ESPN Men's Basketball

Updated: December 30, 2003, 5:10 PM ET

Your questions, Andy's answers

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By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
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ESPN.com's Andy Katz answers a few questions found in his Inbox this week:

"How can you report that Calipari, Hewitt, Welsh, etc. are not interested in the St. John's job? No coach currently employed would dare express an interest in another job in the middle of the season. Watch the list expand in April, 2004."

Anthony Tutino,
New Providence, N.J.

Anthony,
I know none of these coaches are going to come out and say they want the St. John's job while they're still employed. But I'm confident in my reporting that at this point they are telling me the truth, either on or off the record. I would be shocked if Calipari or Hewitt left for St. John's. Welsh would need a hefty raise and plenty of security to make the move. Maybe the issue is not with these guys, but with St. John's and the administration. Maybe the job isn't as good as St. John's thinks it is right now. The Red Storm are yesterday's news. Playing in Madison Square Garden is no longer special since a number of players get to go there for other games. And the Red Storm can't offer all of the amenities that other programs have in terms of facilities and fan support. The best thing St. John's has to offer to local players is there families can watch them play. Maybe I'll be proven wrong. But this job should be filled by late March, not April.

"Where do you think Adam Morrison of Gonzaga fits in to the nations freshman class?"

Dan Melior,
Kennewick

Dan,
Morrison is one of the top 10-12 freshmen in the country. He won't have the same kind of numbers as Duke's Luol Deng, LSU's Brandon Bass and Utah's Andrew Bogut because he's not the primary or secondary option. But Morrison could have as much of an impact. He's instant offense for the Zags when he comes off the bench and the coaching staff has oodles of confidence in his ability to score. His personal battle with diabetes is an amazing story. Coach Mark Few said he never questions this kid's toughness when he sees Morrison have to run over during practice and give himself a shot.

"Who are the hot coaches from mid-majors to move up after the season?"

William Spoon,
Reno, Nev.

I'm sure you're talking about Trent Johnson of Nevada. If he can get the Wolf Pack into the NCAA Tournament then he certainly will be deserving. But keep a short list of a few of these names, coaches who are on the rise based on their team's performances this season so far -- SMU's Mike Dement, Rice's Willis Wilson, Wichita State's Mark Turgeon, Manhattan's Bobby Gonzalez and Oakland's Greg Kampe. I should reserve a regular spot for Creighton's Dana Altman, but he doesn't seem interested in moving on. He's got a great gig and is building a Gonzaga-like power in Omaha. The only thing missing is getting some regular TV games and a few more NCAA wins. He's figured out the regular-season thing.

"Why did you have to jinx us on the biggest weekend of the year for UK hoops? Daniels and Hayes didn't even show up!"

Josh,
Lexington, Ky.

Well, Josh, I doubt we've got some sort of ESPN.com jinx like SI. Louisville is a very, very good defensive team and just got the best of Kentucky in the second half last Saturday. I'm not worried about Kentucky fading here after one loss. This is still a potential Final Four team because of their experience, character, coaching and depth. But, Louisville did have a Syracuse-like look to them and could be a dangerous team come March.

"Watching this Orangemen team this season -- there are some alarming concerns. No one has stepped up as a complementary perimeter threat to Gerry McNamara, I think he has all but five of Syracuse's three-pointers all season. The other thing, save for the game against Colgate, the champs are struggling against their cupcake schedule. While comparisons to last year's team are unfair -- last year at any given time -- the team had three players on the floor who could shoot the 3 (Carmelo, McNamara, and Kueth Duany) and Melo and Hakim Warrick were lethal in the post. This season, Warrick's the only low-post threat and McNamara the only 3-point threat. The freshman look scared. Terrence Roberts can't control himself. Demetrius Nichols can't shoot a lick from downtown -- which betrays his scouting report, and McCroskey is still adapting. Also this team has struggled against its usual early-season cupcake schedule. A loss to Charlotte, c'mon? Nail biter against Rhode Island? Manhattan? Andy, does this team have any realistic hope of repeating or going to the Final Four?"

Al,
Syracuse

First of all, I wouldn't be stunned by a loss to Charlotte. The 49ers, when hitting their perimeter shots, are a tough team to beat. URI is one of the most improving teams in the country. And, as Boeheim has said, these freshmen still need time to mesh. Perimeter shooting is a major concern with this team. But I still wouldn't doubt this team making a deep run. I picked them for the Final Four in October. I'm skeptical right now (and would lean toward a Louisville pick if given another choice), but I wouldn't rule it out in the right bracket.

"Andy,
Love your columns and your insight, you always do a great job. Who do you think needs the January 5 Big Monday showdown more, Providence or struggling Texas? Providence is looking to cement itself as a top 20 team and Texas is just looking for any kind of marquee win at this point. Thanks and hope to see you at the Dunking Donuts Center for the premiere of Big Monday!"

Chris Caloger,
Clifton Park, N.Y.

That's a tough call. Texas has no quality wins, but the Longhorns should pick up a bunch in the Big 12. Providence won't have as many opportunities since it only plays Connecticut, Syracuse and Pittsburgh once in the Big East. Texas doesn't play Missouri or Kansas twice, either, but there might end up being more tournament teams out of the Big 12. I'll go with Providence needing this one more to go along with its Illinois win in early December. It's also the only other time Providence is on ESPN this season.

"Right now, it seems like the ACC has four teams (Duke, Georgia Tech, Wake, and UNC) that could potentially be No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. If they continue to play as No. 1-worthy teams, and split their ACC series so that none accumulate too many losses, is their any chance that the ACC will get three No. 1 seeds? Or is it more likely that we'll see a replay of the Big 12 situation, where Oklahoma and Texas got No. 1 seeds and Kansas was given a No. 2?"

Gary Chimes
Montclair, N.J.

Gary, if the NCAA Tournament were today, Georgia Tech, Duke and Wake Forest would have legitimate claims to No. 1 seeds. But it doesn't start today. So, these three teams, along with North Carolina, will all likely beat each other up in the ACC and have more of a Big 12 situation. There is a chance for two No. 1 seeds coming out of the ACC, but three or four would be highly unlikely. Stanford and Arizona are making claims to a No. 1 out West, and don't count out Kentucky, Florida, Louisville or Cincinnati from getting a No. 1 in the South. But I'm convinced that Connecticut will get a No. 1 in the East, leaving the ACC to possibly ship a No. 1 team to the South or the West.

"Andy,
Just read your article on Chuck Hayes and Eric Daniels. You did not mention that you, also, questioned why Chuck Hayes was added to the Pan/Am team. Chuck Hayes is proving he is one of the best players in the country. He is a low-profile player, however, I expect him to reach All-America status by the time he leaves Kentucky."

Frank K. Bird,
Cody, Wy.

Frank,
I'm not ducking the question. I was skeptical initially, and that was mostly after talking to coaches who were at the Colorado Springs trials. But then once the games started it was clear that he belonged on the team and was one of the best players on the squad. Since then, he has worked himself into being one of the top forwards in the country. He'll compete for All-America honors. I'm not sold on what kind of pro he'll be, but he'll leave college as one of the hardest working four-year players in Kentucky's recent history.

"Well, Katz, you did it now. Brushing off UK all season until it was impossible to do so any longer. And, now, with your recent praise, they are sure to lose. I liked it better when you did not respect them. This same scenario played-out last year in the NCAA Tournament. You had no love for UK until just before the Marquette game. Then after touting them as the "sure-fire" tourney winners, they got beat. Do all UK fans a favor and just root against them Andy!"

Allen,
Deptford, N.J.

Allen,
I think you're taking some of this a bit too literal. I don't think I ever lacked respect for Kentucky. I'm not sure how this thing snowballed, but somehow Kentucky fans like yourself seem to think we have some vendetta against the 'Cats. That is hardly the truth. I'm not going to "root" against them. Coach Smith is one of the classiest people in the game and the program is a model for others to follow. So, sorry, but you won't see me ripping Kentucky, just to do it.

"The competition hasn't been great, but how about a mention for the undefeated Iowa State Cyclones (coming off an impressive win over Xavier) and their all-freshman backcourt of Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock in your Freshman Watch. Stinson in particular is racking up over seven boards per game at only 6-2, and has an old-school New York City street game that brings some flair to the Cyclones. It makes the hit of not getting Tim Barnes back much easier to deal with."

Dave,
New York, N.Y.

Dave,
You're right, Stinson and Blalock have been two of the better freshmen guards this season. Larry Eustachy didn't leave this thing barren. The Cyclones had the personnel to make an upper-division run in the Big 12. The onus is now on the new coaching staff to ensure this program continues to go in the right direction. There is no reason why this team can't be competitive for a top-six finish in the Big 12.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.