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Roundball Chatter
Dick VitaleSPECIAL TO ESPN.COM
Each Friday I will write about the sport I love, college basketball
I was sorry to hear that the Basketball Hall of Fame has decided to discontinue its Tip-Off Classic. It was a staple of the early season, played on Thanksgiving weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts. I was fortunate enough to call a number of those games, featuring great teams and players. Guys like Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin, Hakeem Olajuwon, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and Jalen Rose appeared up there. The first one, back in 1979, was a national championship rematch featuring Kentucky and Duke. It used to mark the start of the season but that changed with the Preseason NIT and other tournaments. Scheduling rules and costs were cited for the decision to drop the game.
How about a salute to the under-18 team that recently won the FIBA tournament. Washington coach Lorenzo Romar did a nice job leading the US squad to a win over Argentina in the finals. Romar got a look at one of his future stars with the Huskies as center Spencer Hawes had a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) in the championship game.
Good news for new Mississippi coach Andy Kennedy. He landed transfer David Huertas, who saw time for national champion Florida last season. The 6-5 Huertas played 35 games for the Gators last season. He must sit out next season but will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Mick Cronin has already had an impact on Cincinnati. Recently he added former New Mexico State interim coach Tony Stubblefield to his staff. Cronin also secured another big man in 6-10 Hernol Hall from Lon Morris College in Texas. Hall has experience playing for the Costa Rica national team.
Bobby Cremins will have an early challenge as the head coach of College of Charleston. The Cougars will be competing in the Paradise Jam at the Virgin Islands scheduled for November 16-21. Also in that field are highly-regarded Alabama and Villanova, as well as Iowa.
Speaking of the Hawkeyes, Steve Alford is excited about newcomer Tyler Smith. The 6-7 wing player from Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. Smith originally was supposed to go to Tennessee in 2005 but got out of that commitment after Buzz Peterson was replaced as head coach. Alford's eyes light up when talking about the potential of this multi-skilled player. Iowa also added former Ball State head coach Tim Buckley to its staff and he should help the Hawkeyes.
Kansas fans will miss seeing Eddie Sutton on the Oklahoma State sidelines, but they will see a couple of Suttons on opposing team's benches. Sean Sutton took over the Cowboys program, while Scott Sutton coaches Oral Roberts. That's right, led by 6-8 senior Caleb Green and 6-1 senior Ken Tutt, the Golden Eagles visit Allen Field House in Lawrence in mid-November.
While experts talk about Ohio State and Wisconsin among the favorites in the Big Ten, a team that could make some noise is Penn State. Watch out as Ed DeChellis' squad could roar. Fans at the Bryce Jordan Center have a lot to be excited about with Geary Claxton and Janelle Conley back leading the way. Point guard Ben Luber, a three-year starter, provides stability as well.
Notre Dame made a great move adding Gene Cross to its coaching staff. Cross figures to give a lift to recruiting based on his good knowledge of AAU programs. He also knows the Chicago area after prior experience at DePaul. Cross, who was an assistant under Dave Leitao at Virginia last season, should help the Irish land top 20-type talent.
Georgia State coach Michael Perry made a great move hiring former Temple assistant Mark Macon to his staff. The Panthers have a rugged non-conference schedule which includes games against Georgia Tech, Florida State, Iowa, Clemson, Charlotte and College of Charleston.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.
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