ESPN Men's Basketball

The scans have been occurring twice a year for four years now.

And in each of the past eight scans, as Dave and Cheryl Rose waited for the doctor to return with the news, there was that moment, those agonizing minutes that left them wondering the worst.

They always knew there was the possibility the cancer would come back in some form. Dave escaped one of the least desirable diagnoses -- a pancreatic tumor. Instead, he "only" lost his spleen, a piece of his liver and part of his pancreas.

When you're facing what could be a life-threatening situation -- he writhed in pain and spit up blood on a flight to Las Vegas in June 2009 -- the news of cancer reappearing is hard to digest. But it is doable.

Rose had already been at his lowest physically. He had no reason to believe there was anything wrong, since the BYU coach was trailblazing as usual this summer in recruiting. But cancer can strike without warning.

"For 4½ years, you're hoping it wouldn't come back,'' Rose said. "Now they tell you it is. So you change gears. This is how we'll manage it. Eight scans clean and it wasn't an issue. But after each one, we had the conversation of what if the scan showed something. And then you hear it. It slaps you in the face. But then you realize, 'OK, this is what I've got, let's go.' We're looking at the positive things. It could be a lot worse.''

Rose said the first tumor was the size of an orange. The cancerous spots that were removed earlier this month, after the late August scan, "were half the size of a peanut.''

His doctors are aggressive. They won't wait for Rose to tell them when it's a good time to check. He has his regular visits set, with the next one in January. The recovery from this latest surgery won't be as long. No organs were removed. The incision was bigger, but the internal disruption was minimal compared to the previous procedure.

"I'm making sure I'm taking as much time as possible before the grind,'' Rose said.

Under a NCAA new rule, schools can start practicing 42 days before the time of their first game, meaning some programs can open Friday. The Cougars open their game schedule like much of the sport on Nov. 8, hosting Weber State. But the staff decided before Rose's surgery to start practicing Oct. 7 because of campus scheduling conflicts the following week. The surgery made holding off a better choice, too.

Rose has spent a few minutes a day in the office the past week. He was able to host recruits for the Utah-BYU football game last weekend. His strength and stamina are improving daily.

The appointments for the next scans are set for January and June. If there is an interruption in the season, to remove spots again, then so be it.

"This is my life now,'' Rose said. "There are a lot less invasive ways to remove the spots. Hopefully they don't have to do it but if they do, they could do same-day surgery. You could be out in the afternoon.''

His attitude has been tremendous. Cheryl has been a rock. His children have been strong, too. The BYU community's support has never wavered.

Oh, and the Cougars continue to win.

Since Rose's 2009 diagnosis, the Cougars have made the NCAA tournament three times and the NIT once. They have four NCAA wins and three in last year's NIT.

The Cougars are expected once again to be a potential thorn in the side of West Coast Conference leaders Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. It's a young and inexperienced frontcourt with a veteran backcourt.

"I like our chances,'' Rose said. "We've got a tough schedule, games I didn't want to turn down.''

BYU signed up for a loaded slate, including a date with Stanford on Nov. 11 as part of the Tipoff Marathon on ESPN2. They also play at the CBE in Kansas City with Texas and possibly Wichita State. Other games include Iowa State, rival Utah State in Salt Lake City, and on the road against Utah, Oregon and UMass

Freshmen Eric Mika and Luke Worthington will be expected to contribute immediately with returnee Nate Austin. Rose said Mika is one of the top recruits he has ever signed. If they can produce with Tyler Haws and Matt Carlino in the backcourt, the Cougars have a chance to be back in the NCAA tournament.

This team, like the four previous ones, continues to drive Rose to stay healthy, to get back as soon as can. Cancer isn't going to take away his career. For now, it is a stumbling block he can still hurdle.

The clean scans never meant he was always going to be cancer-free. He knew the possibilities, the odds of a return.

"Any time you mention cancer or a re-occurrence, then everyone's mind runs wild,'' Rose said. "The bottom line is for an abnormal situation, this is normal. This is the way it is designed to play out. The odds were this would happen. We're always hoping to beat the odds.''

But don't think for a second he is down or discouraged. He gets scared. Everyone does. But the care in Salt Lake City has been embraced. His optimism always high. His fight always on.

"The prognosis for me is so upbeat,'' Rose said. "I'm so positive. The tumor I have can be managed. That's not the case with all cancerous tumors. I've got one we can manage. Now we move on. I'm excited about this team. I'm going to be here for it. I can't wait.''

Nine days after collapsing during a workout, Wichita State's D.J. Bowles had surgery to install an internal defibrillator Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

WSU coach Gregg Marshall told USA Today that the incoming freshman experienced a "cardiac arrest event" 30 minutes into the workout and "scared the heck out of all of us."

They know the feeling in Logan, Utah.

On Dec. 4, 2012, in preparation for a rivalry game against BYU, Utah State forward Danny Berger found himself moments from death. He went into full cardiac arrest. The heroism of Utah State trainer Mike Williams revived him with the aid of an automated external defibrillator.

Less than a year later, Berger is back on the court. He has an implanted defibrillator, put in while he was at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, within a week of collapsing. Berger is cleared to play for the Aggies without any restrictions. He is the product of modern medicine and cheating death, and he is embracing the second chance.

"Basketball is an enormous part of my life," Berger said. "I'm sure it is to a lot of people too. I want to be that guy that is an example to a lot of people. I want to give them hope."

Berger, a 6-foot-6 wing, is expected to be a full contributor for the Aggies in their first season in the Mountain West. He is in competition for a starting position.

Utah State coach Stew Morrill witnessed Berger's collapse during practice. So too did his teammates. Same goes for Bowles' teammates at WSU. And like Williams at Utah State, Wichita State trainer Todd Fagan is being hailed as a hero for his "quick and professional response," according to a statement from Shockers' athletic director Eric Sexton.

The perspective gained over the past year isn't lost on Morrill. The Aggies, a perennial power in the WAC, had a rare down season a year ago. Berger had transferred from a community college and was expected to contribute. Injuries took out Sean Harris, Preston Medlin and Kyisean Reed along with Berger. That's four scorers gone from an Aggies team that still mustered 21 wins and 11 in the WAC.

"I gathered the team together in summer workouts and told them that they've got to take care of themselves because last year killed me," Morrill said. "Danny then spoke up and said, 'Me too.' It was a great line. He has a great sense of humor. But seriously, he is an unbelievable kid."

Berger took his new life and wanted to do something more. He found out the AED used by Utah State was put in by a fund from Hoops for Heart Health, created by former Providence and current Oklahoma City Thunder wing Ryan Gomes.

Earlier this summer, Berger went to Connecticut to meet with Gomes and play in the foundation's golf tournament.

"He donated the AED that saved my life," Berger said. "I wanted to understand the education of these and how to get more of them out there. A lot of them need to be updated and need maintenance. We need to get people to understand how to use them too."

Gomes said his foundation initially put them in recreational centers, but eventually some universities came on board.

Twelve schools got AEDs -- and Utah State was one of them.

"To know Danny was saved by one of them means a lot," Gomes said, "but the credit goes to staff and trainer [Williams] to know what to do."

Gomes, who said the death of Stanley Myers in his home state of Connecticut got him interested in this project, spoke with Berger via Skype last winter when Gomes was playing in Germany.

"These aren't just for the well-trained athletes on campus but for everyone," Gomes said of the AEDs, which cost about $1,500 per unit. "You can see how when it saves one person's life, it changes the approach to them all over campus."

Berger said he and his father raised money to get one donated in his hometown of Medford, Ore.

"So when I hear about this happening to other people, I want to get the word out even more," Berger said.

"Danny has had a great summer," Morrill said. "He has worked hard in the weight room to get muscle definition. He nearly lost his life. He didn't think he'd play basketball again. He'll be a junior for us since he got his redshirt year back. He's ready to go."

Morrill said he will use Berger at both forward positions. He's more of a stretch 4 than a power player. Spencer Butterfield plays a big guard/wing for the Aggies, who will likely be somewhere in the middle of the pack in the MWC this season, behind favorites New Mexico and Boise State.

"When I met with Danny this summer, he said he'd be fine coming off the bench," Morrill said. "I said, 'Don't give that up already.' We've had lots of conversations, and nobody feels like he would be playing with restrictions. He wouldn't be out here if he had any. Knowing that he has that chest monitor in there is a big relief to me. I'm sure for him as well. I'm sure everything crosses his mind out there. The mental thing will be what he has to deal with the most.

"But it's business as usual here for us. Our trainer [Williams] is always right there. He saved Danny's life. But he gives us all confidence that he's there. If I felt there were any restrictions on him, then it would be tough, but there aren't."

Berger was cleared in the spring once he was healed from the surgery. He has been lifting weights, playing in open gym and gaining his strength.

"I'd like to think I've gotten stronger," Berger said. "I've started conditioning, and I'm running my guts out. I hope I'm even better than I was before."

He said there were periods of apprehension on the court at first, but they are gone. He said he needs to work on his shooting and ensure he's taking care of the ball to keep his assist-to-turnover ratio down. Rebounding, especially with his slight build if he plays the 4, will be critical too.

Wichita State isn't discussing Bowles' prognosis. The word from the Shockers is coaches, players and staff are still shaken up over what they witnessed.

Once they're ready, Berger can answer questions and show them recovery can safely occur.

Berger made it to the other side and not only lived to talk about it but is back playing the same game on the exact court on which he collapsed.

He can't wait for the season opener against USC on Nov. 8 in Logan.

"I've probably daydreamed about that moment at least once a day," Berger said. "It makes me think about how much I'm thankful to God for what he's done for me and the miracles he has performed in the past year. It could have gone the other way. I may not have been playing basketball right now, but I am. It's such a blessing and a special feeling to get out there and start playing again."

Jimmy Duffer is one of the people you probably never knew was a part of the famed Phi Slama Jama.

Duffer and Ralph Adams were student managers. And yet they felt treated as equals by coach Guy V. Lewis -- on par with superstars Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.

"I don't know if words can do justice from someone as simple as me,'' said Duffer, now 51, and in his 11th year as head boys basketball coach at Milby High School in Houston. "I owe a lot to this man.''

This man, Guy V. Lewis, will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday in Springfield, Mass., at age 91. He will be overshadowed by coaches Rick Pitino and Jerry Tarkanian in one sense because he has been out of the game longer.

But Lewis' five Final Four appearances, his coaching of the famed Cougars in that epic 1983 title game loss to NC State, and his ability to bring in immense talent like the aforementioned Olajuwon and Drexler and iconic names like Elvin Hayes, Don Chaney and Otis Birdsong put Lewis on a historic level. He will forever be remembered for coaching Hayes and the Cougars in what was termed the "Game of the Century,'' as Houston upset UCLA at the Astrodome in front of 50,000-plus and a national TV audience in 1968.

Yet throughout his career, Lewis had a tremendous effect on those who few knew -- people like Duffer.

"My parents didn't go to college, they were just hardworking people,'' Duffer said. "I wouldn't have gone to college. I couldn't afford to go. But this gentleman gave me a chance to be a small part of the team.

"I washed clothes, gave people shoes, I straightened chairs. My role on the team was a small one. But here's a guy, he paid for my school by giving me a scholarship and then gave me an extra year to finish. Ralph Adams had the same deal. That's how well he treated us. He made us feel special. I wouldn't be in this profession if it weren't for Guy Lewis.''

When Duffer and Adams were entering school, managers were allowed to be on scholarship, and Duffer said Lewis didn't hesitate to make it right for them. Lewis had known and recruited a few players at Milby, where Duffer was attending. So he offered a chance to Duffer, who was there to witness one of the most glorious runs in college basketball history from 1981-85 as the Cougars played in three straight Final Fours, losing in the title games to NC State and Georgetown in the last two.

"At that time, the majority of the people on the team were Houston products,'' Duffer said. "Everyone knew everybody. Houston was a small school in the Southwest Conference. We were different. We felt different. We all had a chip on our shoulder and didn't feel the conference treated us the same way. If we ever needed anything, we went to Coach Lewis.''

Lewis coached the Cougars from 1956 to 1986. That's it. His only stop. And Houston has never been the same since he left -- having gone to the tourney only four times since then, with zero wins.

"When he had his stroke [in 2002], we were all there in the hospital,'' Duffer said. "That's how it was. He's a part of all of our families. He felt like he was our granddad.''

Duffer said Lewis' small-town upbringing in Arp, Texas, may have had something to do with his ability to blend with anyone in a number of different situations. He certainly had a diverse team and pulled in players from all over the region, regardless of ethnicity or color of skin. Dave Rose, the current head coach of BYU, speaks so glowingly of Lewis and what playing for him has meant. Rose was a guard on the Phi Slama Jama team, hardly the high flyer but treated equally by his coach.

"Coach Lewis made a commitment to everyone he signed that if you played basketball at the University of Houston, he was going to pay for your education [with a scholarship], even if you went 15 years before you came back,'' Duffer said. "He was loyal to them and they were loyal to him. We were all Cougar family.''

Duffer said managers in the 1960s, who were there for the Elvin Hayes era, relayed to him that they were given the same privileges as the players then as they were during his era in the '80s.

Duffer said the '83 loss haunted Lewis for a long time. He said he wouldn't say how much, but it did. And for so many years, there was a growing concern among the Cougar family that Lewis' induction, if it came at all, would come too late.

"We all worried it would come after he passed away,'' Duffer said. "It was so important to all of us that he see this. He was such a pioneer in the game. He was in Houston, Texas, in the 1960s and going into small-town Louisiana and recruiting Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney and bringing them to Houston, which was still the Deep South. That was unheard of, and he did it.

"He wasn't someone who just rolled the balls out and didn't coach. He coached his ass off and everybody knew it.''

There was a strong push to get Lewis in over the years, and Duffer credits Olajuwon, Drexler, Birdsong and CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz, a UH graduate. Duffer said health problems will prevent him from being in attendance this weekend, but Adams, his fellow manager, and a number of other "Cougar family" members will be there Sunday.

"I wouldn't be in this profession I'm in without Guy Lewis,'' Duffer said. "I feel like my career has meaning now. I've been on cloud nine since it was announced. My players have no idea who Guy V. Lewis is, but they know he was Coach Duffer's coach. It means the world to me. I'm glad he's alive to see it.''

Editor's Note: For more reflections on Guy Lewis' career, read our full coverage in the Nation blog.

The voices who can chime in on this weekend's Hall of Fame induction of Rick Pitino are many, spanning the spectrum from various levels of college basketball to the NBA.

Walter McCarty has one of the more unique perspectives on Pitino. He was recruited by him and played for him at Kentucky, including on the 1996 national title team. He was also on the Boston Celtics when Pitino coached. And then worked as an assistant coach for Pitino at Louisville.

McCarty, now back with the Celtics as an assistant with new coach Brad Stevens, discussed Pitino and what he has meant to him:

"We were so well prepared for games [at Kentucky]. It's how we practiced. We always outworked everyone. He broke every detail down. I just think our preparation showed in practice every day. If we wanted to win, that's what we did. And we did it with confidence. It was the same thing as I got older and worked for him. I realized that as a coach after playing for him. That's why he has been so successful. It didn't matter who we played. It could be North Carolina or Eastern Kentucky. We prepared the same. We never overlooked anyone. I just have so much respect for the way he prepares and teaches his players. He's been great for me and a great mentor and a great friend and a great person to learn from.

"In high school, he was the first coach who was honest with me. He wasn't someone who came in and said you could start. Coach P was very honest in the beginning. He said, 'I don't know how much you're going to play or if you can play. But you'll need to work hard every day. You have a chance to be a really good player.' He was the first coach who I really trusted and really believed in. I trusted him early on. He was honest. He didn't blow smoke on me. He respected me as a player. He also was allowing me to come in and be me. I had to gain weight. I had to weigh in every day just to be able to start. It was tough but he knew I could get stronger. He was honest and I appreciated that. He was a great person for us and was always there if we ever needed him. He was a father to us all.

"Off the court, we had fun. On the court, it was not. For two-and-a-half hours Coach P kicked our butts. It was tough. We could see significant change as to how we were getting better. We trusted everything coach said. We ate it up. We put the hours in and soaked up all the knowledge. We had an awesome experience. I loved playing for him.

"In the pros, we had some small victories. There were a lot of egos that didn't come together. I knew the vision coach had and I knew what we had. Antoine [Walker] understood what his style was, but other people who had been in the NBA didn't get it. They didn't know. If coach got on you or screamed at you, two minutes later he had forgotten about it. We didn't sit there and sulk. A lot of players couldn't take that. I think it rubbed players the wrong way. They didn't want to be confronted and didn't want him to embarrass them. He had so much success at Kentucky and he wanted the same success at Boston. I think he was a little impatient. He wanted success so badly, but it just didn't happen that way. The players didn't have the patience. He never got certainty of who was in and out. It was unfortunate. I definitely think he did good work in the pros but it was a bad formula and a bad group at the time.

"Working for him, well, we had already trusted each other and become good friends. But we had never spent a lot of time together like that. We watched tape together, recruited and spent a lot of time together. I had always been a player, then I was in the office all the time. We were driving together. We spent a lot of time together and got to know each other more. It was at a deeper level. We became friends, not just as a coach friend. I saw a different side of Coach P. We became really close and I got to know him on that level. I learned so much. I would always pick his brain about recruiting and coaching and why he was doing this or doing that in a way.

"I wanted to know how creates the magic. I wanted to know everything. I just really appreciate it. It was just awesome. I saw him as a human being. I saw him enjoying life instead of being a drill sergeant.

"I definitely wouldn't be coaching without him. If I didn't go to Kentucky, I don't think I would have learned how to prepare and work hard. Everything I learned, I learned from him. I know I wouldn't be sitting here where I am now if it weren't for him. He worked so hard for our dreams to come through to be professional basketball players and to provide for our family. If it weren't for him, I doubt I would be nearly as successful as I am today.

"He told us want to do with our money, he gave us more than just tools for basketball. He gave us tools to be successful in the world. No other coach out there has done as much for his players, not just the star players, but anybody who played for him. You could be the 15th player on the team, but if you played for Coach P, he made sure you got it. He was around for life.

"To me, it's way overdue for him to be in the Hall of Fame. Looking back, I would have loved to have seen what his numbers would have been if he stayed in college. I think he would have been inducted earlier. He's been through a lot. He has a great family and a great heart. He deserves it. He has accomplished a lot. He's enjoying life right now and enjoying his players and family. When I played for him he was always great, but he was really driven. He wasn't having a lot of fun. Like most people, he was trying to accomplish certain goals. Now he's enjoying reaping all the benefits of those hard days. It's much deserved.''

McCarty's words are strong. They include raw emotion and exude passion for Pitino. The same is true for David Padgett, who was recruited to go to Kansas, went for one season, and then landed at Louisville and sat out the year the Cardinals went to the 2005 Final Four. Padgett is now in his third year as an assistant at IUPUI. Here's Padgett on Pitino's impact:

"Probably beside my parents, he has affected my life as much as anybody. I played for my dad and he had an impact, but it's amazing how much I learned from him and continue to do so. If I'm ever to be able to become a head coach, I'm sure 90 percent will be based on what I learned from him as a player. You don't realize how much you learn while you're there, even off the court. But he had a big impact over the four years I was there.

"From what I have heard, coach has calmed down. But one thing that hasn't changed is the competitiveness and desire to win and succeed. He's really enjoyed where he is right now and success he's had. I was there early on in his tenure at Louisville. We had some pretty good success but the last couple of years I think he's enjoying where he is and he's comfortable. He wants to finish there and be a Cardinal for the rest of his career. He's really in a happy place.

"I don't know if I could put into words what he has meant to basketball. He's one of the only coaches to win a national title at two different schools and the impressive stat is taking three different schools to the Final Four. It's hard enough to take one school. The impact he's had on so many players from Walter McCarty to Billy Donovan. Over 30 years, he has impacted so many people's lives on and off the court. It speaks volumes how successful his former assistants have been as head coaches. His coaching tree extends really, really far.

"I spent a year after playing overseas at Louisville as a grad assistant. It was like a trial run. It was good to spend a year to see how the other side works. I ended up really enjoying it. I was fortunate to get the job here. But when I need advice I can call him. He has had a huge impact on me. How much? It's immeasurable, just from a resource standpoint. He can pick up and get someone a job and help. If you ever need advice. To have Rick Pitino atop the resume is pretty impressive and I know he would do anything in the world for me and I would for him. I'm fortunate to be a part of his life.

"It's long overdue for him to get into the Hall of Fame. I think my senior year he was up for it. He didn't get in for a couple of years and I couldn't figure out why. He's one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game. The way he got in this year -- winning it all -- was picture perfect. I'm ecstatic for him. It's just an unbelievable honor and I'm proud I know him.''

Editor's Note: For more reflections on Rick Pitino's career, read our full coverage in the Nation blog.

Jerry Tarkanian is being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for his innovative style, his transformative program at UNLV and his overall dominance for long stretches of his wildly successful career.

But it is his loyalty -- his unshakable loyalty -- that his players and coaches recall most fondly about his career and his life.

Tark, now 83 and weakened after myriad health problems, will finally get his just due Sunday in Springfield, Mass., recognized by his peers for a basketball life well lived.

Players from so many decades will either be there in attendance or watching on NBA TV. From each era -- the California junior college days, Long Beach State, UNLV, Fresno State -- there will be players who profess loyalty. And still do. Many of the names are familiar: Reggie Theus, Stacey Augmon, Larry Johnson, Greg Anthony, Chris Herren, etc. His former assistants like Tim Grgurich, Mark Warkentien and John Welch are also lifelong disciples.

But there is one person who stands as a prime example of Tark's loyalty to his former players: Roscoe Pondexter.

Pondexter played for Tarkanian at Long Beach State for just one season (1972-73), which was Tark's last at Long Beach before going to Vegas. Pondexter played his final season at Long Beach for Lute Olson, but it was that one year with Tark that left an indelible impression.

"I drove him to the airport [when Tark departed Long Beach for Las Vegas]. I walked him and his wife [Lois] all the way to the gate,'' said Pondexter, now 60 and working as a substitute teacher in Memphis while his son Quincy plays for the Grizzlies. "I played one year for him. But I had known him from high school and when I was in junior college. I stayed in contact with him.

"Jerry has a way of showing a kid loyalty. I'm sure if it were for four years it could have developed even more. But he still remained loyal to me all this time after one year.''

Fast-forward to Tark landing at his alma mater Fresno State in 1995. Pondexter's pro career had long been over. He was a mountain of a man and had been working as a corrections officer at Corcoran State Prison in California. There was abuse within the prison. According to the Los Angeles Times and Esquire, Pondexter gave testimony against his former co-workers in exchange for immunity from prosecution. It was the culture of the prison, he would say.

But Pondexter was out of a job. He needed help. Tark rescued him and changed his life -- and as a result Quincy's too, giving him more stability as a young lad making his way through elementary school and ultimately into the national basketball scene that would take him to the University of Washington and into the NBA.

"He invited me back [to Fresno State] to finish my education,'' said Roscoe Pondexter, who also worked as an assistant within the athletic department while finishing school. Pondexter was a de facto adviser for the Bulldogs, snuffing out problems on campus and leaning on the players to ensure they were where they were supposed to be. "This was way after my basketball days were over.

"Jerry would help athletes get jobs after they were done playing. When I think of Jerry Tarkanian, I think of loyalty and respect for his players. It was 20 years after I had finished playing basketball for him and he brought me in as part of his staff and his inner circle. My family appreciated it. He made a sacrifice for me.

"I got fired and everyone was blasting me,'' said Pondexter of the charges from the prison. "Jerry said that's not the Roscoe I know. And that was that. He refocused me on basketball again. I was in my element again. Quincy was a little kid then. He would come to school with me, see all those guys, sit on the bench with me, and it was crucial for him to see and develop that respect and admiration.''

When Tark is inducted Sunday and presented by Hall of Famer and good friend Bill Walton, his former players will be with him for everything he did for them.

For all of Tark's detractors -- and there were many, mostly at the NCAA headquarters when Tark was at Long Beach, UNLV and Fresno -- none can dispute his loyalty.

"The biggest misperception about Jerry is that he only wanted these guys for basketball,'' Pondexter said. "Or that he used kids or didn't care about education or any of that stuff. That's not true at all. I'm an example of that. I was fired from a $100,000 job and had peanuts. He invited me back to work at Fresno State. Nobody else wanted to give me a chance. Jerry Tarkanian stepped up. I'll always be very thankful and blessed to play for such a loyal guy. He helped me through a very difficult period.''

Pondexter said Tark inspired his whole family. He brought up a time when Quincy was struggling at Washington and Tark came down to speak with him, to spark him. It worked.

The relationship with Tark was for life, Pondexter said.

"You could make millions and all that stuff or maybe not,'' he said. "Jerry Tarkanian helped a lot of different people from different avenues, well after basketball. A lot of what he did wasn't in the limelight.''

In 2006, a former Pondexter teammate at Long Beach State, Leonard Gray, died at age of 54. The players were gathering around at his memorial service.

"We were all sitting there, thinking about the good and the bad and then Jerry Tarkanian shows up, just by himself, no entourage, nothing,'' Pondexter said. "He could barely get out of the car before everyone ran over to him. He showed so much respect for everyone. He made the day for everybody. Everyone treated him like a father figure and he made sure everyone felt OK.''

Tark will get his due this weekend, a moment long waited for by his devoted family, friends, coaches and former players, who have always returned the loyalty and faith that he showed in them.

"Jerry comes from a different era, a different time, a different place,'' Pondexter said. "He is a guy who was true to himself and to his players. He was loyal to his players who really, really needed him outside of basketball. He gave opportunities to people that these days would never get anywhere else. He always said if you come play for me, I will be a loyal friend for life and support you. He did. He lived up to it every second.''

Editor's Note: For more reflections on Jerry Tarkanian's career, read our full coverage in the Nation blog.

Editor's Note: All week ESPN.com is taking a look at new faces in new places. As part of our coverage, Andy Katz will be diving into the mid-major ranks to profile a first-year coach each day.

If Loyola (Md.) had stayed in the MAAC, Jimmy Patsos would not be the coach at Siena.

No chance.

He knows it. Siena knows it.

He wouldn't have attempted to make a play for the gig, but Loyola bolted for the more academic Patriot League. And that was the signal to Patsos that if the Siena job opened, he was all over it to stay in the MAAC.

"I got the offer and I just took it," Patsos said. "I went to lunch with my AD [Jim Paquette] and he understood. Everyone was on board. I had four years left on an extension. But I just felt I should go and got a five-year deal at Siena."

Patsos helped transform Loyola into a contender within the MAAC. The Greyhounds weren't a regular in the conversation for conference title. But he slugged through a rebuilding project and led the them to the MAAC championship in 2012. He did this during a down era at Siena.

The Saints had a lengthy list of successful runs by coaches such as Mike Deane, Louis Orr and Fran McCaffery before Mitch Buonaguro's three-year run. Buonaguro was 35-59 in three years and never finished with a winning record in the MAAC.

The Catholic school just outside of Albany, N.Y., had always been deemed the top job in the conference. The Saints played in a pro-style arena. They had a passionate fan base. They had history. They were the team of record in their city, which isn't the norm in an urban league like the MAAC.

"I wouldn't say I had my eye on it," Patsos said. "I was happy. But I knew that the kids I was recruiting in the MAAC, I wouldn't be able to always get as many of them in the Patriot League."

Patsos said he leaned heavily on his mentor, Gary Williams, whom he worked for at Maryland when the two were a part of multiple Final Four appearances and a national title in 2002. Williams told him to go to a job in a capital city if he could (he loved Ohio State) and more than anything to take the advice of the late Dave Gavitt: Always try to have the best job in your league.

"We put all the pieces together and said if the offer came I would take it," Patsos said. "I loved the job. I love Albany. I love politics and culture. I live in Saratoga. I was the only coach in the MAAC who said keep the tournament in Albany at Siena [it got moved to Connecticut and then Massachusetts for fear of too much of an advantage for the Saints]."

Patsos had seen the top at Maryland. He didn't covet going back. He pursued College of Charleston to no avail. If an ACC job opened, and he was approached, he wouldn't dismiss it. Patsos could be a great fit at a number of spots with his energy, bombastic personality and overall exuberance for life.

He's a Bostonian who has flourished in the Beltway and Baltimore from Catholic U to Maryland. But he has constantly -- and correctly -- looked for the right fit.

"Sure, do I want more money, the money would be great," Patsos said. "But I would spend it no matter what. I like a traditional basketball school. I love Loyola but it's always going to be a lacrosse school. I was always supportive of that. But North Carolina is basketball, Syracuse is basketball, Cal State Fullerton is baseball, Boston College is hockey and Siena is basketball. We added Monmouth and Quinnipiac, which both have great facilities, to the MAAC, so the league has gotten better."

Patsos said Siena should always be one of the premier jobs. He's not hiding who he is and what the Saints should be in the college basketball landscape.

Patsos isn't going to say Siena is going to be the next Gonzaga or Butler. It's not. He's no fool.

"It's not Gonzaga, it's not VCU, it's more of a mid-major minus," Patsos said. "We're the old-school mid-major, but a good one. I like it. I'm happy in the MAAC. It's really tough. It will always be up for grabs with Manhattan, Iona and that's OK. I'm a challenge guy. I would have been happy to stay at Loyola, but we're not getting 10,000 fans at a game like we will for our opener against Albany. We never played in an arena."

The Patriot League academic perception had Patsos a bit on edge. He's not looking for low-rent students. But he didn't want his pool to be too limited. He's telling it as clear as can be -- saying he wanted to be able to recruit a wide swath of talent.

"Patriot scared me a bit," Patsos said. "It's hard to get transfers in. They don't want to drop down to a transfer league. I like transfers. This was a good fit for me."

Patsos knows who he is and what should be expected at Siena. The Saints were originally going to take a trip to Italy in August. But Patsos looked at the real numbers, saw the trip could cost over $100,000 and decided to bus to Montreal.

"A great $30-35,000 trip," Patsos said. "We played five games, won four, really enjoyed Montreal. I know all these guys since we played against them when I was at Loyola. Now I have to get them to play fast, run and trap. We had a great week. It was cheaper. I really recommend going to Montreal."

The Saints have a difficult slate of games, playing at La Salle, going to Purdue, opening with Memphis in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., with LSU or Saint Joseph's in the second game. The MAAC schedule is 20 games, a full round-robin, only to likely produce a stressful four-day tournament in Springfield to produce an automatic bid.

Patsos will play five freshmen in his top nine, so the 46-year-old Patsos isn't prepared to claim a MAAC title. But he is convinced this team will be a viable contender in late February.

"It's the right fit," Patsos said. "It really is."

Editor's Note: All week ESPN.com is taking a look at new faces in new places. As part of our coverage, Andy Katz will be diving into the mid-major ranks to profile a first-year coach each day.

Matthew Graves had no idea Brad Stevens would leave for the NBA or anywhere else.

There was no deal for Graves to succeed Stevens. This was not like Gonzaga, where top assistants had been tabbed in their contracts to succeed Mark Few, only to leave once it was apparent Few wasn't going anywhere.

Graves had nothing in writing. Butler athletic director Barry Collier doesn't operate in that manner.

"There was never a guarantee,'' Graves said. "That wasn't in [Collier's] nature. He doesn't show his cards very often. You go in and do the best you can and work hard, and through your hard work you're rewarded appropriately.''

Besides, Stevens wasn't going anywhere, right?

"I always certainly thought he owed it to his family to explore his options," Graves said, "but to be honest I never dreamed he would be going anywhere anytime soon."

So Graves tried to forge his own identity. He was a finalist at Boston University in 2011, losing out to Joe Jones. He was a finalist at Morehead State in 2012, losing out to Sean Woods.

Graves, a former standout player at Butler, had never lived outside of Indiana. But he was willing to take a chance and not wait for Butler's head-coaching position, which might not open for years.

"I knew I was in a great spot as associate head coach at Butler," Graves said. "Why would I take a bad job and leave that? But I did want to see what it would be like to move a seat over and run your own program. And this is a wonderful opportunity.''

The chance he got this spring was at South Alabama. The Jaguars finished 14-6 in the Sun Belt last season (17-13 overall) and received a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. There is plenty of room for growth this season and beyond, especially with Western Kentucky leaving for Conference USA in 2014.

"Even though it's not a traditional powerhouse in basketball, I really believe it has a lot of untapped potential,'' Graves said. "The vision here is similar to Butler and the way they work and go about their business. I've been really impressed with the athletic administration's forward thinking. We've got a practice facility. We have a 10,000-seat arena with chair backs. We've got a nice weight room, a brand-new locker room, a player lounge. There are a lot of exciting things happening here.''

That said, he played and coached at Butler, so when Stevens shocked the basketball world and got the Celtics job in early July, Graves' name was naturally brought up in the replacement conversation.

Collier called him on July 4. Graves, after all, had been instrumental in building the Bulldogs' run with Stevens, coaching with him in consecutive national title games in 2010 and 2011.

But Graves couldn't do it. He didn't flinch, declining to even go through any kind of formal interview process.

"I had been trying to get a head-coaching job the last couple of years and South Alabama was willing to give me my first opportunity,'' Graves said. "I had been down here for four months. I couldn't turn my back on them. I didn't feel it was the right thing to do. I appreciate [the opportunity] and was thankful and really excited.''

Why? Well, for starters, Graves is convinced the Jaguars will be in the NCAA tournament in Year 1.

"We can be,'' Graves said. "We've got the best player in the league in Augustine Rubit. He's a sleeping giant, a phenomenal basketball player.''

Rubit averaged 19.4 points and 10.5 rebounds last season for Ronnie Arrow and interim coach Jeff Price, who replaced Arrow last December.

"Most people will see and truly appreciate how good a basketball player he is,'' said Graves of the 6-7 senior forward. "We'll allow him more freedom at the offensive end of the floor. We'll showcase his face-up game more. He's an outstanding talent. He could play for anybody in the country.''

Rubit will team up with wing Mychal Ammons, who Graves said will be a double-figure scorer again, and guard Antoine Allen.

"We're returning almost 40 points a game with those guys,'' Graves said. "We're putting our system in place, and if we cut down on turnovers we'll be a lot more successful this year.''

Graves said the "Butler Way'' can be transported out of Hinkle. He said putting team and character above self are easily movable traits.

"There's no reason why you can't take it other places,'' he said.

Graves brought in another Butler alumnus, Darnell Archie, so the Bulldogs' influence is strong.

South Alabama is hardly a lock to win the Sun Belt. Georgia State, Western Kentucky, Louisiana Lafayette and Arkansas State are all viable contenders for the league title.

But the plan is to mix in high school recruits and transfers to establish a winner long term.

Graves is just 38 years old, and with his wife and two elementary-school daughters, he is ready to forge his own path deep in the South.

Would he have gotten the Butler job (which eventually went to Brandon Miller) if he had remained on staff? Would he have gotten it if he had gone through with the interview process? Who knows. Graves and Miller have talked about the Bulldogs, but not much else. They have their own programs to run now.

And Graves, for one, is anxious to bring national exposure to South Alabama and the Sun Belt, much like Butler and the Horizon experienced while he was there.

"It is, in some respects, a lot like the Horizon League,'' Graves said. "We're in an undervalued league with a lot of talent that not a lot of people know about.''

Now it's his chance to make everyone notice by creating a Butler-like culture and winning attitude in Mobile.

Editor's Note: All week ESPN.com is taking a look at new faces in new places. As part of our coverage, Andy Katz will be diving into the mid-major ranks to profile a first-year coach each day.

Joe Mihalich had a flight out of Atlanta back to Western New York on Sunday of the Final Four in April.

He didn't take it.

He had heard that Hofstra athletic director Jeff Hathaway might call him. So he took a chance.

"I woke up Sunday and never heard from him," said Mihalich, who was prepared to go back to Niagara for his 16th season. "Then thankfully Jeff called at 1:30 p.m. We met at 2:30 p.m. and were there for hours talking about Hofstra. I realized it was a special place. The next day I flew back to Niagara and there was a voice mail to come back down Tuesday."

Mihalich took the job, making what could be perceived as a lateral move, but upon further review is not.

Niagara is in the MAAC, a largely one-bid league. Hofstra is in the Colonial Athletic Association, which through attrition and the departures of VCU, George Mason and Old Dominion is now essentially a one-bid league.

The attention, though, on Long Island versus Western New York isn't close, along with the the proximity to top recruits and his roots in Philadelphia.

The time was right for a move. And the spot made sense. Mihalich could have pined for a traditional football school gig in a power-five league. He had the pedigree, résumé and connections. But he fits at a basketball school.

Mihalich loves the leadership at Hofstra. While Hathaway had his battles at UConn with Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun, the relationship couldn't be smoother right now with Mihalich. Hathaway has to make this work, because Mihalich is his guy after firing Mo Cassara, who replaced Tim Welsh after Tom Pecora left Hofstra for nearby Fordham.

Mihalich said he had no plans to leave Niagara. The Purple Eagles had just won the MAAC. They had been to two NCAA tournaments and three NITs, with winning records in 12 of his 15 seasons. But he also said he could be swayed to leave for what he termed "a special place, never knowing that special place would be Hofstra."

Mihalich dismisses the streamlining of the CAA. The addition of the College of Charleston certainly staves a bit of the sting of losing Old Dominion. But the absence of VCU and George Mason still hurts. Northern teams in the CAA haven't been able to break through since joining -- Hofstra, Drexel, Northeastern and Towson. But along with Delaware, there is a distinct Northern influence now; four of the nine schools -- Charleston, James Madison, UNC Wilmington and William & Mary -- are south of Washington, D.C.

"There are a lot of great basketball programs not in football conferences, and there is still a league as good as ever and it's still called the Big East," Mihalich said. "It all starts with players. I don't know how good we're going to be, but I just love being with these kids. Our goal is to surprise a lot of people this year. We've got [a] great work ethic. These guys get along so well."

The Pride have only nine eligible players this season with three transfers. Mihalich told them that conditioning will be critical since getting hurt or in foul trouble is not acceptable.

The goal is to be in play for three days in March. Mihalich has gotten used to dealing with the stress of having to win a conference tournament. He had to do that in the MAAC and the same will occur in the CAA, which has moved its tournament to Baltimore just in time for Towson under Pat Skerry to be a legitimate contender. The usual advantage Southern teams had in Richmond, Va., (see VCU and ODU) has now shifted to Baltimore and Towson.

"Our staff is used to this," Mihalich said of having one bid. "The league has become a bit of an unknown with all the changing parts. The league has changed. We all looked around and said, 'Why not us?' Who will be the next VCU or George Mason? Who is going to be that team? We feel it could be Hofstra. I'm sure Charleston is staying it and so is James Madison."

And so is Towson, Drexel, Northeastern, Delaware, Wilmington and William & Mary. This league is wide open for years to come.

"We have a new attitude, a new culture, a new team," Mihalich said. "It all starts from the top. Everything is in place here. It's a great opportunity."

The Pride picked up two fifth-year transfers in Zeke Upshaw, who played behind Jackie Cunningham at Illinois State, and Dion Nesmith, from Monmouth. Two of the three transfers sitting out came from Niagara, Juan'ya Green and Ameen Tanksley.  The pressure will be on them and SMU transfer Brian Bernardi to produce in practice, because there are only nine eligible players, including three freshmen.

"[The transfers] are all very good players," Mihalich said. "[Upshaw] couldn't get on the court [at Illinois State]. Dion is a good basketball player. This is a chance for these guys. They've embraced it."

And Mihalich has done the same with the area and the school.

Living in Western New York was suburban life. The faster pace of Long Island has re-energized the 56-year-old (he turns 57 Thursday).

"For me and my wife, it's like we're back in Philly 15 years ago," Mihalich said. "It's tough to get a parking spot. No one will let you in to merge. Up there, oh gosh, people are so nice."

Mihalich said he probably went to Niagara Falls roughly 75 times in 15 years. It was regular spot on a recruit's tour. There is no sightseeing on Long Island for the recruits, although they have easy access to everything in Manhattan by train. The campus is the selling point.

The timing was perfect for Mihalich and his wife, Mary. His three sons are all out of the house. Two are coaching basketball and the other track.

"Everything has been pointing to what a great opportunity this is," Mihalich said. "It's hard to explain. Somebody said when you least expect it, that perfect job would come along. I didn't realize it would be here."

But it is. Now he can't wait to see if it's as wonderful, productive and satisfying as he claims it is since his arrival.

Editor's Note: All week ESPN.com is taking a look at new faces in new places. As part of our coverage, Andy Katz will be diving into the mid-major ranks to profile a first-year coach each day.

Wichita State is coming off a Final Four appearance and Creighton is gone.

If there ever was a time for Missouri Valley teams to step up to a challenge, it is now.

The door is open for some program -- even Drake, led by new coach Ray Giacoletti -- to fill the void left by the Bluejays and to challenge the existing power in Wichita State.

No one can duplicate Creighton in the Valley, not even the Shockers. Creighton had the ability to be the team of record in its state. The only competition was Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers were largely irrelevant when the Jays had their moments of triumph. Creighton dominates the coverage during hoops season, not to mention rank in the top 10 in the nation annually in attendance.

Wichita State is big in its town, though it will never topple Kansas in the state in terms of popularity and coverage. But the Shockers can be the dominant program for years to come as long as Gregg Marshall stays put as coach. He can build a Valley dynasty.

The chore for every other MVC team is to find a spot and challenge on a regular basis. Northern Iowa has a shot with the consistency of Ben Jacobson as coach. Illinois State is banking on Dan Muller to be the architect of a takedown. New member Loyola, the program replacing Creighton, has a chance.

And don't forget about Drake. Giacoletti has the background to lift a struggling program starved for success.

He put Eastern Washington in the NCAA tournament for the first time. He guided Utah and No. 1 draft pick and player of the year Andrew Bogut into the Sweet 16. For six years, he was the top assistant to Mark Few at Gonzaga.

He is from Peoria, Ill., and coached as an assistant at Illinois State in the early 1990s. He's a Midwestern guy and knows the area. And he is determined to make Drake a destination program, considering Des Moines is the largest city in Iowa and thirsting for a winner to call its own instead of relying on the three other Division I schools in the state.

Giacoletti is convinced there is a commitment to build and to win with a new practice facility.

"Basketball is being seen as important,'' Giacoletti said. "We've raised the budget into the upper-third in the league. They've seen what branding a program at Gonzaga and Butler can do for an institution. I don't think a whole lot of people know about Drake.''

It's true. Since the early 1970s, Drake hasn't exactly made much of a mark in the college basketball world, outside a 28-win season in 2008 that garnered a 5-seed but ended with a first-round upset.

That season catapulted Keno Davis to the Providence job, where he later was fired and now coaches at Central Michigan. Davis was at Drake as head coach for one season, replacing his father Dr. Tom Davis. Mark Phelps, who replaced Keno Davis, got to the CIT twice but finished .500 just once in the Valley in five seasons and is now out.

Enter Giacoletti, who is hoping to mold Drake into another athletic-academic program that can be known for hoops in March. In this era of football ruling the college sports world, programs like Drake need an identity with its basketball team.

So far, so good. Drake has recruited well for 2014, working Iowa and Wisconsin. Giacoletti has a Midwest staff with Jeff Rutter, Bill Walker and Todd Townsend, all with area connections.

"You can already see the excitement in the commitments,'' Giacoletti said. "We are looking for that different kid in the Midwest, the academic kid. We want to do it like Davidson has done it. It can be done. What they did in 2008 is a great example.''

Giacoletti could have stayed at Gonzaga. He was comfortable. He's close friends with Few and the rest of the staff. He had no reason to leave. But he wasn't professionally satisfied after the way in which he was pushed out at Utah. He was gone after just three years, when a debut Sweet 16 appearance was followed by back-to-back losing seasons.

"The thing that changed was that I wanted to find a situation like Gonzaga out there,'' Giacoletti said. "I wanted to deal with the academic- and character-type of people. I had quite a few opportunities over the last six years, but I wanted to wait find the right one at this stage in my life. I feel as committed as they do to the values of this institution like at Gonzaga.''

Giacoletti isn't bitter toward Utah. He doesn't want revenge.

"More than anything, I want to prove to myself again,'' Giacoletti said. "I've been a successful head coach. I wouldn't trade what we did at Utah for the world. I got a chance to coach the best player in college basketball that year and win 29 games and go to the Sweet 16. The last year there was a teaching moment for me. For whatever reason it was a tough year. Life isn't always fair, but we had a lot of success. So now it's how you handle the tough times to determine what kind of person you are.

"The six years at Gonzaga gave me a different perception of what's really important again and reassured me on how to do things the correct way and what college athletics is about. I'm more suited for this situation than other institutions. I'm more suited for an academic-character type of kid and institution.''

Drake won't become a power in a year. It may never be. But Giacoletti's goal is to ensure the Bulldogs are in the Valley discussion. This season will be for learning, not quick fixes. Adding Jacob Jensen to the roster for this season was a bonus. The 6-11, 240-pound Denmark native gives the Bulldogs much-needed size and strength.

Drake finished 15-17 last season, 7-11 in the MVC. Expectations are even lower this season. The plan is in place to take this deliberately and not cut corners. Giacoletti wants Drake to be set up for the long haul. For now, his team is just another Valley team fighting to reach Wichita State's level.

How soon it finds its footing and makes a play at the Shockers is to be determined. But the new coach in Des Moines is singing an optimistic tune.

"I'm more excited now than five months ago," Giacoletti said. "We've got a plan in place. We're implementing it. We've got great momentum. Things are happening that I didn't think would.''

Editor's Note: All week ESPN.com is taking a look at new faces in new places. As part of our coverage, Andy Katz will be diving into the mid-major ranks to profile a different first-year coach each day.

Finally, Reggie Theus can talk about a team again -- a team of his own.

Theus' views on two Hall of Fame inductees have been coveted by the video arm producing a package in advance of next week's induction ceremony in Springfield, Mass.

He played for Jerry Tarkanian at UNLV in the 1970s. He coached under Rick Pitino at Louisville in the mid-2000s, including a trip to the 2005 Final Four.

Theus' career spanned quite a bit in between, from an NBA career that produced more than 19,000 points and 6,000 assists from 1978-91 to an acting career that placed him squarely in Hollywood.

In 2005, he finally got his head-coaching break post-Pitino, landing at New Mexico State when the WAC was still a player, and he led the Aggies to the NCAA tournament in 2007. He took over a team that was 6-24 and led them to a 41-23 record in two seasons before taking the head-coaching position for the Sacramento Kings.

But the upward trajectory took a turn when the Kings fired him in 2009, less than two months into his second season.

He struggled to get back as a head coach. The NBA didn't offer such an opportunity, although he was an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009-11. Colleges interviewed him (DePaul, USC, his alma mater UNLV), but no one bought.

"For whatever reason, those schools went in a different direction,'' said Theus, who was a finalist for the Runnin' Rebels' job that went to another former Tark player, Dave Rice. "It fuels my fire."

He went to the D-League last season as head coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, but he was still itching to head up a college program again.

The options seemed slim until Cal State Northridge opened. Theus credits president Dianne Harrison and athletic director Brandon Martin for sharing a similar vision.

When Theus was hired in April, Martin said, "We are excited to have him as the leader of our flagship program. His pedigree as an NBA player and coach, as well his ability to elevate a college program, made him stand out from a competitive pool of candidates. This is a game-changing hire for the CSUN basketball program. It speaks to our commitment to advancing our program to a national stage."

Theus found out how difficult it is to get another head-coaching job in Division I, even after departing on your own terms for the NBA. He discovered rather unexpectedly that even with contacts in the business, landing a head gig is never a given.

Now he's got one essentially at home, and it is easily his toughest challenge yet.

New Mexico State has had a strong, rich history in basketball, and the Las Cruces/southern New Mexico community embraces the Aggies.

Northridge is just another Cal State school in the system, hardly standing out from the rest. The Matadors were a thoroughly mediocre 14-17 last season, 5-13 in conference play. And in terms of the NCAA tournament, the Big West is not exactly a multiple-bid league.

But Theus can give Cal State Northridge relevance as few before him have. The onus will be on him to deliver players and wins, with the pressure coming only from within -- himself. No one thinks the Matadors will suddenly become some Western power. This is about making CSUN matter in March, enough to be a contender in the Big West tournament with a chance to earn a bid.

"My whole life I've been about grinding it out,'' Theus said. "It's what I've always done. I've coached at every level. I wanted back into college. Obviously, I could have gone to a higher level [as an assistant], but I wanted the opportunity to turn a program around again. I wouldn't have taken the job if Mr. Martin and Harrison hadn't sold me on the program and their vision. I wouldn't go to a school if I didn't think I could do the things I wanted unless I had the backing.''

Theus isn't fooling anyone about what needs to be done. He has to recruit at the highest level possible, make the Matadors entertaining to draw fans to their glorified high school arena (the 1,600-seat Matadome Matador Gym) in a crowded SoCal sports landscape.

"It's more about talent now, not just the school anymore,'' Theus said. "I can bring in as good a talent at Northridge as any school in the general area. I'm about developing kids and winning and giving them an opportunity to achieve some of the things I've achieved in my life. I'm happy and I'm at home with a great challenge.''

Speaking of home, Reggie Theus Jr. will not be joining his father in Northridge, instead honoring a commitment he made to South Carolina long before his dad got the Matadors job. Gamecocks coach Frank Martin was one of the first high-major coaches to see promise in Theus and offered him a scholarship.

"My son committed to Frank Martin before I got the job,'' Theus said. "I believe in honoring the commitment. Frank believed in him. He saw him play and said he had a great upside and he had the opportunity to play in the SEC. I just could not feel comfortable doing anything but what was right for him. Frank took an interest in him and saw things in him. Frank is the kind of coach that whatever he has in him, he can get out of him. I want him to be pushing him as hard as he can be pushed.''

Theus didn't hesitate, though, to go after transfers from "power five" conferences who were looking West to drop down a level. He landed three transfers in addition to a stud freshman. Seton Hall transfer Kevin Johnson (a 6-9 big man) and St. John's forward Amir Garrett (also a minor league baseball player) are on campus and seeking waivers, while Nevada transfer Devonte Elliott (a 6-10 power forward) will sit out this season and play in a year. The addition of freshman shooting guard Aaron Parks gives the Matadors an upgrade in talent, as well.

Theus believes Harrison wants to emphasize athletics. The previous administration invested heavily in the performing arts, with the $125 million Valley Performing Arts Center called a landmark building on the Northridge campus when it was built in 2011. Will the new regime go after an all-purpose arena?

Theus sure hopes so, but who knows. Campus infrastructure is out of his hands anyway. He can only seek talent on the court and ensure there are no issues off it for a roster that needs to represent the school well.

After assessing the roster, Theus thought the team was small, lacked girth and was too young. So he pursued height, strength and experience through transfers. That mix of bounce-back players and a few high schoolers is likely the path he must choose. How this team defends and shoots the ball are basic necessities. How much they make everyone notice Northridge in a conference that doesn't have a defined leader is paramount to any success.

Long Beach State is attempting to separate itself now that Pacific is gone. Santa Barbara, Irvine, Fullerton and Hawaii each would like to think it's a team of record in the league, too. The Big West had San Diego State and Boise State for a few months before both settled back in the Mountain West. Now any Big West team likely has a legitimate chance to take a turn at the top.

"The Big West is wide-open,'' Theus said. "There's no reason we can't make noise right away.''

If the Matadors get the waivers for Johnson and Garrett, they may shake up the league in Theus' first season. If the pair can't play this season, the upgrade in talent will be significant next year. Regardless, Theus says he will see this through. No one would blame him if he got Northridge to the NCAA tournament at some point and then sought a higher level.

But to do that, he had to get another Division I head-coaching job first. He did.

Now the pursuit begins.