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Dick Weiss

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Kevin Ollie of Connecticut is the hottest coach in either pro or college basketball after leading the Huskies from the American Athletic Conference to the NCAA tournament championship. With that in mind and rumors swirling that he is on the NBA Los Angeles’ Lakers radar as they try to make a splash, the school is prepared to give Ollie a sizable raise in hopes of keeping him in Storrs for the foreseeable future.

Ollie was paid $1.25 million this past season in his second year as a head coach. He received a seven month contract when he was hired full time to replace Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun in Dec. 2012 and was given a five year deal worth $7.5 million.
 
But we keep hearing the number $2.6 milllon, which would make him one of the top 10 coaches among those who particiapted in last year’s NCAA tournament..
 
Just throwing this out, but Ollie is a popular 13-year NBA veteran who is from L.A. and has strong ties with stars like Kevin Durant, who will become a free agent next year.
 
Oregon State has fired Craig Robinson as its basketball coach. 
 
This might not have the presidential seal of approval since Robinson is the brother-in-law of President Barack Obama and had three years remaining on his contract. He was 94-105 in six seasons in Corvallis, making him the fourth-winningest coach in school history. But the Beavers, however, failed to make the NCAA tournament or even the NIT in his tenure. Robinson will receive a buyout of $4 million — or 10 times Obama’s salary of $400,000.

The unusually late dismissal of had another side effect. It scuttled plans for a game that would have been among the most unusual in college basketball history.

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis had proposed a matchup between the Spartans and Beavers under a canopy on the White House lawn in fall 2016. That idea fizzled quickly with Robinson’s firing since there was no excuse to play in front of the nation’s most iconic building without the presence of President Obama’s brother-in-law.
 
We love the way Hollis’ mind works. Hollis came up with the idea for a basketball game on an aircraft carrier in 2011, spearheaded the plan to hold a Michigan-Michigan State hockey match at Spartan Stadium in 2001 and set up a basketball game at cavernous Ford Field in 2003. He has even broached the idea of a basketball game between Michigan State and USC at Panathinkaiko Stadium in Athens, Greec, the site of the first modern Olympic games in 1896.
 
Speaking of Oregon State, former UCLA coach Ben Howland, who led the Bruins to three straight NCAA Final Fours between 2006-08, is being mentioned as a candidaet for the Oregon State opening but his body of work is stll being haunted by that 2010 in SI that labeled him as a coach who was lax in discipline and had difficulty connecting with his players.  It’s hard to knock the guy’s record at Pitt and UCLA and he did win a Pac-12 regular season title in 2013, the year he was let go.
 
Howland has already been passed over for jobs at Missouri, Tennessee and Marquette.  
 
We thought it was interesting that Mike White of Louisiana Tech, the hottest non-BCS coach in the deep South, passed on both Tennessee and Missouri. 
 
Troubling times in the Pacific Northwest where Oregon officials has announced the school has dismissed dismissed Damyean Dotson, Brandon Austin and Dominic Artis from the basketball team. “I felt that it was in the best interest of the university, that it was in the best interest of those three young men, and the best interest of our basketball program,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said of the dismissal.

 
All three players were named in an extensive and graphic police report regarding an alleged rape that took place March 8, hours after Oregon defeated No. 3 Arizona to finish the regular season on a high note in front of a national audience. In the report, a female victim alleges she was forced to have sex with the players at several different times at a house party and apartment. The players claimed the sex was consensual in interviews with police in early April. 
 
That case has since been closed and no charges were filed. The players were initially suspended on April 30, the day Oregon AD Robert Mullens and Altman read the EPD’s report. The incident was investigated March 17, three days before the Ducks were scheduled to play BYU in a Round of 64 game, but it not come to light until almost two months later when the dismissals were handed down.
 
Altman’s job is apparently safe but Oregon president Michael Gottfredson and Vice President for Student Affairs Robin Holmes spoke three and a half hours prior to Altman’s press conference to offer answers and information surrounding the case involving the three players; why they continued to play after the incident; and when Oregon athletic officials knew about the events in question the night of March 8. Gottfredson said the school has scheduled a review of Oregon basketball’s recruiting methods, a review that will be done by a committee not affiliated with the univeresity. “As the president of this university I am angry and disappointed,” Gottfredson said. “We would like to say more but we are not going to violate the laws that protect student privacy.”
 
When the team learned of the allegations against Dotson, Artis and Austin, Mullens said they did not know which players were involved, and that Altman and Mullens first looked at the police report April 30. Within 24 hours of seeing the report, all three players were indefinitely suspended. That police report was made public earlier in the week. Mullens also told reporters the school was not aware of an ongoing investigation into a sexual assault allegation against Austin from last November, when Austin was at Providence. Austin, who was suspended for the year at PC, transferred to Oregon in January. Regrding Austin’s history, Altman said he spoke with Providence coach Ed Cooley, Austin’s family and Austin about his history. “I had every confidence after speaking with the family that there was nothing that would prevent him from playing for Oregon,” Altman said. “He did not give specifics … my line of questioning probably did not go deep enough there, in retrospect.” Interesting, since most members of the Big East media were aware of the allegations at the time of his transfer.
 
Including players graduating, the dismissal of Dotson, Artis and Austin — and transfers from A.J. Lapray and Ben Carter — the Ducks will have 11 players from their 2013-14 roster not on the team next season.
 
In the residue of the coaching shakeup at BC, Arizona has landed former Eagles’ forward Ryan Anderson.
The 6-8 junior committed on his visit. He also considered Iowa and Inidiana. Anderson is a California native who averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season for BC. He told ESPN he plans to sit out this coming season following shoulder surgery and play his final season in 2015-16. At least new coach Jim ?Christian wil have high scoring guard Olivier Hanlan to rebuild with for a program that finished 14th in the ACC. 
 
I’ve never been a big fan of high school All Star games, other than the Nike Hoop Summit because i think they are nothing more than showcases of individual  talents and glorified layup drills. But if nothing else, the Jordan Brand Classic at Barclays Center reinforced my opinion that 6-11 center Jalil Okafor from Whitney Young in Chicago is the best prospect in the country and the leading candidate for first team All American when he plays for Duke next year. Okafor had 29 points and 6 rebounds as the East defeated the West, 158-141, in the marquee game of a triple header.
 
Cliff Alexander, a 6-8 forward from Curie High in Chicago, whose team defeated Young in triple OT in that city’s Public School championship before seven of its players were ruled ineligible, finished with 24 for the West.  Okafor, Alexander (Kansas) guard Emmanual Mudiay from  Dallas Prime Prep (SMU) and forward Stanley Johnson of Mater Dei, Calif. (Arizona), forward Kelly Oubre of Findlay Prep and forward Trey Lyles of Arsenal Tech in Indianapolis were best prospects we saw in post season. Guard James Blackmon, Jr. from Marion, Ind. HS (Indiana), who was a non-factor in Hoop Summit, looked like best shooter in this game.
 
Our favorite game, as usual, was the international game for elite 15 and 16 year old players. Ibrahima Fall Faye, a 6-9 forward with a huge wing span from Seeds Academy in Senegal, who had 10 points 8 rebounds (East); and guard Johvon Blair, a ninth grader from St. Edmund Campion School in Canada (West), were selected MVPs of the game although the player we found most intriguing was 6-11 Udoka Azubuike from Nigeria and Potters House Christian in Florida (East), who had 10 and 9 with 3 blocks. Azubuike is listed as a 1999, but looked older. We’ll see. But we wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually landed at Florida State. West won the game, which featured five players who were 6-9 or bigger, 74-71. 
 
The decision by James Young to enter the 2014 NBA Draft brings to 13 the number of Kentucky players who have been one-and-done under John Calipari, if you include 6-10 Enes Kanter of Turkey, who signed by never played for the Cats because of amateurism problems.  Young will join 6-9 freshman freak of nature Jullus Randle, who should go in the Top 3, as first round picks. It is hard to criticize any of Calipari’s players who choose to go this route, provided they are guaranteed first round picks.
 
Calipari has simply been able to reload in the past, having been in the national championship race for four of the last five seasons.
 
But this year, having only lost two players, he will have his deepest team ever, with nine McDonald’s All Americas on the roster now that 7-0 center Willie Cauley-Stein, center Dakari Johnson, forward Alex Poythrees, forward Marcus Lee and the Harrison twins, Andrew and Aaron has opted to remain in school, complimenting four new incoming blue chip prospects, 7-0 Karl Anthony Towns from St. Joseph’s of Metuchen, N.J., guard Devon Booker of Moss Point, Miss, forward Trey Lyles of Arsenal Tech in Indianapolis and point guard Tyler Ullis of Chicago Heights, Ill Marian Tech.
 
There is little questiion who will be this year’s pre-season No. 1. .
 
Strangely, there has been such an emphasis on one and dones in the Kentucky program that players who stay more than one year are often stigmatized as not meeting the standard. “Why is (staying more than) one year a failure?” the Kentucky coach asked Thursday morning in a news conference. “I’m even doing it in recruiting now. I’m going into homes and one of the things I’ve started saying is ‘You are not a failure if you come back two, three, four years. You’re not a failure.'”
 
“If they aren’t dead-lock first-round picks, it would be nice if they could stay at UK without being labeled as flops.”You can’t plan on coming to this university for one year and then you will get out,” Calipari said. “If it happens, Hallelujah, I’m happy for you. But it can’t be me just (saying) this: Staying in school more than one year is not a failure.”
 
Here’s a quick look at the early lottery in the NBA draft. Six of of Top 8 should be freshman one and dones– guard Andrew Wiggins and center Joel Embiid of Kansas, Randle, Aaron Gordon of Arizona, Jabari Parker of Duke and  Noah Vonleh of Indana. Guard Dante Exxum, a 19-year old phenom from Australia who just graded high school in November, has signed with an agent and is working out in Los Angeles also falls into the Top 5 category.
 
Speaking of the draft, NBA new commissioner Adam Silver apparently has support of owners to push draft age limit up from 19 and a year out of high school to 20 years old. Let’s see how the Players’ Association reacts to that. 
 
Don’t let anyone tell you players sign with a school, not the coach. Buzz Williams, who left Marquette for Virginia Tech, has landed two of his former commits at that Big East school when guard Ahmed Hill and center Satchel Price committed to the ACC Hokies on their official visits. Williams also grabbed up Allen, a 6-1 sophomoer guard who has transfered out of Maryland. The 6-foot-4 Hill from  Augusta, Ga. was one of the best unsigned prospects remaining after recently de committing from Marquette and being released from his NLI. The native of Augusta, Pierce, a 6-10 center from Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pa. gives the Hokies an immediate boost on the interior since they lost freshman center Trevor Thompson to transfer this off season. Williams looks like a man in a hurry to crack the top tier of the ACC.

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Dick Weiss is a sportswriter and columnist who has covered college football and college and professional basketball for the Philadelphia Daily News and the New York Daily News. He has received the Curt Gowdy Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and is a member of the national Sportswriters Hall of Fame. He has also co-written several books with Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Dick Vitale and authored a tribute book on Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

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