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FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ NCAA Eliminates Useless Component From Tournament Selection http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/ncaa-eliminates-useless-component-from-tournament-selection/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/ncaa-eliminates-useless-component-from-tournament-selection/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/ncaa-eliminates-useless-component-from-tournament-selection/#comments

Filed under: March Madness, Media Watch, NCAA Tournament

Ford Field, 2009 NCAA Tournament Championship

Among the many criteria the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses to select and seed the 65 teams for the NCAA Tournament, the most statistically irrelevant is the "last twelve games" criteria. The NCAA has finally seen the light and eliminated the last twelve games from the toolbox.

There are many reasons for the stat's uselessness. There is little statistical correlation to how a team finished their season, and that team's performance in the NCAA Tournament. It is generally misleading, especially in the power conferences where TV scheduling emphasizes that the projected top teams play each other later in the season while the teams expected in the lower half face each other.

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]]> Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-07-01T22:35:00 00:00 Henry Family Reconfirms Commitment to Kansas for a Year http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/the-henry-family-reconfirms-commitment-to-kansas-for-a-year/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/the-henry-family-reconfirms-commitment-to-kansas-for-a-year/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/the-henry-family-reconfirms-commitment-to-kansas-for-a-year/#comments

Filed under: Kansas, Kentucky, Big 12, SEC, Media Watch, Recruiting, Rumors

Xavier Henry, McDonald's All-American

For a rather wild day, it looked like things were going to get even weirder than they usually do in the college basketball offseason. Even before the summer recruiting began. In the end, it was a lot of noise but no change. Xavier and C.J. Henry are still going to Kansas for the 2009-10 season, not reversing field to go to Kentucky to be with John Calipari.

Xavier Henry is one of the top-5 high school players in the country. He had already switched his commitment from Memphis to Kansas, but since he could not sign a new National Letter of Intent (NLI) he is not actually bound to Kansas until he shows up on the campus and signs the scholarship papers. His older brother, C.J. Henry, is a walk-on with the New York Yankees paying his way following a failed baseball career.

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]]> Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-07-01T09:54:00 00:00 Cincy Risks (Academic) Progress With Lance Stephenson http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/30/cinci-risks-academic-progress-with-stephenson/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/30/cinci-risks-academic-progress-with-stephenson/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/30/cinci-risks-academic-progress-with-stephenson/#comments

Filed under: Cincinnati, Big East, Recruiting

Lance Stephenson

The rumors started swirling over the weekend that Lance Stephenson, the ultra-talented guard out of New York, was visiting and would commit to Cincinnati. Tuesday, the news broke and was confirmed elsewhere that Stephenson is indeed committing to the Bearcats. Whether official word will come before or after his July 15 court date regarding his misdemeanor sexual assault charge is undetermined.

While teams have been scared off from recruiting Stephenson for plenty of reasons (the sexual assault, meddling father, attitude questions, academics, NCAA eligibility relating to an online documentary on Stephenson), Cincy coach Mick Cronin seems willing to take a chance on Stephenson -- assuming the NCAA clears him to play.

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]]> Lance Stephenson Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-30T15:24:00 00:00 Kelvin Sampson's Appeal Rejected by NCAA http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/30/kelvin-sampsons-appeal-rejected-by-ncaa/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/30/kelvin-sampsons-appeal-rejected-by-ncaa/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/30/kelvin-sampsons-appeal-rejected-by-ncaa/#comments

Filed under: Indiana, Big Ten, Media Watch

Kelvin Sampson, Milwaukee Bucks

I have no proof that the people in the NCAA that evaluate appeals were laughing and giggling their way through Kelvin Sampson's appeal of his sanctions. I like to think they were. Most people had a good laugh when they found out Sampson was appealing. Not surprisingly, Sampson had his appeal officially rejected today.

Essentially the appeal by Sampson came down to two arguments. The first was that the committee misinterpreted the evidence that was the basis of the penalties. That is, all those excessive phone calls at Indiana, the three-way calls, the "mistakes" that were made. The committee just looked at them the wrong way. The 100 plus phone calls were simply individual mistakes and not reflective of a pattern.

The other claim was that the enforcement staff that investigated and brought the charges before the committee were biased against him. Of course those past violations from Oklahoma that were almost the same as what happened at Indiana should be ignored. To say nothing of how they factored into the harsher penalties on Sampson

The NCAA upheld the penalties handed down by the infractions committee that effectively banned him from coaching in the NCAA for five years. Hopefully Sampson will finally let it go.

He may be done in college basketball, but he still has a coaching future.He is an assistant in the NBA, and has always been a players' coach. His basketball acumen has never been questioned. Just his ethics.

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]]> kelvin sampsonKelvinSampson Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-30T13:26:00 00:00 Once More Oregon Gets New Unis http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/23/once-more-oregon-gets-new-unis/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/23/once-more-oregon-gets-new-unis/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/23/once-more-oregon-gets-new-unis/#comments

Filed under: Oregon, Pac 10, Media Watch

It is really never news when the Oregon Ducks get new uniforms. The Nike fashion template seemingly has variations, alternative jerseys, subtle changes and hundreds of different combinations. So, the announcement of new uniforms being unveiled should have been met with a collective yawn.

It's the claim by Oregon that this is only the "fifth edition of Oregon's football uniform evolution" since 1996 that seems highly implausible.

Yet according to the Ducks, this is truth as long as you only consider the significant changes. Then the timeline goes 1996 Cotton Bowl, the 1999 season, 2003 and then 2006. Things like last year's duck feathers on the shoulders apparently don't count in the way Oregon defines new uniforms in their evolution.

The new uniforms -- which still includes duck feathers as an option -- are again of the mix-and-match combo scheme loved by Oregon and Nike. Between the pants, helmets and jersey choices, there will be some 80 different uniform combinations.

According to the press release, the new uniforms weigh in nearly 25% less than the prior models. They will fit closer. Expect them to have a real slimming effect on the linemen.

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]]> Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-23T16:14:00 00:00 Lance Stephenson Has Really Limited Choices http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/lance-stephenson-has-really-limited-choices/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/lance-stephenson-has-really-limited-choices/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/19/lance-stephenson-has-really-limited-choices/#comments

Filed under: Memphis, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, Campus, Recruiting, Rumors

Lance Stephenson

Lance Stephenson is one of the top high school players in the country. He was a McDonald's All-American. He is also just about the only major recruit not running screaming from the rubble of USC that is without a college destination.

Where once he seemed headed for Kansas, that door has closed. Arizona opted against wanting him. Now Maryland has decided they are not interested any longer.

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]]> florida international universityFloridaInternationalUniversityisiah thomasIsiahThomasLance Stephenson Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-19T23:52:00 00:00 Who Didn't Get a Sweet Contract in the K-State Athletic Department? http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/18/who-didnt-get-a-sweet-contract-in-the-k-state-athletic-departme/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/18/who-didnt-get-a-sweet-contract-in-the-k-state-athletic-departme/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/18/who-didnt-get-a-sweet-contract-in-the-k-state-athletic-departme/#comments

Filed under: Kansas State, Big 12

If the complete strangeness of what was going on in the Kansas State athletic department while Bob Krause was running things was going on at any other program, you would have to think it would be bigger news. Yet it barely seems to make a ripple in college sports.

First it was learned that Krause gave former head coach Ron Prince a "secret" side deal the summer before Prince's firing. Now it turns out that Krause also rewarded his deputy athletic director, Jim Epps, with a long-term contract, complete with a buy-out clause if he were to be fired.

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]]> Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-18T23:43:00 00:00 Fresno State Gets Mysterious Donation http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/fresno-state-gets-massive-mysterious-donation/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/fresno-state-gets-massive-mysterious-donation/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/fresno-state-gets-massive-mysterious-donation/#comments

Filed under: Fresno State, WAC, Campus

Fresno State has just received the largest pledged donation in its history, $10 million dollars for the athletic department. Exactly how this pledge will be honored still seems shrouded in mystery.

The money is coming through a former Fresno State football player, Alphonso Bigelow, who played linebacker in the mid-90s. He got his MBA at Fresno State, and still lives in the city. He is also the CEO of a company called Nykel Bam International, LLC. That's where the mystery comes in, because what the company does seems purposefully vague.

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]]> Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-17T23:07:00 00:00 Boise State Will Go on the Road for Cash http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/boise-state-will-go-on-the-road-for-cash/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/boise-state-will-go-on-the-road-for-cash/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/boise-state-will-go-on-the-road-for-cash/#comments

Filed under: Boise State, WAC

Boise State has made a national name for itself in college football, even as a relative newcomer being located in Idaho and in the WAC. They have done it by committing resources to the program, finding up-and-coming coaches and paying a competitive wage to promote the stability.

Economic times are tough, though. The funding has been cut and ticket sales and donations are down. Boise State, like plenty of other programs not in the SEC, is cutting back. They are eliminating printed media guides. Jobs in athletic departments are being cut. They still need to find a way to bring in more money.

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]]> Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-17T14:25:00 00:00 Draft Deadline Decisions: Team Winners and Losers http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/15/draft-deadline-decisions-team-winners-and-losers/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/15/draft-deadline-decisions-team-winners-and-losers/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/15/draft-deadline-decisions-team-winners-and-losers/#comments

Filed under: WCC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, SEC, NBA Prospects

The deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA draft came and went Monday at 5PM. Plenty of underclassmen had already made decisions to not even test the waters (Willie Warren, Oklahoma) or previously decided to return (Patrick Patterson, Kentucky). Still, plenty of others never looked back by hiring an agent right away (Earl Clark, Louisville).

The focus is strictly on the players that took it up until this weekend or even right under the wire Monday afternoon. Before getting to the programs that "won" and "lost" with the decisions to stay or go there are two teams that have counter-intuitive situations.

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]]> earl clarknba draftNbaDraftpatrick pattersonwillie warren Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-15T21:54:00 00:00 Ralph Willard Would Rather Serve http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/10/ralph-willard-would-rather-serve/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/10/ralph-willard-would-rather-serve/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/10/ralph-willard-would-rather-serve/#comments

Filed under: Louisville, Big East, Coaches

"Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. " John Milton, Paradise Lost.

Ralph Willard turned that quote on its head in every way. The head coach of the Holy Cross Crusaders has apparently decided that he would rather give up his successful reign as head coach of his alma mater to return to being an assistant to Rick Pitino at Louisville.

While there is no word on Willard's Web site yet, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv is reporting that Willard has decided to accept Pitino's offer to be his assistant coach. It is doubtful that Willard will take much of a paycut. It is more likely that he will get more money from Louisville to be Pitino's assistant.

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]]> ralph willardRalphWillard Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-10T12:21:00 00:00 Memphis Is Not Trying to Be Funny, Really http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/05/memphis-is-not-trying-to-be-funny-really/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/05/memphis-is-not-trying-to-be-funny-really/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/05/memphis-is-not-trying-to-be-funny-really/#comments

Filed under: Memphis, Conference USA, Media Watch

Great timing, Memphis. Pay a visit to the Tigers' Athletic Compliance page and you'll see that it is "temporarily under construction" (hat tip to Gary Parrish at CBS Sports).

I'm sure Memphis' athletic department has a lot on its plate in preparation for tomorrow's hearing before the NCAA Rules and Infractions Committee, but they might want to get on this.

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]]> john calipariJohnCalipari Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-05T10:44:00 00:00 Players Rapidly Deserting USC http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/03/players-rapidly-deserting-usc/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/03/players-rapidly-deserting-usc/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/03/players-rapidly-deserting-usc/#comments

Filed under: USC, Pac-10, NBA Prospects

Will the last person please turn out the lights at the Galen Center.

USC headed into April as a likely preseason Top 25 team with a strong core coming back and a talented recruiting class coming in. The Trojans enter June with most of the core gone and that recruiting class dwindling. Oh, and a coach that appears to be hanging by a thread while the NCAA circles closer and closer.

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]]> demar derozanDemarDerozannoel johnsonNoelJohnsonrenardo sidneyRenardoSidneytim floydTimFloyd Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-03T00:24:00 00:00 Memphis Determines Its Innocence http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/02/memphis-determines-it-is-innocent/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/02/memphis-determines-it-is-innocent/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/02/memphis-determines-it-is-innocent/#comments

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Coaches, Police Blotter

What a bombshell from the University of Memphis. It has exhaustively determined that it has found nothing to suggest Derrick Rose did not take his own SAT test. Just for good measure it has also concluded that even if -- somehow -- it did turn out that someone other than Derrick Rose took the SAT there was no way the school could have known. Therefore, in Memphis' humble opinion, there should be no punishment of Memphis.

The main thrust of the document (PDF) seems to be to make it clear that Memphis knew nothing. This should not be surprising since it will be a document that Memphis plans to submit to the NCAA as part of its defense.

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]]> john calipariJohnCaliparikentucky wildcatsKentuckyWildcatsmemphis tigersMemphisTigers Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-06-02T14:07:00 00:00 Memphis Having a Little Deja UMass http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/28/memphis-having-a-little-deja-umass/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/28/memphis-having-a-little-deja-umass/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/28/memphis-having-a-little-deja-umass/#comments

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Campus, Coaches, Police Blotter

It is a coincidence.

Besides nothing ever was proven or even suggested by the NCAA that John Calipari even knew what Marcus Camby was up to at UMass. Just like there is nothing at this point to indicate that Calipari was aware of the things the NCAA is now accusing Memphis.

The NCAA is accusing the Memphis Tigers with failure to monitor with regards to actions relating to the 2007-08 season in which the Tigers went to the Final Four. While the name of the key player has been redacted the letter from the NCAA indicates that the player, "subsequently competed during the 2007-08 season and specifically the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship." In other words, Derrick Rose.

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]]> derrick rosejonh calipari Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-05-28T10:08:00 00:00 Independence Bowl Has a Vitamin to Sell http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/27/independence-bowl-has-a-vitamin-to-sell-you/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/27/independence-bowl-has-a-vitamin-to-sell-you/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/27/independence-bowl-has-a-vitamin-to-sell-you/#comments

Filed under: Media Watch, General CFB Insanity, Bowl Games

The Independence Bowl has always resided in that lower tier of bowls. Unlike other bowls at that level, though, the Shreveport, Louisiana-based bowl has struggled with keeping its corporate sponsorship.

It has not had the stability of hotel chains (Gaylord Liberty and Sheraton Hawaii), electronics (Pioneer Las Vegas), auto financing (GMAC Bowl) or even pizza (Papa John's Bowl). It has had three different corporate sponsors just in this decade.

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]]> independence bowlIndependenceBowl Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-05-27T11:52:00 00:00 Decision of FSU's Bowden Appeal Delayed http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/26/decision-of-fsus-bowden-appeal-delayed/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/26/decision-of-fsus-bowden-appeal-delayed/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/26/decision-of-fsus-bowden-appeal-delayed/#comments

Filed under: Florida State, ACC, Coaching

Florida State's president has passionately pursued protecting FSU football ~~and the entire athletic department~~ from NCAA penalties to the point of insanity. Bobby Bowden wants to keep his wins. Plus, Florida State has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect Bowden's total wins before he is put out to pasture in 2011 -- the least the NCAA can do is make a final ruling before that point.

Maybe not. The NCAA was supposed to rule on Florida State's appeal of sanctions from the Seminoles' academic scandal today. Instead, the NCAA gave the Committee on Infractions another week to consider the appeal -- which could include the FSU football team forfeiting up to 14 games.

At least it gives college football fans something else to talk about as we trudge through the doldrums of June.

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]]> bobby bowdenBobbyBowden Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-05-26T15:06:00 00:00 Useless Talk of Taxing College Sports http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/21/meaningless-rumbles-of-taxes-in-college-sports/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/21/meaningless-rumbles-of-taxes-in-college-sports/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/21/meaningless-rumbles-of-taxes-in-college-sports/#comments

Filed under: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, SEC, March Madness, Campus, Fans, Media Watch

A great advantage for big-time college athletics is that they are tax-exempt. From the NCAA to the athletic departments at Texas and Ohio State, they can reap the revenue and not pay taxes because they are part of educational systems.

With the country in a recession, the national deficits rising and tax revenue declining, the U.S. Government has to find other revenue streams. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in a report, suggested looking into the commercial activities of collegiate athletic departments.

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]]> Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-05-21T10:44:00 00:00 John Wall Goes Big Blue http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/19/john-wall-goes-big-blue/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/19/john-wall-goes-big-blue/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/19/john-wall-goes-big-blue/#comments

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, Recruiting

John Wall

The long saga of John Wall has reached its end with the stud point guard recruit finally choosing Kentucky. Wall becomes the crown jewel of what is almost certainly the best recruiting class in the country.

Every program in the country wanted Wall. Baylor hired the brother of his AAU coach and adviser trying to get an inside track. Duke came hard at him. No one seemed the least bit deterred in recruiting him by his shaky academics and recent misdemeanor charge.

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]]> Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-05-19T09:27:00 00:00 Maine Coach Charged With Sex Offense http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/14/maine-assistant-changes-career-path-with-arrest/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/14/maine-assistant-changes-career-path-with-arrest/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/14/maine-assistant-changes-career-path-with-arrest/#comments

Filed under: Mid-Majors, Police Blotter

There are things people do to lose a job, then there actions that completely obliterate any chance at continuing a career in their chosen field. For Mike Burden, the now former associate head basketball coach at the Maine Black Bears, he allegedly took an action that should necessitate leaving coaching -- and likely anything involving students -- forever.

Burden resigned after being charged with unlawful sexual contact against one woman and assault against another woman who tried to assist the victim. Both women were students at Maine.

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]]> Maine Black BearsMaineBlackBears Chas Rich chas-rich 2009-05-14T16:14:00 00:00