ESPN Men's Basketball

Andrew Steele ran into Festus Ezeli's chest while trying to get around a screen. The blow caught him off guard. It wasn't directly to the head, but it stunned him. "I was scared, and it dazed me for a while,'' said Steele, a 6-foot-4 junior. "And I thought, am I going through this all over again?''

Steele played only three minutes against Vanderbilt on Jan. 19.

It was only his fifth game back for Alabama. Hiis career was pronounced over last June due to concussion symptoms. But through further examinations and testing and an increase in Vitamin D supplements, he was cleared to give up his role as manager/scout team assistant and contribute to the Tide's hopes of making the NCAA tournament for the first time under coach Anthony Grant.

"It scared all of us,'' Grant said of Steele running into Ezeli, which caused him to sit for the rest of the game. "One of my coaches saw him running into Ezeli. With the history he has, it shook him up a bit and it concerned us. We were grateful that it wasn't another concussion. But we were nervous.''

Steele said he hadn't been eating well that week and was sick. He said he was dehydrated, and that contributed to his unstable feeling.

In the five games since, Steele has played at least 25 minutes in each contest. He continues to be a key reason the Tide have a chance to make the NCAA tournament -- especially in light of the recent suspension of Tony Mitchell.

Steele played his most important game for the Tide against Ole Miss last week. He picked up a loose ball, buried a jumper and then made 1 of 2 free throws in the final 31 seconds to beat the rival Rebels. "That speaks to everything,'' Grant said. "The defense was collapsing, and he had the presence of mind in the heat of the moment to get a shot off. That's a veteran move. A young guy may have rushed it. He recognized what he had to do.''

It would have been a disastrous defeat for Alabama as it attempts to improve its tourney résumé. Bama (16-7, 5-4 SEC) then won handily at Auburn on Tuesday.

Steele's numbers aren't going to get him on an All-America list (5.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.4 apg). This isn't about stats. This is about his importance to the team and his timely play.

And the fact that he's even on the floor at all.

"He's been great for us,'' Grant said. "You don't necessarily see it in the numbers. But watch us play and see his leadership qualities on the court. He's got an extremely high basketball IQ. He plays with great poise and great confidence. He communicates with everyone on the floor and does whatever the team needs.''

Steele has suffered four concussions in his career. He said the worst came during his freshman season against Texas A&M, forcing him to miss a week.

The last one -- against Kentucky in the SEC tournament on March 12, 2011 -- forced him to temporarily retire from the game.

Steele had had other health issues, including dealing with a sickle cell trait, a stress fracture and soreness in his knees. He played in only six games in 2009-10, and missed 13 in 2010-11. He's played in a total of 54 games in three seasons (2008-11).

"I thought I would just get into coaching,'' Steele said. "I was physically active and I was practicing with the scout team and every once in a while I would jump in and help them out.''

Steele said he listened to the medical staff advice to avoid contact. "As much as I wanted to play, it wouldn't be smart for my long-term health at the time so we made the right decision,'' Steele said.

Steele said the medical staff continued to evaluate him and realized that his Vitamin D count was low. He continued to get tested. Steele said the memory tests were a way to calculate his brain functions.

"They would list a series of numbers and tell me to recite them back in that order,'' Steele said. "Then I would do them backward and put them in numerical order. I had a list of words, and an hour later had to remember those words. We would do shapes and see how well I could function with those. It was painstaking, but I understood the importance.''

Grant said the medical staff cleared him for his return.

"The results came down and the decision with Andrew and his family was to play,'' Grant said. "He wanted to rejoin the team. We were told there was no health risk. Andrew has shown no signs of being hesitant or leery.''

Steele said he's hoping he can bring more awareness to athletes who suffer concussions. Concussion symptoms are a hot topic in sports like football and hockey, but it should also be taken as seriously in basketball or any other sport.

"It's dangerous, and you have to make a good decision,'' Steele said. "The biggest thing is the headaches. You have to be honest. It's not like you broke a bone or something. You have to be honest with your symptoms. The long-term effects aren't worth the risks.''

Steele said he had headaches, was sensitive to bright light and "really loud noises."

"You can tell that your body isn't normal,'' Steele said. "Sometimes I couldn't sleep well.''

But Steele said since he's been cleared, and of course following the Vandy game last month, he has had no concerns.

Now the focus is on getting to the NCAA tournament.

"I wasn't able to be a part of the NIT run last year,'' Steele said. "It could be a whole new experience to get in the tournament. We can't look too far ahead.''

Syracuse's pending departure to the ACC hasn't led to the same sort of bitterness we've seen in the past among conference brethren, most notably with the school's key rival over the past 25 years, the Georgetown Hoyas. This is not Kansas-Missouri. No one is overly cranky. The ACC offered more stable ground for the Orange, and for the most part, that was that.

So does that mean they'll continue the series?

Well, no one is ready to commit. Not in the least.

When the ACC move happened this fall, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim discussed the possibility of continuing the St. John's series more so than the Georgetown one. Boeheim didn't respond for comment this week.

"Everything changes,'' Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "Right now this falls into the category of what you would consider out-of-conference scheduling. It's there with the SEC-Big East Challenge. It is year to year. We'll see. There are a lot of hurdles and factors as to whether we play the game or not.''

Second-ranked Syracuse hosts No. 11 Georgetown on Wednesday night and it could be the last time the two programs play at the Carrier Dome. The Orange are scheduled to play in the Big East for two more seasons, as the league wants to hold them to a 27-month exit plan.

No one with rational thought believes West Virginia -- off to the Big 12 next season if you listen to that league and the Mountaineers -- or even Pitt and Syracuse would play two more seasons as a lame duck. The Panthers and Orange will likely hang out for one more season after this, though.

The two teams might play just once next season, and since Syracuse doesn't play Georgetown in Washington this season, that meeting (potentially their final one) might be at the Verizon Center.

"This game means a lot for different reasons,'' Syracuse senior forward Kris Joseph said. "When I used to watch basketball, it was as big as the Carolina-Duke rivalry. For me it's big because my two final schools [to choose between] were Georgetown and Syracuse. It's the tradition. It's big whether it's at Georgetown or at home. It's exciting for the fans and the teams.''

Joseph won't have a say, obviously, but he said he wants to see this rivalry continue after Syracuse's move.

"I think it should since it's something a lot of people look forward to every year,'' Joseph said. "Just because they change conferences, it shouldn't matter. This has been done for so long every year that it should continue, whether it's at the Garden or at a neutral site. They should meet up again.''

When Boston College left for the ACC, the Eagles were shunned by the remaining Big East schools except for St. John's and Providence. Pitt was supposed to play BC in the Jimmy V Classic, but the Panthers and the Big East frowned upon it, and the Eagles were subbed out for Indiana in the tournament.

Soon, Pitt and Syracuse will be with BC in the ACC. But the Eagles didn't have the same rich history with either school that Georgetown shares. And that's because the Hoyas and Orange predate UConn's run in the league, when those two schools were the two most successful programs in the Big East.

The personalities of John Thompson Jr. coaching Hoya paranoia and Boeheim coaching comparable pros at Syracuse made for elite matchups for years and years.

"There is so much history between the two and a lot of important games, lot of tough games, lot of close games, played for high stakes,'' Thompson III said.

And this year is no different.

The Orange are the dominant team in the Big East and a Final Four favorite. Georgetown is one of the surprise teams in the league, along with Notre Dame. And that's where the Hoyas are situated heading into Wednesday night. Georgetown is tied with Marquette and Notre Dame in the loss column (three), two games behind Syracuse.

Syracuse big man Fab Melo is back after missing three games while dealing with an academic issue from the first semester. Melo played (14 points, two blocks and three boards) in a rout at St. John's on Saturday.

"I didn't even know he was out,'' Thompson III said.

Thompson III said the Hoyas played "our worst game of the year" at Pitt on Jan. 28. But since then, they've beaten up on Connecticut and South Florida at home, getting continued balance from Jason Clark, Hollis Thompson, freshman Otto Porter and Henry Sims. The Hoyas' defense didn't allow either team to reach 50 points.

Thompson III said the Hoyas can't afford to turn the ball over because the Orange are better than any team in the country at converting those turnovers into points.

Joseph said the Hoyas' ability to spread the Orange on offense can leave them vulnerable. Watching for the back-door cuts will be a must.

Having Melo back gives the Cuse a safety net, though, and Joseph said it makes everything easier on the defensive end. Bench players Dion Waiters, C.J. Fair and Michael Carter-Williams give the Orange just as much offensive punch as their starting lineup.

"This has been fun,'' Joseph said. "Every game we've got the target on our back. This is a great time for us. We've overcome a lot on and off the court this year.''

The selection committee adheres to its body of work mantra for a reason. Getting an NCAA bid isn't about one game; it's earned over the course of the regular season and conference tournament.

But one game can change a season -- and certainly the perception of a team.

It did for Notre Dame when the Irish beat top-ranked and previously undefeated Syracuse on Jan. 21. It has for Miami, too, after the Hurricanes knocked off Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday.

The two teams, which appeared to have no shot on New Year's Day because of injuries (Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis played in just two games and is out for the season, and Miami's Reggie Johnson returned to the lineup Dec. 17 after missing four nonconference losses with a knee injury), are now suddenly involved in the NCAA conversation.

Who says college basketball's regular season is meaningless? It means something because it gives teams that looked dead on arrival a chance to earn bids in March.

"There are certain games that draw national attention; that's one of them," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said of the Duke win. "You knock off a top-5 team (Duke was No. 5 at the time), especially when you're not ranked, it helps catapult you forward into the conversation."

Larranaga takes a more pragmatic view of earning a bid. He was well-schooled in this at George Mason when the Patriots had to win a late-season BracketBusters game at Wichita State in 2005-06 to convince the selection committee of their worthiness.

"You don't get judged on a test halfway through the questions," Larranaga said. "When you're in the mid-majors it's hard to move up [in the power rankings]. You might be at 60, but it's hard to get up to 50. In our league [ACC], you can go from 30 from 60. But you can also go down to 80 quickly, too."

The Hurricanes' season could have easily spun in an opposite direction the past week. Miami needed double overtime to beat Maryland at home before the overtime victory at Duke. The Hurricanes had to play the overtime sessions versus Maryland without Johnson (fouled out), and they didn't have center Kenny Kadji (sat out with injury). Backup big man Raphael Akpejiori had fouled out too, leaving the Canes undermanned versus the Terps.

Miami (14-7, 5-3 ACC) still has plenty of work to do, with two games against Florida State and one against North Carolina at home. Five of its final eight are at home, beginning with Virginia Tech on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the Irish (15-8, 7-3 Big East) followed up the Syracuse win with road wins at Seton Hall and Connecticut and a home win over Marquette.

They beat Pitt in late December and won at Louisville in double overtime, but there was still reason to doubt this team after consecutive losses to UConn and at Rutgers, which came before the Syracuse win.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, who said he's never had more fun coaching a team, told his squad in the locker room at Gonzaga after a 20-point loss on Nov. 30 that the team isn't very good but "let's see if we can make progress by Christmas. Abro isn't coming back. These are the guys playing the roles. This is our team."

Brey said the win at Seton Hall was one of the most impressive of the season, since it came four days after the Orange victory.

"We just had the biggest win in the history of our program so we might have had a free pass but when we win that showed signs of being special," Brey said.

That's why Miami's game against Virginia Tech on Thursday will be critical to see if the Canes are in it for the long haul.

Brey has settled on a solid rotation, and the tandems of Jack Cooley and Scott Martin inside and Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins on the perimeter have worked seamlessly. Finding Pat Connaughton as the fifth starter has settled everything else, with Alex Dragicevich coming off the bench.

The Irish finish with two games against West Virginia (starting in Morgantown on Wednesday) and one at Georgetown. Overall, they have four home games and four road games left on the schedule.

"In our league it's been time and time again," Brey said of earning a bid through the conference. "We were so off the map in November and December and rightfully so. But the perception changes [with the Syracuse win], inside the locker room. The kids really digested that they've got a shot, and it builds confidence. It's all about riding the momentum of a win like that. You can ride that to get in position. We've done that.

"We've ridden this to get a bid," Brey said. "It's never too late due to the power of our league."

Larranaga and Miami now have a shot to do the exact same thing.

Jim Larranaga's Miami Hurricanes upset Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday. But Larranaga was coaching most of Frank Haith's players.

So I'm confused. Was that Haith's players who won the game or was it Larranaga's coaching? Or was it a combination of both?

The latter is the correct answer.

Haith coached Missouri to a win over Kansas on Saturday night at Mizzou Arena. He was coaching players Mike Anderson recruited. So, was it the players who won the game, or did Haith actually coach the victory? Or a combination of both?

The latter is the correct answer.

Is there any reason Murray State coach Steve Prohm isn't getting criticized for coaching players Billy Kennedy put in place, with Prohm's help as an assistant, during the Racers' undefeated season?

Steve Fisher still had to coach Michigan for six games to win the 1989 national title after replacing Bill Frieder. Didn't he?

Missouri is 21-2 overall, tied for first place in the Big 12 with Kansas and Baylor at 8-2. The Tigers are in position to possibly earn a No. 1 seed.

They are doing all of this without one of their key frontcourt players in Laurence Bowers, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Yet, one of the weakest criticisms of a coach is that he's winning with another coach's players.

Well, the fact is the coach still has to actually coach his team. Who cares who brought in the players? Should Bruce Weber be ripped for getting Illinois within a few minutes of a national title in 2005 against North Carolina because the core of the team was recruited by Bill Self?

No. He had to still coach the team. Jim Harrick did the same thing with Al Skinner's main crew when he took Rhode Island to the Elite Eight.

This happens all the time. How does anyone know if Anderson would be 21-2 at this juncture? You don't. Would Matt Painter have been 23-0 had he taken the Tigers' job instead of staying at Purdue? We don't know.

There was legit criticism of hiring Haith based on his lack of consistent NCAA appearances at Miami. That's fair. But not giving him his due for coaching this team to the top of the Big 12 is a disservice to anyone who has to do something similar.

"Buying in, that's the key," said Haith on Sunday afternoon. "They have to buy into whatever you're selling."

Haith said the Tigers "bought" into taking charges and executing differently.

But to make this transition smooth, Haith couldn't have any defections or distractions. And since practice started in October there have been zero.

"You have to have leadership and Kim English has been a great leader," Haith said. "He wants to be an NBA guard and yet he's playing the 4. Michael Dixon is OK coming off the bench."

The Tigers didn't have any real adjustment period. They didn't have a choice with so many upperclassmen. But there was no complete overhaul of the system. They clicked with Haith from the beginning, and it is apparent by the results.

How Haith builds the program and recruits to a high, SEC level is a discussion for another day. Judging him on the state of the program in two seasons is more than appropriate.

But for now, the results speak volumes. He's not coaching someone else's players. He's coaching Mizzou. They are all Missouri players. And you can't deny he's doing a good job.

Just like Larranaga at Miami with Sunday's win at Duke. No one is rushing to give Haith credit for setting up Larranaga with the talent to pull off that upset. And they shouldn't. That's his team to coach now just like Mizzou is Haith's.

Darnell Dodson was given a second chance by Larry Eustachy, a coach who had to get one of his own from Southern Miss after problems with alcohol got him pushed out at Iowa State.

Dodson nearly threw the opportunity away.

He had recently arrived at Southern Miss after transferring from Kentucky when he was arrested and pleaded guilty to grand larceny charges, according to the Hattiesburg American. He was dismissed from the team in April and was reinstated Dec. 16 after sitting out the fall semester.

"I made a bad mistake. I shouldn't have been out late that night," Dodson said. "Coach was sympathetic to my situation."

"He was drunk," Eustachy said. "It triggers all sorts of actions, and he did something stupid."

Eustachy got Dodson in touch with a mutual friend -- John Lucas, who has counseled several high-profile athletes with substance abuse problems. Dodson traveled to Houston to meet and work with Lucas over the summer while he was serving his suspension.

"I understand addiction," Eustachy said. "I was given a second chance. I know how to stay sober for a length of time. It was a natural fit for us. He's a good kid who made a poor decision. He has good times ahead of him."

Eustachy said Dodson could have gone to Europe to play professionally after he was dismissed from the team but opted instead to finish the spring semester. He wasn't able to go to school in the summer or fall and wasn't eligible to get aid during that time.

"But he had a great summer with John Lucas," Eustachy said. "We talked over the phone a lot. He had bottomed out. And once the charges were behind him, he had to go in front of a committee and be treated like other students. He wasn't allowed to be here."

Dodson said Eustachy was incredibly supportive throughout the ordeal.

"He kept telling me to stay positive," he said. "I had to go talk to the dean of the school, the student committee and basically tell my side of the story and admit that I was wrong and that I made a mistake."

After meeting with the dean of students and a student council committee, the school accepted Dodson back for the spring semester. It's his final semester of eligibility as a college basketball player.

Dodson has been one of the main reasons the Golden Eagles are in first place in Conference USA and in contention for an NCAA tournament berth. A return to the postseason would mean Eustachy's comeback has come full circle after an embarrassing photo at a college party shamed him out of Iowa State.

His rebuilding efforts at Southern Miss have had mixed results, and it's not until this season that the Golden Eagles (20-3, 7-1 C-USA) have been in such a strong position to reach the tourney.

Dodson, who returned to practice Dec. 16, played his first game Dec. 19 at Arizona State, scoring 17 points in 15 minutes. The Golden Eagles have lost one game since he arrived -- at Memphis -- a loss they avenged Wednesday night behind Dodson's 23 points.

"He's a good shooter, a good player, and he was good enough to play at Kentucky," said Memphis coach Josh Pastner. "He makes a difference."

"I was so anxious to be out there and get back to playing, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to," said Dodson. "I'm still getting in a groove and trying to improve my production. I'm just trying to work hard."

Eustachy said Dodson deserves credit for getting to this point on his own. Dodson maintained a 3.0 GPA during the spring while knowing he was going to be suspended at the end of the semester, the coach said.

"He's good, really good, and he might be as talented a player I've had at this position since coaching Jamaal Tinsley at Iowa State," Eustachy said. "He has the potential to be in the NBA.

"Dodson got help. He understands how this works and how things change quickly. And I understand him better than anybody."

Now a coach and a player, both given second chances, are in position to win a league title and earn a place in the NCAA tournament.

USC is having one of its worst conference performances in one of the weakest Pac-12 seasons ever.

The Trojans have won one game in the league -- and that came in their last outing on Jan. 28 against the only other team (Utah) that is having almost as dreadful a season as USC.

The Trojans' next win may not come until the last game of the regular season at home against Washington State, the same team they face Thursday night in Pullman, Wash. Then again, it may not come again until the fall of 2012.

How did it get this bad? Well, the answer is simple, and coach Kevin O'Neill is rather calm about it: The talent just isn't there.

The Trojans were in the NCAA tournament last season, playing in the First Four against VCU. Now, they'll likely be out of the conference tournament before others even arrive.

The Trojans went to Brazil in August. Four of the five starters from that trip aren't healthy now.

Jio Fontan tore his ACL. Curtis Washington tore his labrum, while Evan Smith had a similar injury. Aaron Fuller is out with a shoulder injury. Dewayne Dedmon fractured his hand in the preseason and then tore his MCL last week and is now done for the season.

Fuller played in 18 games and averaged 10.6 points a game. Dedmon was the primary post player and was averaging 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds. Smith managed to play in only four games. Fontan never played this season.

That leaves one double-figure scorer for the road trip to Washington this weekend -- guard Maurice Jones (14.5 points per game and 3.4 assists per game).

Athletic director Pat Haden, who didn't hire O'Neill, told the L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke that "this is not what we want USC basketball to be, but we think KO is doing all the right things to get this program turned around. Kevin has inherited a bad hand, and we're going to give him time.''

Haden's public support is apparently what O'Neill said he's getting out of the spotlight, too. "[The administration] has been great,'' O'Neill said. "Couldn't have been better. They've been awesome. The first year we didn't have a ton of players. The second year we got Jio eligible late and got into the tournament. If we had Jio we'd be right there. To lose four of the top five starters is difficult.''

O'Neill was a surprise choice to lead the Trojans out of the O.J. Mayo-Tim Floyd era. He apparently has some time to rebuild, but it will be interesting to see how long he'll last. If there was ever a time to jump up in this conference, it is now.

Arizona, Cal and Washington are the three programs that have the most stability. Oregon State, Oregon and Stanford are clearly on the rise. But there are chances for others to jump up quickly. "You can survive injuries if you have four recruiting classes in place,'' O'Neill said. "We thought in Brazil we were going to have a good team and then everything began to unravel. The whole season unraveled in multiple season-ending injuries.''

O'Neill said he simply doesn't have the answers because there are none. He doesn't have the talent to play at a high level for the final five weeks of the season. "They've worked really hard, and we've lost a lot of close games or one-possession games,'' O'Neill said. "There's been no answers. We've got to move forward.''

O'Neill said he felt like he was kicked in the groin in his first season on the job when the Trojans were told during the midseason that they couldn't compete in the postseason. "The whole first year was under the shadow of that,'' O'Neill said. "I've coached in a lot of uphill rebuilding situations. There are a lot of challenges. But the combination of two blank recruiting classes and four season-ending surgeries is too much to overcome in any situation.

"We're down to Mo Jones, the only starter left from that Brazil trip,'' O'Neill said. "We're starting three guys who didn't even play in the last two games in Brazil.''

O'Neill said he can add his perspective on the Pac-12/NCAA bid race, and thinks Washington and Cal are legit. "Those are the two best teams,'' O'Neill said. "Oregon State is a team that might be able to win the conference tournament if they defend. They have a great player in Jared Cunningham and to me he's a pro. We lost a lot of pros in this league.''

The Trojans are 6-16 overall and 1-8 in the Pac-12. The last win prior to the lone Pac-12 victory was over TCU on Dec. 19. They were 19-15 last season, including 10-8 in the Pac-10, and lost to VCU in the First Four. In his first season, in which the team had a postseason ban, O'Neill was 16-14 overall, 8-10 in the league.

"I'm doing OK,'' O'Neill said. "But it's been one tough year.''

College basketball lost one of its comedic old souls Wednesday when Charlie Spoonhour succumbed to a lung disease at 72.

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins lost one of his closest friends, leaving him with a stark reminder of an era long past.

"He was more than a friend; he was like the big brother I never had," Huggins said on Wednesday afternoon. "We had weeks when we would talk every day. It's been harder now since he's been in and out of the hospital. It's just a sad, sad day."

Spoonhour died at his home in Chapel Hill, N.C. Spoonhour had settled in the area as he spent time at the Duke University Medical Center, where he received a lung transplant in 2010. He had a disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a scarring of his lungs.

Huggins said he had been in contact with Spoonhour regularly but hadn't seen him since the season started.

Huggins said in his two Final Four appearances -- in 1992 at Cincinnati and in 2010 at West Virginia -- Spoonhour would be with him the night before the semifinal game.

"He just had an incredible magnetism," Huggins said. "He was so funny. He's a throwback to the old days."

Spoon, as he was affectionately called, was a jovial character. Every time I dealt with him throughout his career he was accessible, amiable and always full of life. He loved to share stories with his Arkansas-native twang. He was a hit at Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) from 1983 to 1992 (five NCAA bids) and transformed Saint Louis University into Spoonball from 1992 to 1999.

He then took two seasons off before trying to revive UNLV from 2001 to 2004.

"I was right in the middle of that," said Huggins of advising Spoonhour. "I don't think people realized what he did at Saint Louis. When he got there they played in the Checkerdome in front of 2,000 people and then we were playing in front of 20,000 at Kiel. It was an incredible atmosphere. He had an incredible hold on the city of Saint Louis."

Huggins was the head coach at Cincinnati when Spoonhour was at SLU. The two were rivals in the Great Midwest but were extremely tight.

"We were very, very close," Huggins said. "He was the best. We used to make up things so we could hang out together. He'd call me up to see if I could do a roast for the Southwest Missouri State baseball team. People who didn't know him missed out on a lot."

Spoonhour had an infectious smile and personality. I'm not sure I ever heard a negative word about him during his tenure in coaching.

"He had such an appreciation for the profession, and the people who worked at their craft," Huggins said. "We were all friends. It was me, KO [Kevin O'Neill at Marquette], Charlie, Gene Bartow [UAB], Larry Finch [Memphis] and Joey Meyer [DePaul]."

Now three of them have passed, all within the past year: Spoonhour, Finch and Bartow.

"It was different, it was the old days, we all hung out," Huggins said. "This business has changed so much. We used to do clinics and go in on a Friday and leave on Sunday. We broke bread together. Now we all fly in and out. With all the recruiting regulations and time periods it's not like it used to be."

No, it is not. Spoonhour was one of the game's characters. He was treasured while he was in the game. He was missed when he retired and will be now even more.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon didn't dismiss the Panthers' NCAA tournament chances even after his team lost eight straight games.

And neither did the selection committee. They never do when it comes to ruling a team dead on arrival for the selection process.

Of course, it helps if the team dealt with injuries, like the Panthers did with Tray Woodall, and plays in a conference like the Big East, where opportunities for quality wins exist every week. "The one thing we don't do is project," said Jeff Hathaway, the chair of the NCAA tournament selection committee and a current Big East conference consultant. "We don't predict or project. Pitt won the last three [games]. They've got good opponents.

"We know this team had injuries. Nobody has deleted this team or put any team from being considered [for the NCAAs] at this point."

The Panthers started the losing skid with a home loss to Wagner on Dec. 23 and then dropped seven consecutive Big East games. The streak ended with a home win over Providence, and Pitt also beat Georgetown at home before shocking West Virginia on Monday night in Morgantown.

"Having Tray out there changes everything since everyone plays their position," Dixon said. "I was hoping he would be back even earlier."

Woodall, who had a groin injury, missed 11 of 12 games earlier this season. He returned for the Jan. 21 game at Louisville but was held scoreless, with three turnovers and two assists. But in the past three games, all wins, he's averaging 15 points and 7.3 assists.

Dixon said the Panthers never panicked during the rough stretch. There have been other illnesses and injuries that have befallen this club and have not been widely reported. Finally, Dixon said, the Panthers have been practicing with a full complement of players (save the Khem Birch transfer to UNLV).

Dixon said the Panthers never discussed the NCAA tournament or what lies ahead. They can't take any game for granted at this stage. A home game versus Villanova is next up on Sunday, and then Pitt visits surging South Florida and Seton Hall.

"I didn't see a change in attitude," Dixon said. "We have our rotation down. We're more comfortable. I feel good that we're getting better."

The Panthers have the opportunities in the Big East to get quality wins. A number of teams in other conferences do not.

And that's why Hathaway said the BracketBuster event is critical for the teams involved.

"There's no question that there are chances for road victories," said Hathaway of matchups like Long Beach State at Creighton, Saint Mary's at Murray State and Nevada at Iona on Feb. 18.

"It gives those teams another crack at a quality opponent. It's something important for their résumés. It's another game that will catch the committee's eye."

Hathaway said a Murray State win over Saint Mary's will give the Racers another top-50 win. Murray State currently owns two top-50 victories over Southern Miss (11) and Memphis (28). Murray also beat Dayton, which is just outside at 59. Saint Mary's is at 25.

"They get another game against a quality opponent that you say will be in the tournament," Hathaway said. "Anything that gives us more information is a plus. It comes at a crucial and intriguing time. It gives these schools another crack at the bat to play top-50 teams. It stands off the sheet more."

Hathaway said he was impressed that Middle Tennessee State chose to play Vanderbilt (and for the Commodores to do so, as well) in January. The Sun Belt and the Blue Raiders weren't participating in BracketBusters this season.

"Those schools are doing what the committee asked to do," Hathaway said. "They're going out and playing people."

Lamont Jones' impact on Iona will be felt throughout the remainder of the regular season and into March.

The Arizona transfer reached the Elite Eight with the Wildcats last season. If he can put that experience to use in March, he'll have delivered on the excitement and expectations that greeted his arrival from Tucson.

The Gaels, who are tied atop the MAAC with Loyola (Md.) and Manhattan, are a trendy pick to win the conference tournament in Springfield, Mass., and possibly a game in the NCAA tournament.

With a collection of scrappy guards, they're a difficult matchup for opposing teams, led by arguably one of the top three point guards in the country in Scott Machado, who leads the country in assists.

Iona coach Tim Cluess, speaking after the Gaels' 71-62 win at Fairfield on Friday night, said he's starting to see the impact Jones can have on the team. His consistency has been lacking at times, but he's getting into the lane and making shots.

"He has to bring it every day," Cluess said. "That's the biggest struggle for him. It was easier at Arizona with the schools they were playing."

For his part, Jones understands what a team needs to do to win at a high level.

"Last year [at Arizona], we had a team that played together where nobody cared who scored," Jones said. "We just wanted to win. We have to get to a point where we're happy how we're playing."

The Gaels will look to push the basketball as much as possible. Machado has tremendous court vision and sets up his teammates well, in the half court and in transition.

Jones is a complement who can allow Machado to play off the ball at times. The rotation of Jermel Jenkins, Ra'Shad James, Sean Armand, Randy Dezouvre gives the Gaels plenty of options on the perimeter. Of course, if this team is going to make the NCAA tournament, Taaj Ridley has to rebound and Mike Glover has to be a consistent presence in the post and avoid foul trouble.

Strong guard play and several upperclassmen give Iona the perfect mix to be a team from outside the "power six" to make a run in the tournament.

"Guards play an important role; guards run the tournament," Jones said. "Guards do everything, and we've got to go in with a chip on our shoulder. Our backcourt has to be cohesive. We're the motor to this team."

Machado, who will soon start wearing contacts after noticing his vision wasn't clear, said he has leaned on Jones quite a bit.

"I wanted to know what it was like," Machado said of taking a team deep in the NCAAs. "We need him to come in here with his leadership to help me lead this team. What he did for that run in Arizona … I'm learning from him. And we're learning from each other.

"We have the pieces to be one helluva team."

The Gaels do have limitations, and a bigger, taller team could be a major concern. They've also had their slip-ups in the MAAC, losing at home to Manhattan and at Siena. Furthermore, Iona lost to Hofstra, one of the worst teams in the CAA this season. And none of its wins so far this season is going to wow you, even if some of the names sound good (Maryland, Richmond, LIU, Saint Joseph's).

But the Gaels have the capability to be troublemakers in March.

Scandals don't discriminate. They can catch anybody in the sport, regardless of age, ethnicity or level of play.

No one is immune.

But for the sake of the coaching profession, and maybe for faith that there are real and genuine coaches in the sport, Tom Izzo needs to stay scandal-free.

I've covered the sport since I was in college in the late '80s and there has never been someone who has achieved so much success that defines true character than Izzo. He is deserving of the praise that was flooding Twitter on Thursday.

Izzo got his 400th career victory at Michigan State on Wednesday with a win over Minnesota.

Izzo hasn't changed one bit since he was an assistant under Jud Heathcote.

This is who he is:

• A grinder.

• Loyal.

• Passionate.

• Compassionate.

• Dedicated.

• Winner.

• Real.

Izzo is an icon at Michigan State, but there are no walls between him and the masses. He is one of the people, always has been, always will be at Michigan State.

And he's not afraid to call out his own. He took offense, as he should, to one of his Izzone fans calling for Purdue's Robbie Hummel to suffer a third ACL tear. He is protective of his team but will not tolerate any poor behavior, regardless of it wearing green and white.

He doesn't hide from giving the sport challenging games by playing anybody, anytime.

When the Champions Classic field with Kansas, Duke, Kentucky and Michigan State was put together, which school do you think didn't hesitate or need to hear the matchups or the sites? Michigan State.

Just think for a moment that the Spartans are easily in this group when it comes to putting together an elite event. The traction after the 1979 national title didn't exist. The Spartans weren't a dominant program through the '80s or early to mid '90s. Izzo changed that beginning in 1999. And while Ohio State has the resources and usually the more recognizable recruits, the Spartans are the team of record in this new century in the Big Ten.

And there is no indication that it will end. Does anyone really believe that an Izzo-coached team is out of contention for a bid, or a March run? The Spartans aren't always the favorites, and Izzo's teams have had plenty of flaws, but he always gets his players up for any challenge.

Striking a balance as a father and a husband is a constant chore for any coach. We can't pretend to know how he is at home, but from what I have seen in short snippets he does his best to create the balance.

Izzo is intense but not to the point that it leads to a lonely life where the job is all that he cares about. There are plenty of failed husbands and absentee fathers in the coaching ranks. Izzo isn't one of them.

He is also an incredibly loyal friend to his former assistant coaches, to the rest of the athletic department and to his boss, athletic director Mark Hollis.

Seeing Izzo on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego in November, you could tell how he genuinely was in awe of the moment and of the sailors on deck. He wasn't going to make this about him, or his program. He was honored to be asked. It didn't matter who talked to him while walking on the deck. Izzo stopped for photos, shook hands and talked to anyone who approached.

Izzo knew that going to Cleveland to coach the LeBron-less Cavs wasn't for him. He would have had a pay increase, but the life he would have led would have been flawed. Rarely has there been a coach in this era who is a throwback to what a college coach should be on a campus. He is entrenched at the school, a true representative of the university and willing to give back to a school that gave him an opportunity.

Izzo's milestone victory led to Internet plaudits Thursday. But they could come any day.

You can have battles with Izzo over stories and questions. He wouldn't be real without the fire and testiness at times. But that's Izzo being Izzo, someone who hasn't let success define or change him. And that's what all coaches should strive to achieve: be yourself, regardless of success.