NCAA APR again hits schools with lesser resources (Yahoo! Sports)
Eighteen Division I teams will miss the postseason, and another 18 in men’s basketball and nine other college sports will trade practice time for remedial classroom sessions under NCAA academic progress reports released Tuesday.
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Indiana schools place four basketball teams atop academic ranks
Four of Indiana’s top basketball programs have been honored for their academics.
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How the Andrew Wiggins Runner-Up Schools Will Cope Without No. 1 Recruit
Bill Self has to be having a blast right now figuring out how he’s going to build his team around Andrew Wiggins next season.
Life is not as fun for the three coaches who were waiting to see if they would have the luxury of coaching Wiggins. It’s too late to bring in another player, so each team will have to stick with what they have. For one school, there’s plenty of talent in that spot already in place. For the other two, they’ll be relying on less attractive options.
So who are the lucky saps who get the privilege of spending time in a position where fans will only be thinking of Wiggins?
Here’s a look at those fellas and how each team will cope without the Canadian star.
Wiggins Was the Missing Piece for North Carolina
More than any of the three fanbases, the Tar Heels could spend next season thinking “what if…”
Wiggins was the one piece that Roy Williams was missing to make the Heels a title contender after they lost Reggie Bullock to the NBA. (I imagine Williams dropped a lot of “gosh darns” on Tuesday.)
Wiggins would have given UNC a great combination on the wing paired with P.J. Hairston. A year ago, the Heels turned their season around when Williams gave in to what everyone wanted, going small and moving Hairston to the 4 spot.
Next season, Hairston will move back to the perimeter because Williams has a lot of depth inside and not much on the perimeter.
The player who will fill Bullock’s shoes instead of Wiggins is senior Leslie McDonald. McDonald is a nice player that averaged 7.2 points in 17.7 minutes per game last year and has a good stroke from deep.
What the Heels are missing is a slasher, which is the role Wiggins would have filled. McDonald rarely drives—only 14 percent of his shots came at the rim last year, according to HoopMath.com—and when he does shoot inside the arc, he’s not very effective (35.4 percent compared to 35.9 percent outside).
That puts a lot of pressure on point guard Marcus Paige to create off the dribble.
Wiggins would have also allowed Williams to play with the small lineup. Now he is going to have to stick to a more traditional look.
The Heels need to get more production from their post players next year, and that would have been the case with or without Wiggins. But with him, they could have survived on the nights when James Michael McAdoo was having an off game.
Kentucky Doesn’t Need a Contingency Plan
As it is, Kentucky is going to have four McDonald’s All-Americans come off the bench this season. If Wiggins had come to UK, it would have been five.
Alex Poythress and James Young won’t mind seeing Wiggins go to Kansas. Those two will compete for the starting 3 spot. Poythress can also play the 4, but it’s already pretty crowded in the post as Willie Cauley-Stein, Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee and Kyle Wiltjer will all be sharing minutes.
What Wiggins would have allowed John Calipari to do was play really big. When Aaron Harrison went to the bench, Calipari could have pushed Wiggins to the 2 and played either Poythress or James Young at the 3. But Calipari can still play a really big lineup with James Young sliding over to the 2 spot.
Calipari is already going to have to get creative with his lineups and rotations. Obviously, he’ll take all the talent he can get, but he has two future pros at the 3 spot. Simply put, the ‘Cats are going to be just fine.
Seminoles Will Be Searching for Identity
Last season was the first since 2008 that Florida State had not ranked in the top 15 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. The Seminoles ranked 165th.
Leonard Hamilton has built his program on defense, and Wiggins, similar to Marcus Smart at Oklahoma State, could have rubbed off on his teammates with his effort and ability on the defensive end.
Florida State graduated Michael Snaer and will also be looking for a star to replace him. Wiggins would have filled that role.
The other area where Florida State really struggled a year ago was on the defensive glass: opponents grabbed 36.6 percent of their misses last season. FSU‘s best rebounder, Terrance Shannon, transferred to VCU, and the Seminoles would have benefitted greatly from having Wiggins in the paint.
What’s left for the Seminoles is a team that could still improve from an 18-16 season if Canadian guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes fills the shoes of Snaer. Wiggins and Rathan-Mayes, who are good friends, would have made a nice combination on the wing.
Instead, either Aaron Thomas or Montay Brandon will fill that spot. Both had their turns starting last year. Thomas averaged 6.0 points per game and Brandon averaged 3.9, but he did score 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting in FSU’s last game against Louisiana Tech.
If one of those players takes a big leap as a sophomore and Okaro White, the leading returning scorer, has a big senior year, the Seminoles could be improved. No, they should be improved.
Wiggins would have guaranteed that, but Hamilton still has some nice pieces to build around.
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Andrew Wiggins: Decision Date, Schools in Contention and Projections
After keeping people guessing for months, Andrew Wiggins will finally end his recruitment by picking a school Tuesday.
The news comes from his high school coach, Rob Fulford of Huntington Prep:
Wiggins is currently ranked the No. 1 prospect in the country, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He has the athleticism, strength and scoring ability to make a huge impact on any team right away, which has made him such a highly sought-after recruit.
Coaches and fans across the country have been waiting for the talented small forward to sign his letter of intent, and those people will finally get their wish as he chooses one of four schools.
Schools in Contention
North Carolina
As far as “fit” goes, it is hard to find a better spot than North Carolina. The Tar Heels run a fast-paced attack that will let Wiggins use his natural athleticism to run the floor and finish at the rim.
Additionally, the veteran team should be very good next season even without him. The only thing holding the squad back is the loss of small forward Reggie Bullock, who declared for the NBA draft.
Wiggins can slide into that starting spot and create one of the best rosters in the country. He will also have opportunity without much pressure as there are talented players around him.
The only problem is that there has not been much buzz recently about the star heading to UNC, which makes this an unlikely landing spot.
Chances: 10 percent
Kansas
Like some of the other schools on the list, there is plenty of prestige involved in the Kansas program. The Jayhawks are in contention for a championship virtually every season, regardless of who leaves the team the year before.
There will be plenty of open spots in the rotation after the squad lost its top five scorers from last season. Of course, that does not mean it will be lacking talent, as quality players should make big jumps heading into next year.
This will be a strong team next season, although Wiggins will still have the opportunity to be the big man on campus right away with few known quantities around him. With the way Bill Self has proven the ability to develop talent to the next level, this would be a strong option for the high school star.
Chances: 20 percent
Kentucky
Even without another addition, the 2013 recruiting class for Kentucky is arguably the best of all time on paper. The players still have a lot to prove, but there is no denying that there is plenty of talent coming in.
If Wiggins were to join this group, Kentucky would have the top three recruits in the country, four of the top five and seven of the top 14, according to 247Sports. Obviously, this would make one heck of a college team.
Unfortunately, it would also mean that some of the best players in the country will struggle to see playing time. Wiggins has the most talent, but even he would lose touches as some other stars look for their own shot.
It will be up to the high school star if he wants to play around this much talent, for better or worse.
Chances: 30 percent
Florida State
While Florida State seems out of place on this list, there are a bunch of reasons this makes sense as a destination for Wiggins.
One major factor is the fact that both of his parents went there and were student-athletes. His father, Mitchell Wiggins, was a first-round pick in the NBA draft.
He could also play with friend and high school teammate Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who will be a Seminole next season.
Finally, he will have the freedom to run the show without much elite talent around him. While that would put more pressure on him to succeed, he could embrace the challenge of being the go-to guy right out of the gate.
Nothing is certain, but there are a lot of signs pointing in the direction of Florida State.
Chances: 40 percent
Prediction
After this long of a process, there is nothing that would be truly surprising regarding Wiggins. He could choose any of these schools, or he might even decide that he would rather play in Europe for a year before going to the NBA.
Still, the most likely scenario is that he follows in the path of his father and plays for Leonard Hamilton at Florida State.
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Andrew Wiggins Decision: Biggest Selling Point for All 4 Schools in the Running
The guessing game on where Andrew Wiggins will end up has gotten so much play that it’s surprising Nate Silver has not used his wizardry to predict where the phenom will end up.
It’s almost time to quit speculating and find out where Wiggins will land—he’s finally announcing on Tuesday, according to his high school coach.
The accepted belief is that Wiggins is one of the best one-and-done prospects of all time, and that’s why his recruitment has turned into the story of the college basketball offseason. Luckily, he hasn’t treated us with any quotes about how he could Carmelo-ize any program he chooses, but that is the expectation, especially after months of buildup.
Each school—Kentucky, Kansas, Florida State and North Carolina—has something great to offer.
If the coaches were going to make one last sales pitch, here are a few shots in the dark at what each one would be.
Kentucky: What’s Your Ring Size?
So Mr. Wiggins, would you like to win the title and get as much exposure as possible?
That’s what Big Blue Nation can offer. Well that, and do you like Ashley Judd? Imagine playing in front of the star of Double Jeopary! (I hope John Calipari has used this line at some point.)
Kentucky is already the consensus preseason No. 1, with a recruiting class that includes six McDonald’s All-Americans. Wiggins would give Calipari a seventh (gasp!) burger boy, and UK fans might start booking an April trip to Dallas if they haven’t already.
Wiggins has the chance to be the biggest star for what would be the greatest recruiting class of all time. He’d be the Chris Webber of the Fab Five, without that whole taking money from some old guy running an illegal gambling ring saga.
The drawback for choosing Kentucky is that there is—pardon the cliche—only one basketball to go around. Playing time shouldn’t be a concern because this is Andrew Wiggins (Canada’s gift to basketball) we’re talking about, but there are a lot of players on that team who want to prove themselves to scouts.
Calipari is great at getting talented guys to buy into a team concept, but he’s never tried to play with so much talent at one time. That should be the one fear for UK fans and Wiggins’ family; this has the potential to be a soap opera.
Kansas: The System Works
Let’s imagine this is the list of what Wiggins wants:
- Great tradition
- Good talent
- Chance to be the man
- Play for a team that consistently wins
At Kansas, there’s no reason to doubt Bill Self—see nine straight Big 12 titles.
Self’s offense is more well known for churning out big men, but he’s had a good run with talented one-and-done wings lately.
Ben McLemore averaged 15.9 points per game this past season and Self would have been fine with him shooting more. It also helps KU’s cause that McLemore is expected to go first or second in the upcoming NBA draft.
In 2010, Xavier Henry averaged 13.4 points per game and was drafted 12th following his freshman season. Henry has not had much success in the pros, but he’s a one-dimensional player who has never really developed any sort of slashing game. Wiggins is much closer to a sure thing.
Calipari or Roy Williams could tell Wiggins that he’d be going to a massive rebuilding project at Kansas, but history is on the side of Self in that regard. He’s replaced five starters before, 2008-09 most recently, and he won the Big 12 and made the Sweet 16 that year. He also has a good recruiting class and a few intriguing pieces returning.
Wiggins would be able to put a check next to each of those those requirements above, and he’d also turn Kansas into a team capable of making the Final Four and maybe even compete for the title.
Florida State: Become a Legend
If Wiggins wants the school where he plays to build his statue, he might be able to talk Florida State into it. In fact, I bet Leonard Hamilton would pay for the statue and build it himself. And if Hamilton hasn’t thought of this already, you’re welcome, Leonard.
The pitch is pretty simple for the Seminoles: Become our legend and what FSU basketball is known for. And oh yeah, make your parents, both FSU alums, happy in the process.
Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina already have their legends. They already have their banners. They don’t need Wiggins to make them must-see TV.
All of the attention given to Florida State would surround Wiggins, and he would have an opportunity to make history at a school without much of a basketball past.
So Andrew, would you prefer bronze or brass?
North Carolina: Fun and Gun
North Carolina can pretty much offer everything that Kentucky and Kansas have along with the opportunity to play in a really fun system.
Roy Williams is one of the few coaches who can tell you he wants to play fast, and then actually implements the strategy.
Wiggins should be sold on the talent Kentucky has because he has played with those guys a lot in the last few months on the All-Star circuit, but the Heels could sell Wiggins on the fact that their talent has already proven itself on the college level.
He would play with two players—P.J. Hairston and James Michael McAdoo—who are potential NBA talents and have already been through the growing pains a lot of guys experience in the college game.
UNC also has a spot for a stud wing with Reggie Bullock leaving for the NBA. Put Wiggins on this team and UNC becomes a top two or three team in the preseason that will be wildly fun to watch.
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Steph Curry schools Ty Lawson
Steph Curry is deadly in the third quarter, and he proved it with this behind-the-back dribble before feeding Andrew Bogut for a huge dunk.
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Anatomy of one school’s role in ACC media rights deal
Swofford’s individual sessions with FSU trustees legally circumvented open government laws
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ACC schools agree to grant TV rights to league
The league said Monday each of the current and future schools has signed the deal.
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UConn Huskies New Logo Is Detrimental to School’s Uniqueness
The University of Connecticut Huskies have boasted one of the nation’s elite college basketball programs over the past several years and have made strides in other sports as well. Their logo became synonymous with the school’s success, but the new one makes them far less unique.
According to Kathleen Megan of the Hartford Courant, the university replaced the previous logo, which had been in place since 2002, with a fiercer and edgier “Jonathan the Husky” logo. There is no doubt that the new logo exudes intensity, but that type of logo has been seen countless times before.
UConn’s previous logo was the subject of teasing at times since it wasn’t particularly menacing. Rather than a husky that appeared ready to rip its opponent limb from limb, the old husky was fluffy and friendly. Perhaps it didn’t exactly strike fear into others, but it was something different from what most other colleges utilize.
In addition to that, UConn achieved unprecedented athletic success, especially on the basketball court. The men’s team reached the Final Four on three occasions since 2002 and won the National Championship in 2004 and 2011. The women’s team fared even better as it reached the Final Four every year from 2002 through 2004 and again from 2008 through 2013. The Lady Huskies won it all in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2013.
The teams aren’t going to get any better or worse in relation to the logo change, but it hardly seems necessary to get rid of a logo that is attached to a winning tradition. Programs like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas and Syracuse generally don’t change their logos on a regular basis, so it’s odd that UConn would choose to do so 11 years after doing it last.
Perhaps the change has something to do with the dissolution of the Big East Conference. It’s no secret that the Big East has been in dire straits for the past couple years, although it continued to thrive on the basketball end of the spectrum.
According to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com, the former Big East Conference will be known as the American Athletic Conference moving forward. UConn is among the teams slated to remain in place, but things will obviously be much different. It’s possible that the transitional period prompted UConn officials to make a decision to change the athletic program’s identity with a new logo.
Whatever the case, it doesn’t seem like a necessary move. If nothing else, perhaps it will help profitability to some degree as UConn fans everywhere will want to get their hands on new merchandise. Professional teams tend to make logo changes and introduce new uniforms for that reason, so maybe that was Connecticut’s motivation as well.
It may not be for everyone, but the cartoonish logo was unique and helped differentiate UConn from everyone else. While Connecticut’s logo isn’t necessarily similar to what the Washington Huskies use, both of their logos are now streamline and modernized, and that takes away from their individuality.
The new logo ultimately won’t affect athletic performance and it will probably make the university some money, so there are definite positives to be had. At the same time, UConn is sacrificing something that allowed it to stand out from the crowd for more than a decade, and that is truly unfortunate.
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Rick Pitino chases historic double: NCAA title at two schools
Relaxed Louisville coach Rick Pitino seeks to win NCAA title at two schools
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