| | The Bob Knight saga took our attention away from the rest of the game for a week, but there are plenty of questions dealing with other schools. So, after a few more questions about Knight, I promise to leave Indiana and concentrate on the entire country.
Hello Andy, I was born and raised an Indiana Hoosier, and I want to know if you think that coach Bobby Knight was forced out of his position. That is the rumor here on campus! They think the administration thought that it would have been hard to fire coach Knight only on the student allegation. So they think that the administration dug and dug until they would have enough of a foundation for his dismissal! What do you think?
Cameron England
Bloomington, Ind.
Here's what we know. The board of trustees and president say they were fed up with Knight. They said they had a number of incidents that forced their hand. They then said that they would have recommended his dismissal at their Friday meeting. But last Thursday's incident with the student sped up the process. But ... it's still hard to believe that they would have done it without a public incident. That gave them, in their minds, probable cause.
In his interview on ESPN, coach Knight mentioned that he regretted not taking a job in July. When Jeremy Schaap mentioned Delaware, Knight's response seem to indicate that was not the school of which he was commenting. What job did he regret? Was Knight contacted by either Notre Dame or North Carolina about their opening?
Michael Riggs
New Castle, Ind.
To our knowledge, Knight wasn't contacted by either Notre Dame or North Carolina. But, if Knight was considering another school during the summer, it was probably Notre Dame.
My Colorado Buffaloes always seem to be on the verge of cracking into that top tier of the Big 12. How do you see the program progressing?
The Buffaloes have to wait in line. But they do have a nucleus that could challenge Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor for one of those sixth or seventh spots. Ricardo Patton is high on D.J. Harrison, a junior college transfer. The Buffaloes return Jamahl Mosley inside and should be able to have a formidable frontline. Replacing Jaquay Walls won't be easy and the onus will be on Jose Winston to pick up some of the scoring slack. This team will be decent but will have to mount a campaign for the NIT.
I am an avid West Coast college hoops fan and have really enjoyed seeing a non-traditional power like Gonzaga do some serious damage in the Big Dance the past two seasons. I went to UC Santa Barbara and was fortunate to have been there at a time when they actually had some decent teams. The Thunderdome rocked on Big Mondays on ESPN and players like Brian Shaw, Carrick DeHart, Eric McArthur, and Lucious Davis led the team to victories over No. 1 UNLV and into the NCAA tourney. UCSB hasn't done much of anything since then, coach Bob Williams just hasn't been able to recruit the kind of athletes to play at a higher level.
What do you think of their chances in the upcoming season, and what needs to be done long term so that UCSB could be the next Gonzaga?
Greg Ford
Solana Beach, Calif.
Williams had a great run in his first season when he took a winless run through the first eight games and turned around and competed for a first-place finish. But UCSB is getting hurt by the demise of the Big West. Losing New Mexico State to the Sun Belt is another dent to the Big West. I don't see UCSB ever getting further than earning the automatic bid, and losing in the first round. Gonzaga has the rep of being a consistent tourney team and that will last them a number of years in recruiting.
Andy, are they kidding me or what?? Just got something from The Hall that listed the FoxSports preseason top 10 with Duke No. 1, Arizona No. 2 and Seton Hall No. 3. Come on, we should be good this year, but No. 3?? What's your take on The Hall for 2000-01 and where Tommy should take them. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I can't let you in our top 25 yet, but I will say that Seton Hall at No. 3 is way too high. The Pirates will be good -- Big East title good, perhaps -- but not top-five good early in the season. Seton Hall got on a great run through timely shooting in the tournament. The Pirates have to integrate freshmen and find the right balance offensively with Eddie Griffin, Ty Shine and Darius Lane.
I don't fully understand how partial qualifiers impact the five-eight recruiting rules. Memphis signed five players for this season, one of whom, Arthur Barclay, is enrolled as a partial qualifier. The other, Lou Wright, will attend a junior college for two years. Another highly regarded player, Rashid Dunbar, has enrolled as a partial qualifier. Another player will be a walk-on, and with the commitments of DaJaun Wagner and Andrew Rice, that leaves Memphis with only one scholarship available for next year. The impact is that Memphis needs that slot for a big man, and will not be able to offer Earnest Shelton a scholarship should he want it. How does all this work?
Mac McCarter
Portland, Ore.
Partial qualifiers are on scholarship and count toward the recruiting class. But remember the five-and-eight rule doesn't take into effect until the 2001 class. Freshmen this year don't matter. Memphis can sign five next year if it had five scholarships for the 2001 class if it had five available. A lot of teams are trying to get as many players in this season before they have to adhere to the new rules.
I'm a life-long Minnesota Gopher basketball fan. I was wondering your thoughts on Dan Monson. Does he have the ability to turn the program around? Minnesota has some great talent that seems to be leaving the state (Adam Boone, Rick Rickert, Alan Anderson). Will Monson be able to recruit at the Big Ten level? Just wondering your thoughts.
Steve Quirk
Minneapolis, Minn.
If the NCAA lets Minnesota know what the rules are early enough, then the Gophers will have a shot at some of the big-time in-state players. Rickert has essentially taken them off the list by saying he'll go to either Arizona or Duke. Monson can recruit at the Big Ten level if you give him a chance -- or should I say the NCAA should by letting them know before the November signing period.
Andy, I think your column is great and you are very knowledgeable on the college basketball scene. I am a diehard Syracuse fan and I am sure we will not see them in many, if any, preseason top 25 lists. But this is when Jim Boeheim does his best work. They have a point guard in Allen Griffin who is a better distributor than NBA Draft pick Jason Hart. They have a sophomore gunner in DeShaun Williams who is good for at least 12-13 points per game this year. Mix in 3-point ace Preston Shumpert and all-around athlete Kueth Duany and they have the makings of a very athletic team. If the Orangemen can get production from big men Jeremy McNeil, Ethan Cole, and Billy Celuck, they should be in the thick of the Big East race. What do you think?
This may end up as one of Jim Boeheim's most enjoyable years of coaching. The Orangemen might not win as many games, but they'll be more interesting to watch. Syracuse will be a work in progress throughout the season. They should be more athletic than a year ago. Finding a leader will be interesting from day one, so too will finding a go-to player and a defensive stopper inside. I'm not sure where Syracuse will land in the Big East, but the fans should hold out hope that the Orangemen can be an NCAA Tournament team.
Andy, I'm from Cleveland, and there is finally some excitement around Cleveland State basketball. Last year, we started out strong, but faded without Theo Dixon down the stretch. I think anything short of NIT is a huge disappointment, because Rollie Massimino has put together an athletic, talented and exciting team. What do you think?
The Vikings looked like the team to beat in the Midwestern Collegiate before dropping five of six games. Now, Cleveland State is behind Butler and Detroit again with Loyola University Chicago and Wisconsin-Milwaukee potentially ahead of them. The Vikings need a huge year out of Theo Dixon, the Vikings' scoring guard. Sonny Johnson and Jamaal Harris have to provide leadership for Massimino to have a chance to upset one of the elite MCC teams in the conference tournament.
Could you please comment on the job Billy Donovan has done at Florida. They have quickly become one of the nation's premier BASKETBALL programs.
John Stokley
Orlando, Fla.
All that you have to say is this: National runner-up in March, and lands elite recruits David Lee, Kwame Brown and James White over the summer. Donovan is building a program, not a team, in Gainesville -- and the Gators should stay in the elite over the next four to five years.
Don't you think it's silly to allow players to call time out when they are falling out of bounds -- or worse yet, soaring into the second row? Calling a time out should not be an athletic maneuver. A player should be required to be in control of his body as well as the ball.
Jeff Carlson
Alexandria, Va.
I couldn't agree more. The NCAA needs to look closer at this rule. Too often, this rule can change the flow of a game when a possession is retained simply because a player barely had possession of the ball before he sailed out of bounds.
Despite this summer's injury to reserve guard Majestic Mapp, I can see no impediment to Pete Gillen's team producing the same kind of season as last year's. I fully expect UVA to finish no worse than fourth in the conference, and I'll personally take you to lunch in C-ville if they don't once again sweep UNC -- who still aren't fast enough to run with the 'Hoos. The big question is: if UVA can match last year's performance, will they get the love from the selection committee, if only for this past year's injustice?
Jason Linkins
Washington, D.C.
It's amazing that a 9-7 ACC team didn't make the NCAA Tournament. Remember, a few years ago, Florida State was 6-10 in the ACC and made the tournament because they beat Arizona early in the season. The ACC should return to being the ACC of old this season and a fourth-place finish, or an above-average record, should be enough to get into the tournament.
Just curious about your thoughts on Xavier's chances this year in the A-10. I've seen several sources calling for a mediocre year from them. I have to think they've improved quite a bit from last year's squad, but I'd like to hear your input.
Mike Kelly
Ankara, Turkey
The Musketeers enter the Atlantic 10 as the favorite to win the title. The Musketeers have legit scorers in Lloyd Price and David West. Maurice McAfee is a veteran point and don't be surprised to see more contributions from Kevin Frey. But Xavier has to do more than beat Cincinnati. The Musketeers need to distance themselves through a non-conference schedule. Temple, Dayton, George Washington and Massachusetts are all fighting for the top of the A-10, and none of them can afford to look ugly in November and December and still get an at-large berth. The A-10 won't be strong enough from top to bottom to support teams that have an average non-conference.
I am a huge fans of yours and I really respect the effort you put into your columns and updates. I am a student at the University of Michigan and our basketball team has been mired in controversy and mediocrity recently. I was wondering if you could discuss the Wolverines' prospects for this upcoming season, and also explain why, despite the University's reputation, exposure, and facilities, we can no longer compete with MSU for top recruits in the state and around the nation. Granted, the Spartans have had more success recently, but before the recruiting class that featured Mateen Cleaves, Michigan was the better team in the state.
Joey Litman
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Winning goes in cycles. Michigan State couldn't compete for the "Fab Five" talent the Wolverines got in the early '90s. Michigan did land LaVell Blanchard from Ann Arbor, so it's not like it's getting shut out. Michigan State has built a program, not just a team. The Wolverines weren't able to do that with the controversy of the Ed Martin affair and the coaching change. Consistency in East Lansing in the staff has helped.
How about them Ducks? We should be better than last year, when a first-round, last-second loss was a real disappointment.
Richard Greene
Eugene, Ore.
Sorry. Oregon won't be as good after losing Alex Scales and A.D. Smith. The best team in the state will be Oregon State. Oregon will be in the bottom third of the league. The Ducks will be better in 2001-02.
I realize you must get dozens of these e-mails about how do you think "so and so" will do this year. After reading your analysis that a lot of teams in the Big XII will be able to compete this year, I was wondering why there was no mention of Texas A&M? I think this year they will be the LSU from last year, busting out on the national scene. Melvin Watkins has stockpiled talent, including Bernard King, Keith Bean, and Nick Anderson -- as good a threesome as anyone else in the Big XII. Why do you think they won't make the postseason this year?
I agree about A&M, but I'm not sold on Bean yet. King is the real deal and could be one of those hidden gems around the nation. Texas A&M will be competitive, but I don't see the Aggies in the top half of the Big 12 yet.
What do you think of Utah State's chances this year? They return almost everybody from a team that won the Big West championship last year, and had the longest winning streak in the nation.
The Aggies will be the favorite in the Big West again. Stew Morrill has Utah State as a perennial contender for an NCAA Tournament berth. Few teams play as hard, or defend as tightly, as the Aggies in the Big West.
You said last week "The two top spots in the Pac-10 are locked up for Arizona and Stanford." But who's
on top? The Cats have a better starting five, but Stanford still has Casey Jacobsen and "The Trees." Who do you think will win the Pac-10?
Sorry for not be clearer. Arizona No. 1. Stanford No. 2.
How would us diehard college basketball fans make it through the summer without your column? We'd probably be making house calls to Dickie V. Anyway, here's my question. Last year, Ajou Deng was one of the most hyped recruits in UConn history. Of course, he wasn't able to come close to those expectations, so now I'm wondering what kind of impact can he have in the future? He was too weak to score and rebound effectively inside, and his ball-handling skills weren't adequate enough to allow him to drive or create a shot. Can we expect to see rapid improvement in him, or will he end up being a 6-foot-10 (mediocre) 3-point specialist?
Eric Smith
Philadelphia, Pa.
Ajou Deng was put in a tough spot. He shouldn't have been expected to contribute as much as he was projected. Deng still needs to find a natural position. The Huskies needed him to rebound last year and he wasn't able to handle the job. With the arrival of Johnnie Selvie, Deng might be able to play more small forward and let Selvie be the board man. Deng's natural position is away from the basket, even though he has post player's frame. He could improve his 3-point shot, but his best moves are from the free-throw line in.
With all due respect to our West Coast Conference brethren in Spokane, I think that Pepperdine has assembled a more than respectable non-conference schedule. In addition to the season-opener at Indiana in the Preseason NIT, Pepperdine has road games at Georgia, Long Beach State, UNLV and USC, plus a home date against Utah. Toss in a tournament appearance at Arizona State and I think you will agree the Waves will be battle-tested heading into league play. Our 2001-02 schedule already includes road games at Utah and UCLA, home dates with Long Beach State and Georgia, plus tournament appearances at Arizona and Hawaii-Hilo. Head coach Jan van Breda Kolff recognizes the value of playing a quality non-league schedule when you are directing a mid-major program. There are only two ways the Gonzagas and Pepperdines can advance to the NCAA Tournament -- win the league's postseason tournament, or compile a decent RPI by playing a highly competitive schedule.
Michael Zapolski
Malibu, Calif.
Thanks for the update on the Waves' schedule. You're right. Van Breda Kolff isn't backing down. But it will be harder to go through this schedule without Nick Sheppard to give the Waves a power player in the post.
Hey Andy! You've been mentioning a lot of the bigger schools such as Duke, Maryland, Arizona, North Carolina, and Michigan. I would like to see you talk more about some of the really competitive inner-city schools like DePaul University in Chicago. I live only blocks away from one of their campuses. I have become a huge Blue Demons fan. Can the Blue Demons get to the NCAA Tournament, and if so, can they get anywhere in the tournament? With the loss of "Q" (Quentin Richardson) I know they are going to lose some scoring and defense, but they are getting two of the top 100 prospects in the country. Will that make up for the loss of "Q"? If you would also tell me how you think they'll do over all, I would appreciate it."
DePaul should be one of the top three teams in Conference USA. Richardson will be missed, but the backcourt will flourish with Rashon Burno, Imari Sawyer and Bobby Simmons playing a small forward/big guard. The key will be how effective Lance Williams, Steven Hunter and Jon Oden are in the post. The Blue Demons will get more production out of the post than the backcourt this season, which is good considering the Bearcats will be vulnerable inside. If DePaul can get a consistent shooter on the wing, then they have a shot to beat out Cincinnati, South Florida and Charlotte for the title.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. Normally, the Answer Man runs every Thursday/Friday, but will take a one-week hiatus next week and return Sept. 29.
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