NCAA Basketball

Field finalized for 2013 Cancun Challenge

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:50:09 -0400

Fort Collins, CO (Sports Network) - Saint Louis, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Old Dominion headline the field for the 2013 Cancun Challenge.

The four schools will be joined by Bowling Green, Georgia Southern, Oral Roberts and Presbyterian in the tournament that is played over two weeks in November.

Saint Louis, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Old Dominion, placed in the Riviera Division, will each host one of the other four schools that comprise the Mayan Division before all eight travel to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for a series of games.

The Riviera Division schools will face each other from Nov. 26-27 for the title.

Wichita State won last year's tournament, beating Iowa in the championship game. The Shockers then went on to a surprising run to the Final Four.

Other winners of the tournament have included Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

Full-Court Press: The next generation of coaches

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:09:22 -0400

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Only those with access to a time machine can accurately predict whether a new head coach will achieve the level of success imagined by the athletic director who hired him.

Shaka Smart of Virginia Commonwealth and Brad Stevens of Butler both elected to remain at their current posts despite being shown a healthy amount of interest from schools with much deeper pockets. After it became clear the top two coaches from the mid-major ranks were not interested, the athletic directors in the midst of coaching searches were forced to get a little creative and, in most cases, take a big chance.

The Big Ten has become one of the leading conferences in college basketball and sent seven of its 12 members to the 2013 NCAA Tournament. A pair of its members parted ways with experience to explore new regimes led by the sons of two of the sport's top coaches.

A trip to the Big Dance and a lopsided second-round victory over UCLA was not enough to save Tubby Smith's job in Minnesota. Firing Smith, who is one of just a handful of coaches with an NCAA Championship on his resume, was not a cheap decision. The cash-strapped athletic department had to provide the former Kentucky coach with a $2.5 million buyout so it could bring in a much less accomplished replacement in Richard Pitino.

The 30-year-old Pitino is expected to take the Golden Gophers, who rose to as high as eighth in the national rankings this past season, to a higher level. He served as an assistant under a pair of championship-winning coaches, including his father Rick at Louisville and Billy Donovan at Florida, but the hiring of the younger Pitino at the Big Ten program might have come a little too early.

Pitino was excellent in his lone season as a head coach in 2012-13 as he guided FIU to an 18-14 finish just a season after it went 8-21 under Isaiah Thomas. That successful campaign did enough to convince Minnesota's second-year AD Norwood Teague that Pitino could be more successful in recruiting the state's top prospects to stay home for school. Tyus Jones, Rashad Vaughn and Reid Travis are all prospective high school All-Americans from the Land of 10,000 Lakes and their recruitment clearly had a role in Smith's departure.

Another aspect which might have helped Pitino land the position at Minnesota came from the Southeastern Conference. LSU dipped into the Sun Belt Conference for its new head coach last summer when it hired alum Johnny Jones away from North Texas. Jones led the Tigers to a 19-12 record, including a .500 finish in the SEC in his first season at his alma mater, which could suggest the success Pitino experiences in his inaugural campaign away from the SBC.

However, Jones arrived in Baton Rogue with over 11 years of head coaching experience.

Smith will get another shot as he migrates to the Big 12 to take on the same position at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have a long way to go as they aim to return to their first NCAA Tournament since Bobby Knight called the shots.

Minnesota was not the only Big Ten school to make a change. Northwestern ended the Bill Carmody era in Evanston, Ill., after 13 years without a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

During his tenure, Carmody brought some talented players to the Chicago suburbs such as Jitim Young, T.J. Parker, Kevin Coble and John Shurna. His Princeton offense did not help him overcome the difficulties associated with building a dynasty at a highly competitive academic institution.

Chris Collins, son of the reputable Doug Collins, was granted his first head coaching opportunity after 13 years of assistant work at Duke.

Mike Krzyzewski's assistants who have moved on to take the reigns of other Division I programs have yielded mixed results in the past. Johnny Dawkins was once the leading candidate to be Coach K's replacement one day, but his lack of a trip to the NCAA Tournament in five seasons at Stanford has hurt his chances of ever returning to coach at his alma mater.

Northwestern officials hope Collins can follow in the footsteps of former Duke assistant Mike Brey, who has just one losing season in 18 years as a head coach at Delaware and Notre Dame. If Collins gets the Wildcats dancing for the first time, his name is likely to surface when his former mentor decides to step down.

The Collins hire makes sense for Northwestern, which ideally would like to become the Duke of the Midwest due to the similarities between the schools in terms of size, academic focus and conference level.

Collins, who is a native of Northbrook, Ill., showed he can recruit the type of talent needed to win in such conditions when he convinced the 2006 Illinois Mr. Basketball, Jon Scheyer, to play at Duke.

The Wildcats' first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament is not going to take too long to book if Collins finds a way to talk some of the Windy City's stars to wear purple and white.

The most talked-about coaching change in college basketball came at a future member of the Big Ten as Rutgers parted ways with Mike Rice after footage of his inexplicable treatment toward players during practice sessions became public. The Scarlet Knights needed to find a stable leader for the future as it immediately entered as tough rebuilding era due to the cloud left by Rice's poor behavior.

Rutgers signed Eddie Jordan, whose best work came during his stint with the Washington Wizards from 2004-08. Even though the hiring instantly became controversial after the fact that Jordan never obtained a diploma from Rutgers following his playing career, the school wisely stood by its choice.

Jordan's lack of a college degree was wisely overlooked by Rutgers. He still has decades of experience at the professional level to go along with a personal investment in the program. Jordan will have his work cut out for him, though, as he attempts to erase the negativity associated with Rutgers. He also may run into the same problems Carmody collided with at NU as he is known to employ a Princeton-style offense.

The Big Ten is not the only league that will feature a new coach with an intriguing pedigree. Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference will be under the watch of Bobby Hurley, whose father, Bob Hurley Sr., is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame due to his work at the high school level at St. Anthony's in Jersey City, N.J.

Hurley showed off an obvious understanding for the game during his playing days at Duke as he is still the NCAA's Division I all-time leader in assists. His mastering of the point guard position led to an NBA career which was severely altered by life-threatening injuries he suffered in a car accident.

Hurley only spent two seasons as an assistant coach under his younger brother, Dan, at Wagner and Rhode Island, but his last name and well-documented success as a player made him very attractive to a mid-major-level school. The notions that his winning mentality will properly translate from the hardwood to the bench and the Hurley name will pay off dividends when it comes to recruiting make sense, but Thomas proved that it doesn't always work out that way as he struggled to find victories at FIU.

The City of Angels also demanded attention during the coaching carousel period as UCLA and USC both had openings. UCLA took a more traditional approach to its selection when it hired Steve Alford away from New Mexico's up-and-coming program to lead the Bruins. Trojans fans also are excited by the hiring of Andy Enfield, who took the nation by storm while driving the 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast Eagles to the Sweet Sixteen.

Alford has been one of the best regular-season coaches in the country since leaving Iowa to coach the Lobos. He won nearly 75 percent of his games and took New Mexico to the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons.

However, Alford failed to deliver desired results in the postseason while in Albuquerque, which is not going to be acceptable going forward as he takes over the school with the most NCAA championship banners hanging from its rafters.

Enfield showed how his innovative recruiting skills and exciting coaching philosophies can work effectively during March Madness. Still, USC made a bold hire considering Florida Gulf Coast finished second in the Atlantic Sun Conference last season, which was just Enfield's second as a head coach, then won the conference tournament and became the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Schools at the same caliber of Minnesota, Northwestern and USC will need to continue to search extensively for their new head coaches in the future due to the evolution of the system. Northwestern hired Collins to be its new coach before the Final Four even took place. In the past, a coach like Gregg Marshall of Wichita State would most likely have ventured to the brighter spotlight at a power conference program after leading an underdog to the national semifinals.

The mid-major schools like VCU, Butler and Wichita State are managing to hang on to top-tier coaches much more easily today because they have minimized the gap in salary difference and upgraded facilities to mirror the bigger schools that use to hold an edge.

Smart, Stevens and Marshall are all planted in dream scenarios in which they are revered by their respective fan bases and still able to compete for national titles. It makes perfect sense that all three seem content on passing up on a slight pay raise to take on a more difficult task with more pressure and nowhere near as much job security. The NCAA has become a money-driven organization, just not to everybody.

Minnesota, Northwestern and USC may have had to settle for less desirable candidates than they would have in the past, but they also may have struck gold. Buffalo, Rutgers and UCLA seem to have made wise decisions, but, once again, only time will tell.

Tarik Black going from Memphis to Kansas

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:31:33 -0400

Lawrence, KS (Sports Network) - Memphis power forward Tarik Black will transfer to Kansas and will be eligible to play for the Jayhawks for the 2013-14 season.

Black, who graduated from Memphis with a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership, will have one year of eligibility to play at Kansas.

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward started five of 32 games played for Memphis last season and averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. His 58.9 field goal percentage was second-best on the team. He had 20 blocked shots and 22 steals on a team that went 31-5 overall last season, including 16-0 in Conference USA play.

"Tarik has played in a ton of big games and certainly has had good experience at Memphis," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "He's used to winning and can help us in both of our big positions. He can play the four and the five and we look forward to moving him around. He'll be an impact player that certainly changes the outlook of our team and makes us more versatile."

Over his college career, Black has averaged 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting 60 of the 102 games played at Memphis.

Smith transfers to Minnesota

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:09:20 -0400

Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Malik Smith is following his head coach to Minnesota.

The former Florida International guard, Smith, signed his tender to transfer and play with the Golden Gophers on Monday.

"It was a pleasure to coach Malik last season at FIU and I am excited that he has decided to join the Golden Gopher program," Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino said. "His knowledge of our program on and off the court will be invaluable as we start to integrate our system here at Minnesota."

The junior, who averaged 14.1 points per game last year, will be eligible to play right away pending an NCAA waiver based on a possible APR induced postseason ban at FIU.

New Mexico gets some payback

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:57:33 -0400

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Congratulations Steve Alford, you and your New Mexico Lobos just lost to underdog Harvard in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, please accept your parting gift of a seven-year, $18.2 million contract with UCLA.

Granted, this didn't take place in recent days, it was a deal struck at the end of March, but Alford is back in the news even before leading the Bruins onto the floor to tip off the 2013-14 campaign in Los Angeles.

Over the weekend, Alford's former employer in Albuquerque announced that it had come to an agreement in principle about the coach's buyout and even though the amount is in the six-figure range, in some minds it is not nearly enough to counter the manner in which Alford handled his transition from UNM to UCLA.

Initially, New Mexico had asked Alford to write a check for $1 million, but the coach balked. The coach was willing to hand over $200,000 instead, but that simply wasn't in the same ballpark. For the most part, the sides have agreed on a figure of $625,000, with some finer details still to be hammered out.

Perhaps the divorce between the two sides would not have been so contentious were it not for the manner in which it played out over a span of barely two weeks during that maddening month of college hoops.

Alford, a high school phenom who was named Indiana's "Mr. Basketball" before choosing to play for Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers, has certainly paid his dues when it comes to steadily climbing up the college coaching ladder. After a brief professional career in the NBA, Alford began his ascent by taking over tiny Manchester College in Indiana, a Division III program, back in 1991.

At Manchester, Alford built a highly successful program that reached its pinnacle with an appearance in the D-III championship game in 1995, the squad finishing second in the nation with a record of 31-1. He finished with a record of 78-29 during his tenure there.

Onto Southwest Missouri State where Alford guided that group to a 78-48 mark and a spot in the NCAA Tournament where the Bears bowed to Duke in the round of 16 in 1999.

Iowa then came calling on the rising star and although the Hawkeyes had a tough time competing in the Big Ten Conference (61-67), Alford still led the program to six postseason appearances and a record of 152-106 overall.

Over in the Mountain West Conference with New Mexico between 2007-2013, Alford raised his visibility considerably. In each of his six campaigns with the Lobos the team won at least 22 games and finished in at least a tie for first in the league standings four times. Nationally ranked this past season, the Lobos again won the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas with victories over Wyoming, San Diego State and host UNLV, but there was still more to accomplish.

An automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament was the reward for the entire team for their efforts in Sin City, but Alford had his sights set on a much bigger prize, one that would fit neatly into his bank account, and the university was more than happy to accommodate.

Just days after taking out the Runnin' Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center, New Mexico Vice President of Athletics Paul Krebs announced a new 10-year agreement with Steve Alford to remain as the head basketball coach of the Lobos.

"I have said from our first game in The Pit that this was a special place and that it was a tremendous honor to be the head basketball coach at the University of New Mexico. Now six years in, we have built a Top-25 program on and off the court," said Alford of the agreement.

Sounds promising, right?

"There is no other place I would rather coach than at UNM, representing the best fans in the country ... I'm very excited about what we have accomplished in our first six years, and I look forward to building on those successes in the future."

Apparently Alford, who made those statements on March 20, has a different idea of what the "future" is compared to the rest of us.

One day later, the Lobos hit the hardwood in Salt Lake City, UT against the Crimson in the second round of the NCAA Tournament (actually, the first game of the event for UNM) and promptly dropped a 68-62 decision and headed home.

Sure, the end came far too soon for New Mexico in 2013, but the promise of Alford continuing to lead this squad for another decade was still an exciting prospect. The coach has one of the better winning percentages, .663 (463-235), in the game and was clearly the right man for the job in the Land of Enchantment.

That is, before the coaching carousel kicked into high gear as the bulk of more than 40 job openings at the Division I level went up for grabs.

Just days after expressing his love for his team, the school, and the Albuquerque community, Alford had a change of heart. That change was precipitated by the firing of Ben Howland at UCLA, after he failed to live up to the lofty expectations that come with a program that has won 11 national titles.

Under the radar, through back channels, on the down low, however you want to describe the secretive talks, Alford went from being beloved at UNM to someone they would want to throw into The Pit and torn to shreds by actual wolves.

"I don't want anything but success for this program," Alford said of UNM on his way out the door. "Players (UNM), they should be upset, they should be frustrated. I'm upset, I'm frustrated even though I'm very excited and it's a happy day for me and my family, there's some sadness to it too."

Those statements sounded rather hollow however. Disingenuous comments made by a man trying to get out of town without causing civil unrest and remaining in one piece.

Fast-forward to April 2 and Pauley Pavilion where Alford was back with more spin control during his introduction as the newest head coach of the Bruins.

"As I started looking into this opportunity, and it was a very difficult decision, it was a leap of faith, it was a family decision ... I just saw a place that could really help better everything about our family."

I suppose what he is trying to say is that there are new opportunities opening up for his family in a new locale, and not so much that his brood had outgrown New Mexico, but still it came off rather elitist in nature nonetheless. Nothing like pretending to care so much about the people you deserted, and hope that they can look beyond your insincerity.

How can you even begin to trust someone like Alford who claimed to embody all the University of New Mexico stood for, made a significant commitment to the Lobos only days earlier, and then scurried away when he was presented with another opportunity? How do players and fans stay loyal to a coach when the values are not reciprocated?

Congratulations New Mexico for being treated like the ugly step-child in all of this, but at least you've proven that you are the bigger man.

Alexander leaves Stetson to take Lipscomb job

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:12:15 -0400

Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Casey Alexander resigned after two seasons as head coach of the Stetson University men's basketball team to take a similar job with Lipscomb, another Atlantic Sun Conference squad.

Alexander, a native of Nashville, made his decision to return home to take the reins of his former school's rival.

In his two seasons leading the Hatters program, Alexander posted a 24-36 overall record, including a 17-19 record in A-Sun play.

"I'm making this move with mixed emotions because there are so many people at Stetson I hate to disappoint, most notably our returning players and signees, because they are the face of the program," Alexander said.

He takes over at Lipscomb for Scott Sanderson, who stepped down as the school's coach after 14 years at the helm. Sanderson guided the team to a 222-201 record during his tenure, and this past season Lipscomb went 12-18, but beat Sweet 16 surprise team Florida Gulf Coast twice during the regular season.

"Lipscomb University is a perfect fit for my family and me," Alexander said. "We couldn't be more excited about this opportunity. The philosophy of the Lipscomb program is a great alignment with what we stand for."

Prior to taking his first head coaching role at Stetson, Alexander spent 16 years at Belmont under head coach Rick Byrd.

WCC extends contract of Zaninovich

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:32:18 -0400

San Bruno, CA (Sports Network) - The West Coast Conference extended the contract of commissioner Jamie Zaninovich on Friday.

Zaninovich, who is in his sixth year after being named the league's second commissioner on March 9, 2008, has been extended until May 31, 2017.

"The West Coast Conference Presidents' Council and Executive Council are pleased with the progress that continues in the WCC under the leadership of commissioner Jamie Zaninovich," WCC presidents' council chair Ronald Gallagher said. "We have seen success with conference realignment, the addition of competitors such as BYU and growth in media opportunities and exposure. We look forward to a even more robust and competitive schedule going forward with the addition of the University of the Pacific as the WCC's 10th member this summer."

Former Tulane standout joins San Diego State

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:42:26 -0400

San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Josh Davis, formerly of Tulane, was added to the San Diego State roster after the school granted him an Athletic Offer of Aid.

The 6-foot-8 forward, who graduated from Tulane this spring, will be a fifth- year graduate student at San Diego State with one year of eligibility remaining. He will be available to play right away for the Aztecs.

"We are very excited that we will have Josh Davis coming to San Diego State as a fifth-year graduate student, who can play immediately," head coach Steve Fisher said.

Davis was one of just 14 players in the country to average a double-double last season (17.6 ppg, 10.7 rpg) and was a First-Team All-Conference USA selection. In 2011 Davis, who transferred from NC State to Tulane, was named to the All-Conference USA Third-Team after nearly averaging a double-double (11.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg) for the campaign.

"He will bring great experience and athletic versatility that we have been very successful with in the past. He will provide an immediate impact," Fisher said.

Davis will join a San Diego State squad that has made the NCAA Tournament in a school record four consecutive seasons.

Penn State's Marshall to forgo senior season

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:07:56 -0400

University Park, PA (Sports Network) - Penn State junior guard Jermaine Marshall announced on Wednesday that he will forgo his senior season to pursue a professional basketball career.

Marshall was Penn State's second-leading scorer this past season with 15.3 points per game and led the team with 59 made 3-pointers and 45 steals.

"Jermaine and I have had several discussions recently regarding his plans for the future and he feels strongly that graduating and entering the professional world at the conclusion of the summer is in the best interest of his son and his family," Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said. "We thank Jermaine for his contributions to our program and wish him the best of luck."

The 6-foot-4 Marshall registered 880 points and made 108 shots from behind the arc over 90 games (47 starts) with the Nittany Lions.

Full-Court Press: Kansas wins the lottery

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:30:15 -0400

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Although the Kansas Jayhawks lost all five starters from their impressive 2012-13 squad, they seem to be the heavy favorite to collect a 10th consecutive Big 12 Conference championship next season after Tuesday's signing of prep phenom Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins had narrowed his list of possible college destinations to Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Florida State over the course of a lengthy recruiting process before delivering news that he is headed to Lawrence. The 18-year-old Canadian forward will be the featured piece for the Jayhawks, who have been instantly thrust into the national title contender discussion.

Coach Bill Self's second national championship was within his reach this past season. Kansas earned one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament and surpassed the 30-win mark for the fourth consecutive season.

The Jayhawks had a strong inside-outside game with senior Jeff Withey's sensational defensive ability pairing nicely with the high-scoring and explosive nature of freshman guard Ben McLemore. After Kansas had its season end with a heartbreaking overtime loss to Michigan in the Sweet 16, it appeared the program would have trouble continuing its dominance of the Big 12.

Kansas seemed to be a long shot to land Wiggins as his recruitment process neared its end. He played his hand very closely, which consistently kept fans guessing. The fact that both of his parents went to Florida State had many thinking he would be sporting a Seminoles jersey.

Wiggins would have given Kentucky the best recruiting class in the history of college basketball had he chosen to play for John Calipari in Lexington. The prospect of Wiggins next to North Carolina's James Michael McAdoo in Carolina blue had Chapel Hill tuned in on Tuesday as well.

It does not take long to figure out why Wiggins is considered the best high school prospect since LeBron James graduated from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio in 2003.

"We think he's as good a prospect as we've ever had," Self said. "We're excited about it. He brings some athleticism, length, scoring ability and he's also an assassin, an alpha dog and you definitely need that when you have a whole bunch of young kids. I think he's going to be not a good player, but has a chance to be a great one."

Wiggins comes from an excellent pedigree, being the son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins and Canadian Olympic track and field sprinter Marita Payne- Wiggins. It is clear he inherited a great deal from his parents as he frequently sent crowds into a frenzy with gravity-defying slam dunks during his senior season at Huntington Prep in West Virginia.

Wiggins is not just an athlete, though, he is a complete basketball player. He has a great feel for the game and the versatility to play multiple positions right away. His jump shot is accurate enough to keep opponents honest and he executes the euro-step to finish off drives so well you would think he served an apprenticeship under Manu Ginobili.

The Jayhawks already had a very strong class of incoming talent before Wiggins officially joined the fold. Joel Embiid, the top-rated center in the class, and swingman Wayne Selden gave Self a pair of All-Americans to begin his rebuilding process.

Self also bolstered his backcourt with Conner Frankamp and Brannen Greene. Frankamp's touch from 3-point range and overall basketball savvy made him the best high school guard in the state of Kansas, while Greene built his own reputation as a marksman from beyond the arc.

Frank Mason also joined the class to add depth at point guard.

The addition of Wiggins will only enhance what the group of incoming freshman is able to do. He will be the focal point of the opposition's defensive game plan each game, which should free up Frankamp and Greene for plenty of open shots. Selden's team-first approach to the game can stay the same as he will have less pressure to put up big numbers right away.

The combination of Wiggins and Embiid is a dream pairing for Self's high-low motion offense. The rookie duo will create mismatch problems for opposing forwards.

There will be a lot of pressure on Wiggins to succeed due to the mountains of hype that have been constructed over the past few years, but it is very unlikely he will leave too many disappointed.

Wiggins delivered a solid performance on the grand stage in the McDonald's All- American game in early April when he paced the East squad with 19 points in 24 minutes. He has already become a celebrity at a very young age despite his preference to shy away from the spotlight.

Wiggins became a fan favorite during his days in Huntington. Mayor Steve Williams even proclaimed it was Andrew Wiggins Day in the city on March 28 when he was acknowledged as an All-American.

He hasn't let the enormous amount of attention go to his head, either. Instead of a big press conference to announce his intent to become a Jayhawk, he elected for a low-key, private ceremony at St. Joseph Central Catholic School in front of a small group of classmates, family and close friends with very limited members of the media invited.

Although it would have been fun to see Wiggins participate in the ACC or join Calipari's recruiting class, he made a very wise decision. Self's system plays to his strengths, and while Wiggins will be the go-to-guy, he will still have plenty of help around him.

While no one can be sure as to exactly how successful Wiggins will be at the next level, it is an absolute certainty that Allen Fieldhouse will be buzzing on a nightly basis.