Five college basketball programs that should be better

It's hard to explain cycles in college basketball. One day your a national power and in the blink of an eye a program can fall on hard times. I came up with a list of college basketball programs that should be doing a lot better than what they're current national standing is. I know that facilities and donors play a role, but I look at it from a pure wins and losses standpoint along with location and a little tradition. These five programs should have a better national standing than being afterthoughts.

1. DePaul Blue Demons- The Blue Demons were an Independent power in the 1970s and 80s under legendary coach Ray Meyer. The names Mark Aguirre, Skip Dillard, Dallas Comegys, Terry Cummings and Tyrone Corbin are glorious names from the past. The train kept rolling under his son Joey but you could tell that things were getting a little shaky under his leadership. With the emergence of Illinois in the mid 80s the program took a hit lot of good Chicago players heading to Champaign. Which leads me to this...How can you not be a good program with all the Chicago talent? The last coach to really tap into the wealth of Chicago talent was Pat Kennedy when he lured Bobby Simmons, Lance Williams, Quentin Richardson to Depaul.

No coach has had any sustained success since the Meyer's roamed the sidelines. Current coach Oliver Purnell is slowly getting things headed in the right direction and with a Big East that has less teams in the conference the Blue Demons might be competitive. Losses to Southern Miss, Arizona State, Texas and Wichita State show that the Demons still are pretty far from sitting at the big boy table. Losses to ASU, Texas and Wichita State were double digit losses.

There is no excuse for DePaul to be so noncompetitive and not get the top talent in the city. Purnell needs to straighten things out before the fans and administration figure that they've seen enough and fire him. They have lost five straight NCAA Tournament games and have won only two NCAA Tournament games since 1987.

2. Seton Hall Pirates- In the late 80s P.J. Carlesimo turned Seton Hall into a tough minded winning crew. He led the Pirates to the 1989 national title game and six NCAA tournament appearances, with a Sweet 16 and Elite 8 thrown in. Along the way he started reeling in top recruits to South Orange, New Jersey, not the easiest place to get a player to come to. Then after the 1994 season Carlesimo left for the NBA and things haven't been the same since.

Assistant George Blaney took over at the helm and he managed one NIT appearance. Enter Tommy Amaker who led the team to three NIT berths and a Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. He brought in some top flight talent but the team never meshed well. He ended up leaving for Michigan. Louis Orr or Bobby Gonzalez couldn't bring the Pirates enough consistency in the win column to justify keeping them on board.

Kevin Willard now has he task of trying to make the Seton Hall nationally relevant again. He has a current record of 49-49 entering this season. Not the kind of consistency Pirates brass was looking for.

I know times are different but why won't the top New Jersey/New York high school players consider Seton Hall. The Pirates do have a strong class next season headlined by shooting guard Isaiah Whitehead. Whether that will be enough to change the programs or Willard's fortunes remains to be seen. But the program has seen recent success in spurts so that's why they land on this list.

3. USC Trojans- When you think of USC you think of football and Tailback U. Basketball has become an afterthought a USC, until you start losing with regularity, which gets you fired. Why this program has never had any sustained success in beyond me. Never having their own arena and playing in the dark L.A. Sports Arena didn't help.

They're in sunny Southern California (Los Angeles), play in a major media market and have an abundance of top flight basketball talent. Talent that seemingly winds up across town at UCLA. Why can't the same talent wind up at USC?  Not being a consistent winner doesn't help your cause when the school across town is racking up national titles and playing in high profile games.

The Trojans have made the big dance,most recently 2007-2009,  and have had NBA caliber players (Taj Gibson, O.J. Mayo, Gabe Pruitt, DeMar DeRozan) on their roster before, but it's always been a one or two year run for this team before it heads back to the bottom of the Pac-12 standings.

New coach Andy Enfield was a splash hire and won the press conference with UCLA (hired Steve Alford), and Enfield hired super recruiters Tony Bland and Jason Hart to mine L.A.'s best talent.

Enfield prefers an uptempo attack and that will catch a player's eye. Whether he gets the talent and wins big is a different story. Things might be looking up for the Trojans but not this year.

4. Arizona State Sun Devils- Long hailed as a "sleeping giant" this program has never been awoke long enough to be a consistent winner. When you go down the line of coaches that have been in Tempe, you realize that the program has won games, but not enough to become a threat to in state rival Arizona. 

Back in 1989 many thought "stealing" Bill Frieder from Michigan would finally get the program on its feet. he won games and attracted talent, just not enough to be a big winner like Lute Olson. They've had NBA talent like James Harden, they have a beautiful campus and some lovely coeds. That hasn't been enough to get players to the valley of the sun. The Sun Devils best moments came in the early 80s with Byron Scott, Fat Lever and Alton Lister playing and Ned Wulk stalking the sidelines.

Current coach Herb Sendek is on the hot seat and probably needs to get the Devils back to the NCAA Tournament to save his job. With point guard Jahii Carson on board, Sendek has scrapped his slow pace and went uptempo, realizing this is probably his best chance to get back to the tournament . So far the results this season have been good with the Sun Devils off to a 10-2 start. Sendek needs to be a tournament regular at the very least if he wants to stick around.

5. Houston Cougars- Does anyone have an answer for a program that was a tournament regular from 1970-1984, made five Final Fours and two national title game appearances go from those high points to scuffling to make the CBI? The team that produced Otis Birdsong, Clyde Drexler, Don Chaney, Elvin Hayes and Hakeem Olajuwon and brought us perhaps the most entertaining team of all time "Phi Slamma Jamma" is now trying to capture past glory. The Cougs only have one NCAA appearance since 1992. That hasn't been a good run for the program. There are several theories: the end of the Southwest Conference, the lack of stability in the program after Guy Lewis’s retirement, a failure to recruit in the city limits and playing at a 44-year-old arena.

The Cougars were at one point "the program" along with Arkansas in the Southwest and are now competing to be the best program in their own state. Since 1992 the Cougars have been surpassed by Texas, Baylor, and recently SMU.

The glory years of coach Guy Lewis are long gone, but having a good program shouldn't be. The Cougars shouldn't have to leave the city to recruit high level players or stray outside the state borders. The team has tradition and history on its side but that doesn't seem to matter to high school players theses days.  

“In the grand scheme of things we stopped recruiting Houston-area athletes,” Vern Lewis a guard on his father’s first two Final Four teams at Houston, in 1967 and 1968. said. “If you recruit within a 50-mile radius of the city, you’ll win the national title.”

Greater Houston basketball has produced the likes of T.J Ford, Daniel Gibson, Emeka Okafor, Rashard Lewis, Stephen Jackson, Kendrick Perkins and DeAndre Jordan. They all should have looked hard, if not signed, with UH. None did. That's a shame that the program has sunk so low.

Coach James Dickey looks like he might have the program going in the right directions as he has recruited the city and state of Texas. Getting Danuel House and Danrad "Chicken" Knowles was a start. If Dickey can keep the local kids around and convince them that going to Houston is the way to go he might be the one to bring the program back to respectability. 

Honorable Mention

 Georgia Tech- It seems s long ago since that national title game appearance. They haven't built off that success.

Alabama- This team hasn't done much since Wimp Sanderson left town.

Tulane- They probably wish Perry Clark was back on the sidelines. Too much homegrown talent leaves their backyard.

St. John's- They don't keep the elite NYC talent at home.

Georgia- This program should aspire to be something greater. Mired in mediocrity for a very long time.

Detroit- This team should be able to win with the local talent.

Auburn- The ghost of Sonny Smith couldn't win with the hand the current staff has been dealt. The basketball needs some of the 'prayers from Jordan-Hare' to be successful.

Coaches that could be in trouble this season

The college football season is fast approaching. While some teams are in clear rebuilding mode, some teams are forever rebuilding. Or there are some that have plateaued or underachieved. That normally lands a coach in hot water. I have an opinion on who might be in trouble this year if their team can't catch a lucky break.

Mike London, Virginia- London came to Charlottesville with some impressive credentials after two years at Richmond. He had a 4-8 season his first year but orchestrated an 8-5 turnaround in his second season and won ACC coach of the year, which inflated fans and administrators' expectations. After taking a step back with another 4-8 season the heat is on London's Cavaliers squad to at least make a bowl game. If not London could find himself looking for another job.

Ron English, Eastern Michigan- It doesn't help when you inherit a hopeless situation. It also doesn't help when Sports Illustrated names you as one of the five worst coaches in college football. Two years ago it looked like the Eagles were poised to turn the corner after posting a 6-6 record. After last year's 2-10 record it looks like it was more of a fluke than legit. With Northern Illinois going to a BCS bowl last year, Eastern Michigan needs some dramatic improvement for English to keep his job. That's a steep hill to climb.

Lane Kiffin, USC- This is an obvious choice and everyone knows why. After being hailed as a national championship contender last season and thought of as the team to end the SEC's championship dominance the Trojans failed miserably, finishing at 7-6. Kiffin is more bluster than sideline genius, but he did get a vote of confidence from athletic director Pat Haden. Doesn't make Kiffin secure but the Trojans better be in the Rose Bowl conversation in November and December.    

Kirk Ferentz, Iowa- Even though Ferentz has been at Iowa for 14 years, this is a what have you done for me lately business. Ferentz has twice dragged the Hawkeyes out of mediocrity and into national prominence. He's also been named Big Ten coach of the year three times.  If the Hawkeyes lose to another MAC team or two, and if they finish below .500 in conference play in what appears to be a less-than-stellar Big Ten, it might finally make fiscal sense to get Ferentz out of town. The Hawkeyes were 4-8 last season and finished with six straight losses to end the season.

June Jones, SMU- This might be a little unfair since the Mustangs still haven't fully recovered from the 'death penalty' levied by the NCAA. After his success at Hawaii I'm pretty sure the administrators at SMU were looking forward to seven win seasons and mediocrity. They want to be a BCS buster/playoff contender. I think Jones is secure at SMU but you never know.

Gary Pinkel, Missouri- This also might be unfair since Pinkel will now be judged on what he does in the SEC than for his full body of work. He made the Tigers nationally relevant and achieved a No.1 ranking at one point in 2007 when they finished at No.4. The Tigers suffered some injuries to their main playmakers last season derailed their potent offense but were just a few plays from being bowl eligible. If things don't turn around soon, he might be out as head coach of Missouri. However, no one should ever doubt the amazing job he has done at Missouri.   

USC's Marqise Lee leaves practice in a sling

If USC is going to make any noise this season they'll need big seasons from their experienced players and whoever takes over for departed quarterback Matt Barkley will need to step up. Health will also be a key but the Trojans are of to a bad start in that category.

Star receiver Marqise Lee left practice after injury his shoulder and returned shirtless and in a sling.

At some point during practice Friday, the All-American Lee was on the receiving end of a deep pass but landed awkwardly on his right shoulder after contact with a teammate.  Lee was carted off the field by the team’s training staff and was later seen wearing a sling.

The team's medical staff has not given an update at this moment.

Lee, who had 118 catches for 1,721 yards (14.6 yards per catch average) and 14 touchdowns and will need his production if the Trojans are to have any success this season.

His teammates sound confident that Lee will come back sooner than later.

 “Obviously, your heart stops for a second,” quarterback Cody Kessler, who threw the deep ball on which Lee was injured, said. “But Marqise is a tough guy. He’ll be fine.”

Lee might tell you he'll be fine but that'll be up to the doctors. His health is of great importance to whoever takes over at quarterback for the Trojans.

Cordell Broadus, Snoop Dogg's son, gets a scholarship offer from USC

First Lil' Romeo attended USC on a basketball scholarship. Then P Diddy's son went to UCLA on a football ride. Nate Dogg's son might be headed to Oregon. Now USC has offered Snoop Dogg's son, Cordell Broadus a scholarship.

The Trojans aren't the only program interested in Broadus,who will sign with the class of 2015 . The 6-foot-2 and 180-pound wide receiver has scholarships from Pac-12 Conference schools Cal, Oregon State, UCLA and Washington. In terms of being recognized nationally, that could be on the horizon considering he possess an ACC offer from Duke.

Snoop is a Trojan fan and USC has long been a favorite of Cordell.


“Things are happening fast, it's crazy, I haven't had the chance to tell my parents or my dad about the USC offer yet,'' Broadus said. “I'm going to tell him soon. He's going to be shocked and happy at the same time. In the end, he won't put pressure on me to pick a college. He's like any other dad and wants the best for his kid in the future.''

“I have nothing but good things to say about USC. It's one of the best schools in the nation. I like coaching staff too. It's a good look for me. I'm not ready to make a decision and commit or anything. The plan is to ride this thing out. I want to take my time with recruiting. I'll pick my college during my senior season.''

Cordell is intent on emerging from his famous father's shadow and is eager to make a name for himself.

I know that Snoop probably wants his son to make the college choice himself, but deep down he wouldn't mind seeing Cordell suit up for the Trojans on Saturdays.

Raiders may cut ties with Carson Palmer

"As noted Monday, it's possible that we may have seen the last of Carson Palmer in an Oakland Raiders uniform, as it's "highly unlikely" that the QB will take a pay cut, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The Raiders now have three options: hang on to Palmer and pay him his $13 million for 2013, trade him or release him (ESPN)."

Carson Palmer blows, and the Raiders are no where close to being a good team. They should cut him and draft Geno Smith. Do we know Smith will be a great QB? No, but he has a ton more upside than Palmer and that's really all that matter right now.

If Palmer does get cut there are rumors the Cardinals would jump at the chance to sign him. I think Palmer is a bum, and I would never trust any USC QB with my team.

Jamie Dixon signs extension at Pittsburgh

When Kevin O'Neiil was fired as head basketball coach at USC, there was speculation that Pittsburgh coach, Jamie Dixon would follow his former boss Ben Howland out west and take over the Trojans program. Pitt fans can rest a little easier because Dixon has signed a 10 year extension that will keep him in the Steel City.

Dixon has had success after Howland left for UCLA but has fell short of the Final Four and has been eliminated in the NCAA tournament six times before the Sweet 16. Despite the criticism because of the tournament shortcomings, Dixon says he and his family are happy in Pittsburgh.

"I'm very happy at Pittsburgh," Dixon said live on TNT in advance of Saturday's Round of 32 game between Harvard and Arizona. "That's where I'm going to be."

"I'm very happy," Dixon said. "Pitt's a great place. My family loves it there."

The school has to feel better since the Panthers will be moving to the ACC next season, but Dixon will need the team to take their effort up a few notches to maintain the level of consistency Pitt fans are used to.  

Mitch Mustain signs with the White Sox

Former USC and Arkansas quarterback, Mitch Mustain, was once a five star high school prospect. Mustain was highly thought of and was handed the reins to the Arkansas kingdom for a eight games. His removal from the starting job there led to him transferring to USC.

Fast forward to 2012 and Mustain is trying out a different avenue in the world of professional sports. He's going back to baseball. After the college stints at USC and Arkansas, and a brief foray in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Georgia Force in the Arena Football League, the next chapter in Mustain's life will be him trying to latch on with the Chicago White Sox.

Mustain signed a minor league deal with the White Sox as a pitcher. The last time he pitched was in high school back in 2004. Good thing Mustain had a connection in the White Sox organization. A friend who plays in the White Sox system contacted a scout to watch Mustain's throwing session at the University of Arkansas.


“I didn’t think it was going to happen,” he said.


“He hit me up on a Friday and said the scout could be here the next Friday,” Mustain said. “So I went out on Tuesday and played long toss to stretch out my arm.”


“I was hitting my spots and my curve ball was on,” he said. “I’m hoping to eventually get to 94 or 95 [miles per hour],”. I’m excited to see where it goes.”


Not many have been able to make the transition from one sport to the other with such a long layoff. I'm pretty sure Mustain will be beating the bushes for a while he fine tunes his arm and gets his location down. There will be plenty that will want to get their licks in on him while he's still trying to get his feet under him in a different sport.

       

USC's Short Term Success Yields Long Term Problems

If everyone in the Pac-10 plays thier cards right, they can bury USC, starting this season. With the Trojan brass booting out former Athletic Director Mike Garrett and giving back Reggie Bush's Heisman, it seems like they're trying to get back into the good graces of the NCAA. They also picked former Trojan QB and Rhodes Scholar Pat Haden to run the athletic department. All because everyone looked the other way and Garrett was so smug and arrogant that hedidn't want to see the wrong doing going on with the football and basketball programs.

The if you don't know, you don't need to know atmosphere in Trojanland, fostered by Garrett and former coach Pete Carroll and others allowed to go on at USC was and is unacceptable. Of course the only ones punished for this are the current and future players at USC.

This is why I say it's time for teams in the Pac-10 to step their game up and bury USC. This is theperfect time for Rick Neuheisel to get UCLA back on track. This is a prime moment for Oregon to cement their staus as kings of the Pac-10 (if they can keep out of trouble). California and Washington can possibly take a step up in class by landing some great talent that is sure to spurn USC to go elsewhere. The Trojans are amn lucky Texas, Oklahoma, and others didn't take the invite to go to the Pac-10. I'm sure they'll get back on their feet, but it might take a while before that happens.       

Kiffin keeps pissing off Tennessee

USC head coach has once again pissed off someone in Tennessee. This time for stealing away Tennesse Titans running backs coach Kennedy Pola. From USC alum and Titans head coach Jeff Fisher. It's not the point that Pola left for a lateral job move. It's the fact that Kiffin hired him away without asking Fisher for permission to talk to him about the job. Now the Titans are staring at going into camp without a running backs coach. The reason why the Trojans need one is because former coach Todd McNair was the fall guy in the cheating scandal.

Pola, who also is an USC alum,and played and coached for the Trojans, is also the uncle of former Trojan and current Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu. I have no problem with Pola going somewhere that he feels he advance his coaching career. But the way this went down, I don't know if he will get another shot on an NFL coaching staff. Not after leaving one of the longest tenured coaches in the league today. Jeff Fisher is none too pleased with how this all went down.

"I am very disappointed in Lane Kiffin's approach to this,'' Fisher said on Saturday. "Typically speaking, when coaches are interested in hiring or discussing potential employment from coaches on respective staffs there is a courtesy call made from the head coach or athletic director indicating there is an interest in talking to the assistant.




"So I am very disappointed in the lack of professionalism on behalf of Lane, to call me and leave me a voice mail after Kennedy had informed me he had taken the job. It is just a lack of professionalism."

Word is, that Pola wasn't Kiffin's first choice. Eric Bienemy, the running backs coach for the Vikings got a promotion and pay raise to keep this scenario from happening to them. If Kiffin had any friends left in Tennessee, he doesn't have any now.

Kiffin is now trying to explain another mess he's created.

"We reached out to Kennedy Pola [on Friday] to gauge whether he had any possible interest in returning to USC before we moved forward with the process," Kiffin said.






"Kennedy said he would think about it and get back to us today. Once Kennedy did call back earlier today, out of my great respect for Coach Fisher I immediately reached out to Coach to make him aware of the situation. I have spoken with Coach Fisher and he now has an accurate understanding of the timeline of events," Kiffin said.
I think Kiffin needs to keep his mouth shut and coach since it seems like he can't do anything on the up and up.