Hope its not true. FBI is looking at 2 different games one in February and another in January. Loved him while he was here with the Horns I hope he didn't fall in with a bad crowd. I remember him transferring to be close at home so who knows it if was a financial thing.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7662296/fbi-investigatin-auburn-tigers-varez-ward-point-shaving-according-report

Looks like they did not spend near as much as Oregon for Mr Lyles services. 

Lyles billed California $5,000 for what is described on the invoice as the Complete Scouting Services' "2010 National Package." 

On the invoice, it appears nearly identical to the CSS "2011 National Package" for which Oregon paid Lyles $25,000. 

While LSU is reported to have purchased a JUCO package for 6,000 that included game tape from JUCOs in Kansas and California.

Below is the link to the article at the Oregonian.

http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2011/07/california_paid_much_less_for.html

I am tired of being pissed about the seeding and wallowing about it, so I am going to try to do something constructive and run down some info on Oakland hopefully to soothe my own fears but we will see about that...

Particularly, after hearing the National Pundits rave about Keith Benson,  In case you haven't heard, he is supposedly an NBA prospect and here are some of his stats 6'11 senior avg 18 pts, 10 boards (2.5 offensive), 3.6 blks, 55% FG, 64% FT, and more than respectable 40% from 3 (9-22 on the yr).  I want to take a look at how he performed against other bigs, especially anyone similar to TT.

While Oakland has beaten Tennessee on the road, there marquee win of the year, it is important to keep in mind they have the following resume against other big 6 competition:

L @ West Va 95-71  Benson 22 pts, 15 reb (8 off) 2 blks vs. Thoroughman irrelevant

L @ Purdue 82-67  Benson 16 pts, 14 reb (5 off) 2 blks (39 mins) vs. JaJuan Johnson had 25 pts, 11 reb 

L @ Illinois 74-63 Benson 11 pts, 7 reb (3 off) 2 blks (35 min, 4  fouls)  vs Richmond, Tisdale, Davis 22 pts, 20 reb (combined)

L @ Mich St 77-76 Benson 17 pts, 12 reb (4 off) 4 blks (39 min, 3 fouls) vs Roe, Green 18 pts, 9 reb (combined)

W @ Tenn 89-82 Benson 26 pts, 10 reb (0 off) 2 blks (37 min, 3 fouls) vs Williams 18 pts, 13 reb (8 off) 4 fouls

L @ Michigan 69-51  Benson 11 pts, 7 reb, 4 blks (37 min) vs No real big man

L @ Ohio St  92-63 Benson 8 pts, 10 reb, 1 blk (27 min, 5 fouls) vs. Jared Sullinger 16 pts, 9 reb (only played 19 mins) Oakland had 20 TOs in the game got run out of the gym.

L @ IUPUI 100-88  Benson 11 pts, 6 reb (18 min, 5 fouls) vs Alex Young 6'6 F 31 pts, 9 reb

Benson definitely seems to play a significant role for Oakland, which is not a deep team only 6 guys avg over 20 minutes.  Several games were only 7 guys saw action.  

Even as good as Benson is against comparable teams Purdue and Illinois they lost by double digits.  In several games they played tight in the first half (lead Illinois by 4 trailed Purdue by 4) and gave way in the second.  If we can get him in foul trouble that will help, but I am not overly concerned with him on the defensive end (nor the rest of the team) as he has given up pts to big and small forwards a like.  Looks like we need to be aggressive and physical in the paint.

Ken Pom has Oakland at 13 in AdjO vs 211 OppD, 200 AdjD vs. 78 OppO.   After seeing how Oakland has fair against Big Ten teams and struggled I like our odd.  If we can make it a physical game, get the ball inside and turn them over we should be in great shape.  If we turn the ball over and settle for jump shots we could be in trouble.  Oakland avg 39 rebs a game.   Rest assured Horns fans if we bring our Big Boy Brand of Basketball we should be in good shape.