ESPN Men's Basketball

The Big East will send out its annual straw poll to its coaches to get their preseason predictions about the strength of the league's teams to help put together next season's conference schedule.

The league office said Syracuse's Jim Boeheim and Pitt's Jamie Dixon will be allowed to vote in the poll, even though the schools are leaving the conference for the ACC. They weren't invited to the conference meetings earlier this week in Florida.

The results of the poll will determine which teams face each other twice during the conference schedule. Having a tiered system based on those predictions has worked well for the Big East, rather than the predetermined rotations of which teams play each other twice used by the Big Ten, ACC and SEC.

The Big East had 11 teams in the NCAA tournament in 2011; it sent nine teams last season. Coaches firmly believe handling scheduling this way is the reason.

"We've been able to give the league the flexibility to balance the schedule," Cincinnati's Mick Cronin said after the Big East meetings wrapped up Tuesday morning in Ponte Vedra Beach. "The repeat opponents have been set up by the hierarchy of the league in the summer. Something has been done right. We've had 11 teams and then nine teams in the NCAA. The coaches were against 18 league games but then it has helped us get more teams in [the tournament]."

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey agreed that the formula has worked for the Big East.

"It has driven us to get more bids," said Brey, who added it was odd not to have Boeheim at the Big East meetings for the first time during Brey's tenure at Notre Dame. "We've got to stay with this formula. It's not too constrictive. We don't want a rotation. We've got to keep an open mind. Some of it is by design, some of it is by luck, but it has really worked. You can sit there as a coach and say, 'If you're in the top eight, you're in the tournament.'"

There were 13 men's basketball coaches in attendance at Monday's meeting. Four coaches stayed to meet with athletic directors Tuesday. UConn's Jim Calhoun and Louisville's Rick Pitino weren't in attendance and neither were coaches from incoming 2013 members Temple (Fran Dunphy), Memphis (Josh Pastner) and SMU (Larry Brown).

According to Brey, the 11 other coaches in attendance, outside of him and Cronin, were: Stan Heath (South Florida), Ed Cooley (Providence), Kevin Willard (Seton Hall), Steve Lavin (St. John's), Mike Rice (Rutgers), Jay Wright (Villanova), Buzz Williams (Marquette), John Thompson III (Georgetown), Oliver Purnell (DePaul) and 2013 new members Donnie Jones (Central Florida) and James Dickey (Houston).

Heath said that there was even discussion about possibly opening up to 20 games from 18 when the new teams come into the conference.

"We had some conversation, but nothing was shot down," Heath said.

Heath, Cronin and Brey all said there was a renewed sense of optimism in the room, especially with presentations from television executives from NBC and Fox. ESPN and CBS have the current Big East rights, but the league will enter a new negotiating period in the fall.

"There was excitement over the TV presentation possibilities," Cronin said. "The Big East can't negotiate now but there was interest in our product. You could see people spending valuable time on the presentations and they say we'll be even stronger with the media market changes in adding Dallas, Houston and Orlando, which only helps the big picture."

The coaches agreed that the conference tournament must include all members in 2013, regardless of that number.

Heath said he brought up to the coaches that former USF player Kentrell Gransberry never played at Madison Square Garden during his career at South Florida because all the teams weren't invited.

"It's meaningful to the players and the teams even if it's one game," Heath said. "It's a big part of being in the Big East."

The format for the 2013 Big East tournament is still being discussed. There are 15 teams in the league this season with West Virginia's departure. Connecticut is currently not eligible for the tournament since it is not allowed to play in the postseason because of an NCAA ban for poor academics.

The coaches said the plan would be a for 14-team tournament with two games on Tuesday (instead of the previous four) and the rest of the schedule going forward from Wednesday on during championship week with the remaining teams.

Brey said the number of games for an 18-team Big East is still an issue.

"Everybody wants to play everybody," Brey said. "We can't have no-plays. And we need all of the schools to come to New York. A lot of these schools do a lot of business around the Big East tournament. We've got to figure out a way to do this. We're going to figure this all out together."

Oregon State put the full-court press on Victor Robbins as soon as Jared Cunningham declared for the NBA draft by the NCAA's April 10 deadline.

The Beavers nabbed the 6-foot-6 forward from Compton, Calif., to give them a much-needed body up front who has length and athleticism.

"After Jared stayed in the draft, [Robbins] will fit in perfectly with us like the guys that we've been recruiting of late," coach Craig Robinson said. "For us to get Victor, the planets had to be aligned. We were aware of him, but not heavily recruiting him and hadn't any big plans to push unless Jared was gone for good."

Cunningham made up his mind before April 10, thus allowing the Beavers to get heavily involved in recruiting Robbins.

Robbins is Exhibit A for the coaches in the ACC who support the April 10 draft deadline. Those coaches initially pushed for the early-entry draft rule of May 8 and then again last year, when the legislation came through to set a unilateral NCAA deadline of April 10.

The NBA still respects only one deadline, which is its own on April 29. Baylor's Quincy Miller announced he was returning to Baylor by the April 10 deadline but then changed his mind before April 29 for the NBA. He couldn't go back to Baylor, but he was eligible for the NBA draft. Maryland's Terrell Stoglin, who was ultimately banned for a year by the Terps for a violation of team rules, didn't say anything by the April 10 deadline but declared by April 29.

The purpose of the April 10 deadline was to give college coaches more time to fill scholarships used by early entrants. But it is a selfish rule for the college coaches to not allow the underclassmen to test the draft process anymore. If they declare by April 29, they are no longer an amateur in the eyes of the NCAA.

"It's possible that we might not have gotten him if the deadline were April 29," Robinson said. "Knowing in the middle of April helps us just like knowing in March would help us. The earlier that we know the better it is."

Villanova coach Jay Wright also benefited from the early notification that two of his players, Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek, were declaring for the draft.

"It worked out exactly how the rule is planned to," Wright said. "Those two made decisions that allowed us to get involved with two transfers [who] we probably wouldn't have taken if we had those two back."

Villanova picked up Wake Forest's Tony Chennault and Rice's Dylan Ennis.

Connecticut was in a unique situation. The Huskies, who are banned from the 2013 postseason for poor APR scores, lost Alex Oriakhi to Missouri and saw two other big men -- Roscoe Smith and Michael Bradley -- transfer. In addition, they lost Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond to the draft.

Adding 6-10 Phillip Nolan in the spring was a result of all the available roster spots. UConn assistant coach Kevin Ollie said that the Huskies offered playing time, and Nolan jumped at the chance. But the early entries definitely did open up a void that the Huskies saw a need to fill.

Kentucky knew it was going to be replacing early entrants during the season. Picking up Nerlens Noel late to fill Anthony Davis' spot was planned. It wasn't a result of any early deadline or Davis' inability to test the draft process.

The same is true for Duke. The Blue Devils were recruiting 6-7 Amile Jefferson, even before Austin Rivers decided to leave early for the NBA draft. An early-entry deadline had no bearing on the Blue Devils' spring recruiting.

"It had nothing to do with the NBA draft," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We wanted him on our roster no matter what. He's a great get and a perfect fit for Duke. He certainly solidifies our team and makes our team more athletic."

Krzyzewski added that Duke isn't in a position to suddenly add players late (although the Blue Devils were recruiting transfers like Oriakhi and Central Michigan's Trey Zeigler, who went to Pitt).

"It's pretty tough for us to do it here," Krzyzewski said of adding late signees who weren't recruited until April.

Robbins is a huge addition to Oregon State. But don't think Robinson is in favor of preventing underclassmen from working out for teams to see if they'll be drafted in the first or second round.

"I think we should do what's best for the student athletes," Robinson said. "If they can test the market to see where they stood, then they'd have a more realistic opinion of their talents, and we would have an easier job of keeping them in school."

Robinson said that he would favor a more flexible approach/rule from the NCAA.

"You should be able to come back to your school and finish your eligibility," said Robinson in regard to a player's poor draft status or being undrafted. The latter was once a rule but has since been removed by the NCAA (assuming the player doesn't sign with an agent). "I still think we're in the business of educating kids and getting them college degrees. We would wait to see where Jared got drafted. We would love to have him back. If he didn't [come back] we would have a list of guys to jump on. I think everyone should have a chance to come back one time as a student-athlete."

That was once the rule, as late as two seasons ago.

And like Robinson, Wright would like one date instead of two.

Of course, the early date means the coaches benefit and the players don't. But that's only if they can find a player who fits their program. If it's just a warm body to fill a spot, it won't matter much. If it's a player who will actually contribute and make a difference, it will be a success.

Don't expect the Oregon State and Villanova pickups to replace the pro-level talent that's gone. And ultimately that's the reality: Having a unilateral early-entry date may get the school a player to fill the spot, but he's not going to be a star who can replace the production that's left. If it was just about filling the roster and adding length, size or athleticism, it has the potential to be deemed a modest success once in a while for a few schools.

Peyton Siva is not Kemba Walker.

Never has been. Never will be.

But Louisville is mirroring Connecticut, circa 2011, with its NCAA tournament run.

The similarities aren't lost on UConn coach Jim Calhoun or this season's Big East tournament runner-up, Cincinnati.

The Huskies lost their last regular-season game last season to Notre Dame and then won 11 straight to win the national title.

Louisville lost its final game of the regular season at Syracuse. The Cards have won eight in a row.

"If you look at the two teams, they both played unbelievable defense during their run," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. "The one glaring difference is that Louisville doesn't have the national player of the year in Kemba Walker [note: BYU's Jimmer Fredette won POY]. They don't have a lottery pick."

Louisville won the Big East tournament with an impressive run through Seton Hall, Marquette, Notre Dame and Cincinnati.

The Cardinals have survived gritty games against upstarts Davidson and New Mexico and then handled Michigan State before an epic comeback/Florida meltdown result in the Elite Eight.

Oh, and now they're in the Final Four and facing rival Kentucky -- the same team, albeit much more formidable than last season's version, that the Huskies had to beat to get to the national title game.

"I see it," Calhoun said in comparing his team from last season to this season's Louisville squad. "We started off great and sagged off during a stretch, but then won 11 in a row. They've won eight in a row. And they have incredible confidence."

Calhoun said the most impressive aspect of the Cardinals is that they haven't stopped doing what they do, which is relying on their defense to win games.

"They just keep playing," Calhoun said. "They keep up the defensive pressure, and they got better and better. Kemba gave us an outlet. He put incredible pressure on teams one-on-one. There are some comparisons. There's no question that they're such a better team than earlier in the year, and they hit their stride in the Big East tournament."

Calhoun said he laughs at the prospect that the Big East tournament is a deterrent to winning the national title. "We won the national title every time we won the Big East tournament," Calhoun said of his three titles. "I really think there are good benefits going back-to-back-to-back against really good teams."

UConn had to win five games to win the Big East tournament title a year ago. Louisville had to win one less.

"For teams that play hard, it's just lace them up and let's go," Calhoun said.

And playing Kentucky to get to the title game makes the two teams' runs seem similar.

"It's a coincidence in many, many ways," Calhoun said. "VCU and Butler were there for us and in many ways, even though they were good basketball teams, there was a feeling that if they got by UConn they [Kentucky] would win their first title since 1998. Not that Ohio State and Kansas can't win the title, but getting by Kentucky for Louisville will be an emotional deal for them."

So can Louisville pull a Connecticut and beat Kentucky, too?

"Peyton Siva has to play the game of his life," said Cronin. "And [center] Gorgui Dieng has to stay out of foul trouble. And Louisville has to make shots with Kyle Kuric, Russ and Chris Smith. [They have to make] perimeter shots, with Kentucky's size around the rim. They have to get Kentucky spread out a bit.

"Kentucky is such an overwhelming favorite to win this game," Cronin said. "But so many of the national champions have won their conference tournament. It's all about getting hot at the right time. Louisville believes it's the underdog, which gives them an edge and they're hanging on every detail Coach [Rick] Pitino is giving them. No team is playing with as much humility as Louisville is right now."

Sound familiar? It should.

UConn's near future got cloudier with the NCAA's decision on Friday to deny a waiver that would have allowed the Huskies to play in the 2013 NCAA tournament.

The university will appeal the decision to the Academic Performance Subcommittee on Appeals.

But there is still a series of unknowns: When will Jim Calhoun return from a back condition that may or may not require surgery? Will the Huskies have a number of key players on the roster next season or will they jump to the NBA draft? And if the appeal is denied, then how does that hamper recruiting or the current roster going forward, as any incoming players and current players would know they couldn't play in the 2013 NCAA tournament? What will the Big East do now that Connecticut isn't eligible for the NCAA tournament? How will the Big East possibly handle a conference tournament without West Virginia (off to the Big 12) and UConn in 2013?

Freshman Andre Drummond hasn't been a dominant player. But he still would be a lottery pick in the NBA draft if he were to come out this season. Sophomore wing Jeremy Lamb hasn't been as stellar as last season, but his shooting touch makes him a lock for the first round.

Lose Drummond and Lamb off next season's team and that squad probably wouldn't make the NCAA tournament anyway. Do both players stay if they know for certain they can't be in the NCAAs? The Huskies have one player signed -- shooting guard Omar Calhoun from Brooklyn's Christ the King High School. Does Omar Calhoun try to get out of his letter of intent if he can't play in the NCAA tournament as a freshman?

This is a bit different than a standard postseason ban for NCAA violations. This is new territory for the NCAA and a member school. Postseason bans are rarely overturned. This is the first time a school is challenging this new legislation to avoid sitting out a postseason. The subcommittee could take its time to decide on an appeal or it could make a quick decision. No one is certain.

Jim Calhoun told ESPN.com earlier in the week that he intends to come back from spinal stenosis and doesn't want to retire because it. But the pain is causing him to take a break, and suddenly there is uncertainty in the program.

UConn president Susan Herbst said the decision on when to retire is up to Calhoun.

"He's been struggling for a while on and off this fall," Herbst said of Calhoun's back pain. "He can take a lot of pain. But he's very committed to these kids. They're great kids on this team. He's going to power through this and listen to his medical advice. I know he wants to come back."

If and when Calhoun decides to retire, multiple sources within the program said Calhoun wants assistant Kevin Ollie to replace him. Ollie is extremely well-liked in the community, and has the NBA ties and respect among high school players and UConn alumni.

Herbst was noncommittal about a successor or Calhoun's timeline.

"He's got to think about it and assess how he feels, how much energy he has for this and what else he wants to do," Herbst said. "He's such an integral part of this program. We work incredibly well together. He's easy to communicate with. We agree on some stuff and some we don't. We're really close and he does so much for this campus."

Calhoun has missed two games with this back injury -- a win over Seton Hall and a loss at Louisville -- and won't coach the Huskies at Syracuse on Saturday. The Huskies are on the bubble at 15-8, 5-6 in the Big East. He sat the first three Big East games this season for NCAA punishment due to failing to have an atmosphere of compliance during the Nate Miles recruitment four years ago.

"When he wants to move on, he can," Herbst said. "I'd sure like him back right now and finish the season up. He can think about what he wants to do to comeback for two more years. He's got a great coaching staff and this is one of the prime jobs and one of the best coaching jobs in the country.

"We'll hire a new AD in the next few weeks, and I'll heavily rely on that person," Herbst said.

Herbst said early Friday that she's not against a postseason ban. But she said there should be time to adjust to the ban. She said that the incoming players shouldn't be the ones who suffer any consequences. They should know when they matriculate that this is a possibility the following year. The penalty should be on them if they fail to meet the standards, not for them to pay for the misdeeds of those in the past.

Herbst said offering up self-imposed sanctions is the way the NCAA works. According to the NCAA, schools ask for relief all the time and offer penalties and actions in lieu of ineligibility. She said offering up to give up postseason revenue in 2013 was significant since it would help fund other programs at the school. Now there may not be any revenue at all from the 2013 postseason.

She said dropping the Huskies' regular-season schedule from 30 to 27 is also significant, since those would be games that would probably be at home.

But now the school has to wait and see if the appeal is granted. If not then the Huskies will have a number of decisions that will affect the immediate future.

Calhoun is focusing on eliminating the dreadful pain of spinal stenosis. Until that is resolved he won't decide on his future. Drummond, Lamb and possibly others will have to decide if there is a future for them in 2013 without the NCAA tournament as a possibility.

The next move will be made by the NCAA. And then a series of decisions will have to be finalized by key UConn personnel. Until that happens, uncertainty remains.

College basketball could use a Heisman-like award, one main honor instead of the five mainstream national awards.

The problem is that finding a consensus for the Wooden, Naismith, AP, Rupp and Oscar Robertson honors is no easy task.

The awards voters do tend to coalesce behind one candidate. And maybe that will be the case again.

But it seems that this season's race will be as wide open as ever. If you need more evidence, take a look at the 25 finalists for the Wooden Award, released on ESPNU and ESPN.com on Tuesday.

It appears that the only two players who are consensus candidates are Kansas' Thomas Robinson and Creighton's Doug McDermott. It's not a reach to say these two players are the favorites in mid-January, a stunning development considering how much preseason hype Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes received. The amazing part thus far is that I don't believe Sullinger nor Barnes would be a first-team All-American if the voting were conducted today.

Before we get to the list of players compiled by the Wooden folks, it's important to note that these are simply the 25 players who they felt should be honored on their midseason list. Players who do not show up are still very much eligible to win the Wooden Award at the end of the season and will be given equal consideration.

So players who have legitimate claims to being on this list -- Maryland's Terrell Stoglin and Seton Hall teammates Herb Pope and Jordan Theodore come to mind -- still have a shot.

So without further ado, here are the 25 Wooden finalists (in alphabetical order):

Harrison Barnes, 6-foot-8, So., F, North Carolina
Stat line: 16.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg

Chances: Fading. Still has a shot to be a second-team All-American. Barnes hasn't been the dominating player on the Tar Heels. To be fair, he has some of the best talent in the country (John Henson, Tyler Zeller and Kendall Marshall) surrounding him. UNC's 33-point loss to Florida State didn't help his case, either.

Will Barton, 6-6, So., F, Memphis
Stat line: 18.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg

Chances: No shot. He could be the Conference USA Player of the Year, though. Barton has greatly improved and has been the most consistent player during the Tigers' inconsistent season.

William Buford, 6-6, Sr., G, Ohio State
Stat line: 15.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg

Chances: No shot. Buford won't win Big Ten POY, either. He has been OSU's best perimeter threat, but he won't be a first-team All-American. Buford might not even be first-team All-Big Ten. He is an integral part of the Buckeyes' title hopes, but is not a POY contender.

Anthony Davis, 6-10, Fr., C, Kentucky
Stat line: 13.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 4.6 bpg

Chances: High. Davis has been the most dominant post player in the country. He blocked a last-second shot by North Carolina's John Henson in December, preventing the Tar Heels from winning a game at Rupp. He alters and changes more shots than any other player. If the Wildcats win the national title, Davis will be one of the reasons why. He would be ahead of Ohio State's Jared Sullinger on the All-America ballot if you had to choose one of them.

Marcus Denmon, 6-3, Sr., G, Missouri
Stat line: 17.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Chances: Not great. Denmon is the leading scorer for Mizzou. But it's hard to separate him from Kim English, Ricardo Ratliffe, Michael Dixon and Flip Pressey in his importance to the Tigers. They all have played an equal role in Missouri's impressive start. It will be interesting to see which of these players earns first-team All-Big 12.

Draymond Green, 6-7, Sr., F, Michigan State
Stat line: 15.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg

Chances: In the mix. If he continues his current pace of scoring and rebounding, Green could end up nudging out Sullinger for Big Ten Player of the Year. The Spartans did lose at Northwestern on Saturday, but Green has been a tremendous leader. He will stay in the chase for a first-team All-American spot if his team stays in the race for the Big Ten title.

John Henson, 6-11, Jr., C, North Carolina
Stat line: 14.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg

Chances: No shot. Henson didn't convert the biggest shot of his season against Kentucky. Davis blocked it. And if Barnes isn't the national player of the year, Henson isn't either. The 33-point loss to Florida State will haunt all Tar Heels candidates.

John Jenkins, 6-4, Jr., G, Vanderbilt
Stat line: 19.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg

Chances: No shot. Jenkins is a superb shooter and scorer and is leading the revitalized Commodores. But his role isn't more important than Jeffery Taylor, Brad Tinsley or Festus Ezeli -- it is equally important. The 'Dores mid-nonconference slide hurts Jenkins' campaign. The success of the Kentucky freshmen also makes it almost impossible for Jenkins to get SEC Player of the Year.

Orlando Johnson, 6-5, Sr., G, UCSB
Stat line: 20.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg

Chances: No shot. Johnson is having a stellar season for the Gauchos, and he may be one of the higher draft picks on this list. But the Gauchos are 8-6 and are trailing Long Beach State in the Big West. Johnson should be an All-American, but he won't make the first team.

Darius Johnson-Odom, 6-2, Sr., G, Marquette
Stat line: 18.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg

Chances: No shot. DJO has had a superb season for the Golden Eagles. He has a legit shot at Big East Player of the Year. But that won't be enough to get a first-team All-American spot or the national POY. Marquette has been decent, but not great enough for DJO to stand out on that pedestal.

Kevin Jones, 6-8, Sr., F, West Virginia
Stat line: 20.6 ppg, 11.1 rpg

Chances: Decent. Jones has put it all together as a senior and has put up just a monster season for the Mountaineers. Just seems like it's double-double after double-double for Jones, who will need to keep the Mountaineers in the top 3 of the Big East in order to stay in Wooden contention.

Perry Jones III, 6-11, So., C, Baylor
Stat line: 14.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg

Chances: No shot at player of the year, but he is in the hunt for a first-team All-American slot. The problem for Jones' candidacy is that Quincy Acy has been a comparable inside scorer and guard Pierre Jackson has been an integral member of this team. Jones didn't help his case when he and the Bears were dominated by Kansas' Thomas Robinson in a loss on Monday night. But he can't win national POY if he isn't the Big 12 Player of the Year. And Robinson is the favorite for that honor.

Kris Joseph, 6-7, Sr., F, Syracuse
Stat line: 13.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg

Chances: No shot. Joseph is leading the Orange, but this team is so deep, so talented and so balanced that you would have a hard time picking just him. Dion Waiters may be Syracuse's MVP. A number of other players have taken turns being the star for the Orange, too.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 6-7, Fr., F, Kentucky
Stat line: 13.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 49.4 FG percentage

Chances: Solid. Kidd-Gilchrist could be the SEC Player of the Year. And if he gets that honor, he'll be in contention for the national POY. Kidd-Gilchrist took a few games to get going, but once he did he was an offensive force. He has delivered on his talent and effort.

Jeremy Lamb, 6-5, So., G, Connecticut
Stat line: 17.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Chances: No shot. Lamb is leading the Huskies in scoring. But UConn is still finding its way in the Big East. The Huskies haven't featured Lamb as much, either. Andre Drummond may end up being the team's featured scorer by season's end. Lamb isn't the Big East Player of the Year right now, so he isn't winning the national honor.

Damian Lillard, 6-3, Jr., G, Weber State
Stat line: 25.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg

Chances: He won't win national POY, but he should be in contention for second-team All-American honors. Lillard is having a stellar season for the Wildcats, who are in first place in the Big Sky. He leads the nation in scoring and his stat line is as good as any in the country. The problem is that Weber has been in obscurity so far this season. Lillard will likely not be seen by the masses until March.

Doug McDermott, 6-7, So., F, Creighton
Stat line: 24.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 62.1 FG

Chances: High. McDermott has been one of the most complete players in the country and is a first-team All-American, at the very least. He could be this season's Jimmer Fredette, coming from outside a power six conference to win the national player of the year honor. McDermott has led the Bluejays to the top of the Missouri Valley and into the Top 25. He is the focus of every opposing defense, too.

Scott Machado, 6-1, Sr., G, Iona
Stat line: 13.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 10.3 apg

Chances: Not happening for POY, but he's in the hunt as a first-team All-American. Machado has been the most dominant point guard this season and easily leads the country in assists. Iona has played a decent schedule and is the team to beat in the MAAC. Few teams will want to face the Gaels in March, and Machado is one of the key reasons why.

Kendall Marshall, 6-4, So., G, North Carolina
Stat line: 5.8 ppg, 9.6 apg

Chances: No shot. Marshall is a key for the Tar Heels. He hasn't been the best point guard in the country, but has been a solid contributor this season and does rank second behind Machado in assists. But that isn't enough to win the award or be a first-team candidate.

Mike Moser, 6-8, So., F, UNLV
Stat line: 13.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg

Chances: No shot. But Moser has to be in contention for a first- or second-team All-American spot. His rebounding has been epic (especially against North Carolina). Moser and fellow UCLA transfer Chace Stanback have been the major reasons the Runnin' Rebels are ranked and in contention for the MWC title.

Arnett Moultrie, 6-11, Jr., C, Mississippi State
Stat line: 16.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 0.9 bpg

Chances: Not good for POY, but he's a serious candidate for first-team All-American. Outside of Moser, Moultrie has had the most impact of any transfer. He has increased MSU's chances of being a serious threat to Kentucky in the SEC. Moultrie is a double-double machine for coach Rick Stansbury and has allowed the Bulldogs to avoid relying only on Renardo Sidney.

Thomas Robinson, 6-9, Jr., F, Kansas
Stat line: 17.8 ppg, 12.3 rpg

Chances: High. Robinson is the POY favorite at this juncture. He should be a consensus first-team All-American. He has had to take on immense responsibility with the departure of the Morris twins and has responded without a hitch. He carries the weight of the incredible burden of losing his mother during last season. And yet he is as focused as ever in 2011-12. Robinson dominated in the rout over Baylor on Monday night with 27 points and 14 rebounds.

Mike Scott, 6-8, Sr., F, Virginia
Stat line: 16.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg

Chances: He has no shot for national POY, but Scott is one of the favorites for ACC Player of the Year. He has been the most consistent big man in the league. Take Scott off the Cavs, and they don't come close to the top of the league standings. But Virginia did lose at Duke and also fell to TCU. Scott will have to keep the Cavs in the ACC's top three to have a chance at the league's POY.

Jared Sullinger, 6-9, So., F, Ohio State
Stat line: 17.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg

Chances: Still strong. Sullinger has been battling injuries (back, foot) and missed the road game at Kansas in December. That's part of the reason he is not the favorite right now. Sullinger still has plenty of time to be a first-team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year. But it would help if he had some dominating performances down the stretch.

Cody Zeller, 6-11, Fr., C, Indiana
Stat line: 14.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg

Chances: No shot. But Zeller is in the chase for Big Ten Player of the Year. At the very least, he'll be the Big Ten Rookie of the Year. It's amazing that he's on this list and his older brother Tyler (a senior at North Carolina) is not. Cody has helped transform Indiana into a national player, but the Hoosiers' recent two-game skid does take his chances for Big Ten POY down a peg.

My midseason All-America team choices:
First team: Robinson, McDermott, Davis, Moultrie, Machado
Second team: Kidd-Gilchrist, Sullinger, Green, K. Jones, C. Zeller

STORRS, Conn. -- No other game in New England this season will match Harvard-Connecticut.

Sure, the Huskies will play some marquee Big East home games after Jan. 1. But no other contest between two New England schools will come close to Thursday night's game (ESPN2/ESPN3, 7 ET).

Harvard has its best team ever. The Crimson are ranked for the first time in school history at No. 24. Connecticut is at No. 9 and has the talent to reach another Final Four. It's the first game between ranked New England schools since UConn-BC in 2005 and just the second since a 1997 game between UConn and Providence.

The two teams could have played in the Battle 4 Atlantis title at Paradise Island in the Bahamas two weeks ago, but Central Florida upset UConn in the semifinals.

"We thought we'd be playing Florida State in the championship game, but then Harvard shocked everybody and ended up winning the whole thing,'' said UConn freshman center Andre Drummond. "Now we can see what they're all about Thursday.''

Drummond admitted that he wasn't well-versed in Harvard hoops. He wasn't sure about his opponent in the middle, either. The Crimson's Keith Wright, a preseason Wooden All-American candidate, certainly knows about Drummond and said he exchanged greetings and salutations at Atlantis. But Drummond shouldn't be faulted for not having heard of Wright or anyone else on Harvard. This team lacks a known commodity nationally -- unlike when it had guard Jeremy Lin two seasons ago.

"Our plan was to play UConn down there, but no one expected them to lose to Central Florida,'' Wright said. "Our focus was to go down there and win it. It will be nice to go up against those guys. It should have been the championship game.''

The odds are stacked against the Crimson, as UConn has a 38-game home-court nonconference streak. The Huskies have won 101 straight regular-season games in November and December at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, although that is largely because of a soft slate of home games.

Harvard's last win over UConn was in 1972, but forget about that stat. This Crimson team can't be compared to their teams from the past. The Crimson are essentially intact after winning a share of the Ivy League title last season with Princeton. Harvard coach Tommy Amaker decided to raise a banner, even though the Crimson didn't win the title outright or get the league's tourney bid.

They are the overwhelming favorite to clinch the championship and the school's first NCAA tournament berth since 1946 this season.

"No one likes to share a championship,'' Wright said. "No one likes ties. But we made history, and we're aware of our accomplishments. Tying for the Ivy League title gives us even more motivation.''

The Crimson won't have another game the rest of this season, let alone in the nonconference schedule, that they won't be expected to win. That is also new territory for them. This program wasn't a given to do much of anything before Amaker arrived in Cambridge, Mass.

"It's just been so awesome for the seniors on this team,'' Wright said. "[To be ranked] is a testament to all the hard work, and it started from losing to Princeton at the buzzer [in last season's playoff game] and then getting beat at Oklahoma State [in the NIT] like we did. We've had a dedication to defense. We have guys that have really bought in and are very unselfish.''

Harvard has been stingy defensively, as the 14-14 halftime score against Florida State in the Bahamas indicated. The Crimson are allowing 54.4 points a game, 10th-best in the nation. And they shoot 72 percent at the line, which will come in handy in a tight game.

If Wright has to defend a player like Drummond or Alex Oriakhi, that will be his toughest test of the season.

"It's a team effort, and we all have to sacrifice on the defensive end to block out and keep those guys off the glass,'' Wright said. "It was similar to the Florida State game. Those guys had inches on us at every position. But it was a team effort to keep them off the glass. We have to give the same effort to keep those guys from playing volleyball on the backboard.''

Harvard returns all five starters. UConn has sprinkled in two key freshmen in Drummond and guard Ryan Boatright to complement returnees Jeremy Lamb, Oriakhi and Shabazz Napier. Boatright, who was suspended for the first six games of the season, has given the Huskies a major pop off the bench. He scored 23 points in a win over Arkansas on Dec. 3. Drummond is averaging a modest 7.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, which is fine with him as long as he's contributing.

"I'm not concerned about scoring points,'' Drummond said. "My main goal is to stop the other team from scoring. We can't win a game if the other team is scoring well.''

Drummond was recruited by fellow elite programs Kentucky and Pitt, but his hometown UConn won out. The Huskies are filled with top-level talent. Harvard is recruiting at a much higher level, but Wright was a typical Ivy League recruit. His suitors came from the Ivy as well as other lower-level regional schools and a brief flirtation from Virginia.

That doesn't matter. This Harvard team is experienced, has grown together and is prepared for a challenge of this nature. A win against UConn would ensure the Crimson will stay in the top 25 for the foreseeable future. But if they push the Huskies and lose, they shouldn't be judged too harshly. This is a team that isn't going away any time soon.

"They are ranked; they have good players,'' Drummond said. "I don't know anything about this Harvard team or its history. So, let's see what happens with the outcome [Thursday night].

The outcome is unknown. But the lead-up is indisputable -- New England has a marquee game for the only time this season.

STORRS, Conn. -- If you walked into Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday and watched Connecticut play multiple pickup games, you might have revised your top 25 and put the Huskies at No. 1 instead of No. 3 or 4.

The Final Four's Most Outstanding Player was on the court. Kemba Walker, locked out like every other NBA player, was running the point for one team. Freshman Ryan Boatright, a jet-quick point guard, was on the other side. Co-captain Shabazz Napier was sick and had to sit out, but Jeremy Lamb, one of the best wings in the country, was on the floor.

So, too, was probably one of the better unheralded rebounders in co-captain Alex Oriakhi. Freshman forward DeAndre Daniels, one of the best gets in the spring signing period, and returning forwards Roscoe Smith and Niels Giffey were playing, too.

Oh, and so was freshman center Andre Drummond. He's only one of the top players in the country. If the NBA doesn't change the draft rule whenever the players' association and the owners reach a new collective bargaining agreement, he could be the overall top pick in next June's draft.

Yes, Walker isn't eligible anymore for the Huskies. But even without him, it's clear that UConn is a legit top-five squad and every bit as much of a national championship contender as North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State.

Remember, Connecticut missed the NCAA tournament in 2010. Last season, it enjoyed a tremendous early-season run after winning the Maui Invitational and upsetting Texas on the road. But the Huskies finished 9-9 in the Big East before the magical 11-game stretch that led to the Big East tournament title and the NCAA tournament championship.

UConn coach Jim Calhoun said it's weird to see Walker as much as he has this semester, but the coach knows he's got something special again. Calhoun admits he might not have a player who can change the game like Walker did. Walker took the winning shot, but he also extended a two-point game to four or five points with his clutch shooting.

Calhoun said this season's team won't start out 11-0 and earn credit for those games. They get a clean slate. But there is one piece of business that needs to be taken care of so they can put last season behind them. On Thursday night, the Huskies -- and, of course, Walker -- are expected to receive their championship rings at a dinner.

Walker will be a presence on the court until practice starts next Friday, but he has been around long enough to get a read on this team.

"These guys are very talented," Walker said, "and they have a lot of depth, more than we had last year. I think it's very possible for a repeat. I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait. If this lockout continues, you'll find me in Storrs, Conn.''

Walker has relocated to Connecticut for the time being. His parents moved from the Bronx into a home in Charlotte, N.C., and are waiting for him to start his NBA career with the Charlotte Bobcats. Walker said he's being financially supported through his Under Armor sponsor deal, his agent and camp money.

But his presence in the weeks before the start of official practice is immeasurable, especially for a player like Boatright. Napier is a much more methodical point guard, whom Calhoun said may end up being one of the team's most improved shooters. But Boatright has serious hops. He is listed as 6 feet tall, but he can dunk with as much ease as someone who's 6 inches taller. He doesn't hesitate to pull up from 15 feet and bury a midrange jumper, either.

"When [Kemba] comes, the intensity picks up,'' Boatright said. "It's real good to play against a guard like that. I'm feeling real comfortable now after being a little shaky at first. The game was faster and physical.''

“

These guys are very talented, and they have a lot of depth, more than we had last year. I think it's very possible for a repeat. I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait.

” -- Kemba Walker on the 2011-12 Huskies

The Huskies relied too much on Walker last season. He had his poor shooting nights and games when he was a high-volume shooter. While the Huskies may not have one player to bail them out every time this season, they will have more options to prevent the game from getting into that situation.

"We can all score,'' Boatright said. "You can't focus on any one person.''

Adding Drummond made that even more apparent.

Drummond will down as one of the best late additions in 2011-12. He was scooped up in late August when he decided to go to college instead of attending a postgrad prep year, which was the original plan. Drummond said he is eligible to play and has been cleared by the NCAA.

"It hasn't been as much of a whirlwind,'' said Drummond. "It was a big transition from what I originally planned on doing. But everything has been going smoothly.''

Having Oriakhi to bang against, as was the case Wednesday, will be perfect for Drummond.

"It's a gift,'' Calhoun said. "Alex has tremendous experience, and he can pass it on to Andre. Andre is one of the best players in the country. Jeremy is one of the top three [at his position]. Andre won't be the only guy who is expected to be good. Playing against Alex every day is going to help him. Andre is an incredible talent. He's one of the nicest kids we've had. He's really gifted.''

Drummond and Oriakhi were banging against each other in the post. That will continue throughout practices.

"There are already players on this team [who] won a national championship,'' Drummond said. "A lot of times when guys go from high school to college they have to be that guy right away. There won't be as much pressure on me. There are guys on this team [who] have already been on the big stage. They know how it is and how to get better. We've got a whole collective group that can make a run for the 'ship."

Calhoun will enjoy putting these pieces together. He has to manage only 11 players with the scholarship reductions. He has fouls to work with if he uses Tyler Olander, Enosch Wolf and Michael Bradley as rotation players behind Drummond and Oriakhi. Smith and Daniels pose matchup problems. They are also so long that defensively they can be stoppers. Giffey is a bit of a utility player. Lamb, Napier and Boatright can all shoot. Napier is clearly more of a playmaker, and Boatright is more of a guard who can get into the lane with his speed and create for himself.

The Huskies' schedule is soft prior to Big East play. So don't be surprised to see them rolling into January with quite a gaudy record -- possible an unbeaten one.

"We're young and untested, but we have interesting talent, and as we start we're more talented than we were last year,'' Calhoun said. "I'm excited by the fact that we have more depth and we're more athletic. ... We'll just have to find ourselves and establish roles. We have the people. But it will be different not having that little guy running the team, as everyone could see how good he was.''

That little guy is Walker, who is turning into UConn's No. 1 promoter.

"They're deeper, and it will be more spread out this year,'' Walker said. "Jeremy will lead the charge offensively. His confidence is on another level right now. He's working hard. He'll have an unbelievable year. Ryan can jump out of the gym. He's a really good freshman. He can use his floater and pull-up. Shabazz and Ryan in the backcourt will cause a lot of trouble. [Oriakhi and Drummond] love being around the ball and will fight for rebounds.

"Andre is a freak of nature. He's athletic. He runs the floor and he's lanky. He's just a beast, and it's going to be scary with him and Alex down there. Maybe they can push Alex to the 4 now, too. They're going to have an unbelievable year. I'm looking forward to seeing these guys play. I can't wait, to tell you the truth.''

At this time last year, Ben Hansbrough's name didn't appear on the Wooden Award preseason watch list.

Five months later, he edged out Connecticut's Kemba Walker for Big East Player of the Year.

Using that as a backdrop, let's remember that the list of 50 Wooden nominees is flawed, much like any of the award lists. The Wooden Award does not allow its voters to nominate any freshmen or transfers (either four-year or junior college) on their ballots.

And with college basketball as loaded with talent as any year since 2007-08, narrowing it down to 50 is not easy. So below I've attempted to come up with the names that didn't make it, either as "just missed the cut" omissions or just because they're freshmen or transfers. These guys aren't on the list (which can be found here), but might show up when it's updated during the season.

This group is by no means definitive, either. There's no telling who else might emerge nationally as the games get under way.

Let's take a look …

The omissions (in alphabetical order):

Julian Boyd, Long Island: The Blackbirds are the favorite again in the Northeast Conference and the main reason is because Boyd is back and ready to dominate the stat sheet.

D.J. Cooper, Ohio: The diminutive point guard does a little bit of everything; he averaged 15.8 ppg, 7.5 apg and 5.0 rpg for the Bobcats last season.

Jared Cunningham, Oregon State: Cunningham has some of the best hops in the sport and a chance to be a Pac-12 star, allowing the Beavers to finally move up in the standings this season.

Seth Curry, Duke: Curry was a standout shooter for the Blue Devils on their trip to China and could be one of the top scorers on the team.

Brandon Davies, BYU: Davies was recently reinstated to the Cougars, and the offense is expected to flow through him inside and out as BYU mounts a campaign to win the WCC in its first year in the league.

Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's: SMC coach Randy Bennett envisions this as one of the best teams he's ever had, but a lot of that will have to do with whether Dellavedova can shoot like Mickey McConnell did last season.

Greg Echenique, Creighton: Echenique was a rebounding force for Venezuela this summer and should do even more for the Bluejays with a full season to work with.

TyShwan Edmondson, Austin Peay: The Governors should be the favorite in the Ohio Valley with a legit scorer like Edmondson, who has a strong man, Will Triggs, to take pressure off him.

Kyle Fogg, Arizona: Fogg is next in line to assume a leadership position for the Wildcats, who are in a position to compete for Pac-12 titles for years to come.

Kevin Foster, Santa Clara: As a sophomore, Foster sort of came out of nowhere to average 20.2 ppg and become one of the nation's top 3-point shooters.

Chris Gaston, Fordham: The Rams aren't any good, but the nation's leading returning rebounder (11.3 rpg) at least deserves a shout-out in this space.

Yancy Gates, Cincinnati: UC coach Mick Cronin said he'd be surprised if Gates wasn't one of the 10 names on the Big East preseason first team.

Malcolm Grant, Miami (Fla.): The Hurricanes have to play most of the season without big man Reggie Johnson, so Grant will have more opportunities to shine.

Rob Jones, Saint Mary's: Jones could be a double-double regular for the Gaels, and for Saint Mary's to win the WCC, Jones will have to be a star.

Doron Lamb, Kentucky: John Calipari says Lamb will be the Wildcats' best player. Just Coach Cal mind games, or the truth?

Meyers Leonard, Illinois: Leonard didn't contribute a whole lot as a freshman, but he was a hidden gem on the U.S. U-19 team in Latvia this summer. The Illini are expecting big things out of him.

C.J. McCollum, Lehigh: McCollum is the nation's leading returning scorer (21.8 ppg) and is in the top five in steals (2.5 spg). Oh, and he did that as a freshman. What more do you need to know?

Cameron Moore, UAB: The Blazers have been consistently good under Mike Davis and have had unheralded C-USA stars. Moore is the latest.

Toure' Murry, Wichita State: If the Shockers win the Missouri Valley over Creighton, a lot of the credit will end up going to the veteran Murry.

Brandon Paul, Illinois: Illini coach Bruce Weber was a bit surprised Paul didn't crack the top 50 on the Wooden list, given his overall importance to this team.

Ryan Pearson, George Mason: The Patriots are a trendy pick for the Top 25 and a lot of that has to do with the versatility of Pearson.

Damier Pitts, Marshall: The Thundering Herd are a real sleeper to gain an NCAA tourney berth out of Conference USA in large part because of Pitts.

Herb Pope, Seton Hall: Pope has come back from multiple life-threatening situations and has a real shot as a senior to put it all together and finally shine.

Terrence Ross, Washington: The Huskies can't be dismissed as a major player for the Pac-12 title, and if they win it, Ross will be a significant reason why.

Robert Sacre, Gonzaga: Sacre has matured into a solid post player, and that progress shows no signs of stopping as the Zags once again compete for the West Coast title.

Mike Scott, Virginia: If the sleeper Cavs mount a run to the NCAA tournament, the oft-injured Scott will be the reason why.

Renardo Sidney, Mississippi State: If Sidney is in shape and plays up to his potential, he has SEC Player of the Year potential and could be the difference between the Bulldogs making the NCAAs or NIT.

Andrew Smith, Butler: The Bulldogs will have fewer stars this season, but Smith has a chance to outshine Khyle Marshall and newcomer Roosevelt Jones with his scoring prowess in the post.

Chace Stanback, UNLV: Stanback's suspension to start the season is only one game, so that won't diminish his ability to lead the Rebels in their hunt for a Mountain West title.

Raymond Taylor, Florida Atlantic: FAU quietly won the Sun Belt East Division last season and Mike Jarvis' diminutive point guard was the catalyst behind the regular-season championship.

Hollis Thompson, Georgetown: If the Hoyas are to make the NCAA tournament again and be a pest in the upper half of the Big East, then Thompson needs a breakout season.

Kyle Weems, Missouri State: Doug McDermott is the one everyone is talking about in the Valley, but let's not forget that Weems is the reigning MVC Player of the Year. Too bad for the Bears he's their only returning starter.

Kendall Williams, New Mexico: The sophomore guard was the leading scorer in four postseason NIT games for the Lobos and should only get better with the addition of Australian Hugh Greenwood.

The transfers

Dewayne Dedmon, USC: Trojans coach Kevin O'Neill firmly believes this JC transfer is an NBA talent who could dominate the post and average a double-double for SC.

Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State: The former UTEP big man is ready to have a bust-out season for a team that has serious bounce-back potential after a disappointing 2010-11 campaign.

Mike Rosario, Florida: The former Rutgers scoring guard finally has plenty of support around him and will put up numbers for a winner.

Rakim Sanders, Fairfield: The Boston College transfer should flourish after dropping down a level, and he should get coach Sydney Johnson another trip to the NCAA tourney. Johnson is beginning his first year at Fairfield after leading Princeton to the 2011 tourney.

Royce White, Iowa State: White is finally ready to be a star on the college scene after multiple transgressions at Minnesota.

Brandon Wood, Michigan State: The Spartans picked up a rare senior transfer (taking advantage of the graduate transfer rule) from Valparaiso who could be one of the best shooters in the Big Ten.

Tony Woods, Oregon: The embattled Woods arrived from Wake Forest after legal issues and has a chance to really shine as a double-double player for the first time in his career.

The freshmen

Bradley Beal, Florida: Beal has a chance to be a productive player in a frontcourt that has a vacuum after multiple seniors departed.

Gary Bell Jr., Gonzaga: Coach Mark Few has been anticipating Bell's arrival for over a year now. He's expected to step in and deliver right away.

Wayne Blackshear, Louisville: The Cardinals fancy themselves a Big East title contender, and that's partly because they consider Blackshear a star in the making.

Jabari Brown, Oregon: Brown was the star of the Ducks' trip to Italy with his scoring prowess, and expect that to continue in the Pac-12.

Jahii Carson, Arizona State: There is some question right now as to Carson's eligibility, but if he's good to go, the Sun Devils might become relevant in the Pac-12 again.

Erik Copes, George Mason: Copes was bound for George Washington before Karl Hobbs was fired; now he'll be a headline performer for the Patriots and first-year coach Paul Hewitt.

Anthony Davis, Kentucky: Davis has a chance to be the SEC Player of the Year and the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, so expect him to be on the midseason list when freshmen are allowed.

Andre Drummond, Connecticut: He will be an immediate star and help lift the Huskies into the national title chase again. He's more than likely a future top-five pick in the NBA.

Myck Kabongo, Texas: Coach Rick Barnes has had quite a bit of success with big-time freshmen guards, and Kabongo is next in line.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky: Gilchrist will be another star on what will be a headline team throughout the season.

Johnny O'Bryant, LSU: Coach Trent Johnson needs the Tigers to start trending upward again, and he has a shot with the arrival of the big man from Mississippi.

LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State: OSU is a bit of a mystery team in the Big 12, but the All-American from Dallas could push the Cowboys into contention.

Austin Rivers, Duke: Rivers will have the ball in his hands quite a bit and appears to be the next Duke star in a lengthy list of recognizable names.

Josiah Turner, Arizona: The Wildcats will win the Pac-12 regular-season title if Turner is as good as advertised.

Cody Zeller, Indiana: If coach Tom Crean is going to turn the Hoosiers into a relevant team this season, it will be because of Zeller and his impact in the Big Ten.

The NCAA is working through a number of scenarios of what to do with the tournament selection committee chairmanship of outgoing Connecticut athletic director Jeff Hathaway. The consensus among his peers? Stay on if you can.

But NCAA senior vice president Greg Shaheen said there is still no decision on the status of Hathaway, who will end his role as UConn AD in the next two weeks after reaching a settlement with the school.

According to Shaheen, the NCAA would not have to alter its legislation if Hathaway is kept on as chair, or for that matter remains on the committee, without having a job at a member institution. A provision for that circumstance is already in place.

The Big East, which doesn't control the position on the committee, wants Hathaway to stay on, even though technically he is not supposed to have any bias toward the conference.

"It's best for college basketball and best for the committee if he stays on, if the NCAA can get that done,'' Big East associate commissioner Dan Gavitt said.

One former committee chair, who didn't want to use his name, told ESPN.com he would like to see the Big East hire Hathaway as a consultant to allow him to stay on as chair. Gavitt said he hadn't heard that was an option.

"Jeff has a wealth of knowledge of how the whole system works and there is no reason to change if they don't have to,'' the former chair said. "If you take him off the committee, then you're going to have three new members out of the 10 and it will have less experience [overall].''

UC Riverside athletic director Stan Morrison and last season's chair, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, come off the committee in September. They are being replaced by WCC commissioner Jamie Zaninovich and LSU athletic director Joe Alleva. The other members of the committee are: 2013 chair Mike Bobinski (Xavier AD), Dan Beebe (Big 12 commissioner), Ron Wellman (Wake Forest AD), Scott Barnes (Utah State AD), Steve Orsini (SMU AD), Lynn Hickey (Texas-San Antonio AD) and Doug Fullerton (Big Sky commissioner).

There would be a variety of options, but Bobinski would likely move up his chairmanship a year if Hathaway had to relinquish the position.

"I just think it makes sense to keep Jeff in there,'' the former chair said. "He's respected in the room and outside of the room. He's going to have a lot more free time on his hands. He's a very ethical guy and I know he'd be neutral.''

Former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, who was once chair of the committee, said that taking Hathaway off the committee would open the group to even more criticism because of more inexperience.

"The best interest of everyone involved is if Jeff is retained rather than three brand-new members or someone being chair that hasn't been there the full term,'' Tranghese said. "I always found the bulk of the work to be done in February rather than November and December, so Jeff's free time won't have as much of a factor. But no one questions his fairness or integrity.''

An AD has to leave the room when his or her team is discussed and can't vote his or her team into the field. A conference commissioner has to be out of the room for teams from his or her conference, too, for the same reasons. Hathaway could remain when UConn were to discussed if he were not employed, but if he were a Big East consultant, he would likely have to be out of the room for Big East teams.

During Tranghese's tenure, Carroll Williams was on the committee from 1997-2001, but during the final year of Williams' term, he was no longer Santa Clara's athletic director after he retired on July 1, 2000. The difference, though, is that Williams was still employed as a special assistant to the president in charge of athletics fundraising and alumni relations.

"It would be unprecedented if he were to stay on [without a job],'' said UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, who was chair of the committee for the 2010 tournament and oversaw the decision to expand the field from 65 to 68 with the creation of the First Four format.

"What would make sense if Jeff can't do it is to bring someone back who has had experience on the committee rather than bring someone new -- at least for a year,'' Guerrero said. "But this is one of the most special committees to serve on. Some people do it in the middle of their careers, some toward the end.''

Shaheen had no update on the timetable of when a decision would be made on Hathaway's status on the committee.

"Being chair is a big commitment and it requires a lot of time,'' Guerrero said. "You spend a lot of time building relationships and some don't want to do it. It's not for everyone. I'm intrigued to see if the Big East could hire him as a consultant. You want experience on the committee and it would be very difficult to not allow Jeff to fulfill his term and finish his tenure when he was selected by his peers because of the work he had done on the committee, not with anything to do with Connecticut. If the process prevents him from finishing out his term, it would be unfortunate."

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Quick hitters after talking to several coaches here at the AAU nationals:

• The U.S. World University Games team -- led by Purdue coach Matt Painter (U.S. team head coach) along with Butler coach Brad Stevens and Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin (U.S. assistants) -- continues to lose key players. Xavier's Tu Holloway turned down the invite to stay and play with his XU teammates. Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor is having minor ankle surgery. And now Painter said that UConn forward Alex Oriakhi is also out in order to rest an injury. Stevens said losing Oriakhi will be a big blow since the team that heads to China next month for the competition needs a rebounder like him in the tournament. Painter said Detroit's Ray McCallum Jr. and UConn's Shabazz Napier were added to the tryout list. Pitt's Ashton Gibbs and Syracuse's Scoop Jardine are still on the roster and are certainly favored to make the squad.

• There are still 22 players trying to make the U.S. squad and they'll compete and train in Colorado Springs from Aug. 4-7. The event runs Aug. 13-22 in Shenzhen, China. A number of players could use this international stage as a springboard for their college seasons; these players include Alabama's JaMychal Green, Texas A&M's Khris Middleton, Kentucky's Darius Miller, Northwestern's John Shurna, Minnesota's Trevor Mbakwe, Vanderbilt's John Jenkins, Michigan State's Draymond Green, Missouri's Kim English and Marcus Denmon and Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis.

But perhaps more than any other player, Cincinnati's Yancy Gates needs to make this team and show he can be a force in order for the Bearcats to continue their rise in the Big East. Last season, he was suspended for a game due to team-related issues. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said Gates can come out of this looking like a team player and a stronger player who can change his image with a positive performance in China.

• Painter said fifth-year senior Robbie Hummel is tired of answering questions about his right knee (ACL surgery). And so are the Boilermakers. He said Hummel should be good to go once the season starts. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers are troubled by the foot surgery for John Hart that will keep him out for an extended period. Hart has had trouble with his right foot for quite some time.

• Villanova coach Jay Wright said JayVaughn Pinkston has been cleared by the school to play for the Wildcats this season. Pinkston was not allowed to play last season due to an assault charge. He was expected to have a major impact on last season's team prior to the incident. The Wildcats are prepping for a trip to Amsterdam, where they will play a few national teams. Wright said the Wildcats will be much different than any squad he's coached in recent years, with the team centered more around big men rather than being guard-oriented.

• Michigan coach John Beilein said the addition of freshmen guards Trey Burke and Carlton Brundidge should allow Stu Douglass to return to his natural off-guard position. Losing Darius Morris to the NBA draft was a huge blow to the Wolverines, but Tim Hardaway Jr. showed with the U-19 team in Latvia that he can create quite well with the ball in his hands. If the freshmen can be facilitators and Douglass can play off them, the Wolverines may not take a step back. Michigan is in the Maui Invitational in a loaded field, has to travel to upstart Virginia in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and gets a sleeper Big 12 team at home in Iowa State. The Wolverines are likely going to add a nonconference game at Arkansas that will take place during the Big Ten season.

• While on a recruiting trip in February, North Carolina coach Roy Williams took a side trip to an aircraft carrier in San Diego to see what it would be like in advance of the Carrier Classic on Nov. 11 against Michigan State. The USS Carl Vinson will be the host of the game, but it wasn't the ship that Williams toured. Williams wanted to see how this would work with a game on top of the ship deck. He couldn't get over the narrow passageways through the ship and wondered how his taller players would maneuver through the ship to get to the deck. Well, apparently there will be a lift that will help that occur so that shouldn't be a problem.

• Williams isn't ruling out Leslie McDonald coming back this season from an ACL injury. Williams said McDonald will have surgery on Aug. 3 and made it clear there's no reason to make any declarative statements at this juncture about a return.

• There was no consensus among the coaches in Orlando about whether to add a stipend, how it would be handled and how it could be divided up for all student-athletes. UConn's Jim Calhoun and Louisville's Rick Pitino said they would like to see $75 to $100 a week for the athletes -- roughly $400 a month.

• Not one coach endorsed the NCAA's new draft early-entry withdrawal date of April 10, 2012, after which no player will be allowed to enter the NBA draft. Makes you wonder why this was passed. Every coach who discussed it said it would lead to more poor decisions of players leaving early.

• Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy tossed out this prediction about Vanderbilt: The Commodores are a Final Four contender.

• Old Dominion coach Blaine Taylor has gone to the Fred Hill makeover school. Hill, the former Rutgers head coach and current Northwestern assistant, was bald when he was head coach of the Scarlet Knights. Now he's gone with long hair in the back and new glasses. As for Taylor, he got rid of his famed mustache and dark hair. He's gone with something of an auburn or almost light red look. He was standing to the side of our TV set, and I wasn't the only one who had no idea who he was until you could read ODU on his golf shirt.

• Stanford is prepping for a trip to Spain in early September. The Cardinal and coach Johnny Dawkins need to get away to figure out who will stand out for them now that Jeremy Green is gone.

• New Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson squeezed in a team trip to Italy next month, which will be critical for him to get to know his players more and see how Boston College transfer Rakim Sanders meshes with a team that won the MAAC regular-season title last season and is back almost in full.

• The travel some of these coaches put on themselves is a bit ridiculous. Dawkins was in Orlando on Monday, then took off for Phoenix and then Los Angeles before he headed back to Orlando by Thursday. Temple coach Fran Dunphy was in Orlando on Monday and was off to Phoenix before a return to Orlando by the end of the week.

• New Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said he has reviewed his team enough to know that scoring up front will be a challenge. He said he'll likely go with four guards on the court on a consistent basis.

• Northwestern's Bill Carmody clearly wanted to be noticed in showing his school spirit. He had a rather loud pair of purple sweat pants that I'm not sure you could or would want to buy at the campus bookstore. Michigan State's Tom Izzo went with Spartan green, which Carmody pointed out, but the green was certainly more muted than the purple.