LJW photo
Lawrence, Kansas, home to the University of Kansas, put itself on the map in a whole new way on April 21. Volunteers at the school prepared a record-breaking 4,689-pound plate of nachos with all the fixings–meat, beans and peppers–for attendees of the school’s annual Kansas Relays. The feat easily surpassed the previous record of 3,999 pounds of nachos, set by the Ninety Nine Restaurant in Billerica, Massachusetts in October 2011.
The cheesy snack was served to any Kansas Relays ticket-holders who kicked in a $1 donation or a canned food item, proceeds of which will benefit the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen. It’s probably healthier than eating the nachos.
Time (Yes, it's now officially the off-season lol)
Earlier this spring, Kansas coach Bill Self said he was still interested in adding another guard to the roster. In the last couple of days, a potential target materialized.
Mark Lyons, a former Xavier guard who has decided to transfer, will visit Kansas, his former prep school coach told The Star on Tuesday.
Jason Smith, who coached Lyons at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H, — the same school that produced Thomas Robinson and Naadir Tharpe — said Lyons also would probably visit Kentucky and Arizona.
Lyons, a redshirt junior, averaged 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season at Xavier, which finished 23-13 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before losing to Baylor. He was also suspended two games for his role in Xavier’s brawl with Cincinnati in December. If he finishes his degree this spring, he could enroll in a graduate program at his new school and be eligible immediately.
…Lyons could be a natural fit at Arizona. He was recruited to Xavier by current Wildcats coach Sean Miller, and the Wildcats are in desperate need of a guard after the departure of freshman Josiah Turner.
But Lyons might make sense at Kansas as well. In the backcourt rotation, Bill Self will have seniors Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford, sophomore Tharpe, second-year freshman Ben McLemore and true freshman Andrew White. But only Johnson and Tharpe have point-guard skills.
Lyons, who is listed at 6 feet 1, is also more of a combo guard. He hit 39.2 percent of his three-pointers last season and would give Kansas another outside threat.
KC Star
Former Xavier University basketball combo guard Mark Lyons said Tuesday he is considering a transfer to just three schools — Kansas University, Kentucky and Arizona.
He told the Journal-World he has not set any dates for campus visits to the three finalists.
LJW
South Carolina sophomore Damontre Harris, a Trinity Christian graduate who plans to transfer out of the Gamecocks' program, is scheduled to take an official visit to Florida this weekend and go to Kansas late the following week. Virginia Commonwealth and Marquette are two other schools he might visit.
Harris' high school coach, Trinity Christian's Heath Vandevender, said Harris is not considering N.C. State, the one school South Carolina has blocked as a potential transfer option.
Ranked the No. 68 prospect in the prep class of 2010 by ESPN.com, the 6-foot-9 Harris picked South Carolina over Florida, Wake Forest and Maryland. He averaged 6.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks last season, when he was named to the SEC All-Defensive team. South Carolina fired coach Darrin Horn in March and hired Frank Martin away from Kansas State.
Coaches from Florida, Kansas and Virginia Tech flew to Columbia, S.C., last week on the last day of a live recruiting period.
As a sophomore, Harris scored 12 points, grabbed nine rebounds and matched his career high of six blocks in a 74-66 loss at Florida. He had nine points and six boards in a home loss to the Gators.
VCU coach Shaka Smart was a Florida assistant in 2008-09, and he recruited Harris during that time. John Pelphrey was the Florida assistant who traveled to South Carolina last week.
John Richardson, the Virginia Tech assistant who visited Columbia, is joining the Old Dominion staff as part of the mass exodus from Blacksburg, Va. News of his departure broke Monday, the same day Virginia Tech fired head coach Seth Greenberg.
As for Marquette, the Golden Eagles were one of the schools that offered a scholarship to former Trinity Christian center Mike Thorne, who redshirted this past season as a freshman at Charlotte.
Fayetteville Observer
Although this year’s recruiting period appears to have ended on a whiff, this is not the year to be upset with Self’s recruiting prowess, as Kansas fans have been in the past. Even when recruiting is rough, it always seems to work out for Self, and this year, there was nothing coarse about the recruiting period.
Ellis is a likely starter, and at the very least, will be a contributing factor for the team, along with White, who will provide much-needed depth off the bench. Jamari Traylor hasn’t even been mentioned. He’ll also provide much needed big-man minutes off the bench. (Sorry, Justin Wesley, hope you enjoyed your time on the court this season.) And even the class of 2013 boasts a top player in 6-foot-inch forward Brannen Greene, whose verbal commitment allows Self to spend his energy on other top prospects for next year.
Kansas is one point guard away from having a class that could give them everything they needed. The Jayhawks will have depth next season, but if Self learned anything from this season — and it’s a safe bet that he did — he’ll use a tighter rotation. This year’s class allows him to do just that.
Everyone will know his role, once again. It’s perfect. In the past, when Self has brought in an eye-widening recruiting class, players often didn’t know their roles. They didn’t gel like this year’s team did, and it’s led to early and disappointing downfalls in the tournament.
And if this column hasn’t convinced you thus far — if you still think Self needs to recruit better for Kansas to succeed long term — remember, Norm Roberts is replacing Danny Manning as an assistant coach. Roberts is the coach who helped recruit Self’s first class at Kansas and his master class at Illinois, which included Dee Brown and Deron Williams.
So, don’t fret. Things are looking up for Kansas on the recruiting trail, even if the 2012 recruiting period is over.
UDK
USA Today NBA mock draft (TRob #3)
Draft Express NBA mock draft (TRob #4)
St. Anthony’s Friars annual beefsteak dinner will be held tonight at the CERC on 9th St. in Jersey City at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $125. Tyshawn Taylor, Class of 2008, will be the guest speaker during the event.
NJ.com
Kansas assistant Tory Verdi is expected to be named Eastern Michigan's new head women's basketball coach later this week, a source told The Detroit News on Tuesday.
The source spoke to The Detroit News on condition of anonymity because the university has not announced the hire. That announcement could take place as early as Thursday.
Verdi, 37, helped Kansas to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2000 this season, advancing to the Sweet 16.
Verdi was an assistant at Nebraska from 2005-10, helping the Cornhuskers to a 32-2 record and Big 12 championship his final year in Lincoln. He was responsible for coaching the post players, including first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin, who went on to become Big 12 Player of the Year and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 WNBA draft.
Verdi also coached in the WNBA, working as an assistant for the Connecticut Sun, who won the Eastern Conference title in 2004 and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in 2003, losing to the Detroit Shock.
Detroit News
The cheesy snack was served to any Kansas Relays ticket-holders who kicked in a $1 donation or a canned food item, proceeds of which will benefit the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen. It’s probably healthier than eating the nachos.
Time (Yes, it's now officially the off-season lol)
Earlier this spring, Kansas coach Bill Self said he was still interested in adding another guard to the roster. In the last couple of days, a potential target materialized.
Mark Lyons, a former Xavier guard who has decided to transfer, will visit Kansas, his former prep school coach told The Star on Tuesday.
Jason Smith, who coached Lyons at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H, — the same school that produced Thomas Robinson and Naadir Tharpe — said Lyons also would probably visit Kentucky and Arizona.
Lyons, a redshirt junior, averaged 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season at Xavier, which finished 23-13 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before losing to Baylor. He was also suspended two games for his role in Xavier’s brawl with Cincinnati in December. If he finishes his degree this spring, he could enroll in a graduate program at his new school and be eligible immediately.
…Lyons could be a natural fit at Arizona. He was recruited to Xavier by current Wildcats coach Sean Miller, and the Wildcats are in desperate need of a guard after the departure of freshman Josiah Turner.
But Lyons might make sense at Kansas as well. In the backcourt rotation, Bill Self will have seniors Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford, sophomore Tharpe, second-year freshman Ben McLemore and true freshman Andrew White. But only Johnson and Tharpe have point-guard skills.
Lyons, who is listed at 6 feet 1, is also more of a combo guard. He hit 39.2 percent of his three-pointers last season and would give Kansas another outside threat.
KC Star
Former Xavier University basketball combo guard Mark Lyons said Tuesday he is considering a transfer to just three schools — Kansas University, Kentucky and Arizona.
He told the Journal-World he has not set any dates for campus visits to the three finalists.
LJW
South Carolina sophomore Damontre Harris, a Trinity Christian graduate who plans to transfer out of the Gamecocks' program, is scheduled to take an official visit to Florida this weekend and go to Kansas late the following week. Virginia Commonwealth and Marquette are two other schools he might visit.
Harris' high school coach, Trinity Christian's Heath Vandevender, said Harris is not considering N.C. State, the one school South Carolina has blocked as a potential transfer option.
Ranked the No. 68 prospect in the prep class of 2010 by ESPN.com, the 6-foot-9 Harris picked South Carolina over Florida, Wake Forest and Maryland. He averaged 6.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks last season, when he was named to the SEC All-Defensive team. South Carolina fired coach Darrin Horn in March and hired Frank Martin away from Kansas State.
Coaches from Florida, Kansas and Virginia Tech flew to Columbia, S.C., last week on the last day of a live recruiting period.
As a sophomore, Harris scored 12 points, grabbed nine rebounds and matched his career high of six blocks in a 74-66 loss at Florida. He had nine points and six boards in a home loss to the Gators.
VCU coach Shaka Smart was a Florida assistant in 2008-09, and he recruited Harris during that time. John Pelphrey was the Florida assistant who traveled to South Carolina last week.
John Richardson, the Virginia Tech assistant who visited Columbia, is joining the Old Dominion staff as part of the mass exodus from Blacksburg, Va. News of his departure broke Monday, the same day Virginia Tech fired head coach Seth Greenberg.
As for Marquette, the Golden Eagles were one of the schools that offered a scholarship to former Trinity Christian center Mike Thorne, who redshirted this past season as a freshman at Charlotte.
Fayetteville Observer
Although this year’s recruiting period appears to have ended on a whiff, this is not the year to be upset with Self’s recruiting prowess, as Kansas fans have been in the past. Even when recruiting is rough, it always seems to work out for Self, and this year, there was nothing coarse about the recruiting period.
Ellis is a likely starter, and at the very least, will be a contributing factor for the team, along with White, who will provide much-needed depth off the bench. Jamari Traylor hasn’t even been mentioned. He’ll also provide much needed big-man minutes off the bench. (Sorry, Justin Wesley, hope you enjoyed your time on the court this season.) And even the class of 2013 boasts a top player in 6-foot-inch forward Brannen Greene, whose verbal commitment allows Self to spend his energy on other top prospects for next year.
Kansas is one point guard away from having a class that could give them everything they needed. The Jayhawks will have depth next season, but if Self learned anything from this season — and it’s a safe bet that he did — he’ll use a tighter rotation. This year’s class allows him to do just that.
Everyone will know his role, once again. It’s perfect. In the past, when Self has brought in an eye-widening recruiting class, players often didn’t know their roles. They didn’t gel like this year’s team did, and it’s led to early and disappointing downfalls in the tournament.
And if this column hasn’t convinced you thus far — if you still think Self needs to recruit better for Kansas to succeed long term — remember, Norm Roberts is replacing Danny Manning as an assistant coach. Roberts is the coach who helped recruit Self’s first class at Kansas and his master class at Illinois, which included Dee Brown and Deron Williams.
So, don’t fret. Things are looking up for Kansas on the recruiting trail, even if the 2012 recruiting period is over.
UDK
USA Today NBA mock draft (TRob #3)
Draft Express NBA mock draft (TRob #4)
St. Anthony’s Friars annual beefsteak dinner will be held tonight at the CERC on 9th St. in Jersey City at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $125. Tyshawn Taylor, Class of 2008, will be the guest speaker during the event.
NJ.com
Kansas assistant Tory Verdi is expected to be named Eastern Michigan's new head women's basketball coach later this week, a source told The Detroit News on Tuesday.
The source spoke to The Detroit News on condition of anonymity because the university has not announced the hire. That announcement could take place as early as Thursday.
Verdi, 37, helped Kansas to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2000 this season, advancing to the Sweet 16.
Verdi was an assistant at Nebraska from 2005-10, helping the Cornhuskers to a 32-2 record and Big 12 championship his final year in Lincoln. He was responsible for coaching the post players, including first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin, who went on to become Big 12 Player of the Year and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 WNBA draft.
Verdi also coached in the WNBA, working as an assistant for the Connecticut Sun, who won the Eastern Conference title in 2004 and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in 2003, losing to the Detroit Shock.
Detroit News
Big 12/College News
Early Season Events List
CHAMPIONS CLASSIC (Georgia Dome - Atlanta)
Date: Nov. 13
Teams: Michigan State vs. Kansas; Duke vs. Kentucky in Atlanta
CBE CLASSIC (Sprint Center - Kansas City)
Dates: Nov. 19-20
Teams: Kansas, Saint Louis, Texas A&M, Washington State
CBS
Baylor forward Quincy Miller, the Big 12 co-Freshman of the Year, has changed his mind and will declare for the NBA draft instead of returning to school. He's the first one-and-done player in program history.
Miller initially said on April 10, the NCAA deadline for announcing, that he was going back to Waco, Texas, for his sophomore season. But the NBA deadline is this Sunday. Players still had 19 days to make a final decision on the draft, even after making a public statement on returning to school.
NY Daily News
Frank Martin says he didn't leave Kansas State because of problems with Wildcat officials or administrators, no matter how much some believe that's the main reason he took South Carolina's basketball job.
"I didn't run away from Kansas State," Martin told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Martin has spent the past four weeks since taking over the Gamecocks' program from Darrin Horn setting up his office, meeting current players and recruiting new ones. Still, Martin gets asked too frequently, "Why leave a winning Wildcats program for one that was in last place in the Southeastern Conference?"
"I'm just telling you, (Gamecocks AD) Eric Hyman put his arms around me and it was hard for me not to feel the passion that he had for building the men's basketball program," Martin said. "I've never been through this before."
Since taking over for his mentor Bob Huggins, the 46-year-old coach had rejuvenated Kansas State and put together one of the most successful stretches in the Wildcats' long basketball history. The team had reached four NCAA tournaments in the past five years, including a trip to the round of eight in 2010.
Kansas State athletic director Jim Currie said after Martin's departure he always wanted the coach to be part of the long-term fabric of the school. Martin said there was no rift.
"I was happy there. Obviously, there's a team in place that can challenge for that Big 12 championship," he said. "We left a lot of good behind. You don't do that because you're unhappy."
AP
I like Frank Martin. I like the way he runs a program and I like the way he sticks up for his players. He’s tough and he demands perfection from his players, but the genuinely emotional responses he’s had in press conferences the past two NCAA tournaments (one time defending Jacob Pullen when his senior was crying after his final loss as a collegian and the other when he choked up talking about Jamar Samuels, who was suspended for his final game as a Wildcat) should tell you just how much he cares about those kids.
But I simply am not buying what he’s selling.
NBC Sports
Tony Benford is finally getting his chance as a head coach.
Benford was hired Tuesday by North Texas as men's basketball coach after spending the past four years on Buzz Williams' staff at Marquette. He was a college assistant for 20 years, with stops at Arizona State, Nebraska and New Mexico.
FW Star-Telegram
Four hours after the appeals hearing that determined if Florida International would release him from his scholarship as he requested, sophomore Dominique Ferguson checked his email to see if he'd gotten a response.
The email he found left him angry and flabbergasted.
An appeals panel consisting of three FIU board members refused to grant Ferguson his release, meaning the former highly touted recruit would have to pay his own way to play basketball at another Division I college. The panel members wrote they believed it would be more "beneficial" to Ferguson to stay at FIU even though he'd just explained he no longer felt comfortable after the firing of coach Isiah Thomas and he wanted to attend school closer to his family in Indianapolis.
"They've given schools way too much power to tell another human being what they can and can't do," Ferguson said. "They've never met me before. They don't know me from the next athlete. For them to tell me it would be more beneficial to stay here, it's kind of a slap in the face."
Unable to transfer and unwilling to remain at FIU, Ferguson decided Monday night that he will enter the NBA draft, as first reported earlier Tuesday by CBSSports.com. The 6-foot-8 forward was once a top 100 prospect, but he would be very unlikely to be drafted this June after averaging 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds this past season for an FIU team that lost 21 games last season.
Ferguson stopped short of saying FIU was forcing him to enter the draft by not releasing him from his scholarship, but he acknowledged he only began considering this option once he lost his appeal. An FIU spokesman did not return an email seeking comment from athletic director Pete Garcia or new coach Richard Pitino.
Yahoo
Jalen Rose wants his banners back, Mary Sue Coleman has no interest in replacing them and Dave Brandon isn't sure Michigan could re-raise them if it wanted to.
The Michigan athletic director said earlier this week that the university is currently spending "zero time" on the topic of the Michigan basketball program's removed banners until the disassociation between the school and former Fab Five member Chris Webber ends in 2013.
And even when it does end, he's not positive he can restore the physical remnants of the famed Fab Five to the Crisler Center rafters.
"We're not even sure that we could put those banners up," Brandon said. "If you vacated wins and forfeited wins and basically cleared the record books of any activity, it's hard to believe we could put back up the banners. We've never even gauged with the NCAA to see if that were possible.
"And, truthfully, if we had to forfeit the wins, it doesn't seem appropriate."
Ann Arbor News
Adidas Basketball today unveiled its newest shoe, the adizero Crazy Light 2. Weighing 9.5 ounces, it replaces its predecessor—the adizero Crazy Light—as the lightest shoe in basketball. We’ll have more extensive coverage of both the release and the shoe itself, but for now, check out the snapshots above and details below, courtesy of our friends at adidas.
SLAM
Recruiting
Video Highlights: Anrio Adams
Everythings RockChalk #SWagg #Swagg..
https://twitter.com/#!/OfficialRioRCJH/status/194977967166857216
The 2013 point guard ran the show for the Rams, displaying the ability to get to the basket off the bounce at will. Hill also did a good job of distributing the basketball, setting up Walker and Kansas commit Brannen Greene frequently.
Greene wasn’t always on with his perimeter jumper but he kept at it, and Greene is talented enough to attack the rim as well. But if there’s one thing that he’ll need to continue to work on as the spring/summer wears on it’s getting his teammates involved more. Do that and a player who’s already difficult to stop becomes an even tougher matchup.
NBE Basketball
Chris McCullough, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound junior-to-be from Salisbury School in Salisbury, Conn., has been offered a scholarship by KU, rivals.com reports.
McCullough, who is originally from Bronx, N.Y., has already visited St. John’s, Seton Hall, Arizona, UConn, and Syracuse. Rivals.com’s No. 10-rated player holds scholarship offers from KU, North Carolina, UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Florida, Arizona, Memphis and Iowa State.
“Chris received an offer today from Kansas,” McCullough’s AAU coach, Terrance “Munch” Williams, told NYCHoops.net.
When asked specifics, Team SCAN coach Williams said: “Head coach Bill Self and assistant Norm Roberts called me today.”
Team SCAN will play in the Boo Williams AAU tournament this weekend.
“I’m looking for playing time as a freshman and want a school with a good graduation rate,” McCullough told recruitingspotlight.wordpress.com. “I want an up-tempo, fast-pace team that uses the pick and roll.”
McCullough wants to make a decision this summer.
…Przemek Karnowski, a 7-foot high school senior center from Poland, will not visit KU or Duke, according to dukehoopblog.com. Gonzaga is considered the favorite with Marquette and Cal-Berkeley possible destinations. He’s been compared to the NBA’s Marc Gasol. Gonzaga coach Mark Few traveled to Warsaw recently to watch Karnowski play. Earlier this week, it was reported that Duke and KU were trying to get involved.
LJW
Metro Hawks guard Isaiah Lewis continued his high-scoring ways. He led his team in every game, including 18 in the final game a loss against NY Lighting. Lewis is listing Louisville as one of his five schools but it doesn’t appear the Cardinals are showing a ton of interest
...Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle kept impressing. Wiggins had 19 in a CIA Bounce win, while Randle had 26 as Team Texas Titans beat the Arkansas Wings. In the loss, Moses Kingsley had 15 points and six rebounds for the Wings.
…BeeJay Anya with a solid 14-point, seven-rebound game in the final for Team Takeover.
Louisville CJ: Nike EYBL final recap
The Boo Williams Summer League's boys 17-under team finished with one victory in four games in the first weekend of the Nike Elite YOuth Basketball League in the Minneapolis area.
The BWSL lost its opener to to Team United of North Carolina 69-50 Friday night, then played three close games.
On Saturday, Boo's team lost to Athletes First of Oklahoma 47-45, then beat the Indy Spiece team on Indiana 42-40.
On Sunday, the group closed out the weekend with a 51-50 loss to Team Takeover of the Washington, D.C., area.
Statistical leaders:
Team United: Al Freeman 20, Anthony Barber 12, Troy Williams 11, Eric Johnson 3, Brandon Self 2, Devon Hall 1, Jacob Duncan 1.
Athletes First: Al Freeman 12, Troy Williams 8, Anthony Barber 7, Ramone Snowden 7, Tony Nunn 4, Devon Hall 4, Eric Johnson 0.
Indy Speice: Anthony Barber 13, Troy Williams 10, Al Freeman 8, Eric Johnson 5, Tony Nunn 2, Devon Hall 2, Brandon Self 2.
Team Takeover: Anthony Barber 19, Al Freeman 13, Troy Williams 6, Eric Johnson 5, Brandon Stith 3, Tony Nunn 2, Ramone Snowden 2.
Daily Press
Baylor offered Xavier Rathan-Mayes, a 2013 SG from CIA Bounce (CAN). UCLA, Gonzaga, Seton Hall, LSU, Oregon & USF also offered today.
https://twitter.com/#!/TheRecruitScoop/status/194984942122450947
High school basketball transfers don't happen in Sacramento nearly as much as they do in Southern California, where all the title teams seem to be clogged with players coming and going.
But there was a stunner of a switch this week that could impact two Division I programs.
Malik Pope, a promising and still-growing 6-foot-7 sophomore defensive specialist center, left Burbank of the Metro Conference and enrolled into Laguna Creek of the Delta Valley Conference after his mother moved within that Elk Grove Unified School District residential boundary, The Bee learned Friday.
The Elk Grove Citizen published in its Friday print and online edition that Pope was transferring to Sheldon High, the program that stormed to D-I Section and NorCal titles and became the section's first large-school boys program to play for a state title. Burbank coach Lindsey Ferrell said that Pope was headed to Laguna Creek.
The coach said he was disappointed by the transfer but not crushed by the loss as he is known to always be perpetually upbeat. Still, Ferrell doesn't agree that Pope's move from a decades-long basketball force on Florin Road will suddenly enhance Pope's game, nor could he explain exactly why the transfer happened, except that perhaps Pope's family prefer that Pope started more this past season. Ferrell went with a senior-dominated lineup with Pope playing a lot of minutes.
Sac Bee
I still think there's a lot of confusion out there over what constitutes an offer versus interest in potentially offering.
Multiple times this weekend I saw tweets about school x offering player Y when I happened to be sitting right next to head coach of school x
I would immediately ask coach X if they had offered and several times I got a "Who is that?"
It's tricky. I feel like if a kid says he has an offer we have to report it as such but sometimes they are getting misled
https://twitter.com/#!/ebosshoops
Spring/Summer Event Schedule
4/24/2012 9:14 PM
Some changes were made to the schedule's they will be posted ASAP. Thank you for your patience. Thanks, Jayhawk Invitational Staff
4/27-29 Jayhawk Invitational
4/27-29 Real Deal in the Rock
4/27 Boo Williams Nike Invitational
adidas Grassroots schedule
Nike EYBL Schedule
Check here for the NCAA Recruiting Calendar (updated to reflect April Eval period changes)
My 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, KU Alumni games, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on Youtube
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