ESPN Men's Basketball

1. Arizona State's Jahii Carson would have been one of the top point guards at the NBA pre-draft combine in Chicago last week. Instead, Carson, who is a second-year freshman after being ineligible in his first season, is returning to school and will be one of a handful of preseason candidates for Pac-12 player of the year. The Sun Devils are already thinking of ways to push the tempo and prepare Carson for a jump to the league. Newly named associate head coach Eric Musselman said the Sun Devils have already been practicing with a 24-second shot clock and put only one 3-point line down on the court -- the NBA distance. "We're going to play faster next season,'' said Musselman. He added the NBA 3-point line is to get the players comfortable with the deep distance. The Sun Devils, though, have some holes with the abrupt departure of shooting guard Evan Gordon, who transferred to Indiana, and the known exit of senior forward Carrick Felix. The Sun Devils finished 9-9 in the Pac-12 but went to the NIT. ASU is trying to be innovative and certainly more interesting next season as a possible NCAA team that shoots with confidence from range and plays at a quick clip to get more possessions.

2. Murray State coach Steve Prohm was in Chicago at the pre-draft combine to watch Isaiah Canaan, his veteran point guard who is sure to be a first-round lock and has the potential to be the next Damian Lillard -- a lower-profile school gem who stars in the league. But Prohm said he has a replacement set -- Zay Jackson. The suspended guard is cleared to join the Racers and be the starting point guard next season. Jackson served 49 days in jail after hitting a man with his car in a Walmart parking lot on Sept. 10. Prohm said Jackson practiced with the team once he was released from jail. He said there wasn't a judicial review board and that the decision for Jackson to come back was made by the athletic department. Prohm said Jackson had a 2.75 grade-point average and has not been an issue since he returned. The Racers will have depth at the position with the eligibility in December of Clemson transfer T.J. Sapp. Prohm isn't pushing the schedule in this transition year and will simply play 29 games without a tournament.

3. Missouri has another solid schedule to sell with nonconference games against Illinois (St. Louis), UCLA, at NC State, West Virginia in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge and Long Beach State. They are also in a tournament in Las Vegas where Missouri has been promised, according to Haith, since it wouldn't face UCLA because the Bruins and Tigers are already scheduled. The other two teams are Nevada and Northwestern. If this were the case then the Las Vegas Invitational can easily manage this by having UCLA and Missouri play Northwestern and Nevada, just alternating.

1. Texas lost 18 games last season. The Longhorns won seven in the Big 12 and were shut out of the NCAA tournament for the first time since head coach Rick Barnes arrived in 1998. Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis were third and fourth, respectively, on the team last season in turnovers with a combined 112 and are both transferring. Jaylen Bond, who battled a foot problem for most of the season, also left. According to a source, the decisions weren’t solely the players'. Should Texas be worried that these three, as well as NBA-draft-bound guard Myck Kabongo (23-game amateurism suspension), are out of the program? If last season’s freshmen class is on board with the way Barnes wants to play, the answer is no. Ioannis Papapetrou, Javan Felix, Connor Lammert, Demarcus Holland, Prince Ibeh and Jonathan Holmes will be the core of next season’s team. Holland clearly likes the idea of what remains in Austin. He tweeted after a workout on April 30: “Honestly never loved a team like I do now. Feels great when you can get it in, say family on three, and really feel like brothers. #Horns.’’ At the time, Bond, McClellan and Kabongo were all gone. Barnes told his staff that he wants to get back to the teams he has had in the past, with players who will play with toughness and display the passion for winning. According to someone close to the program, despite the defections, the staff has looked at this spring as one of its best in terms of player development. The Longhorns also brought in four newcomers for next season. Texas will be picked in the lower half of the league, below Kansas, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas State. The onus is on this crew, led by someone like Holland, to propel Texas back to its rightful place in the Big 12, in competition behind Kansas. If these departures are addition by subtraction, Barnes will know early on. If not, next season could seem like a dog year.

2. Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said there were logistical issues that could not be worked out for the proposed Dec. 7 game against Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., to honor former Spartans coach and Spokane resident Jud Heathcote. So the game is off -- along with the proposed undercard of Washington State versus Montana. Wazzu coach Ken Bone said Idaho had been willing to move a date for the Cougars, but now that is unnecessary. Meanwhile, an SEC official said the league didn’t have criteria for not including Georgia, LSU, Arkansas and Tennessee in the inaugural SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Scheduling conflicts and the need to balance the series were why those four schools were omitted in a challenge between a 14-team SEC and a 10-team Big 12. Still, organizers probably could have tried to get star-laden Oklahoma State a higher-profile game than hosting rebuilding South Carolina.

3. Gonzaga coach Mark Few said being away from his family was the reason he is stepping aside from coaching the U.S. under-19 team with Florida’s Billy Donovan and Virginia Commonwealth's Shaka Smart in the world championships June 27-July 7 in Prague. Along with the practice sessions, it becomes nearly a month's commitment. The three coaches won gold a year ago in Brazil with the under-18 squad. Virginia coach Tony Bennett will take Few’s spot on the staff. In an event taking place July 6-17 in Kazan, Russia, Davidson’s Bob McKillop, Michigan’s John Beilein and South Carolina’s Frank Martin will coach the U.S. team at the World University Games. Meanwhile, Iowa State’s Melvin Ejim is diversifying his international basketball career. Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg said Ejim will play for Canada this summer after playing for Nigeria a year ago. Hoiberg said Ejim has dual citizenship from the two nations.

On Tuesday afternoon, UNLV forward Mike Moser made Oregon coach Dana Altman so happy the coach couldn't contain his beverage:

"He said he spilled his coffee all over himself," Moser told the Oregonian. "He was really excited."

Why all the excitement and/or dangerous coffee burns? Because when Moser called, it was to let Altman know that he had chosen the Ducks as his final collegiate destination for 2013-14, when he will play his senior season of eligibility as a graduate student. Moser had been considering Washington and Gonzaga, but ultimately he wanted to be as close to home as possible. Fun fact: Oregon is Moser's homestate. So that worked out!

The question, of course, is whether it will work for Oregon. Moser was a highly sought-after graduate exemption chip this offseason, no thanks to his 2012-13 season. Two years ago, as a sophomore, Moser was a beast, an athletic and versatile power forward who dominated the glass for the Runnin' Rebels. Even better, Moser's body and skill set looked ready to blossom; he was almost too easy to imagine as an NBA small forward. He was the prototype.

The only problem? He's not a college small forward, at least not yet. Last season, as he moved more to the perimeter, his averages dropped from 14.0 points to 7.1, from 10.5 rebounds per game to 6.1. It was ugly stuff, but it was the work of a player lost in an attempt to revolutionize himself in the midst of a college basketball season. That 14.0 and 10.5 line didn't vanish into thin air. It's still in there.

It will be Altman's job to extract it once more. Moser has the ability to be not only a great rebounder but an immense defender, not dissimilar in size and physical ability to last year's hugely important transfer (and possibly Bill Walton's favorite player), forward Arsalan Kazemi. Kazemi is gone but a solid, young group remains, and Moser -- if he is at his best in his hometown -- could be a lynchpin.

1. Oregon is now one-year U. The Ducks under Dana Altman have made a habit of finding players for one season who can make an impact. UNLV's Mike Moser is the latest to choose Oregon in this situation, picking the Ducks over Washington and Gonzaga. Moser, who will be at his third school in his college career after starting out at UCLA, follows Devoe Joseph (Minnesota), Olu Ashaolu (Louisiana Tech) and Arsalan Kazemi (Rice), who all flourished in their one season in Eugene. Adding transfers with more than one year left is also fair game -- the Ducks have taken in Wake Forest's Tony Woods. But credit the Oregon staff, led by Altman, for filling needs. The Ducks have needed mostly big men as their young guards develop; losing E.J. Singler and Kazemi off last season's NCAA team left a glaring opening for a rebounder and a potential inside scorer. If Moser can return to being one of the best on the boards in the country, as he was two seasons ago (an elbow injury slowed him this past season), the Ducks will have the complement needed to young guards Dominic Artis and Damyean Dotson. Meanwhile, Memphis' Tarik Black was on campus Tuesday and will leave Wednesday for visits to Georgetown, Kansas and Duke, according to a source with direct knowledge -- so the Ducks could add even more to the stable of one-year transfers. As one assistant coach who has recruited these type of players said, the one-year player at the end of his college career is in high demand because he can make more of an impact than an average freshman.

2. The NCAA rules committee, men's basketball tournament selection committee and the National Association of Basketball Coaches board met Tuesday in Indianapolis as one group to discuss the NCAA tournament and any potential rules changes. The rules committee should have a decision on any changes sometime Thursday. NCAA vice president Dan Gavitt and West Coast Conference commissioner Jamie Zaninovich, who is on the selection committee, were both present; according to sources, neither has shown signs that his selection as the next commissioner of the new Big East is imminent -- though sources said the new league's presidents are close to a decision. If that is the case and it's not Gavitt, a former Big East associate commissioner, or Zaninovich, a favorite of many in the league, it could be someone from outside the league. That list is broad but could include Tim Brosnan, a Major League Baseball executive. Someone like Brosnan would make sense considering that the new Big East has partnered with Fox, which has a strong relationship with MLB. A few administrators would prefer a strong person in the NCAA membership who has already been a commissioner. But the new Big East presidents -- who also selected former CBS executive Mike Aresco as commissioner of the old Big East, now the American Conference -- were looking for someone with strong television connections. The new Big East needs to get a commissioner soon, with the clock ticking toward fall sports starting and an office, championships, bylaws, scheduling and compliance still to be determined.

3. Next week's NBA draft combine in Chicago could be one of the most intriguing camps because of the parity in the draft and the unknowns beyond some of the top players. The injuries to Nerlens Noel, Anthony Bennett and Alex Len mean there are even more questions than answers heading into the event. There is hardly a consensus beyond the top three of Noel, Bennett and Ben McLemore. Team workouts will be even more important for so many players who could play their way not just into the first round but into the late lottery. This will be even more of a need draft for teams picking after the top five and looking for a specific position. Which player is the best available will be highly debatable since you could ask 10 people at a given spot and receive 10 different answers.

Fred Hoiberg is not the only coach who’s guiding his alma mater.

But few, if any, boast the connection that Hoiberg has to Iowa State.

He was born in Ames. He walked to Cyclones games when he was a kid. His father worked for the university.

So when it was time to pick a school, the multi-sport standout chose to stay home and star for his hometown team.

That’s why they now call him “The Mayor.”

But his success with the Cyclones has made him one of the most coveted coaches on the college circuit. And he just turned 40.

The Cyclones tried to keep schools away with the 10-year, $20 million contract he signed last month. That contract reportedly contains a $2 million buyout clause. Terms were unveiled on Tuesday.

From ESPN.com:

Hoiberg agreed to a new 10-year, $20 million deal in March after leading Iowa State to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.

Hoiberg would essentially owe a year's salary to Iowa State if he leaves for another school. Hoiberg's buyout will be just $500,000 if he accepts a job as a head coach or general manager in the NBA.

Hoiberg also receives $250,000 for reaching the Final Four and $100,000 for winning or tying for the Big 12 regular season title.

Any college program that wants Hoiberg will be forced to pay. That’s a lot of money on the surface.

But in big-time college athletics, it’s not an insurmountable amount for any team that really wants Hoiberg.

And if he continues to succeed with his current program, other schools will continue to call.

His new contract, however, suggests that he’s prepared to stay in Ames for a long time … unless the NBA calls.

Hoiberg could ultimately turn pro.

During our conversation in Ames a few months ago, he mentioned that he initially thought he’d begin his career in the NBA.

And I honestly believe that’s his next step. The buyout might deter college teams, but the NBA -- he was an executive with the Minnesota Timberwolves after he retired in 2006 due to a heart condition -- could be his final destination.

I think Hoiberg is one of the top young head coaches in America. He’s led the Cyclones to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. And he’s enhanced the program’s recruiting pool.

But he’s an NBA coach or executive.

Maybe not in the near future. I think he will end his career there, though.

The $500,000 sum -- if he leaves to join an NBA franchise -- is peanuts for the billionaires who run the NBA.

That’s just the truth.

Any program needs the stability Hoiberg has given Iowa State.

On Tuesday, Washington announced that former Iowa State assistant and associate head coach T.J. Otzelberger had left the program for an assistant position with the Huskies. That’s a big loss for the Cyclones.

This, however, is not a fractured program. Hoiberg has created a culture of consistency and continuity in Ames. That’s why the Cyclones offered him a long-term deal. That’s why folks avoid panic when a top assistant takes another job -- at least, they shouldn’t panic with a solid program.

But I don’t believe the door is closed on a Hoiberg departure.

Now, I don’t think Hoiberg would bolt -- at the collegiate level -- for just any school. I think the blue-chip programs might have a shot at him.

But that $2 million won’t stop them or their deep-pocketed boosters from pursuing him. And I don’t think it would stop Hoiberg if he had to come up with most or all of that money. He made millions in the NBA. And per friends, he’s an astute businessman (he owns multiple car dealerships).

When rumors connecting him to Minnesota percolated last month, I never thought he’d actually leave. And he didn’t.

Hoiberg will not leave Iowa State for any trivial reason or opportunity. When we talked, he said he loved the fact that his kids had both sets of grandparents in town. He has everything he wants and needs in Ames. No reason to leave right now.

It’s going to take a lot to make him consider a move.

That $2 million buyout, however, does not guarantee anything. It’s security for a fan base that wants him to stay forever.

The $500,000 payback if he takes an NBA gig? Meaningless amount of money if Hoiberg really wants a job at that level.

Perhaps he will stay in Ames forever.

But this is just the beginning of his coaching career. More offers may come.

And the right opportunity could end Hoiberg’s time in Ames, as unbelievable as that seems right now.

His contract buyout clauses suggest, however, that the opportunity would be at the pro level, not on another campus.

Editor's Note: This month, ESPN Insider's college basketball and recruiting experts are teaming up to examine how 15 of the nation's best recruiting classes will fit in with their teams in the 2013-14 season. Today's featured program: UCLA. Check out the Nation blog each morning for a corresponding post on the key returnee for each of the 15 teams.

Given the turmoil and turnover of the past two seasons, the damning exposés, the stylistic and disciplinary identity crises, the exodus of local talent, the constant recriminations from an angry, hungry fan base, the departure of a lottery pick with a fake birthday, the firing of coach Ben Howland this spring and the hiring of a controversial replacement (Steve Alford), it has been easy to forget one really important thing: UCLA is really talented.

Yes, Shabazz Muhammad will take his 20-year-old talents to the NBA, and point guard Larry Drew II's eligibility has expired. But other than that, the Bruins come back whole. That means a few things. It means twins Travis and David Wear, who have turned into reliable offensive players inside 18 feet, both return for their senior seasons. It means junior role player Norman Powell is back. And more than anything, it means the lion's share of 2012's No. 1-ranked recruiting class -- Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker -- are all in Westwood for their second season. This group may not have been able to save Howland's job in the matter of eight months, but it has a chance to build something longer lasting going forward.

And no one will be more important in this regard than Anderson.

Which is not to say he's the best. That would be Adams, who was easily UCLA's best player throughout 2012-13. That wasn't always a high bar to clear, particularly early in the season (when Muhammad was hurt and the Bruins looked clueless), but even late in the season, Adams remained the best and most efficient scorer on the squad. He was the only Bruin to finish the season with an offensive rating above 108; his 114.9 led the team. He shot 84 percent from the line, 54.3 percent from inside the arc and 30.7 percent from 3. He drew fouls (4.5 per 40 minutes), created steals (4.2 per 100 possessions) and posted the lowest turnover rate (10.3 percent) on the team.

In less numerical terms, Adams was good. Not perfect. Not without fluctuations. But good. And that was with Muhammad playing the same position and using 28.3 percent of UCLA's possessions. Expecting a similar effort from the Georgia native in his sophomore season -- more touches, more time in the gym this summer, and everything else that feeds into sophomore improvement -- is about as easy as expectations come. Dude's going to be good. Let's just bank that right now.

Parker is much more of a question. He had a tough time cracking the lineup in 2012-13, mostly because Howland devoted himself to a smaller, faster lineup, with Anderson as a point forward and the Wears as undersized forwards, which allowed him to keep Drew on the floor to play that adopted, spread up-tempo style. Parker should be in line for more minutes in general, especially if Alford -- who last cracked KenPom's adjusted tempo top-100 at Iowa in 2004 -- presses the brakes. The verdict remains decidedly out. If Parker shows up, great. If not, it's survivable.

Anderson, on the other hand, is pivotal.

It's easy to forget that Anderson was every bit as important to UCLA's class as Muhammad was supposed to be. He was the fifth-ranked player in the class of 2012 and one of the most unique and intriguing talents in years. At 6-foot-9, he is a walking matchup nightmare with the size to put smaller defenders under the rim and the guard skills to run the show from the top of the key. He's a great passer, a capable rebounder and shot-blocker on the defensive end, and those long arms constantly, almost unintentionally invade passing lanes.

But in 2012-13, as interesting as all of this was, those discrete skills failed to congeal into a greater whole. In high school, Anderson earned the nickname "Slow-Mo," and when he was going 65-0 in two years at St. Anthony's it was (obviously) a compliment -- an ode to Anderson's slow-but-steady, old-school style. It's a fun style to watch in the modern college game, but there were plenty of times when Anderson's lack of speed seemed to hold him back. That, in turn, fed into the overall downsides of being a "tweener." Anderson's role in a fluid lineup was never really clear. His weaknesses often overrode his strengths; it's a lot harder to carve up a defense when everyone knows you shoot 21.1 percent from 3. His lack of sheer quickness and foot speed reduced his advantages as a guard and allowed regular forwards to guard him straight up. He was a man without a country.

It doesn't have to be that way. For one, most freshmen struggle to some degree. For another, Anderson's skills, if utilized properly, are a major asset. He shouldn't always play point guard -- and UCLA will be able to try out 11th-ranked incoming point guard Zach LaVine at that spot -- nor should he never play it. There has to be a balance, and the balance has to recognize what Anderson does well. But even if Anderson did nothing else on the floor, having a player of his size to whip smart extra passes around the court is a coach's dream. He can link everything up. With weapons around him, Adams in particular, Anderson can be the lynchpin in a smooth, smart, easy offense.

He also has to develop those skills. If you're going to play on the perimeter, you have to be a credible shooter. If you're going to play point guard, you have to be the best ball handler on the floor. If you're going to play down low, you have to be strong enough to battle with guys who do that full time. And if you don't commit to any or all of those things -- if you don't transcend the limitations, and treat your weaknesses like David Byrne -- you end up stuck on Tweener Island. Nobody wants to get stuck there.

For all of the mess at UCLA in the past two years, Howland's parting gift was a recruiting class that lasted longer than one quick-fix season. So, yes, there is a ton of talent here. Adams should be the star of the team. Parker is incredibly intriguing. There are solid role pieces to pull from, the Wears chief among them. But no one Bruin's trajectory will be more interesting to watch, and no returning player will be more important to UCLA next season, than Slow-Mo.

1. Colorado didn't burn any bridges when it left the Big 12 and the Buffaloes are taking advantage of the relationships to schedule quality nonconference games for a team that should make the NCAA tournament in 2014. The Buffaloes already get Kansas in the return game of a home-and-home series with their former Big 12 rival. Colorado coach Tad Boyle then searched for an opponent to play at the MGM Grand -- site of the Pac-12 tournament -- on Dec. 20. Boyle locked in Oklahoma State, a team likely to be picked to win the Big 12. The Buffaloes now have the potential to have two top 10-15 nonconference games by scheduling KU and OSU. The Buffs already had scheduled Front Range games against Wyoming at home and Colorado State and Air Force on the road -- both extremely difficult stops. Boyle said he's trying to add one more neutral site game and one more home-and-home series as well as two other guaranteed games. Meanwhile, the Buffs, who lost Andre Roberson early to the NBA draft, are getting great reviews on incoming freshmen Jaron Hopkins and Dustin Thomas.

2. Oregon is getting creative with its schedule for a team that should be, like Colorado, in the upper half of the Pac-12 in 2014. Oregon coach Dana Altman said the Ducks have signed up with a new home-and-home series with Ole Miss, starting in Oxford. That game should have some sensational guards with Ole Miss' Marshall Henderson and the Ducks' backcourt of Dominic Artis and Damyean Dotson. Oregon is also playing Illinois in the Rose Garden in Portland with a return game the following season at the United Center in Chicago. BYU is also coming to Eugene. This schedule gives the Ducks bubble teams to start the season. The Ducks' willingness to go to Oxford should be applauded since few teams look to play the Rebels at home. This is a win-win for both schools.

3. An attorney who specializes in NCAA cases said late Monday night that it would be impossible for any school to influence and/or police the behavior of an extended family or coach of a student athlete. The school is supposed to promote compliance to the player and his immediate family. But the Ben McLemore case is an example of how hard it would be to check on whether a third-party is profiting to steer a client to an agent without the player coming forward that he was on the take, too. But having the NCAA investigate is still never a good sign because they can find information relative to the case that can spur other issues. "You never want the enforcement staff to look at you,'' said the attorney. "But this isn't a case of a recruiting violation. It's hard to say in this case that Kansas should be expected to police and monitor the actors in this case.''

Editor's Note: This month, ESPN Insider's college basketball and recruiting experts are teaming up to examine how 15 of the nation's best recruiting classes will fit in with their teams in the 2013-14 season. Today's featured program: Arizona. Check out the Nation blog each morning for a corresponding post on the key returnee for each of the 15 teams.

It all makes sense now.

That rebuilding project that Sean Miller began to concoct upon his arrival has materialized. His 2013-14 roster is stud-filled.

Yes, it’s necessary to hype Kentucky, Louisville and Michigan State as the upcoming season approaches. But don’t forget about Arizona. Seriously.

The Wildcats lost leaders Solomon Hill, Kevin Parrom and Mark Lyons. Angelo Chol decided to transfer. And Grant Jerrett turned pro. (Don’t try to explain the latter.)

So Miller’s program will rely on youth next season. But a multitude of programs will face the same circumstances. So the Wildcats will not be alone.

With Aaron Gordon and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a pair of five-star recruits per RecruitingNation, anchoring Miller’s incoming class, and Brandon Ashley, Nick Johnson and Kaleb Tarczewski all back for the Wildcats, they should enter the year as the Pac-12 favorites.

That’s a lot of returning talent. The most important returnee for Miller, however, is Tarczewski.

He arrived with an assortment of accolades. He was ranked fourth overall in the 2012 recruiting class by RecruitingNation. And long before he’d reached the Tucson campus, many pegged the seven-footer as a one-and-done prospect.

But, Tarczewski struggled in his first season. Most big men do.

He shot just 63.3 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 1.5 turnovers per game and 0.7 blocks per game. His 3.18 block rate (KenPom.com) fell short of expectations, too.

Plus, he fouled out six times, even though he averaged 22.0 minutes per game.

Still, there were flashes of what we could see in the future throughout the 2012-13 campaign. He finished much better than he started.

But who will Tarczewski be in 2013-14?

The answer to that question will impact Arizona’s entire season.

He has to score more. He has to be tougher. He has to be a better defender. And he has to do that while avoiding foul trouble as teams attack him inside.

It’s time for Tarczewski to justify the hype and prove the prognosticators right.

This is a critical offseason for the program and the sophomore, who has the tools to blossom in his second season.

Arizona is stacked.

Gordon, in normal years, would be the undisputed No. 1 recruit in America. He’s a tremendous specimen with power, finesse, length and elite athleticism. Ashley could have a breakout season. Johnson is ready to lead the program. And Duquesne transfer T.J. McConnell (11.4 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.8 SPG in 2011-12) is a true point guard who will be prepared to step in immediately.

But Tarczewski could be the difference between an Arizona squad that wins a few games in the postseason and an Arizona team that reaches Arlington, Texas, for the Final Four.

Consider recent history for a moment.

Gorgui Dieng was a critical piece for Louisville’s national title run. Trey Burke was a warrior for the Wolverines, but they wouldn’t have reached the national championship without Mitch McGary. Jeff Withey helped Kansas earn a trip to the Final Four in 2012, the same year that young big Anthony Davis elevated Kentucky to another national title.

We often fail to realize the significance of fluid big men until they become separating factors in the NCAA tournament. Now, you can’t win with good bigs alone. But they’ve been x-factors for multiple Final Four teams, especially on defense.

Arizona was ranked 32^nd in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom.com. That’s solid. But national champions are usually ranked higher (Louisville was ranked first in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom.com last season).

Tarczewski could help the young Wildcats evolve into an advanced defensive squad next season. He has to use his size to alter and block shots and force opponents to avoid the paint. He’s capable of that.

I’m not suggesting that next season’s success rests on Tarczewski’s shoulders alone, and I don’t expect him to become Dikembe Mutombo. But I can’t see the Wildcats reaching their ceiling unless he enhances his game and matures into a more consistent contributor for Miller’s program.

Arizona has enough talent right now to compete with any team in the country. To truly make a push for the national title, however, they’ll need their seven-footer to play up to his potential in 2013-14.

1. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said Thursday on our ESPNU College Basketball podcast that underclassmen should be able to work out for NBA teams before making a decision on whether to remain in the draft. That was the rule before the change by the NCAA in 2009. Izzo saw forward Adreian Payne take his time before opting to return to East Lansing. Izzo is a proponent of one date instead of the two current ones -- the NCAA's arbitrary one, with nothing binding, a week after the Final Four and the NBA's real deadline on the last Sunday in April. "I've never seen so much confusion,'' Izzo said. Izzo was also agreed with the point that if NBA teams paid for the workouts, it would alleviate one of the concerns the NCAA has had about extra benefits for draft hopefuls.

2. Izzo also said Michigan State and Gonzaga are trying to finalize a game at Spokane (Wash.) Arena on Dec. 7 to honor the life of former Michigan State coach and current Spokane resident Jud Heathcote. Heathcote attends Gonzaga games when he is able. Izzo said the plan was to have a doubleheader involving the four schools Heathcote coached or has a strong affinity for: Michigan State, Gonzaga, Washington State and Montana. Montana coach Wayne Tinkle said he'd love to do it, but Washington State coach Ken Bone said he has a scheduling conflict.

3. The NCAA Board of Directors officially recognized and ratified the new Big East Conference and the name change of the old Big East to the American Athletic Conference. That means the NCAA tournament will officially have 32 automatic berths in 2014 and 36 at-large berths. It also means that everyone had better get used to the American conference because unless significant expansion occurs again, the American is here to stay.

1. Wisconsin-Green Bay spokesperson Christopher Sampson said Tuesday that the lesson the school learned from the Rutgers case when there are allegations of mistreatment against a coach is that the story goes national. But UWGB has already done something Rutgers didn't and should have immediately -- take the investigation out of the school's hands. When the results are in from the independent investigation, led by a local attorney, then it will be much harder to refute the results if everyone involved has cooperated in talking to the investigator and all evidence has been examined. Rutgers made the major mistake of only examining the charges within Rutgers last fall. The penalties -- if there are any -- should be decided by the president and athletic director. But to put the parents at ease of a fair investigation by using a third party, the issue has a chance to be treated appropriately. This will also help coach Brian Wardle if he is exonerated since it would come from a third party without any agenda to either save or hurt his job status.

2. The Lance Thomas case involving how the former Duke player received a loan to purchase jewelry while a senior in 2009-10 had no chance with the NCAA when the key people involved -- Thomas and a jeweler -- decided not to talk to the NCAA. This has always been the issue with the NCAA. The only people who are "forced" to talk to them are those who still are employed by an NCAA institution and players who still have eligibility remaining. In this case, having a third party of an experienced attorney or professional investigator may not have mattered, either, since Thomas and the jeweler wouldn't have been under any legal obligation to talk. Still, it would have helped perception for the NCAA if the attempt was made by an independent body. If the NCAA is going to regain its credibility, then using a third party, out of NCAA headquarters, to conduct investigations might make more sense. There is a larger extra benefit issue here at stake that may need to be addressed of whether or not it's OK for players to be treated differently in securing loans or product because of who they are as long as everything is done legally. This is an ongoing fluid topic about whether or not an athlete can be treated differently for what they do for the university.

3. The new American Athletic Conference is close to securing the Mohegan Sun Casino arena, home to the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, for the women's basketball tournament in 2014. But the American Athletic Conference isn't interested apparently in making it a home for the men's tournament. Instead, sites like the XL Center in Hartford, FedEx Forum in Memphis and facilities in Cincinnati, Tampa and the Palestra in Philadelphia are being considered. Bids are being accepted and a decision is forthcoming in the coming weeks. UConn athletic director Warde Manuel said the 9,000 seats would probably be too small for the men's event in the hope that it could grow beyond that at a place like the XL Center. But the new conference needs a destination site and the Mohegan Sun could offer that for fans, akin to those who go to Las Vegas sites at the MGM for the Pac-12 and the Orleans Arena for the WCC. The American Athletic Conference needs to make the right call here in the hope that this tournament can grow. It will have the advantage of Louisville fans flooding the site for 2014, but then won't have the Cardinal faithful in 2015 and beyond. So making a long-term choice that will be a destination for fans is critical.

Decisions, decisions. The official NCAA draft deadline is just so NCAA, isn't it?

Two years ago, when the organization made its NBA draft withdrawal deadline almost comically early, it did so to appease coaches who proposed they shouldn't have to spend the spring signing period wondering whether their former star player was going to be former or not. They wanted to know right away.

So the NCAA moved its deadline up to abut the spring signing period, and prospects who used to have months to gather as much information as possible in advance of their life-changing professional decisions could just, you know, suck it up.

The only problem? The NCAA's early entry deadline means nothing. Instead of declaring for the draft and then withdrawing in a week's time, many prospects have essentially ignored the NCAA deadline altogether, staying quiet until the NBA's declaration deadline -- the one that matters, on April 28 -- forces their hands. Their ability to officially gather information (from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee, most notably) is lessened, but they do get a bit more time to mull their personal stakes, stare at Internet draft boards, see what their coach is hearing and, sure, work a few back channels, too.

Click here for the rest of Eamonn Brennan's story.

1. A number of college stars still have major decisions to make this week on their NBA draft plans and, according to either coaches or family members, the decisions are down to 50-50 for Miami's Shane Larkin, Michigan State's Adreian Payne, Creighton's Doug McDermott, Louisville's Russ Smith and Baylor's Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson. You can probably add Syracuse's C.J. Fair to this list of players still undecided as Sunday's NBA early-entry deadline looms. Miami and Creighton desperately need their All-Americans to return. If the Baylor players decide to stay, the Bears could be the third-best team in the Big 12. If they do not, Baylor might be lucky to be in the NIT.

2. The one-and-done rule gets all the headlines, but the number of transfers is what is stunting team growth and winning with consistency in a number of spots. Alabama had a chance to be a top-four SEC team, but that became much more difficult with the decision of Trevor Lacey to transfer. Tony Chennault wasn't a major contributor for Villanova after transferring from Wake Forest -- but he's on the move again in search of more playing time, while possibly sacrificing a chance to win. Players transfer for a host of reasons. But impatience is usually high on the list.

3. Pac-12 officials meets next week in Phoenix and, according to the league office, commissioner Larry Scott might not address the Ed Rush resignation in any great detail, nor will he get into the tension between the league and Arizona over the $25,000 fine levied against head coach Sean Miller. The league office contends that the Miller fine had nothing to do with the "jokes" Rush made at an officials meeting in which incentives were said to be offered for calling a technical against Miller; Rush has said he was joking, but wanted officials to enforce the rules on the court and in bench decorum. The league is conducting an internal investigation into the incident and how it was handled; a finding is due in June. Arizona wants Miller's fine rescinded, but there has been no indication that will occur.

MINNETONKA, Minn. -- On Saturday afternoon, Bo Ryan sat with his peers on the baseline of a gymnasium in the Minneapolis suburbs and reflected on the changes in recruiting he has witnessed in recent years.

They've all come in bursts.

In the 1970s, he'd contact highly touted recruits on Sunday night. That was the best day to catch them at home, he said. Ryan, then an assistant under Bill Cofield, drove to the basketball offices, because long-distance phone calls were too expensive to make from home.

He employed the same strategy each weekend, too. He would track down a top recruit and then filibuster the conversation so that his rivals couldn't get to him.

"The key was getting the kid on the phone on a Sunday night and never letting him off, because there was no call waiting and every other coach that was calling him kept getting a busy signal," Ryan said. "It's changed an awful lot."

The young players he tracked at the NY2LA grassroots tournament over the weekend, however, are far more accessible now -- an about-face attributed to modern technology and recent rule changes. Last summer, the NCAA gave college basketball coaches the green light to call, text and message (via social media) -- without limitation -- all prospects who've completed their sophomore year in high school.

The change would create chaos, critics feared. What if coaches bombard kids with text messages all day and night? What if the athletes can't focus in school because they're too busy communicating with coaches?

Click here for the rest of Myron Medcalf's story.

UCLA fans have a lot on their psychological platters right now. Not only are they doing their best to forget the last four years of Ben Howland's tenure, they must also wrestle with what it means that a coach run out of Iowa in the same spring UCLA went to its second of three-straight Final Fours was just appointed as Howland's replacement. So my apologies, Bruins fans. I don't mean to pile on, but I would like to recount my favorite Howland story of the past season.

On Saturday, March 2, after UCLA completed a season sweep of Arizona, Howland made a startling blatantly obvious statement: Freshman guard Shabazz Muhammad had just played his final game in Pauley Pavilion:

"That was his last game in Pauley, no doubt about it," Howland said. "I'm very much a realist now. I knew going into this deal that this was a one-year deal, and it should be. He's a lottery pick. He's a top-five pick. When you have that going for you, it is absolutely the right thing."

Pretty straightforward stuff, right? Howland knew the deal when he signed Muhammad, whether he knew Muhammad's father, Ron Holmes, had shaved a year off his son's real age or not: After eight months, the kid was gone. Holmes had spent the better part of a decade grooming his son for NBA riches. Of course he was going to leave for the NBA at the first possible moment. And there's nothing wrong with that! Let's just be real about it.

But for some strange reason I still can't fathom, Howland's startling blatantly obvious statement about Muhammad's draft decision generated at least some minor local controversy. When asked, Muhammad handled it well. "I never said I'm not coming back even though I know I'm in a pretty good position draft-wise," he said. "But I'm looking at our team next year and we could be really good. I'm just worried about this season right now and whether I want to come back or not -- that'll be after the season." Within a couple of days, it got to the point where Howland actually had to apologize at his next news conference, if less out of necessity than optical preference:

"I'm sorry that I even -- I'm sometimes too honest because it would have been better to have answered that question differently the other day because I've never discussed it with Shabazz," Howland said. "It's just kind of obvious when a kid is a lottery pick that they're going to be going to the NBA in this day and age."

But, but ... wait! He might come back! Don't make the decision for him, Ben! Let kids be kids! Loud noises!

From the Associated Press today:

The Pac-12 co-freshman of the year on Tuesday announced the news that had been expected since he arrived in Westwood: He's leaving to enter the NBA draft.

And ... fin.

On Wednesday, Eamonn Brennan identified some of the offseason’s biggest storylines to follow. As we start the countdown to Midnight Madness, a few of his colleagues examine some other offseason questions:

John Gasaway: How many major conferences are there anyway? We've been used to answering that question with “six” for a few years now, but there's nothing set in stone about that number. Certainly the league that we'll be calling the Big East next season -- with "the Catholic 7," plus Butler, Creighton, and Xavier -- will be worthy of the "major" label. But what about the remaining teams from the current Big East, or what next season will be called the American Athletic Conference? Here's the 2013-14 AAC basketball membership as we know it today: Louisville, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Memphis, Temple, South Florida, Rutgers, Houston, SMU and UCF. Then, after 2013-14, Louisville and Rutgers will depart for the ACC and Big Ten, respectively, and the AAC will add Tulsa, East Carolina and Tulane. Is that a major conference? To paraphrase a U.S. Supreme Court justice on a somewhat different topic, I can't define a major conference, but I know one when I see one. We'll have to see these new configurations in action before we know what, if anything, has been done to the number of major conferences.

Andy Katz: What will happen with officiating? There is now a legitimate crisis in the profession with the "forced" resignation of Ed Rush in the Pac-12 and the decision not to renew the contract of Gerald Boudreaux in the SEC. The Final Four crews were made up of veterans and there were as many complaints about officiating as I can remember at that event. The rules committee will look at trying to create more fluidity of movement and work on the elbow rule. Replay may come into play for the final minute of the half and of the game for any major game/score-related decisions (out of bounds, scoring, fouls). Yet the officiating -- which is an incredibly difficult job with extreme pressure -- has to improve. Officials were pounded by bad PR this season and need to get ahead of this -- not with words, but action. Coaches need to behave, too. Coaches get away with far too much on the sideline, essentially ignoring the coaches' box and "working" officials to an extreme. Stop the chirping and just coach your team. This is an issue that must be addressed in the offseason with one set of rules that everyone can abide by, whether the games are in November or April.

Jason King: The Big Ten was far and away the nation's best conference in 2012-13. But where will the league rank next season? A weak NBA draft could cause as many as four of Michigan's top players to leave school early. Ohio State star Deshaun Thomas already has declared for the draft, as has Indiana's Victor Oladipo. Hoosiers center Cody Zeller is expected to follow suit. NCAA tournament teams Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota all lose key seniors. Don't get me wrong: I’m not predicting that the conference will be down in the same fashion that the SEC was last season or that the Big 12 likely will be in 2013-14. I just don't think it will have the dominant feel that it did this past season, when seven teams earned bids, four made the Sweet 16, two were in the Elite Eight and one advanced to the NCAA title game. The Big Ten hasn't had an NCAA champion since 2000. This past season was supposed to be the time to end that drought, and it didn't happen. I don't like the Big Ten's chances nearly as much next spring.

Myron Medcalf: My biggest offseason question is this: Will Mark Emmert finally get it? That combative news conference at the Final Four showcased the communication challenges that persist within the NCAA. The ruler of college sports -- in theory at least -- spends millions of dollars in its effort to convince the general public that it is all about the kids. Few buy it, however, because its repeated gaffes suggest otherwise. The botched Miami investigation only magnified the doubts about the NCAA’s capability to govern college athletics. But it’s not going anywhere. And reform is certainly necessary for college basketball on and off the court. We have to have a serious conversation about the loose structure that surrounds officiating crews. We need to discuss block-charge calls and instant replay, too. But the NCAA has to realize that now is not the time to get defensive. This offseason, Emmert has to do a better job of conveying messages that move beyond the sophisticated jargon that just jumbles the conversations we need to have. He can start by dropping his shield and recognizing that his organization has a serious public perception problem. Does he understand that?

Dana O’Neil: Will new blood bring new juice to Los Angeles? The argument against USC and UCLA is always the same -- there’s too much else going on in L.A. for the Trojans and the Bruins to own the spotlight. I’ve never bought it. The missing link for the two has been the 1-2 punch of sustained success and interest. Now is their chance for a reboot, with Andy Enfield and Steve Alford moving to town. The previously anonymous Enfield has the pretty wife and the “It” boy flavor while Alford has the name cache. Their first order of business, of course, will be selling their programs and pedigrees to recruits. Equally important, though, is selling themselves to the fan bases. USC has been a train wreck of a program for too long; UCLA has been a soap opera of a program for too long. It’s up to Enfield and Alford to reconnect with fans and alums to help get what ought to be two powerbrokers on the West Coast back into the race.

Robbi Pickeral: Will the ACC return to the Final Four? This marked the third straight season the league was shut out of college basketball’s final weekend -- the longest stretch since 1958-61. And the league will be looking for a few charter members, as well as possibly a new addition or two, to help push it back. Duke, despite losing three senior starters in Mason Plumlee, Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly, will be a conference favorite thanks to the additions of Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood and mega-recruit Jabari Parker. And if North Carolina starters James Michael McAdoo, Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston all return, as expected, the Tar Heels should be in the top 10 as well, especially if new guys Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks can add some oomph to the interior. Virginia could make things interesting in the conference. Boston College keeps growing up. And don’t forget about Syracuse, one of three new teams (along with Pittsburgh and Notre Dame) scheduled to join the ACC fray. The Orange, who lost in the national semifinals on Saturday, could make some early waves in their new league, especially if starters Michael Carter-Williams and C.J. Fair forgo the NBA.