They are already on probation due to the legacy of former head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson. And no, the University of Oklahoma isn't going to be coming off of it anytime soon.
The reason. The school admitted Thursday to 2 major violations by a former assistant. The school, to their benefit, reported themselves, but as a now repeat violator, has some 'splainin' to do.
The issue involves now former assistant coach Oronde Taliaferro. The school says he helped get a "Benefit" for former center Keith Gallon and initially denied it. Four months later, he admitted it.
Yes, Oklahoma put themselves on 2 more years of probation and vacated their wins from 2009. The question is, "Will it be enough?"
Nobody knows the answer to that. The violation is somewhat serious and the fact that Taliaferro lied to the NCAA isn't going to help things. We suspect the "Self-Imposed" penalties will probably be enough, particularly in light of the fact the NCAA has it within their power to shut down the program for a year or two.
They won't. While they may not be fans of Oklahoma's behavior, they won't shut them down. But you can fully expect they'll be under a microscope. A really, really big microscope.
Desmond Allison was a shooting guard for the University of Kentucky from 1998 to 2000. He wasn't an all-star, but averaged over 6 points a game in his two seasons.
Desmond Allison is now dead. Allison was shot and killed Monday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, the victim of a shooting after an argument.
The shooting, which also sent another man to the hospital, happened in the East Side of Columbus, in an apartment complex where it was reported that Allison may have lived.
Allison wasn't incredibly well known, but did have a mildly successful career at UK. He ended up getting dismissed from the team after a drunk driving arrest and marijuana possession charges, finished his basketball career playing NAIA basketball in Tennessee.
He apparently tried out for some NBA teams, but never made the jump to the pros. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, he drifted in and out of jail on various drug charges and never managed to find success in life.
This is nothing short of odd. We may be a day or two late in reporting the 1st part of this story. You know, the part where College basketball coaching legend and ESPN analyst Bob Knight calls out John Calipari and the University of Kentucky.
Knight, apparently on Saturday took umbrage with Calipari and the 2009 Kentucky basketball team. Answering a question during a speech at Wabash University, he accused UK of starting 5 players that didn't go to class that semester. Blaming that as a reason for a "One-and-done philosophy" now permeating college hoops.
Well, Kentucky responded today. Wildcat AD Mitch Barnhart saying Knight's assertion was "Blantantly erroneous" and "The University of Kentucky, our student-athletes and their families take great offense" to what was said.
Read the full story from the Lousiville Courier-Journal RIGHT HERE
This is stupid. Knight knows better. Or he should. Sure, we've taken shots at Calipari and Kentucky, but we would make that assertion, not without proof. And he didn't have any proof. There's plenty of proof that several of the UK players were actually pretty good students. Sure, there were some issues (ie: Eric Bledsoe), but none were proven.
Knight isn't wrong about one thing. The "One-and-done" issue in College basketball should be addressed. It's a problem. College football requires at least 2-years of players and there's no legitimate reason basketball can't do the same. Yeah, we know we've harped on the NCAA and their lack of commitment to anything academic or for the athlete.
But keeping kids in school another year doesn't hurt anyone. The money is going to be there. If they are good enough to leave after one season. They'll be good enough to leave after two. And maybe, just maybe they might catch on to the idea of getting their degree. It's just a thought....
Here's the video/speech that started the war. You'll have to skim through the really annoying titles/graphics to get to it. Sorry. (Courtesy: Joedctalk)
Interesting. Not the pick that we would've expected. Reports started trickling out late Sunday that Missouri is set to hire the University of Miami's Frank Haith to be their next basketball coach.
Haith has had some success in Coral Gables with an NCAA and NIT Tourney bids under his belt. He's a somewhat middling 126-94 at Miami, a lower tier ACC School.
You can read the report from the Kansas City Star RIGHT HERE
The Miami Herald reports a shorter version of the same story RIGHT HERE
Haith, for his part is a fairly well respected guy who has stabilized things in Miami, a program with barely a pulse before his arrival. They aren't a dominant team, and Haith never really came across as a rising coaching star.
It also speaks a bit to baskeball in the ACC if an ACC coach is willing to bolt for the greener(?) pastures of the Big 12/10.
After being spurned by now former coach Mike Anderson and used by Matt Painter to enhance his situation at Purdue, the options for Missouri were minimal. All-in-all, they probably did the best they were able to, knowing that a Shaka Smart or Brad Stevens would not be in their futures.
According to the KC Star newspaper, the only stumbling block is logistical. Any new contract with Haith must be signed off on by the Missouri Board of Curators. The Board called an emergency meeting for Monday night. It’s expected they will approve Haith becoming the next head coach.
Now, it's Miami's turn. Early returns have them chasing after K-State's Frank Martin.
1600 UPDATE: The University of Miami has released the following statements from important personnel
Tony Hernandez, Acting Director of Athletics “Frank Haith has been a steady leader and made a positive impact on the University of Miami men’s basketball program. We want to wish him well at Missouri and will begin a national search for a new head coach immediately.”
Donna E. Shalala, University of Miami President “Coach Haith has been an outstanding member of our community. His integrity, leadership ability and commitment to young adults are exceptional. I will personally miss him and wish the entire Haith family the best in the years to come.”
TUESDAY UPDATE: Here's two more pieces of video work on the Haith hire... ((HT: NBCActionNews.com))
And, then, NBC41's Jack Harry is none too positive on the new guy...
The Curators guaranteed five years and $7.5-million plus $100,000 in deferred annual compensation, with a one-year automatic extension that would kick in on May 1, 2012.
Demonte Harper sent brackets in the wastebasket this afternoon with the dagger with four seconds left... and the end was a great defensive no-call for the win...
We get to say it for a little while longer as the Eagles beat Tennessee Tech in the Ohio Valley Conference final...
Here's your highlights, and if you haven't heard of Kenneth Faried- you will and you should have already. He's the nation's rebounding leader... ((HT: MSUEagleAthletics))
Oklahoma State University Head Coach Travis Ford ((pictured, thanks Nate Billings/newsok.com)) has apologized for saying one of two things at player Obi Muonelo at Kansas University this weekend.
He either said, as the video below might relay, that Muonelo was an "F'n idiot.”
As you'll see, the Cowboys were pressing and Ford thought Muonelo was lax in his application of the defense that Ford had called. Ford then raised his voice to get Muonelo's attention.
Brad Nessler gets an award for keeping a straight face on this one...
“I know he’s made an effort to improve but he’s got to eliminate that,” OSU AD Mike Holder told Andrea Cohen of the the Daily Oklahoman newspaper Monday. “I don’t know what else you say about it. When I talked to the coaching staff about it, I said you need to understand what we’re in the business for. We’re in it to help young people at a critical time in their lives, to make their dreams come true. So we’ve got to be role models. It’s very important what you say, and how you say it.”
Holder told the Oklahoman he has no doubt Ford is going to "do something about this." “That’s not what Oklahoma State stands for, and what college athletics is about," Holder told the newspaper. "He’s got no choice. He’s got to change.”
In this season of lowered expectations for Tennessee, Pat Summitt ((pictured, thanks US Presswire)) still reached unprecedented heights: 1,000 victories.
Summitt became the first Division I basketball coach -- man or woman -- to win 1,000 career games Thursday night as her 12th-ranked Lady Vols beat Georgia 73-43. It was their second chance in four days at giving their coach her latest and one of her greatest milestones.
These baby Lady Vols (17-4), with seven freshmen on the roster, are nothing like the squads that brought Summitt her seventh and eighth national championships in the previous two seasons. This is an inexperienced group that had Summitt joking about whether they would even be up to the task of winning the 17 games she needed to reach 1,000 this season.
"It's a hard number to even comprehend," Summitt said. "It's a time to reflect on a number of things, the administration saying yes to women's basketball and giving us an opportunity to play on the biggest stage in the women's game. I appreciate that."
The landmark win came on the court named for Summitt, who just keeps racking up achievements for others to chase. All the fans in the arena began standing with about a minute left, and they clapped to Rocky Top as orange and white streamers fell from the ceiling. Summitt gave Georgia coach Andy Landers a hug on the sideline.
The Lady Vols were given T-shirts with the number 1,000 on the front, which they pulled on before a celebration on court with Summitt.
Tennessee fans missed the celebration January 29, 2006, when Summitt won her 900th game in Nashville. She won her first game at home, and Numbers 300, 800 and 880 -- the one that pushed her past Dean Smith for most wins by a Division I coach -- came at home. The night she passed Smith, Tennessee renamed the court for Summitt.
One fan confident of the win flashed 1,000 on a sign behind the bench as photos of Summitt over her 35 seasons flashed on the videoboards during timeouts.
Summitt had former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer cheering her from a luxury suite with men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl also on hand, even though he kept his shirt on with no body paint this time. Billie Moore, who coached Summitt in the 1976 Olympics, and Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive also were in the stands.
Tennessee lost 80-70 to No. 2 Oklahoma on Monday night in Summitt's first try at 1,000.
WVLT-TV's Meredith Hill caught up with Billie Moore before the game Thursday.
Okay, can someone please explain something to us? Why would Bobby Knight, legendary but crazy College Basketball Coach and now analyst for the 4-Letter Word (ESPN) want to be the Head Basketball Coach at the University of Georgia?
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution's legendary Columnist Furman Bisher, Knight has let it be known that he'd like the gig. Check out Furman's story here
Now, knowing Furman, who has been at this much longer than I've been alive, there is definitely a nugget of truth to this. He wouldn't have reported it if there wasn't. Again the question is why?
Yes, Georgia is desperate to find a way to create some buzz with its Basketball team. They are, for lack of a better phrase, "The Red-Headed Stepchild" of the UGA Athletic Program. Not counting last March's miracle tournament run, they've had no measurable success since the '80's.
It's not to say that they can't. The school just built a $30 million dollar practice facility for its Basketball and Gymanstics teams and it is very, very impressive. There is plenty of Basketball talent inside the state to draw from and the fans are looking for a reason to support them. It will be interesting to hear if UGA President Michael Adams or Atheltic Director Damon Evans contact Knight. Knight apparently wants to be called. Why not? It can't hurt. I'm not saying he'd be the perfect choice, but it does open one's imagination as to the possibilities.
((photo courtesy of Ronald Martinez/Getty Images))
((HT: WRAL-TV)) This was the video that Kay Yow produced when her cancer returned. It was played at her funeral Friday afternoon...
It is simultaneously touching, prescient, and a little eerie. Coach Yow's faith and humor in the face of what she went through is all on display. Enjoy...
It looks like the latest casualty in the College Coaching ranks may be upon us soon. The University of Georgia has called an 11am Thursday Press conference to "Speak about the state of the Basketball program".
You can read into it what you will, but with the 'Dogs sporting a 9-10 overall record along with no SEC Conference wins combined with a very evident lack of effort in most games, you can draw a pretty obvious conclusion. The 'Dogs lost last night to Florida 83-57.
We aren't saying that they are going to fire Coach Dennis Felton, because nothing has been made official...yet. But, he probably would have lost his job last season had the 'Dogs not pulled off one of the greatest miracles in College Tournament History by winning 3 games in 2 days at th SEC Tournament.
((photo courtesy of Streeter Lecka/Getty Images))
Stay tuned here to the OSG and we will update this story as we learn more.
**UPDATE 10am- ESPN is reporting that Felton is fired, check out the story here **
**FURTHER UPDATE 10:30- OSG Sources confirm the firing. Also, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirms the story and adds that Pete Herrman will be the interim coach. Check out there story here **
Here's your wrap on Wake Forest's last-second win over Duke... Jason Jennings and Jeff Gravely share the details on James Johnson's lay-up that salvages the night for the Demon Deacons...
The University of Houston Head men's basketball Coach Tom Penders thinks that the four-letter has it out for him...
We showed you the video of the University of Arizona's Chase Budinger getting curb-stomped by the Cougars Aubrey Coleman over the weekend. Penders was a guest of Lance Zierlein's program on KGOW/1560 AM The Game this morning...
Penders thinks he knows that the folks in Bristol doctored the video from the game and claims they've done that kind of stuff before. Hey, he used to do some work there...
Here's Zierlein's blog at the Houston Chronicle... with audio goodness from Penders... Here's the curb-stomping again... Just because... ((HT: FSN/NCAA/the youtube))
OSG has learned that NC State Head Women's Basketball Coach Kay Yow passed away Saturday morning after a long a heroic battle with breast cancer. Yow was 66 years old.
An updated story from WRAL Channel 5 in Raleigh:
Raleigh, N.C. — An inspiration to thousands as she battled cancer while leading the North Carolina State University women's basketball team, Kay Yow died at Wake Medical Center Saturday morning, The Associated Press reports. She was 66.
The university announced that Yow died on Saturday morning. She had been in the hospital since last week. Yow was first diagnosed with the disease in 1987.
During her 38-year Hall of Fame coaching career, Yow won more than 700 NCAA games – one of only six women's basketball coaches to top 700 victories – and an Olympic gold medal. She coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1988, won four Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championships, earned 20 NCAA tournament bids and reached the Final Four in 1998.
But her biggest victories came off the hardwood, where she repeatedly beat back cancer and shook off the pain of the disease and the medical treatments to lead her teams. For many fans, Yow was best defined by her unwavering resolve while fighting cancer. She raised awareness and money for research, and stayed with her team through much of the debilitating effects of the disease.
"Coaching lifts me up," she once said. "Once the ball is tossed up, I forget pretty much about everything and just focus on the game. If I just do nothing, I feel like I'm giving in to the disease."
Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in conjunction with the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research
Florida Atlantic Head Coach Mike Jarvis got a police escort from his home floor the other night after allegedly making contact with a Sun Belt Conference official who then made it rain four technical fouls on the Owls' in their game against Louisiana-Monroe.
From Ted Hutton's piece in the Sun-Sentinel:
"Jarvis was not on the plane that left Friday for Saturday's game at Arkansas State. FAU has yet to release a statement, but the suspension could be more than one game.The incident happened near the end of the first half in a game against Louisiana-Monroe when Jarvis argued an out-of-bounds call that went against the Owls.
It appeared Jarvis may have made contact with an official during the argument, with the first technical called on the bench, followed by three on Jarvis. ULM was awared eight free throws and made seven, and won the game 94-88. FAU is now 4-16 and 0-8 in the conference.The Sun Belt reviewed the official's report and one by Jarvis Friday."
We actually think there was another reason all hell broke loose that night... A very well-endowed FAU alum showed up...
South Atlanta High School center Derrick Favors ((pictured, Pouya Dianat/AJC.com)) is staying home- for, probably, that one year he's going to play college basketball. Favors announced Wednesday that he will be attending the Georgia Institute for Technology.
A coup for the Yellow Jackets, no doubt. Favors had his final three choices down to Tech, the University of Georgia, and NC State.
Looking at this photo from the Tech-Duke game, we imagine the smile on his face is one only Dr. Evil and Mister Bigglesworth can understand and enjoy.
(("My time on your campus will cost you one BILLION dollars..."))
Favors is listed as the state's top recruit and a Top-5 prospect nationwide by most of those jibber-jabber recruiting boards you see everywhere. He joins guards Glen Rice, Junior of Walton ((Marietta, Georgia)) High and Mfon Udofia of Miller Grove ((Lithonia, Georgia)) and forwards Kammeon Holsey of Hancock Central ((Sparta, Georgia)) and Brian Oliver of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for a Top-10 recruiting class.
“I can play power forward, small forward,” he said. “[Tech] will use me for my scoring ability and rebounding, and they’ll use me on the wing for my athleticism and give me the freedom to show my ball-handling skills.”
Favors contradicted himself when asked the chances of him leaving Tech early, first saying “I don’t know the chances now” but later conceding, “I think the chances are good. … I’ll wait till I get there and work as hard as I can.”
Northern State University head men's basketball coach Don Meyer ((pictured, thanks AP)) is now the answer of your trivia question about "most wins by a men's college basketball coach." His 82-62 win by NSU over Mary ((the entire university, not just one woman playing five)) gives him 903 wins and counting- surpassing the mark set by Bobby Knight.
His career began in 1972 and nearly ended last September in a car accident that sent him to the hospital for 55 days, forced doctors to amputate his lower left leg and led to the discovery of a slow-growing cancer.
A few minutes after the game, Meyer finally smiled, letting the moment sink in.
“I haven’t had this much fun since Carmen and I were married,” he said, standing on his right leg and leaning against the scorer’s table as streamers and confetti drifted to the floor and the crowd of 6,654 listened to his post-game comments.
Coaching from the sidelines in a wheelchair, the 64-year-old Wayne, Neb. native moved past Knight, whom he credited for his love of coaching. The career victory leader in men’s coaching is Harry Statham of McKendree University, an NAIA school. He has won 979 games in 43 seasons.
Taped remarks from legendary UCLA coach John Wooden were played after the game. The university plans a formal celebration January 17 to mark the record.
Meyer now calls the accident a blessing; without it, doctors would not have found the slow-growing cancer. Cancer treatment was put off until his injuries and the amputation could heal.
During his hospital stay, Meyer lost 20 pounds and went through rehabilitation to rebuild his strength and learn how to move with a walker or in a wheelchair.
Assistant coach Randy Baruth directed practices but spoke daily with Meyer.
The day after his hospital dismissal, Meyer was on hand for the team’s 5 a.m. practice. Five days later he accompanied the NCAA Division II team to exhibition games at Minnesota and Purdue.
A standout baseball and basketball player in college, the 1967 graduate of Northern Colorado began his coaching career at Hamline University in 1972. He then spent 24 seasons at Lispcomb University in Nashville, Tenn., where he twice was NAIA coach of the year and led the Bison to the 1986 title. Since taking the Northern State job in 1999, the Wolves have seven straight 20-win seasons.
OSG sends the normal round of huzzahs and hurrahs to Coach Meyer and wishes him continual kick-ass-ness...
