Penn freshman Tony Bagtas arrested for his role in campus burglaries

Penn freshman Tony Bagtas has been arrested for a string of campus burglaries.

Bagtas was released from the team after being charged with 10 burglaries that took place in Penn student housing between September and March, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian. Bagtas was released prior to being arrested on March 24, the report said.

I don't know how good of a player Bagtas was or could've become, but this was a really dumb decision. Why would you sacrifice a future just to steal a few laptops? Maybe Bagtas can think about that while he sits behind bars.    

California eyeing Xavier's Chris Mack to lead their program

California reportedly is looking to Xavier's Chris Mack to lead their basketball program. The Golden Bears are looking to replace Mike Montgomery who retired after the Bears' NIT loss to SMU.

Mack has just finished up his fifth year with the Musketeers with a loss in the First Four of the NCAA tournament to North Carolina State. Mack sports a 111-57 record and is fourth on the school's all time wins list. The Musketeers have made the NCAA tournament four times during his tenure.

Mack was linked to the Wake Forest opening before Tulsa's Danny Manning took the job in Winston-Salem.

This is nothing new for Xavier as the basketball coaches have had success and have went on to high major programs.

Oregon point guard Jonathan Loyd will return to the gridiron

Following in the footsteps of Greg Paulus and a few others, Oregon point guard Jonathan Loyd will try to make the transition from the hardwood to the football field.

Loyd will join the Ducks' football team as a wide receiver. Loyd will use a provision that allows college athletes  five years of competition. Since Loyd never redshirted, he has one more season of eligibility.

The 5-foot-8, 163-pound Loyd had offers to play college football after graduating from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas in 2010 but instead signed on as Dana Altman’s first recruit for the Oregon basketball team.

Loyd played in all 144 games for the Ducks during his career, of which 97 were victories. He had his best year as a senior when he averaged 7.0 points and 4.7 assists while helping the Ducks reach the third round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Wisconsin on March 22.

Loyd attended an Oregon football practice last week and put the pads on for the first time Monday.

He was a first-team all-state returner after running back five punts for touchdowns and averaging 32.6 yards per kick return. He also played defensive back.

Oregon’s football program has had success in the past with wide receivers off the basketball team. Jordan Kent was Oregon’s second-leading receiver in 2006 when he caught 44 passes for 491 yards and four touchdowns, and Tony Hargain had two 100-yard receiving games from 1987-90 and also played basketball.

With Loyd's size he could compete as a slot receiver or returner. My guess is that if he sees the field he'll be a jack of all trades type.

Iowa State's Percy Gibson will transfer

 Iowa State says that junior center Percy Gibson is leaving the program.

Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg says Gibson intends to transfer to another school following the end of the spring semester.

Gibson, a 6-foot-9 native of Detroit, played in just 14 games for Iowa State last season despite the team's occasional struggles inside.

“I’d like to thank Coach Hoiberg and the rest of the coaches for the opportunity to play at Iowa State,” Gibson said. “I will take with me the memories and friendships created with my teammates. I also want to thank Iowa State’s fans for their support the last three years.”

The Cyclones also gave post player Daniel Edozie playing time over Gibson after forward Georges Niang broke his foot in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

Iowa State will add promising junior college transfer Jameel McKay next season, a move that likely would have further cut into Gibson's playing time.

Gibson's departure will free up an extra scholarship for the Cyclones to use next season.

One has to wonder where Gibson will land. He was a high major prospect coming out of high school. Will he transfer closer to home or will he try and land at another major conference program? Gibson does have the skills to flourish in the right situation.

Missouri's Zach Price suspended from the basketball team after two arrests in 24 hours

University of Missouri basketball player Zach Price is suspended from the team after being arrested twice in 24 hours for allegedly assaulting his roommate and a woman.

Columbia Police Sgt. Joe Bernhard says that Price, 20, was arrested Thursday afternoon for domestic assault and assault after the 23-year-old victims reported that Price rammed their car at least twice Wednesday afternoon. That investigation was ongoing when Price was arrested on another alleged encounter with the same victims Thursday morning.

Police say he hit his male roommate in the face then pushed the woman to the ground.

Price had bonded out of jail on the charges stemming from the first incident.

Missouri Coach Frank Haith said after the first arrest that he was "very disappointed" with Price and will discipline him accordingly.

Price sat out last season after transferring from Louisville. You probably won't be seeing him suit up for the Tigers next season unless head coach Frank Haith turns a blind eye to the incident.

Sampson agrees to deal with the University of Houston

The Houston Cougars have found their next head coach and they didn’t have to look far.

Houston Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson has agreed to return to college hoops as the Cougars’ coach, according to CBSSports.com.

Sampson had worked in the NBA with the Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks over the past six years.

Sampson, 58, was fired from Indiana in 2008 after an NCAA investigation into improper and excessive contact with recruits regarding phone calls and text messages.

The violations were repeat offenses from when he was head coach at Oklahoma. This led to a five-year show-cause on Sampson, one of the harshest in NCAA history against a D-I college basketball coach.
The NCAA no longer puts such restrictions on text messages with recruits.

Sampson compiled a 496-271 career record at Indiana, Oklahoma, Washington State and Montana Tech. However, he received a five-year show-cause order in 2008, which meant that if a team wanted to hire him, it would need to impose sanctions on Sampson or “show cause” that Sampson properly served his punishment. The show-cause recently expired, so Sampson will be able to coach without any sanctions levied upon him.

Say what you want about Sampson but he will have the Cougars playing at a different level than in years past. Call him a cheater or a dirtbag but Sampson has the potential to make Houston a nationally relevant program once again.

James Dickey steps down at Houston; Kelvin Sampson a candidate for the job

After four seasons at the helm of the University of Houston basketball program, head coach James Dickey decided to step down due to "private family matters". Dickey was 64-62 in his four seasons.

Under Dickey the program looked to be headed in a positive direction as the school regained some footing in recruiting the Houston area and the state of Texas. Dickey is credited with elevating the Houston basketball program across many facets, while making the transition to the American Athletic Conference.

"This has been a difficult decision to make. I continually preach to my players about being an everyday guy, and the balance of your personal and professional life is a major part of it. With that being said, I have a family matter that requires my time and energy, and I will regretfully step down from my current position at the University of Houston,"Dickey said. "I am extremely appreciative of Mack Rhoades for the opportunity and for the value he brings professionally and personally. I cannot thank my coaching staff and our players enough for the experience and memorable moments over the past four years. The system of support set forth by our Athletic Department staff is world class, and I’m appreciative of every member of the Houston Athletics family. I would like to thank the Houston fans for their support through the years and greatly encourage them to continue their support of the program in the future."

According to the University of Houston, a national search for Dickey's replacement will begin immediately. Candidates for the position will not be disclosed by the Houston Department of Athletics, for the integrity of the search.

The cupboard won't be bare for whoever is named coach as he'll have local products Danrad "Chicken" Knowles, Danuel House and L.J. Rose to build around.

One candidate that has been rumored as the leading candidate for the job is Houston Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson. Sampson is a proven winner at the college level and led the Oklahoma Sooners to the 2002 Final Four. Sampson has also ran afoul of the NCAA for impermissible calls to recruits while at Oklahoma and Indiana.

If Sampson is hired he could be the coach to make Houston nationally relevant again.

Auburn made the right call in hiring Bruce Pearl

When you think of Auburn basketball, you have to ask yourself how did Sonny Smith and Cliff Ellis have any degree of success. Sure Smith and Ellis were fine coaches but Auburn hasn't exactly been competing for SEC upper division finishes after their departures.

You almost have to feel sorry for former coach Tony Barbee. He had a major reclamation project and although the Tigers made strides this season, it wasn't enough. Barbee was fired by athletic director Jay Jacobs shortly after losing to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament. Jacobs moved quickly to hire former Tennessee boss Bruce Pearl.

Say what you want about Pearl, but the guy is a winner despite his somewhat checkered past. Yes there was the secret taping of a phone conversation during Illinois' recruitment of Deon Thomas. There were the lies he told to NCAA investigators about what amounts to secondary violations. Pearl has been called a rat, fink and a con man. He might be all of the above but man can he coach.

Pearl has proven that he can win at every level. He won at Division II Southern Indiana. He won at mid- major Wisconsin-Milwaukee and he revived a Tennessee program that had fleeting moments of success. Auburn will now see if Pearl can work his magic on the plains. My bet is that Pearl will win at Auburn. It might be a risk to hire Pearl, but the reward will be greater if he piles up high numbers in the W column.

Even though Pearl most likely won't be able to recruit until August, he can recruit high caliber SEC talent to Auburn. The Tigers might struggle on the court this season, but Pearl is a self and program promoter and will be a winner off the court. Auburn made the right call hiring Pearl to coach the basketball team. Tennessee fans are still pining for him and I bet the folks in Tuscaloosa are probably gnashing their teeth at the fact that Auburn will surpass Alabama on the court.

The question is will Pearl stay at Auburn for the long haul and build a winner or will he catch the next money train out of town when a bigger name program comes calling.    

Mike Jarvis out at Florida Atlantic at season's end

Athletic director Patrick Chun has made it public that head basketball coach Mike Jarvis will resign following the last two games of the season.

In Jarvis’ six year tenure, FAU Basketball has seen five losing seasons — the one exception being the 2010-2011 season where the Owls went 21-11 and were awarded a bid to the National Invitation Tournament only to see the University of Miami beat them by 23 points. The NIT Tournament serves as a consolation prize for the teams who did not play well enough to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

The Owls are 10-19 this year and surrendered a 16 point lead to Tulane in a 72-64 loss on Feb. 26.

As recently as last week, Jarvis showed no signs of fear regarding his job.

“Here’s the deal. If you’re asking me if I’m worried about me – absolutely not,” he said after a blowout loss to Tulsa on Feb. 20 that dropped the team to 10-18 on the year. “Because of my faith… I don’t feel pressure, never have, and I don’t think I ever will.”

It was originally thought that Jarvis had been fired, but it is believed that after being presented with the inevitable firing, he chose to resign instead. Chun confirmed via conference call on Feb. 28 that, after some “big picture” discussion, he and Jarvis came to the conclusion that it would be beneficial for Jarvis to leave after this year. According to Chun, he no longer wanted to coach this team.

Mike Jarvis II (Jarvis’ son who currently holds the title of Associate Head Coach) will stay on the FAU coaching staff for the remainder of the season, but may end up leaving anyway once Chun selects a coach to take over for Jarvis long term. According to Chun, the new coach will have the option to clear out the incumbent staff and bring in his own.

In the past two offseasons, eight players have transferred to other locations, leaving FAU basketball stripped of the consistency and continuity that every mid-major program needs.

Chun claims that the resignation is a “selfless” move by Jarvis in that it gives him some time to search for a new coach. Chun mentioned that he will contact Ohio State head basketball coach Thad Matta as he begins searching for a new coach. (Ohio State is Chun’s alma mater. He worked in the OSU athletics department for 15 years before taking the job as FAU athletic director).

FAU (Jarvis in particular) committed a secondary NCAA violation by having former Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine act as an assistant coach in some team practices earlier this season, according to Chun. Fine left Syracuse in 2012 amid sexual abuse allegations that spanned a myriad of years. Several of the people who accused Fine of the disgusting acts recanted, and the federal investigation he underwent was eventually dropped.

The violation was self reported and, according to Chun, did not have any bearing on the Jarvis ordeal. Before entering the conference tournament, FAU  finishes the regular season with two home games: Southern Mississippi and Florida International.

SMU could be a dangerous team in March

Despite losing Sunday to a below average Temple squad on Sunday and dropping out of the top 25, the SMU Mustangs should be heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993 barring a late season collapse.

The Mustangs currently sit at 20-6 and are 9-4 in the American Athletic Conference behind Louisville and Cincinnati. Head coach Larry Brown has made the Mustangs into a team in his image and one of the surprise teams in the nation. The Mustangs are undefeated at Moody Coliseum and have been ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in nearly three decades.

Even though Brown is a nomad and has never been one to overstay his welcome, he is enjoying his current stay in Dallas and I'm sure the players enjoy playing for him. Brown has the Mustangs playing at their highest level since the days of Jon Koncak. If they can lock down a tournament berth in the next week they can be a difficult matchup in March.

I'm not predicting any Final Four runs for the Mustangs, but they do possess the firepower to get past the round of 64 and knock off a higher seeded team in the next round and advance to the Sweet 16. With Brown at the helm the Mustangs are definitely a team you don't want to look past. The SMU games I've watched this season, the Mustangs are very capable of catching fire.

The two transfers, guard Nic Moore (Illinois State) and forward Markus Kennedy (Villanova) are what give the Mustangs their horsepower. Despite being 5-9, Moore can get hot and take over a game from the perimeter. Kennedy has stepped up his game in the absence of center Yanick Moreira, who should be coming back by season's end. Freshman forward Ben Moore has been solid and reminds Brown of a young Derrick McKey. Nick Russell and Shawn Williams have also played well. Star freshman Keith Frazier hasn't  even played a major role for the team. If Moreira can come back healthy and Frazier can hit his stride this team can be dangerous.

If anyone can get this team to play up to his potential it's Brown. The problem for the Mustangs which reared it's ugly head in their loss to Temple, was their ability to play down to the level of their competition. They have no problem getting ready for the big name games on their schedule, but the tend to struggle with lesser teams.

If the Mustangs can put a string of games together they'll be a handful.          

Lamar fires basketball coach Pat Knight

It's always hard to follow in your father's footsteps. Especially when your father is Bob Knight,  the winningest coach in basketball history. Pat Knight knew he had a lot on his shoulders being the son of a legend.

After compiling a 6-50 record the last two seasons, Pat Knight was fired as Lamar men's basketball coach Sunday with five games left in his third year at the helm.

Former Lamar assistant coach, Tic Price, will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

ESPN reporter Andy Katz first reported Knight's firing.

"I was told last night to meet with the president and the AD this morning at 10 a.m.," Knight told Katz. "I knew it. There's no talk. They said they want to go in a different direction. We struggled for two years. It's all based on the record. It's part of the business."

Bill Tubbs, the program's former athletic director, coach and the namesake of Lamar's basketball court, learned the news Sunday afternoon while in California.

"I think the program has been very disappointing the last two years," Tubbs said. "Coach Knight did a great job that first year he was here. Lamar has really had a great tradition in basketball, it is known throughout the nation as a sound basketball program year-in and year-out."

Knight went 25-11 in his first year at Lamar, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

"I did what I wanted to do," Knight told Katz. "I coached a team in the NIT [at Texas Tech] and I coached a team in the NCAA. I wanted to prove I could do this for my last name. I should have gotten out after the NCAA. But you're sitting there and have a chance to build a team from scratch. You decide to do it and didn't get it done quick enough. So you get fired. That's it. I have no regrets. I'm proud of what I did. I should have done it. You feel loyal to a place after you're fired from a place. We lost eight out of our top 10. We tried it and didn't work."

Knight disputed claims his job was in danger after Thursday's loss to Stephen F. Austin.

"No, I haven't heard anything, but if they want to do that, you know, I guess I'll be down in Florida.…I'm not playing for my job," Knight said in the press conference Thursday. "I've said it before, if they want to fire me, that's not up to me. We're in this business to get fired. But that's news to me. I don't coach thinking my job is on the line. I'm trying to build a program here. We just went to the tournament two years ago and then we started from scratch. It takes more than two years to get things going. But it is what it is. I appreciate you letting me know that. That's the first that I've been told."

Knight finishes with a 29-62 record at Lamar.

"It's always disappointing whenever anyone gets fired, but you always want your program to be strong and win games," Tubbs said. "Winning games is what it's all about."

It's a setback for the younger Knight, but I'm sure he'll wind up as an assistant on some team's sideline in the near future.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants to end one and done

As new NBA commissioner Adam Silver gets his feet wet during his first All-Star weekend, there is one topic on his mind that is making waves in sports media. Silver wants to raise the minimum age limit from 19 to 20, in effect ending the one and done trend in college basketball.

Silver said Saturday night he is committed to continued negotiations with the NBA Players Association to establish a minimum age of 20 to play professional basketball.

In his first official press conference as commissioner since taking over for David Stern, Silver said the age requirement made sense both for the college and pro game because colleges could create better teams knowing they had at least another year to develop talent, and the NBA would benefit by having more seasoned rookies, both on and off the court, joining the league.

“Everywhere I go, I know people dislike the so-called ‘one-and-done,’” Silver said. “I think it’s important to the NBA, it’s important to basketball generally that there be strong college basketball. It’s important to college basketball that there be strong youth basketball and strong AAU basketball.

“I think we feel we have a responsibility at the NBA as the stewards of the game to ensure that the game is played the right way and those values of the game ... are executed properly. We at the league office are thinking about those things every day. You have my commitment that I am focused on the game, and ultimately, that’s what this is about.”

“It’s my belief that if players have an opportunity to mature as players and as people for a longer amount of time before they come into the league, it will lead to a better league,” Silver said. “I know from a competitive standpoint, that’s something as I travel the league I increasingly hear from our coaches, especially, who feel that many of the top players in the league could use more time to develop as leaders as part of college programs.


“Ultimately, this is a team sport — it’s not an individual sport. And we’ve seen it in international competition, for example, where teams of players that have played together for a long time have enormous advantage over teams comprised of superstars or teams that come together over short periods of time.”

Although I come from the school of thought that other sports allow 18 or 19 to turn pro after high school or one year of college, the NBA or the NFL aren't sports that should allow young men into the league. I know, if you can send them off to war they can play sports. That's very true, but none of us are owners who are investing millions of dollars to be the face of a franchise.

If there was a true minor league system in place, I could buy into the argument that one and done is a good rule. But there isn't a place where a player can develop once he goes pro. You can send him to the D-League or Europe but then that player gets lost in the basketball system and never realize their dream of playing in the NBA, because that is the ultimate goal. The D-League simply isn't enough of a minor league because you have "veteran" players still trying to get an NBA contract.

Some players turn pro after one season, but really have no business doing so. They either sit on the bench and wash out or they just never develop properly. Look at Michael Beasley. He parlayed his one great college season into being the second pick in the NBA Draft. But he hasn't been the star that many had projected him to be. He could've benefited from another year in college solely just to grow up as a man.

Even some players who play three years never develop (Hasheem Thabeet), but I think that unless you're a truly special player then you should be playing professional. It would benefit the college game and the NBA as fans would get to know the names of the players.

Some basketball fans don't watch college basketball and don't even know who's coming to the league when they're drafted. The topic will ignite a firestorm of criticism as many find it wrong to prevent players from earning a salary at age 19.

While there are some that can play one year of college ball and excel in the NBA, not all are able to do it.  

Memphis' Dominic Woodson suspended for foul language

The Memphis Tigers beat UCF Wednesday night at home, but they lost a player for at least one game. No the player didn’t get hurt, he cussed. Freshman Dominic Woodson will not play against the No.24 UConn Huskies Saturday because he apparently used foul language while sitting on the bench.

After hearing his language coach Josh Pastner sent him to the locker room.

“If you are going to use that, you are going to go use it in the locker room,” Pastner said in his post game press conference via 247Sports.com. “You are not going to to use it on my bench, so I said ‘see ya.’ He definitely won’t travel to UConn.”

Woodson, according to Pastner, is suspended indefinitely.

"He will be suspended indefinitely until I decide to bring him back," Pastner said. "No one is bigger than the program. That's just the bottom line."

Woodson, according to Pastner, is suspended indefinitely.

Pastner apparently doesn’t cuss and doesn’t want the women and young fan to hear his players use it. This apparently not the first time Woodson has upset his coach with his language.


The 6’10″, 300 lbs. Woodson did not score Wednesday night, but played three minutes. He is averaging 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while playing 7.5 minutes.

It is refreshing to see a coach help mold a player. I am sure Woodson isn’t too excited about it, but he needs to learn to be a man. You cannot go around throwing foul language around like that. Good for you Coach Pastner. Now leave Louisville fans alone.

Cleveland Melvin no longer with the DePaul basketball program

DePaul star forward Cleveland Melvin is no longer enrolled in school or part of the basketball program.

The school announced the split with the senior on Monday after suspending him last month for violating team rules.

Melvin ranks among the Blue Demons' career leaders in scoring, scoring average, rebounding, field goals, blocked shots and free throws. He was the 2011 Big East Rookie of the Year.

Melvin averaged 16.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in 20 games this season. The Blue Demons are 10-14 overall and 2-9 in Big East play with six straight losses heading into Wednesday's game against No. 6 Villanova.

Not that the Blue Demons were going anywhere this season, but it's a blow to a program trying to reestablish it's brand and develop a winning culture. DePaul will likely miss the NCAA tournament for the 10th consecutive season.

Arkansas suspends Michael Qualls and Alandise Harris indefinitely

University of Arkansas men’s basketball head coach Mike Anderson announced prior to the team’s SEC road contest at LSU that redshirt junior Alandise Harris and sophomore Michael Qualls have been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team.

Neither Harris nor Qualls made the trip with the team to Baton Rouge.

“All of our student-athletes are held to a high standard and everyone is accountable for their actions,” said Anderson. “We are trying to build the ultimate team and everyone has to be on board to make that happen. Our expectations of our student-athletes is that they reflect positively on themselves and our program at all times and that they enter each day as a Razorback with a positive attitude that helps us continue to grow this program.”

Qualls started 10 games this season, averaging 11.7 points per contest. Harris appeared in all 20 games so far and has started four, averaging 9.1 points per game.

This is a major blow to the team's depth as the Razorbacks were fighting to play their onto the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Scott Drew will not lead Baylor to greater heights

Baylor basketball coach Scott Drew has overcame tremendous odds to get the program where it is today. No, not the current five game losing streak, but to the point where they actually matter. Drew has resurrected Baylor form the Dave Bliss/Patrick Dennehy scandal to three NCAA Tournament appearances including two berths in the Elite Eight and a NIT title.

Drew inherited a program in 2003 that had made only four NCAA tournaments ever and had just been rocked by a scandal rooted in the fact that one player murdered another. The penalties -- among them scholarship losses and a postseason ban -- were so severe that non-league games weren't even allowed one year, meaning this was the mess of all messes, and lots of people thought Drew was dumb to leave Valpo to take the Baylor job.

That's all good, but with the talent Drew has procured in Waco over the years fans and media expect much more. Definitely more than a current 1-6 mark in the Big 12 including Tuesday night's loss to West Virginia, a team that has struggled since joining the Big 12.

Drew had the Bears  near the top 10 with a 12-1 record entering Big 12 Conference play – having only lost to Syracuse and beaten Kentucky and Colorado. Suddenly, this team is second to last in the league standings. Baylor has lost six of its past seven games and five in a row. Six Big 12 teams have NCAA tourney-worthy résumés, but coach Scott Drew's group isn't one of them. This is past the panic button.

I'm not saying that Drew can't coach, but maybe he's just not the guy to lead the Bears to greater heights. He recruits his tail off and gets top high school players to come to Waco, which is an achievement in itself. But I'm starting to get the opinion that Drew can't coach the talent. The Bears have the players to win big, but all too often they disappoint and don't perform up to their ability.

I don't know if the team has tuned Drew out, but maybe it's time for him to go. For all the good Drew has done for the program, he's seen as nothing but  an amasser of talent who recruits as many McDonald’s All-Americans and NBA Draft picks as possible without any regard for team basketball.

Whether you like Drew or not, you must give the man credit. He is responsible for perhaps the most remarkable rebuilding job in college basketball history, the young, vibrant head coach at Baylor has transformed a scandal-ridden program into a Big 12 powerhouse since taking over in Waco in 2003.

But for Baylor to take the program to another level Drew may have to leave, because it's looking like this current edition of the Baylor Bears has plateaued and the season has flatlined.

Louisville's Russ Smith escorts freshman high school player to homecoming

 Louisville senior captain and leading scorer Russ Smith agreed to escort a Manual girls basketball player during homecoming festivities Friday night, after that girl's date didn't show up.

Smith was there to support a friend who is an assistant coach on the Eastern High School boys' basketball team. Eastern played at Manual Friday night.

Tonysha Curry, a freshman on the Manual girls basketball team, waited and waited for her date to arrive. He never did. Curry and her friends noticed the Louisville star sitting court-side, and Curry got up the nerve to go and ask Smith to step in as her homecoming escort.

"I had an escort, and he had won the homecoming for king. But he hadn't been coming to the practices. So, he didn't come to the game apparently," Curry said. "I was like, ‘There's Russ Smith. Oh my God. What if he escorted me?' Everybody was like, ‘Go do it! Go do it!'"

So Curry did. Russ Smith's response?

"Can I do that?"

"I was like, ‘Yeah, you can! You can,'" urged Curry to Smith.

"I didn't know," said Smith, when recalling being asked to take part in the homecoming festivities. "It just all happened too fast. She said, ‘Please, it would really make my day, make my night.' It actually made my day probably more than hers. I'm kind of really happy about it."

Let's recap: Freshman girl in high school gets ditched by the homecoming king. The leading scorer on the NCAA college basketball national championship team takes his place. Yet it made Russ Smith's day more than Tonysha Curry's? Russdiculous, please explain.

"It just never happens. It's something that's one in a million," replied Smith. "You just have to live in the moment. It may not ever happen to me again. That made my day."

"I could not breathe," said Curry recalling the moment, when she took Smith's arm and walked to half-court. "I was almost in tears crying. We even had conversations. We were talking to each other."

Smith was a finalist for Louisville's 2013 Homecoming King, but he was beaten out by teammate and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Luke Hancock. No matter. Curry got her man.

"Oh my God. Best day of my life."

Kudos to Smith for giving Curry a memory that will last a lifetime.

Georgetown's Josh Smith out for the season for academic reasons

Georgetown's Josh Smith might go down as one of college basketball's most puzzling players.

Smith was a talented high school player and a McDonald's All American and that netted him a scholarship to UCLA. Unfortunately for UCLA, Smith took the McDonald's billing literally and ballooned to 300+ pounds and never got into playing shape. When he was on the court he flashed the skills that made him one of the top high school players in the nation, but due to his weight issues and inability to mesh with then UCLA head coach Ben Howland, Smith often found himself on the bench.

Smith played six games for UCLA in 2012-2013 and decided to transfer to Georgetown. Hoyas coach John Thompson III was willing to grant Smith a second chance and surprisingly Smith was given immediate eligibility by the NCAA.

Smith paid immediate dividends as he reached double-digit points in seven of his first nine games. Water finally net its level regarding Smith's production as he averaged less than six in his final four games. His final game was on January 4 against St. John's as he scored six points and grabbed five rebounds.

That was his final appearance because Georgetown has ruled Smith academically ineligible for the remainder of the season.

This is a big blow to the Hoyas as a season that started as a Big East contender is now on the brink. The team released forward Greg Whittington, and starting guard Jabril Trawick is out with a broken jaw.

Coach Thompson released a statement regarding Smith's status with the team.

"It's disappointing," Thompson said. "So much was geared toward [Josh's] presence. "Now here in the middle of the season, between [Smith] and Jabril, you lose two starters," Thompson said outside the team's practice court inside McDonough Arena. "You have to reshuffle everything. But this is Georgetown. We have a set of standards here. Everyone has a responsibility above and beyond what goes on those doors right there. He let his teammates down, but the rest of the group will try to regroup here and figure it out."

Hopefully Smith sticks around and figures it out. He has a ton of talent but it has gone untapped in a big way. But knowing Smith from the outside looking in, I don't see him staying at Georgetown to fix his academic problems.

I could be wrong in this assessment on his future. I see him as a future D-League player or trying to go to Europe. Cliff notes version, he's gonna be a basketball vagabond.

Kentucky basketball strength and conditioning coach charged with assault on his wife

An assistant on the coaching staff of the UK basketball team has been arrested and charged with assault and wanton endangerment after an incident involving his wife.

Brian Shorter, a part-time assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of Kentucky's basketball team, was arrested early Thursday morning accused of shoving his wife into an unheated garage and throwing water on her.

A source said there was an argument between Shorter and his wife at their home on Russell Springs, early Thursday morning. According to the victim, it came to a head when Shorter pushed her into their garage, which had no heat, and locked her in there. The victim claimed that about 40 minutes later, Shorter returned and threw a bucket of water on her. She, then, apparently made her way to a nearby hotel where she called for help.

Shorter was arrested at his home.

Shorter is in the Fayette County Detention Center, charged with assault and wanton endangerment.

It's hard to envision Shorter having a job after this alleged incident.

Florida State basketball signee arrested for eating marijuana during traffic stop

In something out of the movie Half Baked, three junior college basketball players are facing drug charges for trying to be creative while hiding marijuana.

Florida State basketball signee Cinmeon Bowers was arrested Thursday for allegedly eating marijuana in attempt to hide it during a routine traffic stop.

Bowers currently plays basketball for Chipola College, and signed with the Seminoles at the end of 2013. He was the first commitment of FSU's 2014 class.

Two other basketball players were arrested with Bowers and taken to Jackson County Correctional Facility. They were pulled over for speeding in Marianna, but police say they smelled marijuana in the vehicle. All three are charged with tampering with evidence.

Bowers, Torian Graham and Jamaar McKay-Taylor have been suspended indefinitely from the Chipola College basketball team until the school conducts its own investigation. FSU athletics has not yet commented on Bowers' arrest.