VCU Selected Unanimously to Win A10

VCU received all 28 first-place votes at Tuesday's Atlantic 10 media day in Brooklyn.  

The voting from the poll went as follows.

1. VCU (28)

2. George Washington

3. Dayton

4. Massachusetts

5. Richmond

6. Rhode Island

7. La Salle

8. Saint Joseph’s

9. Saint Louis

10. St. Bonaventure

11. Duquesne

12. Davidson

13. George Mason

14. Fordham

The pollsters seems to be a bit higher on George Washington than I was in my preseason evaluations, but are on-board with me in Dayton hovering around the same mark they had last year.  They also echoed my sentiments of Rhode Island being much improved this year and St. Louis taking a major nosedive.

The preseason All-Conference First Team was: Jordan Sibert (Dayton), Patricio Garino (George Washington), Kendall Anthony (Richmond), Deandre Bembry (St. Joseph’s), Treveon Graham (VCU) and Briante Weber (VCU).  It's hard to argue most of those players although E.C. Matthews could easily replace Garino on this list.  Matthews averaged 14.8 points as a freshman for Rhode Island last season.

The A10 had a personal  best six teams make the NCAA Tournament last year, three or for would be a more realistic number for this year.

NCAA Grants Waiver to Move Game Up Two Weeks for Terminally Ill Player

A year ago, Lauren Hill was a high school basketball star who had decided she wanted to play college basketball at Mount Saint Joseph University.

These plans got murky as she began to get vertigo and dizzy spells much more than those who knew her could ever recall.  In November, she learned in that she has an inoperable brain tumor due to the terminal cancer Diffused Intrinsic Pentene Gleoma.

According to the original report by Local 12 in Cincinnati, the cancer has roots at the base of her brain stem with growing tentacles weaving through her nerves and is inoperable.

She had an MRI done in September that she is unlikely  to make through the end of the year.   Her biggest wish was to play just one game for the college that she had committed to.

The NCAA will do everything they can to fulfill that wish, granting the school a waiver to play Hiram College on Nov. 2.  The first games are not slated to be played until Nov. 15.

Mount Saint Joesph's basketball coach, Dan Benjamin said, "She's a special person. This girl is so strong, she's dealing with death and all she's thinking about is everyone else. Her team first her family first, and just to give her that one last wish would be incredible for our program and our players."

Not to be missed in this story is how the Indiana Fever got involved.  The WNBA squad made Lauren a “Honorary Indiana Fever Team Member of the Day” on Oct. 10.

Charlie Thomas Commits to Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Badgers landed their third recruit for the class of 2015 Tuesday night as Charlie Thomas, a 6-foot-7 forward from Maryland committed to the program.

According to Benjamin Worgull of BadgerNation, Thomas had been to Madison twice before making his offical visit on Sept. 20.

“The visit made a huge impression on me,” Thomas told BadgerNation. “Meeting Coach Ryan and meeting the players was a big deal for us. Coach wanted to meet my family and interact with the players to get a better feel and experience there. I had a great time and I enjoyed it."

Thomas, a three-star prospect according to Scout.com, also visited DePaul and Rutgers.  LaSalle, George Mason, Vanderbilt, William & Mary, and Towson also offered Thomas a scholarship.

Thomas told BadgerNation the offense is a perfect fit for him because it's the same offense that he's running in high school. 

Thomas joins Alex Illikainen and Brevan Pritzl as 2015 commits to Badgers squad. 

Tennessee Tech and Steve Payne Agree on Extention

ttusports.com

Tennessee Tech gave a release that they have extended head men's basketball coach Steve Payne through 2019.

In three seasons at the helm of Tennessee Tech, Payne has went 48-47 overall with a 23-25 record in the Ohio Valley Conference.   Payne had been an assistant at the school for the nine years before becoming the head coach.

“I think we have only seen the tip of the iceberg of what we can do in Athletics at Tennessee Tech, and within our men’s basketball program,” Payne said in the release. “I appreciate the loyalty and the faith that they’ve placed in me.”

Tennessee Tech went 17-16 overall last season and returns the majority of their contributors from last year. 

The school also extended women's head coach Jim Davis through the 2019 season. 

Martez Walker Withdraws from Texas

USA Today

Former Texas Longhorns guard Martez Walker has withdrawn from the school after being suspended indefinitely after being arrested multiple times in September, the school confirmed Thursday.

Walker's first arrest stemmed from misdemeanor assault and earned him the indefinite suspension.  He was arrested less than a week after for trespassing due to an order from his first arrest that banned him from entering any on-campus residence halls.

No official statement was given by Texas regarding the situation, but the Longhorn Network reported early Thursday that Walker would likely no longer be at Texas.  From there, more reports surfaced and when multiple news outlets reported that Walker had withdrawn from all his classes, the university confirmed the news.

Walker was a key reserve for the Longhorns last year, averaging  4.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.  His 6-foot-4 body and great athleticism was thought to give him a bigger role off the bench for Texas this year.

Three Old Dominion Basketball Players Suspended for Altercation at Dorm

Old Dominion athletic director Wood Selig announced that three Old Dominion basketball players have been suspended, two women's team members and a men's player.

According to Harry Minium of the Virginia-Pilot, Javonte Douglas from the men’s team and Galaisha Goodhope and Chelisa Painter of the women's squad were suspended for acts stemming back to a physical confrontation in a college dorm in August.

“Based on recommendations from Coach Jeff Jones and Coach Karen Barefoot, I am accepting the indefinite suspension of Galaisha Goodhope, Chelisa Painter and Javonte Douglas from the women’s and men’s basketball teams respectively for violation of team rules,” Selig said.

Douglas is a 6-foot-7 JUCO transfer from the College of Central Florida while Painter and Goodhope made big contributions last year.

Painter is the top returning scorer and rebounder from last year while Goodhope led the team in assists. 

All three will appeal according to the article and Goodhope is facing the stiffest punishment of the three as she is up for explosion. 

Kyle Wiltjer Sets World Record for Farthest Behind the Back Shot Twice

6-foot-10 Gonzaga Bulldog transfer Kyle Wiltjer set a record for farthest behind the back shot twice in the same video.

Wiltjer, who came to Gonzaga after playing for two seasons at Kentucky, went 70-for-75 on three point shots on a video that was released a day before the behind the back record.

The previous record, as recognized by Guinness Book of World Records, was held by Kenneth Sorvang of Norway, setting the record in December of 2010.

He ended the video by posting “Stay tuned for more …” you bet we will!

Over 90 NBA Personnel Members Attend Kentucky Combine

In case if you were wondering how many NBA scouts and front office members would attend a Kentucky basketball practice, the answer is over 90.

The exhibition, which was aired on ESPNU, featured the team doing  drills, 3-on-3 scrimmages, spot-up shooting, five-minute shooting and 5-on-5 scrimmages for two hours.  The show also featured an interview with head coach John Calipari, who plans to do this every year.

“If it goes the way it’s looking, it may be something we do every year,” Calipari told the ESPNU panel.  “I did one (combine) in 2011, postseason and it got outlaw. This will probably get outlawed, too,” Calipari said before cracking a joke about other coaches copying his idea.

ESPN NBA Draft expert Chad Ford also made an appearance, projecting eight players from Kentucky being picked in the 2015 NBA Draft.  Ford has   Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein going in the lottery.  He also has Alex Poythress as a late first-round picks while Dakari Johnson, Trey Lyles, Marcus Lee , Andrew Harrison, and Aaron Harrison going in the second round.

Nebraska Freshman B.J. Day Out for Season with Torn ACL

Nebraska freshman 6-foot-5 forward B.J. Day will miss the entire 2014-15 season due to a torn ACL, the school announced Thursday.

Day was not thought to make a big impact until senior forward Leslie Smith suffered a knee injury that will cost him the whole season.  Day will not miss a year of eligibility due to the timing of the injury and has already applied for a medical redshirt.

Day committed to the program in May and has roots with the school.  His father, Bernard Day, started for the team for two seasons in the 1980's.

There is a lot of uncertainty at the forward position for Nebraska with this news, meaning Terran Petteway and David Rivers will likely be playing a ton of minutes for Nebraska.
 

Rick Pitino Rips Shoe Companies for Recruiting Involvement

Louisville head basketball coach Rick Pitino is clearly bothered by the way recruiting in college basketball is currently handled and took out out on show companies during a preseason press conference Thursday.

“What I personally don’t like and I’ve seen over the last five years, I can’t recruit a kid because he wears Nike in the AAU circuit,” Pitino told reporters. “I never heard of such a thing and its happening in our world. Or he’s on the adidas circuit, so the nike schools can’t. I never thought that shoes would be the reason to recruit players, but it’s a factor. I think we need to deal with that. I think we need to get the shoe companies out of the lives of young athletes. I think we need to get where parents, coaches have more of a say than peripheral people.”

“But that’s easier said than done. I don’t know how to do that. It’s like trying to get the runners out of the game.”

Antonio Blakeney is one of the biggest recruits in the 2015 class and is believed to have decommitted from Louisville due to shoe deals.  According to Rob Dauster of NBC Sports, he had always been a Nike guy, but committed to Louisville, an Addidas school.

His inner circle allegedly was not pleased by this, leading to him reopening his recruiting and leaving Louisville. 

“Nobody wants to talk about that," Pitino said.  "Why doesn’t anyone want to talk about that? Because it’s money related. Schools, the University of Louisville makes a lot of money from Adidas. I think it needs to be cleaned up.”

Nearly all the top schools wear one certain brand and get compensated handsomely for it.  Oregon receives so much funding from Nike that it's unknown where their athletics would be without that deal. 

While it is an NBA example, it's worth pointing out that Kevin Durant signed a 10-year deal with Nike that could end up being worth $300 million.  If one player is making that kind of money, just imagine how much entire schools can make.

What Pitino said is on the money and a reality many in college basketball have tried running from.  While this isn't the case for over 99 percent of players, it is for the big time players with the highest NBA aspirations.  What the NCAA can do to stop this is unknown, but the can of worm has been opened.

Preseason Coaches Poll Picks Kansas to Win Big XII

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

In a move that shouldn't surprise anyone, the Big XII preseason coaches poll has the Kansas Jayhawks winning the Big XII.

Kansas has won each of the past 10 Big XII Championships and is bringing in one of the most heavily recruited players from the class of 2014 in Cliff Alexander. 

Kansas received six of the 10 first place votes with Texas coming in second with three and the other vote going to Oklahoma.   the teams went one through three in that order in the poll with Kansas receiving 78 points while Texas received 74 and Oklahoma getting 67.

After the top-three, the voting went as followed in order: Kansas State (53 points), Iowa State (51 points), Baylor and West Virginia (36 points each), Oklahoma State (27 points), TCU (15 points), Texas Tech (13 points.) 

Henry Ellenson Commits to Marquette

One day after Marquette lost a transfer in Gabe Levin, they land one of the biggest prizes in the 2015 recruiting class.  Henry Ellenson, ranked 17th by Rivals for the class of 2015 prospects decided he will be taking his talents to Marquette.

Ellenson is the crown jewel in what has been an incredible recruiting run for new head coach Steve Wojciechowski.  Marquette has four of the top 100 prospects for the 2015 recruiting class according to Rivals.

Marquette lost out on a versatile forward with Levin deciding to leave the program, but it appears as though he may have left because Ellenson was coming in. 

Levin is a 6-foot-7 forward who had the tools to put it all together, but struggled with his jumpshot at Loyola Marymount. 

Ellenson is taller at 6-foot-10 and is a better shooter at this point despite being two years younger. 

“He’s a skilled forward who can really handle the ball, pass and score from the perimeter,” NBCSports.com recruiting analyst Scott Phillips said. “But he can also hold his own as a rebounder and defender thanks to his length and improving mobility.”

Ellenson is a Wisconsin native who is playing his high school basketball for nearby Rice Lake.  While the proximity helped Marquette lure him, admitting his brother Wally, who is a track star that played a little basketball for the University of Minnesota before transferring, was likely what won the sweepstakes for the Golden Eagles. 

Before the 2013-14 season, Marquette had made it to at least the Sweet 16 in each of the past three NCAA Tournaments.  With their strong recruiting class for 2015, they should be in line to make a similar run and possibly make their first Final Four since 2003. 

Former Colorado State Guard Jon Octeus to Play for Purdue

 Ethan Miller/Getty Images 

A Purdue Boilermakers basketball program that has struggled as of late caught a break on Wednesday as former Colorado State guard Jon Octeus has decided to transfer to the school.

Octeus originally planned on transferring to UCLA, but was not admitted into graduate school.  He will be eligible to play immediately for Purdue.

Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com was the first to break the news on the 6-foot-4 guard who averaged  13.4 points and 4.7 rebounds last season.

Octeus is expected to form a solid trio of guards for the Boilermakers along with junior Raphael Davis and sophomore Bryson Scott.

Marquette Transfer Gabe Levin to Leave Program

Less than one full semester in his time Marquette, Loyola Marymount transfer Gabe Levin will leave the school according to an announcement made by the school Wednesday.

The loss of Levin will not be felt this year and may not ever have an effect on the program  He was expected to redshirt in 2014-15 to become eligible the next season.

Levin had success at Loyola Marymount as a freshman in 2013-14, averaging 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds en route to being named to the WCC All-Freshman team.  According to CollegeBasketballTalk.com, he selected Marquette over Northwestern, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech in June.

“We wish Gabe nothing but the best as he pursues other opportunities to continue his career,” head coach Steve Wojciechowski said.

Marquette is looking to bounce back after missing the postseason all-together in 2014 after making to at least the Sweet 16 the three seasons prior.

Marquette Upgrades Practice Facility

When Steve Wojciechowski accepted the head coaching job at Marquette in April, one the goals he laid out was upgrading the team's practice facility.  Consider that task done as of Tuesday Oct 7.

The team upgraded their 11-year-old facility to renovate the weight room, men's locker room, and gym.   This despite Marquette's Al McGuire Center costing $34 million to build at the time.

The weight room has new equipment, the bathroom fixtures have frosted-glass, and there are MU-engraved doors for the individual showers.  What might be the coolest part of the redesign is the 90-inch TV in locker room.

The Al has been a tremendous home to our basketball program for a long time," Wojciechowski told Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But like any home that's over a decade old and has been used hard, it needed a facelift."

Transfer Kedren Johnson Ruled Immediately Eligible to Play for Memphis

 Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

The Memphis Tigers received news the news they wanted to hear Monday when the NCAA ruled Vanderbilt transfer Kedren Johnson eligible to play immediately.

Johnson left Vanderbilt after being suspended for the entire 2013-14 season for violating the school's rules.

Johnson  had a big year for Vanderbilt in 2012-13, averaging 13.5 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.  

The 6-foot-4 guard figures to be a starter with mostly freshman behind him.  He will try to be as effective for the team as leading scorer and assist man Joe Jackson was last year.

The likes of freshman Dominac Magee and JUCO transfer Abery Woodson will likely come off the bench for Memphis to begin the year. 

Boston College's Point Shaving Scandal to Air as an ESPN 30 for 30 Oct. 7

Many young college basketball fans may have never been told that Boston College was involved in a point shaving scandal.  ESPN will be alerting the nation to this nearly 35-year old scandal on Oct. 7 with their newest 30 for 30 film, "Playing for the Mob."

This story has intrigue for both the college basketball fan and non-college basketball fan alike. The Boston College players were paid by mobsters that paid them to ensure they would not cover the spread. 

Henry Hill, who is best known for Ray Liotta portraying him in the movie ‘Goodfellas’, was one of the big players in the scandal.  There were three players in the scandal that made $2,500 each while the mobsters were said to have made up to $250,000.

The point shaving only occurred in the 1978-79 season and was uncovered in 1980.

This article is very brief and nondescript because I encourage you to watch the documentary on ESPN.

Valparaiso Lands 7-Foot Son of Rik Smits

Derrik Smits, the son of former Indiana Pacers Rik Smits, has decided to follow in his father's footsteps and has committed to play college basketball at Valparaiso.

Smits stands 7-feet-tall, which is four inches shorter than his father.  He is rated a three-star recruit by Rivals and chose Valparaiso over the likes of Clemson, Ball State, and UTEP according to the Indianapolis Star.

Derrik currently attends Zionsville High School in Indiana and made the decision to attend Valparaiso after visiting the campus last weekend.  He announced the decision via Twitter.

It will be difficult for Derrick to have the production of his father, who was the second-overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft out of Marist.  Smits averaged 14.8 points and 6.1 boards in his 12-year career with the Pacers which included an all-star game appearance in 1998.

Derrik will begin playing for head coach Bryce Drew in 2015 with Valpariaso coming off an 18-16 season last year and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013.

Pepperdine's All-WCC Forward Stacy Davis Has Broken Hand

The Pepperdine Waves suffered a scare when Stacy Johnson, an All-WCC forward last year, fractured a bone in his right hand last week.

Johnson, a 6-foot-6 junior, should be good to go when the team begins the season on Nov. 14 against Fresno State. 

"Stacy won’t miss a whole lot because he’s already got a good feel for what we’re doing,” Pepperdine head coach Marty Wilson said. “He’s got to stay in shape so he’ll be with strength coach Matt Young doing a lot of bike and a lot of cardio. We’ll keep him engaged with what we’re doing on the court and put him in as many drills as we can. It’ll also give him a chance to work on his left hand. He’s got a great right hand, and he needs to balance it with his left.”

Davis averaged 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds last year for a team that went 15-16.  Their 15 wins was the best for the program since they last had a winning record, which was during the 2004-05 campaign.

Wright State Unveils a Trio of New Uniforms

Wright State Official Website

Wright State will be bringing some flare to the Horizon League this year in the form of three new uniforms.

The school released them on their official website on Wednesday with the three main uniform colors being white, green, and yellow.

They have flashy uniforms made by Jordan, now the question is whether the team has some flash on the court.