Duke's lack of guard depth for next season – Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and freshman Andre Dawkins are the only natural perimeter players around – has thrust one of their former walk-ons into a potentially prominent role next season.

This could be really good for Jordan HamiltonDavidson, a fifth-year graduate student, who was a two-time All-State player at his Arkansas high school.

"Coach [Chris] Collins talked to me during the preseason, and when we started looking ahead, we obviously didn't see Elliot leaving. But other than that, we had a decent feel for what could happen and what this season could be," Davidson told the Raleigh News & Observer. "He asked me if I would consider redshirting and coming back for a fifth year... and I said 'of course,' because obviously, it could end up being a better opportunity for me to play."

Then again, if Davidson plays a lot, he seems like an ideal candidate to draw the ire of opposing fans. Hear me out.

People hate Duke players for all sorts of reasons. Christian Laettner was a talented, good-looking guy who also stomped on the chest of a Kentucky player and was seen as jerk even by teammates. Other players just invite the hate because of their antics (read: Steve Wojciehowski's floor-slapping.) And sometimes, it's both.

But now with Greg Paulus gone, the title of Most Hated Dukie is available. One writes thinks Scheyer, Kyle Singler or Brian Zoubek will fill that role.

Yet Davidson seems likely. He'd be an easy target (a former walk-on, turned important role player), unimposing (like Wojo) and more likely to make boneheaded plays because he's not the caliber of player as the other guys.

More playing time? Maybe Davidson should hope Singler can play off-guard.

If you didn't already know, elite athletes are just physically superior to you and me. They're capable of doing things most of us can't, simply because they have ability, focus and the necessary resources.

Take the Morris twins at Kansas. Neither is an eye-popping athlete, but I doubt many of us can do what they've done the last few months.

Namely, gain weight without putting it all around their midseason. (Sigh.)

Marcus and Markieff, entering their sophomore seasons, both lost serious weight last season. Markieff (6-foot-9) started the year at 230 and ended at 210. Marcus (6-8) went from 225 to 213. Weight loss usually happens over the course of a season as the games and travel pile up, but it was too much for the forwards, who were sick of getting banged around in the post.

So they hit the weight room. Markieff now weighs 244 pounds, while Marcus is 236. Even if they hadn't gone skinny as freshmen, they still added significant weight because they worked out three or four times a day.

That's the benefit of having a strength coach, a mom who cooks like crazy and the time to hit the gym. Think about all of that.

Even if you make time for the gym, hire a trainer and learn to cook healthy meals, you still have to have the willpower to do all that. I'm tired just writing about it.

(Heavy breathing.)

Is it too early for New Year's resolutions?

Those who remember former Miami Hurricane star Tim James as the 1999 Big East player of the Year may have a hard time picturing him in his new role: U.S. soldier in Iraq.

The 6-foot-7 James was perfect for the college game. Long arms, nice mid-range jumper and always hit the boards hard. He was the focal point of Leonard Hamilton's teams from the late 1990s that helped established Miami as a reputable hoops program for a time. Seriously. The 'Canes were in the NCAA tourney in '98, '99, '00 and '02, and James was a big reason.

Wilfredo Lee/AP

Tim James dunks during a 1999 Miami game.

In '99, they finished 23-7 and were the No. 2 seed in the East, still the best seed the 'Canes have ever received in the Big Dance. Think about that – Miami (Fla.), a No. 2 seed. Doesn't happen.

Iraq, however, is an entirely different challenge. And one James embraced.

This must-read story about James is from the Miami Herald's Dan Le Batard, who lets James' deeds and words carry the story instead of overwriting it. If you haven't already clicked the link, do it now and read it. It's great stuff.

James, 31, enlisted about a year ago, much to the surprise of his family. He didn't broadcast his past as a hoops star. He just went to work.

He has 11 months remaining, working 12-hour shifts every day, with one day off every two weeks. As Le Batard puts it, James isn't Pat Tillman, engaging in constant firefights and danger. He's helping to fuel planes and helicopters in what his captain calls "one of the least appreciated jobs and one of the most important. One of the hardest-working units we have – easily."

It's that part that sticks with me. James' on-court style – focused, dedicated and productive – carried over to an environment that needed that kind of guy.

 For all the acclaim James earned on the court, I hope he gets more for his new career. He'll have earned it.

As if this week needed another coach behaving badly, Billy Gillipie decided to add fuel to the fire. The ex-Kentucky coach was arrested for a DUI outside of Lexington early Thursday morning.

(Shakes head.)

How about a more distinguished coach? Can we play catch-up with John Wooden instead?

Chris Carlson/AP file

John Wooden.

Three times in the last six years, SI.com's Seth Davis had had dinner with the legendary UCLA coach, chatting about the day's hot sports topics, reminiscing about Wooden's Bruins teams and touching on the coach's health.

Wooden, 98, must make a great dinner companion. Davis clearly cherishes the experience.

His 2003 story touched on, among other topics: Ben Howland (who was entering his first season as the Bruins' coach); the best player he wanted on his roster, but couldn't get (Paul Westphal, who attended cross-town rival USC); the best point guard Wooden coaches (Mike Warren, lauded for his consistency); and a brief tour of Wooden's home.

Three years later, Davis repeated the same process. He met Wooden for a meal, then talked about anything and everything, with Wooden offering his opinion freely. For example: Is Tiger Woods the most dominant athlete in the history of sports (no; Byron Nelson was better in 1945); should Barry Bonds be in the Hall of Fame (his stats say yes, but Wooden isn't sure he'd vote for him); and a nice line about throwing out the first pitch of the 2003 World Series in Anaheim. ("It was a slider," he said. "I threw it halfway and it slid the rest.").

That year, Wooden was still able to make it around town in his 1988 Ford Taurus, which speaks to both his reflexes and his confidence. "In all my years, I've never had an accident that was my fault," he said. "And I haven't had a ticket of any sort in probably 30, 40 years. Not even a parking ticket."

The most recent interview, however, was a bit more downcast.

"My eyesight is not nearly as good. My hearing is probably going away. My memory is slipping too. But I'm still around." He is due to turn 99 on Oct. 14. "Hope to make it," he said pleasantly. "But if I don't, I've had a long run."

(He's touched on that topic before, including a lengthy Q&A last year.)

Not that the story was a downer. Wooden came across as comfortable and still sharp, though, according to Davis, not the same as the previous meals. They talked about a variety of topics, including Bobby Knight ("People think I don't like him. I don't think there's ever been a better coach than Bobby Knight. Do I like the way he teaches? No, I don't. I never cared for it, but nevertheless."), voting for Barack Obama last Nov. ("I didn't vote for him because I thought he was outstanding. I just liked him better than the others, that's all."), and why he doesn't like to visit the hospital (modesty).

And, to give Davis some credit, he also asks Wooden about Sam Gilbert, the notorious UCLA booster who allegedly gave the Bruins gifts in violation of NCAA rules. Gilbert, depending on your point of view, was as responsible for UCLA's rise to prominence as Wooden. It's not that black and white, but it's clear Gilbert played a role. And Wooden wasn't happy about that role.

"It's not upsetting because I know what the truth of it is. I had never tried to use Sam Gilbert in any way. I never sent a player to him," he told Davis. "I tried to keep players away from him. I talked to him and so did [athletic director] J.D. [Morgan], but we're not going to be able to tell him what to do. He's going to do what he wants."

I hope this isn't the last time Davis sits down to a meal with Wooden. Not because I hope Wooden lives forever, but because it seems like there's still more to learn, and still more for them to talk about. Three years is too long.

Can we read another in the next three months, maybe?

Guess we should've seen this coming.

How Rick Pitino went all these months without snapping when it came to all the talk of infidelity, extortion  and he said/she said is actually kind of amazing. Even public figures who regularly deal with the media don't always stay cool under pressure.

Yet Pitino's largely been a model of restraint, allowing the authorities and lawyers to handle the legal aspects and remaining mostly mum on the subject publicly.

And then … this happened. Whether it was the local media coverage or that he was simply fed up, Pitino lost it.

Florida International wants to be a college hoops contender. But playing North Carolina in Isiah Thomas' college coaching debut wasn't what athletic director Pete Garcia had in mind.

Not one bit.

The Panthers are slated to be part of the Coaches vs. Cancer preseason tourney, with a Nov. 9 game at Chapel Hill. But Garcia is livid at the prospect of facing the defending champs, threatening to withdraw the school from the event. He says FIU's being "bullied" into the matchup.

"Would they do what they're doing to us to Duke, or to North Carolina? No," Garcia said Tuesday. "But they'll do it to FIU and any other school out there like FIU."

The school signed a contract in Nov. 2008 agreeing it would play either UNC or Ohio State sometime between Nov. 9-13. Garcia admitted as much. He just doesn't want to play Carolina, saying "it's a matter of principle and a matter of the contract."

OK. I can understand not wanting to play the defending champs at their place. FIU may lose by 20, 25 points, which probably isn't the way Thomas wants to begin his career.

But traveling to Columbus to lose by 15 or 20 to Ohio State isn't any better. And Garcia's going to have to throw a fit to have his way. And if FIU does withdraw, it's not going to ruin the tournament.

Nice move, Garcia. Have fun dealing with tournament officials and schedule makers in the future.

For example, take Rick Giles, president of the Gazelle Group, which runs Coaches vs. Cancer. He doesn't sound pleased with Garcia's stance.

"They don't get to schedule the entire tournament," Giles told Yahoo! Sports. "I'm not sure what their motivation is or why they would or should try to break a contract or if it's because of them, the A.D. or Isiah getting their way.

"We expect them to play in the tournament like everyone else. To threaten to pull out when they're not getting their way is not how it's done."

The Gazelle Group isn't run by saints, to be sure, but this one seems plain. The contract says either or. And UNC vs. FIU is a far more interesting game. Just run with it and take the exposure.

Well played Garcia. Here's a tip: If the Panthers ever get an invite to the NCAA tournament, don't bitch about where FIU is slotted. Just be grateful you're in.

Say this for Kevin Stallings: he's a man of principle.

The Vanderbilt coach passed on a $100,000 raise to fund his team's 10-day trip to Australia earlier this month. The school had made cuts of up to 20 percent this spring, leaving the trip in jeopardy. But Stallings decided the money would be better spent on his team.

I'd like to think most coaches would do the same, but I'm not sure. That's a chunk of change. But maybe Stallings just understands how money should be spent.

He was one of the miffed coaches highlighted earlier this summer regarding the steep (read: ridiculous) admission prices for coaches to watch various summer camps and tournaments. The guy knows how and what money should be spent on.

Such as overseas trips teams can only take every four years. And he certainly earned fans at the school.

"He was just doing what he thought was the appropriate thing to do in light of a number of things. As much as he was being generous, he also understands completely the sensitivity to the fact that the rest of the university was having some financial pain," said Vanderbilt Vice Chancellor David Williams, who added that he wished the news had never surfaced.

Sure, it's not like Stallings donated the money to hungry kids in Africa or to war relief in Afghanistan. But it's a nice reminder that some coaches have their eye on the bigger picture.

During a summer when other coaches in that region are dealing, with scandals, Stallings is a much-needed breath of fresh air. And that's the kind of coach kids should have.

Arizona coach Sean Miller made a couple of notable signings this summer in Lamont Jones and Derrick Williams, but my favorite move hiring graduate assistant Luke Murray.

Anything that raises the odds of Bill Murray attending a game is a bonus.

Yep, that Bill Murray.

Luke Murray is one of two kids Murray had with his first wife, Mickey Kelley. He's been making the young coach rounds for the last few years, working at Quinnipiac and Division-II Post University of Connecticut. He'll handle non-coaching duties for Arizona.

"He'll be doing a little bit of everything," UA coach Sean Miller said. He's a "young coach who's always worked really, really hard."

Unlike his actor-comedian pops, Luke's been focused on basketball for some time.  "I've always been a basketball addict," Murray told the Waterbury (Conn.) Republican-American. "It's been long determined that my career would be something in this realm. My father never pushed me in any kind of direction. He's been a supporter. He's excited about the prospect of my career."

I don't think he'll bring up his dad's role in "Space Jam," though. Avoid that one at all costs.

Talent vs. experience. That's the eternal question. Do you want a roster of experienced players or a team full of talented, young ballers?

OK, you want both. That's easy. And if you can't have experienced, talented players, you want a mix.

But when it's crunch time in late March, what kind of player is on the floor? The most talented bunch or a group you can trust to make the right decision because they've been there before?

(And yes, keep it simple. Myriad factors such as coach also apply. Let's just focus on the players.)

Take Kansas for example.

The Jayhawks return all five starters and nearly every key reserve from last year's 27-8 squad. They'll likely be the No. 1 team when the season starts. But, according to a column from the Lawrence Journal-World's Tom Keegan, they're not as experienced as you'd think. They lack minutes.

Robert Galbraith/Reuters

Why's Robbie Hummel so happy? Because Purdue enters this season with more experienced players than nearly any other team.

KU will enter the season with only 3 players who have logged more than 1,000 career minutes: Sherron Collins (2,884), Cole Aldrich (1,367) and Brady Morningstar (1,153). Collins and Aldrich are among the nation's best players. But the supporting cast, comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores, is still learning.

As a team, Kansas has 8,906 total minutes on the roster. The 2008 champs entered their title season with 11,871 minutes. North Carolina's 2009 title team had 14,265 to enter the season. Were those minutes the difference between a Final Four season and a title season? Possibly. Couldn't hurt (nor did the NBA talent. Both teams featured at least 4 NBA players).

Keegan also has totals for some other title contenders.

Purdue (11,990 minutes) ranks highest among popular top-five picks, Bob Huggins' West Virginia team (10,311) led by Da'Sean Butler (3,131) is worth watching, and Michigan State checks in just ahead of KU with 9,082 minutes.

Kentucky, with its incoming freshmen talent, actually boasts a decent minutes total (7,086), with two players over 2,000 minutes in Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson. But the Wildcats' key players will be those freshmen. How John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins et al fare is the biggest question mark.

The last few champs – UNC, Kansas, Florida – all had experienced rosters and rarely relied on freshmen. Kentucky's talented freshmen are working against a recent trend to cut down the nets.

Talent? Experience? Better have both.

Every scandal needs a villain. In the case of Memphis' vacated Final Four season, two have emerged. But I'm unclear why there aren't three.

Popular opinion is saddling John Calipari with most of the blame. No surprise there. Coach Cal was Memphis' coach since 2000 and turned the Tigers into a national title contender. Anything regarding the program – victories, recruiting, publicity, compliance – falls to Calipari.

Yet, he's emerging unscathed from the whole mess, at least as far as NCAA punishments are concerned. His reputation isn't.

Nick Laham/Getty

Derrick Rose

Some critiques are levelheaded, like Luke Winn's from SI.com. The punishment may not affect Coach Cal, but it's an indictment on Calipari's program management. Such is life when you become the only coach to ever have Final Fours vacated at two different schools.

Others are more than a little miffed with Calipari. Take Geoff Calkins at the Memphis Commerical-Appeal. Doesn't sound like he'll ever forgive Calipari for leaving Memphis AND not sharing any of NCAA punishment. Our own Mike Celizic is of the same opinion: Calipari's reputation is in tatters, and rightly so.

Of course, some aren't concerned with the Coach as much as they are with the NCAA.

The NCAA erred when it came to administering justice toward Memphis. Gregg Doyel thinks the organization is selective when crashing down on schools or coaches. Not that Memphis shouldn't be punished if it broke the rules, but apply the same rules to ever school. His biggest example? Duke's 1999 Final Four appearance has never been vacated despite Corey Maggette accepting $2,000 from a summer basketball coach. A decision is still coming on that. (To Mike Krzyzewski's credit, he said all the right things when the Maggette news emerged.)

Mostly, I agree with Truzenzuzex at ASeaofBlue. This is one scandal that has something to anger everyone. The NCAA chose the easy scapegoat in Memphis, but there's plenty of blame to go around.

Like some for Derrick Rose, the guy who is at the center of the mess.

Rose was accused of having another person take his SAT. Memphis and the NCAA clearing house cleared the player, but SAT officials later conducted their own investigation and notified the player, the school and the NCAA.

(Rose's brother also received free transportation and hotel lodging that season, but the main issue is the academic eligibility.)

Rose denied the allegations, telling ESPN this summer that he "didn't do anything wrong. That was up to Memphis what they had to do."

So not only was Rose ineligible, but he didn't learn how to take responsibility for his actions. An apology might've helped the school. It might've helped his coach. But he's washing his hands of a mess he helped create.

There's room for a third villain in this mess. When you rip Calipari and the school, save some for Rose, too.

UPDATE: Saw Mike DeCourcy's story on the whole mess later Thursday. If you haven't yet, please read it. Stop right now. Read it. He details the test-taking mess, why it became an issue (oddly), how it was handled (poorly) and a closer look at the investigation (goofy).

The 2009 national title game settled the conventional argument of the "team of the decade." North Carolina and Michigan State each entered the game with one title, both reached four Final Fours and had similar overall records.

And when the Heels won, it assured them bragging rights. But what about everyone else?

For that, we turn to the fine folks at Rush the Court.

Their hybrid analysis ranking system (their term) considered several factors, notably titles, Final Fours, conference crowns, draft picks and All-Americans, among others. The methodology passes the sniff test. The results pass the eye test, too.

Their list will complete tomorrow when (presumably) UNC assumes the top spot. In the meantime, click here to read their posts on teams 2-10.

Of the schools involved – Kansas, Florida, Duke, Michigan State, UConn, UCLA, Memphis, Syracuse and Maryland – only two didn't claim NCAA tourney titles. All of 'em reached the Final Four and won at least one conference crown, etc., etc.

With any luck, RTC also will do a follow-up post on other colleges considered. How close were programs like Texas, Gonzaga, Stanford, Pitt, Illinois or Xavier? How much did the lack of NCAA tourney success hurt those schools?

So many questions. So many answers. After all, there's no perfect way to do something like this. But RTC did it well.

Jarvis Varnado may be the ultimate team player.

The Mississippi State forward is the ultimate help defender, swooping in for blocks and grabbing rebounds while the rest of the Bulldogs focus on offense. Knowing a shot-blocker like Varnado is behind you just helps the defense relax. And he knows it.

"Teams are going to be thinking twice about bringing it inside," Varnado told ESPN this summer. "When I'm blocking shots and running the floor, that's when we're at our best. It can give our crowd a boost."

And what had been a memorable summer – making Team USA for the University Games and being listed as a preseason Wooden Award candidate – got even better because it could ensure Miss State having a big season in 2009-10.

He'll pay his own tuition this year so another Bulldog player can have his scholarship. (His family's taking out a loan for the $5,151 it'll cost.)

See? Team player.

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger has most of the details of Varnado's decision, which was to essentially free up a spot for star recruit Renardo Sidney. Now that Sidney is cleared academically to play (though MSU is still awaiting word on his eligibility), word trickled in about Varnado's move.

It's always nice to know the nation's top shot blocker has your back. But to go the next step? Even better.

(H/T: Gary Parrish)

Who doesn't love a good trick shot? One of my favorite ads as a kid was Michael Jordan and Larry Bird trying to top each other in a game of H-O-R-S-E, and to the victor went the Big Mac. Seems like everyone loved that ad.

Denis Clemente must too.

This video's a little old and the footage is grainy, but I caught it for the first time today. Nice bit of trickery, but I like his jubilation at the end best. You can almost hear him talking to Jordan, "Off the video screen, one bounce, nothing but net.

Hype's a hard thing to ignore. Every season, the elite incoming college freshmen are touted as instant stars, able to carry a team to the Final Four (Derrick Rose) or even a title (Carmelo Anthony).

And why not? When we read about their exploits, see a YouTube video or various SportsCenter highlights, it's hard not to believe that one of these players could indeed dominate like Kevin Durant.

Thankfully, there are writers who keep their cool and remind us that sometimes, not all freshmen are saviors, but merely good players. Yep, John Gasaway's that guy.

Nikki Boertman/AP

Tyreke Evans was one of the rare freshmen game-changers last season.

Some background: ESPN's first Summer ShootAround (a series of articles that's essentially a recap of signings and early preview to the season) was posted Tuesday. Among other things, it has a subsection on "10 freshmen we can't wait to see" that features plenty of superlatives about guys like Derrick Favors, John Henson and Michael Snaer.

But instead of drooling over these prospects, Gasaway preaches patience. And…he's probably right, much as I don't want him to be. (I mean, how fun would college hoops be if every class was loaded with game-changers?)

Now, it's not that Gasaway is saying these freshmen won't be good. It's that the ri-DONK-ulous class of 2007 (notably Rose, Blake Griffin, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, James Harden and Eric Gordon, among others) was an exceptional mix of talent and game-changing players. Normally, other classes aren't loaded with players like that.

Take 2008. Of Scout.com's Top 10 players, only two – Tyreke Evans and Greg Monroe – qualify as Gasaway's game-changers. By most accounts, 2009 should be better, but 2010 is going to be another good, but not great class.

Then again, maybe it's a good thing. If players are good – but not great – they're more likely to stay in school and not jump to the NBA after just one season. And the longer the good players stay in school, the better the game becomes. Think Florida's repeat titles. Think Kansas and North Carolina winning titles with upper classmen.

No game-changing freshmen? That's an idea I can endorse.

It's official. Syracuse football is desperate. Why else turn to a quarterback who hasn't played football since 2004?

Good luck to Greg Paulus, though. The former Duke point guard was once a top flight prep QB – a former Gatorade player of the year – but methinks he'll be a bit rusty, no matter how much optimism he has.

Susan Walsh/AP

Greg Paulus

"Something is getting better each day, whether it be footwork, more accurate throws, seeing the defense, getting used to the speed," he told USA Today on Monday.

Notice he didn't say anything about getting used to the size of oncoming defensive ends. Sure, everyone's favorite flopper is all grown up, but let's pray Paulus (now weighing 195 pounds) simply survives when he takes his first charge is sacked.

After all, Paulus is no Terrelle Pryor. (Has Paulus ever dunked on anyone?)

So where would Paulus rank among players who played hoops and football? I'd say he's a step behind most of the guys usually in the conversation.

A handful of elite football players also found success on the basketball court (this list is a good place to start), including Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers and Otto Schnellbacher.

But the two best examples are probably the former Heisman winners who also played point: Charlie Ward and Terry Baker.

They're comparable in size (all right around 6-1, 190 pounds) and position (all point guards and QBs). But Paulus doesn't have Ward's supporting cast at Florida State (thus Ward's 1993 national title) or Baker's wheels (watch Baker run in this highlight reel).

Perhaps the best comparison is Allen Iverson. He was a star QB in high school, but never played in college. Paulus doesn't have A.I.'s moves, but they look like similar passers.

Good luck to Paulus. He'll need it with that Syracuse team.

My vacations are usually spent thinking about work as little as possible. I fall out of normal routines such as reading favorite news sites, scanning the paper and watching SportsCenter. You know, the usual. There's rarely anything crucial I have to see. (Except for maybe this story; everyone should be up to date on plane travel issues.)

But then something like Rick Pitino hits, and my vacation philosophy goes out the window.

Spent last week in Kansas to see family and attend a friend's wedding and couldn't get away from Pitino, Karen Sypher and the whole sordid mess. That saga – along with Tiger at the PGA – was guaranteed to spark long discussions on coaches and other people of power getting caught in tabloid-worthy scandals.

George Widman/AP

Rick Pitino

As a result, I spent a sizable portion of Monday trolling the Web for more news and option on Pitino. Couldn't be helped. It's one of those stories impossible to ignore. Three spots were valuable as one-stop reading sources, though.

The mass media reaction was captured by Card Chronicle. The Dagger sported an Internet roundup. And Rush the Court posted various items offering a candid assessment of it all.

The consensus? Pitino messed up, both in his choice of late-night entertainment and how he handled the fall-out, right away and in ensuring years. How could someone obviously so smart and media savvy botch this whole thing so badly?

Still, it's not the worst thing to hit the sport recently, or even this decade. Tough to argue with Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News, who compiled the Top 10 coaching scandals of the 2000s. Pitino didn't make the cut (and Kelvin Sampson was No. 10) because … man, there were some stupid coaching decisions.

Larry Eustachy's carousing. Foolish recruiting decisions from Quin Snyder and Jim O'Brien. Jim Harrick's son teaching a sham P.E. course. The St. Bonaventure team quitting on Jan van Breda Kloff.

And, of course, Dave Bliss trying to cover up the death of Patrick Dennehy.

Most of those happened in 2003 or 2004, which was such a wave of scandalous behavior that NCAA president Myles Brand wasn't fooling around.

"The NCAA is treating this as if it were a crime wave," Myles said then. "We are hiring more investigators and taking almost a law-and-order approach to misbehavior.

"In those cases (involving high-profile coaches), it makes me wonder whether the coaches, because of their marketability, compensation and fan adulation, have come to feel above the morality and societal norms that govern us all."

Sound like last week? The outrage factor swells, people promise to clean things up and officials adjust. You know, kinda like the fallout from the previous decade.

The '90s brought us the likes of Todd Bozeman, Clem Haskins, Kevin Mackey and Steve Fischer's tarnished tenure at Michigan, to name a few. (Check out AOL's slideshow of 21 scandalous coaches for more details.)

Bad behavior and poor role models for college players isn't something new. And misbehaving coaches are preferable to a run of point-shaving scandals.

The fixes of the early '50s eventually included seven schools and 32 players, including City College of New York, the 1950 NCAA and NIT champs. More point shaving at St. Joe's, Boston College, Tulane, Arizona State and Northwestern occurred over the next 35 years.

Sure, I wish neither was part of the game, but if there's a seedy side to the game, I'd rather it was associated with the coaches, not the players.

Is that wishful thinking that only the coaches are seedy? Perhaps.

Maybe the vacation glow is sticking around longer than it should and turning me into a naïve optimist…

It's a head-shaking story. No other way to say it.

But it's also a reminder -- as if sports fans needed another one this summer -- that we really don't know our sports figures, no matter how much larger than life they may seem.

Rick Pitino is one of the college basketball's best coaches, a man who ressurected Kentucky basketball, re-built Louisville and is the only coach to ever take three different schools to the Final Four. But he's no longer on a pedestal. Not ever again.

Pitino's admittal that he had sex in a restaurant with a woman six years ago and then gave her money for an abortion ensures that.

In the same summer when ex-NFL quarterback Steve McNair was shot and killed by his mistress and when Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is being sued by a woman for allegedly raping her, it's just more fodder for already jaded fans.

Some might say this simply reinforces the idea that sports figures are capable of mistakes like everyone else. Others would say this is why it's foolish to elevate them in the first place.

The details of the Pitino saga -- the best place is probably the Louisville Courier-Journal's comprehensive report -- read like a bad soap opera. Infedeilty. Extorsion. Rape. It's bewildering and sobering at the same time. And as the case progresses, it'll become even more so.

Questions now surround Pitino's future.

Does he remain at Louisville (he recently signed an extension through the 2013 season)? And if so, can he still recruit? How does he handle prospective players and their parents? Will outraged fans, onlookers and the media attention become too much? If he does leave, can he really start somewhere new?

After all, this case will follow him for the rest of his career, and his life.

A head shaker.

UPDATE: Pitino's Louisville contract contains a "morality clause," which sounds like it'll be up to the university if it wants to retain the coach. Phrases such as these "misconduct that could objectively be anticipated to bring Employee into public disrepute or scandal, or which tends to greatly offend the public, or any class thereof on the basis of invidious distinction," don't give Pitino much wiggle room. If public opinion of the coach turns south, he could be out of work. (H/T: The Dagger.)

College hoops' slow season means lots of recruiting stories, news tidbits and – when you're motivated – random stories ranking various aspects of the game.

Thus, this vote from the Sporting News: Who is college basketball's athlete of the decade?

Getty Images file

Jason Willams or Tyler Hansbrough? Who ya got?

It's a simple vote, too. It's either Jason Williams, who stared at Duke from 2000-2002, or Tyler Hansbrough, who just completed a stellar 4-year run at North Carolina.

Williams helped the Devils win the 2001 NCAA title, was national player of the year in 2002 and a unanimous first-team selection in 2001 and 2002. Over three seasons, he averaged 19.3 ppg, 3.7 assists and hit nearly 40 percent of his 3-point attempts. Duke was 95-13 during his career (87.9 win %).

Also, the guy was just … phenomenal. He was just as likely to hit a 30-foot 3-pointer as he was to drive the lane and dunk on someone.

Everyone's spent the last two year pondering Hansbrough's place in hoops history. He won an NCAA title, reached two Final Fours, was named first-team All-America twice, second-team once, third-team once and the ACC's career scoring leader. UNC was 124-22 during his career (84.9 win %).

Sure, Hansbrough couldn't hit a shot outside 18 feet, but the guy never stopped and was as reliable as it gets.

Still, I keep sitting here, looking at it and wonder -- Williams or Hansbrough? That's it? Surely a couple others are worthy of consideration. Maybe.

(And it looks like Sporting News' question only applies to the men. Otherwise, Candace Parker or Diana Taurasi would probably win this thing.)

Check out the lists of former Naismith winners, Wooden winners, AP players of the year and the AP All-American teams. It's a collection of good players, but none were as impressive as Hansbrough during a four-year period, or as dominant as Williams in three years.

J.J. Redick and Troy Murphy were both two-time All-Americans (and Redick a player of the year), but neither won a title. Redick reached a Final Four, but Murphy wasn't even close.

Darren Collison, Nick Collison and Dee Brown all had progressed into great players with multiple seasons of excellence who reached at least one Final Four, but none won a title.

Emeka Okafor, Juan Dixon and Carmelo Anthony won titles, but their overall bodies of work fall short.

Florida's fab fivesome – Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey – won back-to-back titles, but that was a tribute to their team, not individual players.

Several more – Chris Paul, T.J. Ford, Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant, DeJuan Blair, to name a few – all had one dominant individual season, but fall short of what Williams and Hansbrough did.

It's strange, but perhaps those two are way above everyone else when it comes to the decade's best athlete. Their résumés certainly show it.

My buddies, Jeff and Terry, live for college hoops. If their jobs didn't take up so much of their time, they'd spend the winter months traveling the country, watching hoops as much as possible.

Instead, they catch most games on TV. (Rest of country's hoops nuts nod heads.)

Yet after today's tournament announcement, they, like the Sporting Blog's Chris Littman, must be shaking their heads. Just where are the good November tournament matchups?

Kevin C. Cox/Getty

Gani Lawal and G.T. vs. Dayton is the best we got?

Pairings for the Maui Invitational, Old Spice Classic, 76 Classic, Puerto Rico Tip-Off, Charleston Classic and Diamond Head Classic were rolled out, with nary a single opening-round must-see game among all six. Nada. Zip. Zilch. (Andy Katz has a breakdown of all six here.)

OK, that's a little harsh.

Puerto Rico's Dayton vs. Georgia Tech game is NCAA tournament caliber. Same for Minnesota-Butler in the 76 Classic.

But after that, the only interesting guaranteed games are Maui's Cincy-Vandy and Arizona-Wisconsin games. And I can't see getting hyped up for either one. Sure, I'll be watching like everyone else, but the MNF game better not be more appealing that day.

Part of the problem is schools like North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, UConn, Duke, Texas and Michigan State aren't in any of these six tourneys. Without the known powerhouses, can these tournaments be as good as we expect.

The more interesting aspects, like usual, are with the possible second-round and semifinal games, like Maryland vs. Cincy (Lance Stephenson spurned Gary Williams).

Curious about the rest of the tournament hoops slate in November and December? Try here. And hold your breath for the top seeds to advance in the Preseason NIT, Coaches vs. Cancer and CBE Classic. There's potentially some Final Four-esque games there.

(H/T: Sporting Blog)

Gary Williams sounds like a man on a mission.

A Sporting News Q&A with Maryland's coach covered quite a bit of ground, including his prognosis for the Terps' upcoming season, his recruiting methods and the heat Williams took last January when the Terps lost five games, including a 41-point drubbing by Duke and a shocker to Morgan State.

Chris Gardner/AP

Gary Williams

Some pointed to Williams' lack of high-profile recruits on the roster as the reason behind the Terps' failings, but when they reached the ACC tourney title game and the second round of the NCAA tournament, some that talk died off.

In fact, Williams says the criticism was one of the reasons behind Maryland's finish.

 "We had great motivation. We'd been really criticized. I was criticized quite a bit. Probably the most ever in my career. … I think it was a great year for the players in terms of what that will do for them when they get out of basketball. Because we probably took more hits than I'd had in any of my 20 years at Maryland."

Translation: Everyone who thought we stunk and that I should be fired – eat it.

That statement to a series of recruiting questions, which put Williams on the defensive, probably because he's sick of talking about it.

The gist? He's always enjoyed recruiting and the Terps do get local players, just not Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley because "that's not the way we do it." (Indeed, the Terps have been busy this summer.)

Williams' squad should be good enough to allay any heat that comes this season

The Terps return eight of their nine top players, including star guard Greivis Vasquez, who may be the ACC's top player. Throw in a couple of sizable recruits in Jordan Williams and James Padgett, and it makes Maryland a team to watch, again.

Paying $20 to watch North Carolina's alumni play against each other is a bargain. Seeing 24 of the best Heels of the last 15 years square off? Sweet.

But it got me thinking –what other schools could produce an alumni game worth paying for? (Remember, it's not just recent alumni, but guys who also are still playing.)

May as well start with Duke. According to Basketball-reference.com, the Devils have 13 players on NBA rosters and a couple of guards (Daniel Ewing, William Avery) playing overseas, more than enough to fill a couple of rosters.

Grant Halverson/AP

Chris Duhon helped Duke J.J. Redick reach the 2004 Final Four

Perhaps the starting lineups would look like this:

Chris Duhon, Gerald Henderson, Shane Battier, Shelden Williams and Elton Brand vs. J.J. Redick, Corey Maggette, Luol Deng, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Carlos Boozer. That leaves Grant Hill, Dahntay Jones, Avery, Ewing and Josh McRoberts, among others, to come off the benches.

The frontline of Williams and Brand would be imposing, but one of 'em would have to guard Dunleavy on the perimeter, which would open up things for Boozer. This game would be won by the team that has fewer guard issues, namely who wins the Duhon-Redick matchup. I'd pay $19 for that game.

Arizona's alums also would put on a sweet show. It'd be an up-tempo, guard-oriented game.

Let's pit Gilbert Arenas, Jerryd Bayless, Luke Walton, Andre Iguodala and Channing Frye vs. Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, Marcus Williams, Richard Jefferson and Jordan Hill. That leaves Hassan Adams, Salim Stoudamire, Damon Stoudamire and Loren Woods coming off the bench.

This game doesn't have much going down low, but watching Arenas and Terry gun 3s and Iguodala and Jefferson face off alone would be worth $18.

Stick in the Pac-10 and consider UCLA.

The Bruins can showcase two balanced rosters with a nice mix of NBA newcomers and crafty vets. But for some reason, it doesn't seem like there are any superstars playing.

I'd start Baron Davis, Arron Afflalo, Matt Barnes, Ryan Hollins and Dan Gadzuric vs. Jrue Holiday, Russell Westbrook, Jason Kapono, Trevor Ariza and Kevin Love. That leaves Jordan Farmar, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Darren Collison coming off the bench.

There's nobody in that mix that you have to see, but there's not any weak links, either. It's a solid game, worth about $12.

Bob Child/AP

Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva must be talking about who will guard Caron Butler.

Connecticut is the opposite.

Ray Allen, Rudy Gay, Ben Gordon, Rip Hamilton, Caron Butler, Charlie Villanueva and Emeka Okafor – when's he's healthy – are all worth dropping a Jackson. But that's just seven guys. The other ones drop the price a bit.

I'd start A.J. Price, Allen, Butler, Villanueva and Hasheem Thabeet against Gordon, Hamilton, Gay, Donyell Marshall and Okafor. Coming off the bench are Denham Brown, Marcus Williams, Khalid El-Amin, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong and Jeff Adrien, among others.

True, Okafor could very well break Thabeet in half, but I'm not sure one school's produced two better recent shot blockers. Thabeet would probably block more shots, but Okafor is probably more intimidating – not that it'd come down to that. Between Allen, Hamilton, Gay and Gordon, this is a gunner's game, worth $18. Only the lack of top-notch point guards hurts it.

Kansas has perhaps the best individual player of any of these schools in Paul Pierce. But the rest of the roster doesn't come close.

Then again, maybe it's interesting to pit the 2008 national champs against the rest of the former Jayhawks and see how it turns out.

Try Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, Brandon Rush, Darnell Jackson and Darrell Arthur (with Sasha Kaun coming off the bench) vs. Kirk Hinrich, Paul Pierce, Julian Wright, Nick Collison and Drew Gooden (with Jacque Vaughn and Wayne Simien off the bench).

Hmmm. Having a hard time seeing the champs beat the rest of the 'Hawks. Perhaps this is a $13 game.

Having a hard time figuring out Kentucky's starters. The Wildcats have plenty of players to put on an alumni game, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of star power. The guys at A Sea of Blue should send along any corrections, but here's how I see the 'Cats.

Start Rajon Rondo, Joe Crawford, Tayshaun Prince, Chuck Hayes and Jamaal Magloire vs. Jodie Meeks, Keith Bogans, Kelenna Azubuike, Randolph Morris and Nazr Mohammed. Have Antoine Walker, Derek Anderson and Scott Padgett come off the bench and it's a decent game, but feels like it's missing something.

There has to be other recent Kentucky alumni still playing who could liven up this game, right? This version is worth about $8.

The more entertaining SEC game belongs to Florida.

Pitting the back-to-back champs against the other professional Gators would be an intriguing game, mostly to see how the frontlines compare.

Playing Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey, Corey Brewer, Al Horford and Joakim Noah vs. Nick Calathes, Mike Miller, Matt Bonner, David Lee and Maurice Speights seems to favor the non-champs, but my guess is Horford and Noah would make up the difference.

And it'd be a $12 game.