On Tuesday night, freshman guard Rio Adams announced his intention to leave KU and transfer to a new school. One day later, Adams said he would be looking for a destination closer to his hometown of Seattle.
“I feel like going home and playing closer is better for me and my family,” Adams said in a statement released by KU. “This was definitely a family decision and it was a decision I wanted to do that would be best for my situation.”
Kansas coach Bill Self, who confirmed Adams' impending departure on Tuesday, said he had met with Adams and both parties agreed that a transfer was in the best interest of everyone.
“Anrio and I met about his future, both academically and athletically, and we believe it is in his best interest to look into potential opportunities that may exist closer to home,” Self said. “Anrio is a very talented kid. We’ve enjoyed him being here.”
Adams becomes the third member of Kansas' 2012 recruiting class to leave campus since last August. Milton Doyle, a guard from Chicago, left in August, while Zach Peters, a forward from Plano, Texas, was plagued by injuries and left after the first semester.
…“He was a good teammate and I know frustration can set in when you don’t play a lot,” Self said. “But he kept a good attitude and we should all support him in whatever decision he makes. I know our staff is 100 percent in support of him doing what’s best for his life.”
Adams added that he had enjoyed his time at Kansas.
“I’ve definitely grown and matured from it,” Adams said. “There were a lot of great moments and downfalls that made me better. I appreciated the team, the coaching staff and the fans a lot. This was an experience that I will probably never be able to see again. I’m happy I was able to play with this team and be part of something great.”
KC Star
190 days until Late Night in the Phog!
Four national championship-winning college coaches and the architect of the University of Miami's basketball resurgence will be on hand for the eighth annual Dick Vitale Gala to help the ESPN analyst raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Hall of Fame college football coach Bobby Bowden, University of Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self and Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun -- all of whom own championships -- will be honored at the gala, to be held May 17 at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota.
University of Kentucky men's basketball head coach John Calipari, whose team won the 2011-12 title, also will attend, along with Miami coach Jim Larranga.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, who led N.C. State to the 1983 national title. Last year's Vitale Gala raised a record $2.1 million for the foundation.
Link
Kansas' Bill Self isn't the highest-paid basketball coach at a public university this season.
In the fast moving world of college athletics compensation, however, he does — at least for now — have the largest total compensation package of any public-school basketball coach: a 10-year deal that, if he completes it, will pay him just under $50 million, not including incentives.
The only public-school coach in any sport with a richer deal is Texas football coach Mack Brown, now in the second year of a nine-year contract that could pay $51.3 million excluding incentives.
Compared to Brown's 10-page contract, Self's deal has a dizzying level of complexity.
It comprises four separate agreements totaling 32 pages and includes a "contingent signing bonus" that could pay Self $4.732 million, $5.356 million or potentially nothing.
It resulted in Self getting a roughly $1.3 million increase over the nearly $3.4 million in annual compensation he made from the school for the 2011-12 season, and in its final year, it could pay Self a minimum of more than $9.5 million.
And among what it calls "Other Miscellaneous Benefits," it entitles Self to all of the Kansas athletics department's royalty payments from merchandise sales at its on-campus store in the month of June — when Self operates a camp.
…"You're always looking for benchmarks — who do you compare to, and who's achieved this or that," Zenger says. "We believe Bill Self is the best coach in the country. If you look at wins since 2006, he's No. 1 in the country. If you look at that time, eight straight conference championships — now nine — we're in the midst of watching history evolve here.
"And so, without sounding too glib about it, as I was looking for benchmarks, he is the benchmark."
The unusual setup for the signing bonus kept Kansas from having to make a massive, immediate payment to Self; it keeps the average annual payment below $5 million for the next six years; and it gave Self some added financial security.
The bonus becomes payable if Self's employment ends prematurely for any reason other than his termination of the deal, his death or his disability. That includes Self being fired due to a major NCAA rules violation or other misconduct. The bonus would be $4,732,000 if Self were to be fired before April 1, 2018. It would be $5,356,000 if he were to be fired between April 1, 2018 and the deal's scheduled end date, March 31, 2022. (If Self is fired without cause, he also would collect two years of his basic annual compensation, which will be a little more than $4.7 million for the next five years and would be treated as being nearly $5.4 million for the remaining four years.)
However, if Self completes the contract, he won't get the signing bonus. Instead, in 2022, he would get a $6 million contract-completion payment and his total pay that year would be more than $9.5 million, not including incentives.
Self's attorney, Stuart D. Campbell, said the signing bonus setup " was best for both parties" and says that its payout, even if Self is terminated for cause, is a function of Self having been at the school for as long as he has. "It's a lot different when you're bringing someone new into the program," Campbell says.
USA Today
Committed to the Kansas University Jayhawks womens basketball team, Dyl & Kota Gonzalez are 'twin girls next door' taking over. From Pocatello-Idaho, a city with a population under 100,000 people, "The Twins" have more fans on instagram & tumblr than human beings in their town. Nearly 260,000 people follow the girls on their YouTube, Instagram, & Twitter profiles Social media darlings amongst their high school & college peers, the two aren't just pretty faces however.
What's special about these twins?
For the Jayhawks, next years Womens basketball team will see more attention, ticket and merchandise sales. As the media 'blows up' the new talented, identical twins of basketball, it's a sure thing their face bases will become K.U. Jayhawks fans and celebrity-ties will quickly follow from Hip Hop.
Full name Dylan and Dakota, the Gonzalez twins aren't all the same though. According to ESPN Kota ia 5"11, while Dyl is 6"0. In a basketball game, they also differ, as Dakota has a bit more of aggressive-passionate play, along with a clutch jump shot.
These girls are gorgeous and flaunting it. Fit and beautiful, the two have become big on picture sharing social media sites for posting 'sexy' and 'stylish' pictures that thousands re-blog and share.
Link
Big 12/College News
DraftExpress Early Entry Tracker
CBS NBA Draft Early Entry Tracker
4/3/13, 12:18 PM
Steve Welmer, one the best college ref in the last two decades, just told us Ed Rush should be fired -- even if comments made in jest.
https://twitter.com/goodmancbs
Mississippi guard Marshall Henderson posted a letter on the school's athletic website on Wednesday apologizing for some of his actions during a successful but turbulent season.
AP
http://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/mississippis-henderson-writes-apology-letter
Kansas State senior guard Rodney McGruder is headed to Atlanta to participate in two college all-star competitions leading up to the Final Four.
First, he will compete in a three-point challenge at 6 p.m. on Thursday at McCamish Pavilion along with seven other seniors from across the country whose teams have been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. Then he will play in the College All-Star Game at 4 p.m. on Friday at the Georgia Dome.
He will be joined by 19 other seniors at the all-star game, including Creighton’s Gregory Echenique, Baylor’s Pierre Jackson and Iowa State’s Will Clyburn. McGruder will play for the East team, which will be coached by Tennessee’s Cuonzo Martin. Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg will coach the West team.
KC Star
Richard Pitino was regarded as one of the nation's up-and-coming young coaches at Florida International and comes with a last name that draws immediate respect in all corners of college basketball.
That combination was too good for Minnesota to pass up.
Pitino has agreed to take over for the fired Tubby Smith, the university announced on Wednesday evening. Athletic director Norwood Teague said the final terms of the contract would be worked out as the week goes on and Pitino was expected to be introduced by Friday.
Minn Star Tribune
Recruiting
https://twitter.com/JoshGershon/status/319656593341964288/photo/1
4/3/13, 11:17 PM
I just want to thank God for allowing me to be apart of the greatest event I've ever participated in the @McDAAG !! #Blessed
https://twitter.com/wayneselden23
Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas
Bill Self has added the most powerful wing player in the Class of 2013. Selden attacks defenders off the bounce for straight-line drives and scores through contact on a regular basis with his college-ready body that the Jayhawks' strength coaches are going to love. He has improved his perimeter shooting and will be a rim rattler on the break.
Andrew Wiggins, uncommitted (prediction: Kansas)
If he lands with Kansas, Wiggins will bring elite athleticism and scoring to the Jayhawks' lineup. He will be a treat to watch on the break, and when he gets to the rim, expect an exciting finish. Wiggins has an excellent feel for the game and strong basketball instincts, which make this gifted wing even more of a special talent.
ESPN Reggie Rankin
USA Today image
If the basketball careers of Roxbury native Wayne Selden and Haverhill’s Noah Vonleh extend beyond college and into the NBA, both players might want to consider choosing a team with close geographic proximity to Chicago.
Despite being on the losing end of Wednesday night’s 36th annual McDonald’s All-American game at the United Center – a contest the West won, 110-99, over the East – Selden and Vonleh appeared comfortable and at ease in their first-ever visits to the Windy City.
…As for Selden, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound combo guard started alongside top recruit Andrew Wiggins, and looked very much like the player who led his Tilton squad in scoring, rebounding and assists this past season.
Alternating between the point and two-guard positions, Selden played 18 minutes and poured in 13 points, including hitting 2-of-4 three-pointers, and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.
There were times in the game when Selden was arguably the best player on the court. In particular, there was a stretch in which the East was trailing, 79-61, with just over 12 minutes remaining. On three-straight possessions, Selden drained a three-pointer, dished out an assist for a layup, and connected on a foul line extended jumper following a beautiful crossover, to cut the deficit to 11 points.
Boston Globe
Chicago Tribune image
Spend some time talking to Andrew Wiggins and you quickly realize he's far from LeBron James. Wiggins doesn't seem impressed by anything he's capable of doing and doesn't appear to grasp why everyone makes such a big fuss about it.
We should be clear: no one is directly comparing Wiggins to James. We're just saying he could be the best high school prospect since LeBron took the basketball world by storm as a junior and senior out of Akron, Ohio. Wiggins doesn't have LeBron's passing gene. He isn't nearly as strong. His understanding of the game doesn't appear nearly as nuanced. In short, he has a long way to go, just as James did when he was at the McDonald's game in 2003.
And they're certainly different people off the court. When LeBron was in Wiggins' position in 2002, he was already crafting his image, weighing multi-million dollar offers from shoe companies and trying to figure out where to park his Hummer.
SB Nation
A Kentucky fan held a sign that read “Wiggins: You know you bleed blue” in reference to the Canadian’s much-anticipated school announcement. Wiggins has visited Kentucky, Florida State, North Carolina and Kansas.
The quiet Canadian, who won the Naismith Trophy as the season’s top U.S. high schooler and has garnered more hype than any player has seen probably since Kevin Durant and O.J. Mayo were high schoolers, rambled unassumingly onto the court during the glitzy pre-game introductions. His game was much the same — strong but without the flash of the likes of Gordon, who threw down a couple of huge dunks, including a reverse windmill.
Wiggins, dressed in McDonald’s red and Adidas’ special McDonald’s edition “QuickSprint” shoes, scored 12 first-half points, opening with a two-handed dunk about two minutes in. He missed a three-pointer several minutes later after sprinting the length of the court for a steal. He ran in for the putback on his miss.
He took it to Duke signee and hometown star Jabari Parker just before the break, darting by the No. 2 prospect to finish with a two-handed dunk.
The West led 56-44 at halftime.
Wiggins’ has a couple more high-profile events coming up. He was the top pick for the Jordan Brand Classic on April 13 in Brooklyn, N.Y., a game that brings together the top 22 prospects in the U.S.
Wiggins then heads to Portland to play in the Nike Hoop Summit on the World Select Team, coached by Canadian Roy Rana.
Toronto Star
http://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com/aag/en/home.html
4/3/13, 9:07 PM
Waiting for the Jordan game to see him vs. comp but possible No. 2 center in class may be Joel Embiid. Got a hunch about that guy.
https://twitter.com/davetelep
“I knew after watching the games in the past that they don’t feed the post,” said Walker, a forward at Holmes County (Bonifay, Fla.) who is signed to Florida. “I felt like since I like to run the floor and fill lanes that I would get my fair share of touches.”
Walker was wrong.
He only attempted six shots and finished with four points and six rebounds in the loss.
“I was a little shocked that they were kinda freezing the big men out,” Walker said. “I mean I don’t think it was conscious or anything, it’s just a guard-dominated game. It’s all good, we were just out here having fun anyway.”
Still, not everyone was willing to let the mild frustration roll of their back.
East center Kennedy Meeks got so irritated with the lack of touches that he launched two deep 3-pointers. He finished 0-for-3 with zero points.
“I mean it was pretty ridiculous to be real,” said Meeks, who hails from West Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.) and is signed to North Carolina. “I mean, c’mon man, you’ve gotta share the ball. I know it was an all star game and I expected a little bit of this, but I wasn’t expecting this. I won’t lie, I’m not all that happy.”
USA Today
While Parker's team won the game, 110-99, Wiggins usually got the better in the one-on-one matchup that is likely to be repeated in college and the NBA. He had 19 points, hitting six of 10 shots from the floor and seven rebounds. Parker, a 6-8 Duke recruit from Simeon (Chicago), had 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists and picked up five fouls to four for Wiggins, a 6-9 player from Huntington (W.Va.) Prep who hasn't said yet where he will sign.
"It was the best against the best," Wiggins said. "We're both really competitive."
Parker said he was most worried about Wiggins driving the lane.
"He's super-athletic," Parker said. "I would try to over-commit on the dribble but he could shoot from the outside too."
They may have been the only two players in the game to play much defense. Aaron Gordon of Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) won the Most Valuable Player award with 24 points for the West, but most of his nine dunks were uncontested, including a few where he was blatantly cherry-picking.
"I wasn't looking at it as a matchup really," said Kentucky recruit Julius Randle of Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas), who was charged with guarding Gordon at times. "I was just out there trying to have fun and make sure everybody got the ball. On Aaron, you have to stay on his dribble and not go for the fakes, but in a real game, you would also have to get back on defense."
USA Today
The 2013 American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, which will showcase the dunking and shooting talents of 16 of the nation's top high school seniors, will air at 2 p.m. ET on April 6 on CBS. The program is being taped at Long Forum on the campus of Greater Atlanta Christian School.
The CBS broadcast team includes Tim Brando, Bill Raftery and Lewis Johnson. The program will have numerous encore presentations on CBS Sports Network. Check local listings for dates and times.
American Family Insurance Slam Dunk Championships
Name – High School – College Choice
Jordan Bell – Long Beach Poly (Calif.) – Oregon
Deonte Burton – Vincent (Milwaukee, Wis.) – Marquette
Isaiah Dennis – Eagle's Landing (McDonough, Ga.) – Georgia State
Soma Edo – Berkner (Richardson, Texas) – Fresno State
Anton Gill – Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.) – Louisville
Craig Hinton* – East Forsyth (Kernersville, N.C.) – VMI
Kuran Iverson – Fishburne Military (Waynesboro, Va.) – Memphis
Kendrick Nunn – Simeon (Chicago) – Illinois
US Marines 3-Point Championship
Name – High School – College Choice
Bryce Alford – La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.) – New Mexico
Conner Frankamp – North (Wichita, Kan.) – Kansas
Brannen Greene – Tift County (Tifton, Ga.) – Kansas
Zak Irvin – Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.) – Michigan
Nick King – Memphis East (Tenn.) – Memphis
Race Parsons* – South Sevier (Monroe, Utah) – Southern Utah
Matt Thomas – Onalaska (Wis.) – Iowa State
Derrick Walton Jr. – Chandler Park Academy (Harper Woods, Mich.) – Michigan
https://www.facebook.com/HighSchoolSlam
Jordan Brand Classic
My KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos, Late Night in the Phog, and more now on YouTube
We should be clear: no one is directly comparing Wiggins to James. We're just saying he could be the best high school prospect since LeBron took the basketball world by storm as a junior and senior out of Akron, Ohio. Wiggins doesn't have LeBron's passing gene. He isn't nearly as strong. His understanding of the game doesn't appear nearly as nuanced. In short, he has a long way to go, just as James did when he was at the McDonald's game in 2003.
And they're certainly different people off the court. When LeBron was in Wiggins' position in 2002, he was already crafting his image, weighing multi-million dollar offers from shoe companies and trying to figure out where to park his Hummer.
SB Nation
A Kentucky fan held a sign that read “Wiggins: You know you bleed blue” in reference to the Canadian’s much-anticipated school announcement. Wiggins has visited Kentucky, Florida State, North Carolina and Kansas.
The quiet Canadian, who won the Naismith Trophy as the season’s top U.S. high schooler and has garnered more hype than any player has seen probably since Kevin Durant and O.J. Mayo were high schoolers, rambled unassumingly onto the court during the glitzy pre-game introductions. His game was much the same — strong but without the flash of the likes of Gordon, who threw down a couple of huge dunks, including a reverse windmill.
Wiggins, dressed in McDonald’s red and Adidas’ special McDonald’s edition “QuickSprint” shoes, scored 12 first-half points, opening with a two-handed dunk about two minutes in. He missed a three-pointer several minutes later after sprinting the length of the court for a steal. He ran in for the putback on his miss.
He took it to Duke signee and hometown star Jabari Parker just before the break, darting by the No. 2 prospect to finish with a two-handed dunk.
The West led 56-44 at halftime.
Wiggins’ has a couple more high-profile events coming up. He was the top pick for the Jordan Brand Classic on April 13 in Brooklyn, N.Y., a game that brings together the top 22 prospects in the U.S.
Wiggins then heads to Portland to play in the Nike Hoop Summit on the World Select Team, coached by Canadian Roy Rana.
Toronto Star
http://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com/aag/en/home.html
4/3/13, 9:07 PM
Waiting for the Jordan game to see him vs. comp but possible No. 2 center in class may be Joel Embiid. Got a hunch about that guy.
https://twitter.com/davetelep
“I knew after watching the games in the past that they don’t feed the post,” said Walker, a forward at Holmes County (Bonifay, Fla.) who is signed to Florida. “I felt like since I like to run the floor and fill lanes that I would get my fair share of touches.”
Walker was wrong.
He only attempted six shots and finished with four points and six rebounds in the loss.
“I was a little shocked that they were kinda freezing the big men out,” Walker said. “I mean I don’t think it was conscious or anything, it’s just a guard-dominated game. It’s all good, we were just out here having fun anyway.”
Still, not everyone was willing to let the mild frustration roll of their back.
East center Kennedy Meeks got so irritated with the lack of touches that he launched two deep 3-pointers. He finished 0-for-3 with zero points.
“I mean it was pretty ridiculous to be real,” said Meeks, who hails from West Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.) and is signed to North Carolina. “I mean, c’mon man, you’ve gotta share the ball. I know it was an all star game and I expected a little bit of this, but I wasn’t expecting this. I won’t lie, I’m not all that happy.”
USA Today
While Parker's team won the game, 110-99, Wiggins usually got the better in the one-on-one matchup that is likely to be repeated in college and the NBA. He had 19 points, hitting six of 10 shots from the floor and seven rebounds. Parker, a 6-8 Duke recruit from Simeon (Chicago), had 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists and picked up five fouls to four for Wiggins, a 6-9 player from Huntington (W.Va.) Prep who hasn't said yet where he will sign.
"It was the best against the best," Wiggins said. "We're both really competitive."
Parker said he was most worried about Wiggins driving the lane.
"He's super-athletic," Parker said. "I would try to over-commit on the dribble but he could shoot from the outside too."
They may have been the only two players in the game to play much defense. Aaron Gordon of Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) won the Most Valuable Player award with 24 points for the West, but most of his nine dunks were uncontested, including a few where he was blatantly cherry-picking.
"I wasn't looking at it as a matchup really," said Kentucky recruit Julius Randle of Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas), who was charged with guarding Gordon at times. "I was just out there trying to have fun and make sure everybody got the ball. On Aaron, you have to stay on his dribble and not go for the fakes, but in a real game, you would also have to get back on defense."
USA Today
The 2013 American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, which will showcase the dunking and shooting talents of 16 of the nation's top high school seniors, will air at 2 p.m. ET on April 6 on CBS. The program is being taped at Long Forum on the campus of Greater Atlanta Christian School.
The CBS broadcast team includes Tim Brando, Bill Raftery and Lewis Johnson. The program will have numerous encore presentations on CBS Sports Network. Check local listings for dates and times.
American Family Insurance Slam Dunk Championships
Name – High School – College Choice
Jordan Bell – Long Beach Poly (Calif.) – Oregon
Deonte Burton – Vincent (Milwaukee, Wis.) – Marquette
Isaiah Dennis – Eagle's Landing (McDonough, Ga.) – Georgia State
Soma Edo – Berkner (Richardson, Texas) – Fresno State
Anton Gill – Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.) – Louisville
Craig Hinton* – East Forsyth (Kernersville, N.C.) – VMI
Kuran Iverson – Fishburne Military (Waynesboro, Va.) – Memphis
Kendrick Nunn – Simeon (Chicago) – Illinois
US Marines 3-Point Championship
Name – High School – College Choice
Bryce Alford – La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.) – New Mexico
Conner Frankamp – North (Wichita, Kan.) – Kansas
Brannen Greene – Tift County (Tifton, Ga.) – Kansas
Zak Irvin – Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.) – Michigan
Nick King – Memphis East (Tenn.) – Memphis
Race Parsons* – South Sevier (Monroe, Utah) – Southern Utah
Matt Thomas – Onalaska (Wis.) – Iowa State
Derrick Walton Jr. – Chandler Park Academy (Harper Woods, Mich.) – Michigan
https://www.facebook.com/HighSchoolSlam
Jordan Brand Classic
My KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos, Late Night in the Phog, and more now on YouTube
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