The college hoops season is over but the "silly season" of coaching moves, recruiting news and NBA draft projecting is upon us. Let's take a look, shall we...?
Turnover: Bo Ryan is acting indignant that his restrictions on redshirt freshman Jarrod Uthoff's decision to transfer are causing such a stir. But, why is it that coaches can freely come and go but the "student athlete" (the NCAA's term, not mine) is restricted by having to sit out a year or even being told, as in the case of Uthoff, where he can go and where he cannot. Ryan has now softened his stance and said that Uthoff can transfer to any school outside of the Big Ten but that's too little, too late. Players who wish to transfer should be allowed to do just that--transfer. It's disingenuous that coaches, who make millions, can move with little to no consequence but players must abide by arcane rules of where they can play or not.
Timeout: Many are tsk-tsking at SMU for hiring 71 year old Larry Brown as the Mustangs new head basketball coach. But, what SMU gets is instant buzz and a guy who is, arguably, the best basketball coach still active. Brown knows his ball and will take whatever SMU has and make it better. The key to success for SMU and Brown will be hiring a staff which includes at least one top-notch recruiter. Brown is notorious for not enjoying the recruiting aspect of the job but has, in his back yard, access to the Texas high school sports system--finding an assistant who can tap into that pipeline quickly is important.
Turnover: Tony Parker, one of the few highly rated high schoolers who has yet to commit, now will make his college choice on Monday. Parker, once high on Kansas, is said to be favoring UCLA now that Shabazz Muhammad has committed there along with another top ten recruit in Kyle Anderson. Somehow, UCLA head coach Ben Howland has found a way to survive the mid-season damning story in Sports Illustrated about his program.
Timeout: NBADraft.net has the surefire lock of Anthony Davis of Kentucky as the number one pick but now has Thomas Robinson of Kansas as the second selection. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky, is third, followed by Andre Drummond, Connecticut; Harrison Barnes, North Carolina; Bradley Beal, Florida; Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut; Kendall Marshall, North Carolina; Austin Rivers, Duke; and Damian Lillard, Weber State. Perry Jones of Baylor is at 13; Royce White, Iowa State, 22; Khris Middleton of Texas A&M is 43; Kim English of Missouri is 46; Quincy Acy, Baylor, is 51; J'Covan Brown, Texas, 53; and Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas, 54. In comparison, NBA Draft Express has Davis, Drummond, Kidd-Gilchrist, Robinson and Beal as its top five with Jones ninth; White, 25; Taylor, 27; Marcus Denmon, Missouri, 43; Brown, 54; and Middleton, 60.
Turnover: How can Denmon not even make the NBADraft.net list yet be listed 43rd by NBA Draft Express? And, seriously, Taylor is the 54th best player (NBADraft.net) in this draft class?
Timeout: Speaking of Muhammad and UCLA, the SG is projected as the second pick in NBA Draft Express' 2013 mock draft, following Kentucky recruit Nerlens Noel. The others in the top five are Cody Zeller, Indiana; James McAdoo, North Carolina; and Isaiah Austin, another top ten recruit headed to Waco, TX to play for Scott Drew at Baylor. Fellow Baylor Bear Quincy Miller is projected as the seventh pick. Other Big 12 and Missouri players include LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State, 10; Myck Kabongo, Texas, 15; Jeff Withey, Kansas, 17; Phil Pressey, Missouri, 26; and Elijah Johnson, Kansas, 50.
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