ESPN Men's Basketball

Andy Katz discusses Miami's Angel Rodriguez, New Mexico State's Cullen Neal and the beginning of a potentially historic season for Kentucky.

Andy Katz discusses the growing popularity of Georgia coach Mark Fox, the disturbing trend of tampering complaints and the diagnosis for San Diego State assistant coach Mark Fisher.

1. UCLA made it official with a press release on Thursday that former UTEP signee Isaac Hamilton is on scholarship and enrolled for fall classes. But the release wasn't clear about if he was going to play this season. There was a reason for that omission. According to multiple sources, UCLA has moved on a waiver for Hamilton to play this season. The Miners didn't release Hamilton from his National Letter of Intent and his appeal to the NLI was denied. UCLA is still holding out hope Hamilton could be cleared. The 6-foot-5 Hamilton is prepared to sit and the stated purpose of leaving UTEP for UCLA was to be close to his ailing grandmother. UCLA coach Steve Alford said the versatile guard would fit in well with the Bruins. He would. UCLA needs another potential scorer and someone with length on the perimeter. Hamilton averaged 23.5 points last season for St. John Bosco High in Bellflower, Calif. If Hamilton were to get eligible, then the Bruins would add depth in October to a position that desperately needs it.

2. Memphis doesn't open the season until Nov. 14, which means the Tigers can't start practicing Friday like many of the schools that open the season Nov. 8. That's fine with coach Josh Pastner. He wants to manage the preseason grind while pushing his guys, but knows he needs to preserve them some for later in the year. He said the Tigers will start practicing Oct. 3 and within the first week he will give the Tigers a three-day weekend off. He said he remembered his former coach, Arizona's Lute Olson, building in a three-day break for the Wildcats to avoid preseason burnout. The Tigers will have a veteran team entering the American Conference, especially on the perimeter, and the maturity with the team should lend itself well to handling a spread out practice schedule early in the preseason.

3. Credit new Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan for his patience. He didn't overreact to the potential thin roster when he took over. He collected some transfers, but all with a story to tell, and waited out the waiver process. And it worked. Rutgers found out Thursday Pitt transfer J.J. Moore was eligible immediately. That came on the heels of Iowa State transfer Kerwin Okoro getting his waiver. Jerome Seagears was allowed to come back to Rutgers after a brief spring stint at Auburn without any penalty. The Scarlet Knights now have the depth to be competitive and an intriguing team in the American Conference before moving to the Big Ten.

1. Louisville begins practice Saturday. Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said these are the main objectives at the beginning of practice: "We have a veteran team so we will just work on execution of our presses and learning our sets. We have a strong team but will miss the incredible attitudes of Peyton (Siva) and Gorgui (Dieng). They are incredible team-first guys.'' Pitino added that wing Kevin Ware, rehabbing from a broken leg suffered last March in the Elite Eight, will start workouts in two weeks. "He should be ready to go at it around late October,'' said Pitino.

2. Duke starts practice this weekend with three stated goals for the Blue Devils. According to assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski they are: 1. Pace: "to get accustomed to the pace at which we will play, especially defensively.'' 2. Leadership: "Replacing the maturity of a good senior class we want to see who steps up to create and lead in the same positive environment.'' 3. Role: "Start to identify and establish some roles.''

3. Arkansas coach Mike Anderson had already decided to start practice on Oct. 5 before flooding occurred at Bud Walton Arena. He said he wanted the players to get acclimated to school and stay with a three-to-four-week conditioning program. Anderson said he doesn't anticipate any long-term damage to Bud Walton. Meanwhile, Anderson is extremely high on his newcomers, who will have to play a significant role with the departures of B.J. Young and Marshawn Powell. Anderson said the freshmen (Moses Kingsley, Bobby Portis and Manuale Watkins) have been the first guys in and the last guys out of the gym. Anderson said he likens this Arkansas team to ones he had early at UAB and Missouri. Anderson said he expects this Razorbacks team to be much more of a team, rather than one based on highlighting individuals. "We hogs, that's our mindset, we hogs,'' Anderson said. He added that senior Coty Clarke would be the team's leader. Anderson is still looking for a reliable player to score but also had high hopes for Alandise Harris, who sat out last season. "This can be the ultimate team,'' Anderson said. "We're trusting each other and sharing the ball. I'm excited.''

A few quick hitters from Tuesday's podcast, which you can listen to here:

1. Maryland coach Mark Turgeon is for one transfer rule: either everyone sits or no one sits out a year. Turgeon also said it might have helped Dez Wells if he had sat out last season instead of playing immediately after transferring from Xavier. Wells will have to be the leader on this team. Meanwhile, Turgeon wants to play one game a year at the Terps' former home, Cole Field House. The Terps will host a Midnight Madness-type of event there Oct. 18. But Turgeon would like to set up a game at Cole Field House in late December in future years … Turgeon said he never talks about recruiting to the Big Ten since the Terps are going from one elite league to another.

2. UConn coach Kevin Ollie said Tyler Olander's suspension still is in place after his DUI charge was dropped (still dealing with a guilty plea of driving without a license). Ollie said he couldn't commit as to whether or not Olander would be allowed to practice Friday when the Huskies take the court. Olander still has to prove to Ollie that he can handle himself in a mature manner before he can be reinstated … The Huskies are still awaiting on the eligibility of freshman Kentan Facey. Ollie said he has no idea if he'll be cleared to play this season.

3. Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said Josh Gasser hasn't been cleared yet to practice, but he's hopeful the lead guard will be in the next week or so as he comes back from an ACL injury that sidelined him last year. Ryan sees no reason why Gasser and Traevon Jackson can't coexist as two playmakers. Ryan, like Turgeon, is for either all transfers to have to sit or no one sits. He wants uniformity of the rules … Boise State coach Leon Rice said the Broncos are embracing the attention as a possible MWC top two finisher. The Broncos return eight of nine scorers back and Rice said the Broncos are the only NCAA tournament team from last season that returns all five starters.

1. Former Oregon coach Ernie Kent was hired in an executive role with the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Kent said Monday his goal is to grow the game, about which he said has been "very passionate since he was out of coaching." He said he has seen how much coaches care about student-athlete welfare from visiting schools since he has been out. But this organization needs to be much more forceful in the legislative process. The NABC has lost its activist role of late. The coaches should never be surprised by the draft date (pushed through by the ACC) or complain about the transfer waiver issue as much as they do without really trying to affect change. Coaches have the power in college basketball, much more so than the players. If they want to really force an issue then they must get out front, educate other decision makers and make sure they can actually do something. The governance structure is going to change, with more weight given to the power schools. That shift is coming. So the coaches, who are their best lobbying group, must almost act like legislators. Not knowing about the shift in rules that affect them is ignorant. It should never happen. If Kent is going to have a real effect in his job, then he must act.

2. North Carolina said Monday that P.J. Hairston's status hasn't changed. That means he's still suspended. But the school also must make clear if he can practice or play in anything competitive. Practice starts Friday. This shouldn't take long. Either he is practicing Friday and beyond or he is not. The length of any discipline is up to North Carolina. No one should tell them how long or if he should be suspended. But the fan base and those who contribute to the program should know his status. That is of the public domain. Once that is known, then Hairston and the Tar Heels can move forward with the season.

3. Indiana starts an intriguing season Friday, the one post-Big Ten title and Sweet 16 appearance. The anchors, Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller are gone. So what is Tom Crean looking for in the first week of practice? "Getting this team to understand that transition and help defense require great effort and talking," Crean said. "Also getting the team to understand the next play, the next pass and the next-shot mentality over worrying about the last play."

1. Miami coach Jim Larranaga will teach five to six classes this semester as a guest lecturer. His topics will be on Teamwork and Leadership, much like he did at George Mason in the school of management Executive MBA Program. Larranaga's position on the Miami faculty gives him even more influence on campus. But he is still at the whim of the NCAA in awaiting an eligibility issue. The Hurricanes will start practice Friday but won't know if Kansas State transfer Angel Rodridguez will be eligible immediately. Larranaga said Sunday there is still no indication on when Rodriguez' case will be heard. But he can practice. If he can't play this season then the 'Canes will go with a freshman, either Manu Lecomte from Belgium or Deandre Burnett, as the point guard.

2. Missouri actually has a transfer who sat out last season and who will have a major impact after improving during his redshirt/transfer season. As practice nears Friday, Missouri coach Frank Haith is extremely high on former Tulsa wing Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson averaged 14.2 points a game for the Golden Hurricane and will be expected to score in a similar manner for the Tigers. "He's very talented, a good combo,'' said Haith Sunday. "He can do everything on the court. He'll get plenty (of minutes).'' The Tigers were looking for a fresh face to be a go-to scorer. Haith has fancied this team all summer, one that has received probably the least amount of buzz in his three seasons. That's usually when a team overachieves. If this occurs in a wide-open SEC from three on down then Clarkson will be likely one of the main reasons.

3. The package deal comments about coaches going with players to a school has been going on for years and in some form will continue for years to come. Let's get a few things straight. Staffs that are secure usually don't partake in such a practice. If there are assistants on a staff who are well compensated at a high-profile school then they are less likely to leave. So, these coaches don't need to go hire an assistant to get a player since they aren't going to have an opening on the staff. Some will be creative and do it anyway if the player is worth the trouble. But some have no choice but to act to have a chance for relevance. If Seton Hall goes ahead and hires Brooklyn Lincoln High (N.Y.) coach Tiny Morton to complete a deal to get Isaiah Whitehead as part of the recruitment then that's probably what Pirates coach Kevin Willard needed to do to get Seton Hall out of the cellar. He already had made positive moves on his staff by adding former Rutgers head coach and one-time Northwestern assistant in Freddie Hill, a mainstay in New Jersey. Getting St. Raymond's HS coach Oliver Antigua, a well-connected high school coach and brother of Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua, made sense too. Willard is in the fourth quarter of his Hall career. He needs to make a play before its too late, especially in the new Big East. He's being proactive because what he was doing in the past, simply wasn't working well enough.

1. The Final Four is accepting offers for future sites for 2017-20. The deadline for the bids is Oct. 11. Let's clear this up a bit. Indianapolis, host again in 2015 after North Texas in 2014, has a deal with the NCAA that they will host at least every five years through 2039. Indianapolis is a great host city with its proximity between venues and passion for the sport. The plan for a new dome in Atlanta, tentatively scheduled to open in 2017, would put that city back in the mix. New domes are always looking for huge events. If North Texas is a success, then putting the event back in Jerry's World will likely happen. I'm hopeful San Antonio and New Orleans will continue to bid for the event, as both cities have been terrific hosts and are accessible for fans. You need destinations for an event like the Final Four. That's why Houston was not a great host. The Final Four was too spread out at three different locations with nothing happening around the dome itself. Houston somehow got two Final Fours the last time the bids were handed out. Houston hosted in 2011 and will again in 2016. Phoenix/Glendale failed to host the last time around. So it will be interesting to see if they make a play again for the event. The 60,000-seat minimum and 10,000-hotel room minimum will limit some from bidding.

2. Practice starts next Friday in college basketball and teams are looking for creative ways to get fans interested early. Duke will host an open practice next Saturday from 10 to noon. But my favorite is Pitt. The Panthers had a successful late-night event on campus. This time, the Panthers are hosting an event in advance of Pitt playing Virginia in football near Heinz Field. So the morning madness next Saturday at 10:30 a.m. will try to get Panthers fans jazzed. There will be a special guest, though. Check him out here.

3. BYU coach Dave Rose is home and resting after having cancerous spots removed. But he is well enough to host recruits this weekend. If anything, the recruits should see the courage and fight in Rose that should provide quite a sales pitch to play for someone who is going through something much harder than they would ever dream about while playing at BYU. The plan is still for Rose to be ready to go for the start of practice on Oct. 7. The Cougars are choosing to wait a week to start.

1. College basketball teams are allowed to start practice Sept. 27, but not everyone is enamored with the new schedule that opens up 30 practice days in a 42-day window before the first game. "We are really easing in to the start of practice, so we will be doing a ton of skill work," said Creighton coach Greg McDermott. "I'm not convinced the early start is a great idea. It's already a long season, and we have to make sure we have some legs in February." McDermott said he won't have the team practice three consecutive days until Oct. 11.

2. A number of schools will sprinkle in "Midnight Madness" events earlier than Oct. 18. The purpose has been to build these around important official visit recruiting weekends, and that won't change with the new early start date. The uniformity of some sort of special tipoff now with practice and/or an event is gone. Hoop teams will be sporadically starting and having madness-type events on random weekends throughout October.

3. UTEP lost Isaac Hamilton to UCLA (although Hamilton can't play this season), but the Miners still have some potential pop and can't be counted out in bloated CUSA. UTEP coach Tim Floyd said he has seen "lots of potential and lots of intrigue with this team." Floyd said 7-foot-1 freshmen Matt Wilms and 6-8 Vince Hunter could play on most teams. He likened 6-7 point McKenzie Moore to former USC point guard Daniel Hackett, who played for Floyd with the Trojans. And he expects Julian Washburn to have an all-league type season again. Floyd showed reciprocal loyalty to Bob Cantu in hiring the former USC assistant coach in a similar role. Cantu was faithful to Floyd throughout his USC tenure and never disparaged him during any of the NCAA investigation. Cantu stayed on with Kevin O'Neill, then replaced him as the interim coach last season.

1. ESPN top 100 recruit Alex Robinson, a guard out of Arlington, Texas, told CBS Sports.com that opposing coaches tried to use Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy's Parkinson's disease against him in recruiting. If that did occur then it's another smear against coaches in what can be a muddied water of recruiting. Late Tuesday night, when asked if he was aware of negative recruiting against him due to his condition, Kennedy responded by saying, "I guess." Kennedy added he's doing great and has a "great future." Kennedy moves deliberately and slowly at times. But that hasn't affected his ability to coach. His intensity is still as high as ever, and he has tirelessly worked the recruiting circuit and is making every attempt to make the Aggies relevant in the SEC. Good for Robinson for staying true to a commitment despite the reported negative recruiting tactic.

2. The NIT Season Tip-Off needed two non-Division I schools to fill out its 16-team bracket, released Tuesday. Filling these tournaments with non-Division I schools shouldn't come as a shock. There are so many tournaments and not enough teams to fill them. Part of the problem is the rule preventing teams from the same conference participating in an event. There have been some unavoidable situations due to realignment, with two teams in an event from the same conference, who weren't in the same conference when they signed up for the tournament. The answer might be to waive that rule and allow tournaments to schedule at least one other conference team in an event. The mega conferences will make it even harder to schedule events without taking two teams from the same conference.

3. I do like the seeding, though, for the NIT. Arizona was the No. 1 seed, while Duke was No. 2, Alabama No. 3 and Rutgers No. 4. While the NIT is the last early-season tournament where you have to play your way to the neutral site, I would like to see more matchups in the early rounds of these tournaments based on seeding instead of random draws.

1. Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan said Iowa State transfer Kerwin Okoro will be the Scarlet Knights' fourth guard. Okoro, who received his waiver to play immediately due to his personal hardship, can also play small forward. "Our three guards are all under six-feet tall,'' said Jordan. "We need Kerwin to defend bigger guards.'' Rutgers is still waiting on Pitt transfer J.J. Moore's waiver appeal to play immediately. Jordan said the Scarlet Knights are hoping to hear something this week. Rutgers got good news last week to help clean up a depth issue when Junior Etou was deemed a qualifier. Meanwhile, Illinois coach John Groce said Oregon State transfer Ahmad Starks is still waiting to hear on his waiver to play immediately. The same is true at Oregon where the Ducks are awaiting news on whether Houston's Joseph Young will be allowed to play immediately without sitting out a year.

2. Ole Miss got two injured players back but lost another. Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said sophomore Terry Brutus is done for the season with a torn ACL, suffered last week in practice. But the Rebels do have forward Aaron Jones back from his ACL injury, which occurred against Kentucky on Jan. 29. Forward Demarco Cox is also back after missing all but seven games last season with a stress fracture in his foot. The depth can still be there for the Rebels up front, despite the loss of Brutus. But the Rebels will go as far as Marshall Henderson can carry them. He is currently suspended but the SEC's top scorer is expected to be back in the good graces by the heart of the season, giving Ole Miss a potent offensive option.

3. The NIT Season Tip-Off is supposed to release its long-awaited bracket Tuesday. This is what we know for sure: the four hosts are Arizona, Duke, Rutgers and Alabama. And you can lock in Arizona and Duke will be on opposite sides of the bracket so they can meet in a potential final at Madison Square Garden the day after Thanksgiving on Nov. 29. If that occurs then you'll get a treat of seeing two of the top freshmen in the country in Arizona's Aaron Gordon and Duke's Jabari Parker. Both of these teams should be considered Final Four contenders. The NIT bracket has been "the best secret in college sports,'' according to Arizona coach Sean Miller. That's called sarcasm and he's right. The bracket has taken way too long to be revealed.

1. Colorado coach Tad Boyle, his staff and players helped on campus Saturday to aid those in need after floods in the Boulder area that have affected thousands. The team fed displaced families and helped cover short-staffed crews in the cafeteria.

2. BYU coach Dave Rose is expected to be released from the hospital Monday after last week's surgery to remove cancerous spots. Rose will have to take it easy the next few weeks, but the Cougars' staff expects him to be ready for the start of BYU practice Oct. 7. Teams are allowed to start practicing on Sept. 27. But the new rule is for 30 practices within 42 days of a team's first game, so schools can manage the start time to their schedule. That means there will be staggered practice days from Sept. 27 with not every team practicing on the same days.

3. No one should be surprised by former UTEP signee Isaac Hamilton ending up at UCLA. Hamilton's family made it clear that he wanted to be at USC or UCLA once he told UTEP he wasn't going to attend so he could be closer to his ailing grandmother. According to Hamilton's father, Greg, Isaac can be on a scholarship but without being released from his national letter of intent, he cannot play this season. UCLA cannot comment on Hamilton's arrival until all his paperwork is in to the school. UCLA coach Steve Alford is on the lookout for talent that can produce from Southern California. The onus will be on Hamilton to be a force in the fall of 2014 by using this ineligible season to his advantage.

1. Syracuse has done an exceptional job of handling its departure from the Big East as to not alienate any of the former rivals. The Orange have scheduled Villanova and St. John’s for next season and likely will get a deal done with Georgetown for either 2014 or 2015. Colorado handled its exit from the Big 12 in a similar fashion and plays former rivals Kansas, Oklahoma State and Baylor this season. It’s time for Kansas and Missouri to look at doing something similar. The same is true for Pitt and West Virginia, as well as Texas and Texas A&M. Kansas, with the best non-conference schedule in the country, doesn’t need Mizzou. But it would still create an incredible atmosphere at a neutral site, if that’s the best the two sides can do (maybe alternate between Kansas City and St. Louis). Mizzou needs the game more than Kansas, based on the weaker bottom half of the SEC for power-rating points. Pitt’s schedule is soft and could use another power-five school like West Virginia. Playing the game, even at the home of the Penguins, should be a start. Texas has no issue getting games. Meanwhile, the Aggies either can’t or choose not to find quality in their non-conference scheduling. Getting Texas on the slate at least would create some interest in their non-conference scheduling. Egos need to be checked. In an era where college basketball needs to generate non-conference interest, playing these games that fans actually care about should be a priority over another guarantee game against a school with an unfamiliar name.

2. Tyler Roberson isn’t listed on the Syracuse website roster yet, but he has been cleared to play. And that’s great news for Syracuse and the attempt to unseat ACC favorite Duke in the first year of being in the league. "He’s obviously a good player," said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim of the 6-7 forward from Union, N.J. "He gives us some depth at forward with C.J. [Fair] and Jerami [Grant]. It gives us three athletic, quick forwards. We’re excited about that." Boeheim said the news Roberson is eligible has bigger ramifications. "Long-range, that’s the key," said Boeheim of a replacement for Fair once he’s done with his eligibility in the spring of 2014. "Next year, he’ll be really, really good by then. He’s a really good player. He’s pretty quick."

3. Utah State has a rarity of hosting two schools from power conferences in USC (Pac-12) and Mississippi State (SEC) in Logan this season -- the first for the Aggies in the Mountain West. The series with the Bulldogs is a two-for-one that coach Stew Morrill wasn’t thrilled with but will do. The Aggies went out to Starkville in 2012 (lost by two), get the Bulldogs in Logan this season after the series took a year off under new coach Rick Ray and will go back next season. The USC game was as a result of the Aggies going to USC -- Sept. 21 -- in football. "My AD (Scott Barnes) asked that if we do that could we get a home and home in basketball," said Morrill. The series was supposed to start last season in Logan but former USC coach Kevin O'Neill said he needed to put it off a year but then would play the opener this season. O’Neill then got fired. "I told him there was a hefty buyout to move it back a year and that the buyout doubled," said Morrill. "Andy (Enfield) got the job, and there was a $150,000 buyout on this game." Utah State opens up with USC at home Nov. 8 and will return the game next season. "People have no idea how hard it is to get games," said Morrill. Utah State has kept the BYU series in Salt Lake City on a neutral court. Utah has put off playing Utah State and Morrill said he would only play the Utes in a home-and-home situation.

1. West Virginia is only the third Big 12 team to open up with two straight road games in the history of the conference. But the Mountaineers wanted to do it -- by choice. West Virginia wanted to play early road games to avoid more missed class time later in the season. The first two road games are at TCU and Texas Tech on Jan. 4 and 6. West Virginia has one other two-game road trip at Oklahoma State and at Baylor on Jan. 25-28. Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas have two sets of back-to-back road games in the conference while Kansas State, TCU and Texas Tech have three. Kansas has one -- at Texas and at Baylor. So, too, does Iowa State -- at Kansas State and at Baylor. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins discussed the Big 12 and the scheduling format for year two on our ESPNU college basketball podcast.

2. As we break down the nonconference schedules, it's more apparent how easy it is to put aside former conference alignment feelings for the good of the game. Colorado is a great example. The Buffaloes play three former Big 12 schools in three different locations -- Baylor in Dallas, Kansas at home and Oklahoma State in Las Vegas. The Buffaloes are no fools. Tad Boyle knows he has to put together a high-level schedule and can't limit himself by eliminating the Big 12. These are quality games for the Buffaloes, for the opponents, and for the fans. Kudos to Kansas for doing a straight home-and-home (the first game of the series was last season in Lawrence) and for the other two schools for signing up with the former rival. Colorado didn’t leave the Big 12 with any hard feelings toward its rivals and vice versa. The game in Dallas is perfect for Colorado which wants to continue to get its brand in Texas.

3. Harvard's schedule could have been a bit better and the Crimson weren't dealt any favors by a weak Great Alaska Shootout. The Crimson did the smart thing by picking up Colorado on the way to Anchorage on Nov. 24 but the pressure will be on the Crimson to show how it can win on the road with nine games away from Cambridge. The top 25-30 Crimson have one monster showdown at Connecticut and host Boston College in two other high-profile games where the Crimson must show well. Of course, Harvard still has to win the Ivy League for the bid, but these nonconference games will have a say in the Crimson's seed, assuming they get the bid. Harvard has had tremendous success at Boston College. It's amazing that the Eagles took the road game at Harvard.

1. Arizona coach Sean Miller has quite a gem in incoming freshman forward Aaron Gordon, who had a breakout summer playing for the USA FIBA U-19 gold-medal winning team in the Czech Republic in July. Miller said this about Gordon, "Aaron's greatest talent lies in his mind -- highly competitive, intelligent, plays to win, great teammate. He combines this with exceptional athletic talent and physical gifts. It's this combination that makes his future so bright. He also is very young [just turned 18], which is one reason why I believe he continues to improve at a rapid pace.'' Arizona is a legit Final Four contender and should enter the season as a top-six team. Meanwhile, the Wildcats still don't know the bracket for the NIT Season Tip-Off. The four hosts -- Arizona, Duke, Rutgers and Alabama -- have to win two games to get to New York for Thanksgiving. Arizona and Duke will be on opposite sides, but the question will be which teams they each play to get to a potential final.

2. The A-10 put out its conference schedule last week. The league got the late-season rivalries right to draw interest from new member George Mason at George Washington on March 2 to VCU at Richmond on March 6 to La Salle at Saint Joseph's on the final day on March 9. A league needs to have games that matter for schools as much as possible late in the season. And there is a good chance that all of those games, save maybe the battle of Mason and GW, should have A-10 top seeding possibilities. Saint Louis, one of the favorites in the A-10, has quite a finish with two of three on the road at VCU on March 1 and closing the season at UMass on March 9. Earlier in the conference season, the game of the month of January may be VCU at La Salle on Jan. 25. The A-10 should have five to six schools in contention for bids, with likely four or so earning berths in March.

3. This comment from UConn coach Kevin Ollie speaks volumes after Tyler Olander was suspended for his DUI when asked about how this affects the Huskies' frontcourt: "I don't care about what's going on with our bigs rotation but do care about Tyler as a person.'' Ollie is proving his personal character is transferring over to his coaching. He isn't going to compromise. Meanwhile, Ollie said guard Omar Calhoun isn't cleared yet for five-on-five after offseason hip surgery but is working out at full speed with the coaching staff. Ollie added that Shabazz Napier is "looking great. Wow.'' Napier has a real shot to be an All-American, let alone one of the top contenders for American Athletic Conference player of the year.