BallHype - Latest NCAA Basketball News Articles

Quick facts: Kentucky

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:59:44 +0000

Coach: John Calipari (first year) Last season's record: 22-14 Spotlight player Everybody is waiting to see freshman point guard John Wall. Everybody knows what to expect from junior Patrick Patterson. But the guy whose performance might make the greatest difference is freshman big man DeMarcus Cousins. He's more of a variable. Cousins has the kind of size and athleticism that makes Al Jefferson so imposing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Cousins is 6-11, 260 and looks a bit like a small forward when he's on the move. How quickly will he make an impact, though? It can be easier for a big man to handle early games, when people are pleased he's providing a presence. Executing against high-level opponents, though, can be a stretch because they'll force Cousins into defensive situations—guarding the pick-and-roll, for instance—that will be new to him. He'll need to function with an unfamiliar level of intensity. Reason to hope Like the player to whom he is commonly compared, ...

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2010 NCAA tournament bracket prediction

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:41:45 +0000

March may be far away, but Jeff Goodman already has his bracket filled out. See who he has cutting down the nets this season.

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Thomas, FIU face tough opener at UNC (AP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:18:49 +0000

Isiah Thomas was midway through a question-and-answer session with some FIU alumni last month when someone stood up and put the Hall of Fame player on the spot. "So, how will you prepare for an opener against North Carolina?" FIU's new coach, to his credit, didn't hesitate before giving the guy his answer.

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The one that got away

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 13:36:03 +0000

Stopped by the Seattle University exhibition game Saturday night and Redhawks coach Cameron Dollar, the former UW assistant, didn't try to hide his excitement about junior college transfer Charles Garcia, the former Husky recruit.

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Marcus Jordan's school gets no reward for brand loyalty

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 02:18:20 +0000

Adidas ends its sponsorship of University of Central Florida sports after the athlete said he'd wear only dad's Nikes. > Adidas ends its sponsorship of University of Central Florida sports after the athlete said he'd wear only dad's Nikes.

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What to watch for as season starts

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 01:16:00 +0000

Beyond the Arc: Jim Boeheim's headed for history, while two conferences (ACC vs. Big Ten and Mo Valley vs. Mountaion West) battle for bragging rights.

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NCAA clears Hoosiers' Muniru to play this season

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:48:12 +0000

Indiana freshman Bawa Muniru has been cleared by the NCAA to play college basketball this season. The Hoosiers had been waiting for the NCAA's eligibility center to make its ruling on Muniru, a 6-foot-11, 260-pound center from Tumu, Ghana. Muniru played high school ball the last two seasons in the U.S. The decision takes immediate effect.

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Road to The Final Four: Irrefutable Statements About The Upcoming Season

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:34:27 +0000

Pretty much the same premise as last year's article: The following statements can be debated, argued, and squabbled over, but in the end the counterarguments against them aren't strong enough to make the statement debatable. Last year's turned out pretty well...North Carolina was undoubtedly the best, the Big East was insanely strong, Indiana defined terrible, no mid-major league stood out, and the freshman lacked significant impact. 1. When not violating the law, Kansas is the best team in the country. The Jayhawks have certainly had their issues during the offseason. Players fighting with fellow student-athletes, facebook wars, drunken driving incidents would have Kansas fighting with Binghamton for the top spot of the Fulmer Cup (if basketball had such a version). If Kansas can ignore the distractions and focus on the hardwood, then this team will be practically unstoppable. Bill Self has himself a collection of talented players that rivals the strength of last year's North Carolina ...

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WSU coach Bone knows who he can trust

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:08:34 +0000

Ken Bradley Gone is Tony Bennett and in is Ken Bone for the Washington State Cougars. Bone inherited a team that went 17-16 a year ago and one that is heavy on youth. He led Portland State to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances the past two seasons and also spent 12 seasons coaching at his alma mater, Seattle Pacific. Bone talked recently with Sporting News' Ken Bradley. Sporting News: You came from Portland State where you had a lot of success and Seattle Pacific where you had success. What do you carry over from those stops to your new job? Ken Bone: It gives me 16 years of coaching—16 years of being a head coach. That probably helps more than anything else, just the experience now of calling the shots as a head coach and being in this position over the years. SN: What are the biggest challenges facing your team this year? KB: Change in a philosophy and a mindset of playing a little faster than some of these ...

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No. 18 Miss. State rolls behind Varnado (AP)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 23:01:59 +0000

Jarvis Varnado scored 17 points and had five blocks to lead No. 18 Mississippi State to a 90-70 victory over Georgetown College on Saturday. The Bulldogs shot 56.6 percent from the floor and scored 24 points off Tiger turnovers to win their final preseason exhibition game. Mississippi State led 41-22 at the half.

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No. 11 Butler blows out NAIA's Taylor (AP)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 22:31:55 +0000

Guard Shelvin Mack scored 12 points and center Matt Howard had 11 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 11 Butler past Taylor 75-44 in an exhibition game Saturday. Howard was the only Butler starter to play more than 20 minutes against Taylor, an NAIA school located in Upland, Ind., north of Indianapolis.

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Rebuilt Jackets ready to regain contender status

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 22:18:11 +0000

An infusion of talent guarantees Georgia Tech will recover from a horrible season and contend on the national level, Jeff Goodman says.

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Virginia C Sene suspended for three games

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 21:14:14 +0000

Sophomore center Assane Sene has been suspended for Virginia's first three games for conduct detrimental to the team. The school did not say Saturday what Sene did to merit the suspension. Sene will miss the Cavaliers' season-opener again Longwood on Nov. 13, and games at South Florida and with Rider. He also will not play in a closed scrimmage with St. John's on Sunday. The 7-foot Senegal native started 16 of the 22 games he played in last season. He averaged 2.5 points and 4.

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Romar, Fortier spotted in Kentwood High stands

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 20:55:03 +0000

Not sure if it's one last push or what, but our Mason Kelley reports he saw coach Lorenzo Romar and assistant Paul Fortier in the Kentwood High stands last night.

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3 questions with ... radio analyst and former Ole Miss guard Keith Carter

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 20:37:27 +0000

Ryan Fagan catches up with Keith Carter, the former All-SEC guard at Ole Miss and current radio analyst for the Rebels. Q: How impressive was Terrico White last year, stepping in when Chris Warren went down with the ACL injury? A: Terrico, we've been hearing about how explosive he was and what type of player he was going to be, and he was just kind of waiting to break out of that shell. Everybody around the program was pretty worried because Chris controlled the ball so much, and without somebody stepping up, we were going to be in trouble. And Terrico was just unbelievable. He had some games where he just took over. At 6-5, 220, he's such a mismatch for whoever's guarding him. You could just see his confidence grow, and his playmaking ability, too. He'd never played point guard, and that's what was really interesting, how he just took over that and embraced it and really just controlled the team the rest of the season. Q: And what should we expect out of Warren this year? Is ...

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Around the MAAC: Previewing Opening Weekend's Games

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 19:09:40 +0000

Vermont at Loyola (Md.), 7 PM Friday Anthony Winbush won't have it easy against Marqus Blakely, one of the best mid-major hoopers in the country. If unconfined, Blakely is capable of controlling a game from the post. The Catamounts lost two of their top three 2008-09 scorers to graduation, giving the offensive advantage to Jamal Barney and the Greyhounds, whose offensive attack will revolve around the perimeter, where Blakely cannot alter shots. Expect this to be a close game, but Loyola should emerge victorious. St. Peter's at Seton Hall, 7 PM Friday The Peacocks are primed for a solid season, but Jeremy Hazell, Robert Mitchell, Eugene Harvey, and John Garcia will be too much for Ryan Bacon, Wesley Jenkins, and Nick Leon to handle. A Seton Hall blowout seems to be looming. Central Connecticut State at Fairfield, 7:30 PM Friday Both of these programs have been bitten deeply by the injury bug. Voted the MAAC's fourth-best team by conference coaches, Fairfield will be ...

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Virginia center Sene suspended for three games

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 18:27:32 +0000

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Sophomore center Assane Sene has been suspended for Virginia's first three games for conduct detrimental to the team.

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College basketball countdown: No. 3 Michigan State

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:55:08 +0000

Jack Ebling, Sporting News Yearbook Michigan State looks to be headed to another Final Four appearance. It was hard to imagine a better script. A No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament beats the defending champ, then rips the No. 1 seed in the Midwest to get to play 90 minutes from campus -- in an area decimated by economic forces. Finally, the Michigan State Spartans pound another No. 1 to advance to Monday night's coronation. Oops. Can we stop there or at least freeze time at the opening tip of the title game? Even after the season's second North Carolina-Michigan State mismatch at Ford Field, Tom Izzo's Spartans had a memory book of massive proportions. A 31-7 season was the program's third winningest. But gone are two key seniors -- NBA second-rounder Goran Suton, the conference's top rebounder at 8.4 per game, and Travis Walton, the league's defensive player of the year. Both will be missed for more than their combined ...

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Virginia center Sene suspended 3 games

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:50:46 +0000

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Quick facts: Michigan State

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:49:42 +0000

Mike DeCourcy Coach: Tom Izzo (15th year) Last season's record: 31-7 Spotlight player We arrive in the final season of Raymar Morgan's college career still not quite certain if he's an undersized power forward or a muscular small forward, if he's a star or a supporting player. Some uncertainty results from the illness that tore through his junior season; he was diagnosed at various times with an upper respiratory infection, mono, walking pneumonia. He never was the same player once the season reached February, and it was remarkable that MSU could reach the Final Four with such an important component no longer reaching peak performance. Let's consider a healthy Morgan, though. The player who began last season with three 20-plus scoring performances in his first four games is the same one who had five single-figure games in his first 11. He has uncommon skill, though, for a player who is 6-8, 230. Michigan State will be ...

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Assane Sene of Virginia Cavaliers suspended three games

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:45:20 +0000

Sophomore center Assane Sene has been suspended for Virginia's first three games for conduct detrimental to the team.

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Virginia C Sene suspended 3 games (AP)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:42:10 +0000

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Vols have the pieces for a Final Four puzzle

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 16:51:13 +0000

With its top seven players returning, experienced and talented Tennessee rounds out Jeff Goodman's projected Elite Eight for 2010.

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Legend of Earl Badu Continues With Maryland Terrapin Walk-Ons

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:00:21 +0000

You’d be hard pressed to find a walk-on that isn’t the student section hero of any college basketball program, but the Maryland Terrapins make a special point of cultivating off-the-street talent. And filtering it into significant roles off the bench . As we’ve discussed at nauseam, the Terps are very thin in the front court. With Steve Goins injured and Dino Gregory out for the foreseeable future, Gary has three guys to play at the four and five spots: Landon Milbourne, James Padgett, and Jordan Williams. If one of those three gets in foul trouble, the next “big” off the bench is Jin Soo Choi. If two guys get in foul trouble, the next “big” off the bench is Ersin Levent. Dave Neal couldn’t be more proud. Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com

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Freshman Wall scores 27 to lead Kentucky in exhibition rout

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 05:49:06 +0000

John Wall proved to be worth the wait. The heralded Kentucky freshman scored 27 points in his collegiate debut as the fifth-ranked ...

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MVC, Horizon, CAA, MAAC, WCC: Who's the Best of Mid-Major Basketball?

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 04:29:31 +0000

Which is the best conference? It's an intricate question that college basketball analysts quarrel over from the brisk days of November until the lamb carries March into April. A question that can rarely have a firm answer. If I wanted to, I could bore you by providing you with claims you've already heard. Claims about the resurgence of the SEC or of the nebulous fate of the Big East. That 50 percent of the Final Four could hail from the Big 12 or that the Big Ten could rise to national supremacy. Instead, I'll relay some fresh information to you. Information that takes a backseat on ESPN and other major sports media outlets. It's time to think about mid-major basketball, and, to begin, we must examine College Insider's Mid-Major Top 25 , a poll taken by 31 mid-major head and assistant coaches. Like every poll, it will not precisely predict the season's outcome. But, it offers expectations. Among those expectations is that the Missouri Valley Conference could once again be a multi-bid ...

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UK beats up on D2 Clarion as Wall pours in 27

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 03:42:57 +0000

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- John Wall proved to be worth the wait.

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Kentucky freshman John Wall scores points 27 in exhibition win

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 03:23:40 +0000

John Wall scored 27 points in his collegiate debut and No. 4 Kentucky rolled past Clarion 117-52 on Friday night in an exhibition game.

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Thompson scores 23 as No. 6 UNC cruises (AP)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 03:04:56 +0000

Deon Thompson had 23 points and eight rebounds to help No. 6 North Carolina beat Belmont Abbey 107-59 on Friday night in its only exhibition game. Tyler Zeller scored 17 points for the defending national champions, while Ed Davis added 13 points, six rebounds and four blocks. The Tar Heels shot 57 percent and took a 56-36 advantage on the boards against the undersized instate Division II program.

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Johnson's 19 points lift No. 24 Clemson (AP)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 02:46:56 +0000

Former Southern Cal recruit Noel Johnson scored 19 points to lead No. 24 Clemson to a 99-51 exhibition victory over Francis Marion on Friday night. Johnson, a smooth 6-foot-5 freshman, had signed with the Trojans and then-coach Tim Floyd. However, he received his release after allegations of improper recruiting of former USC star O.J.

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Friday's practice report

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 02:39:09 +0000

Coach Lorenzo Romar gave the Huskies the day off Thursday so it's not surprising he was preaching "energy, energy" at today's practice inside Harshman gym.

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Wall goes for 27 as No. 4 Kentucky routs Clarion

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 02:17:55 +0000

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -John Wall proved to be worth the wait.

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Kentucky's Wall shines in debut with 27 (AP)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 02:15:46 +0000

John Wall scored 27 points in his collegiate debut and No. 4 Kentucky rolled past Clarion 117-52 on Friday night in an exhibition game. Wall was forced to sit out Kentucky's exhibition opener on Monday as part of an NCAA suspension for accepting improper benefits from his former AAU coach. He didn't waste any time getting comfortable against the Golden Eagles, an NCAA Division II school in...

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Harris scores 25 to lead No. 15 Michigan (AP)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 02:09:49 +0000

Manny Harris scored 25 points and Zack Novak had 15 to lead No. 15 Michigan to a 73-54 victory over Wayne State on Friday night in an exhibition game. The visiting Warriors took an 11-9 lead with just under 12:30 remaining in the first half. Michigan went on a 16-4 run and never looked back. Bryan Smothers had 17 points to lead Division II Wayne State, while Ike Udanoh scored 14.

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The Greed Of Adidas: Sticking It To UCF And Air Jordan's Son

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:41:53 +0000

Given that his father is synonymous with the company, it is likely that Marcus Jordan had a Nike swoosh on his pacifier as a baby. Certainly, he grew up wearing shoes and clothes designed by the famous sports apparel company. Now a freshman basketball player at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the young Jordan has become a central figure in a “shoe war” even before playing his first college game. It seems UCF has a long-term relationship with Adidas, and recently agreed on a new six-year, $3-million deal that called for all UCF athletic teams to wear Adidas apparel and equipment. Evidently, at the time Jordan was being recruited to UCF, he asked if he would be able to wear a Nike shoe endorsed by his father instead of the Adidas shoes provided to the school. According to all accounts from UCF, the regional Adidas representative gave approval for Marcus to wear Nike shoes during games. I’m willing to bet it was an important component of why he ultimately chose UCF. However, within ...

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Arkansas Razorback Rundown: Hogs Get a Quarterback on the Hardwood

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 23:19:28 +0000

The Arkansas Razorback basketball team has enough off-the-court issues documented that I could write about them non-stop, but the positives seem to keep slipping through the cracks. When it comes to the Hogs, I like bringing the positives to everyone, and the latest positive to happen for the Hog basketball team is the addition of Brandon Mitchell. Mitchell was a highly sought-after basketball prospect in high school, and committed to play for John Brady and LSU as a sophomore in high school. The firing of Brady at LSU sent Mitchell in a different direction with his college choices. Ultimately, Mitchell decided his best opportunity was to come to Arkansas and play for Coach Bobby Petrino in working to be a future NFL quarterback. Even with Mitchell joining the basketball team for this season and red-shirting in football, he has made it clear he is a quarterback first. He is excited to join the basketball team and work to help them improve and sees his quarterback experience as a positive he ...

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Senior G Dyson cleared to play for No. 12 UConn

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 22:32:03 +0000

Guards Jerome Dyson and Donnell Beverly have been cleared to play this season for No. 12 Connecticut. The school's compliance department gave the OK on Friday after going over documents submitted by them as part of a review of the program. The school has not revealed what those documents were, only that they "pertained to their annual eligibility certification.

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Connecticut's Dyson, Beverly cleared to play this season

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 22:20:29 +0000

Connecticut says guards Jerome Dyson and Donnell Beverly have been cleared to play this season. The school's compliance department ...

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Connecticut players Jerome Dyson, Donnell Beverly cleared to play

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 22:08:32 +0000

Guards Jerome Dyson and Donnell Beverly have been cleared to play this season for No. 12 Connecticut.

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UConn Gs Dyson, Beverly cleared to play (AP)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 22:04:47 +0000

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UConn's Dyson, Beverly cleared to play

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 22:01:58 +0000

Guards Jerome Dyson and Donnell Beverly have been cleared to play this season for No. 12 Connecticut.

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UNC gains upper hand on archrival Duke (AP)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:36:37 +0000

For years, everything Duke and North Carolina achieved -- the conference championships, Final Four trips and national titles -- has been connected in a back-and-forth game of one-upmanship. These days the Tar Heels have the upper hand. Since shortly after Roy Williams returned to his alma mater, the Tar Heels have outperformed Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils in the long-running race between...

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At Seattle U it's dad taking orders from son

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 19:34:26 +0000

SEATTLE (AP) -About to begin his first Division I head coaching gig, Cameron Dollar is admittedly stealing.

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Monster Recruits Could Lead to True Return of Mizzou Basketball

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 18:28:45 +0000

I couldn't find a picture of Missouri men's basketball coach Mike Anderson smiling or looking happy. Couldn't do it. But if he signs a couple of enormously talented recruits that he's rumored to be close to, that could change. The man might turn into a Stride commercial. If CMA signs Tony Mitchell and Bradley Beal (2011) , this guy's pearly whites may NEVER go away. Mizzou has signed one five-star recruit since sites like Rivals started paying attention to this sort of thing nearly ten years ago. That was Linas Kleiza, who left after only two years of ball to be a first round draft pick and double-digit scorer in the NBA before landing a lucrative contract in Europe. They also landed in the Elite Eight last year with a team full of hard-working, smart players who bought into Anderson's hard working system known as "40 Minutes of Hell". To imagine how that system would work if Anderson had top-flight talenta and athleticism is truly mindboggling. Mitchell's top two are Georgetown and ...

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Rebuilt Tech ready to regain contender status

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:16:46 +0000

An infusion of talent guarantees Georgia Tech will recover from a horrible season and contend on the national level, Jeff Goodman says.

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Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel: 'Our league is the best league in college basketball this season'

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:45:40 +0000

Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel is high on his team, especially its backcourt. 'Because of that, we're going to lean heavily on their experience.' Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel has the challenge of starting a new season without Blake Griffin, last year's player of the year, who's moved on to the NBA. But don't feel too bad for Capel — the Sooners still have Willie Warren, SN's preseason player of the year. Capel talked with Sporting News ' Benson Taylor about this year's team, the Big 12 and recruiting. Q: How have the early practices been going? A : Practices have been going well. The guys have been receptive to learning. And, they've worked, which is what you want, especially early in the season. We have such a young team, so that's going to be important—for the guys to work and listen and come prepared every day, and for the most part we've done that. Q: Last year, every college basketball fan knew who Blake Griffin was. What are they going to learn about your team this ...

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Michael Rosenberg: Time for Bob Knight to forgive, return to Indiana

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:20:54 +0000

It's been almost 10 years since Bob Knight and Indiana finalized their divorce. Michael Rosenberg writes, it's time for them to forgive, forget and for the last time -- move on.

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Quick facts: North Carolina

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:06:51 +0000

Coach : Roy Williams (7th year) Last season's record : 34-4 Spotlight player There are lots of talented players at North Carolina, but not many who've been consistently productive. One who has is senior Marcus Ginyard—but the catch is that he was productive filling an entirely different role and position than he will this season. Ginyard was a small forward/defensive specialist two seasons ago, before sitting out nearly all of 2008-09 with a foot injury. Back then, he averaged 6.9 points in 28 minutes per game, and it doesn't seem as though this team will function properly if Ginyard delivers a similar output this year. "There's no question this should be seen as a great opportunity for me to go out and showcase some of the things I've been working on for the past couple years—and have the opportunity for that offense to open up," he said. Reason to hope The odd reality of North Carolina's season is that this group might have more pure NBA-type talent than the one ...

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NCAA clears Lance Stephenson to play at Cincinnati

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:46:20 +0000

The NCAA has cleared freshman Lance Stephenson to play at Cincinnati without having to miss any games. There were questions about ...

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Vitale: Could Self, Calipari square off for title once again?

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:32:14 +0000

Wow, it has been an absolutely wacky offseason in college hoops. Has the spring, summer and fall been chaotic? I'll let you decide. ...

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