http://bleacherreport.com/ Bleacher Report - The open source sports network en-us 30 Dantzler Smith <p>Even for an absurdly talented Duke team, the road to an <span class="spellcheck">ACC</span> regular season title and tournament win will be tough. Maryland is around for one more year and newcomers Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Syracuse are staunch opponents.</p> <p>Whether it&rsquo;s just a head-to-head matchup or a threat to Duke&rsquo;s chances at winning the conference, there are at least five teams that should worry the Blue Devils.</p> <p>While those five most obvious threats are probably the best teams in the conference alongside Duke, even the mid-tier teams can&rsquo;t be overlooked. Pitt won&rsquo;t be a pushover and both Georgia Tech and Boston College should be much improved.</p> <p>So what follows is a list of the biggest threats to Duke, but even the teams not mentioned constitute their own challenges.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1647007-duke-basketball-acc-teams-the-blue-devils-should-be-worried-about">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 21 May 2013 13:42:15 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1647007-duke-basketball-acc-teams-the-blue-devils-should-be-worried-about http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1647007-duke-basketball-acc-teams-the-blue-devils-should-be-worried-about http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1647007-duke-basketball-acc-teams-the-blue-devils-should-be-worried-about NCAA College Basketball ACC Basketball Duke Basketball Preview/Prediction Scott Polacek <p>It truly is astounding what a championship can do for someone&rsquo;s basketball reputation.</p> <p>A mere 12 months ago many people saw LeBron James as a choke artist who couldn&rsquo;t get it done in the big moment, and now there are legitimate discussions about how he stacks up against Michael Jordan. The same logic can be applied to the collegiate level when it comes to coaches.</p> <p>John Calipari got the championship monkey off of his back recently, but there are still plenty of great program leaders that have never cut down the nets. Read on to see the 10 best coaches who are still looking for that elusive national title.</p> <p>Stats are courtesy of <a href="http://www.sports-reference.com/" target="_blank">sports-reference.com.</a></p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646496-ranking-the-10-best-coaches-in-college-basketball-without-a-national-title">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 21 May 2013 09:24:37 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646496-ranking-the-10-best-coaches-in-college-basketball-without-a-national-title http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646496-ranking-the-10-best-coaches-in-college-basketball-without-a-national-title http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646496-ranking-the-10-best-coaches-in-college-basketball-without-a-national-title College Basketball Opinion Kenny Crute <p>The Jayhawk Nation has much to be excited about regarding the upcoming college basketball season. Of course, Kansas hoops fans have not had much reason to despair in recent years. <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/bill-self">Bill Self</a>, the Jayhawks head coach, has been the model of consistency in recruiting top-level talent, and by winning big.</p><p>Self and his staff have shown the ability to recruit top talent to lend their services to Kansas basketball. The Jayhawks seemingly lose three, four and five players every season, yet there has not been a drop in production or the incoming talent level. It may sound cliche', but Kansas truly does appear to "reload" on talented players.</p><p>The 2013 recruiting class for Kansas ranks second in the nation behind Kentucky. Self must replace all five starters, four seniors and one second-year freshman. Coach Self has managed a serious haul of blue-chip talent again, and just yesterday gained a pledge from bruising power forward/center, <span class="spellcheck">Tarik</span> Black, a transfer from Memphis.</p><p>Black's addition comes on the heels of the announcement last week by highly touted recruit Andrew Wiggins that he was coming to Kansas as well.</p><p>The 6'9" transfer, Black, according to NCAA rules, is eligible to play immediately because he has already completed his degree and has a year of eligibility remaining. The Jayhawks recruiting haul&nbsp; includes No. 1-rated Andrew Wiggins, a 6'7" guard from Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, No. 12 Wayne <span class="spellcheck">Selden</span> (G, 6'5", 205, <span class="spellcheck">Tilton</span> (N.H.) School), No. 25 Joel <span class="spellcheck">Embiid</span> (C, 7-foot, 220, Rock School, <span class="spellcheck">Gainesville</span>, Fla.), No. 29 <span class="spellcheck">Brannen</span> Greene (F, 6'7", 200, <span class="spellcheck">Tift</span> County High, <span class="spellcheck">Tifton</span>, Ga.), No. 34 Conner <span class="spellcheck">Frankamp</span> (G, 6-foot, 160, Wichita North) and No. 76 Frank Mason (G, 5'11", 180, <span class="spellcheck">Massanutten</span> Military Academy, <span class="spellcheck">Petersburg</span>, Va.).</p><p>Coach Self and his staff have excelled at preparing players to play as a team, leaving behind the me-first attitude generally attributed to most top recruits. Because his mastery of the recruiting process helps to restock the pantry, it gives Self the flexibility to implement his system and style of play, with no fear of not having the players to pull it off.</p><p>Since his arrival at Kansas (2003), Bill Self has amassed a coaching record of 300 wins and 59 losses, which is a winning percentage of .836. The Jayhawks have won nine consecutive regular season Big XII conference titles and six conference tournament titles.</p><p>The span of 10 years since Self came to <span class="spellcheck">KU</span> also includes 10 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, with two Final Four visits and one national championship (2008).</p><p>Further, Kansas has had seven consensus All-American (college) players since 2005. The NBA is also littered with former Jayhawks. There are 15 players that have played for Self since he came to <span class="spellcheck">KU</span> that have matriculated to the NBA, 10 of whom are on current NBA rosters. That number will swell by two, when recently departed sensation Ben <span class="spellcheck">McLemore</span> and shot-blocking ace Jeff <span class="spellcheck">Withey</span> are drafted in this year's draft as expected.</p><p>Jayhawk fans have many reasons to bask in the glow of Bill Self's success. It appears that <span class="spellcheck">KU</span> hoops is following the yellow brick road of success, and has discovered their own "Wizard" in the process...</p><p>Read more <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/college-basketball" title="College Basketball analysis, news and photos">College Basketball</a> news on BleacherReport.com</p> Tue, 21 May 2013 05:42:54 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646578-kansas-basketball-recruiting-kus-bill-self-is-college-hoops-wizzard-of-oz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646578-kansas-basketball-recruiting-kus-bill-self-is-college-hoops-wizzard-of-oz http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646578-kansas-basketball-recruiting-kus-bill-self-is-college-hoops-wizzard-of-oz NCAA College Basketball Big 12 Basketball Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Bill Self Stats Doug Brodess <p>As you look throughout the history of college basketball, there are dozens and dozens of great teams that have made their mark on the sport.</p><p>But, even among the great teams, there are a select few that stand apart from the rest.</p><p>Here are the 10 best starting lineups of all time.</p><p>This list is not solely based upon numbers of NBA draft picks or a variety of rewards and recognitions. This list looks at team accomplishments instead of potential or talent.</p><p>Some teams had the horses but didn't ultimately finish the race. They are not included.</p><p>These teams played well and won lots of games...and championships!</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644585-ranking-the-10-best-starting-lineups-in-college-basketball-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 21 May 2013 01:38:20 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644585-ranking-the-10-best-starting-lineups-in-college-basketball-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644585-ranking-the-10-best-starting-lineups-in-college-basketball-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644585-ranking-the-10-best-starting-lineups-in-college-basketball-history College Basketball Rankings/List Zach Dirlam <p>Several highly touted prospects have come and gone through the Michigan basketball program. Some have met the high expectations, while others have failed to live up to their billing. The hype surrounding five players in particular has been unparalleled over the past several years.</p><p>The Fab Five will certainly have a few recruits on this list given the fact five highly ranked freshmen had not come together in the same class prior to 1991.&nbsp;</p><p>Earning McDonald's All-American honors and other prestigious awards will certainly be a determining factor in how high these prospects are ranked as well. How well their respective careers turned out at Michigan will have nothing to do with this list. This is about <span class="spellcheck">pre</span>-college hype, after all.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646390-michigan-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-wolverines-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 21 May 2013 00:36:07 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646390-michigan-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-wolverines-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646390-michigan-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-wolverines-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646390-michigan-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-wolverines-history NCAA College Basketball Big Ten Basketball Michigan Wolverines Basketball Opinion Kyle Grand <p>The starting five for <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/indiana-hoosiers-basketball" target="_blank">Indiana basketball</a> next season is going to look very different. Point guard Yogi Ferrell is the only returning starter, meaning four new Hoosiers will be joining him.</p><p>Rounding out the starting lineup will likely be senior Will <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Sheehey</span></span>, sophomore Jeremy <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Hollowell</span></span> and freshmen Noah <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Vonleh</span></span> and Luke Fischer.</p><p>For the above predicted starting lineup, this slideshow will set expectations for each player.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644855-indiana-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 20 May 2013 22:09:35 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644855-indiana-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644855-indiana-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644855-indiana-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter NCAA College Basketball Big Ten Basketball Indiana Hoosiers Basketball Preview/Prediction C.J. Moore <p>One senior started in the national championship game in 2013. The year before, Kentucky won the title with one senior in its rotation, and KU&rsquo;s Tyshawn Taylor was the only senior to start in the title game.</p> <p>The one-and-done rule has changed the way some champions are built, but given the option, coaches still want some experience. Talented experience is even better.</p> <p>Kentucky&rsquo;s baby burger boys will be the story in the preseason, but by March, we&rsquo;ll hear plenty about the guys who have prolonged their stay.</p> <p>The mid-majors who crash the party are typically chock-full of them. A few contenders among the big boys also have a good share of upperclassmen next season.</p> <p>Here are 10 long-toothed rosters to keep an eye on.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646340-10-college-basketball-teams-loaded-with-experienced-players-for-2013-14-season">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 20 May 2013 20:46:51 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646340-10-college-basketball-teams-loaded-with-experienced-players-for-2013-14-season http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646340-10-college-basketball-teams-loaded-with-experienced-players-for-2013-14-season http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646340-10-college-basketball-teams-loaded-with-experienced-players-for-2013-14-season College Basketball Rankings/List On the Bubble Justin Onslow <p>Another day, another tremendously talented seventh-grader with Division I scholarship offers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>At 13, Marvin Bagley is already doing things one wouldn&rsquo;t expect to see from most high school players. He&rsquo;s in seventh grade, probably more worried about social studies homework and video games than he is about college, but Bagley is certainly making a name for himself.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>As the video above proves, the 6&rsquo;8&rdquo; do-everything baller has the skills to warrant the attention.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerPulliam/status/329348230703894528">Spencer Pulliam</a> of DunkDog.com, Northern Arizona has already offered a scholarship to the youngster:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center"> <p>Northern Arizona has become the first to offer 2018 6'8 F Marvin Bagley. Scholarship was extended just moments ago according to his father.</p>&mdash; Spencer Pulliam (@SpencerPulliam) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerPulliam/status/329348230703894528">April 30, 2013</a> </blockquote> <p><span style="line-height: 1;"><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/seventh-grade-hoops-star-marvin-bagley-iii-already-150533615.html">Ben Rohrbach</a> of Yahoo! Sports also reports that Arizona State is interested in the most intriguing basketball player of the 2018 graduating class, and there&rsquo;s a very good chance those programs won&rsquo;t be the last to offer Bagley a chance to play college ball.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br></span></p> <p>If you&rsquo;re surprised, let me ask you this: When was the last time you saw a 13-year-old dunk like this?</p> <p>College basketball recruiting has taken a largely expected turn in recent years, gravitating toward younger and younger on-court talent. It&rsquo;s a cutthroat business predicated on staying ahead of the competition, and teenagers like Bagley are the beneficiaries of the often-criticized practice.</p> <p>Then again, handling the pressure of the national spotlight can&rsquo;t be easy for a kid still a year short of playing high school basketball.</p> <p>Don&rsquo;t be surprised if Bagley continues drawing attention, though. Welcomed or not, his tremendous size and athleticism will have plenty of college coaches pining for an opportunity to lock him up before the competition can.</p> <p>And from the looks of his mixtape, no one can blame them.</p><p>Read more <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/college-basketball" title="College Basketball analysis, news and photos">College Basketball</a> news on BleacherReport.com</p> Mon, 20 May 2013 18:37:58 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646244-marvin-bagley-iii-video-watch-7th-graders-insane-basketball-highlight-mixtape http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646244-marvin-bagley-iii-video-watch-7th-graders-insane-basketball-highlight-mixtape http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646244-marvin-bagley-iii-video-watch-7th-graders-insane-basketball-highlight-mixtape College Basketball Breaking News College Basketball Recruiting Josh Schoch <p class="ui-droppable"><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt="">The Indiana Hoosiers had better get ready for Theo <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Pinson</span></span>, because on Wednesday he will announce that he is headed to <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Bloomington</span></span>.</p><p>OK&mdash;so it's not a guarantee that he'll be playing for Indiana, but it certainly appears that he's leaning that way.</p><p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveTelep/status/335878172715388928">ESPN's Dave <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Telep</span></span> reports</a>, the 5-star small forward will announce his college decision on Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. ET.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center"> <p>National recruitment ends Wed. @<a href="https://twitter.com/tpinsonn"><span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">tpinsonn</span></span></a> will pick from <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">G'Town</span></span>, UNC, Duke, Louisville and Indiana. 12:15 at his school</p>&mdash; Dave <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Telep</span></span> (@DaveTelep) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveTelep/status/335878172715388928">May 18, 2013</a> </blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This is pretty early for a kid who just finished his junior year to commit to a school. If he's trying to commit before his senior season, he could have used the summer to continue his recruitment, but the fact that he is deciding now tells me that he is absolutely in love with one of the programs on his list.</p><p>If we're trying to narrow down the list a bit, we can take note of what <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Pinson</span></span>'s father <a href="http://www.insidethehall.com/2013/04/19/indiana-among-top-three-schools-for-theo-pinson-father-says/">told <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">InsideTheHall</span></span>.com</a> about Indiana being in his son's top three.</p><blockquote><p>'Yeah, they definitely would,' <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Pinson</span></span> Sr. said of Indiana being in the top three. 'He likes them. They&rsquo;re up there right now.'</p></blockquote><p>Obviously, to fall in love with a program, you have to visit, talk to the coaches and players, etc. This is another good sign for the Hoosiers, as they are the only school that he took an official visit to (per <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2013-05-19/theo-pinson-decision-indiana-recruit-north-carolina-duke"><em>Sporting News</em></a>).</p><blockquote><p>Indiana coach Tom Crean has made <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Pinson</span></span> a top priority in the 2014 class, and some analysts believe the Hoosiers have the inside track. His only official visit has been to <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">IU</span></span>, and he recently <a href="http://www.insidethehall.com/2013/05/13/theo-pinson-on-iu-theyre-looking-good-right-now/" target="_blank">told <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">insidethehall</span></span>.com</a> the <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Hooisers</span></span> were 'looking good right now' in his recruitment.</p></blockquote><p>Perhaps one of the reasons the Greensboro native looks like he will spurn North Carolina in favor of Indiana is the success of freak athlete Victor <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Oladipo</span></span> and his emergence from a solid player to a sure-fire lottery pick this season.</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>As <a href="http://hstexas.scout.com/a.z?s=378&amp;p=8&amp;c=1&amp;nid=5095338">Scout.com</a> tells us, <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Pinson</span></span> is "one of the better athletes in the 2014 class," and that "Pinson is at his best when he&rsquo;s using his energy to defend, rebound and make plays in transition."</p><p>Sound like anyone else?</p><p><span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Oladipo</span></span> came out of high school as a highly-touted athlete without a refined game, but he quickly became one of the best players in the country under Indiana coach Tom Crean.</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>It doesn't hurt that <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Oladipo</span></span> happened to be <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Pinson</span></span>'s host during his official visit either (h/t <a href="http://www.insidethehall.com/2013/05/13/theo-pinson-on-iu-theyre-looking-good-right-now/"><span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">InsideTheHall</span></span>.com</a>).</p><p>Considering <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Oladipo</span></span> was so devoted to <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">IU</span></span> that he <a href="http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=69821">claimed it was "divine intervention"</a> that brought him to <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Bloomington</span></span>, you have to imagine that he brought that enthusiasm for the school to his courting of <span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">Pinson</span></span>.</p><p>All signs point to this incredible athlete going to Indiana, and it would be shocking to see him pick anyone else on Wednesday,</p><p><a class="twitter-follow-button" href="https://twitter.com/JoshSchoch">Follow @<span class="spellcheck"><span class="spellcheck">JoshSchoch</span></span></a></p><p>Read more <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/college-basketball" title="College Basketball analysis, news and photos">College Basketball</a> news on BleacherReport.com</p> Mon, 20 May 2013 16:57:40 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645690-theo-pinson-decision-indiana-hoosiers-will-land-5-star-recruit-on-wednesday http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645690-theo-pinson-decision-indiana-hoosiers-will-land-5-star-recruit-on-wednesday http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645690-theo-pinson-decision-indiana-hoosiers-will-land-5-star-recruit-on-wednesday NCAA College Basketball Big Ten Basketball Indiana Hoosiers Basketball Preview/Prediction College Basketball Recruiting C.J. Moore <p class="ui-droppable"><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt="">College basketball&rsquo;s free agent market is in full swing right now. Have a hole in your roster and need an immediate impact player? No problem. There&rsquo;s probably a senior transfer out there available for a quick fix.</p> <p>The rule that allows seniors to transfer and not sit out if they earn their undergrad degree first has some high-profile players on the market. These are the best available and where they could land.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong><span class="spellcheck">Tarik</span> Black, former Memphis power forward</strong></p> <p><strong>Considering:</strong> Oregon, Duke and Kansas <a href="http://zagsblog.com/articles/tarik-black-visiting-duke/" target="_blank">(according to <span class="spellcheck">Zagsblog</span>.com</a>)</p> <p><strong>Where Black Fits: </strong>All three teams have a need for an experienced big man.</p> <p>This one season for Black is like a tryout for the NBA, as he&rsquo;s always been an intriguing prospect who <span class="spellcheck">hasn</span>&rsquo;t quite proven himself. The main reason to consider Kansas would be Bill Self&rsquo;s ability to develop big men.</p> <p>The drawback at <span class="spellcheck">KU</span> is competition. Bill Self has plenty of talent in the frontcourt, but it&rsquo;s all pretty green. Perry Ellis is a lock to start at the 4 spot, and Black would have to compete with incoming freshman Joel <span class="spellcheck">Embiid</span> and sophomore-to-be <span class="spellcheck">Jamari</span> <span class="spellcheck">Traylor</span> for the other starting spot.</p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/GaryParrishCBS/status/336539589600759808" target="_blank">According to Gary Parrish of <span class="spellcheck">CBSSports</span>.com</a>, Kansas could be in the lead.&nbsp;</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>If it&rsquo;s guaranteed playing time that Black wants, the better options would be Duke or Oregon.</p> <p>Black would likely be the starter next to transfer Rodney Hood at Duke. Mike Krzyzewski returns two post players who were part of the rotation last year&mdash;Josh <span class="spellcheck">Hairston</span> and <span class="spellcheck">Amile</span> Jefferson&mdash;and both are probably better suited coming off the bench.</p> <p>The school that would guarantee Black the most playing time is Oregon, where Dana Altman has already begun rebuilding his frontcourt with UNLV transfer Mike <span class="spellcheck">Moser</span>.</p> <p>Altman had success last year with <span class="spellcheck">Arsalan</span> <span class="spellcheck">Kazemi</span>, another one-and-done transfer big man. That shows that he's more than willing to put <span class="spellcheck">Moser</span> and Black in his starting lineup right away. The Ducks return a talented backcourt, but they <span class="spellcheck">didn</span>&rsquo;t have much coming back up front.</p> <p>Considering the impact Black could make, Oregon seems to make the most sense. But if he's looking for one solid year of development at a big man-friendly program, Kansas is a solid choice.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Antonio Barton, former Memphis guard</strong></p> <p><strong>Considering: </strong>Maryland and Tennessee (<a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-05-18/sports/bal-terps-have-some-competition-for-antonio-barton-from-tennessee-20130518_1_antonio-barton-mark-turgeon-terps" target="_blank">according to the<em> Baltimore Sun</em></a>)</p> <p><strong>Where Barton Fits: </strong>Both schools were bubble teams last season that need a guard because of their own guys transferring out.</p> <p>At Maryland, Barton would compete with incoming freshman point guard Roddy Peters, who is ranked as the <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/basketballrecruiting/basketball/recruiting/player-Roddy-Peters-129878;_ylt=AlPGLjKLBd6jTOtLg1eT2brVO5B4" target="_blank">10th-best point guard in the 2013 class by &nbsp;Rivals.com</a>.</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>At Tennessee, Barton could take the place of starting point guard <span class="spellcheck">Trae</span> Golden, whose unexpected transfer is on the fishy side if <a href="http://www.sportsanimal99.com/common/more.php?m=49&amp;post_id=233" target="_blank">this report by Jimmy <span class="spellcheck">Hyams</span> of the "Sports Animal</a>" in Knoxville is the reason why Golden departed.</p> <p>Both teams have some intriguing talent on their roster, but the Vols could be the team that&rsquo;s one player away from making some noise in their league. Tennessee returns three all-league guys in Jordan <span class="spellcheck">McRae</span>, <span class="spellcheck">Jarnell</span> Stokes and <span class="spellcheck">Jeronne</span> <span class="spellcheck">Maymon</span>. <span class="spellcheck">Maymon</span> had to sit out last season because of a knee injury.</p> <p>Since Golden&rsquo;s transfer kind of came out of nowhere, the best spot for Barton to guarantee himself playing time and the chance to play for a contender is at Tennessee.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Michael Dixon, Missouri</strong></p> <p><strong>Considering:</strong> East Carolina, Baylor, Colorado and Loyola Marymount (<a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9257810/tarik-black-michael-dixon-other-transfers-looking-new-programs-college-basketball" target="_blank">according to Jason King of ESPN.com</a>)</p> <p><strong>Where Dixon Fits:</strong> It&rsquo;s not a given that Dixon would be allowed to play right away.</p> <p>Dixon missed last season after he was kicked off the team when an MU student accused him of rape, which, as recently <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/no-charges-filed-after-dixon-accused-of-rape/article_cb04b34a-4c08-5b26-ad6c-bb1830cd6975.html" target="_blank">reported by the <em>Columbia Tribune</em></a>, the police decided not to press charges.</p> <p><a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9257810/tarik-black-michael-dixon-other-transfers-looking-new-programs-college-basketball" target="_blank">According to King</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>Dixon, who has one year of eligibility remaining, has yet to complete his undergraduate coursework. But he's still hoping to receive a waiver from the NCAA that would allow him to play immediately at his new school.</p></blockquote><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>If Dixon wants to go to a team where he can be the star and put up a lot of points, East Carolina and Loyola Marymount make sense. ECU graduates its two leading scorers. Loyola Marymount went 1-15 in the <span class="spellcheck">WCC</span> last year.</p> <p>What makes more sense for Dixon if he wants to be back in the spotlight is to go to Baylor or Colorado.</p> <p>The Buffs already have a talented backcourt with Spencer <span class="spellcheck">Dinwiddie</span> and <span class="spellcheck">Askia</span> Booker. Dixon could start alongside those two, moving <span class="spellcheck">Dinwiddie</span> to the 3 spot, and allowing the Buffs to play fast, which is the pace best-suited for all three guards.</p> <p>Dixon can also play point guard, and that&rsquo;s where he could fit in at Baylor. Scott Drew has a lot of talent returning, but his team will be unproven at point guard. Dixon could fill that role or slide over to the 2 if <span class="spellcheck">JUCO</span> transfer point guard Kenny Cherry turns out to be a talent similar to Pierre Jackson, who was also a <span class="spellcheck">JUCO</span> transfer.</p> <p>Drew has a lot to sell, but it could be wise for Dixon to stay away from the Big 12&mdash;opposing fan bases are plenty familiar with his story. Colorado seems like a good fit.&nbsp;</p><p>Read more <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/college-basketball" title="College Basketball analysis, news and photos">College Basketball</a> news on BleacherReport.com</p> Mon, 20 May 2013 14:37:16 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645900-best-landing-spots-for-top-ncaa-basketball-seniors-looking-to-transfer http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645900-best-landing-spots-for-top-ncaa-basketball-seniors-looking-to-transfer http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645900-best-landing-spots-for-top-ncaa-basketball-seniors-looking-to-transfer College Basketball Opinion On the Bubble Dantzler Smith <p>Duke always has high expectations for the team. This year is no different.</p> <p>Of course, to realize the expectations of the team, each individual player must meet his own expectations. Depending on their role, different Blue Devils will be required to meet a variety of different requirements.</p> <p>For the starters, these expectations will be fairly lofty. And yet, if the starters are able to meet the following expectations then the Blue Devils will be genuine title contenders.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645244-duke-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 20 May 2013 13:43:44 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645244-duke-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645244-duke-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645244-duke-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter NCAA College Basketball ACC Basketball Duke Basketball Preview/Prediction Rollin Yeatts <p>When it comes to North Carolina basketball, hyped&mdash;and many times over-hyped&mdash;recruits are the norm. It's just a part of the territory for distinguished programs such as UNC.</p><p>But with that, ranking the five most hyped recruits in Tar Heels' history becomes quite the daunting task. Including the latest recruits, Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks, Chapel Hill has housed <a title="List of UNC's McDonald's All-Americans" href="http://www.tarheeltimes.com/basketball/mcdonalds-all-americans.aspx" target="_blank">67 McDonald's All-Americans</a> since its inception in 1977.</p><p>With all the star recruits that have landed at UNC, many players are virtually interchangeable. However, these five recruits stand above the rest.</p><p>Given the fact recruiting hype has never been at the level it is today with the internet and 24-hour media coverage, modern-era recruits have a little more weight in these rankings. Recruiting hype used to travel through word of mouth and the occasional newspaper.</p><p>In 2013, you couldn't avoid Andrew Wiggins talk if you wanted to.</p><p>The recruiting trail has simply become a whole new demon. But even so, that didn't keep a couple pre-90s Tar Heels out of this top five.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644720-north-carolina-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-heels-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 20 May 2013 13:33:29 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644720-north-carolina-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-heels-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644720-north-carolina-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-heels-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644720-north-carolina-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-heels-history NCAA College Basketball ACC Basketball UNC Basketball Rankings/List Scott Polacek <p>Looking over the history of college basketball recruiting, or even Ohio State recruiting in particular, is akin to comparing apples and oranges.</p> <p>The differences in recruiting today, when the impact of Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; breakfast choice gets broken down by 30 different sources, as contrasted with the days of John Havlicek are astronomical. There is naturally more hype surrounding recent Buckeye commitments based on the nature of media alone. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean the stars of yesteryear didn&rsquo;t receive their fair share of relative buzz.</p> <p>Read on to see the five most hyped recruits in Ohio State history. Recruiting rankings are courtesy of <a href="http://www.scout.com/" target="_blank">Scout.com</a> unless otherwise noted.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645418-ohio-state-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-buckeyes-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 20 May 2013 09:32:23 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645418-ohio-state-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-buckeyes-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645418-ohio-state-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-buckeyes-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645418-ohio-state-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-buckeyes-history College Basketball Big Ten Basketball Ohio State Basketball Opinion College Basketball Recruiting Scott Henry <p>Every Indiana fan knows the ball-handler in this picture.</p><p>His name is <span class="spellcheck">Calbert</span> <span class="spellcheck">Cheaney</span>, and he's only the school's&mdash;and Big Ten's&mdash;all-time scoring leader.</p><p>When he was recruited, his class was considered <a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/04/a-look-back-at-indianas-1989-recruiting-class/" target="_blank">one of the best of all time</a>, but <span class="spellcheck">Cheaney</span> was far from the jewel of the group. He was overshadowed by a pair of McDonald's All-Americans and another hyped prospect who arrived with some baggage.</p><p>So, as we know, recruiting is a very inexact science. The excitement of landing a well-known prospect can often give way to profound disappointment, even anger when a player doesn't live up to his potential.</p><p>The players in this list mostly played well in college, even if they didn't do so in an Indiana uniform. Still, they all found it hard to live up to the expectations that heralded their arrivals.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644294-indiana-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-hoosiers-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Sun, 19 May 2013 22:45:35 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644294-indiana-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-hoosiers-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644294-indiana-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-hoosiers-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644294-indiana-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-hoosiers-history NCAA College Basketball Big Ten Basketball Indiana Hoosiers Basketball Rankings/List College Basketball Recruiting Thad Novak <p>The Big Ten was college basketball&rsquo;s best conference last season, and while it may not run away with that title in 2013-14, it&rsquo;s going to be awfully impressive once again. One of the striking advantages the league will again boast is a remarkable balance of elite players all over the lineup, not just in its traditional frontcourt power base.</p> <p>Of course, that&rsquo;s not to neglect the value of bruising big men such as Michigan star Mitch <span class="spellcheck">McGary</span>. The Wolverines center could easily have declared for the NBA draft after a dazzling postseason performance, but instead he&rsquo;s back to help the Maize and Blue try to climb back towards a B1G title.</p> <p>Read on for more on <span class="spellcheck">McGary</span> and the rest of the best players in the conference, position by position. These rankings do take potential into account, but proven performance counts for a lot more (especially in this grueling league).</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645070-big-ten-basketball-ranking-the-top-5-players-at-every-position">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Sun, 19 May 2013 22:12:06 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645070-big-ten-basketball-ranking-the-top-5-players-at-every-position http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645070-big-ten-basketball-ranking-the-top-5-players-at-every-position http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1645070-big-ten-basketball-ranking-the-top-5-players-at-every-position College Basketball Big Ten Basketball Rankings/List Adam Biggers <p>Ranking recruits is a relatively newer practice in college sports, not having taken off to its height within the past 30 years or so&mdash;and it's rapidly growing each and every year with the advent of new sources.&nbsp;</p><p>That being said, gauging the "most hyped" prospects in Michigan State Spartans basketball history is somewhat of a challenge. Sure, past greats from the 1950s and 1960s were surrounded by a media buzz, but the media of the past few decades continues to cast more and more attention on the recruits than ever before.&nbsp;</p><p>One doesn't have to go all that far back in time to remember the recruitment of memorable Spartans players. A good portion of the high-end prospects lived up to expectations. Some, though, simply did not.&nbsp;</p><p>Nonetheless, this slideshow will highlight the five who had the most anticipated and celebrated arrivals to the Spartans basketball program.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644814-michigan-state-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-spartans-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Sun, 19 May 2013 15:42:56 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644814-michigan-state-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-spartans-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644814-michigan-state-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-spartans-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644814-michigan-state-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-spartans-history NCAA College Basketball Big Ten Basketball Michigan State Basketball Opinion Scott Polacek <p>All college basketball <span class="spellcheck">offseasons</span> are not created equal.</p> <p>On one end of the spectrum, you have a school like New Mexico that lost its coach to UCLA a mere days after he signed a 10-year contract, while on the other end a school like Kentucky spent the spring months finalizing the commitments from approximately 300 5-star recruits.</p> <p>Read on to see exactly which teams have had the best <span class="spellcheck">offseasons</span> thus far.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644851-ranking-the-college-basketball-teams-that-have-had-the-best-offseasons-so-far">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Sun, 19 May 2013 15:29:58 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644851-ranking-the-college-basketball-teams-that-have-had-the-best-offseasons-so-far http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644851-ranking-the-college-basketball-teams-that-have-had-the-best-offseasons-so-far http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1644851-ranking-the-college-basketball-teams-that-have-had-the-best-offseasons-so-far College Basketball Opinion Josh Schoch <p>Coming off a trip to the Final Four, the Syracuse Orange are looking to reload after losing three stars to the NBA. The team will need big contributions from each of its starters to have the same success it did last season.</p><p>Syracuse's starting five is still a bit of a mystery since the team brings in six new players. It's tough to pick which of the team's many wings and big men will be starting come November, and even tougher to figure out which will be starting in March.</p><p>Let's take an early look at the projected starters and how they'll fair this season.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643600-syracuse-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Sun, 19 May 2013 15:05:05 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643600-syracuse-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643600-syracuse-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643600-syracuse-basketball-setting-expectations-for-each-projected-starter NCAA College Basketball ACC Basketball Big East Basketball Syracuse Basketball Preview/Prediction Doug Brodess <p>College basketball fans: we are five months away from preseason practices and exhibition games.</p><p>Coaches and their staffs have been working tirelessly since the close of the 2012-13 season to bring in more talented players and begin to develop them during the offseason.</p><p>Let's take a quick look at the the 10 most-talented college basketball teams.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642765-ranking-the-10-most-talented-college-basketball-teams-for-2013-14-season">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Sat, 18 May 2013 03:00:50 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642765-ranking-the-10-most-talented-college-basketball-teams-for-2013-14-season http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642765-ranking-the-10-most-talented-college-basketball-teams-for-2013-14-season http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642765-ranking-the-10-most-talented-college-basketball-teams-for-2013-14-season College Basketball Rankings/List C.J. Moore <p class="ui-droppable"><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt="">The relevancy and strength of the mid-majors can be measured by simply looking at Final Four fields throughout history.</p> <p>From 1999 through 2005, the Final Four was filled with the big schools. Utah, a WAC team at the time, made it in 1998, and then the next mid-major in the Final Four was George Mason in 2006.</p> <p>Another mini-drought took place from 2007 through 2009. Since that time, it has become a good bet that at least one mid-major will make it to the Final Four each season.</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>In 2010, it was Butler. The next season was Butler and <span class="spellcheck">VCU</span>. And then this past year, Wichita State crashed the party.</p> <p>So what are the odds a mid-major makes a trip to the Jerry Dome in 2014? I&rsquo;d say about 60 percent, as in if I had to bet on it, I would take the mid-major gamble.</p> <p>Reason to bet on the other side is that some of the best programs that fit the mid-major definition are ending up in power conferences. Utah, for instance, is now a <span class="spellcheck">Pac</span>-12 school. Butler and Creighton are off to the new Big East next season.</p> <p>Since the little guys like to root for each other&mdash;they even have their <a href="http://www.midmajority.com/" target="_blank">own website</a>&mdash;here&rsquo;s a look at the teams that could continue to carry the mid-major banner through March and into April in 2014.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Gonzaga</strong></p> <p>Before you jump to the comment section and shout about how overrated Gonzaga is, think about this.</p><p>Which team did Wichita State have the most trouble beating on its way to the Final Four? I&rsquo;ll save you the trouble of re-watching the games; it was Gonzaga.</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>If not for the Shockers hitting 14 threes and knocking off the <span class="spellcheck">Zags</span>, Mark Few&rsquo;s team could have been the one in Atlanta.</p> <p>Few has another really good team returning. He loses Kelly <span class="spellcheck">Olynyk</span> and Elias Harris up front, but he returns Sam Dower and <span class="spellcheck">Przemek</span> <span class="spellcheck">Karnowski</span>. That duo, which came off the bench last year, will be the best frontcourt of any of the mid-majors. You could probably make the argument for Kevin <span class="spellcheck">Pangos</span> and Gary Bell as the most talented backcourt of any of the mid-majors as well.</p> <p>We should probably stop calling Gonzaga a mid-major school, but since the <span class="spellcheck">Zags</span> still play in the <span class="spellcheck">WCC</span>, they qualify. And one of these years they&rsquo;re going to finally get to the Final Four. Few recruits too much talent not to get there eventually.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span class="spellcheck">VCU</span></strong></p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>Shaka Smart is 7-3 in his first 10 NCAA tournament games. Only nine active coaches that have coached at least 10 tournament games have a better winning percentage in the NCAA tournament, according to <a href="http://www.dbwoerner.com/basketball/coaches/coach113.html" target="_blank">this list</a>. All nine of those coaches are either in the Hall of Fame or will eventually be in the Hall of Fame.</p> <p>Smart&rsquo;s style works in the tournament. It&rsquo;s a nightmare to prepare for because most teams haven&rsquo;t faced that kind of full-court pressure all season, and it&rsquo;s even more devastating to prepare for in the round of 32 or the Elite Eight when you only have one day to get ready.</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p><span class="spellcheck">VCU</span> led the nation last year in steals per game (11.7) and turnover percentage (28.5&mdash;according to <a href="http://kenpom.com/stats.php?s=RankDTO_Pct" target="_blank"><span class="spellcheck">KenPom</span>.com</a>). They return four of their five best thieves, including <span class="spellcheck">Briante</span> Weber, who averaged 2.7 steals in only 20.9 minutes per game. They also return their two leading scorers&mdash;<span class="spellcheck">Juvonte</span> <span class="spellcheck">Reddic</span> and <span class="spellcheck">Treveon</span> Graham.</p> <p>Smart is also adding an athletic big man in Terrance Shannon via transfer from Florida State. Shannon averaged 1.2 steals in 21 minutes per game last season and fits in perfectly at <span class="spellcheck">VCU</span>. Weber will likely become a starter.</p> <p>Every year Smart seems to figure out a way to force even more turnovers. Getting more minutes from Weber and adding Shannon could be the recipe next year.</p> <p>Atlantic 10 teams, you have my sympathy.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Wichita State</strong></p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>Brad Stevens and Butler figured out a way to get back to the Final Four in 2011 even after losing two starters, including leading scorer Gordon Hayward.</p> <p>Wichita State is losing two starters. Gregg Marshall is one of the best recruiters at the mid-major level and never has any trouble replacing talent with talent. Last year&rsquo;s team included five new starters. What I&rsquo;m saying here is don&rsquo;t count out the Shockers.</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>Wichita State should also get a chance next season to navigate its way through the tournament with a higher seed. With Creighton leaving for the Big East, Wichita State has the potential to win the Missouri Valley Conference convincingly.</p> <p>What will help in 2014 as well is tournament experience. <span class="spellcheck">Cleanthony</span> Early proved during the tourney he&rsquo;s a great scorer. Ron Baker proved he&rsquo;s a great shooter. Fred <span class="spellcheck">VanVleet</span> played plenty of meaningful minutes at point guard.</p> <p>It will be pretty easy to pick a team with those pieces and that coach in your 2014 bracket.&nbsp;</p><p>Read more <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/college-basketball" title="College Basketball analysis, news and photos">College Basketball</a> news on BleacherReport.com</p> Fri, 17 May 2013 18:13:16 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643588-will-another-mid-major-reach-the-final-four-in-2014 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643588-will-another-mid-major-reach-the-final-four-in-2014 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643588-will-another-mid-major-reach-the-final-four-in-2014 College Basketball Opinion On the Bubble C.J. Moore <p>The best two three-point shooters in college basketball (in my subjective opinion) play in the same state.</p> <p>Can you name those players?</p> <p>Here&rsquo;s a hint: One is from Canada and the other is about to set an NCAA record.</p> <p>If I were commissioner of the college basketball offseason&mdash;a job I&rsquo;d be willing to take on&mdash;I&rsquo;d want these two to square off in a three-point shooting contest. And you could go ahead and throw the other eight shooters on this list in as well.</p> <p>Feel free to name shooters I should have included. I&rsquo;ll put them on the waiting list for my imaginary offseason competition.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643444-ranking-the-top-10-three-point-threats-in-ncaa-basketball-for-2013-14-season">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Fri, 17 May 2013 16:36:49 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643444-ranking-the-top-10-three-point-threats-in-ncaa-basketball-for-2013-14-season http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643444-ranking-the-top-10-three-point-threats-in-ncaa-basketball-for-2013-14-season http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643444-ranking-the-top-10-three-point-threats-in-ncaa-basketball-for-2013-14-season College Basketball Rankings/List On the Bubble Ethan Grant <p class="ui-droppable"><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt="">Former Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore, expected to be a top pick in the 2013 NBA draft, spoke out on Friday about allegations that his AAU coach took money in order to steer him in a direction that would have otherwise never happened.</p><p>Speaking to <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20130517/ben-mclemore/">Seth Davis</a> of <em>Sports Illustrated</em> at the NBA combine, McLemore denied any knowledge of the money exchanged between those in question and his former AAU coach, Darius Cobb, who came out in early May and admitted to accepting money to help McLemore make a final decision that benefited Rodney Blackstock, the man who reportedly gave Cobb the money.</p><p>No longer under any NCAA rules after leaving Kansas and declaring for the 2013 NBA draft, McLemore spoke out on Friday in a willing and guilt-free manner, telling Davis he was ready to cooperate with the NCAA should an official investigation take place.</p><p>"I would tell them the truth and tell them what I know, and just cooperate with them," McLemore said. "Hopefully they'll cooperate with me and hear my side."</p><p>He continued by expressing shock about the Cobb confession and admitted that the parties involved have been pushed away from his inner circle in the wake of <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/big12/2013/05/04/kansas-jayhawks-ben-mclemore-darius-cobb/2131775/">Eric Prisbell's</a>&nbsp;<em>USA Today </em>report that implicated Cobb and&nbsp;Rodney Blackstock, the head of Hooplife Academy, in exchanging money:</p><blockquote> <p>"My reaction was like, 'Wow,'" he said. "That was someone that I could trust, and I put a person in my circle that I felt comfortable with and I know a long time that I wanted to help me through this process [of selecting an agent]. And for him to say the things he did and put that out there like that, I wish it wasn't true ... [Cobb] put me in jeopardy and my family in jeopardy."</p> <p>McLemore said that he has not spoken with Cobb since the article was published -- "I've pushed him out of my circle," he said -- and that the story was the first he had heard about payments from Blackstock to Cobb. "I didn't see no money going around. My mom hasn't seen no money going around. We don't know nothing about it," he said. "So it was kind of new to me."</p> </blockquote><p>The money was intended to help Cobb decide to sway McLemore toward Blackstock&mdash;who attended Kansas games, per multiple reports&mdash;when he was ready to hire an agent.</p><p>McLemore finished the interview by stating that he hopes the allegations do not harm Kansas University, and that he does not want to be an athlete "that can't be allowed to come back" because of the events that have transpired.&nbsp;</p><p>While the allegations do not directly implicate Kansas in any of this scandal, it's an issue that could come back to bite the Jayhawks in the form of an NCAA sanction should the entity choose to launch an investigation.&nbsp;</p><p>One of the most explosive players during the 2012-13 college basketball season, McLemore averaged 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists during his redshirt freshman season for coach Bill Self and staff.</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>He wowed us all with his ability to get above the rim, buckle down on defense and drill the three-point shot&mdash;McLemore finished with a 42 percent clip from deep during his only season in Lawrence.</p><p>In Chicago this week for the NBA combine, McLemore is not participating in the drills portion of the event (like most lottery picks avoid) but is part of the athletic and measurement process.</p><p>Expected to be a top-five pick in the draft with <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1641582-kansas-star-ben-mclemore-declares-himself-best-player-in-2013-nba-draft">his sights set</a> on being No. 1, McLemore's candid confession of naivet&eacute; could prompt the NCAA to declare his time at Kansas void and not representative of having "amateur" status.</p><p>SI.com's <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyGlockner/status/335425584215777280">Andy Glockner</a> is among those who feel that McLemore doesn't need to say anything at all:</p><p><img class="slot" src="/images/pixel.gif" alt=""></p><p>With recruiting violations a part of the NCAA now on what seems like a daily basis, McLemore maintaining innocence in this matter shouldn't be a shock. However, if the NCAA decides to launch a full-scale investigation, it could come back in the form of vacating wins or a postseason suspension for Kansas.</p><p>Read more <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/college-basketball" title="College Basketball analysis, news and photos">College Basketball</a> news on BleacherReport.com</p> Fri, 17 May 2013 13:11:26 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643166-ben-mclemore-speaks-out-about-aau-coach-allegedly-receiving-money http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643166-ben-mclemore-speaks-out-about-aau-coach-allegedly-receiving-money http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643166-ben-mclemore-speaks-out-about-aau-coach-allegedly-receiving-money College Basketball Breaking News College Basketball Recruiting Doug Brodess <p>While there are many college basketball players who would be considered "great" or "outstanding," dominant players are more rare.</p> <p>In fact, this past college hoops season was a good example of how there were many excellent players, but not a truly dominant player in the mix.</p> <p>Dominance is more than just a review of simple statistics. While a player's numbers are definitely a part of the equation, other factors such as team success and national award recognition also help determine how dominant a player really is.</p> <p>The following is a list of the 20 most dominant college basketball players of all time.</p><p>Let's go!</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Note: Player career statistics are provided by <a href="http://www.sports-reference.com/">Sports-reference.com</a></p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640066-ranking-the-20-most-dominant-college-basketball-players-in-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Fri, 17 May 2013 03:36:10 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640066-ranking-the-20-most-dominant-college-basketball-players-in-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640066-ranking-the-20-most-dominant-college-basketball-players-in-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640066-ranking-the-20-most-dominant-college-basketball-players-in-history College Basketball Rankings/List Chad Lykins <p>High school recruiting has come a long way. From the days of bare minimum media attention to today where social networks, a vast assortment of recruiting publications and recognition from the media is highly warranted, the landscape of recruiting has become the driving force behind college and professional athletics.</p><p>For the Duke Blue Devils, they've experienced an inordinate amount of success on the recruiting trail that has spanned for decades.&nbsp;Year after year, highly coveted recruits have viewed the Duke basketball program in Durham, N.C. as a preeminent step towards paramount player development, major national media coverage and above all else, excellence.</p><p>With that being said, how do you go about selecting five Duke recruits that exemplified greatness while being attached with an excessive amount of hype and expectations to succeed?</p><p>That is an extremely tough question to answer. Nevertheless, it has to be done.</p><p>Without further ado and through careful consideration, these are the five most heavily hyped recruits in the storied history of the Duke basketball program.&nbsp;</p><p><em>Agree or disagree? Be sure to express what you think in the comments section. Also, to add to the debate, include your five most heavily hyped Duke recruits.</em></p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640236-duke-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-blue-devils-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Fri, 17 May 2013 03:33:39 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640236-duke-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-blue-devils-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640236-duke-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-blue-devils-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640236-duke-basketball-ranking-the-5-most-hyped-recruits-in-blue-devils-history NCAA College Basketball ACC Basketball Duke Basketball Rankings/List Thad Novak <p>It&rsquo;s been over a month since <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1599086-super-early-preseason-top-25-poll-for-2013-14-ncaa-basketball-season">our first look</a> at which NCAA basketball teams might top the preseason polls in the fall, and a lot has changed in that time. Some players expected to jump to the NBA haven&rsquo;t; some who were expected to stay are gone, and the biggest name of the recruiting class has finally made his decision.</p> <p>That last player, of course, is Andrew Wiggins, who immediately becomes the best player on an inexperienced Kansas team. Of course, &ldquo;inexperienced&rdquo; is a far cry from &ldquo;untalented,&rdquo; and <span class="spellcheck">Naadir</span> <span class="spellcheck">Tharpe</span> and the Jayhawks jump into the top 10 with Wiggins&rsquo; arrival.</p> <p>Read on for a look at a full, updated projection of which teams will land where when the preseason rankings come out in November.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642268-updated-predictions-for-2013-14-ncaa-basketball-preseason-top-25-poll">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 16 May 2013 23:02:27 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642268-updated-predictions-for-2013-14-ncaa-basketball-preseason-top-25-poll http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642268-updated-predictions-for-2013-14-ncaa-basketball-preseason-top-25-poll http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642268-updated-predictions-for-2013-14-ncaa-basketball-preseason-top-25-poll College Basketball Rankings/List David Aldridge <p>Can Duke advance past the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament next season? Will <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1452416-jabari-parker-to-duke-breaking-down-why-star-recruit-is-next-carmelo-anthony">Jabari Parker</a> outplay Andrew Wiggins when Duke and Kansas face off in November? Does Alex Murphy have what it takes to earn a regular spot in the rotation?</p><p>Duke fans are pondering all these questions over the painful period that is the offseason in college basketball.</p><p>Unfortunately, it's impossible to know the answers to any of these until we see the Blue Devils take the court next season. However, that doesn't prevent us from enjoying the speculation of what we hope the answers will be.</p><p>As we continue to look forward to next season, let's look at the five most burning questions for Duke's offseason.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642599-duke-basketball-5-burning-questions-for-blue-devils-offseason">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 16 May 2013 22:03:32 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642599-duke-basketball-5-burning-questions-for-blue-devils-offseason http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642599-duke-basketball-5-burning-questions-for-blue-devils-offseason http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642599-duke-basketball-5-burning-questions-for-blue-devils-offseason NCAA College Basketball ACC Basketball Duke Basketball Rankings/List C.J. Moore <p>Figuring out what makes a Hall of <span class="spellcheck">Famer</span> and who <span class="spellcheck">isn</span>&rsquo;t quite good enough will lead to debates that lead to loud noises. (They usually escalate quickly!)</p> <p>In September, <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/rick-pitino">Rick Pitino</a>, Jerry <span class="spellcheck">Tarkanian</span> and Guy Lewis will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. For fans of Pitino and <span class="spellcheck">Tarkanian</span>, it should have been an &ldquo;it&rsquo;s about time&rdquo; reaction. Both coaches could have been inducted years ago.</p> <p>The selection committee&rsquo;s criteria for electing college basketball coaches has been pretty clear. In the last 25 years, 15 college coaches (counting this year&rsquo;s soon-to-be inductees) have made it to Springfield. Out of those coaches, only two <span class="spellcheck">didn</span>&rsquo;t have at least 500 wins (John Chaney and Al McGuire) and only two <span class="spellcheck">didn</span>&rsquo;t win at least one Division I national title (*Chaney and Guy Lewis).</p> <p><em>*Chaney did win a D-II title in 1978 at <span class="spellcheck">Cheyney</span> State. Lewis made it to back-to-back title games in 1983 and 1984. &nbsp;</em></p> <p>With those numbers in mind, here&rsquo;s a prediction of the next five coaches to get in.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642281-predicting-the-next-5-ncaa-basketball-coaches-to-be-inducted-into-hall-of-fame">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 16 May 2013 21:59:54 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642281-predicting-the-next-5-ncaa-basketball-coaches-to-be-inducted-into-hall-of-fame http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642281-predicting-the-next-5-ncaa-basketball-coaches-to-be-inducted-into-hall-of-fame http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642281-predicting-the-next-5-ncaa-basketball-coaches-to-be-inducted-into-hall-of-fame College Basketball Rankings/List On the Bubble Dantzler Smith <p>The Blue Devils are happy to have a stacked team heading into next season. Yet Duke is intent on continuing to attract top high school talent. With all the uncertainty surrounding underclassmen that will surely attract attention from the NBA, Duke may need a serious infusion of new talent.</p> <p>There are numerous <span class="spellcheck">storylines</span> surrounding Duke&rsquo;s 2014 recruiting. Each one not only has it&rsquo;s own interesting narrative, but it speaks to the Blue Devils&rsquo; future plans.</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642184-duke-basketball-5-early-storylines-from-the-blue-devils-2014-recruiting-trai">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 16 May 2013 15:30:18 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642184-duke-basketball-5-early-storylines-from-the-blue-devils-2014-recruiting-trai http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642184-duke-basketball-5-early-storylines-from-the-blue-devils-2014-recruiting-trai http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1642184-duke-basketball-5-early-storylines-from-the-blue-devils-2014-recruiting-trai NCAA College Basketball ACC Basketball Duke Basketball Opinion College Basketball Recruiting C.J. Moore <p><span style="line-height: 1;">My generation grew up rooting for Jordan to go for 60 every night, and we weren't happy when Tony Kucok decided he should start shooting. It was just more fun to watch Jordan try to shake someone off the dribble or hit one of those patented fadeaway turnaround jumpers or drive baseline and dunk on Patrick Ewing. Watching Jordan with the ball was a clinic.&nbsp;</span></p><p>Few college players make it into the "pass him the ball so we can watch him score" list. The game is more about motion offenses and the coaches are the stars, but a few of these guys exist. Some don't even realize they have the skill set to be dominant scorers.&nbsp;</p><p>Here are 10 guys worth watching every time they touch the ball next season. Set your DVRs accordingly.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1637542-ranking-the-10-ncaa-basketball-players-with-most-complete-offensive-skill-sets">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 16 May 2013 15:10:08 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1637542-ranking-the-10-ncaa-basketball-players-with-most-complete-offensive-skill-sets http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1637542-ranking-the-10-ncaa-basketball-players-with-most-complete-offensive-skill-sets http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1637542-ranking-the-10-ncaa-basketball-players-with-most-complete-offensive-skill-sets College Basketball Rankings/List On the Bubble Bobby Reagan <p>Kentucky basketball has been known recently for its string of point guards coming through the program.</p><p>However, it's the presence in the post that has helped key the successful run for John Calipari and his predecessors in Lexington.</p><p>Much like the size of Rupp Arena is intimidating to opponents, the rebounding and blocked shots while controlling the paint has helped the Wildcats become the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teams_with_the_most_victories_in_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_college_basketball">winningest</a> program in NCAA Division I history.</p><p>This&nbsp;list will breakdown the five best post players in Kentucky's&nbsp;storied history. &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1641883-kentucky-basketball-ranking-the-5-best-post-players-in-wildcats-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 16 May 2013 13:35:50 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1641883-kentucky-basketball-ranking-the-5-best-post-players-in-wildcats-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1641883-kentucky-basketball-ranking-the-5-best-post-players-in-wildcats-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1641883-kentucky-basketball-ranking-the-5-best-post-players-in-wildcats-history NCAA College Basketball SEC Basketball Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Rankings/List