New Florida International coach Isiah Thomas pulled off a major recruiting coup, beating Indiana, Kentucky and Arizona, among others, in getting Dominique Ferguson to commit.

The NCAA Board of Directors might require academically challenged incoming freshmen to attend summer school before they can play in the fall.

The Old Spice Classic, taking place from Nov. 26-29 and featuring 12 games, has its field of participants: Alabama, Baylor, Marquette, Creighton, Florida State, Iona, Michigan and Xavier.

The eight-team Maui Invitational has its brackets ready, and it will be Arizona vs. Wisconsin and Colorado vs. Gonzaga on one side and Maryland vs. Chaminade and Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt in the other.

Israeli guard Nimrod Tishman is officially a Gator student and might soon join the Florida basketball team if the NCAA Clearinghouse approves his amateur status.

UNC Greensboro coach Mike Dement has hired Kevin Oleksiak to be his director of basketball operations. The position will be his first coaching job.

A woman charged with trying to extort money from Louisville coach Rick Pitino was appointed a former federal prosecutor to defend her after her previous attorney quit her case because of “irreconcilable differences” with her.

East Tennessee State coach Murry Bartow has been given a two-year contract extension. Bartow’s deal now runs through the 2013-14 season.

Kentucky coach John Calipari announced that he will not welcome back at least three walk-on players from last season’s team, including two rising seniors. Is that fair as long as he’s doing what he feels is necessary to make the Wildcats a national championship contender? Let us know.

Former U.S. Air Force Academy Prep School assistant coach Capt. Tom Bellairs will join the staff of Air Force head coach Jeff Reynolds as an assistant.