7/22 - Some Links, Some News

-So Harold Shelton, Nick Loucks, and Chris Fallica over at ESPN have put together a ranking of the top 300 schools based on "prestige". I like how they looked at it based strictly on numbers and the formula they put together, leaving all the normal biases writers have aside. They have yet to release the top 40, so I'll have more on this when the full rankings come out.

-Luke Winn of SI.com wrote a great piece on Arsalan Kazemi, an athletic, 6'7" 18 year old from Iran that has moved to the states to try and become the first Iranian to play in the NCAA. It's a tough situation for the kid, because he wants to return to Iran to play in the West Asian games for his country, but if he does and he leaves the states, he may not receive another visa to return to the US. Regardless, it sounds like this kid is the real deal, and he has already received scholarship offers from schools like Seton Hall and Oklahoma State. He will be playing at the Patterson School in North Carolina for Chris Cheney, who coached players like Shawne Williams, Robert Dozier, and Antonio Anderson at Laurinburg Prep. It is an interesting look at how the escalating tensions between Iran and the US has effects far beyond just foreign relations.

-Chris Lofton, who hid his battle with testicular cancer prior to his senior year at Tennessee, has signed to play with  Mersin Metrocity Municipality Sport Club in Turkey. After hearing about what Lofton dealt with, how can you not root for him.

-Good news for Gonzaga fans - Austin Daye does not actually have a torn ACL, which would have put his 2008-2009 season in jeopardy. After seeing specialists at UCLA, it seems that Daye only has a bad bone bruise in his knee and a slight tear of his ACL, which means he only needs a few weeks of rest as opposed to surgery. This is great news for the 'Zags, as a healthy Daye, who seems poised for a breakout sophomore year, means that Mark Few will be fielding what may be his most talented team to date.

-There has been an interesting twist in the recruitment of UCLA transfer Chace Stanback. Considered one of the top recruits in his class coming out of high school, Stanback was going to be forced to pay his way through school for a year as everywhere he wants to transfer is already using their full allotment of 13 scholarships. But his mom just won $25,000 online at liveatthefasttrack.com, which means that it will be that much easier for him to attend school for a year. Rumor has it he is headed north to play for Lorenzo Romar at Washington.

-Demar Derozan has qualified at USC, and thus will not follow Brandon Jennings to Europe to play.

-Andy Staples takes a look at how the rising gas prices will effect collegiate athletic programs that don't have the budget of a North Carolina.

-Patrick Patterson's rehab on the stress fracture in his left ankle is ahead of schedule, and it appears that the Kentucky center will be healthy heading into the season.

 

-Don't give the Tar Heels the '08-'09 title yet. LET'S GO HUSKIES!!