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The NCAA has released its report on Central Florida, which includes the full list of penalties handed out to the men’s basketball and football programs. The sanctions are headlined by a one-year postseason ban in both sports.
Citing a “lack of institutional control,” the NCAA has hit UCF with the following penalties:
—Public reprimand and censure.
—Five years probation from Feb. 10, 2012, through Feb. 9, 2017.
—Postseason ban for the 2012 football season and 2012-13 men’s basketball season.
—The head men’s basketball coach was suspended for the first three conference games of the 2011-12 season (self-imposed by the university) and given a three-year show-cause order starting with the 2012-13 season. Details of the show-cause orders can be found in the public report. Additionally, the coach may not recruit off-campus during all three July evaluation periods for the July 2012 and July 2013 evaluation periods.
Read More: NCAA Releases Complete List Of Central Florida Sanctions - SBNation-com
Citing a “lack of institutional control,” the NCAA has hit UCF with the following penalties:
—Public reprimand and censure.
—Five years probation from Feb. 10, 2012, through Feb. 9, 2017.
—Postseason ban for the 2012 football season and 2012-13 men’s basketball season.
—The head men’s basketball coach was suspended for the first three conference games of the 2011-12 season (self-imposed by the university) and given a three-year show-cause order starting with the 2012-13 season. Details of the show-cause orders can be found in the public report. Additionally, the coach may not recruit off-campus during all three July evaluation periods for the July 2012 and July 2013 evaluation periods.
Read More: NCAA Releases Complete List Of Central Florida Sanctions - SBNation-com
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UConn coach Jim Calhoun has undergone successful surgery to repair a left hip fracture from a bicycle accident.
The university said Sunday that Calhoun was resting comfortably at John Dempsey Hospital at the UConn Health Center. UConn said he is expected to be released in the next few days and will recuperate at home.
The 70-year-old Calhoun was cycling near his summer home in Madison on Saturday when he hit sand and fell, hours before he was to coach some former players in a charity game.
''He hit some sand and he has those shoes that are tied in, clip-ons,'' associate head coach George Blaney said Saturday.
Calhoun broke several ribs in an accident during a charity bicycle ride in 2009.
Calhoun has led Connecticut to three NCAA titles. Several Huskies were back in the state Saturday to participate in the Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic game, which was played despite the accident. Chicago Bulls guard Richard Hamilton, who led the Huskies to the 1999 national championship, said it was a way for the players to say thank you.
Read More: UConn: Calhoun resting after hip surgery - Yahoo! Sports
The university said Sunday that Calhoun was resting comfortably at John Dempsey Hospital at the UConn Health Center. UConn said he is expected to be released in the next few days and will recuperate at home.
The 70-year-old Calhoun was cycling near his summer home in Madison on Saturday when he hit sand and fell, hours before he was to coach some former players in a charity game.
''He hit some sand and he has those shoes that are tied in, clip-ons,'' associate head coach George Blaney said Saturday.
Calhoun broke several ribs in an accident during a charity bicycle ride in 2009.
Calhoun has led Connecticut to three NCAA titles. Several Huskies were back in the state Saturday to participate in the Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic game, which was played despite the accident. Chicago Bulls guard Richard Hamilton, who led the Huskies to the 1999 national championship, said it was a way for the players to say thank you.
Read More: UConn: Calhoun resting after hip surgery - Yahoo! Sports
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The latest bit of bad news for Oklahoma State basketball comes in the form of an indefinite suspension for center Phillip Jurick.
Oklahoma State center Phillip Jurick has been suspended indefinitely after pleading not guilty to charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Cowboys head coach Travis Ford announced Tuesday that Jurick will not travel with the team on its upcoming foreign exhibition tour in Spain, and that a final decision on his status will be made when more information is obtained. Jurick is scheduled to appear again in court on Aug. 20.
Jurick played in 27 games and started 16 for Oklahoma State in 2011-12 before injuries ended his season. The 6'11 center averaged 1.6 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Read More: Oklahoma State Suspends Center Phillip Jurick Indefinitely - SBNation-com
Oklahoma State center Phillip Jurick has been suspended indefinitely after pleading not guilty to charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Cowboys head coach Travis Ford announced Tuesday that Jurick will not travel with the team on its upcoming foreign exhibition tour in Spain, and that a final decision on his status will be made when more information is obtained. Jurick is scheduled to appear again in court on Aug. 20.
Jurick played in 27 games and started 16 for Oklahoma State in 2011-12 before injuries ended his season. The 6'11 center averaged 1.6 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Read More: Oklahoma State Suspends Center Phillip Jurick Indefinitely - SBNation-com
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The Minnesota Supreme Court overturned a $1 million award against the University of Minnesota and men's basketball coach Tubby Smith on Wednesday, ruling that although they treated a prospective assistant coach unfairly, they couldn't be held financially responsible for backing out of a job offer that Smith lacked the authority to make.
Jimmy Williams quit as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University in 2007 because he believed Smith had hiring authority when he offered him an assistant coaching position shortly after Smith became head coach at Minnesota. That fell through after Minnesota's athletics director, Joel Maturi, learned that Williams was cited for multiple major NCAA rules violations while working as a Golden Gophers assistant coach from 1971 to 1986, the court noted.
Williams sued, claiming he reasonably relied on Smith's statements during the negotiating process and that Smith therefore had a legal obligation to him.
Read More: Court nixes $1M award against U. of Minn., Smith - Yahoo! Sports
Jimmy Williams quit as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University in 2007 because he believed Smith had hiring authority when he offered him an assistant coaching position shortly after Smith became head coach at Minnesota. That fell through after Minnesota's athletics director, Joel Maturi, learned that Williams was cited for multiple major NCAA rules violations while working as a Golden Gophers assistant coach from 1971 to 1986, the court noted.
Williams sued, claiming he reasonably relied on Smith's statements during the negotiating process and that Smith therefore had a legal obligation to him.
Read More: Court nixes $1M award against U. of Minn., Smith - Yahoo! Sports
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Marshawn Powell had an eye-opening welcome in his return to practice for the first time since tearing the ACL in his right knee last November.
The Arkansas forward took the court with his teammates last week in preparation for a preseason 10-day trip to Italy, beginning Friday. He quickly discovered that all of his rehabilitation hadn't quite prepared him for one of coach Mike Anderson's practices.
''I couldn't even make it past half court I was so tired,'' Powell said.
The Razorbacks will play four games against European competition on the trip, which will feature contests against teams from Italy and Lithuania. Anderson hopes the earlier-than-usual start to the season will help Arkansas improve on an 18-14 record in his first season, a season in which the Razorbacks lost nine of their final 12 games and missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year.
Read More: Arkansas' Powell returns to court after injury - Yahoo! Sports
The Arkansas forward took the court with his teammates last week in preparation for a preseason 10-day trip to Italy, beginning Friday. He quickly discovered that all of his rehabilitation hadn't quite prepared him for one of coach Mike Anderson's practices.
''I couldn't even make it past half court I was so tired,'' Powell said.
The Razorbacks will play four games against European competition on the trip, which will feature contests against teams from Italy and Lithuania. Anderson hopes the earlier-than-usual start to the season will help Arkansas improve on an 18-14 record in his first season, a season in which the Razorbacks lost nine of their final 12 games and missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year.
Read More: Arkansas' Powell returns to court after injury - Yahoo! Sports
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Villanova has announced that assistant basketball coach Doug Martin has resigned because of inaccuracies on his resume.
Martin was hired as associate coach by Villanova head coach Jay Wright on Monday.
Martin had been coaching at Paul VI High School in Virginia. He has also coached in the Continental Basketball Association.
When he was hired by Villanova, the school issued a news release that said Martin had played for Wisconsin-Green Bay from 1991-95. ESPN-com first reported that there was no record of Martin playing for Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Wright said in statement: ''I have always known Doug to be a good person and coach. He has taken responsibility for his mistake and will move on successfully! We all wish Doug well.''
Villanova asst resigns due to resume inaccuracies - Yahoo! Sports
Martin was hired as associate coach by Villanova head coach Jay Wright on Monday.
Martin had been coaching at Paul VI High School in Virginia. He has also coached in the Continental Basketball Association.
When he was hired by Villanova, the school issued a news release that said Martin had played for Wisconsin-Green Bay from 1991-95. ESPN-com first reported that there was no record of Martin playing for Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Wright said in statement: ''I have always known Doug to be a good person and coach. He has taken responsibility for his mistake and will move on successfully! We all wish Doug well.''
Villanova asst resigns due to resume inaccuracies - Yahoo! Sports
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Kansas wrapped up its exhibition tour of Switzerland and France with a 79-60 beatdown at the hands of the AMW France Pro Team. This loss came just a day after the Jayhawks saw their 41-game exhibition winning streak come to an end with a 74-73 loss to the same team.
"If anything it tells us how hard we need to work because we're not very good right now," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "I'm not sure anybody's any good in early August, but we're certainly not. Our veterans need to really step up. There's no reason we should have lost back-to-back games."
Read More: Kansas Drops Second Straight Exhibition Game In France - SBNation-com
"If anything it tells us how hard we need to work because we're not very good right now," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "I'm not sure anybody's any good in early August, but we're certainly not. Our veterans need to really step up. There's no reason we should have lost back-to-back games."
Read More: Kansas Drops Second Straight Exhibition Game In France - SBNation-com
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Had Damarcus Harrison been able to begin his two-year Mormon mission this fall as he originally planned, the 6-foot-5 rising sophomore almost certainly would have resumed his basketball career at BYU when he returned.
Once the church decided last week he needed to delay his mission a full year, however, it threw his life into chaos.
He couldn't return for his sophomore season at BYU because the coaching staff had used his scholarship already. He couldn't pay his own way for the 2012-13 school year because it was too expensive for his parents. And this late in the summer, he didn't think he'd be able to find another Division I school with a vacant scholarship and a willingness to take him even though he could potentially sit out the next three years.
Read More: Delayed Mormon mission leads Damarcus Harrison to leave BYU for Clemson | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Once the church decided last week he needed to delay his mission a full year, however, it threw his life into chaos.
He couldn't return for his sophomore season at BYU because the coaching staff had used his scholarship already. He couldn't pay his own way for the 2012-13 school year because it was too expensive for his parents. And this late in the summer, he didn't think he'd be able to find another Division I school with a vacant scholarship and a willingness to take him even though he could potentially sit out the next three years.
Read More: Delayed Mormon mission leads Damarcus Harrison to leave BYU for Clemson | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
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The Big 12 season should be full of action, with the pack closing the game from perennial power Kansas. There are some great impact freshmen coming into the conference that could make an immediate impact. Here is part of our Rant Sports NCAAB Season Preview: Top 5 Freshmen to Watch-Big 12.
Top 5: Rant Sports NCAAB Season Preview: Top 5 Freshmen to Watch-Big 12 : The Arena Pulse
Top 5: Rant Sports NCAAB Season Preview: Top 5 Freshmen to Watch-Big 12 : The Arena Pulse
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Shooting guard recruit Juwan Parker has announced that he will attend the University of Georgia to play basketball in 2013.
The three-star recruit chose Georgia over Memphis and Stanford, with Memphis previously thought to be his top choice. Parker made a verbal commitment, which is non-binding. Recruits can sign letters of intent during the early signing period in November. The 6'4" guard from Tulsa, Oklahoma is a very capable scorer that can put up a lot of points very quickly. He has been working quite a bit on his mid-range game according to Scout-com, and like most players from high school, just needs to put a bit more weight on his frame.
Parker was the 2010-11 state player of the year. As a junior he averaged 20.5 points and 9.4 rebounds.
"My family has a good relationship with coach Kwanza and coach Fox, and Georgia has one of the best business schools in the country," Juwan Parker told the Tulsa World. "Coach Fox built a winner at Nevada and he's doing the same thing at Georgia. When I visited there, I felt very comfortable. I felt at home."
Read More: Georgia Basketball Recruiting: Juwan Parker Commits To Bulldogs - SBNation-com
The three-star recruit chose Georgia over Memphis and Stanford, with Memphis previously thought to be his top choice. Parker made a verbal commitment, which is non-binding. Recruits can sign letters of intent during the early signing period in November. The 6'4" guard from Tulsa, Oklahoma is a very capable scorer that can put up a lot of points very quickly. He has been working quite a bit on his mid-range game according to Scout-com, and like most players from high school, just needs to put a bit more weight on his frame.
Parker was the 2010-11 state player of the year. As a junior he averaged 20.5 points and 9.4 rebounds.
"My family has a good relationship with coach Kwanza and coach Fox, and Georgia has one of the best business schools in the country," Juwan Parker told the Tulsa World. "Coach Fox built a winner at Nevada and he's doing the same thing at Georgia. When I visited there, I felt very comfortable. I felt at home."
Read More: Georgia Basketball Recruiting: Juwan Parker Commits To Bulldogs - SBNation-com
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Central Florida basketball coach Donnie Jones received good and bad news about the quartet of seniors he hoped to have on the court this season.
All-Conference USA big man Keith Clanton told Jones over the weekend that he would return for his final season. Meanwhile, Marcus Jordan, Josh Crittle and C.J. Reed have decided to leave the program, UCF announced Monday.
Jordan, the youngest son of NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, will continue to take classes at UCF. Reed, a former Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a junior guard at Bethune-Cookman, sat out last year after transferring to UCF, and now he is transferring again to Georgia Southern.
Reed's father, Cliff Reed, was hired at Georgia Southern as an assistant earlier this month and also coached his son at Bethune.
Crittle, a 6-foot-9 center, had reportedly recently visited DePaul. But it is unknown if that is where he will transfer.
The UCF seniors were given the option by the NCAA to transfer immediately after the Knights' basketball and football programs with hit with sanctions for major recruiting violations. The punishment included one-year postseason bans in both sports.
UCF is appealing its postseason ban in football, but not basketball.
School officials said Jordan's decision was unrelated to the NCAA penalties.
Read More: UCF keeps big man Clanton, loses Jordan, 2 others - Yahoo! Sports
All-Conference USA big man Keith Clanton told Jones over the weekend that he would return for his final season. Meanwhile, Marcus Jordan, Josh Crittle and C.J. Reed have decided to leave the program, UCF announced Monday.
Jordan, the youngest son of NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, will continue to take classes at UCF. Reed, a former Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a junior guard at Bethune-Cookman, sat out last year after transferring to UCF, and now he is transferring again to Georgia Southern.
Reed's father, Cliff Reed, was hired at Georgia Southern as an assistant earlier this month and also coached his son at Bethune.
Crittle, a 6-foot-9 center, had reportedly recently visited DePaul. But it is unknown if that is where he will transfer.
The UCF seniors were given the option by the NCAA to transfer immediately after the Knights' basketball and football programs with hit with sanctions for major recruiting violations. The punishment included one-year postseason bans in both sports.
UCF is appealing its postseason ban in football, but not basketball.
School officials said Jordan's decision was unrelated to the NCAA penalties.
Read More: UCF keeps big man Clanton, loses Jordan, 2 others - Yahoo! Sports
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Expected be the focal point for head coach Chris Mack's Xavier Musketeers in 2012-13, sophomore shooting guard Dezmine Wells' expulsion from school on Tuesday was a crippling blow for an already thin Xavier roster. And to make matters worse, CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman is now reporting that Wells' departure was apparently related to a sexual incident: Although it's interesting that no charges were filed at all, the school explicitly stated that Wells committed "a serious violation of the Code of Student Conduct" in its official statement and quickly expelled him, leaving little doubt that the school felt quite strongly about Wells' alleged transgression.
As a freshman on Mack's upperclassmen-laden squad a year ago, Wells averaged 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, numbers good enough to earn him a spot on the Atlantic 10's All-Rookie Team. But now with his basketball future now very much in doubt and his Xavier scholarship discarded, he may find it difficult to get back to that same level.
Read More: Xavier Star Dezmine Wells Reportedly Expelled Due To Sexual Incident - SBNation-com
As a freshman on Mack's upperclassmen-laden squad a year ago, Wells averaged 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, numbers good enough to earn him a spot on the Atlantic 10's All-Rookie Team. But now with his basketball future now very much in doubt and his Xavier scholarship discarded, he may find it difficult to get back to that same level.
Read More: Xavier Star Dezmine Wells Reportedly Expelled Due To Sexual Incident - SBNation-com
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Instead of sifting through scholarship offers, selecting a school and launching his college basketball career as he originally planned, an Ohio high school standout will have to put his dreams on hold.
Tony Farmer, an 18-year-old senior at Garfield Heights High School, received a three-year prison sentence on Tuesday as a result of pleading guilty to kidnapping, felonious assault and other crimes. The 6-foot-7 forward had been hoping to receive probation after teachers, coaches and family members testified on his behalf. When he learned he'd be going to prison as the judge read his sentence, he crumpled into the arms of a sheriff's deputy and collapsed to the ground in anguish.
In an odd twist, among those in the gallery sobbing in reaction to the judge's decision was the victim herself, Farmer's ex-girlfriend Andrea Lane. Even though the two remain separated since Farmer attacked Lane last April after she didn't want to reconcile their relationship, Lane had previously asked Judge Pamela Barker not to put Farmer in prison.
"I know he was a good person," she said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I hope he still is."
The entire courtroom scene is depressing and hard to watch because Farmer had such a bright future prior to this incident. Before video cameras caught his altercation with Lane on tape last April in the lobby and parking lot of her apartment complex, Farmer was a consensus top 100 prospect who had drawn interest from the likes of Ohio State, Xavier, Dayton and Michigan State.
Read More: Top recruit collapses in court after receiving three-year prison sentence | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Tony Farmer, an 18-year-old senior at Garfield Heights High School, received a three-year prison sentence on Tuesday as a result of pleading guilty to kidnapping, felonious assault and other crimes. The 6-foot-7 forward had been hoping to receive probation after teachers, coaches and family members testified on his behalf. When he learned he'd be going to prison as the judge read his sentence, he crumpled into the arms of a sheriff's deputy and collapsed to the ground in anguish.
In an odd twist, among those in the gallery sobbing in reaction to the judge's decision was the victim herself, Farmer's ex-girlfriend Andrea Lane. Even though the two remain separated since Farmer attacked Lane last April after she didn't want to reconcile their relationship, Lane had previously asked Judge Pamela Barker not to put Farmer in prison.
"I know he was a good person," she said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I hope he still is."
The entire courtroom scene is depressing and hard to watch because Farmer had such a bright future prior to this incident. Before video cameras caught his altercation with Lane on tape last April in the lobby and parking lot of her apartment complex, Farmer was a consensus top 100 prospect who had drawn interest from the likes of Ohio State, Xavier, Dayton and Michigan State.
Read More: Top recruit collapses in court after receiving three-year prison sentence | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
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Rick Majerus has reportedly stepped down, according to Bob Ramsey of 101 ESPN. Majerus led SLU to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in 2012, as the Billikens finished with a 26-8 record after losing a close decision to Michigan State. He has experienced a tremendous amount of success at the NCAA level, with a 517-216 all-time record. However, Majerus is no stranger to having health issues affect his ability to coach. During his first year at Utah, he coached in just six games before undergoing heart surgery. Following the 2003-2004 season, he left the Utes to focus on his health. He took a job at Southern California several months later, but ultimately changed his mind at the request of his mother, for whom he also took a leave of absence during the 2000-2001 season.
Read More: Rick Majerus Steps Down At St. Louis - SBNation-com
Read More: Rick Majerus Steps Down At St. Louis - SBNation-com
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Most Southern California kids are no stranger to good meals or picturesque sunsets, yet UCLA players couldn't help but be wowed by their experience in Shanghai on Sunday evening.
Once their flight from Beijing landed in Shanghai on Sunday afternoon, the Bruins headed to dinner at New Heights, a contemporary restaurant in the Huangpu district that offers a spectacular view of the city's skyline form its terrace. UCLA then enjoyed an hour-long boat cruise along the Huangpu River, which again provided plenty of breathtaking views.
The Bruins will get back to business Monday and Tuesday when they play their final two exhibition games of the trip, but they enjoyed having a free evening to be tourists in Shanghai. Junior guard Tyler Lamb checks in with Sunday's UCLA in China diary entry about his initial perception of Shanghai and what he enjoyed most about his day.
Read More: UCLA in China, Day 4: Bruins wowed by first night in scenic Shanghai | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Once their flight from Beijing landed in Shanghai on Sunday afternoon, the Bruins headed to dinner at New Heights, a contemporary restaurant in the Huangpu district that offers a spectacular view of the city's skyline form its terrace. UCLA then enjoyed an hour-long boat cruise along the Huangpu River, which again provided plenty of breathtaking views.
The Bruins will get back to business Monday and Tuesday when they play their final two exhibition games of the trip, but they enjoyed having a free evening to be tourists in Shanghai. Junior guard Tyler Lamb checks in with Sunday's UCLA in China diary entry about his initial perception of Shanghai and what he enjoyed most about his day.
Read More: UCLA in China, Day 4: Bruins wowed by first night in scenic Shanghai | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
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On a night when UCLA scored 116 points and shot 66.9 percent from the field in its first exhibition game in China, Jordan Adams felt a little bit left out. The typically sweet-shooting freshman misfired on 10 of his 14 shots on Saturday night, not exactly the sparkling performance he envisioned for his college debut.
Adams atoned for his off shooting night in a big way in UCLA's next exhibition game, scoring a game-high 20 points to propel the Bruins to a 72-31 rout over Shanghai Jiao Tong University on Monday night. The freshman from Lawrenceville, Ga., sank his first seven shots and finished 9 of 17 from the field.
Although Adams does not receive as much hype as decorated fellow freshmen Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson or Tony Parker, he too will need to make an immediate contribution for UCLA to be successful. Adams may already be the team's best shooter, an important skill for the Bruins since they need to be able to punish opposing defenses that collapse on Joshua Smith or the Wear twins in the paint.
Read More: UCLA in China, Day 5: Jordan Adams joins in the fun in Bruins
Adams atoned for his off shooting night in a big way in UCLA's next exhibition game, scoring a game-high 20 points to propel the Bruins to a 72-31 rout over Shanghai Jiao Tong University on Monday night. The freshman from Lawrenceville, Ga., sank his first seven shots and finished 9 of 17 from the field.
Although Adams does not receive as much hype as decorated fellow freshmen Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson or Tony Parker, he too will need to make an immediate contribution for UCLA to be successful. Adams may already be the team's best shooter, an important skill for the Bruins since they need to be able to punish opposing defenses that collapse on Joshua Smith or the Wear twins in the paint.
Read More: UCLA in China, Day 5: Jordan Adams joins in the fun in Bruins
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In preparation for the 2012-13 season, the college basketball staff here at Rant Sports will be running through a number of player and team breakdowns from now until the start of the season.
November tournaments have become the theme of the early stages of the college basketball season. With stiffer competition and non-conference match-ups that can cause more than enough drama, let’s take a look at the Top 5 Early-Season Tournaments: Top 5 Early-Season Tournaments: What's in store for the NCAAB season? : The Arena Pulse
November tournaments have become the theme of the early stages of the college basketball season. With stiffer competition and non-conference match-ups that can cause more than enough drama, let’s take a look at the Top 5 Early-Season Tournaments: Top 5 Early-Season Tournaments: What's in store for the NCAAB season? : The Arena Pulse
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Early season tournaments continue to emerge and increase from a competition standpoint. Non-conference schedules have gotten tougher and college basketball fans prepare for premier match-ups and upsets even in November.
Let’s take a look at five storyline to watch for in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Rant Sports NCAAB Season Preview: Five Storylines-Battle 4 Atlantis : The Arena Pulse
Let’s take a look at five storyline to watch for in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Rant Sports NCAAB Season Preview: Five Storylines-Battle 4 Atlantis : The Arena Pulse
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Early season tournaments continue to emerge and increase from a competition standpoint. Non-conference schedules have gotten tougher and college basketball fans prepare for premier match-ups and upsets even in November.
Let’s take a look at five storyline to watch for at the Legends Classic.
1. Indiana’s Early Expectations: The Hoosiers are bringing back nearly every contributor from the 2011-12 season and their incoming freshmen class is amongst the nation’s best. The talent level is high and after last season’s success, Indiana is back. Head coach Tom Crean has this Indiana program ahead of schedule and their participation in the 2012 Legends Classic will give the Hoosiers an early opportunity to showcase their national championship potential. Indiana will be the team to beat in Brooklyn, but UCLA, Georgetown, and Georgia won’t be easy outs. How will Indiana begin the year given their vast expectations?
2. Will Shabazz Muhammad be Eligible to Play?: Due to an ongoing investigation by the NCAA, UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad remains ineligible for the time being. The 6-foot-6 star will instantly be considered among the top freshman and players in the country, if the NCAA clears him to play. The speculation will continue, but as September begins, there remains no set timetable for a decision. Muhammad very well could be the most talented prospect in this tournament’s field should he gain eligibility, yet Indiana fans might beg to differ with forward, Cody Zeller.
3. Barclays Center: The Legends Classic has bounced around a few venues in the past few years and now it’s moving to the brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Home to the New Jersey Nets, the Barclays Center will feature a few college basketball-related events this season, including the Atlantic 10 Tournament in March. A state-of-the-art and brand new facility should help attract fans, especially given the competition in the year’s Legends Classic.
4. Sophomore Sensations?: Sure, Cody Zeller would highlight this particular topic, but one storyline to watch for as part of the 2012 Legends Classic will be the freshman-to-sophomore leap of both Georgetown‘s Otto Porter and Georgia‘s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope, a Georgia-native, is looking to make considerable strides after a decent freshman season. Porter, who may very well become the Hoyas’ go-to-man in 2012-13, has similar expectations. Both Caldwell-Pope and Porter will be heavily counted upon, not only in this tournament, but for much of the season on their respected rosters. Both are budding stars who have all the intangibles to breakout in 2012-13.
5. Will Fans See the Anticipated Championship Match-up?: Georgia (vs. Indiana) and Georgetown (vs. UCLA) will look to play spoiler in the semifinal rounds, deflecting a potential Hoosiers/Bruins championship contest. However, Indiana is a national championship contender and could very well begin the season as the nation’s No. 1 overall team, while UCLA is looking to burst back onto the national stage thanks to a terrific freshmen class. Yet, eligibility issues continue to surround the Bruins’ freshmen, so fans aren’t sure what to expect once November arrives. However, the potential remains for this championship tilt, and if Muhammad can get cleared by the NCAA, we could be seeing two stars with Player of the Year potential (Zeller, Muhammad) squaring off against one another. Then again, college basketball is far from predictable, so don’t count Georgia or Georgetown out in this tournament field.
Rant Sports NCAAB Season Preview: Five Storylines-Legends Classic : The Arena Pulse
Let’s take a look at five storyline to watch for at the Legends Classic.
1. Indiana’s Early Expectations: The Hoosiers are bringing back nearly every contributor from the 2011-12 season and their incoming freshmen class is amongst the nation’s best. The talent level is high and after last season’s success, Indiana is back. Head coach Tom Crean has this Indiana program ahead of schedule and their participation in the 2012 Legends Classic will give the Hoosiers an early opportunity to showcase their national championship potential. Indiana will be the team to beat in Brooklyn, but UCLA, Georgetown, and Georgia won’t be easy outs. How will Indiana begin the year given their vast expectations?
2. Will Shabazz Muhammad be Eligible to Play?: Due to an ongoing investigation by the NCAA, UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad remains ineligible for the time being. The 6-foot-6 star will instantly be considered among the top freshman and players in the country, if the NCAA clears him to play. The speculation will continue, but as September begins, there remains no set timetable for a decision. Muhammad very well could be the most talented prospect in this tournament’s field should he gain eligibility, yet Indiana fans might beg to differ with forward, Cody Zeller.
3. Barclays Center: The Legends Classic has bounced around a few venues in the past few years and now it’s moving to the brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Home to the New Jersey Nets, the Barclays Center will feature a few college basketball-related events this season, including the Atlantic 10 Tournament in March. A state-of-the-art and brand new facility should help attract fans, especially given the competition in the year’s Legends Classic.
4. Sophomore Sensations?: Sure, Cody Zeller would highlight this particular topic, but one storyline to watch for as part of the 2012 Legends Classic will be the freshman-to-sophomore leap of both Georgetown‘s Otto Porter and Georgia‘s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope, a Georgia-native, is looking to make considerable strides after a decent freshman season. Porter, who may very well become the Hoyas’ go-to-man in 2012-13, has similar expectations. Both Caldwell-Pope and Porter will be heavily counted upon, not only in this tournament, but for much of the season on their respected rosters. Both are budding stars who have all the intangibles to breakout in 2012-13.
5. Will Fans See the Anticipated Championship Match-up?: Georgia (vs. Indiana) and Georgetown (vs. UCLA) will look to play spoiler in the semifinal rounds, deflecting a potential Hoosiers/Bruins championship contest. However, Indiana is a national championship contender and could very well begin the season as the nation’s No. 1 overall team, while UCLA is looking to burst back onto the national stage thanks to a terrific freshmen class. Yet, eligibility issues continue to surround the Bruins’ freshmen, so fans aren’t sure what to expect once November arrives. However, the potential remains for this championship tilt, and if Muhammad can get cleared by the NCAA, we could be seeing two stars with Player of the Year potential (Zeller, Muhammad) squaring off against one another. Then again, college basketball is far from predictable, so don’t count Georgia or Georgetown out in this tournament field.
Rant Sports NCAAB Season Preview: Five Storylines-Legends Classic : The Arena Pulse
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After the NCAA found school officials' guilty of involvement with runners for sports agents and making cash payments to recruits, both programs were hit with one-year postseason bans, five years of probation and scholarship reductions.
The penalties were the stiffest on the basketball side; with coach Donnie Jones also being given a three-year ''show-cause'' order in addition to having limits placed on recruiting time next year and the vacation of all 21 of his victories in 2010-11.
Though he says he's digesting it all, Jones said Wednesday that he and his staff were already taking steps to move forward.
''I met with the team yesterday,'' Jones said. ''I met with all those guys individually and obviously they're disappointed, like anybody when you hear the initial reaction from that. But it was a very encouraging sign when I was walking out of the door last night late and our whole team is in there playing together.
Read More: UCF's Jones optimistic following NCAA sanctions - Yahoo! Sports