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Weekly Roundball Chatter

SPECIAL TO ESPN.COM

April 27, 2007

Each Friday during the off-season I will do a column on the game I love, college basketball.

•  Good news from out of Knoxville and a smart decision as well. Tennessee guard Chris Lofton decided to return to college next season, passing on a short at the pros. The NBA advisory committee informed Lofton that he would probably not be a first round pick. He should enjoy his days on the college campus and returning to Tennessee was a wise move. I know one thing – a lot of SEC coaches would have preferred it if Lofton said bye-bye. The on SEC coach who was happy to see him return is a guy named Pearl. Lofton will get better and better handling and passing the rock. He has never been questioned about his ability to shoot the basketball, and Mr. Lofton will be a candidate for my first-team, solid gold All-Rolls Royce squad.

• Brandan Wright decided to opt for the NBA. Let me tell you, North Carolina has a great returning nucleus with Tyler Hansbrough in the middle and the dynamic duo of Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. Look for big things in Chapel Hill. A player who will be vital along the baseline now is Deon Thompson. He showed flashes of brilliance during the season, including 14 points (six-for-seven from the field) against Georgetown in the NCAA tournament. Thompson was brilliant when he got the starting opportunity against Arizona, hitting seven-of-eight from the floor, finishing with 14 points in 23 minutes. With Wright moving on, Thompson's playing time will increase and he will put up some big numbers inside.

• Georgetown lost a good second lieutenant when Sydney Johnson took over as head coach of his alma mater, Princeton. Johnson and John Thompson III were familiar with each other since both were former Tigers players. When Princeton came calling, Johnson went back to the Ivy League. The Tigers hired Johnson to replace Joe Scott, who went back to the state of Colorado to coach Denver of the Sun Belt. Remember Scott had tremendous success previously coaching Air Force. Scott seems to be comfortable in that state.

• Billy Gillispie's Kentucky team will be tested early on as one of the four squads hosting regionals in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. The four regional champions will move on to Madison Square Garden on November 15-16 for the semifinals and finals. The other three regional hosts are Memphis, Connecticut and Oklahoma. Gillispie has been hitting the recruiting trails big time, trying to land Jai Lucas and Patrick Patterson. Also out there is Alex Legion, who originally committed to Michigan but switched gears when Tommy Amaker was let go in Ann Arbor. It would give Kentucky a big lift to add these talented players. Gillispie's club will have the likes of Joe Crawford and Jamal Bradley, plus a star in the making in Jamal Meeks. This kid has great athleticism and was tough down the stretch; I feel he will have a big, big year. He will be one of the better players in the SEC. Right now Gillispie is thinking more about Lucas and Patterson to get a coup in the recruiting world. He has a great product to sell and when kids lay eyes on that practice facility, they say WOW!

• We will find out about life after Arron Afflalo early as UCLA is in the CBE Classic in Kansas City with the likes of Michigan State, Maryland and an improving Missouri squad. Don't cry a lot for the Bruins as they bring in Kevin Love, one of the best big players in the nation right out of the gate. He will be a dominator, an impact player right from the start. Izzo's Spartans will be one of the top teams in the Big Ten. Gary Williams' Terps will be very athletic and competitive again. Super soph Gervais Vasquez will have a super season. This is scheduled to be the opening event at the new Sprint Center in Kansas City, which will also house the new College Basketball Hall of Fame. Last year the CBE Classic Final Four featured eventual winner Marquette, Duke, Texas Tech and Air Force, so the event organizers do a super job.

• Baylor's Aaron Bruce entered the NBA draft but did not sign with an agent. He has been a steady player for the Bears, but I believe he will eventually opt to return to school for the 2007-08 season. It is not a bad idea for players to test the waters as a junior. It gives them the opportunity to understand the workout process for the future.

• Best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to Illinois-Chicago forward Othyus Jeffers. The team's top scorer last season, he is recovering from a gunshot wound suffered when he broke up a dispute between his sister and her boyfriend.

• I'm excited that Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson, Memphis coach John Calipari and Marquette coach Tom Crean will be attending the Jimmy V event on May 18th at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will be honored by the V foundation that evening. If you want to make a donation to help battle the dreaded disease of cancer, call 1-800-JIMMY-V.

• Utah State guard Jaycee Carroll decided to enter the draft with the option of pulling out. Carroll did not hire an agent. The 6-2 guard was 10th in the nation in scoring at 21.3 ppg. He had a career-high 44 points against New Mexico State earlier this season. Carroll helped lead the Aggies to 23 wins during the 2006-07 campaign. He's a talented shooter and it will be interesting to see if he pulls out and returns to college.

• I can't understand how Peter Gillen hasn't been hired to coach a Division I squad! He brings enthusiasm, integrity, basketball knowledge and would be such a natural. It amazes me that he has not been given the shot to return to the sidelines.

• Talk about a guy who has dedicated himself to a university! Bob Nash was a sensational player for Hawaii, and then he spent over two decades as an assistant out there for the Rainbow Warriors. If there was ever a guy who paid his dues and deserved a shot as a head coach, it is Nash. Now he has the opportunity as Riley Wallace's replacement.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.

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