Chris Crawford and Austin Hollins Participating in 2010 Jack Jones Shootout April 10th at the FedEx Forum

Chris Crawford and Austin Hollins Participating in 2010 Jack Jones Shootout April 10th at the FedEx Forum
http://www.jackjonesshootout.com/index.html

Other players committed

Jarekious Badley - East (TN)

Skylor Blackler - Bell City (MO)

David Chadwick - Hargrave Military Academy (VA) Rivals 3 Star - Rice Commitment

Chris Crawford - Sheffield (TN)Rivals 4 Star - Memphis Commitment

Lavonte Dority - Chicago (IL) Rivals 3 Star - South Florida Commitment

Elliott Eliason - Chadron (NE) Rivals 3 Star - Minnesota Commitment

Austin Hollins - Germantown (TN)Rivals 3 Star - Minnesota Commitment

Alex Kirk - Los Alamos (NM) Rivals 3 Star - New Mexico Commitment

Kenyon McNeaill - Conway (AR)Rivals 3 Star - Uncommitted

Preston Purifoy - Conway (AR) Rivals 3 Star - UAB Commitment

Mardracus Wade - Hargrave Military Academy (VA) Rivals 3 Star - Arkansas Commitment

Jack Jones Shootout brings kids to the big show

Hoop Dreams
Jack Jones Shootout brings kids to the big show

The name “John Paul Jones” is etched on the newsroom office door of The Daily News building in Downtown Memphis and also on the main entrance of a 16,000-seat arena at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

But for the man himself, known by friends as “Jack,” the true measure of his name – and of his legacy – is more aptly found in the eponymous basketball showcase he launched three years ago, the Jack Jones Shootout.

It’s through this event that Jones, who turns 90 on April 4, hopes to leave an indelible imprint on the hearts and minds of Memphis-area youths.

The third annual Shootout is set for April 10 at FedExForum with basketball games for kids ages 8-18 in the afternoon followed by the Memphis Grizzlies’ season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m.

The basketball extravaganza gives local kids a chance to learn from professional coaches in a camp and also play on the same floor as the world’s best players. This year’s event has added a senior game featuring some of the nation’s top high school recruits.

It’s free to anyone who has a ticket for that night’s Grizzlies game, and donations made to the Shootout benefit youth athletic programs and help more kids attend the entire day’s festivities.

The Shootout was borne of Jones’ passion for basketball, which he said grew rapidly during the early 1970s while watching then-Memphis State University make a rousing run to the NCAA championship game.

Leading the Tigers that year was a hoops legend whose impression on Jones lives to this day.

“I go back to the days of Larry Finch. That’s when I started really getting interested,” Jones said. “Playing as well as he did and as often as he did, Larry Finch is my all-time favorite.”

Basketball soul
Jones’ admiration for Finch – last year’s Shootout proceeds helped buy Finch, who is in poor health, a new hospital bed and wheelchair – mirrors his love for basketball.

So Jones was elated when the Grizzlies moved to town in 2001 and has been a courtside season-ticket holder since the team’s opening game. He’s such a dedicated fan that his wife, Sandra, said Jack won’t let them leave games even if the Grizzlies are losing badly because empty seats look bad on television.

But Jones, a noted philanthropist and former president/publisher of The Daily News, doesn’t reserve his love of the game to the Grizzlies. He is equally passionate about the University of Memphis Tigers and his law school alma mater Virginia, where he travels most seasons to see a game or two.

Jones’ fervor now includes the Shootout, which has grown in its first three years. This year’s debut senior showcase, for example, includes homegrown talent and U of M recruits Tarik Black and Chris Crawford.

Jack Jones Shootout
April 10, FedExForum
For tickets and to donate, visit www.jackjonesshootout.com.

Ernie Kuyper, general manager of M33M Basketball – a youth basketball program co-founded by Kuyper and his cousin, former Grizzlies player Mike Miller – said Jones is providing a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for kids in the city of Memphis and the surrounding area.”

“It’s their dream,” said Kuyper, whose M33M players compete in the senior game. “When you’re a kid sitting in the stands watching the Memphis Grizzlies play, you dream of playing on that court one day. Jack, as many games as he’s been to, is providing that dream for these youth of Memphis and the surrounding area.”

Notable life
Making an impact on the lives of Memphians is something Jones has done for decades.

Jones specialized in transportation law, helping truck lines deal with moving goods across the country.

His family started The Daily News in 1886, and Jones took the reins of the paper in 1960, serving as publisher until 1994 when he sold his interest in the company to stepson Peter Schutt, who now is the fourth-generation family member to own the business.

During his 34-year tenure at The Daily News, Jones served as president of the Tennessee Press Association and national chairman of the American Court and Commercial Newspapers group.

As someone accustomed to leadership roles, Jones said he holds the utmost respect for the coaches of his favorite teams, such as the Grizzlies’ Lionel Hollins or the Tigers’ Josh Pastner.

Perhaps it’s because he sees a parallel of teamwork in the workplace and on the basketball floor.

“I’ve heard Jack say many times that … ‘Nothing brings people together like the Grizzlies and the Tigers,’” Sandra Jones said. “It’s a great relationship.”

On the verge of turning 90, Jones knows that the relationship, along with his name, will carry on for a long, long time.

It will carry on at the Virginia arena his son, Paul Tudor Jones II, built and named after him (known affectionately as “The Jack”).

And it will carry on through the Jack Jones Shootout.

“I look forward to going to games in the years to come,” Jones said, pausing, “since I’m going to live to be 105 years old.”

ESPN: Versatility key to Adonis Thomas' success

ESPN: Versatility key to Adonis Thomas' success

By Matt Scott
Special to ESPN.com

Adonis Thomas is currently the No. 13 ranked player in the ESPNU Super 60 (ranking the class of 2011), but he just might have the biggest upside of the 12 players ranked ahead of him. At 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, Thomas simply can do everything on a basketball court -- with or without the ball.

Try to take his outside jumpshot away, which he improved upon throughout his junior season, and Thomas will use his quick first step and developing ball handling abilities to get to the rim. Take his driving ability away, and Thomas is more than willing to knock down shots from the perimeter. Thomas elevates the play of his teammates when on the court. His toughness and leadership qualities are legendary throughout his hometown of Memphis, Tenn.

To Thomas, losing isn't an option. Last weekend, Thomas and his Melrose High School teammates captured the Tennessee state championship by defeating Joe Jackson, Andre Hollins and White Station High School. The win in the state title game gave Melrose its fourth win of the year over league opponent and state powerhouse White Station. In the title game, Thomas contributed 19 points and 13 rebounds and was named to the state's all-tournament team.

According to Melrose coach Jermaine Johnson, Thomas has been the key ingredient in creating a powerhouse basketball program in Tennessee.

"Right before we got here three years ago, the program had won four games," Johnson explained. "Since we got here, the program has gotten better every year and I would say that he is the founding father of the program."

According to Johnson, it's not just what Thomas does on the offensive end of the floor that makes him a special player. It's his approach on defense that separates him from other players in the 2011 class.

"He takes pride in it," Johnson said. "He's so versatile, and he's probably the best defender in the country."

On the offensive end of the court, Johnson is quick to point out what everyone instantly sees when watching Thomas: his versatility.

"He plays a little bit like Kevin Durant. He's not as great of an outside shooter as Durant, but he brings that same kind of versatility," said Johnson. "He can play the 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 at the high school level.

"He's just a winner. He's won a gold medal with team USA this past summer, his AAU team won the Super 64 in Vegas and we just won a state title."

Johnson couldn't be more proud of his superstar player.

"He's a great person," said Johnson. "He's an outstanding student and even takes the time to go to elementary school to read to the kids."

With his high school season now complete, Thomas will start preparing for his last stint on the summer circuit. The summer will be filled with some of the top programs in the country filling the stands to watch Thomas. According to the small forward, the list of schools he is looking at is long and changes almost daily.

"I'm looking at Florida, UTEP, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Memphis, Tennessee, Ohio State, Kansas, Arkansas, North Carolina; and a lot more schools are still there too," said Thomas.

Thomas is hoping to find a school that not only produces on the court, but in the classroom as well. Being comfortable with his teammates on the court and with fellow students in the classroom are two things that could strongly influence his decision.

"Good academic environment, good program and a history of producing NBA players," said Thomas.

He also stressed chemistry with the players on the team, which may give the University of Memphis and coach Josh Pastner an ace up their sleeve. Thomas is an AAU teammate (Memphis Magic) and close friend of four of Memphis' 2010 commitments -- Chris Crawford, Tarik Black, Jackson and Jelan Kendrick.

With schools like Florida, Ohio State and Kansas currently on his list, it would seem that distance might not be much of a factor for Thomas.

Coaches and fans shouldn't hope for a decision anytime soon from Thomas. With so many top basketball schools in the country making up his list, Thomas will surely take his time with his decision so that he is 100 percent confident with the school he chooses.

Matt Scott writes for ESPN affiliate and Kansas team site TheShiver.com.

UH eyeing pair of big names; Gillispie, Floyd top list for men’s basketball coach

UH eyeing pair of big names; Gillispie, Floyd top list for men’s basketball coach
By STEVE CAMPBELL
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
March 27, 2010, 7:21AM

The University of Houston is dialed in on two men’s head basketball coaching candidates with track records of turning have-nots into haves.

Among others.

Multiple people with knowledge of the search said Friday that UH athletic director Mack Rhoades had discussions with Billy Gillispie and Tim Floyd about the possibility of replacing Tom Penders, who resigned Monday after six seasons with the school.

Another person with knowledge of the search process said that while Gillispie and Floyd are “obvious choices,” at this point they’re among a pool of candidates and aren’t necessarily the front-runners.

Connections to Rhoades

Rhoades would not comment on the search Friday night, saying only that UH is “just beginning” the process of finding its next coach. Penders went 121-77 at UH, winning more games during his tenure than the school had in the 12 seasons before his arrival. UH is coming off a 19-16 season in which it reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992.

“It’s a really hard job,” one UH insider said. “Either one will make this a better job.”

Like Floyd, Gillispie has taken three schools to the NCAAs. Like Floyd, Gillispie has a connection with Conference USA rival UTEP. Two people connected with the search said Rhoades, who worked at UTEP from 1999-2006, arranged exploratory meetings with Gillispie and Floyd on Friday.

Another candidate, Sam Houston State’s Bob Marlin, accepted the head coaching job at Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday. After a lengthy meeting with UH officials late Thursday night did not result in a job offer, Marlin withdrew from consideration.

Gillispie, 50, has a 140-85 record (.622) at UTEP, Texas A&M and Kentucky. He presided over a turnaround from 6-24 in 2002-03 to 24-8 the next season at UTEP, landing him the A&M job. A&M had one winning record in the 11 seasons before Gillispie’s arrival at College Station in 2004. Gillispie took his team to the NCAAs in his second season at A&M and the Sweet 16 in his third before taking off to Kentucky.

Though Gillispie went to the NCAAs and was the Southeastern Conference co-Coach of the Year in his first season at Kentucky, he fell out of favor quickly enough to lose his job one year later. He spent this past season out of coaching and entered the John Lucas After Care Program for alcohol rehabilitation.

Floyd, 56, is a New Orleans Hornets assistant who has a 327-181 record (.643) as a college head coach (not factoring in 21 victories the NCAA vacated when it ruled Southern California star guard O.J. Mayo was ineligible in 2007-08). He has taken New Orleans, Iowa State and USC to the NCAAs and reached the Sweet 16 twice.

Amid allegations he paid $1,000 to an associate of Mayo, Floyd resigned from USC last June. Floyd has asserted his innocence and is also considered a front-runner to become the next coach at UTEP, where he served as an assistant under Don Haskins from 1977-86. The El Paso Times quotes sources close to the UTEP program as saying the selection of Floyd is a “done deal.”

Lucas also in the mix

Los Angeles Clippers assistant John Lucas, who has had three NBA head coaching jobs, has publicly expressed his interest in the UH position. Another potential candidate with some backing from UH boosters is Texas Longhorns assistant Rodney Terry, an Angleton native who reportedly has interviewed for the Central Florida head coaching job. Others have taken up the cause of former Milby High star Chris Walker, a Villanova assistant who has worked at New Mexico.

One influential UH insider said Rhoades’ previous relationship with Gillispie could be the X factor in the decision-making process, adding that hiring Gillispie “would make a splash. To fire up people and get them to give money (to the program), you’ve got to get a big name.”

steve.campbell@chron.com

Will Barton; SICK Player - Top Shooting Guard In Class of 2010?

Will Barton; SICK Player - Top Shooting Guard In Class of 2010?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuS0p_kvd-8

Vipers Notebook: Antonio Anderson getting back in the flow

Vipers Notebook: Antonio Anderson getting back in the flow

March 24, 2010 8:04 PM
David Hinojosa
The Monitor

PHARR — With Mike Harris and Jermaine Taylor now in Houston, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers will be looking for more production from versatile 6-6 guard Antonio Anderson beginning Friday when Los Angeles comes to town.

Anderson was re-acquired by the Vipers last week after spending two 10-day stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anderson played in just one game (and 15 minutes) with the Thunder. Anderson, a rookie from Memphis, had played in all 32 Vipers’ games before his NBA call-up. The inactivity with the Thunder affected him during his return. He combined for 14 points and 10 assists in 58 minutes in back-to-back games at Reno last weekend.

“I had to get back into the flow of the game,” said Anderson, who averages 15.0 points and 5.9 assists. “I was a little bit out of shape. This week of practice has been a big help.”

Vipers coach Chris Finch expects to get plenty out of him during the stretch run. The team, which has six games remaining in the regular season, is trying to lock down the NBA D-League’s Western Conference title.

“He’s rusty, but with the departure of Mike, it’s going to help Antonio,” Finch said. “He’s a natural leader of this team. Once he assumes that, everything is going to start falling into place for him.”

Anderson gives the Vipers a proven scorer and is one of two players currently on the roster who have had an NBA call-up this season. Veteran point guard Will Conroy, who has been called up twice by Houston, welcomes Anderson’s return.

“Antonio is a ball-mover,” Conroy said. “He helps me when I’m not able to bring the ball up. He’s going to get six or seven assists. He’s one of those guys who can do it all on the floor. His athleticism is key for us at the wing spot. He can guard just about any wing in the league, and he can score when we need him to score.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Q&A with Jalen Kendrick

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Q&A with Jalen Kendrick
By Michael Carvell

Jelan Kendrick is Georgia's lone representative in the McDonald's All-America basketball game Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 Kendrick, who has signed with Memphis, began his illustrious prep career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, played at Westlake as a junior, and played this past season at Wheeler.

Q. What are your realistic goals for Wednesday's game?

A. It's a great accomplishment to be the only player from Georgia to make it, and to represent the state I love so much ... No. 1, I want my team to win. Who wouldn't want to break a record in the McDonald's All-America game? You know, to let everybody know you are a great player and deserved to be in the game. Why not?

Q. How did you feel about your senior year at Wheeler?

A. It wasn't what I was used to, so I had to adjust. It didn't work out as I had thought at the end [with winning a state championship], but it was a great learning experience. It got me groomed for next year when I go to Memphis. It got me out of my element. In the schools I attended [previously], all the focus was just on me. This year at Wheeler, I focused on everybody else and got my team involved.

Q. Thoughts on seeing your former team, Westlake, reach the championship game?

A. It was a great feeling. You know, I wanted us to win, or for them to win. Sad to say, neither one of us won. I believe if we were one team together, we would have wrecked the whole country. It was great seeing them play because those guys are like brothers to me. We're always together, still hanging out every other weekend. Anything they accomplished, I felt as proud as I could be for them because we're like family.

Q. What are some ways do you think you may be misunderstood?

A. My transition from the summer [of 2008] averaging 30 points to ... this year people thought I fell off [17 ppg at Wheeler], as far as my high school season, when I really didn't. I was just taking a different perspective to the game. I wanted to get my team more involved so we could win. That's my whole purpose in playing basketball, to win. ... Another thing, people always have something to say about my attitude, being where I'm from or whatever the case may be. But you can ask any of the high school coaches who have coached me, and they have nothing bad to say about me. ... And you know, people always ask me why did you move around so much? It was not my decision. I would've loved to have stayed at SWAC with my coach, but he left to go to a college team. My mom and dad decided that I needed to go to a different school. Last year, around summer time, I wanted to [finish] at Westlake so bad, but my mom and dad decided that I needed to go to another school. People always thought I was making my own decisions, but it was my mom and dad's decision. I've never questioned their decisions because their decisions have helped me so much in life.

AP - Barbee (6 yrs $1.5MM per) promises new heights at Auburn

Barbee promises new heights at Auburn

AUBURN, Ala. -- Tony Barbee was a little surprised to hear from his mentor Thursday after taking the job as Auburn's coach.

After all, Kentucky coach John Calipari was right where Barbee hopes to get the Tigers: Preparing for a big NCAA tournament game with a championship program. He isn't shy about expressing those ambitions.

"We're going right after Kentucky," Barbee said, "and we're going right after coach Calipari."

The former UTEP coach also knows he has a long way to go to catch Calipari & Co., who won the Southeastern Conference title and were playing Cornell in the tournament a few hours after Barbee's formal introduction at Auburn.

He is taking over a program that hasn't been to the NCAA tournament in seven years and has had a winning mark in the SEC only once in the past decade. The Tigers also return only one key contributor, starting guard Frankie Sullivan.

But Barbee has enjoyed plenty of success with Calipari and beyond, leading the Miners to a Conference USA regular-season title and their first NCAA tournament since 2005 in his fourth season.

He played and coached under Calipari at UMass and spent six seasons as one of his assistants at Memphis. UTEP finally managed to dislodge Memphis and win CUSA -- after Calipari left for Kentucky.

"There's one way you get to the top: You go after the people that are at the top, and right now that's where Kentucky sits," said Barbee, who received a six-year contract worth $1.5 million annually. "That was our challenge in Conference USA. And we didn't hesitate to go and get some players that I thought could have played at Memphis, could have played anywhere in any league in the country. That's why we had the success that we had this year, and finally overtook Memphis in Conference USA."

Barbee held his introductory news conference on the court at the $92 million Auburn Arena, which opens next season, with dozens of fans watching. He said the new building is a sign of the commitment to basketball from a school known primarily for football. Another was a salary that nearly doubled the $785,000 ousted coach Jeff Lebo made in his sixth season.

Barbee pledged to take the program "to heights it's never been before."

"We will play an exciting style of basketball, very exciting, very fun," he said. "It will be fun for the fans. It will be fun for the players. And it will do one thing that I know -- in my 19 years of college basketball, I've been to postseason play 18 of my 19 years.

"And I'm madder than heck of that one year we missed it. I still can't believe it."

That was his first year at UTEP when he won 14 games. This season, the Miners went 26-7 before losing to Butler in the tournament's first round. Like Calipari, Barbee's brand of basketball emphasizes a fast-paced style and high-pressure defense that generates much of the offense.

"One thing about this style I know is it is built to win in March," he said, "and I know that's what you all want."

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs met with Barbee on Tuesday morning in Atlanta and said he was sold quickly.

"The first few minutes of the interview -- it was unbelievable," Jacobs said. "You knew he was the right guy, the right fit for this basketball team.

"He knew so much about Auburn and what it was going to take to get us to compete for championships right off the bat. He talked about how he had done it in other places and take that plan and apply it to Auburn. He thought it was necessary to get the community behind this team."

Barbee said there had been "a disconnect" in recent years between the program and his job is "to rekindle that love affair."

Sullivan was already familiar with Barbee, who recruited him at both Memphis and UTEP. He said the Tigers' new coach expressed his ambitions in a meeting with the team Thursday afternoon.

"He just told us he was ready to instill his will on the team, his winning tradition on the team and we're going to make the postseason," Sullivan said.

Barbee pointed to the program's history that has had bright spots, including players like Chuck Person, Wesley Person and Charles Barkley.

"There is a precedent that has been set within this men's basketball program that it's been done before," he said. "And when you look at Auburn Arena, why can't it be done again? That's why I'm here."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

Fox Sport's Jeff Goodman - Coaching Search: News on Tulsa's Wojcik, UCF and Houston

Now that St. John's swung and missed on Paul Hewitt, athletic director Chris Monasch will explore other options:

Boston College coach Al Skinner, a New Yorker, will interview at St. John's today, according to multiple reports. Skinner has done a terrific job at BC, going to seven NCAA tournaments in seven years, but the Eagles have struggled lately.

A source told FOXSports.com that Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg, who sits at or near the top of the wish list, would likely remain in Blacksburg as long as the Hokies administration "takes care of him."

Currently, Greenberg is one of the lowest-paid coaches in the ACC.

IOWA CANDIDATES

While Dayton's Brian Gregory continues to win games in the NIT and slow things down for Iowa's search to replace Todd Lickliter, the Hawkeyes have spoken to other candidates.

Iowa has interviewed Utah's Jim Boylen, Wright State's Brad Brownell and Murray State's Billy Kennedy, according to multiple sources.

Tulsa's Doug Wojcik is said to be in the mix as well.

CHARLOTTE EYEING DOOLEY

The president of the school is out of the country, but sources have told me that Charlotte is targeting Kansas assistant Joe Dooley to replace Bobby Lutz.

Other candidates include Xavier assistant Pat Kelsey and Texas assistant Russell Springmann.

CENTRAL FLORIDA WITH LENGTHY LIST

Names in the mix at Central Florida include the following: Former NBA head coach and New Mexico State coach Reggie Theus, ex-Alabama coach Mark Gottfried, Appalachian coach Buzz Peterson and Marshall head man Donnie Jones.

NOTES: Been told, according to sources, that Minnesota assistant Vince Taylor and Citadel coach Ed Conroy are in the mix at UNC Wilmington. ... Sam Houston State's Bob Marlin is in play at both Houston and Lafayette. Houston is still debating what to do with Billy Gillispie.

Witherspoon returning to University of Memphis for junior season

By Dan Wolken
Posted March 26, 2010 at 10:58 a.m.
Witherspoon returning to University of Memphis for junior season

Sophomore Wesley Witherspoon will return to the University of Memphis basketball program for his junior season rather than try the NBA Draft, the school announced this morning.


"I'm coming back," Witherspoon said in a university news release. "Coach met with my family and me, and laid out all the pros and cons about staying and declaring for the draft. After we talked, I made the decision to return."

Witherspoon, a 6-9 swingman from Atlanta, made the all-Conference USA third team as a sophomore, averaging 12.5 points and 4.6 rebounds. He shot 43 percent from the 3-point line and 76.4 percent from the foul line.

Tigers coach Josh Pastner said sophomore guard Elliot Williams was still in the decision-making process after meeting with his family on Thursday. Williams, if he declared for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent, would have until May 8 to change his mind.

Witherspoon’s return ensures the Tigers will have as much depth and talent on the wings as any team in the country next season, with the addition of two top-15 recruits in 6-7 Will Barton and 6-6 Jelan Kendrick.

In another development, Memphis assistant coach Willis Wilson will interview for the head coaching job at Toledo this weekend, according to multiple sources close to the program. Wilson was the head coach at Rice for 16 seasons.

Pastner said he could not comment about the Toledo position but is supportive of his staff members seeking head coaching opportunities.

“I don’t want to lose anybody because we have the best staff in the country, but if anybody has an opportunity for job advancement I don’t want to take them away from that,” Pastner said. “It’s a double-edged sword; if we have success, guys are going to have opportunities.”

Starting Five. net - Interview With New Jersey Nets Guard/Forward Chris Douglas-Roberts

Starting Five. net - Interview With New Jersey Nets Guard/Forward Chris Douglas-Roberts

http://thestartingfive.net/2010/03/25/interview-with-new-jersey-nets-guardforward-chris-douglas-roberts/

I walked into the Nets locker room after a recent game and immediately sensed Chris Douglas-Roberts was someone I could engage. CDR was one of the few players still in the locker room…as most players take turns shooting around…and I don’t think I could have received a more peace conversation from anyone else at that moment. The second year guard/forward out of Memphis is a gifted scorer and tremendous athlete. He was averaging 10 points a game but went off for a game high 23 in the Nets 108-97 loss to the Sixers. Off the bench, he seemed determined to make a game impact. The Nets…who won last night vs. Sacramento…have 8 wins on the season and definitely pulling out the stops not to fall one game short of the NBA record for futility…’72-’73 Philadelphia 76′ers…9-72 record. I can attest that CDR is playing hard and I hope you sense the same when reading the following interview.

Michael Tillery: During your time in school at Memphis, you played in one of the most successful programs in recent memory. The Nets are having a difficult time of it this season. I want to do this for the kids. Do you have any advice?

Chris Douglas-Roberts: The best situation I could give a kid in a bad situation…period…is to focus on the tunnel…the light at the end of the tunnel. If anybody knows about that, I do. I came from a bad neighborhood in Detroit on the west side and nobody I know has ever gotten out. I saw a bigger picture no matter how hard things got. You have to continue to look at that big picture. In this case, I’m doing the same thing. This is just a minor setback. It’s bad because we’re living it and we’re losing…amongst a lot of other things…but at the end of the day, it’s just one season out of many.

MT: When you are out on the floor…we are all taught to take steps to get to the next…do you see that aforementioned light in a play…then a quarter…then a game…then ultimately the season?

CDR: Honestly, it’s (at the time) 15 games left as far as this season. If we were going to turn it around, it would have happened by All-Star break. You have to find a positive out of this some way…in any situation. There’s a lot of negative going around. You have to look to the positive.

MT: Being you are in the New York area, there’s a lot of speculation in the air about next season. How does that affect…or not…a professional athlete with everything swirling around the organization?

CDR: You can’t really pay too much attention to it because no one really knows what’s going to happen next year. You don’t know…you just don’t know. A lot of talk and speculation but at the end of the day, you just won’t know until it happens. You have to focus on the present.

MT: What are some of your individual goals?

CDR: Just to continue to improve every year. Never take a summer off. Never get complacent even when I get to a point where I’m really successful in the NBA. Early in the season…the first three months…I was beginning to do some things but things change and they have changed so I can never let up.

MT: Obviously, you are a very talented player…with a lot of skills specifically as a scorer…what do you learn inside of a game?

CDR: It’s tough Mike. It’s been so up and down. In the NBA, things change overnight. You have to learn on the run and when things do change and it’s a hard time, you can’t get down on yourself. Confidence is everything. A let down in confidence even before a game can really…really affect you. Learning is the beautiful part of this game. You never get too old to learn. I was watching Kobe working out last summer with Hakeem Olajuwon.



He’s the best player in the league so when you see a guy like that trying to improve…and continue to learn the game, you are inspired to understand it’s never enough. You have to continue to learn.

MT: What do you do to decompress in your alone time?

CDR: Relax. That’s it. This schedule is strenuous…as is the whole lifestyle. It’s really is strenuous. When you have a chance to actually relax you have to do so. Taking care of your body and eating right is huge in this league because you play so many games. It wears and tears on your body so when I do get the chance to chill, that’s exactly what I do.

MT: I travel a lot but not as much as a professional athlete obviously. Jet lag is something nevertheless. Can you explain for the fans what jet lag does to your body?

CDR: That’s when fatigue really kicks in. Traveling and jet lag really kicks your butt man. Sometimes I wake up and don’t know what city I’m in. I don’t know what hotel…you’re just tired.

The thing about it is the great people…the great players find out how to work through it and use it as motivation.

MT: Describe a typical eating day.

CDR: Breakfast of course. Breakfast is first. I’m greedy so I eat a bunch of pancakes…a bunch of bacon. Drink a bunch of apple juice. Then I lift. Then I drink a protein shake or a muscle milk. Then I eat lunch. Then another protein shake or muscle milk. Then dinner.

MT: Do you have a certain routine on game days? Are you superstitious?

CDR: I’m not superstitious but if I go a day without getting any shots up, I just feel horrible. I know somebody…be it high school, college or pros is getting up shots. This league is a meat grinder. You have to stay on top and continue to get better. I have to get shots up every single day without exception.

MT: The Memphis Tigers.

CDR: Aw man, they’re in the NIT. I hope they win (Memphis was ousted by Mississippi). I can’t lie and say I’m not disappointed they didn’t get to the Big Dance.

MT: Do you and Rodney Carney (Sixers, former Memphis teammate) speak often?

CDR: Not a lot, but we talk. It’s all love (They went hard at each other on every possession they guarded each other).

MT: How about Pooh (Derrick Rose)?

CDR: Yeah most definitely.

MT: Can you put into words the ride Memphis was on last year up until Mario Chalmers’ shot?

CDR: It was a helluva experience Mike. It’s my number one experience as a basketball player. We had a lot of support but it seemed everyone loved to hate us. We fed off that. We were being compared to UNLV and we wanted to win it for the Fab Five of Michigan, UNLV and Phi Slamma Jamma (Houston with Dream and Drexler).

MT: You read my mind there. There seems to be a team each year which has tremendous athleticism and catches a lot of wreck from basketball purists. I guess Kentucky is that team this year?

CDR: Yeah. Yes they are. They remind a lot of us. We don’t know what they are doing on their off time. On of off time we we putting in work and always around each other.

MT: When I get a chance to speak with Coach Calipari, he seems pretty reserved with the press. I know he’s a beast (Dig the quote Cal gave me at beginning of the Live Blog regarding Derrick Rose).

CDR: Cal is crazy man. Cal recruits guys like me, Derrick Rose, John Wall…from the hood. Simply put. I had a lot of home visits with different coaches. I had a lot of my guys on the porch. When he pulled up he slapped five with everybody. That showed a lot. That showed who he is. He’s always comfortable in every situation and those are the kids he likes. He sold me with that.

ESPN's Andy Katz - Gillispie, Floyd look to catch on in C-USA

Gillispie, Floyd look to catch on in C-USA
March, 25, 2010

If you put up blind résumés for coaches, much like we do with bubble teams, then you would probably pick Billy Gillispie and Tim Floyd for available jobs over a number of other candidates.

Rebuilding programs, win totals and NCAA appearances, save Gillispie's second season at Kentucky, would probably indicate that these two would be solid choices to take over programs.

Both coaches are well respected in terms of practice, game and tactical decisions. Both are hard-working. Both are tireless recruiters.

But both have baggage.

And yet Gillispie and Floyd are seriously in the running for three open Conference USA jobs: Houston, Central Florida and now UTEP.

Both have ties to UTEP. Gillispie engineered quite a turnaround at the school by taking the Miners to the NCAAs. He did the same at Texas A&M before his tumultuous stint at Kentucky. Gillispie took the Miners from six wins to 24 in his two seasons with the school. He took the Aggies to two NCAA tournaments in three seasons and one of two at Kentucky. Gillispie was fired at Kentucky and then had a rough offseason, as he was arrested for a DUI before checking himself into rehab.

The UTEP job might be more of a rebuilding situation if Derrick Caracter leaves, as expected, for the NBA draft. Caracter wasn't on the team charter back from San Jose last week after losing to Butler. UTEP officials are expecting him to declare for the draft and possibly not return to school to finish the semester.

Meanwhile, Floyd has coached in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets and all levels in college (Idaho, New Orleans, Iowa State and USC). He was an assistant to Don Haskins at UTEP before moving on to a head-coaching job.

Floyd's last college stint, at USC, ended with his abrupt resignation last year, and was marred by an NCAA investigation of violations, including an allegation that he paid O.J. Mayo's confidant Rodney Guillory $1,000 cash -- a charge Floyd denied. USC appeared in front of the committee on infractions in February, with a decision due sometime in the next month. Floyd was out of coaching for the first part of this season before being hired as an assistant on the Hornets' staff.

But what will it take to hire Gillispie or Floyd at one of these three jobs?

According to a few sources, at least one within Conference USA, there has to be a few things going for the schools to make these hires:

• A school president who is willing to take a gamble, who puts a premium on winning and who can stand in front of the media and handle the tough questions.

• A strong athletic director who is empowered by the president. The AD can't make this hire alone. But by making the hire, he is saying that he wants to win. At the time then-Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan hired Kelvin Sampson, Greenspan was in a powerful position. Sampson had already had NCAA issues at Oklahoma, and when similar violations occurred at Indiana the coach was forced out and, eventually, so too was Greenspan.

• Whichever school makes the hire, it would need to have a sympathetic community and fan base. Clearly, UTEP and Houston would fit this more than a potentially apathetic Orlando community around Central Florida.

If you remember, at the time Bob Knight was available, he needed this base to line up at Texas Tech after he was fired at Indiana. He had all of the above elements in place in Lubbock. The same was true for Bob Huggins when he was looking for work at Kansas State after being fired at Cincinnati.

No one disputes that Gillispie deserves a second chance. Floyd, however, will be an interesting case to watch. It might be hard to see if a school hires him before the NCAA renders its decision on USC. There is also a split view among a number of coaches of the timing of Floyd's decision to resign. His former assistants were a bit miffed at the time that Floyd didn't stand his ground and fight the allegations. He might not have had a choice from USC athletic director Mike Garrett, but the resignation caught a number of coaches, including his staff, off guard. Floyd has started to become more outspoken recently about not being supported by Garrett. That's why Floyd will need a sympathetic ear, and his best chance is likely at UTEP, where he is fondly remembered. Houston would likely do the same for Gillispie since he was so well-liked at nearby Texas A&M for helping turn the program around.

If they both end up in Conference USA, then it would truly be the landing ground for coaches in search of a second or third chance. Southern Miss' Larry Eustachy, one of Floyd's good friends, and SMU's Matt Doherty are two of the latest examples. East Carolina just hired Auburn's fired Jeff Lebo. Rice coach Ben Braun was fired at Cal.

Houston is looking closely at Floyd, Gillispie, Sam Houston State's Bob Marlin and Texas assistant Rodney Terry. UTEP will likely focus on Gillispie, Floyd and Marlin, while UCF has already targeted Gillispie, Floyd, Murray State's Billy Kennedy, Marshall's Donnie Jones, former Sacramento Kings and New Mexico State coach Reggie Theus, Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman and former Alabama and current ESPN analyst Mark Gottfried.

If Floyd and Gillispie are going to get back in as Division I head coaches at a high level, then it appears one of these three Conference USA jobs might be their best chance.

Chris Crawford Highlights on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOtcDFlEBOc

Commercial Appeal's Dan Wolken - Season review: Fears turn to cheers as Tigers overcome defections to prosper

Season review: Fears turn to cheers as Tigers overcome defections to prosper
By Dan Wolken
Posted March 25, 2010 at midnight

Josh Pastner was concerned.

In the weeks leading up to Memphis Madness, with nothing planned aside from the list of recruits he wanted to bring in for visits, the first-year University of Memphis coach went to athletic director R.C. Johnson with a request.

Instead of holding the basketball season kick-off event at the FedExForum in front of thousands of empty seats, Pastner wanted to move it to the smaller confines of Elma Roane Fieldhouse on campus.

Though Pastner didn't doubt the passion of Tiger fans, Memphis Madness had not historically drawn huge crowds, even in years when the team was rated in the preseason Top 25. What would happen this season with the program in transition and virtually no expectation of national success?

Those fears, of course, were erased quickly Oct. 16 when the doors to a packed FedExForum were shut, preventing hundreds from getting in. For Pastner, the third-youngest coach in Division 1 at 32, it was the first of many moments during the 2009-10 season that would affirm in his mind what needed to be affirmed.

After taking over a program in chaos, teetering on the edge of national relevance with eight healthy scholarship players and a nasty NCAA cloud hanging overhead, Pastner knew then that the worst was behind him.

Sure, there would be more worries, more sleepless nights over the next few months as the Tigers compiled a 24-10 record. Ultimately, there was no satisfaction for Pastner in missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in his career as a player or coach.

But in the big picture, nearly everything that happened from Memphis Madness to the season-ending NIT added up to a big win for the program in its ability to survive and thrive despite the damaging departure of John Calipari.

"Obviously, the success Memphis has had in the recent four-year span was unreal -- unrealistic to be honest with you, because it was at such a high level," Pastner said. "It was so important for us to maintain at a high level (this year), and I felt like the guys did that. We got to 24 wins, we finished second in the conference, we got to postseason play."

Sure, Memphis could have won a game or two more. The Tigers maybe could have even eked their way into the NCAA Tournament had things broken the right way. What if sophomore guard Elliot Williams' game-winning 3-pointer had gone in against No. 1-ranked Kansas in the second game of the year? What if freshman D.J. Stephens had held onto a last-second loose ball at UMass in December? What if the Tigers had simply made their free throws against Gonzaga?

But those were small issues this season compared with what might have been.

When Calipari departed to Kentucky, taking everything with him from the recruits to his secretary to the last bit of Nike gear in the Finch Center storage closet and leaving behind only an NCAA investigation, it would not have taken much for Memphis to become Indiana.

After that school fired Kelvin Sampson amid scandal in 2008, Tom Crean took over a massive rebuilding project that required cleansing the program from top to bottom. After going 6-25 in Crean's first season and 10-21 in his second, Indiana, one of the great programs in college basketball history, is still struggling to recover.

"Quite honestly, it went better than I thought it would," Johnson said. "With all the guys we lost, if you had told me we were going to win 24, I probably wouldn't have thought that was possible."

Though Pastner credited his players with holding things together under adverse circumstances, the season in many ways was a testament to his long-term plan with just six scholarship players set to return and junior college forward Will Coleman deciding to honor his original letter-of-intent.

For a young coach in Pastner's position, the natural impulse would have been to fill out his roster with junior college players just for the sake of having a full team. Instead, Pastner let most of the scholarships stay open for the 2010 recruiting class where he believed he could recruit more talented players for the long term.

It was indeed a calculated risk. Among the group of returning players, none had ever averaged 10 points per game. Though the surprise addition of Williams helped, one major injury could have put the entire season in peril.

It turned out to be a winning gamble on both fronts, as Memphis signed seven players who made up the nation's No. 1 recruiting class and was still able to put up a solid season with a limited roster.

"I think we had an unbelievable year with the players we had," senior guard Willie Kemp said.

Through it all, the excitement over Tiger basketball never died. Memphis averaged more than 17,000 in home attendance, filling up the arena to see the Tigers play a mediocre slate of opponents as the home schedule was softened due to roster uncertainty. Every time it looked like the Tigers' season might slip away, they responded with big wins -- the performances at Tulsa and UAB to take second place in Conference USA were memorable -- to keep interest alive.

It appears likely to continue as the Tigers will likely move back into the Top 25 at the start of next season.

"I had more e-mails, text message, phone calls, random people I've never met who would tell me of all the years they've watched a Memphis basketball team, this is the most fun and favorite team I've ever watched," Pastner said. "For that, I'm so proud of the players, so proud of the seniors."

By the numbers.24: Wins for Josh Pastner, behind only Larry Finch (26) and Eugene Lambert (25) for first-year coaches in program history

10: Consecutive years with 20 or more wins, the longest streak in program history

16: 20-point games for sophomore guard Elliot Williams. Only three players since 1991 -- Anfernee Hardaway, Dajuan Wagner and Chris Douglas-Roberts -- have had more in a season

16,828: Average regular-season attendance at FedExForum


-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

The Memphis Flyer - Tiger Hoops Recap: Part 3

Tiger Hoops Recap: Part 3
Posted by Frank Murtaugh on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 8:00 AM
This is the third in a five-part recap of the 2009-10 Tiger basketball season.

• BACKUP PLAN?

The 2008-09 Tigers featured nine players who played at least 400 minutes for the season (averaging at least 12 a game), with five players logging as many as 700 minutes. This year, the Tigers had only seven players on the floor for 400 minutes, but six of them passed the 700-minute threshold. This was a thin, at times overworked roster that relied on exactly seven scholarship players (essentially trading Angel Garcia for the dismissed Pierre Henderson-Niles in February).

The short bench added an ironic twist to Josh Pastner’s first season as head coach. In some respects, his job was made easier by the lack of impact players available to substitute. When you’re down to seven scholarship players, there’s little head-scratching left to do when it comes to managing your rotation. Pierre Henderson-Niles picks up two fouls? In goes Will Coleman. Doneal Mack having an off night? Try Roburt Sallie. And that was about it. D.J. Stephens was a fun player to watch, every one of his 261 minutes on the floor. But “energy guys” are labeled such for a reason. Garcia returned ahead of schedule and proved to be a boon to the Tiger offense, but his minutes simply replaced those previously given to Henderson-Niles.

The biggest “What if?” of the 2009-10 season will be “What if Garcia had been healthy all season?” His size defensively and his long-range shooting touch would have been assets. Imagine Garcia getting hot from beyond the reach of Syracuse’s zone.

If Elliot Williams returns along with Sallie, Garcia, Witherspoon, and Coleman, the challenge for Pastner next season won’t be a lack of depth, but a lack of minutes to distribute. Presuming members of next year’s freshman class all qualify academically, there will be at least 11 players vying for extended playing time, fighting to be the kind of impact player — whether starting or off the bench — that D.J. Stephens is unlikely to become.

One man’s (somewhat premature) look at a starting lineup and rotation for next November:
Joe Jackson, Will Barton, and Elliot Williams starting in the backcourt, with Wesley Witherspoon and Will Coleman down low. Off the bench: Jelan Kendrick (could play the wing, in place of Barton, Williams, or Witherspoon), Tarik Black, Garcia, and Sallie. That’s nine players without a mention of Chris Crawford, yet another top-100 recruit on the way. That’s depth.

The Memphis Flyer - Tiger Hoops Recap: Part 2

Tiger Hoops Recap: Part 2
Posted by Frank Murtaugh on Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 8:00 AM
This is the second in a five-part review of the 2009-10 Tiger basketball season.

• THE ELUSIVE BIG W

There’s no getting over this blemish on the Tigers’ performance this season. However close that Elliot Williams jumper at the buzzer in St. Louis may have been, the Tigers didn’t beat Kansas, and they didn’t beat Tennessee, and they didn’t beat Syracuse. Sure, these were monster contests: Kansas and Syracuse each spent time atop the national polls and Tennessee finds itself playing in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16. But Memphis needed to claim an upset somewhere among these titans to shed the “big fish in small C-USA” label the program gets every winter. You can be sure the NCAA selection committee noticed the scar on the Memphis schedule. (The Tigers received at least a number-two seed in the previous four NCAA tournaments, and this had more to do with the way they handled foes like Kentucky, Georgetown, and Connecticut than with any undefeated C-USA run.)

You have to go back 21 years — to the 1988-89 season — to find a Tiger team that didn’t knock off at least one team from the ACC, SEC, Big East, Big 10, Pac 10, or Big 12. The opening-round victory over St. John’s in the NIT, of course, will keep Elliot Perry’s sophomore season in the record book for a dubious non-achievement. (That team actually made the NCAA tournament despite losses to Michigan, Missouri, Washington, and Tennessee.) But a solitary upset this winter over the Jayhawks, Vols, or Orange would have punched the Tigers’ ticket to the Big Dance.

There’s another important reason Memphis needs to win games against power-conference teams: they’re auditioning. Conferences are sure to realign in the decade ahead, some expanding, others perhaps shuffling programs to find the right regional — and revenue-generating — mix. The possibility of the Tiger program moving to the Big East has been discussed at least since former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese was hired by U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson to advise on possibilities. With every win over a major program, the Tigers enhance their curb value to the decision-makers among the big six. At the very least, they need to beat the Big East’s 13th-place team. So in that sense, mission accomplished.

Bumpshack post Questioning Whether a Chris Douglas Roberts Trip to an NBA Playoff Game on LeBron's Private Jet Was Calipari Recruiting Violation

http://bumpshack.com/2010/03/24/did-chris-douglas-roberts-accidentally-tell-on-coach-cal-www/

Did Chris Douglas-Roberts Accidentally Tell on Coach Cal and WWW?


Former Memphis Tigers star and current New Jersey Nets player Chris Douglas-Roberts might have accidentally let something slip on Twitter last week that he might shouldn’t have.

The Twitter ‘Trending Topic’ was #whenIfirstmet and CDR had tweeted his first time experiences meeting such celebs as Jay-Z, Beyonce, John Calipari, and finally NBA mega-star and Nike spokesman LeBron James.

On the surface it might not seem like such a big deal and just an innocent tweet. But it got me to thinking about the shadiness of former Memphis and current Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach John Calipari and how he works the system, legally and in some cases illegally according to some.

Coach Cal is infamously associated with the mysterious basketball power broker known as William ‘World Wide Wes (WWW)’ Wesley who is extremely tight with dozens of NBA, college, and AAU basketball players and coaches across the country. The most famous of his NBA marriages is - naturally - to LeBron James.

WWW is often seen courtside at Cavs games. He was at the Palace of Auburn Hills when the infamous Ron Artest brawl took place. He was seen at numerous Memphis games when Calipari coached there and now he, naturally, pops up at Kentucky Wildcats games (see photo above, to the right of Ashley Judd).

So back to the CDR-Twitter story. Douglas-Roberts tweets that, when he was 17-years old, that the great LeBron James had his private jet pick him up and take him to the Denver-Minnesota playoff game in Denver.

This could have taken place for one of two games. Either, the game on April 24, 2004 or the game on April 27, 2004, as Denver only hosted two home playoff games against the Timberwolves in 2004.

So five months after LeBron flies him down to Denver for a NBA Playoff game, Douglas-Roberts then commits to play basketball at the University of Memphis for coach John Calipari. Are you picking up on the CDR-LBJ-WWW-CAL connection?

LeBron said on The Best Damn Sports Show several years ago that if he had gone to college he would have gone to Memphis so he could have played for Coach Calipari.

I am not sure of the NCAA rules regarding this. I would have to assume it’s a legal loophole and the one that William Wesley and Calipari have shadily mastered, ever since they first arranged for Dajuan Wagner and his father Milt Wagner to show up in Memphis. Wagner was the first big time recruit to sign with Calipari at Memphis.

Whether it was illegal or not, it’s pretty easy to follow the breadcrumbs here: Coach Cal was recruiting Chris Douglas-Roberts back in 2004. How can he impress a highly impressionable 17-year old kid from Detroit? He can call his good buddy William Wesley who phones into a favor to LeBron, and LeBron has his private jet pick up CDR and fly him to the Minnesota-Denver playoff game.

Lets not forget that CDR turned into a great college basketball player and NBA player, but he was not highly recruited out of high school. He was ranked 75th nationally and 26th at his position. So it is not like LeBron was sending the jet for the second coming of himself. It was either as a favor to William Wesley or perhaps LBJ Airways provides this service for all Top 100 recruits in the country.

The underlying connection to it all? NIKE! Coach Calipari is under contract to Nike and for his teams to wear Nike, and LeBron James makes 8 figures annually as a Nike endorser. It creates a full circle pipeline of talent that almost always ends up as Nike endorsers. [see update below]

CDR is from Detroit, the same city that William ‘WWW’ Wesley now makes as his home. Also, the same city that Derrick Rose (or someone like him) allegedly took the SAT back in 2007. The test was invalidated due to fraud by the standardized testing committee. The NCAA claimed that Memphis should have known that Rose didn’t take the test and had someone else take the test for it. The handwriting on the test in question doesn’t match Rose’s penmanship.

The NCAA stripped the Memphis Tiger’s 2008 Final Four appearance earlier this year over the issue and also for allowing Derrick’s brother to fly on the team’s charter plane without being charged.

The vacated Final Four is the second of John Calipari’s college coaching career. He is the only coach in NCAA history to have two Final Four appearances removed from the record books.

[UPDATE: Several people have mentioned that Memphis wore adidas shoes until Calipari's last year when the Tigers switched over to Nike. This is true, but Calipari changed from adidas to Nike after the adidas deal expired. In his 2006 contract renegotiation Cal negotiated to "negotiate a shoe deal" and "keep all the income" according to Sports Business Daily (April 19, 2006).

He will also receive a $300,000 guarantee in shoe/apparel money. Calipari is allowed “to negotiate a shoe deal with any company and keep all the income,” money he previously had to share with UM. Calipari is expected to earn $225,000 in shoe money from adidas in ’06-07, meaning he will earn at least $1.525M next year.

So as soon as the adidas deal expired Nike and Cal exchanged vows, and in the process Coach Cal got to keep all of the money. Cal has always been 3 steps ahead of whoever he was negotiating with, and with Memphis AD R.C. Johnson, Calipari was likely a good half-marathon ahead.

Calipari was working with Nike and through its subordinates, Wesley, LeBron and company, long before he could officially get the Tigers switched over to Nike. As soon as he had the power, he negotiated the deal for the University and kept the money in the process per his 2006 contract extension.]

A closer look at the top potential candidates for the UCF men’s basketball coaching job

A closer look at the top potential candidates for the UCF men’s basketball coaching job

UCF Basketball — posted by Iliana Limón on March, 24 2010 7:27 AM

I wrote about the UCF men’s basketball coaching search for today’s edition of the paper. Here’s a closer look at several prominent coaches have been tied to the job:

– Todd Bozeman, Morgan State head coach
Buzz: Bozeman was a talented young coach at California who was booted out of coaching when he admitted to paying a player’s parents. He spent nearly a decade away from college basketball working as an NBA assistant and AAU coordinator. He took over Morgan State five years ago. He has led the school to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Although UCF recently was hit with an NCAA major infractions case in football, Tribble didn’t rule out considering candidates with NCAA baggage.

– Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech head coach
Buzz: A lot of dominos would have to fall in order for UCF to get land the Yellow Jackets’ coach. Hewitt is widely considered a strong recruiter, but he has been under fire for failing to get those players to perform consistently. It seems Georgia Tech would like to see him go and Hewitt doesn’t sound happy dealing with negative attention, but he has a $7 million buyout that would have to be waived by both sides in order for him to make a move. Georgia Tech officials did confirm they have granted Hewitt permission to speak with St. John’s about its head coaching job. Hewitt told the Atlanta Journal Constitution Tuesday he didn’t not plan on leaving Georgia Tech.


– Buzz Peterson, Appalachian State head coach
Buzz: Peterson is in his second stint at Appalachian State. After leading the program to three regular-season Southern Conference championships, he was named head coach of Tennessee where he posted a 61-59 record from 2001-05. The former North Carolina standout was roommates with NBA legend Michael Jordan, whose son Marcus Jordan is on the UCF basketball team.

– Reggie Theus, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant
Buzz: Theus is a former Rick Pitino assistant at Louisville. During his second year as head coach at New Mexico State, he led the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament. He accepted a head coaching job with the Sacramento Kings soon afterward, but did not last long with the struggling franchise. He is now an assistant with the Timberwolves.

– Donnie Jones, Marshall
Buzz: It would cause huge waves in Conference USA if the Knights managed to lure away a division rival’s head coach. If Jones were still an assistant at Florida, he would be an obvious choice for the job. He is a strong recruiter and rumored to be considering the Knights because of the program has more resources and room for future growth.

– Billy Kennedy, Murray State head coach
Buzz: Kennedy was an assistant coach at Miami during the 2005-06 season before taking over as Murray State’s head coach. The No. 13 seed Racers advanced to the second round of the tournament.

– Mark Gottfied, ESPN analyst
Buzz: The former Alabama coach led the Crimson Tide to the Elite Eight in 2004. After a string of player injuries, disappointing play and the departure of star player Ronald Steele prompted Alabama to fire Gottfried in January 2009.

– My colleague Jeremy Fowler also spoke with a few of his Florida Gators contacts. They said no members of the Florida Gators staff have been contacted about the UCF vacancy.

Pastner in the mix at Iowa?

According to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Memphis Tigers' coach Josh Pastner is one of a large group of potential candidates for the Iowa job.

In fact, the headline on Scott Dochterman's blog post today is "Iowa search reaches Day 9; Memphis' Pastner picks up steam?" but nothing in the blog leads one to believe the school is closing in on Pastner. Instead, the blog is full of links about potential candidates and things that have been written about them lately.

Barbee keeps the C-USA coaching carousel turning

Barbee keeps the C-USA coaching carousel turning

UTEP Coach Tony Barbee is leaving the Miners for the SEC and Auburn, according to multiple sources. Barbee led UTEP to a 26-7 record overall, 15-1 mark in Conference USA, a C-USA Tournament finals appearance and a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Assuming Derrick Caracter stays in school, which certainly isn’t a lock, whomever inherits that program will be ready to rock and roll.

Here’s a rundown for Conference USA’s coaching musical chairs:

UTEP — Tony Barbee to Auburn; Next coach: ESPN’s Andy Katz mentions Tim Floyd and Billy Gillispie among others.
Memphis — Josh Pastner
UAB — Mike Davis
Marshall — Donnie Jones
Tulsa — Doug Wojcik
Southern Miss — Larry Eustachy
Houston — Tom Penders resigns/retires/fired/forced out; Next coach: USA Today lists John Lucas and Billy Gillispie as front-runners.
Southern Methodist — Matt Doherty
UCF — Kirk Speraw fired; Next coach: The Orlando Sentinel runs through a list of candidates. The Herd’s Donnie Jones is mentioned.
East Carolina — Mack McCarthy out; Jeff Lebo in after leaving door open for Barbee at Auburn.
Tulane — Dave Dickerson
Rice — Ben Braun