SB Nation - O.J. Mayo

Analysis: No Bright Lines in College Basketball Recruiting

Truzenzuzex — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:13:02 -0000

8 months ago: Kentucky president Lee Todd answers a question during a news conference to announce the release of basketball coach Billy Gillispie in Lexington, Ky., Friday, March 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Today, we have an interesting article from the Washington Post describing how "street agents" and hangers-on are no longer just for the elite recruits like O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley. Nowadays, any player with even mid-major talent can attract flies, and some of those flies can be more than just a distraction to college coaches -- they can cause coaches to flirt with NCAA recruiting violations, even unknowingly.

The story is about a guy named Joe Davis, who through connections with his family, wound up looking after the interests of Mychal Parker, a 2010 Rivals.com 4-star who is interested in Kentucky, among many other schools. Parker is a talented player, but by no means elite, or even particularly likely to ever play in the NBA.

The gist of the story is that Davis, who apparently runs one of those increasingly popular Internet scouting services where colleges can subscribe to his website and obtain scouting information on recruits, was allegedly beginning to control access to Parker by asking for favors and even employment. The Post article contains a bunch of unattributed quotes implicating Davis in schemes to sell access to Parker for various perks or employment opportunities, but has nothing there that would constitute actual proof of such things. Still, there is quite a bit of thick, gray smoke raised by this piece.

So what's the connection to Kentucky? Read on after the jump.

We know that Kentucky is at least somewhat interested in Parker, although Rivals does not list UK among those offering a scholarship. Still, this gives me a tiny bit of pause:

One reason commonly cited for the proliferation of third-party recruiting is the way the NCAA limits contact between college coaches and recruits. On the first Monday of July, the walls throughout Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena were adorned with signs explicitly stating that college coaches could have no contact with any player, any player's AAU coach or anyone affiliated with a player. NCAA bylaws designate July as an evaluation period for college coaches, who may observe but not interact with prospective recruits. The NCAA dispatched enforcement officials to many AAU events this summer, in part to monitor coaches' actions.

...

Virginia assistant Ron Sanchez conversed with Davis throughout the second half. Maryland Coach Gary Williams and assistant Rob Ehsan chatted with Davis after the game finished.

Before OBC's second contest a few hours later, Davis spoke separately with Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua and Virginia Tech assistant Bill Courtney. [emphasis mine]

Okay, so what does this mean? Well, probably nothing, but it is troubling because if the NCAA were to somehow see Davis as representing Mychal's interests (i.e. "affiliated" with him), I suppose the coaches involved could possibly run afoul of the rule mentioned in the first paragraph. That seems to be only one of the dangers in associating with these guys, and the inability of almost anyone to talk on the record just shows that the NCAA rule is making it even harder to really figure out who's on first.

Frankly, I can only see this getting worse, and I don't really know that there is anything that can be done by the NCAA that won't threaten their antitrust status. I suppose the best we can hope for is some kind of clear guidance from them about what constitutes an off-limits person during the evaluation period. For all I know, such bright-line guidance already exists, but I'm not really aware of it if it does.

Anyway, this is just another illustration of the many potential "gotchas" just waiting to jump up and bite college coaches in the nether regions. There is no way compliance directors get paid enough money to monitor all this amorphous crap -- they must just do it for the love of parsing minutiae.

D-Day for DaJuan

CasualHoya — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:07:29 -0000

The 2009 NBA Draft day is here, and with all of the pre-Draft workouts and meetings now concluded, our main man DaJuan Summers has done all he can at this point to achieve his goal of being selected in the 1st Round.

In his latest Mock Draft, Chad Ford at espn.com has Summers falling out of the 1st round and heading to Detroit in the #35 slot:

35. Detroit Pistons (via Minnesota)

DaJuan Summers | F | Georgetown
Summers has buzz just about everywhere, but if he falls this far in the draft, I think the Pistons would have to take him. Summers ability to play the 3 and the 4 will really be attractive to Detroit.

Spanning a few other mock drafts across the interweb, DaJuan just sneaks into the 1st round here and here, but drops into the 2nd round here.

Our friends over at Slam really like DaJuan's potential in the land of false SAT scores as a piece of the the Memphis Grizzlies rebuilding effort:

I see DaJuan Summers being a Lamar Odom-type for our squad. We already have our understated orchestrator at point (Mike Conley), two dynamic swing man (O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay), a brawny, scoring power forward (Marc Gasol) and a rebounding, shot-blocking center (our No. 1 draft pick, Hasheem Thabeet). That’s our starting five.

What we get with Summers is a natural 3 that can shoot and handle, plus he’s got court vision. He’s 6-8, 241 pounds—that means he can spend some time at the 4 in spot-duty. Truth be told, he can sub sporadically at the 2-guard spot. He’s that versatile. He’s a bit raw, but we have time for him to develop.

In addition, NBA Analyst David Aldridge lists Summers as one of his Draft Sleepers:

I’ll give an example, DaJuan Summers had what most people would say kind of an average, below average year for Georgetown, but I think he’s going to wind up being a pretty good pro. He’s has a lot of physical skills and gifts and might wind up showing you more in the pros than he did in college

If Summers is indeed selected in the 1st round, he will join Jeff Green in 2007 and Roy Hibbert in 2008 and mark three consecutive years that a Hoya has accomplished that feat. This streak will reach a fourth consecutive year in 2010 with the likely departure of Greg Monroe, and naturally extend into 2011 with the graduation and immediate lottery selection of Nikita Mescheriakov, whose remarkable ability to hit the side of the backboard on threes from the corner is matched only by his spellbinding talent to dribble behind his back through traffic in the lane and hand the ball to the opposition.

Will DaJuan Summers be a serviceable pro in the NBA? Scouts range in their comparisons of Summers from the next Trevor Ariza to Tim Thomas to Donyell Marshall. If Summers can get his act together I can certainly see an Ariza-type ceiling for him, though unfortunately from what I saw out of him during the latter half of his junior year season on the Hilltop, that seems about as likely as Lucas Glover winning a U.S. Open.

Like so many of the other eligible draftees tonight, numerous questions surround Summers. Will he emerge in the NBA as he did when, as a freshman, he developed as a valuable scoring option and drew comparisons to being the next Jeff Green?

Will he perform as he did in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, helping the Hoyas with his gritty play both underneath the basket and behind the arc in the heart-stopping win over Vanderbilt in the Sweet Sixteen? When he scored 20 points (including the ferocious throwdown in OT on Tyler Hansbrough) in the remarkable Elite 8 win over North Carolina?

Will he rise to the occasion like he did as a sophomore, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated and hitting the game-winning three-pointer to lift the Hoyas to a 55-52 win over Louisville and clinching the Big East regular season title?

Or will he, as Hoyas fans Witnessed all too often last season when, as a junior and the unquestioned team leader, displayed an unnerving tendency to vanish on the court when we needed him to show up the most?

Regardless of when he hears his name called tonight, it will finally close the book on the team that took Hoyas fans through that magical journey to the Final Four. For that alone, perhaps we should look back at DaJuan's career and embrace it for the wonderful memories it brought us, and at least for one night, forget about what could have been.

Casually.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Father's Day in Kentucky

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:25:37 -0000

More photos » by Chris Pizzello - AP

Happy Father's Day to Phil Mickelson and our prayers for the health of his wife, Amy.

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Today is Father's Day, and I want to wish all fathers out there a very happy day, hopefully with family, friends, and maybe even a little early round of golf.

If Mother's Day is a sentimental observation, Father's Day is far less so, but still a chance for each of us to get together with or remember our dear old dad. Of course for some fathers, this day can take a lot out of you.

Maybe the biggest father's day gift today belongs to Kevin O'Neill, former Tennessee and Marquette head coach (among other stints). O'Neill was just hired as the new head coach of the USC Trojans, replacing Tim Floyd who recently lost his passion for the job amid accusations of paying off one of O.J. Mayo's "peeps." Reaction from around the sports world is decidedly mixed on this subject. Conquest Chronicles, the SBNation USC Trojans blog, is underwhelmed. But Rock Top Talk, the SBNation Tennessee blog, has a different take than most on Kevin O'Neill. In fact, I had forgotten that O'Neill had recruited some pretty good players to Tennessee, which subsequent coach Jerry Greene parlayed into NCAA tournament appearances.

O'Neill's record has been spotty as a coach, and it is fair for the Trojan faithful to question whether or not USC could have done better. But when schools are facing as many NCAA problems as USC is, the priority changes from finding a coach who is likely to get you into the tournament to finding a coach who won't get you into any more trouble. O'Neill seems to fill that bill pretty well, and with the fertile recruiting grounds in Southern California, it's hard to imagine he won't get some pretty good players as well as he recruits. My biggest question surrounding O'Neill is whether his coaching is up to his recruiting. Maybe it is now, after some time in the NBA. I guess we'll see.

Of course, today is also the (supposedly) final day of the U.S. Open golf tournament, which crowns it's champion on Father's Day. Unfortunately, due to heavy rain in the New York area, the third round of the tournament will be delayed until at least noon today. I foresee a Monday finish in this one, and it is not impossible it could go on until Tuesday, depending on if they get any golf in today or not. Right Now, Ricky Barnes, a young player from California who now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with a whopping $2,000.00 in Tour winnings so far this year, leads the tournament with a record-setting second round score of 8 under par. What a story it would be if he could even finish in the top eight, which would make him exempt from qualifying next year and also get him into the Masters.

It's hard to explain what a top eight finish would mean to a struggling pro like Barnes. Barnes has been a professional since 2003, and he has been on and off the PGA Tour and spent quite a bit of time on the Nationwide Tour. The most money he has ever earned on the PGA tour in any one year was $68,000 or so whole dollars, although he has done much better on the Nationwide Tour, earning $600,000 since 2005. That's been enough to keep the dream alive, and it's hard to imagine what a dream it would be for the young man if he were somehow to win the U.S. Open.

As for Kentucky golfers playing this week, Kenny Perry is, of course, in attendance, and right now he has done enough to hang around for the last two rounds at +4, and J.B. Holmes is still in the hunt at +1. Another amazing story is David Duval, who I thought was dead (to golf, anyway). At one time, Duval was one of the best players on the Tour with 13 total wins, and then had some injury problems and simply never recovered. Well, he is recovering right now, tied for 4th at -3 and certainly in the hunt. It's great to see Duval playing well again.

And now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

Does Darius Miller have amateurism problems from a pamphlet?
This sucks. I wonder if they could actually punish Miller for a violation created by somebody else? Hopefully not -- that would be the height of injustice.
A Cat Fans Dream Come True
Cool articles, and great pics from the father-son camp.
Antonio Anderson defends Calipari, Memphis.
"I know we did everything the right way. Coach always did things the correct way,'' Anderson said. "Coach is a great guy and the rest of the guys are great - Derrick, Robert, everybody.'' 'Nuff said.
Doron Lamb a top prospect for UK.
Oak Hill prospect Doron Lamb is commanding Coach Cal's full attention.
NBA.com: Draft preview: Closer look at the shooting guards
A look at the shooting guards in this year's NBA draft, including Jodie Meeks.
Jody Demling dishes on some more recruiting info.
Mychal Parker is apparently becoming a UK target for UK, and will make a visit.
Two players to look out for in 2011
True Blue Kentucky clues us in.
Could UK fans use some triumph and happiness?
Danny Jett thinks so. I think he's right.

UK Football News

Jarmon's shoes still unfilled.
Jeremy Jarmon's loss has left a hole -- and a big one -- in the defensive line. Who will fill it? DeQuin Evans (hopefully), Donte Rumph or Demetri Meritt (can they get eligible?). Lots of other names mentioned.
UK Bear Bryant Reunion
The players who played at UK under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant had a reunion recently. Some of you long-time Oakland Raider fans will immediately recognize one of the group.
Recalling 'Bear Bryant' for Father's Day
Thirty of Paul "Bear" Bryant's former University of Kentucky football players gathered this weekend at The Campbell House for their annual reunion to slap backs, catch up with friends, tell stories and do the expected general reminiscing about their old college days.

Other UK Sports News

None today.

NCAA Sports News

Into the Wild Edition
This one's a few days old, but hilarious. Recommended reading from our friends at Dawg Sports.
Florida's miseducation of college sports
I guess every school has its scold(s). Is "miseducation" even a word?
NBA draft should take page from NHL
Another proposal on how to fix one-and-done.

Other News of Interest

Jody Demling reports on the Derek Smith shootout.
Eastern seems to be full of talent this year.
Antwain Barbour and Matt Frieje changing nationalities?
Well, I think that's what this article is trying to say, but I confess, I'm not quite sure. It's a little confusing.
Historic Cave Hill estate in foreclosure
A pity to see this.

The Daily Schadenfreude

USC Gets Its Guy...It's 5th Guy - Bruins Nation
Heh. Well, you knew the Bruin fans were going to get a few digs in on USC's hiring of Kevin O'Neill.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- The Roster is Near Completion

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:30:34 -0000

More photos » by April L. Brown - AP

Soon we will know if we'll be seeing this picture again next year.

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As the deadline for the NBA draft "in or out" grows near, UK's roster is getting very near completion. It has been an excruciating process this year, and frustrating for fans and no doubt players as well.

I said before I would comment on the Galloway situation, and I will now do so. I am on record has having opposed the forced departure of any of the players, but particularly the senior players. Many people, after it was revealed that Kevin Galloway would not be returning, pointed to a qualification allegedly in the record that Calipari agreed not to non-renew the scholarships of four-year seniors, not all seniors. If so, I consider those weasel-words -- there is no real difference between the two. It is almost impossible for a junior to transfer into a good situation for him. It does happen (Marvin Stone may have actually helped himself transferring from UK to Louisville), but it is extremely rare. That is the root of my objection.

Today, the Herald-Leader has an article about his departure that sheds about as much light on this situation as we can ever expect to actually see in the mainstream media. Kevin Galloway says that Calipari did not kick him off the team, but rather explained to him that staying on the UK bench with little playing time would not enhance his NBA dream. While I hate to see this happen, this could optimistically be classified as a "voluntary" departure, if Galloway is to be believed.

As far as Matthew Pilgrim is concerned, I am not nearly as troubled -- he has two years to go and UK not honoring its commitment to him should free him to have his year in residence here restored at his next destination, and an appeal for immediate playing time seems more likely than not to be granted, plus being that much closer to a college degree. It seems that he should easily be able to obtain significant playing time on the D-I level, perhaps enough to get some NBA interest, and should easily be able to obtain a college degree with at least two and possibly three additional years in school (though only two as an eligible player), depending on the NCAA. The worst thing is, he apparently had the rug pulled out from underneath him -- no pretension of a "voluntary" departure, this was just basically a "Sorry, we no longer have a need for your services."

Galloway's case is different -- he has at most one year of eligibility left. Not only that, the difficulty of actually obtaining a college degree after shuffling around to what could be four different schools seems unreasonably difficult, and even though we may in reality be playing a game of make believe when it comes to "student athletes," Galloway's departure has the additional effect of making it less likely he will ever obtain a degree against which he has already done significant work. I hate that, and it rubs me very much the wrong way. Sure, it is still possible it will happen -- but I fear it will be much harder now than it was, and therefore less likely.

I will pass no judgment on Galloway's professional ambitions, but I will point out that he has major holes in his game (no left hand, no jump shot, average basketball IQ) that will make his road to making a living off the dribble. That's not Calipari's problem, and in reality, I agree with the assessment that Galloway's chances of playing professionally will not be best served by sitting on the bench next year. The question is, is the hit to his graduation chances worth the trade-off? Apparently, Galloway thinks so, and in the end, his is the only vote that matters. We are left to guess what would have happened if Galloway had refused to transfer, but the jaded among us won't have any trouble reaching that conclusion.

In the final analysis, I am once again placed in the position of becoming a scold (and believe me, that is tempting) or accepting the reality of the situation and moving on. Once again, I will choose a compromise, accepting this as part of the whole unpleasant transition mess while remembering it against the possibility of future transgressions. In other words, Calipari gets less latitude from me than before, and if this becomes a pattern with him, he can expect to read all about it right here. But for now, as before, I am going to hold my nose and take the Alfred E. Neuman stance.

What, me worry? Nah. Now for the news.

UK Basketball News

John Calipari: Long way from Moon to the University of Kentucky
Why can't the local media do an article on Calipari this good? Are we that journalism-challenged in this state? If you have not read this, go read it right now.
True Blue Kentucky blogs about "the forgotten one."
I don't forget Jon Hood. The others may have a bigger name and more stars, but Jon is a dynamite player that will have a terrific career at UK.
Holy bang-bang, Batman!
Is being shot in the head and thumbing a ride in an ambulance tougher than breaking ribs and finishing a bike race at 67 years old? I don't know, but it has to be close.
How it all went down
Bluegrass State Basketball suggests that Pilgrim was the only player that got the rug pulled out from underneath him.
More signs point to Jodie Meeks return.
I am thinking it is pretty likely we will see Jodie in Blue and White again this year.
Meeks decision will impact entire country
Indeed it does. Meeks is the last piece in an amazing puzzle, on that could form a Yellow Brick Road straight to Indianapolis.

UK Football News

Team Speed Kills interviews me on the football Wildcats
You can Cocknfire's questions, and my answers, on the 2009 football Wildcats.
Newton and Mossakowski begin 7-on-7 drills.
Donte Rumph is still waiting on his eligibility, and given the loss of Jeremy Jarmon, we really need him to get qualified. The really bad news is the loss of E.J. Adams. That one is going to sting.
More on E.J. Adams' departure
What "personal reasons" would cause a player to depart and enter the supplemental draft? I guess we are left to puzzle that out.

Other UK Sports News

UK's Sorrillo second in NCAA 200 meters
Congrats to Rondel Sorillo. Maybe next year he can win the thing.

NCAA Sports News

Jim "I don't have time to bleed" Calhoun bikes with five broken ribs.
Okay, I am either impressed at his toughness or shocked at his stupidity. An injury like that at his age could have easily been much more serious. I'm glad he's out of the hospital.
Cardinals predicted to be mid-pack in the Big East next year.
We'll be facing a couple of Big East teams early, UConn and Louisville.
Coaches UA didn't get have sticky situations.
A run down of some of the NCAA and personal difficulties of theoretical Arizona coaching candidates.

Other News of Interest

The new Lexington ABA team features some UK favorites.
Bobby Perry, Ravi Moss, Preston LeMaster and Ramel Bradley? Kyle Macy as coach? Very interesting.
Indiana 78, Kentucky 65 (Final)
Jon Hood had a very good game, indeed. But in a losing cause.
High school should set sights high for their next coach.
This is pretty funny. You should read it.
5 Things We Learned In The NBA This Week
"Look, we all know that NCAA players get paid under the table and have for years. It's not like this whole thing with Tim Floyd stepping down at USC and allegations that he paid O.J. Mayo was letting some big cat out of the bag, and it's not like Floyd or USC were the only ones who have ever engaged in this kind of behavior."

Heh. Talk about jaded.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Jurick not returning to Vols
Tennessee lost a scholarship, apparently over a low APR in men's basketball. Not only that, with Tyler Smith returning, they will also be over the limit. Heh.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Calipari, Floyd and Victimhood

Truzenzuzex — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:32:45 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

That NBA is just sooo evil.

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I know most of you are wanting to talk about the still-unconfirmed reports (by UK, anyway) that Matthew Pilgrim and Kevin Galloway will not be back next year. I will comment on this at the appropriate time, but at this moment, I have little to say until the story has a chance to be fully confirmed and ripe for comment. So look for that later.

Today, I want to talk about the bizarre fact that people are coming out of the woodwork to defend Tim Floyd as a victim of "the system," and virtually none of this talk was going on when Memphis was questioned about the possibility of academic fraud during Calipari's time as head coach there.

First of all, the argument that either Floyd or Calipari might be "victims of the system" (the "system," of course, being the "one-and-done" rule) is not only absurd, it is irresponsible in the extreme. To the extent either of these men engaged in any wrongdoing, "the system" had nothing to do with that decision other than being part of the circumstances creating it. Nobody, and I mean nobody, held a gun to Tim Floyd's head and told him to give cash to a runner for an agent, as has been alleged. "But Floyd was under tremendous pressure," apologists for this argument will aver. "He had to win or lose his job."

Well, duh! Every coach in America (well, with the possible exception of Mike Krzyzewski) has that metaphorical Sword of Damocles hanging over their head. That's part of the job, and it happens all the time -- just ask former UK coach Billy Gillispie about that. That's why coaches demand, and receive, large contracts with all sorts of provisions for termination. When you lose enough games, you lose your job. Then you go get another job. That's how it works in America, and it does not justify violating the rules to make sure you don't have that happen to you. Tim Floyd is no exception to that, and I'm sure if you asked him, he would reject that excuse out of hand

So why are so many blaming the NBA for the alleged rule-breaking of a college coach? There is only one reason -- they hate the "one-and-done" rule so badly that they are willing to sacrifice their reputation for reasonableness (assuming they have one, which I often doubt) on the altar of the more noble task of creating a public outcry against the current NBA rule. Either that, or they have decided this whole "personal responsibility" thing is an evil plot by the people in black helicopters. I don't like the rule, either, and have said so many times, but I am not going to defend Floyd or Calipari or anyone else by saying "The NBA made them do it!"

If Tim Floyd did wrong (Doug Gottlieb argues that a presumption of innocence is in order, and I agree), then he should pay the piper, and I'm sure he will. The same holds true for John Calipari. But my question is this -- why the double standard? If Tim Floyd can be a "victim of the system" in a scenario where he allegedly handed money to a runner (and only $1000, to boot) for a one-and-doner, why can't John Calipari be a "victim of the system" for a situation that happened to a one-and-doner 400 miles away from Memphis?

I'll tell you why -- because Calipari is so successful, he just isn't sympathetic at all. Floyd came into a downtrodden USC basketball program and breathed some life into it. Calipari doesn't know what the word "downtrodden" means, even though he did the same thing at Memphis, and at UMass. But nobody wants to remember that, and when you go from downtrodden to the top of the world, nobody remembers when you were fired from your NBA job and looking for work, especially when you just inked a $31+ million-dollar deal with the winningest program in college basketball.

I suppose it's the nature of the beast. But I thought it was worth an observation. Now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

Martin Newton Newest Addition to Calipari Staff
Wow. I can imagine there are more than a few groans in the Big Blue Nation on this news. Not sure I get this hire, but I did like his daddy.
Galloway and Pilgrim Will Not Return Next Season - LEX18 - Lexington, KY
I am surprised and disappointed to see a senior be among those to leave. Apparently, the "seniors are off limits" rule was more rumor than fact. I'd be interested to hear the details of this, but I suspect I never will. We'll see.

UK Football News

ESPN Takes a Potshot at Kentucky, Ball State
Alan at OverThePylon defends Kentucky against an ESPN criticism of too weak an out of conference schedule. We have to listen to this every year.
Tim Couch and Craig Yeast on Ryan Mossakowski
The Mixed Bag of the Supplemental Draft
Arrowhead Pride, the SBNation Kansas City Chiefs blog, seems to be pretty excited at the prospect of Jeremy Jarmon entering the supplemental NFL draft.
2010 football prospect Tim Patterson
It sure would be nice if we could pick up another Louisville Central player. Hopefully that pipeline is becoming solid, and this kid looks like one we'd love to have.

Other UK Sports News

UK's Wade, Rusin drafted on second day of MLB draft
Two more UK baseball players get drafted.
Two UK discus throwers are among the NCAA favorites
Rashaud Scott and Chase Madison are trying to get it done in track and field.

NCAA Sports News

Can the SEC Rise to the Top, Again?
Track 'em Tigers says most of the East is trending down, and most of the West trending up. We'll see.
Juan Pattillo Going To Be A Hilltopper
Dismissed Oklahoma forward Juan Pattillo is headed to Western Kentucky to play for the Hilltoppers. Good news for Western fans -- Patillo is a very good player.
Ralph Willard leaves Holy Cross to assist Pitino.
Willard is a fine coach, and this is good news for Traitor Rick.
More detail about the Tim Floyd situation
Seth Davis has a pretty interesting article on the decline and fall of Tim Floyd at USC. I think everybody in the country knew O.J. Mayo was trouble. Turns out they were all right.
Ray Ratto's jaded comments.
Talk about apathy. Ratto is positively supine.
Oh my goodness. Red flag? Nah.
"O.J. doesn't give out his cell,'' Guillory said. "He'll call you.''

Other News of Interest

Amy Mickelson has breast cancer
Our prayers go out to Phil and Amy Mickelson. I hope everything turns out okay.
LPGA players concerned over loss of McDonald's sponsorship
McDonald's is no longer the sponsor for one of the LPGA's major events, the LPGA Championship. Tough times.

The Daily Schadenfreude

What’s Going On With Pitino?
Rush The Court is a bit ... perplexed at the Ralph Willard to Louisville situation, and puts on his tinfoil hat. I love this type of speculation about the Cardinals -- it makes Louisville fans wring their hands in angst. Ah, schadenfreude ...
Is Olympic Gold Leading to Duke Bronze?
Heh. Krzyzewski for Team USA! He's got my vote. Go K! Go USA!

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Who is to Blame for Cheating?

Truzenzuzex — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:55:38 -0000

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

Why the long face, Timmy?

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We have seen, lately, many assaults on the "one-and-done" rule currently provided for by the NBA. Essentially, the rule requires a player to do something else with himself after high school, until they turn at least 19 years old.

But I don't want to debate the goodness or badness of the NBA rule -- I think it is unquestionably bad. What I want to debate is the allegation made by some that the one-and-done rule is responsible for cheating, or entices players to cheat.

The rule by the NBA to require a player to be 19 and one year removed from high school is absurd, but there are those who blame the rule on the rash of academic and other cheating scandals that have recently emerged, like the O.J. Mayo scandal at USC which is the apparent object lesson in how a college coach like Tim Floyd can ruin his career by doing the galactically, obviously stupid.

Then there is the whole Memphis scandal, in which a player, alleged to be one-and-done player Derrick Rose. Whoever it is, that player is suspected of deciding that taking the SAT test himself isn't really what "one-and-done" is all about -- that would be something for lesser athletes who aren't capable of a direct jump to the NBA and just forced to wait out a year by an arbitrary rule.

But is the "one-and-done" rule really to blame for all this misbehavior? Can something so simple as an age limitation be a justifiable reason to commit academic fraud and other forms of rule-breaking? Is the rule to blame, are the players to blame, is the "system" to blame, or all of the above?

Andy Katz of ESPN is on record as against the rule. His arguments essentially are:

The kids don't want to be in school;
The school should not want players for just one year;
The rule creates scandals by enticing players to cheat.

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo.com is one of the most vehement critics of the "one-and-done" rule. In addition to the above points, Wetzel argues that:

NCAA basketball's amateurism rules are "outdated and hypocritical.";
The college entrance exams are arbitrary and unfair;
It's all about the money;
The whole process plays to stereotypes of poor, black basketball players;
There is no statistical evidence that players are better after a year in college;
You can't blame the players for cheating a rigged system;
It's bad for schools because the "one-and-done" athletes take only one semester seriously -- the first one, in order to remain eligible. They often blow off the second and hurt the school in the APR.

Meanwhile, the arguments that the system is not responsible for the current state of NCAA basketball are largely encapsulated in this article in USA Today:

Cheating has always happened in NCAA basketball, and it would happen just as often with or without the rule. In other words, it isn't just the "one-and-dones" who do it, and he is right;
Colleges are just as responsible for cheating as the players. They are the ones who arrange payments, allow coaches to work outside the rules, and point fingers everywhere but at themselves when things go bad;
A year in college is better than no college from a life standpoint;
Mayo, if found to have taken money, would be the first one to be caught doing so since the institution of the rule;
It is good for the college game to have players like Kevin Durant, even for only one year;
It gives the NBA an opportunity to see a player more before making a financial investment;
It's impact on colleges is negligible, and it benefits the player (and NBA) more than the college.

Finally, we had this piece the other day by John Clay, who gets the whole thing right. Clay points out that all these debacles are not the NBA's problem. They aren't, at least, not to a great extent. They may take a marketing hit if Derrick Rose is actually exposed as a cheater, or O.J. Mayo is exposed as a greedy wheeler-dealer trying to wring cash out of a system that isn't supposed to provide any rather than simply waiting another year for his millions.

Jay Bilas said it best, as quoted in Clay's article, when he said in a recent article on ESPN.com that "No NBA rule encourages anyone to change grades or cheat on tests." I have seen many apologists for the players come up with faux arguments, as we see to some extent in Wetzel's column above, that they are just gaming a corrupt system. That's not true at all. You don't have to agree with the rules to follow them. High school players actually have options like never before. They can go to the NBADL for a year, go to a junior college for a year, play in Europe or other overseas destination. Brandon Jennings is likely to demonstrate, for good and all (as if there were ever really any doubt) that if you are a lottery pick coming out of high school, you will be a lottery pick one year later, even if you hurt your standing in the process.

Rose could have just taken a year off and worked on his body and game in the gym with a trainer. I'm sure he could have hired the most expensive one in America on contingency, and paid absolutely zero until after the draft. Forget college, there are tons of options available to players who have the talent to be "one and done." Want to send the NBA a message? Don't play on TV after high school. Make them have to send scouts after you, or try to keep track of what you are doing -- trust me, they will. Take a year off to get your affairs in order, anything -- you don't have to abide by amateur rules. Sign with an agent and let him fix you up. Join the peace corps or volunteer for community service and show you are about more than just money. The list is endless.

The bottom line is, there are tons of things these players could be doing other than obtaining stand-ins to defraud colleges on their entrance exams and still be picked high in the NBA draft, or selling themselves to the highest ethics-challenged college coach -- tons of ethical, helpful, useful things that they could do with 12 months other than demonstrating a complete disregard for the rules in the name of disagreeing with them. But for some reason, we blame the rules rather than the rule-breakers. Robin Hood strikes again.

Would it be better if we adopted the college baseball rule that allows high schoolers to be drafted, but requires them to stay in school for three years if they decide to go to school? Yes. Would it be better just to let high schoolers in, period? Yes. Would two years be better than one? Probably. But whether or not those things come to fruition, blaming the NBA's rule for colleges paying greedy players, and academic ne'er-do-wells too lazy or disinterested in school cheating on college entrance exams is not logically or ethically defensible.

Now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

Media needs to regain integrity
Scout.com's Keith Bays takes Jerry Tipton to task in this editorial. Bays is certainly right, but he is right in a highly technical way. Yes, Mumme and Sutton both resigned, but had they refused to do so, they would have been fired. "Resigned under pressure" is the official way of putting such a parting of ways. Tipton should have gotten that part right, no doubt. It is common -- how many times have we seen sports writers tell us that UK fired Tubby Smith? Still, I'm not sure it merits the dressing-down that Bays gives him.

UK Football News

Heh.
Very funny. Must read.

Other UK Sports News

Eight Wildcat Women Earn Academic All-District Honors
Congrats to all!
James Paxton Selected in First Round of 2009 MLB Draft
This is only the fourth UK player in history to get drafted in the first round.

NCAA Sports News

Coach K Considering a Return to Team USA Sideline
Rush The Court considers Calipari a good choice for leading Team USA the next time around, along with Traitor Rick, Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim and others.

Personally, I would rather Calipari focus on UK basketball for now. Five years from now, maybe this would be a good idea for him. I think Krzyzewski did a fine job last time and I would certainly not mind him taking the spot again.
After Floyd, USC's Top 5 Candidates.
Fanhouse has a list for USC. It's pretty much what you would expect, except no Jeff Van Gundy. Mike Davis is an interesting addition, although I can't imagine him taking the job. I'm thinking he is hoping for a shot at Alabama.
Floyd's action speaks volumes.
I'll await the formal charges, but I do have to admit that what I have read so far looks really bad for Tim Floyd.
Scoffing at the NCAA rule changes.
Maize n Brew Dave does it so I don't have to.
NCAA Basketball: Rule change is foul
Lew Wright laments the latest NCAA idiocy -- imaginary lines. Imagine that!
Tim Floyd's departure as the Southern California men's basketball coach raises questions - ESPN
Andy Katz has a number of questions concerning Tim Floyd's departure.
One-and-done Mayo costs Floyd reputation, job; coaches beware
What's amazing to me is who Parrish does not mention in this article. See if you can figure out who that may be. I find it very interesting, and noteworthy, that Calipari was never really associated strongly with recruiting Mayo, nor Stephenson, nor Renardo Sydney. I wonder why? Actually, I think I know.
USC basketball coach Floyd submits his resignation
Some interesting speculation about who might replace Tim Floyd. Obviously, the leading candidate aught to be Jamie Dixon, but I don't see it. Dixon has nothing really to gain by going from one football program to another, and even though LA is a higher profile place, I just don't see a Howland/Dixon rivalry. I'm going to say it isn't gonna happen.

Jeff Van Gundy is the most intriguing of all the names mentioned. He has no college experience that I know of, but he is a good coach and could compete with Howland for recruits. He has that NBA resume that so many of today's recruits seem to love. Would he be willing to give up a cushy broadcast job (at which he is pretty darn good, by the way) for a scandal-plagued program on probation? I don't know. Maybe. As I said, intriguing.
Georgia didn't hire Tim Floyd -- don't you feel better now?
Not to really defend Tim Floyd, but don't you think we should wait for the NCAA to, I don't know, actually charge him with stuff before we convict and hang him? Just askin'.
Billy Gillispie To USC?
Well, you never know. Gillispie might be a fit there. But I kind of doubt it will happen.

Other News of Interest

Awesome game in Orlando last night.
This has been one of the best NCAA playoffs, as a whole, I can ever remember.

The Daily Schadenfreude

The inevitable buzz: Pitino to USC
Bwahahaa! Was there ever any doubt? I guarantee right now there is no way Pitino takes this job. It is not worthy of him, and he knows it. No matter what you think of Louisville, they are a far, far superior basketball program to USC. Not even Syphergate could make Pitino swallow this pill.
A Double Standard, and a Bar of Soap
This is just a hilarious, logically bankrupt attempt at an article. If you want to see what faux reasoning looks like, just take a look here. Without any effort at all the author goes from factual recitations to conclusions that they don't support.
Trojan Lambs Of Just$C*
Bruins Nation engages in some serious schadenfreude over Tim Floyd's resignation.

Sprints // 05.14.09

cocknfire — Thu, 14 May 2009 07:52:18 -0000

~~D-Day~~ D-Weekend for Baseball. A huge weekend for SEC baseball begins today. The SEC East could be decided by the end of the day. Simple math says the West will wait until at least Friday. The seedings for Hoover will be determined Saturday, probably.

A few things to know:

--Florida's magic number is one, meaning the first Florida win or Georgia loss gives the Gators the SEC East title.
--LSU's division magic number is three. Any three LSU wins and/or Alabama losses will give the Bengals the SEC West crown. (LSU's magic number vis a vis Ole Miss, in case you're wondering, is two.)
--LSU's conference magic number is two, with Florida the only SEC East team that can catch the Tigers.
--Vanderbilt's magic number to get to Hoover is two, with Kentucky the competition for the 8th spot.
--The recipe and possibilities for final seedings are too complicated to explain here. Suffice it to say that the process ends with a conclave of Mike Slive, the SEC athletics directors and Peter Gammons.

Play this weekend and in Hoover will also decide who will play in the NCAA Tournament and where. Baseball America currently has LSU (as the three seed nationally), Alabama (regional host), Florida (regional host), Ole Miss (regional host), Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina and Vanderbilt all in. BA says they're all "pretty much locked in," though I would assume collapses by Arkansas, South Carolina or Vanderbilt might change that. (HT: davidbrandt)

No need for Arkansas to play. Razorbacks Expats has the whole season wrapped up right here. A couple of thoughts:

--I did not realize how brutal Arkansas' conference schedule is this year. They get the usual slate of teams from the West and South Carolina, then mix in Florida and Georgia. You want to say games against titans like Missouri State and Eastern Michigan will balance that out, but the Hogs also have two teams with a faint pulse on the nonconference schedule (Texas A&M, Troy).
--The Gamecock in me has to quibble with the South Carolina choice. But the Gamecocks are a mystery to me this year, so they could lose this game by 50 or win it by 20.

Way too much. I like Kyle Veazey. He's generally one of the better MSM bloggers. But he seems to be getting carried away with this Web 2.0 stuff.

If Twitter were currently operable, I would describe in great detail about how Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen just walked back into Starbucks here in Jackson, Tenn. No movies down the street at the theater that he cares to watch. So he's in a brown comfy chair, a book on ancient military tactics spread on his lap, on the phone with someone.

For the love of merciful Heaven, why? What additional detail could we possibly need?

But Mississippi State fans -- it is safe to reactivate your phone on Twitter.

Remider: Tweet with Team Speed Kills. It's a feed for now, but we'll also be using it for other purposes closer to football season.

The Restoration is on hold. Coach Cal is trying to keep expectations low at Kentucky. Ask St. Nick how that worked at Alabama.

"Half of the team is new players who never played a down of college basketball," he said at a news conference Wednesday. "The other half has never played this style."

Meanwhile, Cal wants to turn Kentucky red. Not as in Republican; no, as in RedChina red.

Calipari, who said he had visited China two or three times previously, spoke with school president Lee Todd about recruiting Chinese students to UK. He also said that 15 Chinese coaches will spend a week at UK, and, if Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart approves, one or two Chinese coaches would spend this coming season with the Cats.

The mention of China raised a question about recruiting. That's when Calipari estimated that the country had 1,000 7-footers.

Chairman Cal?

Paging Brian Cook. Alabama starts trimming its roster.

Ya happy? Pahokee Principal Ariel Alejo has pulled both the Gator logo and his e-mail address from his Web page, for reasons one can probably guess. I'm sure he's so much more willing to let Vols coaches on the premises now.

Drip. Drip. Drip. O.J. Mayo talks to investigators. Some of them, anyway.

Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo has communicated with the U.S. Attorney's office amid allegations that federal laws may have been violated when Mayo's former advisor gave him money and gifts during his high school and college career, according to a source with knowledge of the case. The source would not elaborate on Mayo's contact with federal authorities. ...
While Mayo has responded to inquiries from law enforcement, for more than a year he has declined requests to set up a meeting with NCAA investigators looking into the allegations.

This is interesting. Why not talk to the NCAA? Certainly it can't be that Mayo thinks the association has some sort of vendetta against Southern Cal. Do any of the legally inclined have any theories? Anyone else? I could speculate here, but I would like more than speculation to go as far out on the limb as I'm thinking.

Wind Sprints. Newly minted Arizona Cardinal Rashad Johnson talks to SB Nation's Revenge of the Birds (HT: Roll Bama Roll) ... 6-foot-4, 300 pound football players should not try to dance. A backflip really ought to be out of the question. Glad to hear the kid's doing okay ... Tennessee wants Robert Marve. Because they don't have enough mediocre quarterbacks, I suppose ...

Latest USC allegations aren't good for anyone - including WSU

Nuss — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

USC men's basketball head coach Tim Floyd is about to be in a heck of a lot of hot water after a federal witness alleged Floyd paid an O.J. Mayo handler at least $1,000 cash for delivering Mayo to Floyd's program. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Browse more photos »

I'll just go ahead and skip the introduction and let you take this in for yourself:

LOS ANGELES – USC men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd made a direct cash payment to a man who helped deliver O.J. Mayo to the Trojans program, according to Louis Johnson, a former member of Mayo’s inner circle.

Johnson, a one-time Mayo confidant, has told both NCAA investigators and federal authorities – including the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office – that Floyd gave at least $1,000 in cash to Rodney Guillory, a man who allegedly lavished Mayo with improper benefits while the guard starred for the Trojans.

Such an act would constitute a major NCAA violation for USC, which is the subject of an ongoing three-year investigation into alleged improprieties in both the football and men’s basketball programs.

You can find the full report here. To the NCAA, this kind of allegation is beyond huge -- the only bigger no-no than someone around a program paying for a player is a coach paying for a player. Just ask Todd Bozeman how the NCAA generally handles that one.

There's not exactly unadulterated outrage on the Internet right now over it, I think because of the relatively small sum of the payment and how long these USC investigations are dragging out. But anyone who thinks this isn't a big dang deal is either ignorant or severely jaded -- we're talking about a COACH paying for a PLAYER. There are obvious implications in competitive advantage in such a move, hence the reason why the NCAA so heavily penalizes coaches and schools (hello, mid-80s SMU!) found guilty of it.

While the brazenness displayed by Floyd in Johnson's account is jaw-dropping, Floyd may never actually be individually punished by the NCAA -- especially if Johnson's statement can't be corroborated in some way. As Rick Neuheisel demonstrated, if you're going to interfere with a coach's ability to be gainfully employed, you better make darn sure you have an ironclad case.

But when coupled with the agent allegations already surrounding Mayo and Reggie Bush -- and the NCAA is coupling them -- big trouble appears to be on the horizon for the Trojans.

This latest account just adds to a growing mountain of circumstantial evidence that's leading to the dreaded "lack of institutional control" label being bandied about. And we all know that's a term no athletic department wants even within earshot of its program. Forget the fact that the NCAA investigation of USC is taking so long; when an organization is taking on one of it's 2,000-pound gorillas, it better have all its ducks in a row. The fact that the investigation is taking so long (going on three years now) ought to be a sign that the scope and depth of this is bigger than people want to admit, not a sign that the NCAA is coming up empty handed.

While we'd like to sit here and smugly smile at USC's misfortune bred by this apparent bit of hubris, that's a pretty shortsighted view to take. If this were Ohio State or Florida State or Oklahoma, I'd be laughing my head off, but what's bad for USC is bad for the Pac-10 and by extension bad for us. Love them or hate them, the Trojans generate a tremendous amount of interest and revenue for the conference that gets shared with all of us. For that reason alone, I'd like to hope it comes out that all of this is untrue. But that's sure looking like a long shot at this point.

Sprints // 05.13.09

cocknfire — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:16:06 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Keep yapping, Lane. Keep yapping.

Browse more photos »

Kiffin knows all about RECRUITING. Remember when Boy Wonder's tendency to flap his gums was a recipe for RECRUITING success? Yeah, not so much. You see, Laney, it helps if you can actually get in the high school to recruit the kids. And getting in the high school is so much easier if you don't royally piss off the entire community.

UT assistant coach Eddie Gran was asked to leave [Pahokee High School] property during a recruiting visit last Monday by principal Ariel Alejo in response to UT coach Lane Kiffin's comments about Pahokee and its alleged efforts to funnel football players to the University of Florida. ...
Kiffin declined to comment on the matter when reached by phone Tuesday.

First of all, congratulations to Ariel Alejo for doing something I thought impossible: Shutting up Lane Kiffin. Now, Tennessee fans will tell you that Boy Wonder apologized for all of this already. Well kinda-sorta-not really at all.

In April, Kiffin spoke to The Palm Beach Post about his comments at the recruiting breakfast, which also included Kiffin's comments accusing Urban Meyer of violating NCAA rules in his recruitment of Richardson.

"If I offended anybody in Pahokee or (anyone who) has to do with Pahokee or in the schools, I apologize; and I want to make sure it's understood that is not what was meant by it (the comments) at all," Kiffin told the newspaper. "It was just an energetic breakfast with some of our donors. Didn't even know that there was a camera present when the things were said.

"It just wasn't something that was meant to go in front of the media and make a big statement. ... It's why immediately that day I apologized and made sure that everybody understood it wasn't my intention to offend anyone at the University of Florida or coach Meyer."

Wonderful non-apology apology. Let's explicate:

--"If I offended anybody ... " The great thing about this construction, as has been pointed out repeatedly, is that it absolves the apologizer of any culpability for doing anything wrong. "If you took offense, I ask you to forgive me."

--"Just an energetic breakfast." So it wasn't really my fault when I trashed your town. But I apologize anyway.

--"Didn't even know that there was a camera present." I apologize for getting caught. Because it would be so much better if I could have said it behind your back and you never heard about it.

Now, some Tennessee partisans have taken to unearthing the Web page of Princpal Alejo, charging that his Florida ties might have something to do with his decision. We can hope.

Not that I want SEC coaches to be quieted -- far from it. But Kiffin's comments, it should be pointed out as often as it needs to be until people remember, broke several unwritten rules. It trampled all over two things you can't touch in the South: Honor and avoidance of any association with "hickdom" or "redneckery." If Meyer had cheated, Kiffin's blast might have been a fair shot. But Urban hadn't, and it wasn't. And the people of Pahokee had done nothing to earn the kind of elitist slur Kiffin casually slung in their direction. Where I come from, anyway, that's wrong.

And until Kiffin understands how radioactive these sorts of things are in the region where he's now based, he really knows very little about RECRUITING.

Opposite directions. Former UGA head coach Jim Donnan and former QB Quincy Carter will always be tied together in my mind -- perhaps ever more so because of the role a game against South Carolina arguably played in altering their careers. It was, after all, the 21-10 debacle in Columbia in 2000 that was the beginning of the end for Donnan and the effective end of Carter's Heisman campaign after his five interceptions contributed mightily to the Dawgs' loss.

There is no connection anymore, a point emphasized Tuesday, when Donnan was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and Carter was arrested, again, this time for violating his probation.

Happier news for Dawgs fans: Vince Dooley gets some deserved recognition. The Mayor has a memorable anecdote.

Andre Smith Weirdness. You really didn't expect the Tale of Andre Smith to end happily, did you? Fresh off of being saved from NFL Draft infamy by Rick Smith, Andre Smith has returned the favor by firing Rick Smith. And going back to the agent that ruined him. Or not. (HT: Roll Bama Roll) Part of the confusion likely stems from the fact that Andre Smith can't just hire another agent after firing his old one; he has to wait five days. The other part of it stems from the fact that Andre Smith appears to be a very confused young man.

Pappy Bowden > Meyer. Says so here, at SB Nation's own Tomahawk Nation. Have at it, Florida fans.

"If," not "when." This is going to get very, very ugly before it's over. The question is how much of this is a basketball issue, how much is a football issue and how much is a dreaded "lack of institutional control" issue. Sure, the allegations about O.J. Mayo don't directly relate to the football team, but that's little consolation if the whole athletics department (or more than one of its programs, including football) gets wrapped up in sanctions for LOIC.

Relevant SEC point comes from outsidethesidelines at Roll Bama Roll.

And as a further point, I'd also make note that one of the top assistant coaches and the leading recruiter at USC at the time was none other than... drum roll please... Lane Kiffin.

OTSL stresses -- as should I -- that Boy Wonder has not been implicated in anything yet. Still something to keep an eye on.

Play Ball! All nine SEC teams in action win Tuesday, including Georgia's 7-5 victory against Georgia Tech.

Wind Sprints. Scott Bittle is out for Ole Miss' series against Arkansas, hurting both his team's chances at capturing the SEC and his own chances in the MLB Draft ... Michael Washington will return to Arkansas ... Fans that were born in Auburn and then went through Alabama before graduating at -- no, that's not it. Alabama fans who were born at another school before graduating Alabama and getting post-doctorate at Auburn -- wrong again. Alabama and Auburn fans, go here and see if you can help Track Em Tigers ...

The incomparable CougCenter Pac-10 conference minipreview

Nuss — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:42:28 -0000

With the conference season tipping off tonight, I figured I'd give you my quick look at where we stand heading into the 18 games that truly will decide each team's postseason fate.

What follows is a short breakdown of each team, ordered in my own little power ranking. (I didn't take into account tonight's games, FYI, since I started working on the post this afternoon.) And don't look now, but the "weak" Pac-10 is now the No. 2 rated conference by Ken Pomeroy.

1. UCLA (10-2)

Pomeroy Ranking: 16

Quick Take: The Bruins are still the class of the Pac-10. They might not be the 1,000-pound gorilla they've been over the past few years and might not be a shoo-in for their fourth consecutive Final Four, but they're still very, very good. The team defense is down just a tick, and J'Mison Morgan hasn't exactly been the replacement for Kevin Love that UCLA fans thought he might be, since he's only averaging 7.2 minutes a game.

But they still generate a ton of turnovers, and Darren Collison is one of the most efficient players in the country (No. 45 in offensive rating and No. 53 in eFG%). The most pleasant suprise for UCLA has been the play of guard Michael Roll. The junior supersub has the No. 2 offensive rating in the country, and is shooting a ridiculous eFG% of 73.4, which would also be No. 2 if he had played enough minutes to qualify.

The Bruins have been destroying some less-than-impressive competition since losing to No. 7 Texas so who knows how much they've improved since that loss, but with an experienced squad and Ben Howland on the sidelines, they're still my odds on favorite to win the conference title.

2. Arizona State (11-1)

Pomeroy Ranking: 9

Quick Take: The Sun Devils are the highest rated Pac-10 team by kenpom.com, but it's tough to know just how good they really are after yet another typically creampuff nonconference schedule. ASU has played just one true road game (for the second consecutive year), and lost its only real test against Baylor.

But the Sun Devils have the No. 1 effective field goal percentage and No. 4 adjusted offensive efficiency in the country thanks in large part to a weapon that no one in the conference can match: James Harden. Want to know just how good Harden has been? Read this piece at Basketball Prospectus. It's a couple of weeks old, but still relevant. The guy is an absolute stud, ranking in the top 100 nationally in percentage of his team's shots taken, offensive rating, effective field goal percentage, free throw rate and assist rate. He's a one-man wrecking crew.

Jeff Pendergraph has also been very good, but the Devils are thin up front. Depth there might be an issue against Pac-10 teams with better big men than the Devils have faced this season.

3. USC (9-3)

Pomeroy Ranking: 41

Quick Take: The offense has been inconsistent, but the defense has been typically sound under Tim Floyd. Only the loss to Seton Hall raises eybrows, as losses to Missouri and Oklahoma -- especially with as close as the latter was -- are nothing to be ashamed of. The offense has been inconsistent at best, but that's to be expected as the Trojans figure out how to replace to production of OJ Mayo and Davon Jefferson.

Dwight Lewis has taken on the bulk of the scoring load, while Taj Gibson has been his usual beastly self inside, posting seven double-doubles already to go along with the No. 17 block percentage in the country. But what truly makes this a team on the come is freshman sensation DeMar DeRozan, who Floyd says is "growing in front of our eyes right now." Also keep an eye on junior Daniel Hackett. He's a player I've been down on in the past, but he's quietly blossoming into one of the top point guards in the Pac-10.

If there's one thing Floyd has proven, it's that he can grow a team over the course of a year so that it's playing its best ball by March. He's well on his way to doing it again.

4. Cal (11-2)

Pomeroy Ranking: 32

Quick Take: And here we have our first big surprise of the season. I said before the year that the Bears could be the surprise team of the conference, and don't look now, but Mike Montgomery has the Bears playing some mighty fine basketball. Their only two losses came to a decent Florida State in Las Vegas and a very good Missouri on the road -- no shame in that.

How have the Bears done it? By turning a mediocre defense in 2007-08 (No. 152 adjusted defensive efficiency) into one of the better ones this year (No. 66) while maintaining the offense, even with the loss of Ryan Anderson to the NBA. I thought Patrick Christopher might be one of the surprise players in the Pac-10 this year, but it's been point guard Jerome Randle who's been the difference maker for Montgomery. His stats are up across the board, as he's averaging 19.5 points and 4.8 assists.

I believe now more than ever that Cal is poised for a WSU-like jump into the top half of the conference.

5. Arizona (9-3)

Pomeroy Ranking: 42

Quick Take: The Wildcats have played far better than anyone had any right to expect in the wake of Lute Olson's retirement just after the start of official practices. Forget about the comically absurd loss to UAB and the close loss to Texas A&M; the Wildcats have impressive wins over Gonzaga and Kansas to hang their hats on come Tournament time.

It doesn't hurt that they've got the most talented trio in the conference with Nic Wise, Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill. The three account for 65 percent of the Wildcats' scoring, 56 percent of their rebounds, 59 percent of their assists. Hill has been especially impressive, leading the team in scoring and averaging a double-double.

Coach Russ Pennell deserves a lot of credit for getting this team to play as well as it has and on track for yet another NCAA Tournament berth. For all the hand-wringing by Olson and the players about the slower pace played under Kevin O'Neill last year, Arizona is playing at an even slower pace this year, although they've played faster recently. Pennell is clearly doing something right.

6. Stanford (10-0)

Pomeroy Ranking: 30

Quick Take: The Cardinal finished the nonconference slate without a loss, and while there isn't really a win over an impressive opponent in the bunch, most of the wins were by double digits, including a 111-66 thrashing of Texas Tech. Stanford's adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency are both ranked in the top 40 nationally under first-year coach Johnny Dawkins.

Anthony Goods has really stepped up his production, leading the way with 18.4 points per game, but it's been a balanced attack, as the Cardinal feature four players averaging double figures. Part of that is due to Stanford playing much faster this year than at any point in recent memory, averaging more than 71 possessions, a pace befitting the smallish squad left in the wake of the defections of the Lopez ~~sisters~~ twins and graduation of Taj Finger.

But that small frontcourt might prove to be the Cardinal's undoing. They're already giving up the 40th highest 2-point field goal percentage in the country and blocking only 7.7 percent of their opponents shots (203rd). Contrast that with the sixth-best 2-point field goal percentage and No. 36 block percentage last year, and you wonder how Stanford will hold up against legitimate big men, which most teams in the Pac-10 possess.

7. Washington State (8-4)

Pomeroy Ranking: 40

Quick Take: The Cougs were the picture of consistency in the nonconference schedule, beating the crud out of teams they were supposed to beat, going 1-1 against middle-of-the-road SEC teams, and going 0-3 against ranked teams. If this team has any hope of making the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row, it's going to have to make some hay in the conference schedule.

The defense has been as good as ever, holding all opponents but Baylor, Gonzaga and LSU to efficiencies under 100. But the offense ... oh, that offense. It's bad. Real bad. And if the Cougs want to get up into the top half of the conference, Tony Bennett's going to have to come up with some answers in a hurry. The defense is good enough to win some games all by itself, but unless the offense gets better, this is shaping up to be a remake of 2005-06.

8. Washington (9-3)

Pomeroy Ranking: 24

Quick Take: The Pomeroy Ranking suggests I ought to have the Huskies higher than this, but let's just say I'm a little bit skeptical considering they lost all three games they played away from Hec Ed, including a season-opening debacle at Portland. But there's no denying UW has been impressive at home, posting a dominant win over Oklahoma State (No. 49 Pomeroy) and a nice win without Jon Brockman over an underrated Portland State team (No. 88 Pomeroy) that would be Gonzaga in Spokane a little over a week later.

Brockman has been his usual dominant self inside, averaging a double-double, and the Huskies have gotten improved play on the perimeter from an unlikely source: Justin Dentmon, who is averaging 12.4 points. Additionally, Isaiah Thomas has shown flashes of being the explosive scorer the Huskies hoped for.

The thing that has Husky fans hoping this year will be different than the past two is that the defense seems to be better -- 17th in adjusted defensive efficiency, fueled largely by a much improved shooting defense (No. 64 in opponents' eFG%, compared to No. 234 and 193 the past two years).

One thing to keep an eye on, though: Washington's defensive efficiency is fairly significantly correlated to opponents' turnover percentage (-.74). Will the defense be as good against Pac-10 teams that figure to take care of the ball better than some of their more overmatched opponents? Kansas and Florida posted the two highest opponents' efficiencies while posting two of the three lowest TO%.

9. Oregon (6-6)

Pomeroy Ranking: 93

Quick Take: Poor Ernie Kent. With his keister firmly on the hot seat, he sure picked a terrible time to play the toughest nonconference schedule of any Pac-10 team -- 38th nationally according to Pomeroy. The Ducks got soundly beat by the good teams on their schedule, but also lost a couple of not-so-good games to Oakland and San Diego.

It's the same old story with the Ducks. They're playing the fastest pace of anyone in the conference (73.7) and chucking up a ton of 3's, which they're still pretty good at making (37.5 percent, 61st nationally). Where the offense is struggling, though, is in getting easy baskets -- the Ducks are an appalling 269th nationally in 2-point field goal percentage after being 14th last year. Much like Washington, the defense is actually quite improved so far thanks to a high number of steals.

Tajuan Porter has proven to be mediocre as a leading man. Don't let the fact that he's leading Oregon in scoring fool you; he's posting just the team's fourth best offensive rating. Freshman Michael Dunigan has been solid, but team's might start employing a hack-a-Shaq strategy on him if he doesn't improve on that 51.1 percent from the line.

10. Oregon State (5-5)

Pomeroy Ranking: 175

Quick Take: Nobody's going to confuse the Beavers with a Pac-10 contender, but nobody's going to confuse them with last year's edition that went 0-18 in the Pac-10, either. This team is improved under new coach Craig Robinson*, especially on the offensive end. Their adjusted offensive efficiency is higher than the Cougs', thanks largely to improved play in the paint -- OSU is 10th nationally in 2-point field goal percentage.

Expect this team to get much better as the season rolls along. Robinson employs a version of the Princeton offense, which players don't exactly pick up overnight. The growth is already palpable; the Beavers soundly beat Howard University at home on Dec. 20, whom they lost to by two in their season opener just a month before. This team that quit on Jay John last year is playing hard for Robinson. It might not translate into five or six wins, but it'll translate into two or three over teams that don't come prepared to battle the Beavers.

* Notice how I wrote Craig Robinson's name without mentioning that he is Barack Obama's brother in law? Oh, wait ... dang! I just did it! Dangit!!!