Off-Court Player Issues

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Just Two for the Atlantic 10?

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:41:59 -0800

Before Thursday night's game between Richmond and Temple the Atlantic 10 may have been in some trouble with regards to getting three teams into the NCAA Tournament. Both the Owls and Xavier are seen to essentially be locks to get into the NCAA Tournament, and after Thursday night they may be the only two teams that get in come Selection Sunday.

Already having been blown out at home by Xavier (85-62 on January 29th), Richmond fell at Temple 73-53 to drop into fourth place in the conference, and further investigation of their profile makes it difficult to make a convincing case for Chris Mooney's team despite their win over Purdue early in the season.

Before last night's game the Spiders boasted an RPI of 70 and an SOS of 153, and when you have a record of 14-1 against teams with an RPI of 151 or worse it's tough to sell an overall record of 20-7 (9-3 Atlantic 10). And what hurts them even more is that they'll have two more games against teams with poor computer numbers before the regular season ends with trips to Charlotte and Saint Joseph's.

While Xavier was able to bounce back from their loss at Charlotte to assume control of the Atlantic 10 race a loss to the erratic 49ers could be the final nail in the coffin for Richmond. Despite the talent of point guard Kevin Anderson and forward Justin Harper the Spiders are likely in a situation where they need a deep run in the Atlantic 10 Tournament in order to provide a convincing case that they should dance.

As for last night, the Owls took control of the game early, going on an 11-2 run halfway through the first half to push their lead up to 12 points and leading by nine at the half. Ramone Moore led the way with 24 points and Temple led by as many as 25 points in the second half, but the most important development for Fran Dunphy's team had to have been the play of Juan Fernandez. Fernandez made nine of ten from the field and scored 20 points, and given the fact that he's struggled for much of conference play from the field it's an encouraging sign as they enter the stretch run.

Temple also suffered a key loss with Micheal Eric now done for the season due to a broken patella. Eric averaged 7.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, a total second to Lavoy Allen's 7.0 rebounds per game. Eric's injury means that Rahlir Jefferson moves into the starting lineup and he grabbed seven rebounds in 39 minutes of action. But Temple's now down to about a seven-man rotation and the seventh guy last night, T.J. DiLeo, played 10 minutes.

Three of their last five are on the road, including a game at Duke on Wednesday, but it's by no means unreasonable to predict a 4-1 mark to end the regular season for them. They should be OK without Eric, but Jefferson and others will need to continue to rebound to make up for the big man's absence. As for Richmond, that season finale against Duquesne looms large with neither having major resume-building opportunities left on the schedule. That could be a showdown for bid number three, and unfortunately for the A-10 that may be a best-case scenario.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Arizona had quite the day at the office, and they remain atop the Pac-10 standings.
To say Thursday was a good day to be an Arizona Wildcat would be an understatement, with the commitment of forward Angelo Chol (San Diego) making four highly-touted recruits in the Class of 2011 for Sean Miller and his staff. Chol joins guards Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner and forward Sidiki Johnson, and given what Arizona's slated to have back on campus (even if Derrick Williams were to go pro) look for them to be a preseason Top 10 team. But the more important matter was their 79-70 win over Washington State, moving the Wildcats to 11-2 in league play and keeping them a game ahead of UCLA atop the Pac-10.

Williams, who should be a consensus All-American come season's end, finished with 28 points and eight rebounds and defensively the Wildcats survived 30 from Klay Thompson by limiting the other Cougars to 15-for-36 from the field. 6th man Faisal Aden managed just two points on the night, and when that happens Ken Bone's team gets into trouble. Next up for Arizona is Washington at home, where a measure of revenge (Washington won the first meeting by 17) likely eliminates the Huskies from the title race. Tough to peg just where Arizona ends up come Selection Sunday (4 or 5 seed seems likely right now) but that's a team no one will look forward to playing.

2. Coastal Carolina may be in serious trouble despite their gaudy record.
Cliff Ellis' team has navigated a player dismissal and a key injury to win 22 straight games before falling to Gardner Webb on Tuesday night. But the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Desmond Holloway (18.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg) could be the straw that broke the camel's back for the Chanticleers. They didn't need him last night as all five scorers reached double figures in a 94-59 win over North Carolina Central in a non-conference tilt, but winning the Big South Tournament became even tougher for a team that dropped last year's final at home to Radford.

Chad Gray and Albany transfer Anthony Raffa will be the guys most likely to pick up the slack offensively, and the best sign from last night's win may have been the 22 points scored by Dexter Moore, who averages only 10.8 minutes per game. Not points, minutes. Obviously the opportunity is there for more minutes and shots, and Coastal needs the junior from Bluefield, West Virginia to be up to the task if they're to grab that automatic bid.

3. Belmont and Oakland now have postseason berths as a result of last night's games.
Two more teams clinched their respective conference's regular season titles on Thursday night. Belmont clinched the Atlantic Sun with a 68-58 win over East Tennessee State, moving to 16-1 in league play and 24-4 overall. Belmont's won six straight games since their lone conference loss at rival Lipscomb, and Ian Clark led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. Rick Byrd's squad plays with impressive balance as six players average at least seven points and eleven play at least 10 minutes per game.

Oakland wrapped up the Summit League with their 71-69 win over North Dakota State as Keith Benson scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies, who have now won two straight league titles, have been just as good within the league as Belmont and it's been more than just Benson getting the job done. Will Hudson went for 15 points and 12 rebounds and Reggie Hamilton scored 19 while dishing out five assists. Add in Larry Wright off the bench and this is a team that's also been tested in the non-conference portion of their schedule, meaning that they won't be scared should they earn an automatic bid.

Top Three Games

1. Long Island 83, Wagner 79 (OT) Kyle Johnson scored six points in the extra sessions as the Blackbirds maintained their two-game lead in the NEC. David Hicks led LIU with 21 points and Latif Rivers led Wagner with 18 points. Chris Martin's three with four seconds remaining to force overtime for the Seahawks.

2. DePaul 79, Providence 76 DePaul found a way to end both their 25-game Big East and 29-game road losing streaks at the same time. Jeremiah Kelly scored a career-high 23 points and freshmen Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young added a combined 37 in the Blue Demons' victory. Marshon Brooks led all scorers with 28.

3. Penn State 66, Minnesota 63 Talor Battle scored 28 points as the Nittany Lions dealt Minnesota a serious blow with regards to their NCAA Tournament hopes. Blake Hoffarber led the Golden Gophers with 18 points and Trevor Mbakwe added 16.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Nate Wolters (South Dakota State) 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the Jackrabbits' 80-64 win over IPFW.

2. F Derrick Williams (Arizona) 28 points (12-12 FT) and eight rebounds in the Wildcats' 79-70 win over Washington State.

3. G Chris Flores (NJIT) 28 points and eight rebounds in the Highlanders' 72-66 win at Houston Baptist.

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Suspensions Doom Kansas State

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:41:47 -0800

Things got off to a bad start for Frank Martin's team before last night's game against UNLV tipped off as Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly were both suspended due to a violation of NCAA rules. The two players purchased clothing at an area department store at a discount (how much is unknown), triggering a three-game ban for Pullen while the length of time Kelly sits out remains to be seen. Definitely not good news for a team that's struggled in finding a championship level of consistency this season, and sure enough Kansas State fell to UNLV 63-59 in Kansas City for their third loss of the season. For a team that's in need of a second leader to step up next to Pullen, it does Kansas State no good to have the All-American out of the lineup as well. The Wildcats turned the ball over 23 times while assisting on just six made shots, a terrible ratio for a team that outside of Pullen really doesn't have a talent who can make things happen offensively without the aid of teammates.

"Somewhere along the lines our guys think that you can win basketball games without passing the basketball," said Coach Martin. "We had six assists and 23 turnovers and all 23 were non-aggressive turnovers. It is frustrating to watch. We battled and fought and it was nice but now we had them on their heels and we have to play. They got a baseline drive and then we cut it to one. Dead-charge and Rodney (McGruder) got out of the way. And they got a three-point play. That is not a winning play and we have got to make winning plays." (quote courtesy of Kansas State University)

Kansas State out-rebounded UNLV 43-26 with McGruder and Jamar Samuels combining for 19, but that edge didn't matter when considering the turnovers (which allowed UNLV to take three more shots despite allowing 15 offensive rebounds) and missed free throws (14-26) and their impact. Tre'Von Willis led UNLV with 16 points while Oscar Bellfield and Anthony Marshall added 11 apiece, and despite some poor shooting (2-for 13 3PT) Lon Kruger's team added another good win to their resume. But this result became more about the Wildcats as soon as news of the suspensions came out. There were already questions about this team, thought by many as ready to unseat Kansas atop the Big 12 despite the loss of Denis Clemente, due to their play leading up to last night. Now? It's time for players such as McGruder and Samuels, and even a Will Spradling at the point, to step up and be accounted for as leaders. K-State should be fine and remain a factor in the Big 12 but they've got some issues that can become even more of a problem if allowed to fester for the long haul.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Renardo Sidney suspended for today's game against Washington State.
One of the major questions many had about Renardo Sidney throughout the recruiting process, in addition to the off and on motor, was his maturity level. Well, the more things change (his now being cleared to play) the more they stay the same as the talented big was suspended for Wednesday's game against Washington State. "Conduct detrimental to the team" was the phrase used to describe the reason for head coach Rick Stansbury's move, which came after the team's Monday practice. But in a situation like this, when a school did everything imaginable to get a young man into school and kept him around through a lengthy suspension (plus augmenting the schedule to account for his return), you'd expect more out of Sidney. At the least Coach Stansbury is being proactive in dealing with this now because the Bulldogs need Sidney on the court, especially since PG Dee Bost isn't eligible until January 8th. A big stretch for Mississippi State in regards to earning an NCAA berth has already gotten off to a shaky start.

2. St. John's shows why there's need for moderation in regards to the Northwestern talk.
It should be common knowledge by this point that Northwestern is the lone team in a BCS conference to have never been to the NCAA Tournament, but that didn't stop some from taking that leap with the Wildcats during their 8-0 start to the season. But you can't ignore the fact that the Wildcats, who do have three of the top 11 scorers in the Big Ten, had yet to be truly tested by a team with anything close to NCAA Tournament-level talent going into last night's final of the MSG Holiday Festival. St. John's put on a near clinic in the second half, making 16 of 20 field goals (and didn't attempt a three-pointer) in running away 85-69 as Dwight Hardy (24 points) and MVP Justin Brownlee (21 points) led the way.

Northwestern made just 42.8% of their two-point shot attempts and for a team that shoots the three as much as they do (27 attempts against St. John's) the Wildcats need that percentage to be in the 50% range (51.1% average) in order to be successful. Offensively Northwestern needs more from Luka Mirkovic (1-6 FG, 2 points) on a consistent basis and he may have been bothered by the Red Storm's athleticism in the paint (Justin Burrell especially). Defensively they were poor in the second half as St. John's was able to get about any look it wanted, but it's not all doom and gloom for the Wildcats despite the troubling aspects of last night's loss. The trio of Drew Crawford, John Shurna and Juice Thompson can get it done offensively and it's rare that Northwestern defends as poorly as they did on Tuesday. But they need all hands on deck upon entering Big Ten play as the six teams ahead of them in the projected pecking order will be tough outs for Northwestern. In order for this group to reach heights never scaled by the program performances like Tuesday's will have to be few and far between.

3. Tennessee may be in serious danger of having their season spiral out of control.
SEC teams, outside of Kentucky and Vanderbilt, have shown themselves incapable of dealing with prosperity this season. But what Tennessee has done since knocking off Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago borders on being a complete nosedive instead of a blip on the radar screen. USC did the honors on Tuesday, knocking off the Volunteers in Knoxville 65-64 despite not scoring the final 2:13 of the game. Tennessee shot just 38.3% from the field and turned the ball over eighteen times, nullifying a 38-23 rebounding edge as a result. Scotty Hopson hasn't been the same since that win over Pitt, shooting 1-for-5 from the field and scoring just eight points. While the mental toughness of this group was widely praised following their big win in light of the Bruce Pearl suspension you have to wonder what's going on with Tennessee. It's one thing to struggle and get knocked off in an upset, but something more has seemed afoul in losses to Oakland, Charlotte and USC. Hopefully the Vols can figure out (and solve) the issue before this turns into a complete train wreck.

Top Three Games

1. Austin Peay 86, Morehead State 85 (OT) The Eagles were able to erase a four-point deficit in the final 7.8 seconds of regulation, but all that did was delay the inevitable as Dave Loos' squad moves to 4-0 in OVC play. TyShawn Edmondson led the Governors with 22 points while Melvin Baker added 19 and 10 rebounds, and Demonte Harper led the Eagles with 34 points.

2. Valparaiso 103, Oakland 102 The Golden Grizzlies haven't won since knocking off Tennessee, falling in the Lou Henson Award Tournament final to the Crusaders. Brandon Wood (35 points) and Cory Johnson (33) led the way for Homer Drew's squad while Reggie Hamilton (26 points) and Larry Wright (24) combined to score 50 for Oakland.

3. Army 88, Brown 86 Jeremy Hence led the Black Knights with 21 points and eight rebounds as a Mitch McDonald layup with 21 seconds remaining gave Army an 86-84 lead. A pair of Nathan Hedgecock free throws sealed the game with six seconds left after a Peter Sullivan (24 points) missed three.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Brandon Wood (Valparaiso) 35 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Crusaders' win over Oakland.

2. G/F Marshon Brooks (Providence) 25 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals in the Friars' 84-76 win over Sacred Heart.

3. G Demonte Harper (Morehead State) 34 points, four rebounds and three assists in the Eagles' 86-85 loss at Austin Peay.

Creighton G P'Allen Stinnett Suspended Indefinitely

Press Release — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:21:52 -0800

OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton men's basketball head coach Dana Altman has announced the indefinite suspension of P'Allen Stinnett for conduct not acceptable to the team.

Stinnett, a junior guard from Las Vegas, Nevada, is the team's second-leading scorer at 9.2 points per game and has started 15-of-20 games this season.

Creighton, tied for third place in the Missouri Valley Conference, plays next at Bradley on Wednesday.

Altman stated he would have no additional comment on the matter at this time.

-- Creighton Sports Information

-- For more info, see the following story in the Omaha World-Herald

Tyler Smith's Sad Story

Jason Brubaker — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:36:11 -0800

It shouldn't have ended like this.

The happy ending was all that was missing from Tyler Smith's tale. A versatile forward who came to Knoxville three years ago to be closer to his ailing father, Smith had the perfect script. A transfer loaded with ability who seemed destined for an NBA future. A kid who returns to his roots and makes good on his immense potential to honor the memory of his father. It was all right there for him.

Now? Smith is in basketball purgatory, thanks to his dismissal from the Tennessee program following his arrest for gun possession. Smith returned to Knoxville for his senior year to improve his NBA stock and lead Tennessee on a deep tournament run. Instead, he's now hoping just to avoid a jail sentence.

The details have been released, analyzed, picked apart and rehashed all over sports radio for the past week. Smith, along with three teammates, were pulled over in Knoxville. A search of their vehicle turned up drugs, as well as two guns. Smith was first suspended, then dismissed by Coach Bruce Pearl, and now awaits possible weapons charges. A once-promising future is now very cloudy.

And that's what is sad. We should be talking about Smith's NBA stock climbing as he shows a consistent jumps hot and more leadership skills this year. We could be talking about whether Tennessee can be a legitimate threat to Kentucky in the SEC East. We could even be talking about who is the better prospect for Tennessee, Smith or SG Scotty Hopson. But we definitely should not be talking about whether Smith will spend the next phase of his life in a jail cell.

For his part, Smith has owned up to the mistake, offering no excuses. In a released statement, Smith apologized for his actions, and thanked the university for their support during his time there.

“I'm truly sorry for my actions,” he said. “My recent actions do not reflect who I am, and I can only hope that what I do in the future can make everyone believe in me again.”

But even with the apology, basketball fans have to feel cheated. Here was a guy with enormous talent, a guy who was certain to turn his talent into a large paycheck somewhere, a guy who was the face of a prominent basketball team in one of the biggest conferences in the country...and he threw all of that away.

See, there are millions of kids across the country who dream of one day playing big-time college basketball. The vast majority of them never get to realize that dream, instead having to resort to following their favorite athletes and teams and living vicariously through them. For many, the closest they'll get to a Division I basketball court is buying a ticket and plopping down in the stands. No matter how hard they work, they just simply don't have the ability.

But Smith did. Blessed with great size, he was a walking mismatch with the ball skills of a guard but the height to play in the post. He had great court version, often playing as a point forward for Pearl, and he had an enormous reserve of energy and passion that was evident every time he took the court. He had an inconsistent but improving jump shot, good athleticism and a penchant for being a tough defender. In short, he had the type of skills that many young kids all over would kill for. And now, it all appears to be wasted.

Now Smith may still find his way into the NBA. The investigation of the case is still underway, and it's very possible he could avoid any real punishment outside of some community service. But the damage may be done. Smith was a borderline first-round pick entering the season, needing to show some progress on the court to creep comfortably into the first round. Now, not only does he not get the chance to do that, but he also will face questions about his character and maturity. NBA general managers don't always make wise decisions, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one who will get excited about a small forward with a shaky jumper and a criminal record.

It didn't have to be this way. Smith was supposed to come back as a senior and be the unquestioned leader of a team that is on the way up. He was supposed to honor the memory of his father by fulfilling his potential and blossoming into a professional.

Instead, he was forced to watch Tennessee's upset over #1 Kansas on Sunday as a fan, watching his former teammates play better without him than they had at times with him. It had to hurt, and it should have. Smith threw away a golden opportunity, and he has no one to blame but himself.

It was supposed to be a different story this year for Smith. We were waiting for a happy ending. Instead, the story, like his career, ends all too abruptly.

A sad story indeed.

Mayo Mess: USC Imposes Sanctions

Press Release — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:26:53 -0800

Los Angeles, Calif. - The University of Southern California (USC) today announced that it has implemented self-imposed sanctions on its men’s basketball program for violating NCAA rules.

The sanctions are a result of a University investigation that found NCAA rules violations related to O.J. Mayo, who played for the USC’s men’s basketball team during the 2007-2008 season.

“USC takes allegations of NCAA rules violations very seriously. When allegations were made regarding our men’s basketball program we immediately began an investigation and worked closely with the NCAA and the Pac-10 in an attempt to ascertain the truth,” said USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett. “When we’ve done something wrong, we have an obligation to do something about it and that is exactly what we are doing here.”

The self-imposed sanctions for the men’s basketball program include a one-year ban on post-season competition following the 2009-2010 regular season, including the Pac-10 Conference basketball tournament; a reduction of one scholarship for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years; a reduction by one of the number of coaches permitted to engage in off-campus recruiting activities during the summer of 2010, and a reduction in the total number of recruiting days by twenty days (from 130 to 110) for the 2010-2011 academic year.

In addition, because of Mayo’s involvement with Rodney Guillory, whom under NCAA rules became a USC booster due to his role in Mayo’s recruitment, USC will vacate all wins during the 2007-2008 regular season, which was when Mayo competed while ineligible. USC will also return to the NCAA the money it received through the Pac-10 Conference for its participation in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament.

These self-imposed sanctions impact only the men’s basketball program, and do not affect any other program.

“We have very high standards for our faculty, athletic department, staff and students,” said USC Senior Vice President Todd R. Dickey. “We expect and demand that everyone associated with the University live up to these standards. Nothing is more important than the integrity of this institution and its people.”

Mr. Garrett said, “We believe the self-imposed sanctions are consistent with penalties imposed at other NCAA member institutions which have been cited with similar rules infractions. Although we are disappointed that rules were violated, we look forward to moving past this matter and to the future success of our men’s basketball program.”

Kevin O’Neill, head men’s basketball coach for USC added, "I think the University did the right thing in self-imposing sanctions. I respect and understand the action that was taken. Our players have risen to many challenges already this season and I am proud of what they have accomplished. I am confident that they will rise to this latest challenge.

“As their coach, I will do everything in my power to make our program better on and off the court every day,” he said. “Our job as a team now is to move forward in a positive manner. We have 16 games left to play this season. I have no doubt that our players will prepare and play well in those games. While it is unfortunate that our players won't have the chance to compete in the post-season, that just makes every game for us now a post-season game.”

Mr. Garrett concluded, “While we recognize there may be additional questions about our announcement today or other alleged NCAA infractions, until the NCAA concludes its inquiries, we cannot make any further comment.”

Baylor G Tweety Carter Suspended

Press Release — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:27:23 -0800

WACO, Texas – Senior Tweety Carter, who averaged 10.6 ppg last year, has been suspended for the first four games of the 2009-10 season for an undisclosed team rules violation, Baylor head men’s basketball coach Scott Drew announced Friday.

The Reserve, La., native will miss Baylor’s non-conference games against Norfolk State (Nov. 13), Hartford (Nov. 15), Southern (Nov. 16) and Hardin-Simmons (Nov. 22). Carter will return to the Baylor lineup for the Bears’ Thanksgiving Day game vs. Alabama in the first round of the Old Spice Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

-www.BaylorBears.com-

How many games do you expect the NCAA to have Renardo Sidney sit out?

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:28:06 -0800

Juan Pattillo Dismissed by Oklahoma, Will Transfer

Press Release — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:12:45 -0700

NORMAN, Okla. - University of Oklahoma men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel announced today that junior Juan Pattillo has been dismissed from the OU squad for violating team policy.

Pattillo, a 6-6, 216-pound forward from Las Vegas, Nev., played in 18 games this past season and averaged 6.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots in 15.0 minutes per outing. He scored a high of 15 points against Kansas Feb. 23 and grabbed a high of 10 rebounds against Baylor Feb. 11. Over OU's four NCAA Tournament games, he averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 boards.

Capel said that he will have no comment on the matter.

Oklahoma Suspends Patillo For Saturday Game

Press Release — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:55:55 -0800

NORMAN, Okla. - University of Oklahoma men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel announced this evening that junior forward Juan Pattillo will miss Saturday's game at Texas Tech for violating a team rule.

Pattillo, a 6-6, 216-pound forward from Las Vegas, Nev., is averaging 7.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in his 11 games since coming out of redshirt status on Jan. 12. He is averaging 16.5 minutes per contest.

- OU -

Battered and Bloodied: The Year in College Basketball Videos

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:40:01 -0800

This college basketball season has been an interesting one to say the least. Like any other year we have seen teams rise and fall. We have seen great individual performances, nail biting games, and buzzer beaters…but this year has also been entertaining for other reasons. There have been ejections, cheap shots, and even a face stomp. Here’s a collection of videos on the “controversial” events that have occurred already this season…

Taxicab Confession

Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy was arrested on December 18 for punching a Cincinnati cab driver and shouting racial slurs at him. The cab driver told police that he picked up Kennedy and his friends after they were kicked out of a bar. The problem apparently began when the cab driver instructed Kennedy that there wasn’t enough room for everyone to fit in the cab. Since the arrest, a police video has been released of the incident. I hope HBO airs this on an episode of Taxicab Confessions.

Pat Knight’s Impersonation of Usain Bolt

Texas Tech coach Pat Knight decided to take a page out of his father’s book in his latest tirade. The Red Raiders coach Usain Bolted out onto the court to argue a call in a recent game against Nebraska. Coach Knight confronted one official on the far sideline, who assessed him his first technical, and then confronted another official at midcourt, who then assessed the coach with another technical. Both techs led to his ejection. His assistant coaches then led him off the floor, but Knight wasn’t finished. He ran back to midcourt to let the refs hear more about his side of things.

Slap Heard Around the World

Miami Florida guard Jack McClinton doesn’t like to play nice. McClinton was ejected after slapping Ohio State guard Anthony Crater in the face during their ACC-Big Ten Challenge matchup in December. McClinton was standing in front of the Ohio State bench when the altercation occurred. He was apparently reacting to Crater swiping at him. Video

Do you remember the first slap that had donned this title? For those of you who watch MTV’s Real World you might. It’s the infamous Stephen vs. Irene fight in Real World Seattle. Stephen slapped Irene right in the face as she jumped in the car. This is right after he threw one of her stuffed animals in the river. Stand up guy.

Below The Belt

USC’s Leonard Washington was ejected after delivering a low blow to Preseason All-American Blake Griffin. The refs called a foul and reviewed the play. Upon seeing the cheap shot they assessed a flagrant foul on Washington and he was ejected from the game. Griffin immediately hit the floor after getting the wind, amongst other things, knocked out of him. Washington played his own version of just the tip.

Disney’s Stomp the Yard…or Face?

Houston’s Aubrey Coleman may have thought he was auditioning for his own version of a Disney movie. Coleman stepped directly onto Arizona forward Chase Budinger’s face. I am honestly surprised there wasn’t more retaliation. This may have been the dirtiest play of all time. Budinger got up fast and luckily other players and refs intervened rather quickly so nothing further happened.

Throw Them Bows

Michigan’s Manny Harris’ flagrant flying elbow on Purdue’s Chris Kramer got him ejected. I was watching this game, from my couch with my snuggie (half joking), and didn’t think Harris deserved to be ejected. There are ways to swing through and then there are ways not to swing through. He was making a “basketball” move. He was trying to create space and don’t think he was making this in a malicious way. Its unfortunate that Kramer was injured on the play and I think in the end the correct call was made.

Brotherly Love

Providence guard Jeff Xavier was driving to the lane when he was inadvertently hit in the eye on his way to the basket. Xavier immediately hit the floor, followed by his brother. Jonathan Xavier, Jeff’s brother, ran down the stairs of the Dunkin Donuts Center, hopped over the Marquette bench and approached a referee. All of this happened while Geoff McDermott was on the foul line. I think this is the closest a Friar fan has come to rushing the court since the 90’s.

Unfriendly Owl

I have seen mascots fighting mascots and plenty of antics that these usually friendly and furry creatures get themselves into, but this is something entirely different. Rice’s Sammy the Owl was ejected from a game against Tulane after head butting a ref. He used his giant foam head to get his point across. His loyalty to the team is no longer questioned.