke has asked for a release from his scholarship to move on to a school where he can get more playing time. Clarke posted only 3.9 points per game in 10 appearances last season. He was lost in the rotation on a team with an abundance of wings and guards. He scored a season-high 15 points at South Florida, but he was riddled with back spasms for the remainder of the year. The loss of Clarke and three seniors leaves St. Louis with only 10 scholarship players next season.

Williams Could Become Next Tar Heel to Enter Early:
North Carolina freshman sensation Marvin Williams and his father met with UNC coach Roy Williams Wednesday night to start the process of making a decision regarding Williams’ draft status. Marvin Williams Sr. said they will make a decision by next Friday. Williams a 6-8 freshman from Seattle said his mind was pretty much made up, but he did not indicate which way he is leaning. Williams is projected to be drafted somewhere in the top 10.

McCaffery Finalizes Siena Coaching Staff:
New Siena coach Fran McCaffery has announced the hiring of Mitch Buonaguro, Craig Carter and Adam Chaskin to complete his coaching staff at the Albany, N.Y., school. McCaffery came to Albany from UNC-Greensboro. Buonaguro has been a head coach at Fairfield and led the Stags to two NCAA Tournament appearances in the 1980’s. All three were assistants under McCaffery at UNC-G.

Ford Completes Umass Staff:
Travis Ford has hired three assistants to complete his staff at Umass. Tim Maloney, Steve Middleton and Adam Ginsburg have been hired as assistant coaches and James Altman has been given the job of director of basketball operations. All three assistants were on Ford’s staff at Eastern Kentucky. Maloney will also serve as the associate head coach.

Massimino to Initiate NAIA Program:
Twenty years after leading Villanova to an improbable NCAA championship, Rollie Massimino is set to return to basketball. Massimino is expected to be introduced as the director of basketball operations at Northwood University, an NAIA school in West Palm Beach, Fla. Massimino who is 70, has not coached since leaving Cleveland State after the 2003 season. He has a 516-391 record in 30-plus years as a coach at Cleveland State, Villanova, UNLV and Stony Brook. Northwood is implementing men’s and women’s programs that are expected to begin play in 2006-07.

Status of Arkansas’ Sullivan Uncertain:
Arkansas junior Rashard Sullivan’s status for next season has not yet been decided. The three year letterman has not been working out with the team. Sullivan and coach Stan Heath are set to meet in the near future to see if they are on the same page. If he transfers to another Division I school, Sullivan would have to sit out a year before regaining his final season of eligibility. Heath is also looking for a replacement for assistant coach Rob Flaska, who left the Hogs to take the coaching position at Centenary. Former East Carolina and Drexel coach Bill Herrion appears to be the frontrunner to fill the position. Heath currently has Ronny Thompson, Oronde Taliaferro and Darren Sorenson as his assistants.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Thursday, April 14th

UNC’s McCants to Enter NBA Draft:
Saying he achieved all he wanted in college, North Carolina’s Rashad McCants has declared for the NBA Draft. The 6-4 junior was the Tar Heels’ second leading scorer. He raised his scoring average from 16 points per game in the regular season to 17 points per game during the NCAA Tournament, scoring 14 points in the Tar Heels’ national championship victory over Illinois. Coach Roy Williams indicated McCants discussed his intentions with him in January. Tar Heel fans will be on pins and needles to see what the other Carolina star players will do. Juniors Sean May and Raymond Felton and freshman Marvin Williams are all pondering entering the NBA Draft. May was the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Bracey Wright Leaving Bloomington:

Indiana guard Bracey Wright has announced that he will skip his senior year to enter the NBA Draft. The 6-3 junior led the Big Ten in scoring, posting 18.3 points per game. After he completes his course work through the end of this semester, Wright said, he would hire an agent. Wright finished last season as first team all Big Ten and scored at least 20 points in 10 games. His season high of 32 came in IU’s upset against Michigan State. The scoring title was the first by a Hoosier since A.J. Guyton accomplished the feat in 2000. Indiana should be able to compensate with an excellent returning sophomore class and a highly ranked incoming freshman class.

Former Xavier Point Guard Odia Heading West:

Unhappy after being demoted to third string, Churchill Odia has decided to transfer from Xavier to Oregon. Odia cited Oregon coach Ernie Kent’s style of play and the Ducks’ team chemistry as the reasons for attending Oregon. In 8.8 minutes per game, Odia posted 1.6 points per game and 1.1 assists per game. Under NCAA transfer rules, he will have to sit out the 2005-06 season and will regain his eligibility as a sophomore in 2006-07.

Chicago State’s Akindele to Leave Early:

Deji Akindele a 7-1 center from Chicago State has decided to forego his final two years of eligibility to enter the NBA Draft. Akindele was the Mid-Continent Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, finishing first in blocked shots and third in rebounding. He also was the Mid-Con’s third most efficient shooter. Akindele has not hired an agent, and coach Kevin Jones is hopeful he will return to the South Side for his junior year.

Former Vol Boss Peterson to Front Coastal Carolina:

Former Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson has agreed in principle to a deal to lead the program at Coastal Carolina. Peterson visited the Conway, S.C., campus last Friday, and the indication was the job was his if he wanted it. He was also being sought to coach at Florida Atlantic. Peterson is expected to receive an annual salary of $125,000 with perks including cars, golf club memberships and raises for his assistant coaches. Peterson will be able to build the Chanticleers with 2005 Big South Player of the Year Pete Paelay, the conference’s leading scorer, and guard Jack Leasure, Big South Freshman of the Year.

Mississippi State’s Ervin Considering Transfer:

Mississippi State point guard Gary Ervin has asked for and received permission from Mississippi State’s compliance office to speak with other schools about the possibility of transferring. As the starting point guard, Ervin averaged 7.4 points per game and 4.7 assists per game. Ervin and coach Rick Stansbury didn’t always see eye to eye on the Bulldogs’ style of play. Ervin prefers a high-octane style, while Stansbury was unhappy with Ervin’s penchant for turnovers. Ervin said he has not made a final decision. Mississippi State has a top 10 recruiting class for next season, but Ervin would be the Bulldogs’ only returning starter if he stays.

BYU Assistant Toolson Moving On:

After four years as an assistant coach at his alma mater under Steve Cleveland, Andy Toolson has decided to leave BYU. His next venture is a career is investment and estate planning. The timing coincides with Cleveland leaving Provo to accept the Fresno State job. Assistant Dave Rose was promoted to head coach. Toolson’s primary responsibilities at BYU were recruiting, academics and offensive skill development. Toolson holds several BYU school records and averaged 18.3 points per game as a senior in 1990 to lead the Cougars to the WAC title. He was inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame in 2001.

Utah Loses Three Underclassman:

The exodus common under former coach Rick Majerus is continuing under coach Ray Giacoletti with the departure of three players from Utah. Reserves Jermaine Calvin and Jake Schmidt and starter Justin Hawkins have announced their intentions to leave the program. Hawkins and Giacoletti reportedly have irreconcilable differences. The 6-5 sophomore posted 8.5 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game. He started 27 of the Utes’ 33 games. He may transfer closer to his Anaheim, Calif., home. Schmidt, from Thermopolis, Wyo., often seemed overmatched and was passed in playing time by walk-ons. Calvin played 8.9 minutes per game and posted averages of 1.0 points per game and 1.2 assists per game. During the Majerus era, the Utes lost more than 40 scholarship players before their eligibility was up.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, March 25th

Stoudamire Shot Sends Arizona to Elite 8:
In a sea of Illini orange at AllState Arena, it was No. 3 Arizona’s Salim Stoudamire’s jumper with 2.8 seconds remaining that was the night’s most memorable play. Stoudamire scored 11 of his 19 points in the final four minutes as Arizona advanced to its fifth Elite Eight in nine years with a 79-78 victory against No. 2 Oklahoma State. Hassan Adams had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Channing Frye had 15 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for the Cats. After struggling in the first two rounds, the Cowboys’ Joey Graham finished with 26 in his last game for OSU.

Illini Send Partisan Crowd Home Happy:
After waiting patiently to boo Bruce Pearl, the Illini fans had plenty to cheer about as No. 1 Illinois advanced to its first Elite Eight since 2001 with a 77-63 victory against No. 12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., Thursday night. The Illini once again rode their guards to victory. Five Illini finished in double figures, led by Dee Brown and Deron Williams with 21 each. Joah Tucker kept the Panthers in the game deep into the second half by scoring 32.

Louisville One Step Away from First Final Four Since 1986:
Using the motivation of being snubbed from a higher seed, No. 4 Louisville upset top-seeded Washington with a 93-79 victory against the Huskies in Albuquerque Thursday night. Francisco Garcia and Taquan Dean continued to lead the way for the Cardinals. Garcia had 23 points, Dean 19 points and Larry O’Bannon 18 points for Louisville. Jamaal Williams led Washington with 18 points and six rebounds.

West Virginia Outlasts Texas Tech:
Kevin Pittsnogle scored 22 points, and No. 7 West Virginia shot 42 percent from three-point range, as the Mountaineers continued their improbable NCAA Tournament run with a 65-60 Sweet 16 win against No. 6 Texas Tech. Ronald Ross led Tech with 16 points.

Cincinnati Suspends Assistant LeGree:
Cincinnati assistant coach Keith LeGree has been suspended by Cincinnati after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. LeGree’s DUI arrest came a year after Bearcat head coach Bob Huggins was arrested for the same crime. The school announced that LeGree has received a paid suspension and will be evaluated during that time. LeGree just completed his fifth season as an assistant in the Queen City after playing for Huggins from 1994-96.

Fife Takes Over at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne:
Former Indiana hero Dane Fife has been hired as the next coach at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. The appointment makes the 25 year old the youngest head coach in Division I. Fife will try to revitalize a program that has struggled badly since entering Division I in 2000. Former coach Doug Noll was fired in January, after amassing a 40-199 record in five years. IPFW concluded 2005 7-22. Fife joins a long list of coaches switching jobs during this off-season’s Coaching Changes .

Weber Named Naismith Winner for 2005:
After leading Illinois to a 34-1 record, the Big Ten regular and tournament titles and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Bruce Weber has been named the Naismith National Coach of the Year for 2005. This is the 19th season that the award has been given out. The United States Basketball Writers Association also awarded Weber with the Henry Iba award, signifying their Coach of the Year.

UAB’s Anderson Given Permission to Speak with Vols:
Tennessee has been given permission to speak with Alabama – Birmingham coach Mike Anderson regarding the Volunteers’ vacant coaching position. Anderson has led UAB to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances including a Sweet 16 trip in 2004 and has a 65-34 record in three years in Birmingham. Former coach Buzz Peterson was let go after a 61-59 record in four years in Knoxville.

Theus Interested in New Mexico State:
Louisville assistant coach Reggie Theus is reportedly interested in the top position at New Mexico State. Theus is in his second season on Cardinal coach Rick Pitino’s staff and has coached in the ABA. Theus had a 13-year career in the NBA, including stops in Sacramento and Chicago. He played at UNLV. Aggie athletic director McKinley Boston has met with Theus twice and hopes to name a new coach to replace Lou Henson by Final Four Weekend.

Tonight’s Menu:

• No. 1 North Carolina will play No. 5 Villanova, and No. 10 NC State gets No. 6 Wisconsin in Syracuse.

• Meanwhile in Austin, No. 1 Duke plays No. 5 Michigan State, and No. 6 Utah tries to take down No. 2 Kentucky for a spot among the Elite Eight.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, March 18th

Wisconsin-Milwaukee Upsets Alabama:
The 12th seed did it again. A No. 12 has upset a No. 5 in 16 of the past 17 NCAA Tournaments. The 2005 NCAA Tournament began with a bang, with No. 12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee upsetting No. 5 Alabama 83-73 in a Chicago region game played in Cleveland. Joah Tucker and Ed McCants led the Panthers with 21 points each. Kennedy Winston posted 20 and Ronald Steele had 16 to try to keep Alabama in it. The Panthers made 10 three-pointers in the first half on their way to 12-of-21 from long distance. They advance to play No. 4 Boston College. For complete tournament coverage, including more detailed game recaps, visit Hoopville 2005 Tournament Central .

Boston College Advances with Dominating First Half:
No. 4 Boston College jumped out to a 48-28 halftime lead and cruised home with an 85-65 victory against No. 13 Pennsylvania. Jared Dudley paced the Eagle attack with 18 points. Penn was led by Ivy Player of the Year Tim Begley with 19.

Bogut Leads the Way for the Utes:
Andrew Bogut played another brilliant game with 24 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, and a key defensive play by Tim Drisdom down the stretch allowed No. 6 Utah to advance with a 60-54 victory against No. 11 UTEP. Drisdom stripped Miner point guard Filiberto Rivera with Utah clinging to a 56-54 lead and then hit two free throws to seal the game. Omar Thomas led UTEP with 24.

Wake Outdistances Chattanooga:
No. 2 Wake Forest took control after trailing by three at halftime and welcomed back Chris Paul with a 70-54 victory against the No. 15 Mocs. Paul finished with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Chris Brown had 20 for Chattanooga. Waiting for the Demon Deacons Saturday will be No. 7 West Virginia.

Sally Rallies West Virginia:
Two huge plays by Tyrone Sally in the closing seconds pushed No. 7 West Virginia to a 63-61 win against No. 10 Creighton. Sally blocked a shot by the Blue Jays’ Nate Funk and then scored on a fast break dunk at the other end to give the Mountaineers the win. Sally hit two free throws with 42 seconds left that tied the game. Kevin Pittsnogle led West Virginia with 17, and Funk had 23 for the Blue Jays.

Arizona Uses Dominating Defense to Knock Out Utah State:
After trailing by three at halftime, No. 3 Arizona held No. 14 Utah State to 8-of-30 in the second half to capture a 66-53 opening round win in Boise. Salim Stoudamire had 17 for the Wildcats, and Jaycee Carroll had 18 for Utah State. Arizona will next play No. 11 UAB, which pulled off one of Day One’s shockers by defeating LSU.

UAB Dominates LSU:
No. 11 UAB was never threatened as it took a 41-29 lead into the half against No. 6 LSU and led by as many as 26 in the second half en route to an 82-68 first-round victory. Marvett McDonald paced the Blazer attack with 21 and Brandon Bass had 25 for LSU.

Illini Struggle But Move On:
No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson wouldn’t back down and trailed by only one at halftime against No. 1 Illinois. A 14-2 run by the Illini to begin the second half carried Illinois to a 67-55 victory and a berth in the second round against No. 9 Nevada. Dee Brown led the Illini with 19 and Gordon Klaiber led the Knights with 24.

Late Push Fuels Nevada:
No. 9 Nevada scored the last eight points of the game, as the No. 9 Wolf Pack moved on to the second round for the second consecutive year with a 61-57 victory against No. 8 Texas. Kevinn Pickney made up for a tough night by WAC Player of the Year Nick Fazekas by scoring 15. Jason Klotz led the Longhorns with 20.

Cincinnati Survives Iowa:
No. 7 Cincinnati jumped out to an 18-point lead in the first half and then survived an Iowa rally to advance to the second round 74-62. After trailing 32-22 at halftime, No. 10 Iowa mounted a second-half rally. The Hawkeyes cut the deficit to 35-32 early in the second half, but that was as close as they would get. Jason Maxiell led Cincinnati with 22 points, nine rebounds, six blocks and two steals. Greg Brunner had 20 points and nine boards for Iowa. Next up for the Bearcats will be No. 2 Kentucky in the second round.

Kentucky wins the Battle of the Blue Grass:
After entering the second half up 40-32, No. 2 Kentucky had to hang on to advance past No. 15 Eastern Kentucky 72-64. Chuck Hayes had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Kelenna Azubuike had 16 and six boards for UK. Matt Witt led the Colonels with 21 points in Eastern Kentucky’s first NCAA Appearance in 21 years.

Oklahoma Pulls Away in Second Half:
No. 3 Oklahoma placed six players in double figures and used a 47-34 second half advantage to end No. 14 Niagara’s dream season, 84-67. Next up for Oklahoma will be No. 6 Utah in the second round. Drew Lavender led Oklahoma with 17 points. Juan Mendez led the Purple Eagles with 22 points and 15 rebounds but missed his first 11 shots in the second half.

Washington Cruises as No. 1-Seed Debut:
No. 1 Washington proved its no fluke by out pacing No. 16 Montana 88-77. The Huskies jumped out to a 43-27 lead at the half, and the Huskies never let the lead dip into the single digits in the second half. Brandon Roy led UW with 15 points and Kamarr Davis paced the Grizzlies with 24. Next up for Washington is No. 8 Pacific.

Pacific Hangs on to Advance:
No. 8 Pacific played a nearly flawless first half by taking a 45-30 lead into the break and held on to advance to the second round with a 79-70 victory against N. 9 Pittsburgh. Christian Maraker led the Tigers with 17. Carl Krauser did all he could to keep the Panthers in the game with 27. Next up for Pacific is No. 1 Washington.

Ross Continues the Hot Hand for Texas Tech:
Ronald Ross continued his hot hand with 28 points and No. 6 Texas Tech never trailed in the second half as Texas Tech ousted No. 11 UCLA 78-66. Dijon Thompson had 22 points and six rebounds for UCLA. Next up for the Red Raiders is No. 3 Gonzaga

Gonzaga Pulls Away Late to Advance to Second Round:
Gonzaga knows all about upsets, and the Bulldogs had to use free throws in the final minute to put away the No. 14 Eagles. Adam Morrison had 27 for the Bulldogs and Torrell Martin had 22 for Winthrop.

Romar Given Eight-Year Extension:
Before they took the floor for the first time as a No. 1 seed, Washington officials announced they had rewarded coach Lorenzo Romar with an eight-year contract extension. The extension brings Romar’s contract through 2012-13. In nine seasons as a coach, Romar is 149-122 including 56-34 in three seasons at Washington.

UConn’s Williams Hurt in Practice:
No. 2 Connecticut point guard Marcus Williams banged his left elbow in practice but is not expected to be out of Friday’s NCAA Tournament opener against No. 15 Central Florida. With backup point Antonio Kellogg suspended earlier in the week, the Huskies cannot afford to lose Williams. Ryan Thompson a 6-6 forward will serve as Williams’ understudy.

Knight Staying Put:
Texas Tech coach Bob Knight has denied published reports about any interest in the Tennessee job. The Volunteers fired Buzz Peterson after four seasons and no NCAA appearances. Peterson’s firing cost UT a $1.4 million buyout. Find out which other schools are looking to make Coaching Changes .

Barnes Staying in the Lone Star State:
Texas coach Rick Barnes followed the lead of Knight and said he will be staying put at Texas. He has no interest in the job at Virginia as has been reported. Pete Gillen was led go in Charlottesville after only one NCAA appearance in seven seasons.

Lopes Resigns At Fresno State:
After a rocky tenure at Fresno State with allegations of recruiting improprieties, Ray Lopes has resigned at Fresno State. Lopes was 50-37 in three seasons at Fresno and succeeded Jerry Tarkanian.

Paulsen Leaving DeKalb:
Paige Paulsen has been released from his scholarship at Northern Illinois. Paulsen averaged 7.5 points and 3.7 rebounds but had to sit out the last seven games after suffering a concussion against Kent State Feb. 6. Paulsen is the fourth player in as many years to leave Rob Judson’s program. Paulsen’s departure leaves an opening for the Huskies that they can use in the spring signing period or decide to hold it until 2005-06.

Tonight’s Menu

• The Craziness continues Friday. The Syracuse region will debut Friday with No. 7 Charlotte vs. No. 10 NC State, No. 4 Florida vs. No. 13 Ohio, No. 5 Villanova vs. No. 12 New Mexico, No. 8 Minnesota vs. No. 9 Iowa State, No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 15 Central Florida, No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Oakland, No. 6 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Northern Iowa and No. 3 Kansas vs No. 14 Bucknell.

• The Austin Region match ups include No. 4 Syracuse vs. No. 13 Vermont, No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Old Dominion, No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Delaware State and No. 8 Stanford vs. No. 9 Mississippi State.

• In the Chicago region, No. 2 Oklahoma State plays No. 15 Southeast Louisiana and No. 7 Southern Illinois plays No. 10 St. Mary’s. In the Albuquerque region, No. 4 Louisville takes No. 13 Louisiana – Lafeyette and No. 5 Georgia Tech gets No. 12 George Washington.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, March 11th

More Favorites Dropping in Big East: Conference tournament continued to churn along yesterday. Find complete coverage at Thirteen Days: Championship Week 2005. A day after an impressive blowout against Providence, West Virginia continued to improve its bubble status with a 78-72 victory against Boston College. Mike Gansey had 21 points and Kevin Pittsnogle contributed 17. Craig Smith led BC with 20.

Villanova continued to roll with an impressive 67-58 dismantling of Pittsburgh. The win was the Wildcats’ eighth straight. Nova used a 16-4 run to close the first half and led 31-19 at the break. The nine-point final margin was as close as the Panthers got in the second half. Randy Foye led Nova with 23, and Carl Krauser had 18 for Pittsburgh. The loss ended a four-year Panther run to the Big East Championship game.

Georgetown tried to state its case but fell just short in a 66-62 loss to Connecticut. The loss probably ended any hopes of a Hoya bid. Ashanti Cook of Georgetown and Rudy Gay of UConn finished with a game-high 17.
Nearing the end of its three-year run, the duo of Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick dominated Rutgers in an 81-57 victory. The Orange raced to a 47-22 lead at the half and advanced to a showdown with UConn in the semifinals.

ACC Bubbles Burst: Maryland and Miami both had costly losses to lowly Clemson and Virginia in the ACC Tournament Thursday, while North Carolina State improved its chances for an NCAA berth by advancing.

Maryland shot only 35 percent and lost for the third time this season to the Tigers, 84-72. The loss puts the Terrapins’ 11-year NCAA Tournament streak in jeopardy. Chris McCray had 24 for the Terps, and Shawan Robinson equaled that for Clemson.

Virginia held on to a 66-65 victory after Miami missed a shot at the buzzer. J.R. Reynolds was all the Cavaliers needed, as he scored a career-high 32 points. Guillermo Diaz paced the Hurricanes with 20.

NC State made a strong case for its tournament hopes with a 70-54 win against Florida State The Wolfpack led 33-19 at the half and cruised home for the win. Ilian Evtimov led NC State with 18. Anthony Richardson had 16 for the Seminoles, who shot only 35 percent.

Atlantic 10 Yields Chalk:
The higher seeds all advanced in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, setting up match ups of St. Joseph’s vs. Xavier and Temple vs. George Washington in the semifinals. The Hawks will be out for a measure of revenge after the Musketeers ended St. Joe’s undefeated season last year in the A-10 quarterfinals. It doesn’t get any easier for coach Phil Martelli and company. Last season’s loss was in Dayton, this year’s A-10 tourney is in Cincinnati, Xavier’s home. The Hawks advanced by beating Richmond 63-51. Xavier ended La Salle’s run 83-70. George Washington slammed Fordham 79-63, while Temple closed out the quarterfinals with a 61-51 win against Dayton.

Northwestern, Iowa and Ohio State Advance in Big Ten:
Northwestern held on against Michigan late and advanced with a 58-56 victory to earn the right to play Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Courtney Sims led the Wolverines with 25, and Mohammad Hachad had 17 for the Wildcats.

Purdue coach Gene Keady’s last game was a microcosm of his last season. Iowa took a 10-point lead into halftime and finished strong with a 71-52 win. The loss ended Purdue’s season at 7-21, only Keady’s third losing season at Purdue. The win improved Iowa to 20-10, and their fourth win in a row seemed to put them back on the bubble. They will play Michigan State next in the Big Ten quarterfinals.

Ohio State overcame a 15-point second half-deficit and earned a 72-69 victory against Penn State to advance to a match up with Wisconsin. The other Big Ten quarterfinal will have Indiana and Minnesota hoping to make a statement to the NCAA selection committee.

Big 12 Produces Surprises:
After the morning session that saw favorites Missouri and Iowa State win, the night session produced a pair of upsets in the Big 12. Colorado shocked Texas 81-69, and Kansas State popped Texas A&M’s bubble 68-62. Earlier, the Tigers beat Nebraska 70-67, and Iowa State improved its NCAA Tournament outlook with a 77-57 blowout against Baylor.

Myles’ Triple-Double Sends Louisville to Semis: Ellis Myles had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to send Louisville to a Conference USA Semifinal meeting with Alabama – Birmingham. The Cardinals crushed TCU 85-61. UAB advanced with a Demario Eddins three-pointer with one second remaining to beat DePaul 59-56. In the night session, South Florida pulled off an upset for the second straight night. This time it was an 80-68 shocker against Cincinnati. Memphis used the home court to its advantage and sent second-seeded Charlotte home with an easy 83-69 victory.

Buffalo, Miami and Ohio Makes Statements in the MAC:
Buffalo, Miami and Ohio all made statement to the NCAA selection committee with important wins in the MAC quarterfinals Thursday night. Miami pounded Bowling Green 85-65, Buffalo defeated Toledo 85-72 and Ohio earned a win over fellow NCAA hopeful Kent State, 62-55. In Friday’s semifinals, Buffalo will play Western Michigan, which knocked out Akron 66-60, and Ohio and Miami will meet.

Washington and Arizona Advance in Pac Ten:
Washington and Arizona took different routes to the Pac-10 semifinals. The Wildcats crushed Cal 88-62, while Washington needed overtime to escape Arizona State 95-90. Channing Frye turned in another stellar performance for the Cats with a 22-point, 10-of-11 performance. Oregon State shocked UCLA, putting the Bruins in the bubble pool with a 79-72 victory. Stanford avoided a bad defeat when Rob Little’s layup with 20 seconds left send the Cardinal to a 60-58 win against Washington State. In Friday’s semifinals, Oregon State will play Arizona, and Washington will square off with Stanford.

Vanderbilt Loss Costly, Ole Miss Wins with a Little Help:
Vanderbilt became another bubble team from a big conference to suffer a costly loss, losing to Auburn 77-73. Mississippi won when an apparent three-pointer by Tre Kelley was changed to a two after a discussion by the referees. The Rebels outlasted South Carolina 53-52. Tennessee soundly beat Arkansas 65-46, and Mississippi State won as expected, 76-65, against Georgia.

San Diego State Provides Mountain West with Only Upset:
For the second year in a row, Air Force lost as a higher seed in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament. After being upset as the top seed a year ago, the third-seeded Falcons lost to sixth-seeded San Diego State 73-68. Utah, New Mexico and UNLV all won as expected. The Utes and Lobos are the only teams remaining in the Mountain West Tournament that had winning records in the conference during the regular season. New Mexico will meet the Aztecs, and Utah will face UNLV in the semifinals.

Wolf Pack Down, Not Necessarily Out:
Boiset State’s Jermaine Blackburn put back a Coby Karl missed free throw to shock top-seeded Nevada 73-72 on the Wolf Pack’s home court in the WAC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday night. The loss may endanger Nevada’s NCAA Tournament bid, but considering the losses by so many other bubble teams, the WAC’s regular-season champ should be safe. Boise State will next meet Fresno State, which slipped by Louisiana Tech 84-81, in the semifinals. UTEP beat Hawaii 80-62 for the rights to play Rice, which beat SMU 63-47, in the other semifinal.

One Step Closer: The Southland Conference was the only tournament to play semifinal games last night. The Southland’s top seeds, Northwestern State and Southeast Louisiana, took care of business to set up the best match up in Sunday’s championship game. Northwester State beat Lamar 90-75, and Southeast Louisiana beat Sam Houston State 71-62.

Meanwhile, in the MEAC, there were no surprises as Coppin State beat Morgan State 60-43, and South Carolina State beat Norfolk State 76-72. Coppin State moves forward to play Hampton today in the semifinals, while South Carolina State has a date with Delaware State in the other semifinal.

Malone Helps Out Louisiana Tech:
Former NBA star Karl Malone has donated $85,000 to Louisiana Tech to help upgrade the weight room and workout area. He helped initiate the upgrade 10 years ago. Malone played 19 years in the NBA and helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1985 Sweet 16. Malone’s donation will help facilitate a major rebuilding of the weight room that will be eventually be renamed for him.

Nebraska to Keep Collier for at Least Another Year:
Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Peterson has announced that coach Barry Collier will remain in Lincoln for at least another year. The Cornhuskers have a 70-77 record in his five seasons but only possess a .362 Big 12 winning percentage. That is Nebraska’s worst in 40 years. If they had let Collier go, Nebraska would have owed Collier almost $1.4 million. Other coaches were not as fortunate as Collier. Learn who’s out among this year’s Coaching Changes .

Canisius Signs Mac Donald to Extension:
Canisius officials announced that they have signed coach Mike Mac Donald to a contract extension. The Golden Griffins had their highest amount of wins in the MAAC in four years and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals for the first time in three years. With four returning starters and two transfers to look forward to, Canisius hopes to improve on an 11-18 record in 2005. Mac Donald has a 99-123 record in eight seasons.

Saia Interested in Position at Cal-Riverside:
Former USC interim coach Jim Saia has expressed an interest in the coaching position at Cal-Riverside. Saia coached USC to a 9-15 record after replacing Henry Bibby four games into the season. Saia plans to contact Riverside’s athletic director and former USC coach, Stan Morrison. The position is open after Morrison relieved Jim Masi of his duties after 25 years in Riverside. Morrison has reportedly already interviewed one candidate. Morrison himself is considered the leading candidate to patrol the Highlander sidelines next season.

Howard Relieves Allen After Five Seasons:
Howard has let go coach Frankie Allen after their worst season in five years. Allen led the Bison to an 18-13 record and trip to the MEAC title game in 2002. He was 52-83 in his five seasons in the nation’s capital. The two seasons prior to Allen’s arrival, Howard had only won three games. Allen had previously coached at Tennessee State and Virginia Tech.

Tonight’s Menu

• The Patriot League hands out the only dance ticket today as Bucknell visits Holy Cross.

• A full slate of conference tournament action includes major bubble battles. Some games to note include North Carolina State vs. Wake Forest, Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech, Minnesota vs. Indiana, Miami, Ohio, vs. Ohio and Western Michigan vs. Buffalo.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, March 4th

Brown and Williams Lead Illini to Rout on Senior Night:
On a night when they honored their seniors, the Illini were led by juniors Dee Brown and Deron Williams for Illinois’ 29th straight victory. Brown scored 27, and Williams finished with finished with 21 as Illinois raced to a 50-26 halftime lead, en route to an 84-50 annihilation of Purdue. Next up for the Illini is Ohio State Sunday to conclude the regular season.

Duke Tunes Up for Sunday Showdown at UNC:
Duke concentrated on the task at hand and throttled Miami 83-59 in Durham Thursday night. Junior J.J. Reddick had 29 points, and senior Daniel Ewing had a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. The senior played in his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Shelden Williams had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Devils. Robert Hite led the rapidly fading Hurricanes with 17.

May Leads UNC Comeback:
After trailing 44-41 at halftime, junior Sean May helped lead a second-half Tar Heel charge with a career-high 32 points and 12 rebounds. Playing without leading scorer Rashard McCants, the Heels outscored Florida State 50-32 after the break to capture a 91-76 victory. May connected on 13-of-15 shots and finished with his seventh straight double-double. Al Thornton led Florida State with 19 points and five rebounds.

O’Bannon Steals the Show on Senior Night:
Playing in junior Francisco Garcia’s shadow all season, senior Larry O’Bannon stole the show on senior night at Freedom Hall. O’Bannon scored 26 of a career-high 33 points in the first half, and Louisville took command of the Conference USA race with a 94-82 victory over Charlotte. The victory clinched the top seed in the Conference USA tournament for the Cardinals. A victory at De Paul tomorrow or a loss by Charlotte would give the Cardinals the conference title outright. Junior Taquan Dean backed up O’Bannon with 27 points. Ellis Myles, Otis George and Garcia also played their last home game. Myles narrowly missed a triple-double with 10 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, Garcia had 10, six and six, and George chipped in with three points and five boards.

Huskies Continue to Roll:
After putting on a three-point shooting exhibition in its victory over Arizona Saturday, Washington showed no signs of slowing down as they demolished Cal 106-73 in Berkeley Thursday night. With the Win, the Huskies tied Arizona for the Pac-Ten lead. Either a Washington win or Arizona loss will give Washington the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament in Los Angeles next weekend. Tre Simmons, Bobby Jones and Nate Robinson continued to lead the way for the Huskies. Simmons and Jones finished with 22 and Robinson 21 as the Huskies shot 16-of-30 from three-point range. Rod Benson led Cal with 15.

Pacific Survives Upset Attempt:
Guillaume Yango scored 27 points, and Tyler Newton hit two free throws with one second remaining, as Pacific won its 20th straight game with a 92-88 victory against Cal State Fullerton. The Tigers overcame a late six-point deficit to move within one game of a perfect season in the Big West. Ralphy Holmes had 24, and Yaphett King 22 to lead the Titans.

Nevada Clinches WAC Title:
Despite playing with a broken nose, Nick Fazekas scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds to lead Nevada to a 55-47 victory at Hawaii to capture the WAC’s regular season title. The Wolf Pack have not lost a conference road game this season and will finish the season at San Jose State tomorrow. They were ranked for the first time in school history earlier this week and, at 23-5, are off to the school’s best start since 1946. Kevinn Pinkney had 14 points and 13 rebounds. Matt Gibson scored 14 to become Hawaii’s only double figure scorer in the game.

Cougars Pull Off Another Shocker:
With a spot squarely on the bubble and Washington coming into Maples Pavilion Saturday, Stanford could not be caught looking ahead to their showdown with the Huskies. After winning at Arizona earlier in the season, Washington State added another impressive road win to its resume with a 59-48 shocker at Stanford Thursday night. The Cougars led 16-12 at the half, and no, that wasn’t Cardinal and Cougar football teams playing Thursday night. But the second half turned into a track meet, and Wazzu outscored Stanford 43-36 after the intermission. Robbie Cowgill paced Washington State with 15, and Thomas Kelati had 14. Matt Haryasz led Stanford with 17 before fouling out.

Conference Tournaments:
The top seeds won close games in the Atlantic Sun conference tournament yesterday, as No. 1 Gardner Webb beat No. 8 Troy 64-62, No. 2 Central Florida won by 13 against No. 7 Mercer 81-68, No. 3 Belmont took care of No. 6 Georgia State 67-61, and No. 4 Jacksonville slipped by No. 5 Lipscomb 68-64. The first potential Cinderella story is brewing in the Big South as No. 7 Charleston Southern advances to the conference championship with a 58-55 win at No. 6 High Point. Charleston Southern will play No. 1 Winthrop, as the Eagles beat No. 4 Birmingham Southern 78-64.

Meanwhile, the NEC’s quarterfinals produced one upset as No. 6 Wagner beat No. 3 Robert Morris 69-65 while No. 1 Monmouth beat No. 8 Central Connecticut State 54-53, No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson beat No. 7 St. Francis, N.Y., 78-60, and No. 4 Long Island beat No. 5 St. Francis, Pa., 76-67. The Southern Conference tournament also produced one upset in the quarterfinals as No. 3 North Appalachian State beat No. 2 South College of Charleston 63-60 while No. 1 South Davidson beat No. 4 North Elon 67-53, No. 1 North Tennesee-Chattanooga beat No. 5 North East Tennessee State 77-70, and No. 2 North UNC-Greensboro beat No. 3 South Georgia Southern 73-71. For complete coverage of conference tournaments, visit our Thirteen Days: Championship Week 2005.

Coach Comings and Goings:
Nick Macarchuk will retire after 28 years at the Division I level. Macarchuk has compiled a 63-107 mark in seven years at Stony Brook and is 373-427 overall. He has also coached at Cansius and Fordham. Macarchuk took Fordham to its first NCAA Tournament in 20 years in 1992 and was named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 1999 after guiding the Rams to a 12-15 record in its first season in the conference. Stony Brook has an 11-16 record this season and will open against Hartford tonight in the America East Tournament.

After 320 wins in 25 years at Eastern Illinois, Rich Samuels has been fired at Eastern Illinois. The Panthers suffered their through their fourth consecutive losing season this year. EIU finished 12-16 this year and eighth in an 11-team Ohio Valley Conference.

After a six-season run with a 58-133 record, the John Robic era has come to an end at Youngstown State. The Penguins went 5-23 this season and lost to Loyola, Ill., in the first round of the Horizon League tournament. Robic helped oversee the transition from the Mid-Continent to the Horizon conference. To find out more information about who’s in and who’s out, check out Hoopville’s Coaching Changes
feature.

Despite only a 30-52 record in three seasons, Evansville has given coach Steve Merfeld a two-year contract extension. The Purple Aces begin the Missouri Valley conference tournament tonight against Drake.

Pierce Hearing Cancelled:
A hearing into burglary charges against former Iowa player Pierre Pierce has been dropped. Pierce’s attorney Alfredo Parrish sent a letter to judge Gregory Hulse asking to cancel the hearing because of the way that the charges were filed by prosecutors. Two separate burglary charges were filed from the same incident. Pierce pleaded not guilty to two counts of first degree burglary, assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and fourth degree criminal mischief. A trial date should be set today. Pierce could face 56 years in prison and $9,000 in fines if he is convicted. Pierce was booted from the Iowa team earlier in the season by coach Steve Alford. Previously, Pierce sat out the entire 2002-03 season because of another sexual assault incident.

Syracuse Overtakes Kentucky for Lead in National Attendance:
After 10 years at the top. Kentucky has lost its title as the national leader in attendance. The Orange averaged 22,978, while Kentucky attracted 22,520 fans per contest this season. The Wildcats attendance was a drop from 22,710 last season.

Kentucky Will Add Hall of Fame:
Kentucky has decided to bring the way their teams honor former athletes under one umbrella. Previously, the football teams had a ring of honor in Commonwealth Stadium, and the basketball team would retire jerseys. There had not been a way for deciding which athletes would receive those honors, though. The first 89 athletes to be inducted in the new Wildcat hall of fame will be the ones who have had jerseys retired or are in the ring of honor. In the future, inductees will have a five-year waiting period at the conclusion of their UK careers and will have both their Kentucky and post-Kentucky accomplishments considered for a spot in the UK hall. Athletes will have to be in the hall to have a jersey retired or a spot on the ring.

Washington State Players Cleared of Violations:
Washington State freshmen Alex Kirk and Robbie Cowgill have been cleared of any violations of the school’s conduct code. Kirk and Cowgill were accused of making racially harassing gestures toward an Asian-American student. The student is employed at WSU’s Multicultural Center and complained that the two were part of a group of students who pass her window and make animal and racially insensitive gestures. It was concluded that although the behavior was adolescent and repeated, it did not violate the school’s conduct code.

ASU and Xavier Announce Schedule Agreement:
Arizona State and Xavier have announced a deal for a home-and-home series commencing in 2006. The Sun Devils will visit Xavier in December 2006 and then welcome the Musketeers to Tempe in November 2007. Xavier reached the Elite Eight last season and has participated in four consecutive NCAA tournaments and six of the last eight. ASU has also announced agreements with Minnesota and Iowa for the next two seasons. The Sun Devils have a 15-13 record against the Big Ten.

Former Minnesota Whistle Blower Dies:
Jan Gangelhoff, who blew the whistle on academic fraud at Minnesota, has died at the age of 56 from cancer. Gangelhoff announced in 1999 that she had done course work for at least 18 former Gopher basketball players. Gangelhoff’s admission led to former coach Clem Haskins’ and several top administrators’ resignations. Gangelhoff pled guilty to felony fraud but had the plea thrown out on technical grounds. The Justice Department decided not to prosecute Gangelhoff.

Floyd Doesn’t Accept Bibby Recruit:
Saying he wants USC to compete at the level of Arizona, Tim Floyd has decided not to offer a scholarship to 6-7 forward Theo White from Tyler Junior College in Texas. White had been recruited to play at USC by Henry Bibby who was fired four games into this season. He had made a verbal agreement to attend USC but did not sign a letter of intent.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, February 25th

Arizona Escapes Wazzou with a Victory:
Arizona narrowly escaped the embarrassment of being swept by Washington State with a narrow 57-56 overtime victory in Pullman Thursday night. Ivan Radenovic hit two free throws with nine seconds remaining to provide the winning margin. Radenovic also rebounded Derrick Low’s three-point attempt that rimmed out to secure the victory. Arizona’s seventh straight win was also it’s 19th straight at Washington State. The Cougars ended a 38-game losing streak to Arizona in January. Channing Frye paced the Wildcats with 26 points and seven rebounds. Thomas Kelati led the Cougars with 16. The win was Lute Olson’s 304th Pac-10 victory, tying him for first all time with John Wooden.

Huskies Keep Pace with Arizona, Set Up Saturday Showdown:
Washington escaped a valiant effort from Arizona State and captured an important 90-82 victory over the Sun Devils in Seattle Thursday night. UW led throughout the second half but wasn’t able to put ASU away until less than a minute remained. Washington was able to nearly match Ike Diogu’s 31 points and 15 rebounds with a 29-point effort from Tre Simmons. Simmons connected on 6-of-7 three-point shots. Nate Robinson had 21 for the Huskies. Kevin Kruger supported Diogu’s 29 for the Devils by finishing with 17, including hitting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Diogu scored most of his points at the line, draining 17-of-18. Washington’s victory sets up a showdown for first place in the Pac-10 Saturday. An Arizona victory would give the Wildcats the conference title, while a UW win would place the Huskies a half game behind Arizona for first in the conference.

Michigan State Ends Dubious Streaks:
Michigan State ended a pair of losing streaks with a 77-64 victory over Wisconsin Thursday night. The Spartans had lost 12 straight to ranked opponents and six in a row to the Badgers. Alan Anderson finished with a career-high 28 points on 10-of-10 shooting from the floor and 7-of-7 from the foul line. Michigan State has won 10 of 11 since losing to Wisconsin in January and has won its last nine games by double digits. Alando Tucker led Wisconsin with 18 points.

Gonzaga Clinches WCC Regular Season Title:
Adam Morrison had 22 points and Ronny Turiaf had 14 points and 11 rebounds as Gonzaga won its ninth in a row 84-68 at Portland to clinch its ninth West Coast Conference title in the last 12 years.  The Zags raced to a 38-25 halftime lead and were never really threatened in the second half. David Cooper led Portland with 20 points. Cooper played the entire game with a dislocated right shoulder.  Next up for Gonzaga is a non-conference game with Northern Colorado and then the WCC tournament. The bulldogs will have a first-round bye. The tournament starts March 4 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Cincinnati Defeats Marquette Without Diener:
Playing in its first game without star point guard Travis Diener, Marquette struggled from the field and lost at Cincinnati 80-68. Diener broke his hand in practice Tuesday and is lost for the remainder of the year. Steve Novak led the Golden Eagles with 25 points, including 7-of-12 from three-point range. Dameon Mason took Diener’s spot in the starting lineup and finished with 17 points. Cincinnati was able to use its strength inside to control the game from the outset. The Bearcats raced to a 39-21 halftime lead and cruised home in the second half. Eric Hicks had 17 points and nine rebounds and Jason Maxiell finished with 14 and 10.

Dockery Sidelined with MCL Tear:
Duke point guard Sean Dockery will be sidelined indefinitely with an MCL tear. The junior from Chicago has started 19 of Duke’s 24 games and was averaging 6.5 points per game and was second with 42 steals and third with 56 assists. Dockery suffered the injury in the Blue Devils’ 60-56 victory at Georgia Tech Wednesday.

Valley City State’s Klabo Charged with Assault:
Valley City State’s Matt Klabo is going to be charged with assault for throwing an elbow against South Dakota School of the Mines Korey Kirschenmann. Pennington County, S.D., attorney Glenn Brenner decided to charge Klabo after viewing a tape of Tech’s 83-65 victory. Brenner said this is the first time he will file charges as a result of an athletic contest. Kirschenmann fell to the floor after receiving the elbow and suffered a gash above his eye and a concussion. Klabo received a flagrant foul and was ejected.

Kansas Seniors Impose Gag Order Until After OK St. Game:
Kansas’ first three-game losing streak in 11 years has led KU’s seniors to declare the Jayhawk players off limits to the media until after the team’s game against Oklahoma State Saturday. The Jayhawks losing streak has occurred after winning its first 10 Big XII games this season. KU coach Bill Self said the players concluded that they wanted to concentrate on the game that could decide the Big XII Championship. After losing to Nebraska on Tuesday, the Cowboys are tied with Kansas atop the conference standings.

Connecticut Governor Wants Closer Scrutiny of Nike Deals:
Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has asked the state’s Ethics Commission and the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees to determine if laws prohibiting state employees from using public office for private gain should be clarified. Rell specifically was interested in the endorsement deals received by UConn Basketball coaches Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma. Rell’s spokesman, Dennis Schain, said the governor wasn’t criticizing the Nike deals but that the commission should take a closer look at how ethics rules are applied. In the past, the ethics commission has permitted the contracts between Nike and the two high profile Basketball coaches at UConn.

Utah’s Markson Out Definitely With Sprained Knee:
Utah junior forward Bryant Markson is out for at least Saturday’s game with BYU after spraining his right knee in Monday’s loss against New Mexico. The 6-6 Markson has helped the Utes to a 23-4 record by averaging 10.3 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 34.6 percent from three-point range and 55 percent from the field. The injury occurred after Markson collided with the Lobos’ Mark Walters. Markson left the game with 12:14 left and did not return. Richard Chaney or Jonas Langvad is likely to replace Markson in the starting lineup.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, February 18th

Virginia Tech Shocks Duke: Zabian Dowdell’s three pointer with 14.6 seconds to play put Virginia Tech in front to stay, and the Hokies held on for a 67-65 victory over Duke. After Daniel Ewing missed a three at the buzzer, the crowd in Blacksburg erupted and rushed the floor. Carlos Dixon led Virginia Tech with 18, Jamon Gordon scored 17, Coleman Collins had 14 points and 18 rebounds and Dowdell finished with 11. J.J. Redick led Duke with 19.

Louisville Escapes Brewtown: In a game that featured a first half of runs, Louisville used a 14-0 blitz to end the game to cap off a remarkable comeback in a 64-61 victory Thursday night. Francisco Garcia’s three pointer with 2.6 seconds remaining provided the Cardinals with the margin of victory. But the game turning play came with 1:37 remaining. After Larry O’Bannon hit his first foul shot, Otis George was fouled by Marquette’s Ryan Amorosso on the rebound. O’Bannon made the second free throw and George hit both of his to knot the game at 61. O’Bannon was the leading scorer with 15, while Steve Novak paced the Golden Eagles with 14.

Arizona Throttles Oregon 92-67: Salim Stoudamire scored 22, Channing Frye had 19 and a career-high seven blocked shots, and Arizona made 21-of-30 shots in the second half to blitz Oregon in Tucson. Arizona improved to 22-4 and 12-2 in the Pac-10 to maintain their conference lead. The Ducks who lost for the seventh time in their last nine games dropped to 12-10 and 4-9 in the conference and are in danger of not making the Pac-10 tournament. Only the top eight teams in the conference qualify. The Ducks were led by Malik Hairston’s career-high 21 points.

Gonzaga Wins to Keep Lead in WCC: Derek Raivio scored 29 points, J. P. Batista had 19, and Ronny Turiaf scored 15 points and had 13 rebounds as Gonzaga coasted to a 90-72 victory over San Diego in Spokane Thursday night. Brandon Gay led the Toreros with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Former Bulldog stars Dan Dickau and John Stockton were in attendance.

Marquette’s Thompson to Sign off at the End of the Season: Marquette radio analyst George Thompson will retire at the end of this season. Thompson, 57, wanted to focus more on his full-time position as vice president of communications for Briggs and Stratton. The former All American for the then Warriors is Marquette’s all-time leading scorer and also holds the record for career scoring average at 20.4 points per game. He is only one of five former Marquette hoopsters to have his jersey retired.

Sun Belt Needs More Time to Review Coach-Fan Clash: After interviewing 27 people, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Wright Waters stated he needed an extra day to decide whether Arkansas-Little Rock coach Steve Shields should be disciplined for a confrontation with a fan at Arkansas State. Shields claimed that a fan grazed him with a water bottle while he was on the UALR bench. Replays showed that Shields tried to knock the bottle out of the fan’s hand. Any disciplinary action that is taken will remain confidential between Shields and the school..

‘Canes’ Haith Undergoes Appendectomy: First-year Miami coach Frank Haith underwent an appendectomy Thursday morning. Haith has led Miami to a 15-8 record this season in Coral Gables. Haith is trying to lead the Hurricanes to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002.

Morris Suspended by Seton Hall:
Seton Hall’s third leading scorer, J.R. Morris, has been suspended by coach Louis Orr to concentrate on academics. Morris had started 20 games and was putting up 10.1 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game and led the team with 1.8 steals a night and 30 three-point field goals for the season.

Minnesota’s Boone Granted Sixth Year: Minnesota point guard Adam Boone has been granted a sixth season by the NCAA after sitting out this season with a torn right biceps suffered in October. In 2003-04, Boone averaged 8.4 points per game and his 123 assists were 10th most in school history. Boone came to Minnesota after two seasons at North Carolina and had to sit out the 2002-03 season as a transfer.

Daniels Dismissed After Winless Season at Savannah State: After only the second winless season in Division I in the last 30 years, Savannah State dismissed coach Ed Daniels. The Tigers’ season ended at 0-28 after a 49-44 loss to Florida A&M Monday night. Savannah had to forfeit its four wins last season for using an ineligible player. The Tigers lost by an average of 23 points per game. They became the first team since Prairie View in 1992 to achieve the ignominious mark. Savannah had to compete with only three scholarship player compared to the 13 allowed by the NCAA.

Brand Set to Testify: NCAA President Myles Brand, a former Indiana University president, will testify at a hearing to determine if IU officials must release a report on the firing of former coach Bob Knight. Brand fired Knight in 2000 after instituting a zero-tolerance edict to him for choking former player Neil Reed. The hearing is necessary because the Indianapolis Star filed a freedom of information act for access to the report. Knight had also sued Indiana last year, but the case was dismissed by a Monroe County judge. Knight was fired after grabbing a student’s arm. The court also said that IU does not have to release a report related to Knight’s incident with the student.

Students Might Cover Gamecocks Fine: A new SEC rule that states fans are not allowed to rush the court might cost South Carolina $5,000. The USC Student Senate might be willing to pay the fine according to Student Senator Adam Piper. The $5,000 fine is for a first offense. SEC commissioner Mike Slive will review the Gamecocks’ game management policies and might not levy a fine if it is determined the school tried to keep fans from rushing the court.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, February 11th

Wake Forest Moves into First-Place Tie with Duke and UNC: Justin Gray’s 18 points led five Demon Deacons in double figures and Wake Forest overcame a 27-point outburst by Julius Hodge as Wake defeated NC State 86-75. The Demon Deacons raced to a 48-32 halftime lead and Wake held off a second half rally by the Wolfpack to force a three-way tie for first place in the ACC with their Tobacco Road brethren, Duke and North Carolina. Hodge did not start because he was late for a team shoot-around.

Cincinnati Captures Crosstown Shootout: Cincinnati led by as many as 21 in the second half and held on late to defeat Xavier 65-54 to capture the crosstown shootout. The Bearcats rode their defense and Eric Hicks’ 16 points and 11 rebounds to defeat the Musketeers. Xavier shot only 30 percent from the floor, made only 3-of-11 from three-point range and went the first eight and a half minutes in the second half without making a shot from the floor. Cincinnati overcame a 2-of-14 performance from three-point range and connected on only 15-of-25 from the foul line. Xavier, which played without leading scorer and rebounder Brian Thornton, was led by Stanley Burrell with 12 points.

Arizona Sweeps USC: Arizona rode another hot shooting performance from Salim Stoudamire and swept the season series from USC with an 88-76 victory at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles. Stoudamire finished with 26 points including hitting 5-of-7 from three-point range. The Wildcats shot 56 percent from the floor. Greg Pruitt led ‘SC with 21 and freshman Nick Young had 18. Derrick Craven sat out with a sprained ankle.

Washington Outlasts Oregon: Washington needed overtime and a late three in regulation by Will Conroy to defeat Oregon at MacArthur Court 95-88. Nate Robinson paced the Husky attack with 24 and the coach’s son, Jordan Kent was the high scorer for Oregon with 19. The Ducks played without center Ian Crosswhite, who was suspended for unspecified reasons.

Gonzaga Survives on the Beach: Gonzaga survived a valiant effort from archrival Pepperdine by placing five players in double figures and escaped with an 82-75 victory in Malibu. Ronny Turiaf and Adam Morrison paced the Bulldog attack with 19. Yakhouba Diawara led the Waves with 24.

Pacific Backs Up First National Ranking: Pacific backed up their first ever national ranking with a 78-56 pasting of Idaho on the road. The Tigers, who are ranked 24th in this week’s poll, were led by David Doubley with 21 and hit 9-of-17 from three-point range.

Status of Terps’ Ibekwe Uncertain:
The status of Maryland center Ekene Ibekwe is uncertain. The 6-9 sophomore from Carson, Calif., has been experiencing pain from a cracked rib that is likely to keep him out for at least another week. Ibekwe has missed the Terrapins’ last two games, a loss to Miami and a win against Virginia Tech. It is unsure how Ibekwe cracked the rib in the upper part of his chest near his shoulder. He was supposed to be examined earlier this week, and he will this Saturday’s game against Duke. The injury has also affected his breathing. Without Ibekwe, Gary Williams has gone to a smaller lineup.

Terp Assistant to Interview for Top Stop at Vermont: Terrapins’ assistant coach Mike Lonergan is interviewing for the Vermont job. Lonergan is hoping to replace 19-year coach Tom Brennan, who will retire from his job as head Catamount at the end of the season. Lonergan coached his alma mater, Catholic University, to the Division III title in 2001 and is seeking to become Williams’ 12th assistant to become a college or NBA coach.

Was Telfair offered Cash? In two separate reports, Portland Trail Blazers rookie Sebastian Telfair has given conflicting statements about whether or not he was offered money by someone associated with the Georgia Tech program. Early in the week, Telfair denied contact with Georgia Tech but then later said that he was offered money by someone claiming to represent the Yellow Jackets. Ian O’Connor’s book “The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High Stakes Business of High School Ball,” says Telfair claimed he was offered the money to attend a specific school. Tech coach Paul Hewitt denies any involvement with Telfair and has said that the school never had him on any guest list for tickets to a Georgia Tech game.

Price Has Surgery to Eliminate Mass:
A pair of UConn Huskies are hurting. After losing three stars from last season’s national championship team, Jim Calhoun knew this would be a tough season, but it has probably been much more difficult than he could have anticipated. Incoming star freshman A.J. Price has had to sit out the entire season after suffering a brain hemorrhage in October. More specifically, he has a blood vessel abnormality in his brain. Price is now back in class, but arteriovenous malformation, a vascular abnormality, will not allow him to play or practice for several months. The condition is caused by masses of blood vessels that grow in the brain. It can develop into a mass capable of bleeding. Price had radio surgery to eliminate the mass at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Anderson out Indefinitely: Price’s teammate, Rashad Anderson, is the latest Husky to have to miss time. UConn’s leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, Anderson is out after spending two nights at Windham Hospital near the Storrs campus with an infection in his upper leg. He was transferred to Hartford hospital and received treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for a skin abscess on his leg. He is expected to miss Sunday’s meeting with North Carolina in Hartford, and it is not known when he will be back. Because of privacy laws, the school could not elaborate further.

Tulsa Loses Cardwell: 6-10 reserve center Brian Cardwell has decided to leave Tulsa. Cardwell was averaging 2.1 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game in 11 minutes of playing time in 17 games. He had not played in the Golden Hurricanes’ last three games. Cardwell, who is 24, had enrolled at Tulsa after four years in the Blue Jays’ organization.

O’Neil in Trojans Lineup for the Remainder of the Season:
USC interim coach Jim Saia has announced that senior forward Rory O’Neil will be in the starting lineup for the rest of the season. O’Neil had a lot of promise when he entered USC but has only posted 8.5 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game, and those stats have dropped to 6.5 and 3.5 in Pac-10 play. O’Neil joins classmate Jeff McMillan in the remade Trojan frontcourt. O’Neil’s promotion means that Nick Curtis and Gregg Guenther will now come off the bench.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, February 4th

Huskies Tre Tries to Live Up to Name: Washington rode Tre Simmons’ 29 points, 11-of-21 shooting, six rebounds and six three pointers to continue its lead in the Pac 10 with a 99-69 demolition of USC. The Huskies used a 16-2 run late in the first half to take a 47-29 lead into the locker room. UW forced 24 turnovers and is off to its best start since the 1976 team started 19-2. Lodrick Stewart led USC with 13 points.

Gonzaga Comes Back to Avoid St. Mary’s Sweep: After being defeated by St. Mary’s earlier in the year, Gonzaga overcame a 38-26 halftime deficit by outscoring the Gaels 42-25 in the second half to get a key 68-63 West Coast Conference victory. The Zaga victory ties them with St. Mary’s for first in the WCC. St. Mary’s would have been the first team to sweep Gonzaga since San Diego did it in 1997. Adam Morrison and Derek Raivio each scored 19 for the Bulldogs, and E.J. Rowley led St. Mary’s with 18. Gonzaga posted its 33rd consecutive home victory as a ranked team.

Arizona Cruises over Cal: Arizona used aN 11-0 run to open the game and cruised home in the second half for a 97-76 home victory over Cal. With the win, the Wildcats stay tied atop the Pac 10 with Washington. Channing Frye led Arizona with 20 points and seven rebounds, Salim Stoudamire had 17 and Hassan Adams 15. Arizona shot 64 percent from the floor and made 8-of-15 from three-point range as they improved to 9-0 when scoring at least 80 points. Richard Midgley led Cal with 18.

Streaking Heels: North Carolina continued to stake its claim as the nation’s best team by dominating North Carolina State 95-71 Thursday night. Freshman Marvin Williams had a season-high 20 points, Rashad McCants had 18 and Sean May had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. The Heels jumped to a 51-35 halftime lead and never led by less than 13 in the second half. UNC improved to 19-2 overall and 11-0 at home, while the Wolfpack falls to 13-8.

Self Upset with the Phog Bowl: Kansas coach Bill Self was upset with the Kansas student section after they used profanity throughout the Jayhawks’ victory over Missouri Monday. Self said he is also upset when the fans chanted “bullsh—-“ after a questionable call by the officials. Kansas players had the idea that the match up with their archrivals might have had something to do that. KU senior guard Michael Lee thought it was unrealistic to hold 17,000 people to a high standard and that KU-Mizzou brings out the best and worst in everyone.

BYU’s Miles Reprimanded for Kicking Bogut: BYU’s Chris Miles was reprimanded after kicking Utah star sophomore Andrew Bogut during their match up Monday night. Miles kicked Bogut on his way down, after the Australian Olympian hung on the rim following a dunk with 5:32 remaining in the game. Bogut had landed on Miles following his dunk. Miles and teammate Mike Hall, in addition to Utah’s Bryant Markson were all assessed technical fouls. Coach Steve Cleveland of BYU and Utah’s Ray Giacoletti were both commended for the way they tried to restore peace.

Bogut Trying to Follow in Alex Smith’s Footsteps: Following in the footsteps of Heisman Trophy finalist Alex Smith, Utah is doing everything they can to promote Andrew Bogut for the Naismith and Wooden awards, which honors the national player of the year. The Ute Athletic Department is sending out cardboard boomerangs to honor Bogut’s Australian heritage. Bogut is one of 30 finalists for the Wooden Award. The Ute basketball team is undefeated in the Mountain West, following the football team’s unblemished march through the football season.

Players Only Meeting Doesn’t Help Much at Michigan: Four days after holding a players only meeting, Michigan suffered its fifth consecutive loss to Minnesota, 71-54, Wednesday night. The players’ only meeting was precipitated after a 29-point loss to Purdue Sunday. The conclusion that the players came to was that they needed to play harder and show more toughness. Coach Tommy Amaker said that his team has shown flashes of toughness this year — the Wolverines won at Iowa — but needed more consistency. Michigan had high expectations entering the season. Michigan has lost junior guard Lester Abram to injury and junior guard Daniel Horton, who was suspended indefinitely after being charged with misdemeanor domestic violence.

Izzone Ticket Policy Upsets Michigan State’s Student Body: A portion of the Michigan State student body is upset with a policy that allows only two absences from home games in the Izzone Student section, otherwise students could lose their season tickets. Complaints have been filed with the Student Alumni Association, letters have been written to the school newspaper, and a Web site has been started to address the situation. Fans pay $135 per season to become a member of the Izzone, the courtside student section at the Breslin Center. Fans also face the possibility of losing their seats if they don’t have a death notice, doctor’s note or paperwork showing a class conflict.

Coaches to Wear White Sneakers to Raise Cancer Awareness: College coaches at all levels of competition will be wearing white sneakers to raise cancer awareness this weekend. The idea began with the six Division I schools in Philadelphia last season. When officials for Coaches vs. Cancer heard about the idea, they wanted to take the idea national. Last season, about 45 coaches wore sneakers on nationally televised games. Coaches vs. Cancer was started after a local promotion by former Missouri coach Norm Stewart in 1991.

Floyd Starts at USC in Official Capacity: USC coach-to-be, Tim Floyd, officially started recruiting for the Trojans Tuesday. Floyd is impressed with the USC perimeter players and wants to sign four big men for the Trojans’ fall class. The task will be difficult with 90 percent of the big men already signed according to Floyd. Freshmen Gabe Pruitt and Nick Young have been impressive on the perimeter for the Trojans.

Bonnies’ Fan Palmer Holds No Grudge Against St. Joe’s Martelli: St. Bonaventure fan Mary Palmer held no grudges against St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli, who berated her after she commented on Martelli not calling off the Hawks’ press in their 114-63 victory over St. Bonaventure last season. The Hawks led the Bonnies by 25 when Palmer yelled at Martelli for running up the score. After the game, Martelli called Palmer a moron and a nitwit. Martelli apologized a few days after the game and sent Palmer tickets to St. Joe’s second-round game in Buffalo during last season’s NCAA tournament. Olean, N.Y., where St. Bonaventure is located, is about a 90-minute drive from Buffalo. The Bonnies have had trouble recovering from the academic scandal that rocked the school two years ago. The Bonnies are 1-17 on the season including 0-8 at home. St. Joe’s won this year’s match up Wednesday night 95-62.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, January 21st

Illini Keep It Going: Luther Head continued his hot streak with 25 points, as Illinois continued to roll with a hard-fought 73-68 overtime victory over Iowa in Champaign. Greg Brunner’s runner in the lane with 3.8 seconds left in regulation knotted the score at 65 to force the extra session. Pierre Pierce led Iowa with 22.

Arizona Survives Scare at MacArthur Court: After leading by as many as 16 points, Arizona had to hold on late to gain an important 74-66 Pac-10 win in Eugene, Ore. The Wildcats took a 40-29 halftime lead behind 20 first-half points from Salim Stoudamire. Stoudamire finished with 27 to lead the Wildcats, and Oregon was led by freshman Bryce Taylor with 20.

San Francisco Shocks Gonzaga: Led by Jerome Gumbs’ 18 points and 13 rebounds, San Francisco ended a 12-game losing streak to Gonzaga with a 73-70 victory in the Bay Area. It was the Dons’ first win over a top 20 team since the 1999 season. Derek Raivio’s three pointer at the buzzer missed, setting off the traditional court rush. Ronny Turiaf led the Zags with 18.

Longhorns Down Two Players: Coming off his team’s biggest win of the year, a 75-61 victory over Oklahoma State Monday, Rick Barnes received a double dose of bad news. P.J. Tucker, who scored 15 second-half points against the Cowboys and was leading the Longhorns with 13.7 points per game and eight rebounds per game, was declared academically ineligible and will miss the remainder of the season. Freshman center LaMarcus Aldridge, who was averaging 9.9 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game, is out for at least Saturday’s game against Oklahoma with a hip injury.

Clark’s Career at Virginia Over: Virginia power forward Jason Clark, who was averaging 6.7 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game, is another casualty of academic ineligibility. Clark’s loss leaves Elton Brown as Pete Gillen’s only experienced post player. Clark had started 47 games in his career and 12-of-13 games this season.

Arkansas Questions Game Ending Call: After a controversial ending to Wednesday’s Arkansas-LSU game, SEC officials announced they will review tapes from the game Friday. Officials originally had awarded a three-point shot to Arkansas’ Michael Jones with 1.8 seconds left to give the Razorbacks a one-point lead. LSU missed a desperation shot at the buzzer to win it. After reviewing tapes on the court, the shot was ruled a two-point shot, sending the game to overtime. The Tigers then prevailed 66-63. SEC associate director of media relations DeWayne Peevy and basketball officials supervisor Dan Guthrie are expected to receive the tape of the game Friday.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, January 7th

Longhorns Hang On: Texas closed out Memphis with a 6-0 run in the last two minutes and held Memphis scoreless during the final 2:41 in a 74-67 victory. P.J. Tucker led Texas with 18 points, and his breakaway dunk with 43 second remaining clinched the victory, to the delight of Longhorn fans. Memphis continues to search for a victory against a marquis team. The Tigers have lost to Syracuse, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Mississippi, Louisiana Tech and Providence, mostly on the road.

Pac 10 Roundup: The Pac-10 had a full slate last night, and the favorites created some distance from the rest of the pack. Washington received 22 points from Tre Simmons and 14 from Mike Jensen as the Huskies cruised to an easy 84-59 victory against USC. UW bolted out to a 10-0 lead and never trailed. Arizona received 20 points and eight rebounds from Channing Frye and used an 18-4 second-half run to earn a 87-67 victory against Cal in Berkeley. UCLA beat Washington State 80-77 to move to 2-1 in the conference, and Arizona State picked up its first conference win by sending Stanford to 0-3 by virtue of an 81-69 win.

Unwelcome Arrival: Georgia Tech gave Miami a hospitable welcome to the ACC by handing them an 80-69 beatdown in Atlanta. Senior guard Will Bynum led four Yellow Jackets in double figures with 21 points. The Yellow Jackets were able to overcome the absence of senior guard B.J. Elder.

Blood Vessel on the Brain Ends Price’s Season: High School All-American A.J. Price will miss his entire freshman season at Connecticut. The son of former Penn State star Tony Price has to sit out the remainder of the season because of a blood vessel abnormality in his brain. Price had an intracranial hemorrhage in October and spent several days in the hospital in critical condition.

The abnormality is known as arteriovenous malformation. He is expected to return to classes Jan. 18. He likely won’t be able to practice for several months. The condition causes masses of abnormal blood vessels to grow in the brain. It can develop into a mass that causes bleeding. He will be treated with radiosurgery that focuses a beam of radiation to eliminate the mass. He will be with the team when they travel to games at Georgetown and Oklahoma.

Little Back in the Lineup: One game after being benched by coach Trent Johnson, Rob Little is back in the starting lineup for Stanford. Johnson had inserted Tim Morris in Stanford’s loss against Washington. Morris gave the Cardinal a more athletic look against a very athletic Washington team. After his first career start against UW, Morris was ruled academically ineligible. His loss puts Stanford at nine scholarship players with Arizona coming to Maples Pavilion this weekend.

Bethel Finally Diagnosed: After suffering from flu-like symptoms that have limited his playing time for two weeks, North Carolina State point guard Tony Bethel has been diagnosed with colitis. Colitis is a chronic inflammation of the membrane lining of the large bowel. The Wolfpack hope to have Bethel back when they host Miami Sunday. Also hurting is star guard Julius Hodge who missed last Sunday’s loss to West Virginia with a sprained ankle. North Carolina State has lost three of its last five with Bethel and Hodge limited in action.

Simons On The Move: North Carolina State reserve center Adam Simons has decided he will transfer to Xavier. Simons will become eligible in the second semester of the 2005-06 season with junior eligibility.

White Moving On: Coach Matt Painter has gained another player for his first Purdue recruiting class. Marcus White, a 6’8 forward from Chicago’s Whitney Young High School, has announced he will transfer from Connecticut to West Lafayette, Ind. White was averaging 3.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Huskies. He will become eligible after the first semester during the 2005-06 season.

K-State Players Confronted by Armed Robbers: Kansas State starting point guard Clent Stewart and reserve guard Curtis Allen were attacked by a pair of armed assailants as they walked through a hotel parking lot south of the Manhattan, Kan., campus. The police reported that the assailants hit 6’4 Stewart in the back of the neck, pulled a gun on him and demanded to have his wallet. Stewart lost $25 and some credit cards. Allen escaped the robbers and entered the hotel to call the police. Stewart has started every game and is averaging 6.1 points and 4.2 assists per game. Allen averages 1.7 points per game in six games.

Barton’s Wolf Pleads Not Guilty: Ryan Wolf, who was a principal character in the Ricky Clemons case, has pleaded not guilty to 36 counts of embezzlement, fraud and theft of federal funds. Wolf, 32, is a former assistant coach and faculty member at Barton Community College in Kansas. He has also been accused of helping athletes obtain financial help and academic credentials. Wolf faces a possible criminal forfeiture count of $89,615.

Wolf allegedly gave false information to officials at Missouri, San Jose State and BYU. The indictment charged that from May 1998 to June 2003, Wolf recruited athletes, including Clemons, to play at Barton, then used his position on the faculty to get players grants for which they weren’t qualified. He also allegedly signed them up for campus jobs that they didn’t do.

Brand Trying to Control Costs: NCAA President Miles Brand’s latest project is trying to control costs. Brand has indicated that athletic department costs are increasing at a rate twice the average of other university expenses. Brand is planning to meet with about two dozen college presidents during the NCAA conventions and discuss his ideas during his state of the NCAA speech. He will address the fact the winning doesn’t increase university donations.

Big Ten Season Recap

Big Ten Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Alan Rubenstein

The Big Ten did not live up to its hallowed tradition in 2003-04. As expected, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan State were the dominant teams. The Illini struggled during their non-conference schedule with a loss at North Carolina, a surprising loss in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in December to Providence and had to fight for an overtime victory at home over Missouri Valley bottom dweller Illinois State.

Michigan State entered the 2003-04 season with the nation’s number three ranking and possibly the conference’s most talented team. An 0-6 record against six of the best programs in college basketball had the Spartans chasing their top five ranking the remainder of the season. The highlight of the non-conference schedule for the Big Ten was Purdue winning the Great Alaska Shootout. The Boilermakers defeated Texas State, Seton Hall and Duke on their way to the championship. In the title game, the Boilers held the Blue Devils to 38 percent shooting to cement the 78-68 victory.

The Big Ten-ACC challenge was a disaster for the Big Ten. Only Michigan and Purdue posted wins and the Boilers victory was at Mackey Arena over the ACC’s last place team, Clemson.

Conference Season

The conference season began with Wisconsin and Penn State sharing the lead after the first week. After an inconsistent 6-5 non-conference mark, the Nittany Lions seemed to be hitting their stride in January. Victories at home over Ohio State and Minnesota might have been a bit misleading. Penn State won only one of their last 14 games and finished last in the Big Ten for the third year in a row. Illinois had trouble early in the conference season with a 1-2 record and would improve it to only 3-3. Their turning point came after a loss at Wisconsin. The Badgers throttled the Illini 76-56. That loss put the players in a desperate mode to listen to their new coach Bruce Weber. After that, Illinois ran off 12 straight wins, not losing until the Badgers got them for the second time in three games in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game.

The surprise team of the year was Northwestern. The Wildcats staggered out of the gate with a 5-7 record, including a loss to Mississippi Valley State at the Sierra Providence Sun Classic in El Paso. That loss eventually cost the Wildcats an NIT bid. They made a great run during the conference season. After a blowout loss at Michigan to begin the Big Ten season, NU pulled an upset at Iowa and would post victories over Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Purdue. They tied for fifth place with Michigan and Bill Carmody earned the Big Ten coach of the year award.

The Big Ten’s most disappointing teams came from the Hoosier state. Purdue began the season with a 14-4 record. With six seniors, they seemed poised to challenge Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin for the title. Chris Booker, the Boilermakers best big man was declared academically ineligible in December and Purdue never recovered. The victory over Duke remained their season highlight. Their first meeting with Notre Dame in 39 years ended the Boilers’ season in the NIT.

Indiana’s season could be summed up in three stages. They began the season 6-6 losing by 33 at Wake Forest in the Big Ten-ACC challenge and by 39 to Kentucky. Other than Bracey Wright, there was not much to cheer about. Many in the Hoosier nation were calling for a resignation or firing of Mike Davis.

IU started the Big Ten season with a disastrous 79-45 loss at Wisconsin. That seemed to wake them up. The Hoosiers ran off five consecutive victories and shared the Big Ten lead with the Badgers. They were playing excellent team ball despite the loss of their only inside presence, senior center George Leach.

The final stage of their season was a near complete collapse. IU finished 3-9, 2-8 to complete the season 14-15, 7-9 and miss the post season for the first time since 1977. IU had been in 18 straight NCAA tournaments through 2003.

Devin Harris was clearly the conference’s best player in 2004. Harris dropped 38 on Minnesota and had eight games over 24 points this year. He led the Badgers in scoring, assists, steals, three pointers made and attempted and free throws made and attempted. Harris was the unquestioned leader of a team that challenged for the Big Ten title until the final weekend. Harris did this without Alando Tucker, their most athletic player, and McDonald’s All-American Brian Butch sitting out the entire season.

Kris Humphries boldly went where no man had gone before by becoming the first freshman to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding. He captured the conference freshman of the year award and earned first team all conference. Unfortunately for Dan Monson, the Gophers still finished in tenth place and Humphries announced he was entering the NBA draft.

Big Ten Tournament

Northwestern and Penn State launched the Big Ten tournament with equally dismal performances at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Wildcats overcame 32 percent shooting in the first half by grabbing 17 of their Big Ten record 22 steals in the first half and forced the Lions into 20 of their 26 turnovers in the opening stanza. They shot better in the second half to advance past the Nittany Lions 57-52.

The game of the tournament was the semifinal between Michigan State and Wisconsin. The teams went back and forth before Devin Harris took over late to carry the Badgers to a 68-66 victory and their first appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game. Harris scored eight points in the final three minutes. The entire second half was tense with four ties, six lead changes and a lead of no larger than five by either team.

After a hard fought semifinal, the Badgers figured to enter the championship game sluggish. Illinois breezed through its semifinal against Michigan with a 74-60 victory. The Illini were the team that appeared to have the edge in the final. The Badgers took control early and never trailed to win its first Big Ten Tournament championship, 70-53.

Postseason

Wisconsin may hold the Big Ten Tournament title, but it was Illinois that earned the Big Ten’s highest seed in the NCAA tournament. The Illini were the fifth seed in the Atlanta region and spent the first two rounds in Columbus. Only Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan State were granted bids to the NCAA tournament. It was the lowest the Big Ten received since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Illinois began the tournament with a 73-52 blowout win over Murray State. After the Racers hung close for a while, the Illini used an 18-2 run late in the first half and never led by less than six the rest of the way. The win pushed them through to a meeting with fourth seed Cincinnati in the second round. The Bearcats had to struggle to get past East Tennessee in an 80-77 first round win. Illinois thoroughly dominated Cincinnati to win 92-68. Deron Williams was virtually unconscious in the first half. The Texan hit all six of his first half shots and buried all five of his three pointers to score 17 of his game high 31. The victory propelled the Illini to a meeting with Duke in Atlanta. Illinois seemed a bit in awe of the Duke mystique. Bruce Weber’s young team had trouble generating offense and fell 72-62 to the Blue Devils in the Atlanta regional semifinal. It was the third time in four years the Illini lost at the regionals.

Wisconsin wasn’t pleased with its number six seed, but they were very pleased with its assignment. Placed in Milwaukee, the Badgers would be in front of its home crowd. In the first round, the Badgers staged a nearly improbable second half comeback to overcome Richmond in a 74-64 first round victory. Trailing 38-25 the Badgers went on a 24-9 run to open the second half and a 14-0 run later to put the game away and set up a meeting with Pittsburgh. Mike Wilkinson led the way with 18 points and five rebounds and Boo Wade had 16 and four assists.

Known as a tough physical, defensive team, the Badgers met their match against Pittsburgh in the second round. The Panthers were bigger, tougher and made more key shots down the stretch to send most of the 18,866 at the Bradley Center home disappointed. Devin Harris had a solid post-season averaging 16 points, five assists and five rebounds. Wilkinson pitched in with 13.5 and 5.5.

Michigan State appeared on its way to a convincing victory when they took a 16 point lead in the first half. They struggled to score the rest of the way and eventually succumbed to Nevada 72-66. Paul Davis led the Spartans with 16 points and six rebounds, but was the only Spartan with more than 10. Wolfpack star Kirk Snyder paced four Nevada players with at least 12 by scoring 19. A late second half drought did the Spartans in. After two Alan Anderson free throws put MSU ahead 63-56 with 6:53 left in the second half, the Spartans would not score again until Maurice Ager hit a three pointer with 20 seconds left.

The Great Lakes state’s other Big Ten team fared much better in the postseason. After reaching the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, Michigan was hopeful about an NCAA bid. That goal fell short, but the Wolverines made the most of their NIT experience.

Michigan met up with Missouri in the first round. The match up pitted former Duke Teammates Michigan Head Coach Tommy Amaker and Missouri Head Coach Quin Snyder. The Wolverines needed a late runner by Daniel Horton to advance past the Tigers 65-64. Big Blue followed that up with convincing wins over Oklahoma and Hawaii to book a trip to Madison Square Garden.

In New York, they blasted Oregon in the semifinals 78-53 to set up a meeting with Rutgers in the championship game. The title bout was a tribute to the survive and advance mentality of post season basketball. The Wolverines captured a 62-55 victory in an ugly game to earn the school’s third NIT championship. Daniel Horton was named the tournament MVP and Dion Harris also was named to the all tournament team.

Purdue ventured into post season basketball with a four game losing streak. They were unable to break their mindset as they lost their NIT opener 71-59 to Notre Dame. Incredibly, the loss was their first meeting with the Fighting Irish in 39 years. Purdue was done in by a pair of unlikely sources. Chris Quinn’s 21 and Rick Cornett with 16 offset an off night by Irish star Chris Thomas. The only Boilermakers in double figures were Brett Buscher with 12 and David Teague with 10. Kenneth Lowe ended his career with five points on only 2-8 from the floor.

Similar to Michigan State in the NCAA’s, Iowa appeared to be cruising towards the second round. The Hawkeyes opened a 17 point lead, only to see St. Louis’ furious rally. The fatal blow to the Hawks season was a three by the Billikins Anthony Drejaj at the buzzer. Iowa was led by Jeff Horner with 17 and Pierre Pierce with 16.

Player of the Year:

Devin Harris – Wisconsin

Coach of the Year:

The only all-league honor I would dissent from is coach of the year. Bill Carmody earned the award and without a doubt did an incredible job at Northwestern this season. The fact that Wisconsin was in the race for the Big Ten title and earned the tournament title should have secured the award for Badger boss Bo Ryan. The Badgers lost their second best and most athletic player Alando Tucker for all but four games with a broken foot in the preseason. With the decision of McDonald’s All-American Brian Butch to redshirt, Ryan was without two thirds of his expected frontline.

Sixth Man of the Year:

The Big Ten doesn’t award a sixth man of the year award. Two outstanding unsung heroes deserve the award for 2003-04. Aaron Johnson played like a starter for Penn State for most of the season. He finished at 9.7 PPG, 6.5 Rebounds and shot 48 percent from the field. He helped the Nittany Lions by finishing the season with five double-doubles and had his best outing of the year against the thin front line of Indiana with 28 points and 15 rebounds.

Dion Harris improved as the season went along. The first team all Big Ten freshman scored in double figures in 15 games and averaged 10.1 PPG and shot 34.1 percent from three point range. By posting a 13.6 average in the NIT and making the all tournament team, Harris gets the nod over Johnson for the sixth man of the year.

The performance of the season also belongs to Devin Harris. Against Minnesota any and every superlative would have applied. He scorched the Golden Gophers for 38 points in an 80-66 Wisconsin win.

The Big Ten should regain its spot among the nation’s elite conferences in 2004-05. Three of the conference’s top four teams return the majority of its core and in some cases will bring in difference makers. Illinois will likely enter the season in the top ten nationally, while Wisconsin and Michigan State should be in the top 25. Michigan is a team to watch and could be ranked in some top 25s. The Big Ten should be able to improve on only one team in the sweet 16 in 2004. All of the Big Ten schools are drivable from next season’s Final Four in St. Louis. With two of the Final Four in 1999 and 2000, a repeat in 2005 is possible.

Looking Ahead

Losing Humphries after a stellar freshman season was not a surprise for the Big Ten. When Harris announced his intension to enter the NBA draft, Badger nation suffered from a case of what might have been. Wisconsin will still have a strong team with the return of Boo Wade and Mike Wilkinson plus Alando Tucker, Brian Butch and Sharif Chambliss coming off redshirt seasons and the addition of high school All-American Greg Stiemsma. With Harris the Badgers would have been a legitimate top ten team, without him, they should still be in the top 20.

One of the biggest surprises on the NBA’s early entry list was Illinois forward Roger Powell. After gauging his position, it was no surprise when Powell decided to return to school. Strangely enough, Illinois mentor Bruce Weber learned of Powell’s original intensions when seeing the original list of early entry candidates.

Team news

The 2003-04 Big Ten season was one full of news and events. A plethora of Big Ten players transferred during the course of the season and after. Ohio State’s Jim O’Brien was forced out after he disclosed he gave Buckeye recruit Alexander Radojevic’s mother $6,000. Xavier’s Thad Matta was named as O’Brien’s successor.

Iowa

Injuries and academic casualties hampered Big Ten teams throughout the season. Iowa was clearly decimated the most. The Hawkeyes lost Nick DeWitz and Mike Henderson to academics in December. DeWitz later decided to move on to Oregon State. Jared Reiner, who led the Big Ten in rebounding in 2003, was lost for the season in January with a broken foot. His backup Sean Sonderleiter left the team a week later for personal and family reasons.

Northwestern

Jitim Young hopes to become the first Wildcat to make an NBA roster since Evan Eschmeyer entered the NBA in 1999. Despite the loss of Young, the future looks bright in E-Town. Guards Mohamad Hachad and T.J. Parker return and NU will have transfers Michael Thompson from Duke and Tim Boyle from St. John’s eligible next season. Kentucky’s Bernard Cote also announced his intension to enroll at Northwestern, but he will have to sit out a year before regaining his eligibility in 2005-06.

Michigan

Tommy Amaker led Michigan through an up and down season that concluded with the NIT championship. Bernard Robinson Jr. helped Amaker mentor a young Wolverine team that should be headed back to the NCAA’s next season. Robinson will depart along with Colin Dill. The return of the backcourt of Lester Abram, Dion Harris and Daniel Horton makes the Wolverines a sleeper in the Big Ten race.

Purdue

It has been an eventful off season in West Lafayette. It began with Gene Keady chasing and subsequently turning down the head coaching position at San Francisco. Keady wanted a greater commitment from Purdue Athletic Director Morgan Burke. Southern Illinois’s Matt Painter was brought in to be Keady’s chief assistant in 2004-05 and will then take over the as the head coach in 2005-06.

Illinois

Purdue decision to bring in Painter also affected the Illini. Illinois assistant Chris Lowery took over the head coaching job in Carbondale after one season in Champaign. To complete the coaching carousel, Tracy Webster left Purdue and will succeed Lowery as an assistant at Illinois. Webster played at Wisconsin and grew up in the Chicago area. He should provide Bruce Weber with an excellent pipeline in Chicagoland for the Illini.

The Illini also gained a commitment to their 2005 recruiting class. Marcus Arnold announced he was transferring from Illinois State. The 6’8 junior forward will be a welcome addition, as Roger Powell, Luther Head, Jack Ingram and Nick Smith will be seniors next season. Arnold averaged 12.3 PPG and 4.6 rebounds for the Redbirds in 2004.

Illinois extended Weber’s contract by one season through 2009 and gave him a $50,000 per year increase to $200,000 annually. Weber just concluded his first season in Champaign by leading the Illini to their first outright Big Ten title since 1952. Weber’s total annual pay will be about $500,000 when camps and appearance fees for radio and television shows and speaking engagements are added to the equation.

Indiana

The Hoosiers have had a hectic off season. The Hoosiers lost High School phenom Josh Smith to the NBA draft, which was not a big surprise, but when 7’0 center Robert Rothbart also decided to put his name in the IU faithful was thrown for a loop. Thankfully for Davis, he took his name out before the draft and will enroll in Bloomington. Indiana also learned that Marco Killingsworth and Lewis Monroe will transfer from Auburn to Bloomington. They will have one year of eligibility commencing in the fall of 2005. Killingsworth put up 13.7 PPG and 6.7 rebounds and Monroe posted 6.1 PPG.

There is plenty of talent on hand in Bloomington. Bracey Wright will look to improve on an up and down sophomore year and Marshall Strickland will try to live up the high expectations bestowed upon him when he entered IU. With the graduation of George Leach, someone will have to emerge up front or Mike Davis’ job security might be in jeopardy.

Wisconsin

If the loss of Harris wasn’t tough enough, Sharif Chambliss will spend the off-season rehabbing his knee after tearing his ACL. How well he recovers will play a large part in the success of the 2004-05 Badgers.

Penn State

Penn State’s season looked promising after opening the Big Ten season 2-0. A rash of defections doomed the Nittany Lions to another last place finish. Brandon Cameron announced he was transferring and he would eventually land at IUPUI. De Forrest Riley-Smith wanted to return home and moved on to Xavier. At the end of the season, Aaron Johnson declared his intensions to play for another school. The freshman backcourt of Ben Luber and Marlon Smith gives Ed DeChellis a positive eye towards the future.

Michigan State

After a largely disappointing season in 2004, Michigan State will look to bounce back in 2005. The return of the core players ensures that the Spartans will once again challenge for the Big Ten crown. After flirting with a few NBA top jobs, Tom Izzo decided to stay in East Lansing. The current cast of Spartans has unfinished business.

Ohio State

Geiger had given O’Brien the option of resigning after the recruiting allegations were released. When he refused, Geiger was left with no choice but to relieve O’Brien of his duties. O’Brien did restore some pride to the Buckeye program in his six years in Columbus. He compiled a 133-88 record in seven years and led the Bucks to their first final four appearance in 31 years in 1999. Matta led both Xavier and Butler to the NCAA tournament and is a rising star in the coaching profession.

Minnesota

The exodus continues in the Twin Cities. A year after star forward Rick Rickert left for NBA riches, Kris Humphries followed suit at the end of the this season. Humphries had a spectacular season in his one year at the barn, but that was unable to translate into wins. Earlier in the season, Maurice Hargrow left UM and eventually moved on to Arkansas. His replacement, Stan Gaines, decided to take his game to Seton Hall in the off-season.

Minnesota also lost Ben Johnson, Michael Bauer and two other seniors to graduation. The outlook for 2005 is bleak. Returnees Jeff Hagen and Aliou Kane were contributors in 2004, but not the kind of players that can carry a team.

If Monson doesn’t get the Gophers on the road to respectability soon, he might be looking for a new job in the spring of 2005.

EA Roundball Classic

EA Roundball Classic Showcases Future NBA and Collegiate Stars

by Alan Rubenstein

Shaun Livingston and A.J. Price earned co-MVP’s for the West and J.R. Smith was voted the East’s best player as the West cruised to an easy 124-110 victory in the 40th annual EA Sports Roundball classic in front of 15,421 at the United Center in Chicago.

The west exploded to a 31-9 lead in the first quarter. They settled in 40-22 at the end of one were never seriously threatened.

The traditional High School All-Star games have become a showcase for the pro scouts as much as the college recruiters. The possibility lies that more than have the players in the Roundball review will be drafted. Dwight Howard out of Southwest Christian in Atlanta is the highest regarded prepster in this the class of 2004. Howard finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in a steady but unspectacular performance.

The emphasis on SportsCenter highlights, spectacular high flying dunks, an abundance of no look passes and no you didn’t blocked shots has suffocated the fundamentals of basketball. The teams combined to shoot 34.5 percent from free throw line, the west particularly abysmal connecting on only eight of 24 from the line. Randolph Morris, who is headed to Kentucky, hit just one of his eight, while Howard hit just four of ten.

Turnovers also played a large role in the outcome. The east committed 27 to the West’s 21. A pair of future Big East performers will need to take better care of the ball once they get to college. Future Syracuse Orangemen Josh Wright and Seton Hall Pirate Justin Cerasoli each had seven. They each did a nice job at running the East’s offense. Wright finished with five points and five assists and Cerasoli five and eight. Collectively, they will need work on their shooting. Cerasoli connected on just two of seven shots, while Wright made only two of six. Cerasoli’s eight assists were very impressive since he is projected as a shooting guard in college.

Cerasoli showed traits of a versatile combo guard. Equally adept at the point of the two, He has a nice feel for the game and fed the post well. Cerasoli will have to work on finishing stronger in the lane when he goes up against the physical Big East guards.

Wright has excellent court awareness and fed J.R. Smith for a sick alley-oop. Wright gives Jim Boeheim some insurance if Billy Edelin doesn’t return.

The East was able to bolt out to their insurmountable lead behind the impressive play of probable lottery pick Shaun Livingston, Robert Swift, who has his name entered in the draft but might go to USC and North Carolina bound Marvin Williams.

Livingston had three of his seven assists in the quarter, Swift provided Livingston with a target inside and Williams had the first of a few emphatic slams.

Although Livingston and Price earned the MVP’s, it was Williams who stole the show. He had a surplus of flushes and energized the crowd. Included was one over Roy Bright and a forceful one in traffic on the break. He hit six of eight shots and finished with 15 points.

Livingston finished the night with 12 points and seven assists. He is not the flashy or explosive type player that many of his Roundball peers are. The 6’6 point guard from Peoria, IL showed a consistent all around game. He showed nice range on his jump shot ran the west offense with aplomb and had a nice block. Very slender at 6’7 170, Livingston will have to bulk up to succeed in the NBA.

Not as highly touted as Livingston, A.J. Price proved he belonged among the elite point guard for the class for 2004. He has instincts that can’t be taught to a lead guard and brilliant range. The son of Tony Price who was the hero of the 1979 Penn Final Four team, Price had eight points and a Roundball record 15 assists to only one turnover. He connected on two of four from three point range and showed a tough minded game defensively. Many might discount Connecticut with the departures of Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon and Point Guard Taliek Brown, but Price should fill Gordon’s shoes admirably.

Robert Swift was an unexpected surprise inside for West Coach Chuck Buescher of Peoria Central in Illinois. Swift helped the West get off to a good start by giving them a presence inside. Swift had six points and two rebounds in the first quarter and ended up with 17 and 12. The seven footer moves well for his size, has excellent moves in the post and was a persistent rebounder. He will have to work on his strength over the summer. Swift lost the ball a couple of times inside and missed a dunk.

If Ben Howland is going to restore the tradition at UCLA, Aaron Afflalo will be one of the key elements. Afflalo is the highest ranked player who will be matriculating in Westwood this fall. After beginning the game with a two handed break away dunk, Afflalo struggled. He finished with only six points and two assist, along with four turnovers. To become a more consistent player, Afflalo will have to wok on his shooting. He hit only two of seven from the floor, missed all three of his tree point attempts, and was two of five from the line.

Morris had a memorable battle earlier in the season with Howard. At 6’11, 270, Morris will be a load inside. He showed outstanding quickness around the basket and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Herb Sendak has raised North Carolina State to the top of the ACC seemingly year by year. Cedric Simmons should help the Wolfpack chase their first ACC title since the glory years of Jim Valvano in the eighties. Simmons was limited to four points on two of nine from the field. Despite his poor shooting night he showed explosiveness to the basket and a variety of post moves. Simmons compensated for a poor night by grabbing nine rebounds (five offensive) and blocked five shots. He showed quick anticipation defensively and should be an impact player in Raleigh next year.

They might be wondering what might have been in Chapel Hill with J.R. Smith’s decision to enter the NBA draft. Smith showed exceptional range on his jump shot, is an adept passer and was a ball hawk on the defensive end. To earn the MVP, Smith finished 16 points, four assist, five steals and committed only one turnover.

Similar to the fans at North Carolina, Indiana fans will also wonder what could have been with Mr. Smith. The 6’9 forward from Powder Spring, GA and Oak Hill Academy showed a versatile all around game. He finished with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Dave Leitao he DePaul poised to return to national prominence on the eve of their transfer to the Big East. If Dorell Wright decides to make his way to the Windy City, he will give the Blue Demons a big boost offensively. As of now, he has his name entered in the draft. He can post up or hit the mid range jump shot and is explosive to the hoop. His presence would make De Paul a major player in their last season in Conference USA>

Ranked number two to begin the season, Missouri suffered through a disappointing season. The Tigers finished 16-14 losing to Michigan in the first round of the NIT. Marshall Brown should help Quinn Snyder to turn the fortunes around in the Show Me State in 2005. A 6’6 wing forward from Austin, TX wowed the crowd at the United Center. Brown is a quick off the floor high flyer. Brown had a flurry of dunks and finished with 19 points and five boards.

John Brady has the LSU program revitalized. Glen Davis should give the Tigers an inside presence they have lacked the last few seasons. Davis who is from Baton Rouge will be a load for SEC center and power forwards at 6’9 330. He showed a variety of post moves and is agile for his size. He had the best line score in this season’s Classic, finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, five blocks, five steals, and three assists. Davis will have to work on his touch near the basket and his free throw shooting. Davis missed a few bunnies and was only three of eight from the line.

The departure of James Thomas will leave a gaping hole inside for Rick Barnes and Texas. With Brian Boddicker preferring the three point line to mixing it up inside, the Horns needed a more physical player. Barnes went into SEC country to land 6’9 230 forward Michael Williams. Williams finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds and will be a nice addition to a Longhorn program on the verge of becoming among the nation’s elite teams.

The Florida Gators like to get out on the break and Gainesville-bound Joakim Noah will fit right in. Noah is the son of former Tennis superstar Yannick Noah. He flashed athleticism, but will have to work on his offensive game to become a more complete player. Noah missed a dunk and hit just three of 14 from the floor and one of four from the line for seven points. He was also the only player to foul out.

Calvin Brock was out to show the United Center crowd that the local Boy made good. Brock helped ignite the first quarter explosion by the west. The Chicago Simeon product scored all seven of his points in the opening stanza. Brock who is headed to Illinois showed versatility as a wing forward. He is likely to become a taller version of Cedric Banks of Illinois-Chicago.

Juan Diego Palacios had a solid but unspectacular game. Palacios who is headed to Louisville has drawn comparisons to Jamal Mashburn. The Columbia native finished with nine points and one rebound.

Roy Bright quietly put together a nine point, 11 rebound night. The Cincinnati bound small forward struggled to four of 12 from the field and missed an alley-oop. Bright should add some needed fire power for Bob Huggins.

While Swift might be headed for the NBA, Gabe Pruitt gave the Trojans fans a reason to be excited. A 6-5 combo guard, Pruitt skills will match those of future teammates the Cravens and the Stewarts. USC should be on the rise in the Pac Ten. Pruitt finished with 17 points.

There has been a lot of talk about the class of 2004. Many have said it is the best since 1988 in a class that included Alonzo Mourning and Christian Laettner and possibly the best class since 1979. That class included Isiah Thomas, Terry Cummings and Dominique Wilkins. The players headed to the NBA will likely be years away from showing how good they can become, while its possible a few will make a Carmelo Anthony type impact next season.

Big Ten Finals Recap

Big Ten Conference Finals Recap
		Recap by Alan Rubenstein (2) Wisconsin 70, (1) Illinois 53 Devin Harris’s dominance over the Big Ten continued into the Big Ten tournament. Harris, the league player of the year earned the rare double of the regular season and postseason MVP awards. Harris averaged 23.7 PPG in the tournament and set the championship game record with 29 points. Wisconsin’s 70-53 victory was their first Big Tournament championship. Harris was the story of the tournament. His two late threes in the semifinal victory over Michigan State put the Badgers in the championship game. Against Illinois, he took over the second half. Twenty of his 29 points came after intermission, punctuated by an emphatic alley-oop from Boo Wade. After the dunk Wisconsin fans let Harris know that they wanted one more year. Mike Wilkinson joined Harris on all tournament team with Dee Brown and Deron Williams of Illinois and Jitim Young of Northwestern. That Young made it is a testament to his importance to the Wildcats. NU lost to Michigan State in the quarterfinals. Wisconsin opened the game on a 6-0 run, extended the lead to 24-11 and settled in at the half 35-23. If not for Dee Brown in the early going and throughout the first half, the Illini might have been blown out by halftime. Brown scored seven of the Illini’s first nine points and had 11 by break. Although Wisconsin went into the break with a 12 point lead, they had opportunities to put Illinois away in the opening 20 minutes. Wisconsin began the second half with greater energy than the Illini. Devin Harris scored the first 11 points for Wisconsin in the second half, the Badgers would extend the lead to 18 seven minutes in and were never seriously threatened in the final 20 minutes. The Badgers were in control of this one from tip-off to the net cutting. Brown was the only one who could get anything going for the Illini offensively. Although Brown was solid with 11 points on four-of-six shooting in the first half, his teammates managed to connect on only three for 18, burying the Illini in the 12 point halftime deficit from which they could not recover. The Badger defense that has been a catalyst for their success all season was especially first-rate in the championship game. Illinois shot only 32.7 percent, their lowest output of the season and hit on just 29 percent of their shots in the first half when the game was still in doubt. The Badger defense wasn’t the only aspect of Wisconsin’s game to shine. They dominated Illinois in virtually every major category. The Badgers out rebounded the Illini 34-27, had a 14-4 edge in second chance points and a 12-2 edge in fast break points. It was definitely the Badgers day to win. The fact that the Badgers led by 12 at the half despite an 0-7 performance from beyond the arc in the opening half illustrates that. With the late finish of the Big Ten tournament championship it appeared that the game had little meaning beyond the Badgers being able to hoist the trophy. Illinois was assigned to the Atlanta region and will open the NCAA tournament as a five seed in Columbus against Murray State. The Badgers received a questionably low six seed. They will be in front of the home fans in Milwaukee as part of the East Rutherford region when they take on Richmond. The Spiders will not be an easy out for the Badgers. They know all about winning in hostile territory, winning earlier this season against Kansas at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. Michigan State is the Big Ten’s only other representative and will match up with Nevada in Seattle as a seven seed in the St. Louis region. If they get past the Wolfpack, the Spartans would have a virtual road game, likely facing Gonzaga in their home state. The will be able to draw on their run through last year’s tournament. Included in their run to the elite eight was a second round upset over Florida in St. Petersburg.

Big Ten Semifinals Recap

Big Ten Conference Semifinals Recap
		Recap by Alan Rubenstein No. 1 Illinois 74 No. 5 Michigan 60 The Illini train keeps rolling. Illinois jumped to a 15-5 lead and led from wire to wire. Michigan crawled to within 37-34 by holding the Illini scoreless for 7:45 stretch spanning the halves. The Wolverines eventually sliced the margin to two, but Illinois slowly rebuilt the lead throughout the second half to advance to the championship game for the second straight year. The win pushed the Illini streak to 12, their longest since they opened the 1989-90 season 12-0. Illinois used its speed and quickness to force Michigan into 15 turnovers. Illinois had a 23-4 advantage in points off turnovers. The Illini were also able to get their fast break in high gear bolting out to a 15-4 first half advantage in fast break points. Illinois finished with a 19-12 edge on the break. Illinois was forced to play without starting forward Roger Powell, who was kneed in the head in the victory over Indiana on Friday. He is expected to return for the final against Wisconsin. James Augustine slid over to forward and Nick Smith moved into Augustine’s center position. Augustine had arguably his best game of the season. The sophomore from suburban Chicago hit the Wolverines for 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Dee Brown paced the Illinois attack with 21 points and four assists and Luther Head had 12. That the Illinois won with a sub par game from Deron Williams was particularly impressive. Williams finished with seven points and seven assists on three of 11 from the floor. Michigan will now have to sit and wait to see if they get in the dance. The likelihood is that they are going to wind up in the NIT. If the Big Ten does get a fourth team, the Wolverines should be the one dancing. Although Iowa finished fourth in the regular season, Michigan won two of three in their head to head meetings, including in Friday quarterfinals. The loss against the Illini dropped Tommy Amaker’s career record against Illinois to 0-8. The future is bright in Ann Arbor. Bernard Robinson Jr. who will leave the Wolverines after their postseason had 15 points and five rebounds. The rest of Michigan’s key contributors for the in their loss to Illinois are either freshmen or sophomores. Courtney Sims had a very encouraging freshman season and led the Big Ten in blocked shots. Sims posted ten points, 12 rebounds and four blocks against the Illini. After struggling throughout the year, Daniel Horton started to reassert himself late in the season. The 2003 Big Ten freshman of the year had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists in the semifinal and freshman Dion Harris scored 11. No. 2 Wisconsin 68 No. 3 Michigan State 66 After staging a classic in the final week of the regular season, a Michigan State-Wisconsin match up was the game Big Ten fans were pointing to once the pairings were set. Wisconsin once again used the formula of riding Devin Harris and Mike Wilkinson to victory. Harris finished with 21 points and Wilkinson hit for 20 and nine rebounds as Wisconsin defeated MSU for the fifth straight time. Michigan State’s hot shooting continued as the Spartans bolted out to a 7-0 lead to begin the game. A thunderous dunk by Alan Anderson pushed the Spartan lead to ten and seemed to wake up the Badgers. Wilkinson kept Wisconsin in the game early by scoring the Badgers first seven points. Harris finally woke up with 5:39 left in the half with two free throws. A three pointer 18 seconds later and Harris was off. Harris took the game over when it counted with eights points including two three pointers in the final three minutes to push the Badgers into the finals for the first time. The last three minutes were made for an instant classic. Seven ties or lead changes drove fans from both teams out of their seats. Harris’ two big threes gave the Badgers the lead and set up a thrilling end. With Harris at the line and the Badgers nursing a one point lead, Bo Ryan had to be feeling pretty good about his team’s chance to extend the lead to three. Harris missed the front end of a one-and-one. After a Michigan State time out with 18.6 seconds left, the Spartans Kelvin Torbert missed a mid range jumper and Wisconsin’s Zach Morley was put on the line after grabbing the rebound. Morley split the charitables giving MSU one last chance. With the Spartans down two, Maurice Ager grabbed the Morley missed free throw and drove the length of the court. Ager’s jumper near the free throw line seemed to be online but missed just enough to send the Badgers to the title game for a grudge match with Illinois. The Illini won in Champaign in the Big Ten’s top seeds second meeting after the Badgers pounded Illinois in Madison early in the Big Ten Season. Michigan State used a more balanced offense. Paul Davis led the Spartans with 16 points and five rebounds, Shannon Brown had 15 and Chris Hill had 11 points and six assists.

Big Ten Finals Preview

Big Ten Conference Finals Preview
		Preview by Alan Rubenstein No. 1 Illinois vs. No. 2 Wisconsin With this meeting on a neutral floor, you can throw out the first two meetings the teams had. The Illini defeated the Badgers by eight in a game that the Illini controlled in Champaign and the Badgers pounded Illinois by 20 in Madtown. This is a different Illinois team, the Illini have breezed through two tournament games. Although they will be taking a step up in competition, the Illini are still the favored team in the showdown for the Big Ten Tournament Championship. Illinois felt wronged when Devin Harris stepped to the free throw line after a foul call with 0.4 seconds left when the two played in Madison last season. The win gave the Badgers the outright Big Ten regular season title. With virtually the whole team back from last season, this might be the Illini’s time to get a small measure of revenge. The key could be how well Powell bounces back from his injury. Wilkinson and Harris have led the Badgers all year and make up 47.6 percent of Wisconsin’s scoring on the year. The pulse and offense of the team runs through Harris. The coaches’ pre-season player of the year and everyone’s player of the year makes the Badgers tick. The Illini are going to have to limit the success that Wilkinson and Harris have. In their victory in Madison, Harris had 30, while he was held to 16 in the Illini win. Wilkinson struck the Illini for 24 points and nine boards in victory but had only seven and six in defeat. The difference for the Illini during their 12 game winning streak has been the reemergence of Dee Brown. After scoring only two against Indiana in the quarter, Brown bounced back and had 21 in the Illini’s semifinal victory. Brown is averaging 16.9 Points per game over his last seven games, a four point improvement over the rest of the season. The Illini are on a roll, while the Badgers will have to dig deep into the well after an emotional victory over Michigan State on Saturday. These two have matched up only once in the Big Ten tournament. The second seeded Illini knocked out the tenth seeded Badgers 66-61 in the 1998 quarterfinals. Illinois’s starters did not have to play as many tough minutes on Saturday. They also have a more balanced offense. If Harris and/or Wilkinson have a down game, it will make it hard for the Badgers to get much going offensively. The game should be tight throughout, but with the Badgers suffering from a big of fatigue, the Illini should pull away late for an eight point victory.

Big Ten First Round Recap

Big Ten Conference First Round Recap
		Recap by Alan Rubenstein (8) Indiana 81, (9) Ohio State 69 Mike Davis has been increasingly frustrated with the way his Indiana Hoosiers have been playing the last month. IU’s 2-8 record in their last ten games did not look too favorable when they opened the Big Ten tournament against Ohio State. Two unlikely heroes emerged for Indiana to defeat the Buckeyes. Mark Johnson played only ten minutes and scored just eight points throughout the season. He nearly doubled both those outputs versus the Buckeyes. Johnson finished with 13 points in 20 minutes of action and hit three of his six threes. Ryan Tapak had a career high 11 assists as the Hoosiers grabbed an almost improbable victory. As they have all year long, A.J. Moye and Bracey Wright led the way. Moye finished with 19 points and eight rebounds and Wright had 20. It looked like Ohio State was going to control this one early. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 21-10 lead, but the Hoosiers did not wilt. IU went on a 21-4 run to close the half punctuated by a Moye three with one second left. They then used a 10-0 run in the second half to put the game away. Terence Dials had 22 points and nine rebounds, J.J. Sullinger had 18 and six boards and Velimir Radinovic had 13. OSU’s leading scorer Tony Stockman who had been hot at the end of the season finished with eight points on three of 13 shooting. (10) Minnesota 63, (7) Purdue 52 After an abysmal half in which Minnesota shot only 22 percent and Purdue hit 34 percent, the Boilers and Golden Gophers were tied at 19. The Gophers who’s only shot at a post season birth is to win the Big Ten tournament, played with a greater sense of purpose in the second half. Both offenses woke up after halftime, but Minnesota was the better team after the intermission. After Purdue began the final 20 minutes with a 5-0 run, the Gophers answered with a 9-0 run of their own. They held the Boilermakers scoreless for four minutes during the run and never trailed after that. Kris Humphries was able to overcome a four for 21 afternoon from the field by hitting 11 of 13 from the line for 20 points and grabbed a career high 15 rebounds to pace the Gophers. Michael Bauer extended his career at least one more game with 16 points and Aaron Boone had 13 points and six rebounds. David Teague and Brandon McKnight were the only Boilermakers who were able to get going offensively with 16 each. Kenneth Lowe had a frustrating afternoon with only six points on three of ten shooting in his final Big Ten game. (6) Northwestern 57, (11) Penn State 52 Northwestern came into the Big Ten tournament with wins in five of their last eight games, a sixth place Big Ten finish and a .500 record. Penn State was in a ten game losing streak. The Lions were not expected to put up much of a fight after Northwestern blitzed Penn State with a 30-2 run to win going away in their last meeting. The Wildcats fell behind early then used a similar formula to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament for just the third time. Penn State jumped out to a 22-12 lead in the first half. The Cats answered with a 14-0 run, holding Penn State scoreless for eight minutes. An Aaron Johnson basket cut the Northwestern lead to two at the half. Northwestern then held Penn State scoreless for another four minutes to begin the second half and extended the lead to seven. Penn State wasn’t ready to quit and NU didn’t seize control until a late 7-0 run clinched the victory. A dreadful offensive performance on both ends was the story of the game. Northwestern was able to overcome 36 percent shooting by forcing 26 Penn State turnovers, 20 in the first half. Twenty of those turnovers came directly from steals. Jitim Young had a Big Ten tournament record with eight, and Vedran Vukusic tied the record with six. Penn State was able to stay in the game by out rebounding NU 48-28 and making 44 percent of their shots. Vukusic paced Northwestern with 16 points, Young had 14 and Mohamed Hachad 13. Aaron Johnson 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Nittany Lions, Marlon Smith matched Johnson’s 14 and Rob Summers had 10.

Big Ten Quarterfinals Preview

Big Ten Conference Quarterfinals Preview
		Preview by Alan Rubenstein No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 5 Michigan Michigan and Iowa enter the Big Ten tournament after fighting to the wire to earn their byes. The maize and blue and black and gold are also fighting for births in the NCAA tournament. Which ever one survives their quarterfinal meeting will have a leg up on a NCAA birth. Both schools have made improbable runs to the title before. Michigan won the tournament as the fourth seed in 1998. Iowa captured the title as the ninth seed in 2001 and followed that up with a runner-up finish in 2002. The difference in this one should be Michigan’s depth. Michigan is able to go eight deep, while the Hawkeyes have been playing only six players for the last month. Iowa has been decimated by injuries, defections and academic causalities since January. Both schools won this year on their home court. For the Wolverines to win, they are going to have to take better care of the ball. In the 69-61 loss at Iowa, Michigan committed 21 turnovers. Both teams like to get out and run. Michigan has better athletes and more offensive firepower. The Hawkeyes have better experience and muscle inside. Michigan should be able to ware down the Hawkeyes. Iowa and Michigan both use balanced offenses. In the postseason, unsung heroes like Mark Johnson of Indiana step up from out of nowhere to help their teams win. Michigan has more players capable of having an unexpected clutch performance. That should be enough to be the difference. No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 1 Illinois Indiana played up Hoosier hysteria to the hilt to capture the first round win over Ohio State. Mark Johnson and Ryan Tapak are highly unlikely to duplicate those performances against the Big Ten’s hottest team. All Illinois has done the last month is win ten straight to capture the Big Ten championship. With Dee Brown and Deron Williams playing as well as any backcourt in the country, the Illini will end Indiana’s string of post season appearances at 26. Brown and Williams should roll on the perimeter and James Augustine, Nick Smith and Roger Powell will be too much for Indiana inside. The Illini’s victory in Bloomington in early February was the beginning of the end for Indiana. Illinois should end Indiana’s season in the Big Ten quarters. The Illini should stem the tide of the number one seed faltering in the quarterfinals. Four of the six years the Big Ten has staged a conference tournament, the top seed has been upset in their first game. No. 10 Minnesota vs. No. 2 Wisconsin Devin Harris, Devin Harris, Devin Harris. In the Badgers and Golden Gophers only meeting this season, Harris scorched Minnesota for a career high 38 points as Wisconsin rolled to an 80-66 victory. Harris made everything in sight that night. It was obvious that Minnesota had no answer for the Big Ten’s best player in 2004. Kris Humphries was able to put up 21 points and eight boards in the last meeting, but his shooting percentage has dropped significantly during the second half of the Big Ten season. Wisconsin was upset the last two years as the number one seed in the quarters. As the number two seed this year, that trend should come to an end. The Badgers roll in this one. No. 6 Northwestern vs. No. 3 Michigan State After shooting just 36 percent and escaping with a win in the first round, Northwestern is going up against the Big Ten’s best shooting team. As is the case with the Minnesota-Wisconsin and Illinois-Indiana quarters, the Wildcats and Spartans only played once this season. There wasn’t much NU could do to slow the Spartans efficient offense as they fell 73-61. Michigan State shot 61 percent from the floor and hit nine of 16 threes that night. The only chance they are going to have to make the semifinals for the first time they are going to have to come close to the Spartans performance against them in their last meeting. The Cats are certainly capable of having an exceptional night from the field. Although the percentages don’t bare it out, Northwestern can put five players on the floor with three point range. Northwestern finished last in the Big Ten in three point field goal percentage, but first in makes per game. Maurice Ager did most of the damage with 24 points, including hitting six three pointers in the first half. That was the story for the Spartans throughout the Big Ten season. As a team, the Spartans hit the Big Ten shooting Triple Crown. Michigan State led the Big Ten in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and three point percentage. The only way Northwestern is going to be able to stay in this game is to make it ugly. They are going to have to slow the game down and keep the score in the forties or fifties. Someone else is going to have step up other than Vukusic or Young. NU mentor Bill Carmody has said the key to the “Princeton Offense” is having a third scoring option. Michigan State has six players who can carry them on any given night. They are simply too deep and talented to fall to the Cats. Unless Northwestern does something extraordinary or has one of their players simply take the game over, the Spartans should win this one. Expect a closer one than last time. Michigan State should ware the Cats down and pull away to a ten point victory in the last five to ten minutes.

Big Ten Quarterfinals Recap

Big Ten Conference Quarterfinals Recap
		Recap by Alan Rubenstein No. 1 Illinois 71, No. 8 Indiana 59 A 13-1 Illinois run late in the second half finally put Indiana away. The Hoosiers came back from double digit deficits to narrow the gap numerous times. The Hoosiers never held the lead after the 8:45 mark of the first half. Luther Head and Deron Williams dominated the second half for the Illini. Head had 19 of his 29 points in the second half and Williams had 15 of his 20 after the intermission to help the Illini pull away late. Head’s 29 will a personal career best and the most ever scored in a Big Ten tournament game. IU Walk-on Mark Johnson who virtually unknown before the tournament had his second amazing game in a row. With the Hoosiers trailing 45-32, Johnson scored eight points during a 20-7 IU run to knot the game. Johnson finished with 16 points to establish a career high for the second straight day, and hit four of nine from long distance. The win extended the Illini winning streak to 11. The streak is Illinois’ longest in almost 15 years. No. 5 Michigan 79, No. 4 Iowa 70 Iowa bolted to a 14-4 run in the first four minutes of the game, but went cold the remainder of the half. Michigan took control outscoring the Hawkeyes 28-11 in the last 16 minutes of the half to lead 32-25 at the break. The Wolverines would eventually extend the lead to 17 in the second half. A late Hawkeye rally cut the lead to five, but Michigan hit its free throws and moved on the semis. Bernard Robinson jr. was all over the place as he has been all year. B-Rob finished with eight points, ten rebounds and eight assists. Dion Harris led Michigan with 23 points and was backed by Lester Abram with 19 and Daniel Horton with 14. Iowa’s Pierre Pierce led all scorers with 28. No. 2 Wisconsin 66, No. 10 Minnesota 52 As they have done all season, Devin Harris and Mike Wilkinson put their Badger teammates on their collective shoulders and helped Wisconsin eliminate a pesky bunch of Golden Gophers. A four point play by Devin Harris extended a Wisconsin lead to 12 and Minnesota would not get closer after that. Harris finished with 21 points, four assists and four rebounds and Wilkinson had 22 points and four steals as the Badgers advanced to the semifinals for the first time in four years. Michael Bauer had eight points and 11 rebounds in his final game as a Gopher, Humphries finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds on just five of 16 from the floor. And Adam Boone had 12. The 12 points tied Humphries season low as the freshman shot only nine of 37 in two Big Ten tournament games. No. 3 Michigan State 68, No. 6 Northwestern 55 Chris Hill returned home and Michigan State continues to blaze the nets as the Spartans defeated Northwestern for the third time this year. The Spartans will try to avoid the same fate when they match up with Wisconsin in the semifinals. Michigan State shot 61.9 percent for the game as Hill led Michigan State with 17. Maurice Ager finished 14, including three of four from three point range. Ager hit 12 of 14 from beyond the arc on the season against NU. The Spartans set the tone for the game by making 13 of 19 shots in the first half and holding Northwestern to 35 percent shooting the opening 20 minutes. The Wildcats cold first half was punctuated by ending the first half without a field goal in the last 8:39. Jitim Young made his final appearance in a Northwestern uniform and led the Cats with 24.