Roundball Chatter
Each week I'll talk about the sport I love, college basketball:
• Think about how much success the Pac-10 has enjoyed in the NBA draft in recent years. Six from that conference went in the first round this year (James Harden, Jordan Hill, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison and Taj Gibson). That makes 13 first-rounders over the last two years, the most of any conference. The ACC is next with eight, followed by the Big East with seven.
• Cincinnati basketball coach Mick Cronin had to be thrilled to add McDonald's All-American Lance Stephenson at this late date. The 6-6 guard-forward is a difference-maker on the court. This is a talented young man who must get his act together off of the court. It has been obvious why several schools dropped out of the running for the star player. Cronin hopes to get the most out of Stephenson. He also has guard Cashmere Wright coming back from a knee injury. The Bearcats could be a sleeper team in the Big East.
• Congratulations to Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, who was appointed chairman of the Division I Men's Basketball Committee, starting with the 2010-11 season. Smith will take over from UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, who will be chair for the 2009-10 season and tournament.
• I could not blame the NCAA committee that turned down Kelvin Sampson's appeal of his penalties for breaking recruiting rules. Sampson was penalized at Oklahoma and clearly did not learn his lesson at Indiana. He will be out of the college game for a while. Remember that Todd Bozeman was away from the collegiate sideline for a long time before getting hired by Morgan State. The former California coach has done a nice job in his comeback.
• John Beilein has added a name that is familiar to basketball fans. Tim Hardaway Jr., a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Miami (Fla.), has committed to Michigan's 2010 class. His dad was part of Golden State's famed Run TMC trio of Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond, three guys that provided excitement galore!
• I wanted to add a personal note, sending sympathies to a pair of my buddies. Hall of Fame basketball writer Dick Weiss suffered the passing of his mom, Barbara. John Moran, a personal associate who helps me with the V Foundation gala, also lost his mother recently.
