3/11 - Some Links, Some News

Just some interesting tidbits I figured I'd pass along:

- CBS has released their broadcast teams for the tournament:

Clark Kellogg and Jim Nantz will be the only new announcer pairing for 2009. The others: Dick Enberg-Carter Blackburn-Jay Bilas; Verne Lundquist-Bill Raftery; Gus Johnson-Len Elmore; Kevin Harlan-Dan Bonner; Ian Eagle-Jim Spanarkel ; Craig Bolerjack-Bob Wenzel; Tim Brando-Mike Gminski.

- Memphis may be in the process of landing a legendary recruiting class. Cal has already gotten commitments from consensus top 10 recruits DeMarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry, but now it looks like John Wall, who is thought of as the nation's #1 recruit, may be headed there as well.

- Four Robert Morris players were allegedly involved in a fight in Pittsburgh on Saturday morning. Only one player was arrested (Mezie Nwigwe - any clues on how to say his name?), but Nwigwe played in the Sunday's win against Quinnipiac in the NEC semi's. All signs point towards Nwigwe, who averages 6.5 ppg off the bench, playing against in the finals tonight. I know it was just a misdemeanor he was charged with, but should he really be playing two games in the week after he was arrested for assault?

- The America East coaches failed to vote DJ Rivera, who led the league in scoring at 20.2 ppg and was top 10 in rebounds, steals, and FG%. But he wasn't voted onto any of the league's all-conference teams. Why?

Because the coaches vote on the award. And the coaches in the America East are generally unhappy with Binghamton Coach Kevin Broadus. He has taken a number of controversial and troubled transfers, which has caused concern among some on the Binghamton campus and throughout the league.

Rivera, a transfer from St. Joseph’s who was academically ineligible for a semester last year, did not have to sit out a season because of the N.C.A.A.’s hardship waiver rule. (Binghamton has not commented on Rivera’s case.) Although the coaches have been told by the America East office not to be publicly critical of other coaches or players in the league, they managed to make a statement without saying a word.

“It wasn’t a protest toward the kid at all,” said Patrick Nero, the America East commissioner. “It was a protest toward the N.C.A.A. in allowing him to be eligible. It’s unfortunate, I don’t think it’s right. It’s unfair to the young man. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

Maybe there is more to the story I am not seeing, but on face value, that sucks. Why would you punish a kid - and face it, people, college athletes are 18-22 year old kids - for wanting to play in a place that made him happy? The transfer rules are not always fair, I know that. But is it the player's fault for working within the rules he his given? There to be another way to voice your displeasure over the rules than taking away an award and an achievement that Rivera earned this season.