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James Southerland provided Syracuse with exactly what it needed off the bench — and then some — in its first visit to Arkansas.
Southerland scored a career-high 35 points to lead the No. 5 range to a 91-82 win over Arkansas on Friday night.
The senior, who was also a career-best 9 for 13 on 3-pointers, helped Syracuse (5-0) win in its first visit to Bud Walton Arena. The 6-foot-8 forward bested his former career marks of 22 points, set against Princeton earlier this season, and five 3s, which he had as a freshman against Robert Morris.
"It felt good when I hit that first shot," Southerland said. "I wasn't expecting to be that open, but I was open and you have to know it down when you're open, right?"
Brandon Triche and Michael Carter-Williams added 17 points each, and C.J. Fair had 12 for Syracuse — which was 11 of 26 from beyond the arc. Carter-Williams nearly had a triple-double, adding 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Orange pulled away in the second half.
BJ Young led the Razorbacks (3-3) with 25 points, 19 in the first half, while Marshawn Powell added 19. The loss was Arkansas' third straight, following setbacks against Arizona State and Wisconsin at last week's Las Vegas Invitational.
The Razorbacks' difficult early stretch continues Tuesday when they host Oklahoma before traveling to No. 3 Michigan next weekend.
"I think the guys were disappointed, without a doubt," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. "They wanted this game here.
"We just want to keep getting better."
The Orange led by as many as 15 points in the first half, sparked by Southerland's early onslaught. The 6-foot-8 forward, who hit four 3-pointers in each of his last two games, hit his first five from behind the arc and Syracuse overcame an early onslaught of emotion from the frenzied Razorbacks — who fed off the crowd of 19,259.
Arkansas took a 10-7 lead in the early going, surging ahead behind a two-handed alley-oop dunk by Young off an assist from Ky Madden with 16:46 remaining. The field goal, however, was the last the Razorbacks would make for more than seven minutes — plenty of time for Southerland to go to work.
Following a drive-and-scoop by Triche, Southerland hit his first 3-pointer to give the Orange a 12-10 lead. The baskets ignited a 23-5 run that put Syracuse up 30-15, during which Southerland hit four 3-pointers — helping offset 19 turnovers for the game.
"They did an unbelievable job of pressuring us," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "You've got to attack it; you're going to get some open shots.
"It's just a question of if you're going to make them, and James was right there all night."
Arkansas didn't make another field goal until Powell's jumper with 9:37 remaining in the half — a span of 7:09 without a make. However, the Razorbacks roared back behind Young to close the lead to as few as five late in the half.
The sophomore scored 11 straight points for Arkansas during one stretch. His personal 9-0 run, which began with a series of one-man fast breaks and was capped by a 3-pointer, pulled the Razorbacks to within 33-28 late in the half.
Arkansas closed to 43-41 early in the second half after a free throw by Powell, but the Orange answered with a 14-1 run to go up 57-42 and take control for good. Once again, Southerland sparked the run — connecting on his sixth and seventh 3-pointers of the game during the stretch.
"That dude can shoot that ball now," Powell said of Southerland. "He can shoot that ball for real, for real.
"A couple of times, even when I thought I was there, he still hit it."
The Razorbacks remained within single digits of Syracuse for much of the rest of the game, though Triche scored 10 straight points during one stretch to keep the Orange comfortably ahead.
Syracuse was 33 of 68 (49 percent) from the field in the win, led by Southerland's 12 of 17 shooting. The senior had 35 of the Orange's 40 points off the bench.
Arkansas hit just 24 of 62 shots (39 percent), including 5 of 24 on 3s. Junior Mardracus Wade ,who led the Southeastern Conference in 3-point shooting last season, was 0 of 4 from behind the arc.
"We've just got to do a better job of knocking shots down," Anderson said. "And we had some open shots.
"It's just one of those nights."
The meeting was only the second between the two schools, with the other coming during the 1995 NCAA tournament. Arkansas won that second-round game in overtime on the way to its second straight championship game — where it lost to UCLA.
Southerland leads No. 5 Syracuse past Arkansas
Southerland scored a career-high 35 points to lead the No. 5 range to a 91-82 win over Arkansas on Friday night.
The senior, who was also a career-best 9 for 13 on 3-pointers, helped Syracuse (5-0) win in its first visit to Bud Walton Arena. The 6-foot-8 forward bested his former career marks of 22 points, set against Princeton earlier this season, and five 3s, which he had as a freshman against Robert Morris.
"It felt good when I hit that first shot," Southerland said. "I wasn't expecting to be that open, but I was open and you have to know it down when you're open, right?"
Brandon Triche and Michael Carter-Williams added 17 points each, and C.J. Fair had 12 for Syracuse — which was 11 of 26 from beyond the arc. Carter-Williams nearly had a triple-double, adding 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Orange pulled away in the second half.
BJ Young led the Razorbacks (3-3) with 25 points, 19 in the first half, while Marshawn Powell added 19. The loss was Arkansas' third straight, following setbacks against Arizona State and Wisconsin at last week's Las Vegas Invitational.
The Razorbacks' difficult early stretch continues Tuesday when they host Oklahoma before traveling to No. 3 Michigan next weekend.
"I think the guys were disappointed, without a doubt," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. "They wanted this game here.
"We just want to keep getting better."
The Orange led by as many as 15 points in the first half, sparked by Southerland's early onslaught. The 6-foot-8 forward, who hit four 3-pointers in each of his last two games, hit his first five from behind the arc and Syracuse overcame an early onslaught of emotion from the frenzied Razorbacks — who fed off the crowd of 19,259.
Arkansas took a 10-7 lead in the early going, surging ahead behind a two-handed alley-oop dunk by Young off an assist from Ky Madden with 16:46 remaining. The field goal, however, was the last the Razorbacks would make for more than seven minutes — plenty of time for Southerland to go to work.
Following a drive-and-scoop by Triche, Southerland hit his first 3-pointer to give the Orange a 12-10 lead. The baskets ignited a 23-5 run that put Syracuse up 30-15, during which Southerland hit four 3-pointers — helping offset 19 turnovers for the game.
"They did an unbelievable job of pressuring us," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "You've got to attack it; you're going to get some open shots.
"It's just a question of if you're going to make them, and James was right there all night."
Arkansas didn't make another field goal until Powell's jumper with 9:37 remaining in the half — a span of 7:09 without a make. However, the Razorbacks roared back behind Young to close the lead to as few as five late in the half.
The sophomore scored 11 straight points for Arkansas during one stretch. His personal 9-0 run, which began with a series of one-man fast breaks and was capped by a 3-pointer, pulled the Razorbacks to within 33-28 late in the half.
Arkansas closed to 43-41 early in the second half after a free throw by Powell, but the Orange answered with a 14-1 run to go up 57-42 and take control for good. Once again, Southerland sparked the run — connecting on his sixth and seventh 3-pointers of the game during the stretch.
"That dude can shoot that ball now," Powell said of Southerland. "He can shoot that ball for real, for real.
"A couple of times, even when I thought I was there, he still hit it."
The Razorbacks remained within single digits of Syracuse for much of the rest of the game, though Triche scored 10 straight points during one stretch to keep the Orange comfortably ahead.
Syracuse was 33 of 68 (49 percent) from the field in the win, led by Southerland's 12 of 17 shooting. The senior had 35 of the Orange's 40 points off the bench.
Arkansas hit just 24 of 62 shots (39 percent), including 5 of 24 on 3s. Junior Mardracus Wade ,who led the Southeastern Conference in 3-point shooting last season, was 0 of 4 from behind the arc.
"We've just got to do a better job of knocking shots down," Anderson said. "And we had some open shots.
"It's just one of those nights."
The meeting was only the second between the two schools, with the other coming during the 1995 NCAA tournament. Arkansas won that second-round game in overtime on the way to its second straight championship game — where it lost to UCLA.
Southerland leads No. 5 Syracuse past Arkansas
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Dwayne Evans scored 17 points to lead Saint Louis to a 62-49 win over Valparaiso on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the death of former coach Rick Majerus.
Jordair Jett added 14 points for Saint Louis (4-3). Mike McCall Jr. had 10 points.
Majerus, 64, died from heart failure at a Los Angeles hospital on Saturday. He compiled a 517-216 record with just one losing season in a 25-year career that included Ball State, Utah and Marquette. Last season, he guided Saint Louis to its first NCAA tournament in 12 years. The Billikens upset Memphis before losing to Michigan State.
Majerus, who had a history of heart problems, was given a leave of absence due to health issues in August. On Nov. 19, the school announced he would not return. The Milwaukee native was hired at Saint Louis on April 30, 2007.
Ryan Broekhoff, Kevin Van Wijk and Matt Kenney had 10 points each for Valparaiso (5-2).
St. Louis beats Valparaiso in first game since Majerus' death
Jordair Jett added 14 points for Saint Louis (4-3). Mike McCall Jr. had 10 points.
Majerus, 64, died from heart failure at a Los Angeles hospital on Saturday. He compiled a 517-216 record with just one losing season in a 25-year career that included Ball State, Utah and Marquette. Last season, he guided Saint Louis to its first NCAA tournament in 12 years. The Billikens upset Memphis before losing to Michigan State.
Majerus, who had a history of heart problems, was given a leave of absence due to health issues in August. On Nov. 19, the school announced he would not return. The Milwaukee native was hired at Saint Louis on April 30, 2007.
Ryan Broekhoff, Kevin Van Wijk and Matt Kenney had 10 points each for Valparaiso (5-2).
St. Louis beats Valparaiso in first game since Majerus' death
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Otto Porter had 14 points and eight rebounds to lead No. 23 Georgetown to a 64-41 victory over Texas in the opener of the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Nate Lubick added 13 points and Markel Starks had 11 for the Hoyas, who led by 13 at halftime. The lead grew to 23 and was never less than eight in the second half.
The Hoyas (6-1), whose only loss this season was to No. 1 Indiana in overtime, scored the first nine points of the game, the last four from Lubick on layups.
Sheldon McClellan had 12 points to lead the Longhorns (5-3), who had their lowest point total under coach Rick Barnes, who took over for the 1998-99 season. Texas had won three straight after losing two in a row.
The Longhorns struggled with their shooting and turnovers throughout the first half. The Hoyas led by as many as 17 points in the first half, the last time at 30-13 on a jumper by Porter with 2:55 to go.
Georgetown was coming off a 37-36 victory over Tennessee. It was the Hoyas' worst effort of the shot clock era, its lowest total since a 37-36 win over Southern Methodist in the second round of the NCAA tournament in 1985. Georgetown shot 36 percent in the game and Tennessee made 33 percent.
Texas shot 28.6 percent (8 of 28), including 1 of 6 from 3-point range in the first half against Georgetown and committed 12 turnovers that the Hoyas turned into 14 points on the way to a 30-17 halftime lead.
The shooting was almost as bad in the second half. Texas, which came in averaging 64.4 points per game, finished 6 of 20 (30 percent) from the field in the second half and was 14 of 48 (29.2 percent) overall. The Longhorns were 2 of 13 from 3-point range.
Georgetown shot 41 percent ( 25 of 61) for the game but the Hoyas made only 4 of 18 from beyond the arc.
Texas again played without 6-foot-1 guard Myck Kabongo because of an ongoing NCAA eligibility investigation.
It was just the second meeting between the programs. Texas beat Georgetown 78-70 on Jan.8, 1972, in Austin.
No. 23 Georgetown eases past Texas
Nate Lubick added 13 points and Markel Starks had 11 for the Hoyas, who led by 13 at halftime. The lead grew to 23 and was never less than eight in the second half.
The Hoyas (6-1), whose only loss this season was to No. 1 Indiana in overtime, scored the first nine points of the game, the last four from Lubick on layups.
Sheldon McClellan had 12 points to lead the Longhorns (5-3), who had their lowest point total under coach Rick Barnes, who took over for the 1998-99 season. Texas had won three straight after losing two in a row.
The Longhorns struggled with their shooting and turnovers throughout the first half. The Hoyas led by as many as 17 points in the first half, the last time at 30-13 on a jumper by Porter with 2:55 to go.
Georgetown was coming off a 37-36 victory over Tennessee. It was the Hoyas' worst effort of the shot clock era, its lowest total since a 37-36 win over Southern Methodist in the second round of the NCAA tournament in 1985. Georgetown shot 36 percent in the game and Tennessee made 33 percent.
Texas shot 28.6 percent (8 of 28), including 1 of 6 from 3-point range in the first half against Georgetown and committed 12 turnovers that the Hoyas turned into 14 points on the way to a 30-17 halftime lead.
The shooting was almost as bad in the second half. Texas, which came in averaging 64.4 points per game, finished 6 of 20 (30 percent) from the field in the second half and was 14 of 48 (29.2 percent) overall. The Longhorns were 2 of 13 from 3-point range.
Georgetown shot 41 percent ( 25 of 61) for the game but the Hoyas made only 4 of 18 from beyond the arc.
Texas again played without 6-foot-1 guard Myck Kabongo because of an ongoing NCAA eligibility investigation.
It was just the second meeting between the programs. Texas beat Georgetown 78-70 on Jan.8, 1972, in Austin.
No. 23 Georgetown eases past Texas
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It's hard to believe, in a day and age when even the most rudimentary of cell phones still feature a video option, that a breathtaking moment in sports can go undocumented.
This clip of Jacksonville Community College sophomore Daniel Skinner dunking from the free throw line in a game against Tyler Junior College nearly did — not because there weren't cameras around to film the feat, but because Skinner performed it so quickly that you need super slow-motion in order to give him the proper dap. Tyler freshman guard Todd Eaglin never knew what hit him. Neither did the referee, apparently, as he quickly called Skinner for a charge even if Eagling was moving his feet as he attempted to shield himself from YouTube infamy take the charge.
We can't find any of Skinner's in-game or season-long statistics, though we can tell you his Jaguars defeated the Tyler Apaches in overtime by a 91-89 score despite the charge call gone wrong, Skinner's two points that were disallowed and the nixed potential free throw that could have been the difference in regulation.
As a poster later down the ClutchFans thread noted, the referee in this instance clearly had a lack of clarity not unlike Matt Walsh's classic referee character from the movie 'Semi-Pro.'
Jacksonville Community College player dunks from the free throw line | The Dagger - Yahoo! Sports
This clip of Jacksonville Community College sophomore Daniel Skinner dunking from the free throw line in a game against Tyler Junior College nearly did — not because there weren't cameras around to film the feat, but because Skinner performed it so quickly that you need super slow-motion in order to give him the proper dap. Tyler freshman guard Todd Eaglin never knew what hit him. Neither did the referee, apparently, as he quickly called Skinner for a charge even if Eagling was moving his feet as he attempted to shield himself from YouTube infamy take the charge.
We can't find any of Skinner's in-game or season-long statistics, though we can tell you his Jaguars defeated the Tyler Apaches in overtime by a 91-89 score despite the charge call gone wrong, Skinner's two points that were disallowed and the nixed potential free throw that could have been the difference in regulation.
As a poster later down the ClutchFans thread noted, the referee in this instance clearly had a lack of clarity not unlike Matt Walsh's classic referee character from the movie 'Semi-Pro.'
Jacksonville Community College player dunks from the free throw line | The Dagger - Yahoo! Sports
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In an era of bombastic commentary and breathless hyperbole in sports media, words like "great," "legendary" or "catastrophic" are often thrown around a bit too carelessly.
Still, it may not be overstating things to call this free throw from Appalachian State reserve center Brian Okam the worst ever attempted. With 11:07 left in the second half of Saturday afternoon's game between the Mountaineers and Western Carolina, Okam attempted the second of two foul shots to try to extend his team's lead to 10. Perhaps the ball slipped out of his hand, but it sailed high in the air and fell in the arms of a teammate about 10 feet short of the rim, leaving the Western Carolina TV analyst calling the game in such shock he aptly exclaimed, "I'm not sure what that was. Good lord."
It's difficult to explain exactly how Okam missed the free throw that badly because he was not asked about it by reporters after the game. A message left for Appalachian State coach Jason Capel on Sunday was not immediately returned.
Okam, a Rutgers transfer averaging 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, seldom reaches the foul line. Prior to going 1 of 4 on free throws against Western Carolina, he was just 3 of 5 from the foul line in his two-year Appalachian State career.
About the only missed free throw in recent memory that rivals Okam's comical blunder was one attempted by Kansas sharpshooter Brady Morningstar against Texas late in the 2009-10 season. An off-balance Morningstar double-clutched his foul shot while tripping forward into the paint, essentially the basketball equivalent of a bad toss on a tennis serve.
"I looked pretty stupid there," Morningstar said after that game. "We laughed about it in the locker room just now."
It was probably harder for Okam to laugh about his gaffe. The miss sparked the late run that propelled Western Carolina to a 70-64 victory.
Appalachian State center
Still, it may not be overstating things to call this free throw from Appalachian State reserve center Brian Okam the worst ever attempted. With 11:07 left in the second half of Saturday afternoon's game between the Mountaineers and Western Carolina, Okam attempted the second of two foul shots to try to extend his team's lead to 10. Perhaps the ball slipped out of his hand, but it sailed high in the air and fell in the arms of a teammate about 10 feet short of the rim, leaving the Western Carolina TV analyst calling the game in such shock he aptly exclaimed, "I'm not sure what that was. Good lord."
It's difficult to explain exactly how Okam missed the free throw that badly because he was not asked about it by reporters after the game. A message left for Appalachian State coach Jason Capel on Sunday was not immediately returned.
Okam, a Rutgers transfer averaging 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, seldom reaches the foul line. Prior to going 1 of 4 on free throws against Western Carolina, he was just 3 of 5 from the foul line in his two-year Appalachian State career.
About the only missed free throw in recent memory that rivals Okam's comical blunder was one attempted by Kansas sharpshooter Brady Morningstar against Texas late in the 2009-10 season. An off-balance Morningstar double-clutched his foul shot while tripping forward into the paint, essentially the basketball equivalent of a bad toss on a tennis serve.
"I looked pretty stupid there," Morningstar said after that game. "We laughed about it in the locker room just now."
It was probably harder for Okam to laugh about his gaffe. The miss sparked the late run that propelled Western Carolina to a 70-64 victory.
Appalachian State center
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The seven Big East schools that don’t play FBS football spoke with the conference commissioner Thursday about possibly breaking from a league that has been drastically reshaped. Such a breakup would be complicated and could conceivably kill the Big East.
Commissioner Mike Aresco conferred by phone with the leaders of those seven schools, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated press because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
The current Big East football membership includes only four schools — South Florida, Connecticut, Cincinnati and Temple — that are committed to the league beyond 2013. But there are 11 schools with plans to join the Big East in the next three years, including Boise State and San Diego State for football only in 2013.
Because those schools won’t be members until next summer, the nonfootball schools in the Big East could try to vote to dissolve the conference now.
The schools that do not play FBS level football are St. John’s, Georgetown, Marquette, DePaul, Seton Hall, Providence and Villanova. Officials at those schools have concerns about the direction of the league and feel as if they have little power to influence it.
If the schools were to break off on their own, they could do so without financial penalty. The Big East has provisions in its bylaws that allow of a group of schools to leave without exit fees.
But what they would do remains unclear, as are the legal ramifications of their actions. There has been speculation those seven basketball schools could merge with the Atlantic 10 or possibly add schools from that league to create a basketball-only conference of smaller Catholic schools.
Who owns the rights to the name Big East could even be up in the air.
What would happen to the current and future football members is also unknown. If the basketball side of the Big East is weakened, it could decrease the value of the conference to television networks. The league is currently trying to negotiate a crucial TV contract, but the instability has made it impossible to land a deal.
Conference realignment has whittled away the Big East, costing it many of its oldest and most prominent members in the last 16 months.
Even if the Big East doesn’t reach its goals with a new TV contract, the league’s basketball schools are not likely to earn much more on their own. Though the difference between what they get without the football schools and what they get with them might be small enough to justify leaving them behind and taking control back of their programs.
Read more at Jacksonville-com: Big East teeters on verge of collapse | jacksonville-com
Commissioner Mike Aresco conferred by phone with the leaders of those seven schools, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated press because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
The current Big East football membership includes only four schools — South Florida, Connecticut, Cincinnati and Temple — that are committed to the league beyond 2013. But there are 11 schools with plans to join the Big East in the next three years, including Boise State and San Diego State for football only in 2013.
Because those schools won’t be members until next summer, the nonfootball schools in the Big East could try to vote to dissolve the conference now.
The schools that do not play FBS level football are St. John’s, Georgetown, Marquette, DePaul, Seton Hall, Providence and Villanova. Officials at those schools have concerns about the direction of the league and feel as if they have little power to influence it.
If the schools were to break off on their own, they could do so without financial penalty. The Big East has provisions in its bylaws that allow of a group of schools to leave without exit fees.
But what they would do remains unclear, as are the legal ramifications of their actions. There has been speculation those seven basketball schools could merge with the Atlantic 10 or possibly add schools from that league to create a basketball-only conference of smaller Catholic schools.
Who owns the rights to the name Big East could even be up in the air.
What would happen to the current and future football members is also unknown. If the basketball side of the Big East is weakened, it could decrease the value of the conference to television networks. The league is currently trying to negotiate a crucial TV contract, but the instability has made it impossible to land a deal.
Conference realignment has whittled away the Big East, costing it many of its oldest and most prominent members in the last 16 months.
Even if the Big East doesn’t reach its goals with a new TV contract, the league’s basketball schools are not likely to earn much more on their own. Though the difference between what they get without the football schools and what they get with them might be small enough to justify leaving them behind and taking control back of their programs.
Read more at Jacksonville-com: Big East teeters on verge of collapse | jacksonville-com
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With a decision made to leave the Big East Conference, the Catholic schools that are planning to create their own basketball conference are dealing with one of the main issues behind the move: money.
According to a person familiar with the talks that are being held but who is not authorized to speak, a plan to immediately distribute the exit fee money collected from schools that have left or in the process of leaving -- West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville and Rutgers -- is being seriously discussed. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. In such a scenario the money -- estimated to be more than $20 million -- would be distributed among the 10 remaining schools with full voting privileges in the Big East -- St. John's, Villanova, Providence, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Marquette, DePaul, Cincinnati, South Florida and Connecticut. Eventually, the exit fee money will double that total, but much of that is being paid in installments and some of it, in the case of Rutgers, is being disputed.
The exit fee distribution does two things: It allows the seven Catholic schools to take a large financial bonus and still walk away from the league; and it prevents the total amount from being diluted when the Big East expands to a 12-team conference in football on July 1.
Big East commissioner Mike Aresco faces the task of holding in place new members such as Boise State and San Diego State, who are committed to joining the Big East in football July 1. Aresco said he spent much of the day Friday working on various scenarios of reconfiguring his own conference while waiting for an official announcement that the seven Catholic schools were leaving. Although Aresco knows that the decision has been made, the final details of how to make the break are still being put together.
Aresco was on a conference call with his remaining members Friday afternoon discussing ideas on how to proceed.
"We still have quality football and basketball schools,'' Aresco told USA Today Sports on Friday after the conference call. "And they are totally committed to making this league stronger and in helping us plan for the future.''
Aresco has not had an easy time of it since he took over in September, not only dealing with conference defections, but also negotiating a new television contract and working on adding teams into a football-basketball mixture that works.
Now there will have to be adjustments to the mix. Perhaps East Carolina, which was admitted as a football member, will be given full membership. Other changes will come as the landscape changes.
Although there was no official word from anyone, the Big East presidents issued a statement of support for Aresco and for the future of the conference, in whatever form it takes. Aresco made it clear that there was never any serious talk of dissolving the conference.
Aresco's concerns are two-fold. He must keep the new wave of Big East teams in place, and he must finalize a television deal in football and basketball. With the latest defections, that became even more difficult.
One way around the issue was to front-load the basketball part of the contract, because next season Big East basketball still will include Notre Dame, Louisville, Rutgers and the seven Catholic schools as well as Temple, South Florida, Connecticut and Cincinnati as well as Houston, Memphis, Central Florida and Southern Methodist.
With various penalties built in on exiting the conference and other details which must be worked upon, the earliest the Catholic schools will leave is 2014 or possibly 2015.
"It's one thing to say you are leaving,'' said the person familiar with the talks, who has talked to representatives from many of the Catholic schools, "but the devil is in the details. They (the Catholic schools) did this, but I'm not sure if they have any idea of all the work that is involved in making it work. Right now, the Big East doesn't have a television contract for basketball for next season.''
Aresco said his conference's plans for the future remain focused on building a structure that can work in football and basketball. What that structure is named and how many teams will eventually make up the group have yet to be determined.
"But I am totally optimistic about the future,'' Aresco said.
Aresco remains 'optimistic' about Big East's future
According to a person familiar with the talks that are being held but who is not authorized to speak, a plan to immediately distribute the exit fee money collected from schools that have left or in the process of leaving -- West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville and Rutgers -- is being seriously discussed. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. In such a scenario the money -- estimated to be more than $20 million -- would be distributed among the 10 remaining schools with full voting privileges in the Big East -- St. John's, Villanova, Providence, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Marquette, DePaul, Cincinnati, South Florida and Connecticut. Eventually, the exit fee money will double that total, but much of that is being paid in installments and some of it, in the case of Rutgers, is being disputed.
The exit fee distribution does two things: It allows the seven Catholic schools to take a large financial bonus and still walk away from the league; and it prevents the total amount from being diluted when the Big East expands to a 12-team conference in football on July 1.
Big East commissioner Mike Aresco faces the task of holding in place new members such as Boise State and San Diego State, who are committed to joining the Big East in football July 1. Aresco said he spent much of the day Friday working on various scenarios of reconfiguring his own conference while waiting for an official announcement that the seven Catholic schools were leaving. Although Aresco knows that the decision has been made, the final details of how to make the break are still being put together.
Aresco was on a conference call with his remaining members Friday afternoon discussing ideas on how to proceed.
"We still have quality football and basketball schools,'' Aresco told USA Today Sports on Friday after the conference call. "And they are totally committed to making this league stronger and in helping us plan for the future.''
Aresco has not had an easy time of it since he took over in September, not only dealing with conference defections, but also negotiating a new television contract and working on adding teams into a football-basketball mixture that works.
Now there will have to be adjustments to the mix. Perhaps East Carolina, which was admitted as a football member, will be given full membership. Other changes will come as the landscape changes.
Although there was no official word from anyone, the Big East presidents issued a statement of support for Aresco and for the future of the conference, in whatever form it takes. Aresco made it clear that there was never any serious talk of dissolving the conference.
Aresco's concerns are two-fold. He must keep the new wave of Big East teams in place, and he must finalize a television deal in football and basketball. With the latest defections, that became even more difficult.
One way around the issue was to front-load the basketball part of the contract, because next season Big East basketball still will include Notre Dame, Louisville, Rutgers and the seven Catholic schools as well as Temple, South Florida, Connecticut and Cincinnati as well as Houston, Memphis, Central Florida and Southern Methodist.
With various penalties built in on exiting the conference and other details which must be worked upon, the earliest the Catholic schools will leave is 2014 or possibly 2015.
"It's one thing to say you are leaving,'' said the person familiar with the talks, who has talked to representatives from many of the Catholic schools, "but the devil is in the details. They (the Catholic schools) did this, but I'm not sure if they have any idea of all the work that is involved in making it work. Right now, the Big East doesn't have a television contract for basketball for next season.''
Aresco said his conference's plans for the future remain focused on building a structure that can work in football and basketball. What that structure is named and how many teams will eventually make up the group have yet to be determined.
"But I am totally optimistic about the future,'' Aresco said.
Aresco remains 'optimistic' about Big East's future
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The game was tied. There were less than 20 seconds left in overtime and Butler had the ball underneath Indiana's basket.
Suddenly, Tom Crean wanted Remy Abell in the game instead of 7-foot player of the year candidate Cody Zeller.
Then Butler sophomore walk-on Alex Barlow drove the lane and hit a short runner with 2.5 seconds left to give the Bulldogs an 88-86 victory over the top-ranked Hoosiers in the Crossroads Classic. The question for Indiana's coach following the game: Why?
Crean began with a general explanation of what IU was trying to do.
"We were going with an all-out switching call where we switch everything," Crean said. "And we just wanted to make sure we were keeping a man in front, keeping up on the glass and we didn't do a great job of it. It was about switching everything with no fear of being driven in that position."
But Butler did just that. Barlow drove the lane, and got a softly contested shot. A reporter followed up, asking specifically about Zeller's absence.
"Didn't I just cover that?'' Crean asked. "I did just cover that. We were in a 55 and we wanted to switch everything. They were running a lot of high ball screens. In that situation we just wanted to switch accordingly because it was either going to be a drive or a three. And then everybody just had to do what they had to do rebounding the ball.''
Crean asked the reporter to explain his point. The reporter said he just wondered if Crean had second thoughts about not having Zeller in that game to protect the rim.
"No, I don't, and I think I covered that when I walked in,'' Crean said. "I thought I was clear. We just wanted to make sure that we could defend the high ball screen which they had been running consistently and not put ourselves in a switch that would be advantageous to them.''
Crean may or may not like this question either: How far will the Hoosiers slip in the next poll? Out of the top five? Possibly.
As Crean said later — after arriving at the postgame press conference more than an hour after the — it's not like this was Chaminade beating Virginia. Butler is a good team and IU wasn't at its best.
Indiana got out-hustled, especially in the first half when Butler piled up 11 of its 19 offensive rebounds.
IU also had some issues with miscommunication on defense. And the Hoosiers (9-1) got pushed around at times by a Butler (8-2) team that was more physical and tough minded. In addition, an IU team that is accustomed to hitting open shots with regularity was a little bit off from start to finish. Did Butler's defense have something to do with that? Absolutely. But some of IU's wounds were self-inflicted, too.
BULLDOGS: Meet Butler star Rotnei Clarke
BIG EAST: Butler not thinking about conference move
Add it up and it's the perfect recipe for a national television misstep. Indiana let a Butler team that had three key players foul out still find a way to send them back on State Road 37 heading south wondering just what hit them.
"The bottom line was we didn't rebound the ball well enough today,'' said IU coach Tom Crean. "Our communication defensively was good but it was sporadic in crunch time. And that really has got to get better.''
IU actually trailed by seven points with just over 2 minutes to play in regulation before tying the game on a 3-pointer by Yogi Ferrell from the right wing with 6.1 seconds to play. In overtime, the Hoosiers led by four at 84-80 before Clarke hit a big 3-pointer. Then, after a careless pass from Ferrell intended for Zeller resulted in a turnover, Stigall buried a 3-pointer to put the Bulldogs on top.
"We went under a screen which is like at the top of the chart as far as 'don't ever do that','' Crean said. "And we had miscommunication on a switch. There's no question that we cost ourselves at the end of the game defensively, and they made the plays so they get the credit for that. But we made the mistake on how we guarded them.''
Zeller may have tied Victor Oladipo for the scoring lead for the Hoosiers with 18 points but there were a couple of numbers that jumped out in a not-so-positive light. Five rebounds in 37 minutes. One block. And no fouls in what was an extremely physical game where 45 fouls were whistled.
Butler out-rebounded Indiana 40-38. The Bulldogs had 42 points in the paint and 27 second chance points.
"There are a lot of little things that we need to figure out,'' Zeller said. "But that's what we'll do. We will get back to work and figure them out.''
Butler takes down No. 1 Indiana in OT
Suddenly, Tom Crean wanted Remy Abell in the game instead of 7-foot player of the year candidate Cody Zeller.
Then Butler sophomore walk-on Alex Barlow drove the lane and hit a short runner with 2.5 seconds left to give the Bulldogs an 88-86 victory over the top-ranked Hoosiers in the Crossroads Classic. The question for Indiana's coach following the game: Why?
Crean began with a general explanation of what IU was trying to do.
"We were going with an all-out switching call where we switch everything," Crean said. "And we just wanted to make sure we were keeping a man in front, keeping up on the glass and we didn't do a great job of it. It was about switching everything with no fear of being driven in that position."
But Butler did just that. Barlow drove the lane, and got a softly contested shot. A reporter followed up, asking specifically about Zeller's absence.
"Didn't I just cover that?'' Crean asked. "I did just cover that. We were in a 55 and we wanted to switch everything. They were running a lot of high ball screens. In that situation we just wanted to switch accordingly because it was either going to be a drive or a three. And then everybody just had to do what they had to do rebounding the ball.''
Crean asked the reporter to explain his point. The reporter said he just wondered if Crean had second thoughts about not having Zeller in that game to protect the rim.
"No, I don't, and I think I covered that when I walked in,'' Crean said. "I thought I was clear. We just wanted to make sure that we could defend the high ball screen which they had been running consistently and not put ourselves in a switch that would be advantageous to them.''
Crean may or may not like this question either: How far will the Hoosiers slip in the next poll? Out of the top five? Possibly.
As Crean said later — after arriving at the postgame press conference more than an hour after the — it's not like this was Chaminade beating Virginia. Butler is a good team and IU wasn't at its best.
Indiana got out-hustled, especially in the first half when Butler piled up 11 of its 19 offensive rebounds.
IU also had some issues with miscommunication on defense. And the Hoosiers (9-1) got pushed around at times by a Butler (8-2) team that was more physical and tough minded. In addition, an IU team that is accustomed to hitting open shots with regularity was a little bit off from start to finish. Did Butler's defense have something to do with that? Absolutely. But some of IU's wounds were self-inflicted, too.
BULLDOGS: Meet Butler star Rotnei Clarke
BIG EAST: Butler not thinking about conference move
Add it up and it's the perfect recipe for a national television misstep. Indiana let a Butler team that had three key players foul out still find a way to send them back on State Road 37 heading south wondering just what hit them.
"The bottom line was we didn't rebound the ball well enough today,'' said IU coach Tom Crean. "Our communication defensively was good but it was sporadic in crunch time. And that really has got to get better.''
IU actually trailed by seven points with just over 2 minutes to play in regulation before tying the game on a 3-pointer by Yogi Ferrell from the right wing with 6.1 seconds to play. In overtime, the Hoosiers led by four at 84-80 before Clarke hit a big 3-pointer. Then, after a careless pass from Ferrell intended for Zeller resulted in a turnover, Stigall buried a 3-pointer to put the Bulldogs on top.
"We went under a screen which is like at the top of the chart as far as 'don't ever do that','' Crean said. "And we had miscommunication on a switch. There's no question that we cost ourselves at the end of the game defensively, and they made the plays so they get the credit for that. But we made the mistake on how we guarded them.''
Zeller may have tied Victor Oladipo for the scoring lead for the Hoosiers with 18 points but there were a couple of numbers that jumped out in a not-so-positive light. Five rebounds in 37 minutes. One block. And no fouls in what was an extremely physical game where 45 fouls were whistled.
Butler out-rebounded Indiana 40-38. The Bulldogs had 42 points in the paint and 27 second chance points.
"There are a lot of little things that we need to figure out,'' Zeller said. "But that's what we'll do. We will get back to work and figure them out.''
Butler takes down No. 1 Indiana in OT
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With his wife, Juli, looking on at the postgame press conference and his young children close by, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim's final remarks were not about his milestone 900th career victory.
Instead, he was thinking about two 6-year-old boys who were buried Monday, victims along with 18 other children and six adults in a shooting massacre last week at an elementary school in Connecticut.
''If we cannot get the people who represent us to do something about firearms, we are a sad, sad society,'' Boeheim said Monday night. ''If one person in this world, the NRA president, anybody, can tell me why we need assault weapons with 30 shots - this is our fault if we don't go out there and do something about this. If we can't get this thing done, I don't know what kind of country we have.''
It was a sobering end to what was a memorable evening for Syracuse basketball. The third-ranked Orange's 72-68 victory over Detroit in the Gotham Classic made Boeheim just the third Division I men's coach to reach 900 wins.
Boeheim, 68 and in his 37th year at his alma mater, is 900-304 and joined an elite fraternity. Mike Krzyzewski (936) and Bob Knight (902) are the only other men's Division I coaches to win that many games.
''To me, it's just a number,'' said Boeheim, whose first victory was against Harvard in 1976. ''If I get 900, have I got to get more? That's why maybe it's just not that important to me because to me it's just a number, and the only number that matters is how this team does.''
So far, it's done OK.
James Southerland had 22 points for Syracuse (10-0), which increased its home winning streak to 30 games, longest in the nation. Detroit (6-5), which lost 77-74 at St. John's in the second game of the season and 74-61 at Pitt earlier this month, had its four-game winning streak snapped.
Dave Bing, Boeheim's college roommate, teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, and Roosevelt Bouie, a star on Boeheim's first team in 1976-77, were in the Carrier Dome crowd of 17,902.
Bing was standing tall in the locker room after the game.
''Nobody would have thought when we came here 50 years ago that either one of us would have had the kind of success we've had,'' said Bing, today the mayor of Detroit. ''I'm so pleased and proud of him because he stuck with it. He's proven that he's one of the best coaches ever in college basketball, and he'll be No. 2 shortly.''
After a victory that nearly was short-circuited, Boeheim was presented a jersey encased in glass with 900 emblazoned on it.
''I'm happy. I've stayed around long enough. I was a little nervous,'' Boeheim said at center court. ''I'm proud to be here. To win this game is more pressure than I've felt in a long time. I wasn't thinking about losing until the end. That wouldn't have been a good thing to happen, but it very well could have.''
Indeed.
Midway through the second half with Syracuse dominating, fans were given placards featuring cardboard cutouts of Boeheim's face with 900 wins printed on the back to wave in celebration. But when the public address announcer in the Carrier Dome invited fans to stick around for the postgame ceremony, the Titans roared back.
Juwan Howard Jr., who finished with 18 points, scored 14 over the last 6 minutes to key a 16-0 run, his two free throws pulling Detroit within 67-63 with 55.1 seconds left after the Titans had trailed by 20 with 6:09 to play.
''You know what, I didn't hear it, but the players probably heard because they sure came alive,'' Detroit coach Ray McCallum said. ''This is a big stage. Guys sitting around the hotel watching television getting ready to play the No. 3 team in the country and they're talking about going for 900 wins, coach Boeheim. That's a lot for a young man to digest.''
Michael Carter-Williams hit three of four free throws in the final seconds to secure the win.
''Michael made big-time free throws you've got to make. If he misses a couple, it's a new game. That was the difference,'' Boeheim said. ''We have not been in that situation. Hopefully, we'll learn from that.''
Carter-Williams finished with 10 assists and 12 points, his sixth straight double-double.
''It was great to be part of this,'' Carter-Williams said. ''It's a part of history.''
Doug Anderson scored 18 points and Nick Minnerath had 13 for Detroit. Ray McCallum Jr., the coach's son and Detroit's leading scorer at 19.4 points per game, finished with nine, while Jason Calliste had seven.
Southerland scored a career-high 35 points, matching a school record with nine 3-pointers, in a win at Arkansas in late November and, after an 0-for-10 slump over three games, found his range again Saturday night with three 3s in a win over Canisius. He finished 5 of 8 from behind the arc against the Titans.
One of the keys to breaking Syracuse's 2-3 zone is hitting the long ball, and Detroit struck out in the first half. The Titans were 0 for 10 and the lone 3 they did make - by McCallum with just over 6 minutes left - was negated by a shot-clock violation.
Detroit could only lament what might have been if a couple had gone in.
''We never gave up. That's a tribute to our team,'' Howard said. ''We had the right attitude. We played a tough opponent. You usually don't want a moral victory, but we can take some positives from this game.''
Syracuse plays again Saturday against Temple in Madison Square Garden, and the Orange faithful are likely to be out in numbers as they usually are when the team plays there.
Boeheim was effusive in praise of the support the team has received during his long tenure. Syracuse has had 71 crowds of over 30,000 since the Carrier Dome opened in 1980 and holds the NCAA on-campus record of 34,616, set nearly three years ago against Villanova.
''The support of fans cannot be overestimated,'' he said. ''You have to have that kind of support in your building to bring recruits in, to help you play better. We've had a tremendous loyal fan base.
Instead, he was thinking about two 6-year-old boys who were buried Monday, victims along with 18 other children and six adults in a shooting massacre last week at an elementary school in Connecticut.
''If we cannot get the people who represent us to do something about firearms, we are a sad, sad society,'' Boeheim said Monday night. ''If one person in this world, the NRA president, anybody, can tell me why we need assault weapons with 30 shots - this is our fault if we don't go out there and do something about this. If we can't get this thing done, I don't know what kind of country we have.''
It was a sobering end to what was a memorable evening for Syracuse basketball. The third-ranked Orange's 72-68 victory over Detroit in the Gotham Classic made Boeheim just the third Division I men's coach to reach 900 wins.
Boeheim, 68 and in his 37th year at his alma mater, is 900-304 and joined an elite fraternity. Mike Krzyzewski (936) and Bob Knight (902) are the only other men's Division I coaches to win that many games.
''To me, it's just a number,'' said Boeheim, whose first victory was against Harvard in 1976. ''If I get 900, have I got to get more? That's why maybe it's just not that important to me because to me it's just a number, and the only number that matters is how this team does.''
So far, it's done OK.
James Southerland had 22 points for Syracuse (10-0), which increased its home winning streak to 30 games, longest in the nation. Detroit (6-5), which lost 77-74 at St. John's in the second game of the season and 74-61 at Pitt earlier this month, had its four-game winning streak snapped.
Dave Bing, Boeheim's college roommate, teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, and Roosevelt Bouie, a star on Boeheim's first team in 1976-77, were in the Carrier Dome crowd of 17,902.
Bing was standing tall in the locker room after the game.
''Nobody would have thought when we came here 50 years ago that either one of us would have had the kind of success we've had,'' said Bing, today the mayor of Detroit. ''I'm so pleased and proud of him because he stuck with it. He's proven that he's one of the best coaches ever in college basketball, and he'll be No. 2 shortly.''
After a victory that nearly was short-circuited, Boeheim was presented a jersey encased in glass with 900 emblazoned on it.
''I'm happy. I've stayed around long enough. I was a little nervous,'' Boeheim said at center court. ''I'm proud to be here. To win this game is more pressure than I've felt in a long time. I wasn't thinking about losing until the end. That wouldn't have been a good thing to happen, but it very well could have.''
Indeed.
Midway through the second half with Syracuse dominating, fans were given placards featuring cardboard cutouts of Boeheim's face with 900 wins printed on the back to wave in celebration. But when the public address announcer in the Carrier Dome invited fans to stick around for the postgame ceremony, the Titans roared back.
Juwan Howard Jr., who finished with 18 points, scored 14 over the last 6 minutes to key a 16-0 run, his two free throws pulling Detroit within 67-63 with 55.1 seconds left after the Titans had trailed by 20 with 6:09 to play.
''You know what, I didn't hear it, but the players probably heard because they sure came alive,'' Detroit coach Ray McCallum said. ''This is a big stage. Guys sitting around the hotel watching television getting ready to play the No. 3 team in the country and they're talking about going for 900 wins, coach Boeheim. That's a lot for a young man to digest.''
Michael Carter-Williams hit three of four free throws in the final seconds to secure the win.
''Michael made big-time free throws you've got to make. If he misses a couple, it's a new game. That was the difference,'' Boeheim said. ''We have not been in that situation. Hopefully, we'll learn from that.''
Carter-Williams finished with 10 assists and 12 points, his sixth straight double-double.
''It was great to be part of this,'' Carter-Williams said. ''It's a part of history.''
Doug Anderson scored 18 points and Nick Minnerath had 13 for Detroit. Ray McCallum Jr., the coach's son and Detroit's leading scorer at 19.4 points per game, finished with nine, while Jason Calliste had seven.
Southerland scored a career-high 35 points, matching a school record with nine 3-pointers, in a win at Arkansas in late November and, after an 0-for-10 slump over three games, found his range again Saturday night with three 3s in a win over Canisius. He finished 5 of 8 from behind the arc against the Titans.
One of the keys to breaking Syracuse's 2-3 zone is hitting the long ball, and Detroit struck out in the first half. The Titans were 0 for 10 and the lone 3 they did make - by McCallum with just over 6 minutes left - was negated by a shot-clock violation.
Detroit could only lament what might have been if a couple had gone in.
''We never gave up. That's a tribute to our team,'' Howard said. ''We had the right attitude. We played a tough opponent. You usually don't want a moral victory, but we can take some positives from this game.''
Syracuse plays again Saturday against Temple in Madison Square Garden, and the Orange faithful are likely to be out in numbers as they usually are when the team plays there.
Boeheim was effusive in praise of the support the team has received during his long tenure. Syracuse has had 71 crowds of over 30,000 since the Carrier Dome opened in 1980 and holds the NCAA on-campus record of 34,616, set nearly three years ago against Villanova.
''The support of fans cannot be overestimated,'' he said. ''You have to have that kind of support in your building to bring recruits in, to help you play better. We've had a tremendous loyal fan base.
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Texas guard Myck Kabongo will be suspended by the NCAA for the rest of the season, Yahoo! Sports has learned. As the NCAA investigated Kabongo's amateur status over the past several months, Texas held Kabongo out of the lineup. The NCAA's investigation has centered around whether Kabongo, a one-time potential NBA first-round draft pick, received impermissible benefits from agent Rich Paul, who represents NBA superstar LeBron James and two former Texas Longhorns players: Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson and San Antonio Spurs guard Cory Joseph.
In most impermissible benefits situations, players usually are suspended from three to 10 games and ordered to repay the amount of the benefits received. In this case, the penalty was made more severe because Kabongo provided inaccurate information to NCAA investigators when he was interviewed, sources with ties to Texas' basketball program said.
The season-long ban is consistent with the penalty applied to former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant in 2009 when he lied to the NCAA.
The loss of Kabongo is a major blow to an inexperienced Texas team that already has been struggling without its best player. The Longhorns are 6-4, including a shocking loss to NAIA Chaminade in the Maui Invitational last month. Kabongo averaged 9.6 points and team highs of 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals last season.
As Y! Sports reported previously, one element of the probe centered on whether Paul played a role in Kabongo traveling to Cleveland last spring on a trip that included at least one workout with New York-based professional trainer, Jerry Powell. At issue was who paid for Kabongo's travel and expenses, and whether Powell's training was provided without cost.
Powell told Yahoo! Sports in October that an NCAA investigator contacted him about the probe into Paul and Kabongo. Powell said he worked out Kabongo in Cleveland in May, and that Paul wasn't in the gymnasium. "I told the NCAA my side of the story," Powell told Yahoo! Sports. "I'm sure Myck told his side. I'm not trying to ruin nobody's eligibility. It's never been about anything but workouts with me. I'm a trainer. That's all. I'm not aligned with anybody. I'm my own person. I don't get caught up with any of that."
Powell told Yahoo! Sports that he had a previous relationship with Kabongo through "someone I know who [Kabongo] played a tournament with once." Powell did not disclose who that person is, why he had traveled to Cleveland or how the workout was arranged.
"After [the workout] was over, I just went back to my hotel room," Powell said. "I'm not aligned with Rich. I did the workout. That's all I did."
An agent is allowed to have a relationship with a prospect and his family, but providing or promising financial benefits could place the player's college eligibility in peril. If the NCAA uncovers violations, Kabongo's eligibility could be compromised.
Kabongo and Thompson are childhood friends from Toronto who attended the same high schools in New Jersey and Nevada before ultimately going to the University of Texas. Thompson was a rookie with the Cavaliers during the 2011-12 NBA season while Kabongo was a freshman at Texas.
Powell said Paul was present for a predraft workout of Michael Kidd-Glichrist in New York last spring, but not with Kabongo in Cleveland. Kidd-Gilchrist is a Creative Artists Agency client with whom Paul worked closely within the past year.
After four years working in CAA's basketball division, Paul left the company in September and has applied with the National Basketball Players Association to be a registered player agent. At the same time, James left CAA and made Paul his agent.
After Kabongo's freshman season at Texas, Paul called several NBA front-office executives on the player's behalf to gauge where Kabongo, a point guard, might be picked in the 2012 NBA draft, front-office sources told Yahoo! Sports. At CAA, Paul hadn't been registered as an agent, but was active in recruiting several players to the agency, including Thompson and former Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn; and he communicated with NBA front offices in several agent-related capacities, league sources said.
Bylaw 12.3 of the NCAA rulebook covers agent interaction. "A student-athlete … may not agree verbally or in writing to be represented by an athlete agent in the present or in the future for the purpose of marketing the student-athlete's ability or reputation," the bylaw states. "If the student-athlete enters into such an agreement, the student-athlete is ineligible for intercollegiate competition.
"Also, a student-athlete may not accept transportation or other benefits from an athlete agent. This prohibition applies to the student-athlete and his or her relatives or friends."
Several NBA front-office officials believed Kabongo could have elevated himself into a mid-first round draft pick as a sophomore. As one Eastern Conference official said, "Maybe even a late lottery pick in what's going to be an average draft."
But after what most considered an ordinary freshman season and becoming ineligible as a sophomore, Kabongo's chances to getting drafted in the first round are improbable.
Sources: NCAA to suspend Texas guard Myck Kabongo for season - Yahoo! Sports
In most impermissible benefits situations, players usually are suspended from three to 10 games and ordered to repay the amount of the benefits received. In this case, the penalty was made more severe because Kabongo provided inaccurate information to NCAA investigators when he was interviewed, sources with ties to Texas' basketball program said.
The season-long ban is consistent with the penalty applied to former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant in 2009 when he lied to the NCAA.
The loss of Kabongo is a major blow to an inexperienced Texas team that already has been struggling without its best player. The Longhorns are 6-4, including a shocking loss to NAIA Chaminade in the Maui Invitational last month. Kabongo averaged 9.6 points and team highs of 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals last season.
As Y! Sports reported previously, one element of the probe centered on whether Paul played a role in Kabongo traveling to Cleveland last spring on a trip that included at least one workout with New York-based professional trainer, Jerry Powell. At issue was who paid for Kabongo's travel and expenses, and whether Powell's training was provided without cost.
Powell told Yahoo! Sports in October that an NCAA investigator contacted him about the probe into Paul and Kabongo. Powell said he worked out Kabongo in Cleveland in May, and that Paul wasn't in the gymnasium. "I told the NCAA my side of the story," Powell told Yahoo! Sports. "I'm sure Myck told his side. I'm not trying to ruin nobody's eligibility. It's never been about anything but workouts with me. I'm a trainer. That's all. I'm not aligned with anybody. I'm my own person. I don't get caught up with any of that."
Powell told Yahoo! Sports that he had a previous relationship with Kabongo through "someone I know who [Kabongo] played a tournament with once." Powell did not disclose who that person is, why he had traveled to Cleveland or how the workout was arranged.
"After [the workout] was over, I just went back to my hotel room," Powell said. "I'm not aligned with Rich. I did the workout. That's all I did."
An agent is allowed to have a relationship with a prospect and his family, but providing or promising financial benefits could place the player's college eligibility in peril. If the NCAA uncovers violations, Kabongo's eligibility could be compromised.
Kabongo and Thompson are childhood friends from Toronto who attended the same high schools in New Jersey and Nevada before ultimately going to the University of Texas. Thompson was a rookie with the Cavaliers during the 2011-12 NBA season while Kabongo was a freshman at Texas.
Powell said Paul was present for a predraft workout of Michael Kidd-Glichrist in New York last spring, but not with Kabongo in Cleveland. Kidd-Gilchrist is a Creative Artists Agency client with whom Paul worked closely within the past year.
After four years working in CAA's basketball division, Paul left the company in September and has applied with the National Basketball Players Association to be a registered player agent. At the same time, James left CAA and made Paul his agent.
After Kabongo's freshman season at Texas, Paul called several NBA front-office executives on the player's behalf to gauge where Kabongo, a point guard, might be picked in the 2012 NBA draft, front-office sources told Yahoo! Sports. At CAA, Paul hadn't been registered as an agent, but was active in recruiting several players to the agency, including Thompson and former Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn; and he communicated with NBA front offices in several agent-related capacities, league sources said.
Bylaw 12.3 of the NCAA rulebook covers agent interaction. "A student-athlete … may not agree verbally or in writing to be represented by an athlete agent in the present or in the future for the purpose of marketing the student-athlete's ability or reputation," the bylaw states. "If the student-athlete enters into such an agreement, the student-athlete is ineligible for intercollegiate competition.
"Also, a student-athlete may not accept transportation or other benefits from an athlete agent. This prohibition applies to the student-athlete and his or her relatives or friends."
Several NBA front-office officials believed Kabongo could have elevated himself into a mid-first round draft pick as a sophomore. As one Eastern Conference official said, "Maybe even a late lottery pick in what's going to be an average draft."
But after what most considered an ordinary freshman season and becoming ineligible as a sophomore, Kabongo's chances to getting drafted in the first round are improbable.
Sources: NCAA to suspend Texas guard Myck Kabongo for season - Yahoo! Sports
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The NCAA officially suspended Texas guard Myck Kabongo for accepting impermissible benefits and then providing false statements.
Kabongo must sit out 23 games for "unethical conduct" and repay $475 in impermissible benefits, according to an appeal decision made by the Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday night that the NCAA would suspend Texas guard Kabongo for the rest of the 2012-13 season.
After starting 34 games last season for the Longhorns, Kabongo hasn't played this season because the NCAA was investigating to see if Kabongo was working with an agent last May when he was deciding whether to declare for the NBA Draft after a breakout freshman campaign.
The case submitted by the university revealed that Kabongo accepted aifaire and personal training instruction. According to the Yahoo! Sports report, Kabongo participated in an NBA-style workout with former Texas player and Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan Thompson. The main detail the NCAA was looking into had to do with contact with an agent -- possibly Rich Paul who also represents Miami Heat star LeBron James. Kabongo reportedly worked out with Thompson with trainer Jerry Powell present. According to ESPN-com, Kabongo's 23-game suspension was because he did not provide all information the NCAA was seeking. The case revealed that Kabongo provided false and misleading information during two separate interviews with university officials.
Texas Athletics provided a statement on Kabongo to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday before the news was officially announced:
"A final decision has not been made in Myck Kabongo's eligibility case. We and the NCAA are working together and a final decision is expected within the next few days."
Despite a rocky start to this season, Texas pulled off a huge upset with an 85-67 win over North Carolina on Wednesday. The Longhorns face Michigan State on Saturday.
Texas' Kabongo suspended for 'unethical conduct, accepting benefits'
Kabongo must sit out 23 games for "unethical conduct" and repay $475 in impermissible benefits, according to an appeal decision made by the Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday night that the NCAA would suspend Texas guard Kabongo for the rest of the 2012-13 season.
After starting 34 games last season for the Longhorns, Kabongo hasn't played this season because the NCAA was investigating to see if Kabongo was working with an agent last May when he was deciding whether to declare for the NBA Draft after a breakout freshman campaign.
The case submitted by the university revealed that Kabongo accepted aifaire and personal training instruction. According to the Yahoo! Sports report, Kabongo participated in an NBA-style workout with former Texas player and Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan Thompson. The main detail the NCAA was looking into had to do with contact with an agent -- possibly Rich Paul who also represents Miami Heat star LeBron James. Kabongo reportedly worked out with Thompson with trainer Jerry Powell present. According to ESPN-com, Kabongo's 23-game suspension was because he did not provide all information the NCAA was seeking. The case revealed that Kabongo provided false and misleading information during two separate interviews with university officials.
Texas Athletics provided a statement on Kabongo to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday before the news was officially announced:
"A final decision has not been made in Myck Kabongo's eligibility case. We and the NCAA are working together and a final decision is expected within the next few days."
Despite a rocky start to this season, Texas pulled off a huge upset with an 85-67 win over North Carolina on Wednesday. The Longhorns face Michigan State on Saturday.
Texas' Kabongo suspended for 'unethical conduct, accepting benefits'
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It's not supposed to be this easy for a kid playing his first collegiate road game.
Kansas' Ben McLemore, a redshirt freshman surrounded in the starting lineup by seniors, didn't let the raucous crowd, the travel or sleeping in a strange bed bother him.
McLemore scored 22 points and No. 9 Kansas proved it was more than just a bully at home by beating seventh-ranked Ohio State 74-66 on Saturday.
''This was great. It was my first time playing in an away game,'' McLemore said with a slight smile. ''You go up and down the court a little bit, and you get into the game. I kept my intensity, I just played my game.''
For that matter, none of the Jayhawks had yet played a true road game this season. Kansas, which has won nine in a row since losing to Michigan State 67-64 on Nov. 13 in Atlanta, came in 7-0 at home, with two other games played before friendly fans in nearby Kansas City.
They had barely heard a boo all season.
No wonder coach Bill Self was a little worried.
''I had concerns, for sure,'' Self said. ''Our seniors are good and quality and they've been through some things, but against a team that pressures man-to-man and you're playing with one primarily (ball) handler? That was my biggest concern.''
But the Jayhawks (10-1) weathered a 14-0 run by the Buckeyes (9-2) in the first half that turned the volume up in Value City Arena to 11 on a scale of 10. Then, down in the second half, they held cold-shooting Ohio State without a field goal for more than 10 minutes to take control.
The Buckeyes, who were led by Deshaun Thomas' 16 points and a career-best 15 by Shannon Scott, hit just 9 of 36 shots from the field in the final 20 minutes. For the game, they ended up making only 31 percent of their shots from the field.
No wonder coach Thad Matta looked so stunned when he spoke after the game.
''There was one point in the second half where I turned to the bench and I said, 'Hey, let's call a play where we score,''' he said, heavy on the irony. ''A lot of it just comes down to you've got to put the ball in the basket in a game like this and we couldn't do it. It became contagious.''
Sixty percent of the starting lineup - star defender Aaron Craft, usually reliable Lenzelle Smith Jr. and post man Evan Ravenel - was a combined 5 of 24 from the field.
Credit the Jayhawks, who play withering man-to-man defense and then are backed up by the incredible wingspan of 7-foot Jeff Withey underneath. Or blame the Buckeyes, who frequently were all alone when they bricked a shot off the rim. But no matter the reason, Ohio State couldn't buy a bucket for most of the second half.
It was the third victory for the Jayhawks in little more than a year over the Buckeyes (9-2). Kansas won a 64-62 thriller in last year's NCAA semifinals.
''Today's probably the best we've played against Ohio State in the three games,'' Self said. ''We were really good except for about a 3-minute stretch in the first half when they went on a (14-0) run. Other than that stretch, that was a pretty good 35 minutes we played out there.''
Withey added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks. Elijah Johnson had 13 points and Travis Releford 11.
They weathered Ohio State's first-half tear by relying on the seniors.
''We have a good group of vets and we've been in tough situations before,'' Withey said. ''We just bounced back. We just had to kind of breathe a little bit.''
Ahead 56-52 with 7 minutes left, Kansas pulled away thanks to its McLemore. He hit a pair of foul shots and then flipped in a 15-foot jumper that bounced not once, not twice, but three times before falling through. Off an inbounds pass, McLemore then came off a back pick and dunked to push the lead to 62-52 with 5 minutes left.
The Buckeyes never got closer than six points again.
Self said he found out a little more about McLemore in the game.
''There's a lot of stuff I'm curious about Ben,'' he said. ''He's still trying to figure out how to play. You can tell in late-game situations, he's played less basketball than anybody that's as old as him and as good as him around. It's all new to him. When it all comes naturally to him, he's going to become terrific.''
In his first road game, he already was.
McLemore's 22 gives Kansas huge road win, 74-66 - Yahoo! Sports
Kansas' Ben McLemore, a redshirt freshman surrounded in the starting lineup by seniors, didn't let the raucous crowd, the travel or sleeping in a strange bed bother him.
McLemore scored 22 points and No. 9 Kansas proved it was more than just a bully at home by beating seventh-ranked Ohio State 74-66 on Saturday.
''This was great. It was my first time playing in an away game,'' McLemore said with a slight smile. ''You go up and down the court a little bit, and you get into the game. I kept my intensity, I just played my game.''
For that matter, none of the Jayhawks had yet played a true road game this season. Kansas, which has won nine in a row since losing to Michigan State 67-64 on Nov. 13 in Atlanta, came in 7-0 at home, with two other games played before friendly fans in nearby Kansas City.
They had barely heard a boo all season.
No wonder coach Bill Self was a little worried.
''I had concerns, for sure,'' Self said. ''Our seniors are good and quality and they've been through some things, but against a team that pressures man-to-man and you're playing with one primarily (ball) handler? That was my biggest concern.''
But the Jayhawks (10-1) weathered a 14-0 run by the Buckeyes (9-2) in the first half that turned the volume up in Value City Arena to 11 on a scale of 10. Then, down in the second half, they held cold-shooting Ohio State without a field goal for more than 10 minutes to take control.
The Buckeyes, who were led by Deshaun Thomas' 16 points and a career-best 15 by Shannon Scott, hit just 9 of 36 shots from the field in the final 20 minutes. For the game, they ended up making only 31 percent of their shots from the field.
No wonder coach Thad Matta looked so stunned when he spoke after the game.
''There was one point in the second half where I turned to the bench and I said, 'Hey, let's call a play where we score,''' he said, heavy on the irony. ''A lot of it just comes down to you've got to put the ball in the basket in a game like this and we couldn't do it. It became contagious.''
Sixty percent of the starting lineup - star defender Aaron Craft, usually reliable Lenzelle Smith Jr. and post man Evan Ravenel - was a combined 5 of 24 from the field.
Credit the Jayhawks, who play withering man-to-man defense and then are backed up by the incredible wingspan of 7-foot Jeff Withey underneath. Or blame the Buckeyes, who frequently were all alone when they bricked a shot off the rim. But no matter the reason, Ohio State couldn't buy a bucket for most of the second half.
It was the third victory for the Jayhawks in little more than a year over the Buckeyes (9-2). Kansas won a 64-62 thriller in last year's NCAA semifinals.
''Today's probably the best we've played against Ohio State in the three games,'' Self said. ''We were really good except for about a 3-minute stretch in the first half when they went on a (14-0) run. Other than that stretch, that was a pretty good 35 minutes we played out there.''
Withey added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks. Elijah Johnson had 13 points and Travis Releford 11.
They weathered Ohio State's first-half tear by relying on the seniors.
''We have a good group of vets and we've been in tough situations before,'' Withey said. ''We just bounced back. We just had to kind of breathe a little bit.''
Ahead 56-52 with 7 minutes left, Kansas pulled away thanks to its McLemore. He hit a pair of foul shots and then flipped in a 15-foot jumper that bounced not once, not twice, but three times before falling through. Off an inbounds pass, McLemore then came off a back pick and dunked to push the lead to 62-52 with 5 minutes left.
The Buckeyes never got closer than six points again.
Self said he found out a little more about McLemore in the game.
''There's a lot of stuff I'm curious about Ben,'' he said. ''He's still trying to figure out how to play. You can tell in late-game situations, he's played less basketball than anybody that's as old as him and as good as him around. It's all new to him. When it all comes naturally to him, he's going to become terrific.''
In his first road game, he already was.
McLemore's 22 gives Kansas huge road win, 74-66 - Yahoo! Sports
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A Kentucky spokesman denied that the Wildcats intentionally tricked referees and offered the following explanation via Twitter on Sunday afternoon.
"Our bench argued that Poythress was the shooter & the official notified the official scorer that #22 was the shooter," Kentucky executive associate athletic director for external operations DeWayne Peevy tweeted. "After seeing the tape, it might have been the wrong call but it wasn't a switch-a-roo. It was confirmed to the official scorer."
Even though Kentucky lost by three points at rival Louisville on Saturday, nobody can say the Wildcats didn't do everything possible to pull off the upset.
They even appear to have tried to reverse their poor free throw fortunes by switching foul shooters without referees noticing. When referees whistled Louisville's Russ Smith for a foul with 1:05 to go before halftime for hooking the arm of Nerlens Noel on an attempted steal, the Kentucky center initially goes to the foul line as expected. Noel then wanders off the line to get instruction from the Kentucky bench, allowing wing Alex Poythress to slip in unnoticed and replace him. Even though Poythress was only a mediocre 68.1 percent free throw shooter entering play on Saturday, that's still significantly better than Noel's 53.3 percent prior to the Louisville game. Poythress made the first and missed the second, a point that ultimately made no difference as the Cardinals held off a late Kentucky rally and won 80-77.
It's possible Poythress took the foul shots because he thought he drew a blocking foul on Montrezl Harrell as he drove baseline before dishing to Noel, but the majority of the evidence suggests that wasn't the call that was made. The referee who blew his whistle did so after Smith's foul and pointed directly at Smith. Plus, the play-by-play in the box score attributes the foul to Smith. If the switcheroo was intentional, perhaps karma ended up biting Kentucky. Poor foul shooting was one of the main reasons the Wildcats lost as they made just 11 of 23 free throws Saturday, with Poythress uncharacteristically clanking four of his six.
Did referees miss Kentucky pulling a switcheroo at the free throw line? | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
"Our bench argued that Poythress was the shooter & the official notified the official scorer that #22 was the shooter," Kentucky executive associate athletic director for external operations DeWayne Peevy tweeted. "After seeing the tape, it might have been the wrong call but it wasn't a switch-a-roo. It was confirmed to the official scorer."
Even though Kentucky lost by three points at rival Louisville on Saturday, nobody can say the Wildcats didn't do everything possible to pull off the upset.
They even appear to have tried to reverse their poor free throw fortunes by switching foul shooters without referees noticing. When referees whistled Louisville's Russ Smith for a foul with 1:05 to go before halftime for hooking the arm of Nerlens Noel on an attempted steal, the Kentucky center initially goes to the foul line as expected. Noel then wanders off the line to get instruction from the Kentucky bench, allowing wing Alex Poythress to slip in unnoticed and replace him. Even though Poythress was only a mediocre 68.1 percent free throw shooter entering play on Saturday, that's still significantly better than Noel's 53.3 percent prior to the Louisville game. Poythress made the first and missed the second, a point that ultimately made no difference as the Cardinals held off a late Kentucky rally and won 80-77.
It's possible Poythress took the foul shots because he thought he drew a blocking foul on Montrezl Harrell as he drove baseline before dishing to Noel, but the majority of the evidence suggests that wasn't the call that was made. The referee who blew his whistle did so after Smith's foul and pointed directly at Smith. Plus, the play-by-play in the box score attributes the foul to Smith. If the switcheroo was intentional, perhaps karma ended up biting Kentucky. Poor foul shooting was one of the main reasons the Wildcats lost as they made just 11 of 23 free throws Saturday, with Poythress uncharacteristically clanking four of his six.
Did referees miss Kentucky pulling a switcheroo at the free throw line? | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
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The Presidents of the Big East Catholic 7 – St. John's, DePaul, Providence, Marquette, Villanova, Seton Hall and Georgetown – who announced last month that they were splitting from their football brethren, will meet as a group Friday in New York in the first of many steps towards forming a 10- or 12-team basketball conference, according to a person familiar with the meeting.
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the meeting details were supposed to remain confidential.
Although no major expansion plans are expected to be announced, the group is expected to announce that it has reached an agreement with the remaining Big East schools to leave the league a year earlier than originally stated, with a start-up date of July 1, 2014, rather than July 1, 2015.
""It's been very cordial,'' said Big East commissioner Mike Aresco, while conceding that the negotiations on the financial details of the breakup are ongoing.
Aresco also is trying to keep the football schools together after this week's decision by Boise State to stay with the Mountain West rather than jump to the Big East.
Catholic 7 presidents to discuss timing of Big East exit
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the meeting details were supposed to remain confidential.
Although no major expansion plans are expected to be announced, the group is expected to announce that it has reached an agreement with the remaining Big East schools to leave the league a year earlier than originally stated, with a start-up date of July 1, 2014, rather than July 1, 2015.
""It's been very cordial,'' said Big East commissioner Mike Aresco, while conceding that the negotiations on the financial details of the breakup are ongoing.
Aresco also is trying to keep the football schools together after this week's decision by Boise State to stay with the Mountain West rather than jump to the Big East.
Catholic 7 presidents to discuss timing of Big East exit
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The difference between perfect record and first loss may have been a fickle fraction of an inch, as Michigan guard Trey Burke's step-back 3-pointer just jiggled out with 17 seconds left Sunday. "I'm not going to lie," said Ohio State's Aaron Craft, who was guarding Burke on the play. "I thought it was going in when I turned around."
It didn't, and the Buckeyes won, 56-53. In the process they denied their hated rivals a chance to be No. 1 in the rankings Monday, and also ended the annual Unbeaten Watch in college basketball.
Arizona (14-0) was taken down last Thursday at Oregon. Duke (15-0) lost Saturday at North Carolina State. That left the Wolverines (16-0) as the last unbeaten standing, and they didn't stand long Sunday. Michigan fell behind 4-3 and never led again, despite mounting a valiant comeback after a first-half meltdown.
It was an even earlier ending to The Watch than usual. Michigan had the fewest consecutive victories to start the season for the last unbeaten since Wake Forest went 16-0 in 2008-09. The Jan. 13 loss date is the earliest since Clemson was beaten on the same date in 2007. And with that, Quinn Buckner, Scott May and Kent Benson can once again rest easy, knowing their place in history is more secure than Nick Saban's job status. Nobody is going to equal or surpass the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers' 32-0 record, the last run-the-table season in college basketball.
Not this year.
And probably not ever.
The parity is too great. The pressure is too intense. The bull's-eye is too big. The teams trying to accomplish the Herculean feat are too flawed.
Ohio State coach Thad Matta has seen this thing from both sides. He knocked off the last unbeaten Sunday, and also had that honor in 2005 against an Illinois team that made it to 29-0. In between, his Buckeyes had their own run: they were 24-0 in 2011 before losing on Feb. 12 at Wisconsin.
"I lived it a couple years ago, getting to 24-0," Matta said. "It's mind-boggling when you think about it. When you're the only team undefeated and the game starts and you're like, 'Man, I've never seen that (opposing) team play like this.' And the arenas you go into – I thought our fans were as good as I've ever seen them. It is challenging." That level of challenge is why Michigan coach John Beilein was unbothered by his team's first loss, knowing that it was inevitable. "When was the last team that didn't lose?" he asked. "It doesn't happen."
Since that immortal Indiana run, there have been some great teams that failed to go undefeated: Kentucky 2012, Kentucky '96, Duke '92, UNLV '91 and North Carolina '82 to name a few. Of that group, only the Runnin' Rebels made it into the NCAA tournament unbeaten, eventually meeting their demise in the Final Four against Duke.
That UNLV team is Exhibit A why a regular-season loss is not only inevitable, but healthy. The attention, adulation and opposition motivation escalate with every victory, which makes finishing the job virtually impossible.
Especially when you factor in the makeup of the most talented modern teams. They tend to be very young, and even the best young teams tend to freak out at least a little bit in their first serious road environment. That was the case last year for freshman-laden Kentucky, which gave in to the feral atmosphere at Indiana in December. And that was the case Sunday for Michigan, which played four freshmen extensive minutes and panicked for most of the first half. Ohio State pounced on multiple Wolverines turnovers, running its lead up to 21 points before linchpin Craft had to sit with two fouls. That stalled the Buckeye momentum, and Michigan battled back to make a very good game of it in the second half.
"Most teams now are seeing their first top-level teams on the road," Beilein said. "Watch the scores and you'll see what happens."
Michigan was that team Sunday. Its first true road game was Jan. 3 at Northwestern (which doesn't count). Its second was here, with fairly predictable results.
My question: why wait until now to play your first top-level team on the road? Too many coaches today schedule like this is football, and a single loss is fatal.
Schools have become addicted to home-heavy non-conference schedules that don't season their teams sufficiently for the rigors of January and February. Mixed in among the mid-majors and low-majors at home, you may get a couple of neutral-court games against quality opponents, but rarely a true road game anymore.
That type of scheduling does two things: it robs season-ticket holders of incentive to show up in large and loud numbers in November and December; and it sets up a team for at least one flaming bust on the road when conference play starts. What's the risk in a quality non-conference road loss?
But the Wolverines weren't the first team to be fed into a wood chipper on the road in the Big Ten, and they won't be the last. This is the best league in the country, with the fiercest homecourt advantages. If you don't come ready to play against a good opponent, you'll be embarrassed.
On Saturday, Indiana blasted out to a 23-point halftime lead on Minnesota in Bloomington, and Wisconsin led Illinois by 26 in the first half in Madison. Earlier this month, the Gophers got up a dozen in the first half at home against Michigan State, and the Illini blew out to a 15-point first-half lead over visiting Ohio State.
The hard part is coming back. Michigan, Minnesota and Michigan State all rallied to make competitive games out of those steep first-half deficits on the road.
"That could've been a 30-point game," Beilein said.
Instead it was a three-point game. But it also was an Ohio State victory.
And now there are no more unbeatens. The distance between everyone else and Indiana's 1976 team gets one year longer, and the feat gets one year stronger.
[url=sports-yahoo-com/news/ncaab--no-one-s-perfect--michigan-s-loss-underlines-difficulty-in-going-und
It didn't, and the Buckeyes won, 56-53. In the process they denied their hated rivals a chance to be No. 1 in the rankings Monday, and also ended the annual Unbeaten Watch in college basketball.
Arizona (14-0) was taken down last Thursday at Oregon. Duke (15-0) lost Saturday at North Carolina State. That left the Wolverines (16-0) as the last unbeaten standing, and they didn't stand long Sunday. Michigan fell behind 4-3 and never led again, despite mounting a valiant comeback after a first-half meltdown.
It was an even earlier ending to The Watch than usual. Michigan had the fewest consecutive victories to start the season for the last unbeaten since Wake Forest went 16-0 in 2008-09. The Jan. 13 loss date is the earliest since Clemson was beaten on the same date in 2007. And with that, Quinn Buckner, Scott May and Kent Benson can once again rest easy, knowing their place in history is more secure than Nick Saban's job status. Nobody is going to equal or surpass the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers' 32-0 record, the last run-the-table season in college basketball.
Not this year.
And probably not ever.
The parity is too great. The pressure is too intense. The bull's-eye is too big. The teams trying to accomplish the Herculean feat are too flawed.
Ohio State coach Thad Matta has seen this thing from both sides. He knocked off the last unbeaten Sunday, and also had that honor in 2005 against an Illinois team that made it to 29-0. In between, his Buckeyes had their own run: they were 24-0 in 2011 before losing on Feb. 12 at Wisconsin.
"I lived it a couple years ago, getting to 24-0," Matta said. "It's mind-boggling when you think about it. When you're the only team undefeated and the game starts and you're like, 'Man, I've never seen that (opposing) team play like this.' And the arenas you go into – I thought our fans were as good as I've ever seen them. It is challenging." That level of challenge is why Michigan coach John Beilein was unbothered by his team's first loss, knowing that it was inevitable. "When was the last team that didn't lose?" he asked. "It doesn't happen."
Since that immortal Indiana run, there have been some great teams that failed to go undefeated: Kentucky 2012, Kentucky '96, Duke '92, UNLV '91 and North Carolina '82 to name a few. Of that group, only the Runnin' Rebels made it into the NCAA tournament unbeaten, eventually meeting their demise in the Final Four against Duke.
That UNLV team is Exhibit A why a regular-season loss is not only inevitable, but healthy. The attention, adulation and opposition motivation escalate with every victory, which makes finishing the job virtually impossible.
Especially when you factor in the makeup of the most talented modern teams. They tend to be very young, and even the best young teams tend to freak out at least a little bit in their first serious road environment. That was the case last year for freshman-laden Kentucky, which gave in to the feral atmosphere at Indiana in December. And that was the case Sunday for Michigan, which played four freshmen extensive minutes and panicked for most of the first half. Ohio State pounced on multiple Wolverines turnovers, running its lead up to 21 points before linchpin Craft had to sit with two fouls. That stalled the Buckeye momentum, and Michigan battled back to make a very good game of it in the second half.
"Most teams now are seeing their first top-level teams on the road," Beilein said. "Watch the scores and you'll see what happens."
Michigan was that team Sunday. Its first true road game was Jan. 3 at Northwestern (which doesn't count). Its second was here, with fairly predictable results.
My question: why wait until now to play your first top-level team on the road? Too many coaches today schedule like this is football, and a single loss is fatal.
Schools have become addicted to home-heavy non-conference schedules that don't season their teams sufficiently for the rigors of January and February. Mixed in among the mid-majors and low-majors at home, you may get a couple of neutral-court games against quality opponents, but rarely a true road game anymore.
That type of scheduling does two things: it robs season-ticket holders of incentive to show up in large and loud numbers in November and December; and it sets up a team for at least one flaming bust on the road when conference play starts. What's the risk in a quality non-conference road loss?
But the Wolverines weren't the first team to be fed into a wood chipper on the road in the Big Ten, and they won't be the last. This is the best league in the country, with the fiercest homecourt advantages. If you don't come ready to play against a good opponent, you'll be embarrassed.
On Saturday, Indiana blasted out to a 23-point halftime lead on Minnesota in Bloomington, and Wisconsin led Illinois by 26 in the first half in Madison. Earlier this month, the Gophers got up a dozen in the first half at home against Michigan State, and the Illini blew out to a 15-point first-half lead over visiting Ohio State.
The hard part is coming back. Michigan, Minnesota and Michigan State all rallied to make competitive games out of those steep first-half deficits on the road.
"That could've been a 30-point game," Beilein said.
Instead it was a three-point game. But it also was an Ohio State victory.
And now there are no more unbeatens. The distance between everyone else and Indiana's 1976 team gets one year longer, and the feat gets one year stronger.
[url=sports-yahoo-com/news/ncaab--no-one-s-perfect--michigan-s-loss-underlines-difficulty-in-going-und
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Michigan State forwards Branden Dawson and Adreian Payne apologized after getting into a scuffle at a hotel before Wednesday night's game that led to police responding to the altercation.
Spartans coach Tom Izzo said no charges would be filed following the scuffle that started with the off-campus roommates needling each other and led to a dented wall. Dawson and Payne will pay for any property damage.
They sat out the first half and opening minutes of the second half. Payne finished with 20 points and seven rebounds to help the 18th-ranked Spartans pull away in an 81-72 win.
Dawson said the scuffle began over comments he made to assistant coaches about leaving practice gear in his room.
''It kind of got out of hand,'' Dawson said. ''We deserved it.''
Dawson (10.5 points) has started all 17 games this season. Payne (8.5 points) has started six, but has come off the bench recently.
''There were a couple words that escalated into an incident, a tussle. We were tussling and bumped into a wall,'' Payne said. ''I feel embarrassed and want to apologize to Penn State and our program.''
Penn State authorities have not named the players. Police Chief Tyrone Parham said officers responded Wednesday morning to a call from front desk staff at the Nittany Lion Inn of a report of an altercation on the second floor of the campus hotel, but Michigan State players had just boarded the bus for the Jordan Center by the time officers arrived.
Players were questioned off the bus. Parham said what started as a verbal argument escalated into punches being exchanged.
Both players had minor cuts and declined medical attention. Parham said Wednesday afternoon that the incident was under investigation and that both players were being considered victims.
Izzo also apologized and did not condone his players' behavior. But he said the altercation drew heightened attention because of social media - at one point holding up his cellphone while speaking with reporters.
The scuffle was like other minor scraps that have occurred over the years between teammates at times, Izzo said.
''It was a disappointing thing, one of those things. ... Again don't take this wrong, but if it wasn't for the Twitter era, it would be just another day,'' Izzo said. ''Unfortunately, the fight was in a hallway.''
Dawson, Payne sit out half for MSU after incident - Yahoo! Sports
Spartans coach Tom Izzo said no charges would be filed following the scuffle that started with the off-campus roommates needling each other and led to a dented wall. Dawson and Payne will pay for any property damage.
They sat out the first half and opening minutes of the second half. Payne finished with 20 points and seven rebounds to help the 18th-ranked Spartans pull away in an 81-72 win.
Dawson said the scuffle began over comments he made to assistant coaches about leaving practice gear in his room.
''It kind of got out of hand,'' Dawson said. ''We deserved it.''
Dawson (10.5 points) has started all 17 games this season. Payne (8.5 points) has started six, but has come off the bench recently.
''There were a couple words that escalated into an incident, a tussle. We were tussling and bumped into a wall,'' Payne said. ''I feel embarrassed and want to apologize to Penn State and our program.''
Penn State authorities have not named the players. Police Chief Tyrone Parham said officers responded Wednesday morning to a call from front desk staff at the Nittany Lion Inn of a report of an altercation on the second floor of the campus hotel, but Michigan State players had just boarded the bus for the Jordan Center by the time officers arrived.
Players were questioned off the bus. Parham said what started as a verbal argument escalated into punches being exchanged.
Both players had minor cuts and declined medical attention. Parham said Wednesday afternoon that the incident was under investigation and that both players were being considered victims.
Izzo also apologized and did not condone his players' behavior. But he said the altercation drew heightened attention because of social media - at one point holding up his cellphone while speaking with reporters.
The scuffle was like other minor scraps that have occurred over the years between teammates at times, Izzo said.
''It was a disappointing thing, one of those things. ... Again don't take this wrong, but if it wasn't for the Twitter era, it would be just another day,'' Izzo said. ''Unfortunately, the fight was in a hallway.''
Dawson, Payne sit out half for MSU after incident - Yahoo! Sports
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Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein was ruled out of Saturday night's game after a ''minor procedure'' on an old injury to his left knee.
The 7-foot freshman forward did not practice Friday before the Wildcats (11-5, 2-1) left for Auburn and a Southeastern Conference game against the Tigers.
Kentucky spokesman DeWayne Peevy, citing privacy laws, would give no details about Thursday's procedure, including whether it was surgery.
Coach John Calipari said it was an old injury that Cauley-Stein could have played through, but the coaching staff decided to ''play it safe'' and address it now.
Cauley-Stein had started the Wildcats' last five games and is averaging 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in nearly 21 minutes per game this season. His 31 blocks rank third in the SEC.
''It just happened to where, all right, let's go'' get it fixed, Calipari said. ''But it's all good. We're one short for a short while. Thank God, it was nothing major.''
Cauley-Stein played just 15 minutes in Kentucky's 75-65 victory over Tennessee on Tuesday night, his lowest total since logging 13 minutes against Baylor on Dec. 1. In his previous four games - all starts alongside fellow freshman Nerlens Noel - he had averaged 24.8 minutes per game.
Cauley-Stein had been playing with discomfort recently, Calipari said.
''There were times where he was like, 'You've got to get me out,''' the coach said. ''We had a shoot-around the other day and he stopped, and I said, 'What are you doing?' Just walking around. Again, nothing major, just an old thing he never did anything about.
''We could have been, 'You're fine, put the knee sleeve on and go,' but that's not how we operate here. If I err, I'm going to err on the side of the kid. Let's just be safe.''
Peevy also said senior reserve guard Twany Beckham is out with a lower back injury. Junior guard Jon Hood returned to practice Thursday from an illness that sidelined him for the past six games.
The 7-foot freshman forward did not practice Friday before the Wildcats (11-5, 2-1) left for Auburn and a Southeastern Conference game against the Tigers.
Kentucky spokesman DeWayne Peevy, citing privacy laws, would give no details about Thursday's procedure, including whether it was surgery.
Coach John Calipari said it was an old injury that Cauley-Stein could have played through, but the coaching staff decided to ''play it safe'' and address it now.
Cauley-Stein had started the Wildcats' last five games and is averaging 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in nearly 21 minutes per game this season. His 31 blocks rank third in the SEC.
''It just happened to where, all right, let's go'' get it fixed, Calipari said. ''But it's all good. We're one short for a short while. Thank God, it was nothing major.''
Cauley-Stein played just 15 minutes in Kentucky's 75-65 victory over Tennessee on Tuesday night, his lowest total since logging 13 minutes against Baylor on Dec. 1. In his previous four games - all starts alongside fellow freshman Nerlens Noel - he had averaged 24.8 minutes per game.
Cauley-Stein had been playing with discomfort recently, Calipari said.
''There were times where he was like, 'You've got to get me out,''' the coach said. ''We had a shoot-around the other day and he stopped, and I said, 'What are you doing?' Just walking around. Again, nothing major, just an old thing he never did anything about.
''We could have been, 'You're fine, put the knee sleeve on and go,' but that's not how we operate here. If I err, I'm going to err on the side of the kid. Let's just be safe.''
Peevy also said senior reserve guard Twany Beckham is out with a lower back injury. Junior guard Jon Hood returned to practice Thursday from an illness that sidelined him for the past six games.
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Northwestern coach Bill Carmody made a comment Sunday following the game with Indiana that to an IU fan would almost seem like blasphemy.
He said in the second half he instructed his Wildcats to foul Jordan Hulls. On purpose.
BOX SCORE: Indiana 67, Northwestern 59
Yes, the same Hulls who was a career 87 percent foul shooter coming into the game. The same Hulls, who over a two-year span hit 58 free throws in a row, a Big Ten record.
Still, after Hulls missed his first three foul shots Sunday against Northwestern, Carmody told his players to foul the senior guard. Hulls responded by hitting all four of free throws in the final minute as No. 2 Indiana held on for a 67-59 road victory over Northwestern.
Carmody's reasoning was simple. He thought Hulls was in a slump. He saw Hulls miss three free throws in a row Tuesday against Wisconsin, the first time in his career he had done that. When Hulls missed his first three Sunday, Carmody simply thought he was the best player to foul.
Hulls's reaction in the post game interview was pretty much what you'd expect.
"That's fine,'' Hulls said. "Put me on the line.''
Hulls' free throws in the closing minute, as well as two by junior guard Victor Oladipo, allowed Indiana (16-2, 4-1 Big Ten) to hold on and bounce back from Tuesday's home loss against Wisconsin to win its third Big Ten road game in as many tries.
In the first four seasons under IU head coach Tom Crean, Indiana went 4-32 on the road in conference play. Last year, IU was 3-6 away from Assembly Hall in Big Ten play. Now, the Hoosiers are 3-0 on the road and 1-1 at home to open conference play this season. Go back to last year and IU has won four conference road games in a row and five of the last six.
You could make the argument though that Sunday's game at Welsh-Ryan Arena was a lot closer to a home game than a road game. The capacity crowd of 8,117 was decidedly pro-Indiana. One Northwestern reporter estimated that there were more than 5,000 IU fans in the building. He probably wasn't too far off.
One moment seemed to really bring that point home late in the game. An IU lead that had been as high as 17 in the first half had been trimmed to five with six and a half minutes to play. Indiana led by eight at 51-43 when Victor Oladipo knocked down a big 3-point shot from the left wing to put the Hoosiers up 11.
Generally in that situation, that shot would have been a dagger that would quiet the home crowd. In this case, however, it was like an infusion of energy. The crowd was on its feet and as loud as ever.
Making Oladipo's shot there and his two free throws with 15.3 seconds to play even more impressive was that he apparently shot them with a blurry right eye. With just under 11 minutes to play he was poked in the eye by Northwestern's Dave Sobolewski on his follow through of a made 3-point attempt. Oladipo had to come out of the game but was back a few minutes later.
When he walked off the Welsh-Ryan floor, after getting dressed in the locker room, Oladipo had a patch over his right eye.
So how was Indiana able to bounce back Sunday on the road?
Consider this:
The Hoosiers forced Northwestern away from the basket, particularly in the first half when the Wildcats shot 30 percent from the field and were limited to 17 points. IU led 31-17 at the break.
Cody Zeller missed his first three shots from the field but then went 6-of-8 to finish the game. He had 21 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and second of the week. He also had 23 points and 10 rebounds against Wisconsin.
When Northwestern crawled back into the game late, IU hit three big shots in a row. Zeller tipped in a missed Hulls 3-point shot, Oladipo hit the 3, and then Will Sheehey hit a 17 foot jumper from the left base. Those shots seemed to right the ship.
Crean said he was most pleased about the way his team played on the defensive end.
"One thing I had to remind our players of, because they never read about it or hear about it, is that they're in the top 10 in field goal percentage defense,'' Crean said. "They're in top 10 in field goal percentage offense and defense nationally and I thought they needed to be reminded that when we do those things, we're pretty good.
"Our key is that we've just got to stay locked in to what we're doing and try to stay away from all of the clutter and noise and all of those things that can distract you and there's so much of it. You just have to stay locked in to the things that are important.''
Reggie Hearn led Northwestern (11-8, 2-4) with 22 points. Earlier in the week, the Wildcats had defeated Illinois on the road, 68-54. Sunday, their only lead was at 4-3.
Cody Zeller, No. 2 Indiana hold off pesky Northwestern
He said in the second half he instructed his Wildcats to foul Jordan Hulls. On purpose.
BOX SCORE: Indiana 67, Northwestern 59
Yes, the same Hulls who was a career 87 percent foul shooter coming into the game. The same Hulls, who over a two-year span hit 58 free throws in a row, a Big Ten record.
Still, after Hulls missed his first three foul shots Sunday against Northwestern, Carmody told his players to foul the senior guard. Hulls responded by hitting all four of free throws in the final minute as No. 2 Indiana held on for a 67-59 road victory over Northwestern.
Carmody's reasoning was simple. He thought Hulls was in a slump. He saw Hulls miss three free throws in a row Tuesday against Wisconsin, the first time in his career he had done that. When Hulls missed his first three Sunday, Carmody simply thought he was the best player to foul.
Hulls's reaction in the post game interview was pretty much what you'd expect.
"That's fine,'' Hulls said. "Put me on the line.''
Hulls' free throws in the closing minute, as well as two by junior guard Victor Oladipo, allowed Indiana (16-2, 4-1 Big Ten) to hold on and bounce back from Tuesday's home loss against Wisconsin to win its third Big Ten road game in as many tries.
In the first four seasons under IU head coach Tom Crean, Indiana went 4-32 on the road in conference play. Last year, IU was 3-6 away from Assembly Hall in Big Ten play. Now, the Hoosiers are 3-0 on the road and 1-1 at home to open conference play this season. Go back to last year and IU has won four conference road games in a row and five of the last six.
You could make the argument though that Sunday's game at Welsh-Ryan Arena was a lot closer to a home game than a road game. The capacity crowd of 8,117 was decidedly pro-Indiana. One Northwestern reporter estimated that there were more than 5,000 IU fans in the building. He probably wasn't too far off.
One moment seemed to really bring that point home late in the game. An IU lead that had been as high as 17 in the first half had been trimmed to five with six and a half minutes to play. Indiana led by eight at 51-43 when Victor Oladipo knocked down a big 3-point shot from the left wing to put the Hoosiers up 11.
Generally in that situation, that shot would have been a dagger that would quiet the home crowd. In this case, however, it was like an infusion of energy. The crowd was on its feet and as loud as ever.
Making Oladipo's shot there and his two free throws with 15.3 seconds to play even more impressive was that he apparently shot them with a blurry right eye. With just under 11 minutes to play he was poked in the eye by Northwestern's Dave Sobolewski on his follow through of a made 3-point attempt. Oladipo had to come out of the game but was back a few minutes later.
When he walked off the Welsh-Ryan floor, after getting dressed in the locker room, Oladipo had a patch over his right eye.
So how was Indiana able to bounce back Sunday on the road?
Consider this:
The Hoosiers forced Northwestern away from the basket, particularly in the first half when the Wildcats shot 30 percent from the field and were limited to 17 points. IU led 31-17 at the break.
Cody Zeller missed his first three shots from the field but then went 6-of-8 to finish the game. He had 21 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and second of the week. He also had 23 points and 10 rebounds against Wisconsin.
When Northwestern crawled back into the game late, IU hit three big shots in a row. Zeller tipped in a missed Hulls 3-point shot, Oladipo hit the 3, and then Will Sheehey hit a 17 foot jumper from the left base. Those shots seemed to right the ship.
Crean said he was most pleased about the way his team played on the defensive end.
"One thing I had to remind our players of, because they never read about it or hear about it, is that they're in the top 10 in field goal percentage defense,'' Crean said. "They're in top 10 in field goal percentage offense and defense nationally and I thought they needed to be reminded that when we do those things, we're pretty good.
"Our key is that we've just got to stay locked in to what we're doing and try to stay away from all of the clutter and noise and all of those things that can distract you and there's so much of it. You just have to stay locked in to the things that are important.''
Reggie Hearn led Northwestern (11-8, 2-4) with 22 points. Earlier in the week, the Wildcats had defeated Illinois on the road, 68-54. Sunday, their only lead was at 4-3.
Cody Zeller, No. 2 Indiana hold off pesky Northwestern
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Tom Crean doesn't play one-on-one basketball against brother-in-law Jim Harbaugh anymore. He's had his fill of elbows, knees and shoulders.
"I have no interest in doing that anymore," said Crean, whose Indiana Hoosiers play Penn State at Assembly Hall Wednesday. "Guarding him, it's what I imagine it was like to guard Charles Barkley. Nobody's going to keep him from going where he wants to go. He just overpowers you. Jim had that Tim Tebow quarterback strength before there was a Tebow."
Golf?
Crean doesn't play the game anymore, which is a good thing, because he has no interest in going out on the course and getting his brains beat in by the Harbaugh boys.
Between now and Super Bowl Sunday, there will be approximately 3,649 stories written about the Brothers Harbaugh, and for good reason. What they've done is both rare and extraordinary. Two brothers, two kids who shared a bedroom, born 15 months apart, facing one another in a Super Bowl.
The Harbaughs themselves would rather talk about any story line other than the sibling rivalry, and they will try to minimize the talk in the days and weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. Speaking Monday, Jim, the 49ers head coach, said playing against his brother was "a blessing and a curse. A blessing because that is my brother's team. The curse part would be that the talk of two brothers playing in the Super Bowl and that takes away from the players that are in the game. I just feel like the fighters are first."
Speaking Monday, John, the Ravens head coach, said the Jim-and-John angle isn't exactly "Roosevelt and Churchill," adding, "We're not that interesting. There is nothing more to learn. It's just like any other family. We get it; it's really cool and it's exciting and all that. It's really about the players."
Yeah, well, nice try.
But we're telling you now, come Media Day, every columnist in the Western World will be doing the sibling rivalry angle. The interview requests already are rolling in. J.D. Campbell, IU's sports information director, is helping Joani (Harbaugh) Crean handle interviews. The Ravens and 49ers staffs are helping the parents, Jack and Jackie, deal with the torrent of media requests coming their way.
Crean knows, this won't be the last time he's asked about the Brothers Harbaugh.
Come Super Sunday, TV will show the Harbaugh parents more often than ESPN showed A.J. McCarron's comely girlfriend.
"I hope they can sit back and enjoy it," said Crean, who will be in New Orleans Feb. 3, along with his family. "Knowing the both of them, they'll do everything that's asked and they'll worry about everybody but themselves.
"My guess is they'll be asked to watch (the game) publicly, but that won't be their choice. They'll probably want to do what they did (two Thanksgiving ago, when Harbaugh faced Harbaugh). That game, they sat and watched in the owner's office with security keeping people out.
"When they watch football, it's not like, 'Let's go to Buffalo Wild Wings and enjoy the game.' It's a very taxing experience. When those two watch a game, mentally, it's like a marathon for them. Jack is quieter; Jackie's more outgoing. But when they watch a game, they're both very intense."
The brothers are different in subtle ways -- Jim, the former Colts quarterback, seems slightly crazier than John -- but they showed similar fortitude in mid-season. Jim changed quarterbacks, switched from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick. John fired long-time offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and promoted former Colts head coach Jim Caldwell.
Both were targeted for criticism.
Both are in the Super Bowl.
"They are so in tune with what their teams need," Crean said. "With a coach, you ask, 'Can he trust his instincts and does he have the pulse of his team?' and both Jim and John do a phenomenal job with that. I don't think they'll ever be swayed by public opinion or media opinion or player opinion. They'll listen, but they know when to cut it off and make a decision." For all the subtle differences between the two men, the one great similarity is their competitiveness. You'll hear a million stories about it this week.
How they compete at everything, including who can blow the biggest bubbles or eat the most burgers.
How Jim could throw a football over a tree in the family's front yard, how John could not, and how it shaped their destinies.
How Jim was the natural athlete who played big-time college football and in the NFL; how John was the more cerebral one, taking a different path after his football-playing dreams never quite took shape.
How their friendly rivalry has brought them to this moment Feb. 3 in New Orleans.
"Jim and John bring out the best in each other's competitive nature," Crean said. "That's why it's going to be an intense week. It's about the team, but they'll know what's at stake and they'll coach accordingly."
They can downplay it all they want, and Lord knows they're going to try. But the media will not let them, at least not early in the week, when writing about the Harbaugh's will become a cottage industry.
Let the brotherly hype begin.
Harbaugh brother-in-law Tom Crean expects 'intense' bowl
"I have no interest in doing that anymore," said Crean, whose Indiana Hoosiers play Penn State at Assembly Hall Wednesday. "Guarding him, it's what I imagine it was like to guard Charles Barkley. Nobody's going to keep him from going where he wants to go. He just overpowers you. Jim had that Tim Tebow quarterback strength before there was a Tebow."
Golf?
Crean doesn't play the game anymore, which is a good thing, because he has no interest in going out on the course and getting his brains beat in by the Harbaugh boys.
Between now and Super Bowl Sunday, there will be approximately 3,649 stories written about the Brothers Harbaugh, and for good reason. What they've done is both rare and extraordinary. Two brothers, two kids who shared a bedroom, born 15 months apart, facing one another in a Super Bowl.
The Harbaughs themselves would rather talk about any story line other than the sibling rivalry, and they will try to minimize the talk in the days and weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. Speaking Monday, Jim, the 49ers head coach, said playing against his brother was "a blessing and a curse. A blessing because that is my brother's team. The curse part would be that the talk of two brothers playing in the Super Bowl and that takes away from the players that are in the game. I just feel like the fighters are first."
Speaking Monday, John, the Ravens head coach, said the Jim-and-John angle isn't exactly "Roosevelt and Churchill," adding, "We're not that interesting. There is nothing more to learn. It's just like any other family. We get it; it's really cool and it's exciting and all that. It's really about the players."
Yeah, well, nice try.
But we're telling you now, come Media Day, every columnist in the Western World will be doing the sibling rivalry angle. The interview requests already are rolling in. J.D. Campbell, IU's sports information director, is helping Joani (Harbaugh) Crean handle interviews. The Ravens and 49ers staffs are helping the parents, Jack and Jackie, deal with the torrent of media requests coming their way.
Crean knows, this won't be the last time he's asked about the Brothers Harbaugh.
Come Super Sunday, TV will show the Harbaugh parents more often than ESPN showed A.J. McCarron's comely girlfriend.
"I hope they can sit back and enjoy it," said Crean, who will be in New Orleans Feb. 3, along with his family. "Knowing the both of them, they'll do everything that's asked and they'll worry about everybody but themselves.
"My guess is they'll be asked to watch (the game) publicly, but that won't be their choice. They'll probably want to do what they did (two Thanksgiving ago, when Harbaugh faced Harbaugh). That game, they sat and watched in the owner's office with security keeping people out.
"When they watch football, it's not like, 'Let's go to Buffalo Wild Wings and enjoy the game.' It's a very taxing experience. When those two watch a game, mentally, it's like a marathon for them. Jack is quieter; Jackie's more outgoing. But when they watch a game, they're both very intense."
The brothers are different in subtle ways -- Jim, the former Colts quarterback, seems slightly crazier than John -- but they showed similar fortitude in mid-season. Jim changed quarterbacks, switched from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick. John fired long-time offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and promoted former Colts head coach Jim Caldwell.
Both were targeted for criticism.
Both are in the Super Bowl.
"They are so in tune with what their teams need," Crean said. "With a coach, you ask, 'Can he trust his instincts and does he have the pulse of his team?' and both Jim and John do a phenomenal job with that. I don't think they'll ever be swayed by public opinion or media opinion or player opinion. They'll listen, but they know when to cut it off and make a decision." For all the subtle differences between the two men, the one great similarity is their competitiveness. You'll hear a million stories about it this week.
How they compete at everything, including who can blow the biggest bubbles or eat the most burgers.
How Jim could throw a football over a tree in the family's front yard, how John could not, and how it shaped their destinies.
How Jim was the natural athlete who played big-time college football and in the NFL; how John was the more cerebral one, taking a different path after his football-playing dreams never quite took shape.
How their friendly rivalry has brought them to this moment Feb. 3 in New Orleans.
"Jim and John bring out the best in each other's competitive nature," Crean said. "That's why it's going to be an intense week. It's about the team, but they'll know what's at stake and they'll coach accordingly."
They can downplay it all they want, and Lord knows they're going to try. But the media will not let them, at least not early in the week, when writing about the Harbaugh's will become a cottage industry.
Let the brotherly hype begin.
Harbaugh brother-in-law Tom Crean expects 'intense' bowl
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Junior guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant paced the Fighting Irish to a 64-50 victory Thursday night.
Atkins led the Fighting Irish with 16 points, Grant had 13 points and six assists and Jack Cooley added 13 points and 11 rebounds. "The way our guards were controlling things, I didn't have to do a lot of coaching," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said.
"Those guys were coaching the team. Eric Atkins running things, calling sets. When you have a veteran backcourt doing that, I just don't want to get in their way too much."
Notre Dame outplayed Kentucky (4-2) inside during the first half and held the Wildcats to a season-low 40 percent shooting for the game.
The Irish shot 48 percent, the best anyone against Kentucky this season.
The senior captains of the top-ranked Notre Dame football team, linebacker Manti Te'o, defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore, tight end Tyler Eifert and tackle Zack Martin, got a standing ovation when they were introduced at halftime.
Students rushed the floor after the Irish wrapped up their second win over the Wildcats in the past 13 meetings.
Grant was disappointed in the fans' reaction, saying it wasn't like last season when the Irish upset top-ranked Syracuse.
"I'd rather not have them on the court. Last year was kind of a surprise game. This year, going into it, all of us were expecting to win this game," he said. Kentucky coach John Calipari said his team didn't compete.
"They beat us to balls. They beat us around the basket. We didn't compete. We didn't execute. We didn't play together. There's a lot of things we didn't do," he said.
Julius Mays led Kentucky with 16 points and Nerlens Noel had 10.
"We came out a little shell-shocked and we started playing their game, which is slow down and half court. I think we're more of an up-tempo team," Mays said.
Two of Kentucky's heralded freshmen struggled. Archie Goodwin, who is averaging 19 points, was 1 of 7 shooting and finished with three points and Alex Polythress, who is averaging 18.4 points, had just one basket and was 1 of 3 from the free-throw line.
The Irish outrebounded Kentucky 33-27.
"We just knew that we could attack their bigs," Cooley said. "We watched film on them and knew that they had young bigs, and we could try to outsmart them instead of out-athleticizing them. Not really change how we play but just do what we do."
Brey said his team played with poise whenever Kentucky started rallying.
"When we don't have good offensive stretches, we're still able to concentrate defensively," he said.
Notre Dame led 36-25 at halftime. The lead was around 10 points when Cameron Biedscheid, who had 10 points, hit a 3-pointer to ignite a 10-0 run that included a 3-pointer by Grant and another jumper by Biedscheid and gave Notre Dame a 55-35 lead.
Notre Dame wore black uniforms with stitched green letters and numbers that were hard to see and the crowd wore black in support of the team.
Atkins said the victory should help the Irish during the season.
"It just boosts our confidence that we can do it against an elite team," he said.
Calipari said he hopes his team learned something in the loss.
"What I hope they figure out is you've got to do it together. You have to give Notre Dame credit. What a great crowd, with a great student body. They ground us out. That's how we usually play when we get up," he said.
Notre Dame uses big early run to upend No. 8 Kentucky