PORTLAND, Ore.– UConn coach Kevin Ollie is suddenly the flavor of the month after coaching the Huskies to a national championship this week in North Dallas. Multiple NBA franchies appearnly have interest in hiring Ollie, a class act who was a former NBA player, assistant as their head coach. If I were UConn, I’d try to do what it takes to lock him up.
Speaking of locking up coaches, Iowa State just cut higly popular Fred Hoiberg a new $2.6 milllion deal to keep him in Ames instead of reprotedly opening door to him to go back to the NBA as a head coach at Minnesota. The change in NCAA rules has made elite college coaches more attrractive to the pros
We hear the NCAA rules will revisit lowering the shot clock from 35 to either 30 or 24 seconds, widen to lane to creative more movement as it intends to make the game moer fran friendly on offense.
Nike Hoop summitt took place this weekend here at the Moda Center. One Team USA player–6 10 Myles Turner of Bedford, Tex Treinity is still undecicded and will reportedly decided between Texas and SMU. Sviatoslav Mykhaliluk, the 6-7, 16-year old pure shooter playing for the World Select team, has blown up to a point where Michigan, Kenutcky have jumped in to his recruitment along with Virginia and Kansas, who were there from the start. Kid is a good student who wants to attend an American colege. Kentucky, Michigan has now joined Virigina, Kansas inj his recruitment.
I get the fact Team USA wants to put the most athletic, highest rated players on roster. and team seriusly lacks pure shooers. We think they should have seriusly consdiered adding 6-7 forward Justin Jackson of Tombalt, Tex. and . 6-5 g Devin Booker of Moss Point, Miss.
The state of Texas continues to produced quelity prospects who can play in this game. Last year, there were hree– Julius Randle and teh Harrison twins. This year trhere are three more– Turner, 6-5 pg Emmanuel Mudiay frlom Prime Prep in Dallas (SMU) and 6-7 wing Kelly Oubre fromj Dallas/Findlay Prep (Kansas).
Do u ever get the feeling that the best programs tend on get a lion’s share of the sports on TEam USa for Hoop Summitt. Three from Duke wo from Kansas, Carolina, Kentucky (which has two inernationals– 7-0, 248 pound center Karl Towns , a Dominican import from St. Joseph’s of Metuchen, N.J. (with those size 21 shoes), and pf Trey Lyles, who has dual citizenship (Canada and US) and plays for Arsenal Tech, Inidana’s 4A state champs.
Speaking of Hoop Summit, we hear g Jamal Murray, a rising juniior who was the MVP of Jordan Brand Inernatonal game as a ninthgrader and is best prospect in Canada, is leaving Toronto Atletic Academy and wll likely finish up his high school career in the states at Monteverde Academy in Florida.
We see both Louisville and Baylor are headed back to Nike. South Bend is headed for UnderArmour
Happy to see my guy Tom Luicci, who quit the Newark Star-Ledger rather than take a huge pay cut affer the latest blooding letting at that once proud North Jersey paper,has resufaced as head of digital commmunications for Rutgers, his alma mater. Luicci covered Rutgers for 35 years and was the best college beat writer in the country. A huge loss to readers. rutgers getitng a local treasure.Whtiney Young in Chicago (Duke), 6-9, 250-pound Cliff Alexander of Currie High in Schooll (Kansas likely) enter college. Parker was the most rady of any freshmant offensively to make the leap to pros, but had severely defensive issues.
There has been some talk about this recriting class being better than last year. But other than Okafor, Alexander i don’t see any one and dones who are lock lotttery picks.
We keep hearing guard Nck Johnson, versatle f Aaron Gordon will both leave ‘Zona early for the draft. Cats might have won it all next yer if one of them stayed. Of course, we could have said the same thing about Michigan if 6-7 three point shooitng machine aNik Staskus had stayed.
George Raveling’s latet riddle: What college coach had two assistants on his staff who are in the Naismith Hall of Fame whle he is not?
Interesting: Top 5 programs in the last 10 years: UConn, Kentucky, Florida, Kansas and Michigan State.
Tulsa is apparently making a run at UMass coach Derrek rek Kellogg of UMass to replace Danny Manning. Frankly, we think UMass is a better job.
Kentucky coach John Calipari goes in for much needed hip surgery this May.
Happy to see Creighton f Doug McDermott collect Wooden award after a spectacular senior year. Great family, great kid with Team USA grss roots pedigrree. We are now proejecting McDermott as a late lottery pick.
