Michigan State receives good news
Every Friday I will give my thoughts on the game I love, basketball.
• This is the time of year where several schools will travel overseas and play exhibition games. Purdue is taking a trip to Australia, though senior Keaton Grant will not be playing as he recovers from a knee injury. Notre Dame is going over to compete in Ireland August 12-25. This gives teams an opportunity to get in extra practice and bonding time. It is a positive.
• Speaking of Notre Dame, the Irish will travel a long way to face in-state foe Indiana. The teams will be in the opening round of the Maui Invitational. The field is loaded and the other first-round match-ups include North Carolina vs. Chaminade (remember when Virginia was #1?); Oregon vs. Alabama and Texas against St. Joes. Just thing about the talent out there: Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Luke Harangody, AJ Abrams, Damion James, Ronald Steele, Tajuan Porter and on and on.
• Congratulations to Kansas coach Bill Self on his 10-year contract that will pay him $3 million a year and keep him at the school until March of 2018. Patience paid off for the national champion Jayhawks coach. You may remember Self's alma mater, Oklahoma State, expressed an interest but was turned down. Now everyone is happy in Lawrence. Arkansas coach John Pelphrey also received a contract extension. He also received a pay raise from athletic director Jeff Long and is under contract through the 2012-13 season.
• Michigan State received some good news. Freshman forward Delvon Roe is expected to be ready for the start of practice in mid-October following knee surgery. The procedure was performed after Roe had swelling in his knee recently. The surgery helped clean up cartilage in his knee and he should be ready to roll in about six weeks. Coach Tom Izzo has to be happy that the injury is not serious enough to sideline him for a longer period of time.
• How young is Al Skinner's Boston College team this season? Looking at the roster posted on the school's website, the Eagles have just one senior (Tyrese Rice) and one junior (Tyler Roche). The team is dominated by freshmen and sophomores, so Rice will have to post big numbers again.
• Nice to see the Villanova men's and women's basketball teams involved in an annual "Summer Jam" carnival. Jay Wright and Harry Perretta have to be proud. The day included an alumni golf outing followed by games, food, prizes and more in the afternoon. A kids-only press conference was a highlight and the evening featured the annual Villanova Legends game with former men's basketball players. Members of both teams and the coaching staffs were on hand to participate in the festivities.
• A look at Utah's non-league schedule and coach Jim Boylen has his hands full prior to Mountain West play. California, Gonzaga, Oregon, LSU and Oklahoma are all on the agenda. There is also a trip to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in the Glenn Wilkes Classic. Trips to Missouri State and rival Utah State are also on the docket. The Utes will be led by 7-2 center Luke Nevill.
