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.

There are few things in life more fragile than reputation, and rarely is this more true than in the strange world of the NBA draft. It doesn't take much to scare away NBA scouts and general managers. Run-in with the law? Occasional marijuana use? The whiff of a bad attitude? These are men with tenuous jobs and just a few multimillion dollar contracts to hand out each season, and they want to be absolutely, positively sure the recipients of those contracts are not a locker room cancer waiting to happen. (Unless, of course, you possess the all-important "potential," in which case, "Hey, everyone makes mistakes! Come on down!")

New Mexico forward Drew Gordon, who entered the NBA draft this spring, knows this all too well. Unfortunately, thanks to his prominent role in Sports Illustrated writer George Dohrmann's February expose on UCLA -- which detailed the near-total breakdown of the program under coach Ben Howland thanks in large part to the insubordination of Gordon's No. 1-ranked 2008 recruiting class -- Gordon finds himself with an unflattering reputation in advance of the June 28 NBA draft.

Fortunately, Gordon, who had two excellent and incident-free seasons after transferring to New Mexico, seems to be approaching things the right way, as the San Jose Mercury News reports today:

Yet as he visits with NBA teams in advance of the June 28 draft, including the Warriors on Wednesday, questions will be asked about The Article.

"It will come up," said one prominent NBA scout. "Teams will be doing their background work to find out what the problem was there." That's OK with Gordon.

"Once people get a sense of my character and have a chance to see how I really act, they'll realize that the impression of that article is not accurate," he said. [...] "We were freshmen, and we weren't getting much playing time," Gordon said. "So we did take advantage of the college life and make some ill-advised decisions. But when I read that article, there was so much negativity there. It was hurtful."

Contrast that reaction with that of fellow former UCLA forward Reeves Nelson, who is reportedly filing a $10 million lawsuit against Dohrmann and SI for "recklessly and negligently fail[ing] to investigate" the claims made against Nelson in the story. (Among those claims: Nelson intentionally injured players in practice, relished in starting fights, urinated on teammate Tyler Honeycutt's clothes and bed, and treated assistants and program staffers with utter disdain, and that's before you get to the missed practices and team buses that led to Nelson's dismissal from the team last November. It's quite a highlight reel.)

Nelson may or may not have a legitimate grievance, and he is within his every right to aggressively respond to things said about him in a magazine story, but it's not hard to see why Gordon's response is the more appropriate one, at least professionally. For one, it reduces the drama and hot air around Gordon's draft stock (Chad Ford currently ranks him No. 59 overall). More than that, though, it allows Gordon to turn the page, to admit some mistakes, to chalk it up to youth, and to prove to his potential future employers that he should be judged not by his actions in 2008 and 2009 but by his performance at New Mexico the past two seasons.

Reputation is a fickle thing, but it's much harder to repair than it is to derail. Gordon has a legitimate and rare chance to do the former. If his NBA career is to live up to his once-deafening high school hype, he'd do well to seize it.

To go along with today's feature story on the return of the dominant shot-blockers, here’s my list of the nation’s best. If your favorite guy is missing from the list, let me know (@MedcalfByESPN or mmedcalf3030@gmail.com). But this is not just based on raw numbers. Efficiency is certainly a factor.

Could Nerlens Noel end up being the best swatter in college next season? Yes. In fact, probably. But it's hard to put him No. 1 five months before Midnight Madness.

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John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/MCT/Getty ImagesKansas' Jeff Withey had 31 blocks in last season's NCAA tournament, a new record.
1. Jeff Withey (Kansas): He finished the year No. 1 on Ken Pomeroy’s block-percentage chart (a rate determined by an opponent’s two-point attempts) and is the top returning shot-blocker entering the 2012-13 season, after a phenomenal Final Four that concluded with a record for blocks in a single NCAA tournament (31). With Withey inside, Kansas should remain on its Big 12 perch next season.
2. Gorgui Dieng (Louisville): Withey and Anthony Davis dominated the headlines in March. But Dieng (3.2 blocks per game), a 6-foot-11 sophomore from Senegal, was a very talented shot-blocker, too. He offered a sneak preview in New Orleans by blocking four shots in the national semifinals against Kentucky. Next season, however, he’ll be a star for a top-5 program.
3. Nerlens Noel (Kentucky): I’ve never seen a high school player dominate his peers the way Noel did during the Peach Jam AAU tournament last year. He’s a special talent. Anthony Davis claims Noel is the better shot-blocker between the two of them, and that’s not a crazy concept. It’s just scary for every team that’s scheduled to face Kentucky next season.
4. C.J. Aiken (St. Joseph’s): In a 10-point victory over No. 22 Temple in February, Aiken scored five points. But his five blocks were vital in that upset. You have to appreciate the fact that Aiken is still raw in many ways. I saw him live in Philly a few years ago and watched a bunch of St. Joe’s games this season. And I think he’s on the cusp of emerging on the national radar with his high-octane defense (3.5 blocks per game). Growing every year.
5. Isaiah Austin (Baylor): Another special talent. He’s so athletic and versatile that he played some point guard on the AAU circuit. Austin, a McDonald’s All-America center, averaged 5.0 blocks per game as a senior in high school. He’ll have a similar impact in the Big 12 next season, probably his only year as a collegiate player. His 7-foot-1 frame hasn’t filled out yet but his length and shot-blocking will be a problem for the rest of the conference.
6. Zeke Marshall (Akron): He’s an under-the-radar defensive force. But the MAC knows all about his shot-blocking skills. Mississippi State’s Arnett Moultrie had one of his worst games of the season against the Zips due to Marshall’s defense. The 7-footer blocked 2.9 shots per game. And he altered even more.
7. Rhamel Brown (Manhattan): Here’s why you have to love advanced statistics: Brown, a sophomore at Manhattan last season, averaged 2.4 blocks per game for the Jaspers. But he finished second behind Withey on Pomeroy’s block percentage rankings. He’s only 6-foot-6, but Brown disrupts offenses at a high level.
8. Steven Adams (Pittsburgh): Yes, another freshman on the list. Another guy who hasn’t competed in a collegiate game yet. But I think Davis’ success last season means these youngsters earn early credit on potential alone. This 7-footer has been a beast on the AAU and prep circuits. The standout from New Zealand also has international experience. So he’ll be a young veteran for a Pitt team that needs his physical presence inside. Adams has the athleticism to be a great shot-blocker at this level.
9. Hunter Mickelson (Arkansas): As a 6-foot-10 freshman on a lackluster Razorbacks squad, Mickelson averaged 2.3 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game. He’s an efficient defender who was fourth in the SEC in blocks per contest. And he finished fifth on Pomeroy’s block percentage chart. He’s still raw but the future seems bright for Mickelson.
10. Damian Eargle (Youngstown State): First, he has the best name on this board. But he’s an equally talented defender who squeezed 3.7 blocks out of his 6-foot-7 frame. Youngstown State struggled in most Horizon League stat categories but the squad led the conference in blocked shots thanks to Eargle, who was a junior last season.

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.
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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 …

Dave Telep and Paul Biancardi discuss why UCLA got the nod as the No. 1 recruiting class over Kentucky.

There is a lot riding on Jahii Carson.

The 5-foot-11 guard is the highest-ranked recruit of Arizona State coach Herb Sendek's recent tenure -- the highest since James Harden, at least -- but was unable to play last season after being ruled a non-qualifier by the NCAA. While he participated in practices and waited his turn, the Sun Devils were going through the worst season of Sendek's tenure, a 10-21 campaign highlighted (or lowlighted) by a 6-12 Pac-12 mark and the dismissal of guard Keala King for attitude issues. It was a forgettable year in Tempe, and that's about the nicest way one can put it.

Which is why Carson is such an important player for the Sun Devils this season. Carson is also a Phoenix native, a local kid and a high school hoops legend. As such, the pressure to perform isn't just about wins and losses -- it's also about validating the decision to stay in the Phoenix area and lead the struggling hometown program out of its current doldrums. In a candid interview with the Arizona Republic's Doug Haller, Carson admitted to being worried about the hometown setting for his college career -- worries he shares with Memphis guard Joe Jackson:

"When I played with USA Basketball (last summer) I was roommates with Joe Jackson. And he played at Memphis and he's from Memphis. And he was saying that when he had down games and he wasn't at his best, the city kind of turned on him. Like, 'It's Joe's fault. He should know what to do.' If Will Barton didn't hit the jump shot, it was Joe Jackson's fault. That's kind of what I'm afraid of. People just putting everything on my back. Putting everything on me. Expecting me to be prepared for every moment next year. Losing games. Winning games. Having off nights. Not seeing a teammate if he's open. ... Joe and I talked about that because he knew I was going to my home-town school. He said he had talked with Coach (Josh) Pastner beforehand about what he was going to have to deal with, but he said it was still hard."

There will be other pressures involved in Carson's emergence -- his ability to play within Sendek's system, and Sendek's willingness to let the lightning-quick Carson freestyle on the fly -- but the one blockquoted may be the most important. Will ASU fans be patient? Will their expectations be too high? What are their expectations, anyway? How can Carson live up to it all?

There are differences from Jackson's situation, fortunately. Arizona State's basketball culture is entirely less insular and focused; when ASU is bad, fans don't freak out. They tune out. (This is not the case in Memphis.)

The good news? Carson is almost sure to improve the Sun Devils. How do I know? Because Carson is a noted ballhandler, and that's exactly what the Sun Devils need. In 2012, Arizona State had the fourth-highest turnover rate (25.7 percent) in the country. That's right: Arizona State coughed the ball up more frequently than all but three other Division I men's basketball teams (Texas Tech, Maryland Eastern Shore, and Towson, in case you're wondering). If Carson is even an average ballhandler -- and it's fair to assume he's at least a bit better than that -- the Sun Devils' chief flaw may no longer be a concern. At the very least, it will be minimized. And Arizona State will improve.

How much they improve will be a team effort. It will involve incoming transfers (including Hawaii transfer Bo Barnes and Liberty transfer Evan Gordon, the brother of NBA shooting guard Eric Gordon, Jr.) and returning players. But Carson had better be ready for the spotlight. In so far as one exists at ASU, he will most definitely be in it.

With the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class set to arrive on campus later this month, most of the offseason buzz about UCLA has centered on the program’s newest players.

But a few of the old ones aren’t bad, either.

Josh Smith -- if he gets his weight and his work ethic in check -- has the potential to be one of the nation’s top centers. Point guard Larry Drew, a North Carolina transfer, practiced with the Bruins all last season and is poised to step into a starting role. And David Wear is back after averaging 10.2 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds in 2011-12.

No returning player, though, was as good on the offensive end last season as Travis Wear, David’s twin brother. Travis Wear averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds as a sophomore. He also blocked 1.2 shots per game.

Thursday ,he took time to speak with ESPN.com about why he thinks last season’s struggles -- the Bruins went 19-14 and missed the NCAA tournament -- are a thing of the past.

What’s the vibe around campus right now?

Travis Wear: Everyone is really excited. We have a really good class coming in. We’re putting ourselves in really good shape to be a great team next year. Everyone around here is really excited about Pauley (Pavilion) opening back up again so we can have our fan base on campus supporting us again. With the hype around this season, it makes it that much better.

How tough was it to have to play away from campus last season while Pauley went through renovations?

TW: It was definitely difficult having to play off-campus in downtown L.A. It was tough to get fan support. We didn’t have a great season, so that didn’t help, either. We’re definitely looking forward to playing on campus around our students and being in a home atmosphere.

As a current team member, how exciting was it to watch all of these high-profile commitments roll in during the past year?

TW: It was really neat to see all these building blocks being added onto our team and to think about all the depth we’re going to have, all the versatility and all the great players. Our practices should be just as competitive as the games we’re going to play in next year. Everything is coming into place. People are really excited.

How would you find out when certain guys committed, guys like Shabazz Muhammad and Tony Parker?

TW: We knew the dates each one of them were supposed to announce. Most of the time I was off campus, so I’d just keeping checking Twitter.

You mentioned that you struggled at times last season. How convinced are you that those issues are a thing of the past?

TW: We had a big team meeting. We’ve changed up a lot of things around here. This group is tighter right now than it’s ever been, as far as on the court and off the court. Everyone is really handling their business. It feels great. Even when the coaches aren’t there, everyone is always in the gym working out. It feels really good.

What, specifically, has changed?

TW: It’s just mainly our attitude. With the class we have coming in, it’s obvious we have a chance to be really good. Everyone is really embracing that. We’re not just going to go off the hype of, ‘Oh, they have good players, so they’re going to be great.’ Everyone is here, working as hard we can to get to that level instead of just listening to the hype.

What effect did last season’s Sports Illustrated article have on UCLA’s program?

TW: Not much. During the season, it was some adversity that we had to face. We came together a little bit after that. But it didn’t much of an impact as far as motivating us. It might have motivated us a little, but honestly, it didn’t change much.

Everyone knows that center Josh Smith has the talent to be a special player, but he’s underachieved during his first two seasons. What have you seen from him during the offseason that leads you to believe his junior year will be his best?

TW: Josh has been working out every day. He hasn’t missed any workouts. He’s grinding every day with us. It’s nice just to see how hard he’s been working. He has an opportunity to be great. To see him embracing that now is awesome.

Why do you think he’s just now embracing it?

TW: Sometimes, for certain guys, the light just clicks. I guess the light just went on.

What has coach Ben Howland’s demeanor been like?

TW: He’s really excited. He’s very energetic. All of the coaching staff, for that matter, has been great. They go through the workouts with us and they hit us. They’re super-excited. You can just feel the energy from them.

The frontcourt will obviously be crowded with you and your brother and Josh -- plus the new guys coming in such as Tony Parker. How much do you like having that competition?

TW: That’s how you get better. You come and out compete every day for minutes. That’s what makes teams great, being able to compete in practice. Then in the games you execute what you’ve been practicing all along. With Josh and my brother and Tony Parker and (Anthony) Stover ... we’ll have some battles. It should be fun.

You and Larry Drew both started your careers at North Carolina before transferring to UCLA. What about him gives you confidence that he can impact this team as a point guard?

TW: Larry is one of the quickest players I’ve every played with or seen play. His ability to get into the lane and make good decisions is really going to help. It’s really going to help the guys who can step out and shoot, because he’s really good at penetrating, drawing the defense and then kicking it out to the open man. In transition, he’s a great passer. He’s very good at creating for others.

Any thoughts on the Pac-12?

TW: I’m really excited for our conference. Arizona is going to be good. Even USC ... they had so many guys who sat out last year that were transfers or guys that got hurt. I think they’ll have a really good team. The Bay Area schools like Stanford ... they’re returning a lot of guys. Cal is always good. Washington is always good. Our league is going to be very competitive next year, and this new TV contract is going to make it even more exciting. It’s all coming together. Everyone can feel it.

What summer plans do you have besides working out and hanging around the gym?

TW: Not many. I want to spend as much time as I can around the new guys to help them adapt and get used to college life. I want to work out with them and get comfortable with their games. I’ll probably go to the beach a lot, too. That’s definitely something I like to do.

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 .

Last week, the Indianapolis Colts made Andrew Luck the first overall pick in the NFL draft. By most accounts, the former Stanford star is the prototypical NFL quarterback. He’s smart, versatile, strong and accurate.

Jim Harbaugh, who coached Luck in college, helped him develop into a Heisman Trophy candidate prior to leaving Stanford for the San Francisco 49ers gig.

According to Indiana head coach Tom Crean, Harbaugh’s brother-in-law, the NFL head coach believes Hoosiers star Cody Zeller “can be like Luck.”

He’s not switching sports.

But Crean said he’s talked to Harbaugh about the intellectual and physical similarities between Zeller and Luck.

“Our conversations have centered on how [Zeller] got so much better with poise under pressure, reading situations, being able to adjust quickly inside of a game, inside of a possession by possession, much like it is for a young man like Andrew Luck who a lot of times, it wasn’t a situation where they made the adjustment at halftime, they made the adjustment before the next series,” Crean said. “And I think those are the kind of things that stand out.”

Most freshmen are raw in some area of the game. Even Anthony Davis had flaws.

But first-year bigs have the most difficult adjustment at the Division I level. They're accustomed to being the biggest and/or strongest players at the prep level.

Zeller seemed to skip those traditional hiccups. He has great footwork. He doesn’t make many mistakes. And it seemed as though he always knew his options whenever he touched the ball during a freshman campaign that ended with Big Ten freshman of the year honors (coaches). Zeller averaged 15.6 ppg and 6.6 rpg in his first season.

He’ll be a top candidate for the Wooden Award next year. And he could be the top pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He’s No. 2 in nbadraft.net’s current 2013 mock draft.

He’s a talented presence inside but he’s also a solid ball-handler and passer. Crean said Zeller will showcase even more of his versatility next year.

Luck ended his college career amid praise for the diversity within his game.

Crean said he’ll use Zeller in new ways next season and people will see that’s he’s more than a traditional big man.

“There’s a play that Andrew Luck had during the season when he took off and made a run that was incredible. I think it would make any running back proud,” Crean said. “And I think people will see that [versatility] next year. [Zeller has] been in the pick-and-roll, the three weeks of our offseason program, as much as Jordan Hulls or Victor Oladipo has been when it comes to having the basketball in his hands. It’s all about expanding your game, bringing confidence to your game and really being able to transfer that learning and that confidence to the court.”

The Hoosiers are No. 1 in ESPN.com’s early preseason Top 25 poll. And they should enter the year with a Top-3 slot in every major poll once the 2012-13 season begins.

With Zeller, Christian Watford and a top recruiting class on its way to Bloomington, the Hoosiers could contend for the national title next year.

The same way Stanford’s operation revolved around Luck’s production, Crean said, the Hoosiers will rely on Zeller. And he’s confident Zeller can handle that responsibility, despite the new expectations that have been placed on the program.

“[Zeller and Luck have] that unrelenting desire to get better and Andrew had so many different things he was good at, but he was always putting his ability to get football better for him [first], even in the offseason, whether it be the film, whether it be the extra work, the weight work,” Crean said. “When you have a high, high-level player like [Harbaugh] has with Andrew Luck and like we believe we have with Cody, you want to keep stretching them and pushing them and expanding their game as much as possible.”

Had Zeller decided to go pro this summer, he would have been a lottery pick. But he never really flirted with the idea of leaving.

From the first day he stepped onto campus, Zeller wanted more than a one-and-done experience. Harbaugh told Crean that Zeller possessed the same determination throughout his collegiate career.

And it started at home for both players.

Luck’s father played quarterback in the NFL. That pedigree proved beneficial during his collegiate career.

Crean said Zeller’s basketball heritage -- two brothers, Luke and Tyler, were high-level Division I basketball players -- also helped prepare him for the next level.

“Cody comes from an outstanding family of people that have done it. He’s been extremely well coached. But he’s so grounded,” Crean said. “When I look at Andrew Luck, I see someone that’s highly efficient and yet very grounded, but intense as can be. And I think when you see Cody, there’s an intensity, there’s an emotion to him but he doesn’t play emotional.”

1. Louisville coach Rick Pitino said he wants to play Indiana next season. Hoosiers coach Tom Crean confirmed that the two sides are discussing the idea of a home-and-home series. “This is something we have to consider,’’ Crean said. IU is playing Butler in Indianapolis and could play UCLA or Georgetown in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn. IU could also draw North Carolina in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in the most likely scenario. Louisville is in the Battle 4 Atlantis with a field that has all NCAA projected or bubble teams in Duke, Memphis, Stanford, Missouri, Minnesota, VCU and Northern Iowa. The Cards host Kentucky and will play a road SEC-Big East Challenge game. IU and Kentucky couldn’t agree on a series for next season, leaving the Hoosiers open to another high-profile game. “The polls have us 1 and 2,’’ Pitino said. “It would be good for us to have a game a 1-[hour], 45-[minute] bus ride away. It would be good for college basketball.’’

2. Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said he still hasn’t heard if Scott Martin will get his sixth year of eligibility back next season. Classmate Tim Abromaitis had his sixth year denied by the NCAA. Brey said Abromaitis’ name has now been listed on an addendum that the NBA has sent out indicating that Abromaitis is draft eligible. Abromaitis is in the process of picking an agent now that he has lost his amateur status.

3. Arizona will improve on the court if Mark Lyons plays to his potential. But the experiment of taking Lyons for one season will only work if he comes to Tucson knowing that he is serving a role. Lyons is in an odd situation where he is headed to play for the coach (Sean Miller) who initially recruited him at Xavier after the then-assistant coach (Chris Mack) who became his head coach at Xavier when Miller left, deemed he wasn’t listening well enough to constructive criticism. Xavier isn’t upset with his departure. This is an addition by subtraction. It can work well for Arizona if Lyons keeps quiet and simply just plays.

Anthony Bennett (Brampton, Ontario/Findlay Prep), the best remaining player in the 2012 class, has narrowed it down to two schools -- UNLV and Oregon -- after eliminating Kentucky and Florida recently.

Once he chooses UNLV or Oregon, he will be expected to be one of the main guys right away. Bennett is a hybrid scorer who has the body of a power forward in terms of width and girth, but not height, as he stands 6-foot-7. His skill level is terrific as he knocks down deep shots and punishes like-size defenders in the paint with power and finesse. He makes up for his lack of height with his 7-foot-plus wing span that enables him to contest shots, rebound and get deflections and steals.

If UNLV is to land the local product, who plays for Findlay Prep, it would send shock waves through the MWC and the nation. He would join fellow ESPN 100 recruit, SG Katin Reinhardt (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Mater Dei) who is battle tested playing at Mater Dei under legendary coach Gary McKnight. Reinhart is a long-range shooter who has a scorer's mentality and good vision to make the assist when needed.

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Really, the move made perfect sense.

Arizona coach Sean Miller knows Xavier guard Mark Lyons well; Miller and his former Musketeers staff recruited Lyons at Xavier. Miller needs a point guard, now that Josiah Turner has officially flamed out and left to play for Larry Brown at SMU. Lyons needed a place that needed a point guard; he knows any hope he has of a pro career depends on it. Lyons visited Tucson, met with Miller and his staff, and the deal was sealed: Lyons would use his graduate transfer exemption to join the Arizona Wildcats in 2012-13. There was nothing surprising about this development. Suspense sold separately.

And yet, for as much sense as it makes, I can't help but think the move carries its fair share of risk, too.

Not that Lyons isn't saying the right things. He hit all the notes in a Sunday interview with the Arizona Daily Star:

"I knew I wanted to be at Arizona, but I had to make sure I gave it a fair shot," Lyons said. "That was the great thing about me coming out here. … It was a great, great place. They showed me everything and I know what I'm getting in the coaches and the program. I'm going to come there and just try to win."

"Those are some good guys. They are all about winning," Lyons said. "They welcomed me with open arms. [...] Whatever they want me to do, I'm going to do it. I've been to the Sweet 16 three times, and (UA coaches) want to go to the Final Four. That's what I'm going to try to get myself ready for."

The only problem is that this hasn't always been Lyons' M.O., which, when you read Xavier coach Chris Mack's statement on Lyons' transfer in April, was abundantly clear. That statement:

"After our end of the season meeting with Mark it became apparent that a change for both parties was the right thing moving forward," said Mack. "During our meeting expectations were outlined for his fifth and final season, areas in which I believe needed improvement. Mark did not recognize these expectations as being important and ultimately it was decided that a change of scenery would be in his best interest. I wish Mark well."

Lyons has never acknowledged these "areas" in which his coach believed he needed to improve. In fact, he hasn't even mentioned them. Instead, Lyons has maintained his transfer is all about his career trajectory and his hope to make it to the NBA as a ballhandling, scoring point guard. "I’m looking for a program that wins where I could play a major role,” Lyons told the Cincinnati Enquier's Shannon Russell, at which point one had to ask: Doesn't Xavier fit that criteria? And if so, why transfer?

The truth is, problems between Lyons and his coach came to a head often in 2012. When I saw them lose to Gonzaga on New Year's Eve this past winter, Lyons fired more than his fair share of bad shots, much to his coach's occasionally animated dismay. The offensive struggles Xavier experienced before their late-season Sweet 16 run had as much to do with freelancing, disjointed, and even selfish offense -- not just by Lyons, but, yes, often by him -- as it did any hangover from the Musketeers' infamous Dec. 10 brawl with Cincinnati.

All of which may not matter at Arizona. Miller is not the kind of coach to let star players, self-appointed or otherwise, dictate their own terms. And it may be that Lyons' experience and ability outweigh any supposed personality flaws. But that experience cuts both ways. Miller's 2012-13 Wildcats -- the product of a truly great, No. 3-ranked recruiting class -- will be a young, developing team throughout the season. It is not difficult for young teams to fall into bad habits. Will Lyons' strong personality dictate that trajectory? Will he be able to take a complementary role when younger and more talented, but less experienced, players shine? Or will he be characteristically concerned with his shots and numbers, his future career -- the impetus for his transfer in the first place -- to the detriment of himself and the team?

Those are the key questions Lyons will have to answer in his one-year stay at Arizona. The move made so much sense for a reason: If it pays off, everyone, especially Arizona and Lyons, wins.

And so the decision was easy. Yet there is reason to believe the road ahead, as promising as it looks on paper, could be more difficult.

Former Arizona State wing Trent Lockett – who announced his decision to transfer to Marquette Saturday – remembers the details from the entire, life-altering day.

In early March, he’d gone to a buddy’s house in Phoenix, Ariz., where he’s spent the last three years as a standout wing (13.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg) for the Sun Devils.

Lockett and his friend were watching TV and relaxing like upperclassmen should with just a few weeks remaining in the semester.

And then the phone rang.

It was Judy Lockett, his mother. She called to tell her only son that she’d been diagnosed with cancer. Again.

A “crazy, rare” form of lymphoma had attacked her system. And doctors weren’t exactly sure how to approach her treatment.

“I think your first reaction is like ‘She’s done so much for us and for so many different people in her life, how does this happen to her? She doesn’t deserve it,’” he told ESPN.com. “At the same time, you can’t waste any energy and time worrying about things that you can’t control. The only things that we can worry about now is one, making sure that the time we spend together is well worth it and two, try to do the best we can to fight this off.”

If only that spring phone call hadn’t felt so familiar.

Lockett hated the news but he despised the memories, too.

Judy Lockett raised him and his sister in Golden Valley, Minn., as a single parent. They were young when they lost their father.

He’d been diagnosed with leukemia. The cancer and chemotherapy weakened his body. But he ultimately died of complications stemming from a heart attack.

Lockett, just 3 at the time, said he doesn’t recall much from his father’s battle with cancer. But he wonders how his mother survived without “her soul mate.”

“I don’t even understand how she did this,” Lockett said.

It would not be the last time cancer bombarded his family.

About a decade later, Lockett’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a scary time with many unknowns. Through treatment and perseverance, however, she beat the disease.

“She caught it fairly early, was able to do some chemo and got it out of there,” he said. “I was young. I don’t think I understood the effects of cancer and how dangerous it is.”

Judy Lockett pressed forward as her son became one of the top basketball players in the country. The breast cancer never returned.

Lockett, along with former Iowa State star Royce White, led Hopkins High School (Minnetonka, Minn.) to an undefeated season and a state championship during his senior season in 2009.

He took his talents to Arizona State, where he developed into the squad’s top player and leading scorer.

He was a gem for Sendek’s program even as it spiraled downward during the 2011-12 campaign. Lockett planned to return for his senior season.

The drama from last year -- multiple players transferred and the team finished with a 10-21 record -- didn’t deter Lockett who said he’s hurt by any suggestions the Sun Devils’ challenges influenced his decision.

He said he just wants to spend more time with his mother. Competing for a school closer to his home in the Twin Cities -- a straight shot from Marquette (Milwaukee, Wis.) via Interstate 94 -- will allow him to do that.

“It gives his whole family a sense of comfort,” said Lockett’s former AAU coach, Marquise Watts. “I think that will put him at ease and allow him to just go out and enjoy his senior year and play.”

Lockett refuses to discuss timetables related to his mother’s diagnosis, out of respect for her, but he admits that he’s cherishing every day, every conversation.

When his father died, he was too young to process the magnitude of the loss. Even during his mother’s first cancer scare, he was naïve about the gravity of her condition, he said.

But he’s 21 now.

“She’s my only parent left. If she goes, it’s just me and my sister. That was what immediately crossed my mind [when I decided to transfer],” Lockett said.

Lockett considered Iowa State and Marquette once he received Sendek’s blessing. He even flirted with Gonzaga, where former AAU teammate and friend Sam Dower is a top post player.

But he ultimately chose Buzz Williams’ program. He said he liked Williams’ energy and the idea of competing for a potential Big East contender in his final year of Division I basketball.

The 6-5 guard/forward will not have to sit out a year. Marquette will apply for a waiver that should grant Lockett immediate eligibility because he graduated from Arizona State in three years. The NCAA waiver applies to student-athletes who pursue master’s degrees in disciplines that aren’t offered at their former schools.

Lockett said he reached his decision Friday night.

His mother and sister flew to Arizona for his graduation ceremony last week. And they talked about the pros and cons of his options before he chose Marquette.

The school is just a five-hour drive from his mother’s Minnesota home. And Judy Lockett has already tracked down $35 round-trip bus tickets to Milwaukee.

“She said she’s going to be using that with her friends,” Lockett said.

Judy Lockett won’t start treatment until she helps daughter Taylor Lockett move to Pittsburgh, where she’ll play volleyball at Duquesne, this summer. Then, she’ll help Lockett get comfortable in Milwaukee.

She’s scheduled for another appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., soon.

And until then, Lockett said he’s not going to make any assumptions about this mother’s situation or future. Instead, he’ll focus on their proximity and their time together, he said.

“When she came out for my graduation, it kind of hit me. She looks really good and she has been doing well. The only thing is she gets fatigued during the day,” Lockett said. “It’s going to be an ongoing process. And it kind of really makes you appreciate who she is as a person and all she’s done for me in my life.”