9/2 - Some Links, Some News

-This off-season has not been a great one of the University of Kansas, even beyond the fact that they lost nine total players and five NBA Draft picks from last season's NCAA Championship team. First, it was Sherron Collins and the "elevator incident". Then freshman Markieff Morris was arrested for shooting a woman with a BB gun from his dorm room window. The lastest news to come out of Lawrence is that Collins has shown up to camp out of shape after off-season knee surgery. Collins has always battled conditioning and weight issues, but according to Bill Self

"He's a month behind where I thought he'd be at this stage," Self said when the Jayhawks opened camp on Aug. 21. "He just reported back in bad shape. He was [in Lawrence] up until the time he was cleared to start [working out]. When he got cleared to do some things, that's when he decided to go home [to Chicago]. You can't go four months off, not be prepared and then just walk out there and say, 'I'm going to practice.' His body is just not ready to take a pounding at all."

Collins was expected to be a leader for this young Kansas team as he is the only major contributor from last season. Collins did not play Saturday during Kansas' first game of a three game Canada trip, although the official reason was that his knee was no feeling well. He had 10 points in the team's second game.

-I have to say, I feel bad for New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies. About a month ago, his best returning big man, Herb Pope, was visiting schools like Seton Hall in hopes of transferring to greener basketball pastures. On Friday, Pope announced that he would be returning the NMSU (most likely because he was going to have to sit out a year because he wasn't going to get an NCAA waiver for his undisclosed personal issues). Well, today Menzies said in a statement that Pope will in fact be leaving NMSU, hopefully to transfer to Duquense or Seton Hall, which is closer to his Pittsburgh home.

"A decision has been made that Herb Pope will not play for the Aggies this upcoming season," NMSU coach Marvin Menzies said in a statement. "It is unfortunate things did not work out for Herb at NMSU, however, moving forward is best for all parties involved. We are building a program that will have chemistry and success, and in order to do that you must have development and continuity. We wish him well in the future both on and off the court."

Last year, NMSU was 9-10 without Pope, but 12-4 in the 16 games he played in after being cleared by the NCAA. He averaged 11.1 ppg in those 16 games.

-The NBA Players Association has suspended Calvin Andrews, the agent from Bill Duffy Associates that allegedly gave OJ Mayo his improper benefits while Mayo was at USC, for one year and reserved the right to further punish him.

-Indiana's only returning contributor Kyle Taber will undergo knee surgery and is expected to miss about 10 weeks. Indiana may not win a game this year.

-Alabama freshman Tony Mitchell has been declared ineligible for at least the first semester, while Arkansas freshman Jason Henry has been cleared to play.