ESPN Men's Basketball

1. Ohio State and Marquette are in negotiations to play on a naval ship in Charleston, S.C., on or around Veteran’s Day, according to multiple sources familiar with their scheduling. The game would be organized by Morale Entertainment, the same group that set up the USS Carl Vinson game on 11-11-11 between North Carolina and Michigan State. Ohio State’s other marquee games are at Duke in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, while also hosting Kansas in a return game. Marquette is in the Maui Invitational with North Carolina, Texas, Butler, Illinois, Mississippi State, USC and host Chaminade. The Golden Eagles are waiting to see who they will play in the SEC-Big East Challenge. But they have games against LSU in a return situation, host rival Wisconsin, and are at Green Bay in what overall should be the toughest nonconference slate under Buzz Williams.

2. Kansas had struggled to find a quality home game, so the Jayhawks went to an old friend, former player and league rival. Colorado and Tad Boyle, who played at Kansas and coaches Colorado, are finalizing a deal with the Jayhawks to do a two-year home-and-home series, starting in Lawrence. The Buffaloes reached the NCAA tournament third round last season, losing to Baylor in Albuquerque. Kansas had no ill will toward the Buffaloes when they left the Big 12 for the Pac-12, unlike rival Missouri. Re-starting this series is good for both leagues and programs.

3. The A-10 followed the Big East’s lead by declaring during its meetings Thursday that any school that is ineligible for the NCAA postseason cannot participate in its championships. The A-10 doesn’t have any school facing a penalty, but wanted to do this just in case it occurs. The Big East had to make this rule after UConn was banned from the 2013 postseason due to poor APR scores. The same thing is happening in the CAA with Towson and UNCW. The Big East changed its bylaws, preventing a school that is not allowed to go to the postseason to play in its championships. The CAA has the same rule. That means UConn, Towson and UNCW cannot play in the 2013 Big East or CAA, tournaments, respectively.

I knew Michigan guard Trey Burke, the co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012, played a lot of minutes in his first season for the Wolverines. I did not, however, know that Burke played 1,227 minutes last season, the second-highest single-season total in Michigan history.

That's a lot of minutes. Too many? Michigan coach John Beilein seems to think so, and as such, this coming season he will be looking for every opportunity to get Burke a break. From AnnArbor.com:

Michigan survived Burke's heavy minutes a year ago, but Beilein insists the Wolverines can't go through that again.

"Trey Burke needed to get rest," Beilein said of last season. "The game has changed where the point guard has the ball much more than he ever had it. ... And we realize that. (Burke) was a horse the whole year, and was still able to perform, but we realize that's not the best practice." [...]

"I always thought the players you want on the floor the most, 30 and 35 (minutes) is a good number," Beilein said. "That would mean an eight or nine-man rotation, but who knows, we could go 10."

Despite what the NBA2K12 computer simulations try to tell me -- I swear to God, if I have to trade another dissatisfied scrub because his minutes are down, I will break a controller -- there is no such thing as an ideal universal basketball rotation. Michigan could get away with 10 players, or it could limit its rotation to seven, but it's clear Beilein is leaning toward the latter if only to keep his best and most important player as fresh and injury-free as possible throughout the season. Considering the minutes Burke played as a freshman, it's kind of remarkable this wasn't an issue months ago.

Beilein will have a few options with which to lighten Burke's load. Freshman point guard Spike Albrecht is hardly a high-impact recruit (he's ranked No. 112 in the country at his position alone) but he could at the very least provide depth, while incoming small forward Nik Stauskus could provide some ballhandling in a combo role. Caris LaVert is a combo guard, and returner Matt Vogrich will likely be the go-to reserve when Burke and starting shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. need a rest.

In the end, that ight be Michigan's biggest concern: quality depth. If he can find it, and the Wolverines can keep Burke and Co. fresher without suffering a major drop-off in productivity, they could be as dangerous as any team in the country.

On Monday, Michigan brass -- including president Mary Sue Coleman -- made it clear there was no intention to circle the wagons around the Fab Five, Michigan's legendary-in-its-own-way team that went to back-to-back Final Fours during its run in the early 1990s.

The coming year would be the time to do so, as the 10-year NCAA penalties stemming from the Ed Martin booster scandal will be officially lifted. Some wondered whether Michigan would embrace the Fab Five (as well as the Robert Traylor-led 1998 team implicated in the scandal) by re-hanging the Final Four banners it removed from the Crisler Center rafters in 2002.

But Coleman was clear on the matter. Odds of those banners being re-raised are slim.

How does former Michigan star Jalen Rose, who has spearheaded the Fab Five recognition campaign in more ways than one, feel about all this? He's not entirely happy, but he's not flipping out, either. From the Detroit News:

"I think it was unnecessary. Flagrant. Defiant," Rose told The News during the Griese-Hutchinson-Woodson golf fundraiser for Mott Hospital last weekend. "But it was honest, and I respect that. If they choose not to embrace the Fab Five era, if they choose not to embrace us individually or as a team or the things we brought to the table, I really have no bitterness. I'm not mad at it.

"What's going to happen, though? … When you turn your back directly or indirectly on something that was so good to you, you're never going to get the true foundation of a program to build upon."

All of which is reasonable. Michigan doesn't want to formally tip its cap toward an era that cratered a proud program for nearly a decade, and is perfectly within its rights to do so. Maybe something is lost in the familial sense; Rose is probably right about that. But the Wolverines are fully back under John Beilein, so we're really just talking about fuzzy stuff here anyway.

The good news for Rose, and for any other member of the teams Michigan has chosen (or been forced) to forget, is that NCAA sanctions and university propriety don't do anything to erase the memory of the team. The Fab Five was unique that way. It never won a national title, but it made a more lasting impact on the culture of the college game -- and on basketball in general -- than most teams could ever hope. That's what people remember about Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and the rest. Banners or no banners, reunion or no reunion, catharsis or repression, that impact isn't going away.

Needless to say, by the time the news was announced Tuesday afternoon, this was not exactly the shock of the century.

Early Tuesday morning, Mike Brey told our own Andy Katz that Notre Dame had agreed to extend its commitment to the Crossroads Classic -- a four-team event featuring Hoosier heavies Indiana, Purdue, Butler and ND -- for another two years, into 2013 and 2014. Even before that, despite the expiration of the current agreement this season, no one really expected the event to go away. It was assumed the four schools would agree to keep the thing going, one way or the other.

The reason for that is the same reason the official news, as announced by the four schools, is so very welcome: The Crossroads Classic is an event too good not to continue.

Last season's inaugural edition went about as well as anyone could have hoped. The games weren't classics (though Butler's comeback victory over Purdue was certainly exciting), but the event itself was a welcome throwback to the original, organized and hosted by Tony Hinkle at Butler from 1948-51 and from 1957-60. It took the schools 50 years to put a similar event together again, but when they did, they got it right. All four athletics programs teamed together to host the Classic themselves, as opposed to outsourcing it to the Gazelle Group or one of the other patrons, and because they did so they were able to put the games in Conseco Fieldhouse, an actual basketball arena, while splitting the profits evenly among the four.

The end result showcased the collective culture of Indiana basketball. The impulse to gather in Indianapolis and square off on the hardwood -- the same impulse that has made the sport an obsession in the state, even at the high school level, for almost as long as it's been played -- was on full display. Everyone booed IU fans, because that's what other basketball fans from Indiana do. It was just fun, you know?

So, no, it was no shock Tuesday to see the four schools extend their sensible agreement through the 2014 season. But it was excellent to see. In a sport where scheduling too happily tosses aside monumental rivalries for the sake of individual gain (or, if you prefer, "protection" of a "nontraditional program"), the no-nonsense extension of the Crossroads Classic was a small but refreshing change of pace. May it ever be so.

Editor’s note: Each week, ESPN.com writers will debate a topic of interest in the college basketball landscape. Today’s topic: Is the Illinois head coaching job overrated? For Jason King's feature on the new man in charge of the Illini, click here.

Myron Medcalf

Well, Eamonn, I’ll start by saying that Chicago and Champaign are not sister cities, as you know. They’re not even distant cousins. The bright lights of Chicago offer vivid contrasts to the rural confines that surround the University of Illinois.

And that’s what some folks failed to realize as multiple candidates rejected offers to take over the program -- an overrated gig, in my opinion -- during this offseason.

Yes, Chicago boasts mad talent in the prep ranks, and it’s a few hours north of Champaign.

So what?

Folks attached to and inside the program have quietly conveyed for years that not hiring an African-American coach has turned some Chicago-area prospects away from Illinois and made it easier to consider alternatives. If I’m a black kid in Chicago, and can hop on a two-hour flight from O’Hare and reach just about any school in the country, what’s the incentive to attend Illinois over more marquee programs, especially since the school has never hired an African-American head coach?

Sure, it’s a high-paying job in a prestigious league. But affiliation only goes so far.

Just ask Rob Kardashian.

No, John Groce isn’t a bad hire. He’s a proven leader whose successful stints as an assistant at Ohio State and head coach at Ohio led him to this position.

But he’s definitely in a tough spot.

How do you lure the best kids in the region, most of whom reside in Chicago, when you’re two-plus hours away and lack the state-of-the-art facilities that your competitors possess?

Jabari Parker, the best high school player in America, lives in Chicago, and few believe he’ll sign with the Illini.

Yes, there’s a certain nostalgia about Assembly Hall. And yes, the fans are rabid. It’s one of the most intimidating venues in the country. And still, Shaka Smart said no. I get it.

The Illinois gig simply lacks the pizazz and clout it once warranted. You can’t sell kids on facilities. You can’t sell every kid on proximity to the Windy City. You don’t own the state, so you have to fight poachers from various schools and conferences daily. You’re simultaneously nearby and separated from the best players in the area.

That’s the problem. That’s why so many said no.

Bottom line: Overrated.

Eamonn Brennan

It doesn't require much of a mental stretch to see why the Illinois job is an attractive one. In fact, we might be approaching "so overrated it's underrated" territory -- wherein we're spending all our time explaining away the reasons the job is a good one in the first place.

I happen to agree with Mr. Medcalf: The Illinois job is overrated, at least by many of its fans, for whom the expectations of success often seem to vastly outpace reality. When you combine those expectations with the aging landed spaceship that is Assembly Hall, as well as the difficulties of the Chicago recruiting scene, it's not hard to figure why Shaka Smart and several others turned down the gig before John Groce agreed to take it on.

But this wouldn't be much of a Take Two if I just agreed with Myron, now would it? Besides, Illinois has plenty of positives to recommend it.

The first is location. It is difficult to recruit in Chicago, sure, but it is still a major advantage to be so close to so much in-state talent. And let's not forget the proximity to Indiana, specifically Indianapolis, where a deep pool of talented prep stars emerge each and every season.

The second is fan base. Yes, Illinois fans are intense. Yes, they expect a lot. Yes, that balance makes life difficult for a coach. But UI's fan base also provides plenty of built-in advantages, most notably the luxury of hosting opponents in an arena packed to the gills with screaming orange-clad faithful. When the Illini are good, there are few places in the country more difficult to play than Assembly Hall. Given the choice -- apathy versus high expectations -- any coach would happily take the latter.

The Big Ten is a fantastic league, offering big-time exposure and competition against some of the nation's best players on a yearly basis, and Illinois remains a big state school wedged within an afternoon's drive of two of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country. It has plenty of resources and great fans. You can win a national title there. At the end of the day, that's the distinction that matters.

The Illinois job has weaknesses and strengths, many of which overlap. If Groce harnesses them savvily, we might turn around in three years and wonder what all this overrated fuss was about in the first place.

Dwyane Wade's relationship with IU coach Tom Crean is well-established. Crean coached Wade during his breakout seasons at Marquette from 2001 to 2003, the latter of which included a run to the Final Four and a junior season that established Wade as a top-five pick in 2003's legendarily loaded NBA draft. (The top five picks that year went like this: LeBron James, Darko Milicic, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Wade. Chris Kaman was drafted No. 6. Oh, Darko. Poor, poor Darko.) The two have remained close since, but both have busy schedules, and not much occasion to spend quality time.

Wade found such an occasion this weekend. On Thursday, in a 95-74 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Wade became the first player since Eric Snow in 2001 to record five or more turnovers and five or or fewer points, rebounds and assists (min. 35 minutes), according to ESPN Stats and Information. Wade was stymied in ways we rarely see, ways that I have to admit (as both a Bulls fan and someone who kind of hates the way Wade plays, all pump-fakes and sprawling appeals for fouls and half-limping walks to the free throw line) were thoroughly satisfying to watch.

But they didn't last for long. Wade submitted an excellent performance in Sunday's crucial 101-93 win at Indiana, with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists. (James, meanwhile, went for 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine dimes, one of the most incredible playoff performances you will ever see.) What changed? Wade had fluid drained from his knee, so that surely helped. But he also made a stop in Bloomington, Ind. to talk shop with Crean, which he discussed in his postgame news conference Sunday:

“I really spent time with a mentor of mine, a father figure and had a long day and long hours of just conversation, just talking about a lot of things,” Wade said. “So it was great for me to just get away and kind of get that energy that I needed from him.”

Naturally, at least one photo of Wade and his former coach on the floor at Assembly Hall has surfaced. The association is a positive one for Indiana, obviously; as John Calipari at Kentucky has shown, few things are more attractive to young recruits than a relationship with established NBA stars like Wade and James. Even better, Crean had film footage of Wade's made and missed shots, so the visit was a tangibly productive one, too.

In any case, the most surprising thing about all of this is what Wade wore to Bloomington. As you can see in the linked photo, Wade is wearing a Heat windbreaker with khaki pants. There is nary a pastel suit or fuschia pocket square to be seen. Given the man's sartorial track record, I have to say I'm pretty disappointed.

(Hat tip: Inside the Hall)

Michigan's Fab Five remains one of the most intellectually intriguing teams in the history of the game.

There are all the usual reasons to think so -- the brash style, the baggy shorts, the black socks, the flirtation with greatness, Chris Webber's tragic timeout, the ability to pose for amazing team photo after amazing team photo, etc. -- but as the ESPN documentary "The Fab Five" noted, one of the more underrated aspects of the team's appeal is the outlaw status it retains to this day. The Fab Five's years at the school (as well as teams starring Robert Traylor in 1997 and 1998, lest we forget) were among six expunged from the NCAA history books, thanks to the infamous Ed Martin booster scandal; basically everything Jalen Rose & Co. did as college players has been wiped from the records. In the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., where one of the most famous teams in the history of the game captivated audiences for years, no banner hangs in the Fab Five's honor.

The question is whether that will change -- particularly sooner rather than later. In 2013, the NCAA's 10-year ban on association with and recognition of the four players implicated in the booster scandal will be lifted. That would allow the school to honor the team's legacy for the first time. And yet, as the Detroit Free Press reported Sunday, it's unclear whether Michigan's brass is interested in doing something most schools typically eschew:

The Free Press looked at the 11 schools forced to remove Final Four banners due to violations, and most have continued to comply with the sanctions. Most do not hang banners from or recognize vacated seasons. Only a few have welcomed back affected players, and often only in group settings.

There's no reason to think Michigan will open its arms, either. U-M president Mary Sue Coleman said to students this spring she doesn't think it's right to restore the removed banners -- from Final Four appearances in 1992 and 1993 with Chris Webber and 1997 NIT and 1998 Big Ten tournament titles with the late Robert Traylor -- and U-M athletic director Dave Brandon told reporters that he doesn't even know if it's a consideration, given the high-profile penalties.

There are hurt feelings from players not involved in the scandals. Jalen Rose, who played on those '92 and '93 teams, has stated he may pull his academic scholarships if U-M refuses to embrace the teams.

The only thing that would make this more awkward is if the Fab Five had actually won a national title. Were that the case, fans would surely be clamoring for a clear move on the school's part. At the very least, the outrage would be slightly more visible.

At this point, the people that seem most upset by the whole thing are the Fab Five themselves -- particularly Rose. Understandably so. He wants to ensure people remember his teams' history. I get it. But it's a tricky situation for the school, too, and you can't blame the administration from wanting to distance themselves from what has in many ways been a decades-long source of embarrassment, one the school's basketball program has only recently put in the past just in time to emerge under coach John Beilein as one of the nation's truly ascendant teams.

The good news in all of this, something Rose should feel confident in knowing, is that banners or no, we won't soon forget the Fab Five, and neither will anybody who was alive during their time together in Ann Arbor. The NCAA record books can tell us one thing. Heck, given that the players never won that national title, that would be the case even if the team's records were never expunged.

Why? Because we don't remember the Fab Five for their wins and losses. We remember the impact they made, the styles they changed, the playful rebellion they brought to bear on a college game that was only barely prepared. As the past 15 years have shown, banners have very little to do with that. In so many ways, the legacy of the Fab Five has nothing to do with banners. Whatever Michigan decides to do in 2013, that won't change.

Incoming freshmen should anticipate major adjustments at the Division I level. The players are bigger, stronger and faster.

But the uptick in competition is only part of the transition from high school to college. The 21st-century college basketball player should understand off-court expectations, too.

They're all about adhering to proper swagger etiquette.

I hope you all have notepads ready. Here’s what you’ll need to get ready for Division I basketball off the floor:

• An Instagram account: Twitter is so 2011. These days, college basketball players send messages through photos via Instagram. It’s a cool tool. You take photos, attach a brief memo and ship the image to the world. Or if you’re Jared Sullinger, you send photos of text-message exchanges with other All-America forwards. You need this. Trust me.
• Friendships with rappers: Blame Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins. Lil Wayne’s highly publicized crush on the talented guard dramatically increased her street cred and Twitter follower count. Jay-Z sat behind Kentucky’s bench during the Final Four. Romeo Miller (the onetime Lil' Romeo who now just goes by Romeo) didn’t just support USC basketball. He actually joined the team. Find a rapper. Become his friend.
• Fashionable specs: I know. You have 20/20 vision. Doesn’t matter. This is all about style. I learned about this recent development in college basketball fashion from Michigan State’s Adreian Payne. He says his black glasses project sophistication. It’s either that or an affinity for Clark Kent.
[+] Enlarge
Kelly Kline/Getty ImagesNerlens Noel brings a signature coif to Kentucky ... but does he have the right backpack?
• The Kevin Durant backpack: Throw the gym bag in the trash. That’s old school. You need a backpack. Not a normal backpack. You won’t haul anything in it. You need a backpack that’s also a fashion statement. Durant’s backpack -- one he wears to postgame press conferences -- started this trend.
• Access to a state-of-the-art facility: Florida State’s players get access to their team’s practice facility by placing their hands on some sort of “Star Trek” detection device. Indiana’s facility features underwater treadmills in the training room, his and hers gyms for the men’s and women’s squads and an atrium that doubles as a museum for Indiana basketball. Players’ lounges -- think college kids bonding, not “Shaft” -- are standard, too. And then, there’s Oklahoma State’s basketball facility. Is that legal?
• Trend-setting hair: Nerlens Noel is covered. But what about the rest of the incoming freshmen? Will your hair matter? It definitely did for Wisconsin’s Mike Bruesewitz. Stores in Madison sell wigs of his former curly-afro look. Still waiting for the cornrows version. The hair on top of St. Louis guard Jordair Jett’s head can only be described as majestic. Talk to your barber about this.
• Beats by Dre headphones: Yes, they’re $300 headphones, but a multitude of college players wears them and, somehow, purchases them. They’re a necessity, I guess. You either have a pair of mammoth Beats by Dre headphones or you don’t wear headphones in public as a Division I basketball player. I don’t think the headphones offer a real advantage over their competitors. But, they’re the norm for college basketball players. The obsession with Dr. Dre’s headphones among NBA players has certainly trickled down. Even high school players demand them now. Put it on the shopping list.

Feel free to add on …

On this season of "Mad Men," Megan Draper decides to leave the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce offices to pursue her dream of acting despite her clear ease in the profession. Discussing the decision, Peggy, a former secretary whose success in the office was hard won, says to Joan: "I think she's good at everything. I think she's just one of those girls."

It would appear Delvon Roe is just one of those guys. The former Michigan State forward was a future NBA star coming out of high school. After seemingly constant knee injuries, and three difficult, but productive years at Michigan State, Roe's legs finally betrayed him, and he decided to step away from the Spartans in his senior season to focus more on his other love, acting.

Lo and behold, just a year into his acting career -- after performances in Michigan State theater productions -- Roe is already having at least some small measure of success. As MLive's Diamond Leung reports, Roe's feature-film debut, "Love and Honor," will premiere Wednesday at the Cannes Film Market.

Roe spent last summer on location in Ann Arbor filming scenes from the movie, which was formerly entitled "AWOL." Liam Hemsworth ("The Hunger Games") stars in the Vietnam War-era film about a soldier who secretly returns home from war to win back his girlfriend. The 6-foot-8 Roe plays the role of Isaac. Lightning Entertainment announced last week it had acquired the international sales rights to "Love and Honor" and would introduce it to buyers in Cannes.

Roe has said he plans to turn to coaching if acting doesn't work out, but if this keeps up, it might never be an issue. This is already an auspicious start to his second career. How great would it be if Roe, whose NBA future seemed like a certainty before his first knee injuries derailed the sheer natural talent he displayed in high school, made it big in acting instead?

Most of us are lucky enough to be good at one thing. Roe, apparently, is not like most of us.

Yes, it's that time of year again -- the time we all join together around the fireplace (or MacBook Air, or whatever) and learn what the upcoming year's edition of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge will see fit to bring us.

It's like Christmas in May! OK, it's not really like Christmas. It's considerably less awesome than Christmas. Honestly, it's considerably less awesome than the ACC/Big Ten Challenge itself, because at least that features actual basketball, rather than the mere promise of it. But it is May. Right now, this is the best we can do. (Besides, it beats talking about conference realignment.)

Anyway, as usual, the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge will bring us quite a lot. Below you can find the matchups, as released by the conferences at 2 p.m. ET Monday:

Tuesday, Nov. 27

Minnesota @ Florida State
North Carolina @ Indiana
NC State @ Michigan
Maryland @ Northwestern
Iowa @ Virginia Tech
Nebraska @ Wake Forest

Wednesday, Nov. 28

Purdue @ Clemson
Ohio State @ Duke
Georgia Tech @ Illinois
Michigan State @ Miami, FL
Boston College @ Penn State
Virginia @ Wisconsin

The first day of competition, Nov. 27, is practically guaranteed to be the best. Why? Because it offers North Carolina at Indiana and NC State at Michigan, the former of which is the first time the two bluebloods have met since Sean May, Rashad McCants and Raymond Felton rolled into Bloomington in 2005, just one stop on the way to an eventual national championship. The 2012 edition will offer a decidedly different flavor. Indiana is the program expected to compete for a national title, while UNC -- though still very talented, with a deep coterie of guards and a marquee big man in sophomore James Michael McAdoo -- will be in some ways rebuilding from the losses of Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall, all of whom left bound for the NBA.

The latter matchup, NC State at Michigan, will give us a great early glimpse of two teams with designs on conference titles -- and a great look at how the relatively young Wolfpack, featuring veterans C.J. Leslie and Lorenzo Brown but also top-ranked recruits Rodney Purvis, T.J. Warren and Tyler Lewis, will adapt to the challenges of winning big games on the road.

There are other attractions too, of course, including Ohio State's trip to Duke on Nov. 28. Iowa at Virginia Tech probably intrigues me more than it should. Minnesota at Florida State will be fascinating; sixth-year senior Trevor Mbakwe vs. that interior defense? Yes please.

You get the idea. The real question here: Can the Big Ten continue its streak of Challenge victories? After starting 0-10 -- an entire decade of failure -- the Big Ten has now won the past three matchups against the ACC. The first two were 6-5 squeakers, but, in a sign of how much better the Big Ten was than the ACC in 2012 (which even the staunchest, most provincial ACC fan would not deny), the Big Ten handled the competition with ease, winning by a final score of 8-4.

In a vacuum, you'd expect the Big Ten -- which most project to be the best league in the country next season -- to prevail with similar comfort in 2012. (A win would put the overall tally at 4-10. The Big Ten has a lot of ground to make up.) But strange things happen in two days in November. We'll just have to wait -- and wait and wait and wait -- and see.

Which brings us to the most depressing part of this little annual May tradition: realizing that these games are something like 220 days away. As is tradition, I ask that anyone with proprietary time-travel technology please contact the blog with any ideas you may have for erasing the huge gap between now and the start of the new basketball season. Failing that, I might have to freeze myself like Eric Cartman waiting for a Nintendo Wii. What could possibly go wrong?

Editor's note: It's the offseason edition of The Watercooler. Eamonn Brennan and Myron Medcalf discuss "The Avengers," UNLV's loaded frontcourt, Larry Brown, Arizona buzz and more.

Eamonn Brennan: Good morning, Myron. Two weeks after our last Watercooler and I'm finding a dearth of topics for us to discuss. Instead, I'm pining for the season, when we had no shortage of fun topics. This offseason is killing me. Thank goodness for the NBA playoffs and "The Avengers," which I found to be almost exactly what I expected when I went and saw it Sunday night. How are you holding up?

Myron Medcalf: I'm surviving, Eamonn. I'm with you. I'm searching for ways to get through it. The NBA playoffs have been interesting, but they're not enough. C'mon, Indiana and Kentucky, stage an offseason exhibition since we'll never see the real thing. Just saw "The Avengers" too. First, it's as good as advertised. "Dark Knight Rises" should watch its back. Great movie. Although that part at the end … I won't spoil it. Since we're talking superhero movies, which players would earn a spot on your "Avengers" squad for the 2012-13 season? I'll go with Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, Doug McDermott, Peyton Siva and Trey Burke. You?

EB: It's awfully hard to argue with that list. Fearsome stuff. Here's my pivoting question: Does UNLV have the best frontcourt in the country? Anthony Bennett's commitment over the weekend puts him alongside Mike Moser to start the season, and former Pitt transfer (and 2011 No. 1-ranked center) Khem Birch will be eligible in December.

MM: Yes. Simple answer. That frontcourt had firepower without Bennett. Adding a phenomenal athlete such as the Canadian standout enhances that potency. Moser should be a Wooden Award candidate. Birch and Bennett too. Wow. … Hold on a minute, Eamonn, while I check this report. … Virginia Tech loses another player? Kind of shatters the whole continuity mission, right?

EB: Yeah. With the exception of continued expansion around the smaller leagues, I thought that was the story of last week. The Dorian Finney-Smith transfer was reportedly in the works for months, but the Montrezl Harrell NLI release was bad news too. New coach James Johnson will have eight scholarship players for next season, and you have to wonder whether Tech wouldn't have been better off taking another crack at this thing with Seth Greenberg in charge. It's a bit of a mess.

MM: Hard to feel sorry for Va. Tech. When you fire an established coach, albeit one who couldn't quite crack the success bubble, in late April, you must have a plan. It was just a sloppy process. You get a Greenberg staffer, you keep the recruits and returning players, right? Wrong. Johnson is going into a tough first season. Larry Brown, however, is grabbing transfers like … can't think of a good metaphor, but he's signed Josiah Turner and Crandall Head. Can Brown win at SMU?

EB: I'm assuming SMU is willing to take this coming season with a grain of salt, choosing to wait for the transfers to come online in Year 2 of the Larry Brown project. I think Turner will turn it around there. I'm not sure how good Head is in the first place. I (sort of) wrote this last week: I really don't know how the Brown thing is going to go. How long will he stick around, anyway? If they aren't winning by the end of his second season, is he gone? How much talent can his name brand (plus his good assistant corps) land him in that time? SMU woke up one day and realized it should care about basketball, and this is the result. I have no idea if it works or not.

MM: I agree. He definitely has a talented staff, but it's hard to know how long it will take SMU to make a dent in the Big East. It might never happen. … Arizona has made some offseason moves that will position Sean Miller to win now. Mark Lyons and that top-three recruiting class. Nice. I think Arizona deserves more offseason buzz.

EB: I have my lingering doubts about Lyons as a teammate -- he comes with a lot of baggage from his days under Chris Mack at Xavier. But maybe a fresh start is just what he needs? Arizona's recruiting class has it back on the map, and UCLA has made itself a likely top-five team heading into the season. The rest of the conference might still be stuck in 2011-12 mode, but at least the two dominant Pac-12 programs will be back on the map in 2012-13. I don't recall a head-to-head matchup in the league this good in quite some time. Desperately needed.

MM: You're right about Lyons. Definitely a wait-and-see situation in Tucson. But this is his last shot. Maybe he needs a change of scenery, but his attitude will influence those youngsters. So Miller needs Lyons to get his mind right. Arizona could reach the Final Four or it could implode again if the chemistry is jacked up. I think the Wildcats will find success next season. And yes, the Pac-12 needs UCLA-Arizona. We need it. … My parting shot for this edition of our Watercooler chat is that Kenneth Faried's success at the next level should change the way college coaches view "undersized" forwards.

EB: Energy and effort go a long way. It helps to be freakishly athletic too. He is going to be a solid pro for a lot of years. One example of why staying in college for four years, or even three, can be a massive benefit to certain guys. Faried is one of them.

Anyway, we'll be keeping an eye on the various college hoops stories bound to bubble up these next two weeks. Until the next alternate Monday, Myron?

MM: Yep. Until next time. … On a side note, chances are that "Avengers" references will seep into our future Watercooler posts. Our readers should definitely see the film. Now.

EB: You've been warned, people. No excuses.

Let me start by saying this is not a definitive list. There are hundreds of talented assistant coaches around the country.

The following, however, is a list of coaches 40 years old and under who have put themselves in a position to earn a head-coaching job in the future.

1. Orlando Antigua (Kentucky): The former Pitt standout helped John Calipari sign another top-ranked recruiting class. He’s also assisted Calipari in developing the young prodigies who have come to Lexington. After Kentucky won the national title in April, Antigua was a candidate for multiple jobs, including Duquesne. It’s just a matter of time before he’s leading his own show. He turns 40 next year.
2. Travis Steele (Xavier): Xavier has produced some of the top coaches in the country (Skip Prosser, Sean Miller, Thad Matta, John Groce). Current coach Chris Mack says assistant Steele, 27, is next in line. The Butler graduate has been on Mack’s staff for the past three seasons. Mack says Steele, who has helped develop and recruit the players who have led Xavier to four Sweet 16 appearances in five seasons, is “3-4 years” away from a head-coaching gig.
3. Tim Fuller (Missouri): When opposing coaches say you’re on the rise, that means something. Fuller has amassed a solid reputation in coaching circles. After just a season with the Tigers, Frank Haith promoted Fuller to associate head coach. Fuller, who played at Wake Forest from 1997-2000, is just 34. But his stock is rising fast.
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Cal Sport Media/AP Images Duke's Steve Wojciechowski is a hot coaching commodity after having won two national titles as an assistant to Mike Krzyzewski.
4. Steve Wojciechowski (Duke): The 35-year-old might be Coach K’s heir after a lengthy stint as one of his top assistants. He started out as an assistant in 1999 but was promoted to associate head coach in 2008. “Wojo” was known for slapping the floor on defense during his playing career and he’s equally passionate on the sidelines for the Blue Devils, who have won two national titles during his tenure.
5. Adrian Autry (Syracuse): The former Orange standout joined the staff prior to last season. And during a tumultuous year that included the firing of Bernie Fine over sexual abuse allegations and the dismissal of Fab Melo, the 39-year-old helped the program remain focused. He’s a reputable recruiter with strong ties to the D.C. area, connections that helped the Orange lock up the No. 15 recruiting class in 2012, according to ESPN.com.
6. Mike Rhoades (VCU): In a short span, Rhoades has gone from a Division III assistant at Randolph-Macon (Ashland, Va.) to a top assistant under Shaka Smart. VCU has been defined by its gritty defense, better-than-they’re-ranked prospects and passion. Rhoades has helped the Rams embrace every tenet of Smart’s philosophy, one that helped VCU reach the Final Four last season. “He’s great,” Smart says.
7. Jeff Boals (Ohio State): The former Ohio forward joined Matta’s staff in 2009. The Buckeyes have enjoyed success in all areas during his time with the program. He’s helped Matta develop top players such as Jared Sullinger and Evan Turner. And he’s an energetic and effective recruiter. Boals, 39, won’t be an assistant for long.
8. Kevin Ollie (UConn): The program went south last season. But the year that preceded it ended with a national title. And Ollie was credited with equipping Kemba Walker & Co. for that run with his coaching on and off the floor. Ollie might take over the Huskies' program if Jim Calhoun retires. But even if he doesn’t, he’ll be an attractive candidate for multiple openings in the near future.
9. Matthew Graves (Butler): Last year, Brad Stevens promoted Graves, who’s in his late 30s, to an associate head-coaching position, a credit to his role in the program’s success. You don’t reach back-to-back national title games as a mid-major program by accident. Stevens and his staff put the program on the national map. With a move to the Atlantic 10, the Bulldogs will attain even more national exposure. And Graves, who’s been vital to the program’s efforts in recent years, will end up on a multitude of lists once jobs open up again after next season.
10. James Whitford (Arizona): Sean Miller’s longtime assistant was pursued by Miami (Ohio) in the offseason but decided to stay in Tucson, where he helped the Wildcats sign one of the top recruiting classes in the country. The Wildcats struggled during the 2011-12 campaign. But with Mark Lyons and some talented recruits headed to Arizona, the Wildcats could win the Pac-12 next season. It’s easy to see why Whitford, 40, stayed put.

A few years ago, I took a road trip with the Alcorn State basketball team to see how the other half of Division I lives.

It wasn’t pretty. Old shoes, team meals in mall food courts and student athletic trainers who weren’t even CPR certified, the world the Braves traveled in was foreign to much of Division I.

So I understand the argument my colleague, Jay Bilas , is making about reducing the number of Division I basketball schools by two-thirds. The difference, especially financially, between the top and the bottom is about the same distance between Millionaire’s Row and Skid Row.

But when was the last time you heard a small major or a mid-major athletic director or coach whine about financial disadvantages making it impossible to compete? When was the last time they refused to play a blueblood for fear of the expected 40-point beatdown?

Try never.

No, it is the bluebloods who fret about games where they have ‘everything to lose and nothing to gain,’ an argument that makes absolutely no sense since, unlike college football, one loss does not knock you out of the national championship race.

It is the bluebloods who kvetch about prying open their gold-lined coffers to pay guaranteed money, regardless of the fact that $200,000 is pocket change to them and a financial windfall to their opponents.

So enough pandering.

The top programs already have every competitive advantage -- chartered planes, full-time nutritionists and tutors, one-to-one ratio of manager to player, tricked-out locker rooms and private practice facilities -- and get the best players.

Do we really need to cushion them from the potential blow of a bad loss and deny an opportunity for players who live to don their David get-ups and slay Goliath?

Talk to a mid-major player or a small-major guy before a big game. You won’t hear them cowering in a corner. They believe they can win. They believe in the upset. Not just in March, but in November, too. Ask their coaches about their challenges and yes, they’ll acknowledge them but they’ll also shrug their shoulders and move on.

All they ask for is a chance. By halving Division I we are eliminating the chance to compete, which at last check is what athletics is supposed to be about.

Hell, if it were just about the great versus the great, the Pittsburgh Pirates would have been kicked out of Major League Baseball years ago.

The current problem with college basketball is not that there are too many teams; it’s that too few great players stick around. If you want to find the root evil to the lack of consistency in the game, look no further than the NBA age limit. Kentucky defied everything but gravity by winning this national championship.

There are more good teams now than ever because there is so little continuity at the top.

That’s not the little guys’ fault.

In fact, that’s his opportunity, a chance to build a team and ultimately a brand the old-fashioned way, with four-year players who get better individually and collectively.

So this wouldn’t be just about killing March -- Myron Medcalf took care of that part of the issue here -- it would be about killing growth as well.

Good programs -- not just good-in-the-moment teams that have their shining moment and disappear -- are blossoming all over the country thanks to talented coaches (Shaka Smart), talented players (Isaiah Canaan) or both (Butler). Those schools are here to stay now, but they certainly all weren’t in the conversation 10 years ago. Had they been relegated below the top 150 and therefore out of Division I, just think about what the game would have been denied.

More, what future teams are we cutting off below the knees and what dregs are we keeping? Does DePaul get to stay over Mississippi Valley State? Because frankly I’d much rather see Sean Woods’ team continue to work its tail off to stay relevant than the Blue Demons' endless struggle to become relevant.

And here’s a final question: Just who do we think these top teams are going to play?

Because last I checked, it ain’t going to be each other.

Kansas got ticked with Missouri for deigning to play in another conference and now is through with the Tigers; Texas A&M had the audacity to move out from under the thumb of Texas, so now the Longhorns and Aggies are through; and Kentucky ditched a home-and-home with Indiana in its effort to become a non-traditional program.

Bet folks who long have celebrated those eight national championships and decades of success are confused by that one.

So why bother? What is the bottom-line gain in fewer Division I teams, besides feeding the top-heavy beasts that already are stuffed and denying others a chance to come to the table?

Yes, a chasm exists in the class distinctions of Division I. There will always be a No. 1 and a No. 300-plus.

Of course there always will be a No. 1 and a No. 100 or No. 1 and No. 150 and over time, the divide between whoever is at the top and wherever we decide is the bottom will stretch just as wide.

Someone in sports always wins; someone in sports always loses.

Let’s at least allow everyone a chance to be in the game.

Reduce Division I by 200-plus teams and eliminate Cinderella? No thanks, writes Myron Medcalf. He'll take March Madness just like it is.

Read more from Medcalf here.

Jay Bilas: It's time to downsize Division I .

This morning, my man Myron Medcalf honed in on the Indiana Hoosiers. He spoke with coach Tom Crean about Cody Zeller's similarities to Andrew Luck -- which go deeper than "they're both really good" -- and the massive preseason expectations the Hoosiers will face in the run up to the 2012-13 season. Crean is handling the preseason expectations how you'd, ahem, expect -- by trying to instill some perspective in his players, who he believes aren't "caught up" in the hype for next season:

"When you’re immersed in it, you stay in your own reality. And our reality is we’ve got a long way to go to get where we want to go. We’re going to have upwards of eight freshmen and sophomores on this team next year. Obviously, one of them is Cody [Zeller] but still, he’s only going to be a sophomore. And the bottom line for us is we’ve got to get a lot of guys meshed into this team."

Of course, he's right. That goes not only for Indiana's chances of competing for a Final Four spot or a national title, but also for winning the Big Ten, which will again be the nation's best conference in 2012-13.

Indiana is the early favorite to win the league, but it's hardly a guarantee. At least two other teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines, are fully justified in having Big Ten title aspirations. Both teams will arguably have as much talent on their rosters as the Hoosiers.

As expected, Ohio State lost Jared Sullinger to the NBA draft, and shooting guard William Buford graduated this spring. But the Buckeyes -- thanks to Thad Matta's excellent 2011 recruiting class -- have big-time players waiting in the wings.

Center Amir Williams was infrequently used in his freshman season, but was the No. 4 center in his recruiting class. He should be ready, after a year of Sully apprenticeship, to take on big minutes and a major role on both ends of the floor. Swingman Sam Thompson could experience a similar sophomore boost, and point guard Shannon Scott will take on a bigger share of minutes playing behind and alongside starting point guard Aaron Craft. Sophomore small forward LaQuinton Ross missed his entire freshman season due to academic issues, but he could play a role as well.

Plus, the remaining starters are awfully good. Deshaun Thomas is one of the nation's most versatile scoring threats who rounded out his game throughout an excellent sophomore season, while Craft remains the nation's best perimeter defender, bar none. Offense may be a struggle for these Buckeyes early in the season, but their sterling ballhawking defense, a trademark of Matta's teams at OSU, isn't going anywhere.

Michigan will be no less talented. Coach John Beilein got the best news of his offseason when he learned that Big Ten Freshman of the Year (media) Trey Burke would eschew the NBA draft and return to school. Burke is a fantastically intelligent, savvy player, and his efficiency statistics (he posted a 105.3 offensive rating in 2012) will only get better as he improves his outside shooting and cuts down on the turnovers that occasionally marred his proclivity (as evidenced by his 28.7 percent assist rate) for the art of the dime. Shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. could be one of the nation's most polished perimeter scorers as a junior.

Beilein will mesh his leftover talent -- from a team that won a share of its first Big Ten title since the mid-80s, no less -- with the two best recruits of his Michigan tenure. Glenn Robinson III, the son of former NBA star Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson (we agreed we are calling Robinson III "Little Big Dog," yes?) is ranked No. 18 overall in the class of 2012. He has drawn raves from ESPNU's scouts for his "freakish athleticism" and ability to score from the perimeter, off the dribble and in the mid-range. His longtime friend and fellow incoming freshman, power forward Mitch McGary, was once considered the second-best prospect in the class of 2012. He's slipped since then, but only to No. 27 overall in the class, and he promises to be a force in his first season for the Wolverines.

The loss of shooters Stu Douglass, Zack Novak and Evan Smotrycz, and the addition of Robinson and McGary (as well as the return of forward Jon Horford from injury) present Beilein with an interesting but altogether welcome problem: These Wolverines won't be a typical Beilein team. They will attack the glass and pound the paint far more often, if only out of necessity. And with all those weapons, they'll be very difficult to stop.

Then there's Michigan State. The Spartans lost their heart and soul in senior forward Draymond Green, but the rest of the picture is bright: Point guard Keith Appling is back, as are forwards Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix. Impressive freshman guard Branden Dawson saw his season end after tearing an ACL in early March; his return will be tentative throughout the year. The good news? Tom Izzo beat out Indiana and Purdue to land the No. 2-ranked shooting guard in the class, Gary Harris, and will add three top-100 players (power forwards Kenny Kaminski and Matt Costello and small forward Denzel Valentine) to a team positively brimming with big, tough, athletic players. If the Spartans can do without Green -- and that's a valid question, given how much he meant to this program -- and rebound the ball at a similar rate as in 2012, they're legitimate Big Ten contenders, too.

Then there are the usual suspects: Wisconsin is Wisconsin, and Bo Ryan still hasn't finished worse than fourth place, or missed the NCAA tournament, in any season of his 11 seasons at the school. Minnesota will get Trevor Mbakwe, one of the nation's most bruising power forwards (now on his sixth-year medical redshirt season), back from last year's season-ending ACL injury. Purdue coach Matt Painter will bring in three top-100 players (center A.J. Hammons, shooting guard Rapheal Davis and point guard Ronnie Johnson, all three of whom hail from Indiana), an influx of size and young talent to build around. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery hauled in his best recruiting class, including Iowa native Adam Woodbury, the No. 10-ranked center in 2012. Northwestern has Drew Crawford and a spate of solid guards to put around senior transfer Jared Swopshire, an athletic former Louisville forward who could be a perfect fit for Bill Carmody's Princeton system.

You get the idea. Not all of these teams will contend for the Big Ten regular-season title. But most of them will. At the very least, the conference is sure to have a deep spate of teams determined to make any path to the Big Ten crown less a sprint than a drawn-out, physical scrum. Remember when Kentucky went undefeated in its league, with a massive efficiency margin to boot? Yeah. That ain't happenin' here.

Indiana is the favorite, and an obvious pick to get to the Final Four, and for good reason. But before the Hoosiers can turn their attention to the glories of March, they'll have to test their mettle for months on a twice-weekly basis against the best league in the country. That can be a good thing, or a bad one. It can be galvanizing experience, or a humbling one. Either way, nothing will come easy.