College Hoops: 4/13/2006 - Midnight Madness (10/16/2006)

[Guest]

Of course, I'm just saying that he was good. There's nothing wrong with that.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Eddie Sutton officially retired today, shame he couldn't win a national title before he did. I'd imagine that it truly is an end of an era with regards to the Bedlam Series with Sampson leaving for Indiana and Sutton retiring.

 

Scottie Reynolds supposedly is going to make his decision next Tuesday. Oklahoma does get to make one final pitch to him, but it looks good right now for Nova to get him.

[Damaramu 0]

Most Sooner fans are already calling for Capel's head because he couldn't hold onto all these kids.

[therealworldschampion 0]

I can see why the fans would be mad because that class was touted as one of the best in OU history, but you can't really blame Capel since the kids committed to play for Sampson, and usually nothing is final until the kids sign the LOI.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

I can see why the fans would be mad because that class was touted as one of the best in OU history, but you can't really blame Capel since the kids committed to play for Sampson, and usually nothing is final until the kids sign the LOI.

 

And even then, LOI's are no longer set-in-stone binding, escpecially if you've got a coaching change. The new coach basically has to recruit all over again. It used to be that those kids would go to the school even if the coach left.

[Damaramu 0]

I just thought it was shitty because they signed to play for Oklahoma. I know the coach means a lot more in b-ball than football but seriously....they shouldn't have all backed out. Actually what I hear happened was Reynolds backed out and convinced the others to leave. They weren't going to until Reynolds got in their heads.

Capel is going to have a looooooooong first season. He'll have the same shitty players as last season minus Bookout, Gray, and Everett. Maybe he can figure out how to use Michael Neal's 3-point shooting ability a little better though.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

I just thought it was shitty because they signed to play for Oklahoma. I know the coach means a lot more in b-ball than football but seriously....they shouldn't have all backed out. Actually what I hear happened was Reynolds backed out and convinced the others to leave. They weren't going to until Reynolds got in their heads.

Capel is going to have a looooooooong first season. He'll have the same shitty players as last season minus Bookout, Gray, and Everett. Maybe he can figure out how to use Michael Neal's 3-point shooting ability a little better though.

 

Honestly, Capel is in for a rough first season, unless by some miracle he gets some Super Players from Europe, Asia or Africa that went completely under the radar. All of Oklahoma's offense (whatever little offense they had) is basically gone. It really is going to be hard for them to break 70 a game. And in some evil way, I want Hofstra to put them on schedule.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Reynolds chose Villanova today over Michigan, if Antonio Pena qualifies then Nova's got a nice class this year. I'm quite happy about this as he could possibly start at PG next year or SG if Lowry comes back.

 

I also now cannot wait to see them whip Saint Hoe's again next year, since the Holy War is in the Pavilion in 2006-2007.

[Damaramu 0]

Why would he commit to OU in the first place if he could go to a place like Nova?

[therealworldschampion 0]

He must've liked Sampson a lot along with the class that was supposed to be coming in, but must've not wanted to follow him to IU.

 

I saw in some preliminary rankings that OU's class was supposed to be Top 5-Top 10, I'd imagine that it's fallen since losing those recruits.

[Guest]

From Yahoo, Sampson's in trouble.

 

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The NCAA banned new Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson from calling recruits and visiting them off-campus for one year on Thursday, ruling he deliberately broke its rules by making extra phone calls to potential players while coaching Oklahoma.

 

The decision, announced by the committee on infractions, also requires Indiana to adopt the restrictions Oklahoma placed on Sampson, where he coached before Indiana hired him earlier this year.

 

"This case is a result of the former head coach's complete disregard for NCAA guidelines for proper telephone contacts with recruits," infractions committee chairman Thomas Yeager said in a written statement. "The former head coach created and encouraged an atmosphere among his staff of deliberate noncompliance, rationalizing the violations as being a result of 'prioritizing' rules."

 

The contract Sampson signed with Indiana on April 20 says the school "may take further action, up to and including termination" if the NCAA "imposes more significant penalties or sanctions than the University of Oklahoma's self-imposed sanctions."

 

It was not immediately clear if the Hoosiers would fire Sampson, who was in Kuwait and unavailable for comment. A message was left on the cell phone of Michael Glazier, Sampson's attorney.

 

Indiana officials were expected to release a written statement later Thursday.

 

"Obviously, we anticipated some type of sanction, and this one seems to fit these minor infractions," Indiana trustee Patrick Shoulders said.

 

Indiana hired Sampson in March amid an investigation into 577 extra phone calls Sampson and Sooners assistant coaches made to 17 recruits from 2000 and 2004. The calls violated NCAA restrictions, and the infractions committee determined Sampson made 233 of them.

 

The committee used strong language in its ruling, calling Sampson's actions "deliberate noncompliance," "willful violations" and found it "troubling" that he was the president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches when the infractions occurred.

 

The committee also determined extra calls gave Oklahoma a significant recruiting advantage since five players actually decided to attend the school.

 

Sampson has acknowledged making "mistakes."

 

But the committee ruled Sampson did not consider his infractions serious.

 

"At a time when the NABC identified impermissible phone contact as a serious issue, and the organization was calling on its membership to be accountable, the former head coach and his staff were engaged in a pattern of willful and significant recruiting violations," the committee said.

 

Yeager's committee heard the case April 21 in Salt Lake City, where Sampson testified.

 

Oklahoma, which escaped major sanctions from the NCAA inquiry, had also frozen Sampson's salary at $1.01 million in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and prohibited him from receiving performance bonuses.

 

Sampson is scheduled to make $1.1 million in the first year of a seven-year deal with Indiana and $1.6 million a year after that. The contract also explicitly states Sampson is not eligible during his first year for performance bonuses and gives Indiana the right to fire Sampson if his assistant coaches commit serious or repeated NCAA rules violations.

 

The Hoosiers have not been found guilty of a major violation since 1960.

 

The NCAA extended Oklahoma's self-imposed probation for an additional 11 months and issued a public reprimand and censure but otherwise accepted the university's self-imposed sanctions, which included reductions in scholarships, recruiting calls and trips and visits to the school by prospective recruits.

 

The infractions committee instituted a two-year probation ending on May 24, 2008. The university's self-imposed probation was to end on June 30, 2007.

So, Indiana has a clause in his contract which states they can fire him due to infractions. Do they?

[therealworldschampion 0]

Seems like Sampson was tryin to emulate that cheatin' SOB Barry Switzer.

 

I don't know if IU will actually fire Sampson for this, I'd imagine that recruiting won't be great for the first year.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Hilarious rumor today as Saint Joseph's is considering bringing in Steve Lappas of all people as an assistant coach. As a Nova fan and student, I cannot even fathom how fucking hysterical that would be....

[Bored 0]

NCAA coaches are apparantly going to make a pitch to expand the tournament field and some want it to be doubled to 128 teams. Yes because we need to make sure every major conference team with a winning record makes the tournament.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060625/ap_on_...DJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

[therealworldschampion 0]

Billy Packer's dream of every ACC team making the tournament would come true at least.

[Guest Jimbo]

If they double the size, what are all the little guys going to play for and why should the bigger teams care? They're all going to make it, and when they do, it will be a single-elimination circus with the hottest good team taking it all.

 

Anyway, that's an absurd amount of picks I'll have to make for pools. Does anybody really care who wins Butler vs. Seton Hall? I think I deserve a point in my pool if I sit through that game!

[Damaramu 0]

Seems like Sampson was tryin to emulate that cheatin' SOB Barry Switzer.

 

I don't know if IU will actually fire Sampson for this, I'd imagine that recruiting won't be great for the first year.

 

Well he didn't do anything near as bad as Switzer. And he wasn't as well liked as Switzer either.

[RepoMan 0]

NCAA coaches are apparantly going to make a pitch to expand the tournament field and some want it to be doubled to 128 teams. Yes because we need to make sure every major conference team with a winning record makes the tournament.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060625/ap_on_...DJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Actually, they should drop back down to 64. If they do expand, go all out to 128. I hate play in games and feel horible for the schools forced into that game so some mediocre power conference team can lose in the first round.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Jesus Christ, after doing some research, Billy Donovan apparently loaded up on tough OOC games for next season. They're playing Kansas and Ohio State before the SEC schedule. The Florida-Ohio State is really similar to the 1992 championship game with the defending champions returning everyone (Florida/Duke) against the team with mostly highly-touted freshmen (Ohio State/Michigan).

 

For Dama: Nova is coming to Norman in December to play OU, so all of the faithful can go out and boo Scottie Reynolds for bailing on Capel.

[Damaramu 0]

If it were a football game he'd be booed till' he cried. Since it's basketball I doubt many will care. Ok they probably will but I had to make my requisite "OU doesn't care about b-ball" joke b/c it's practically true.

[Vern Gagne 0]

OJ Mayo verbally commited to USC.

[Guest]

There's a big smile on my face, even if it is just a verbal. Floyd knows what he's doing, on a college level at least. A new arena does mean quite a bit.

[Hawk 34 0]

Enjoy it while it lasts until Mayo gets suspended before the tournament for his usual stupidity.

[Guest]

If that happens, at least other good players will have signed on. Didn't expect it in the first place, to be honest.

[Hawk 34 0]

If that happens, at least other good players will have signed on. Didn't expect it in the first place, to be honest.

 

To be honest, no matter where OJ Mayo went, he would only do something stupid. I wouldn't expect him to even play 1/2 a season. I think he picked USC for obvious reasons.

 

A) He is tired of Cincinnati.

B) Playing for Bob Huggins is cool but not in fucking Kansas.

C) USC chicks.

[Guest]

C is a big time definite, and it's easier to get in trouble here than it is anywhere else. Especially considering the location of the campus. Everything around the place is the fucking ghetto. I don't even like walking the streets at night surrounded by people after a game.

[cabbageboy 0]

Yeah, isn't USC practically in South Central or thereabouts? See, there are reasons why I applied to UCLA's grad film school rather than USC's. Where would you rather be, Westwood and Bel Air, or South Central?

 

Of course I didn't get in, so it's a moot point.

[Guest]

Yes, USC is in South Central. I like the actual campus, but the area around it is awful.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

For the 8 People that Care, ESPN U's Summer Session has begun. The Summer Session breaks down all 31 conferences and the Independents. This week, they're breaking down the Big XII, Northeast, Atlantic Sun, and the Colonial.

 

Big XII

Northeast Conference

Atlantic Sun

CAA

 

A Week by Week Schedule of the Conference Breakdowns

[therealworldschampion 0]

Big East conference opponents matchups for 2006-2007

 

I'm loving the fact that Nova gets a home-and-home with Georgetown. I'm guessing that the Wachovia Center games next year will be Georgetown, Pitt, Notre Dame, Louisville, and Texas.