Thursday Morning Dump

Things you may have missed: Another white guy submits a dunk for "Dunk of the Year". Who doesn't love a two-handed thunder-dunk? Southern Conference cancels a game because of a flu outbreak. Don't forget about Nolan Smith when debating the PoY award. Rutgers stuns 'Nova on a four-point-play

- Duke-UNC happened last night. My two favorite gamers came from Goodman and King.

- The third edition of the National Player of the Year Straw Poll was released and Jimmer Fredette sits atop the leader board

- Dana O'Neil writes a feature story on Kenny Faried? Yes please!

- John Gasaway doesn't buy in to seeding as much as he does selection

More links after the jump

- Pete Thamel, aka Big Blue Nation's favorite writer, recaps the season thus far. He states that the lack of a dominant team allows for more parity in college hoops

- Matt Norlander details the success of the Long Island Blackbirds and the effect NEC PoY-candidate Julian Boyd. The sophomore forward was diagnosed last season with noncompaction cardiomyopathy, meaning his heart was too big and was'nt circulating blood properly. But he has bounced back to become a force in the Northeast Conference. Norlander also tells us that Syracuse should to address their flaws right away if they want to be alive in late March

- Jeff Eisenberg explains why Utah will be facing a tough decision about the future of head coach Jim Boylen

- Pat Forde says that maybe it's time we consider Notre Dame as a true contender

- Eamonn Brennan provides analysis and insight on Georgetown's important road win at the Carrier Dome

- Dave Ommen provides today's Bubble Banter. He wonders if it's possible that Washington is now in the same position as Alabama is. He isn't the only one who is perplexed with Washington's recent slide

- Just because a player isn't in the starting-five doesn't mean he's not one of the best five on the team. With Geoff McCammon in the starting rotation, Loyola (IL) is 4-4 and he is avergaing 11.1-ppg. When he comes off the bench, the Ramblers are 9-6 and he is scoring 15.6-ppg. He might not get to have his name announced before the game, but he is clearly more productive coming off the bench, and the team is doing better

- A solid-read on Indiana's Jeremiah Rivers, the son of Boston Celtic's coach Doc and older brother of Duke-bound Austin

- Scoop Jardine blogs away about the 'Cuse/G'Town rivalry, Marshon Brooks, and Ashton Gibbs' injury

- Remember when the video of Jared Sullinger singing Miley Cyrus was leaked? Well Sully loves Miley Cyrus so much, he asked an opposing fan for a sign they made about him

- Draft Express takes a look at the scouting report on Baylor freshman and potential-lottery pick Perry Jones

- NBA Draft Blog provides a scouting report on Washington point guard Isaiah Thomas

- Billy Barone and Auburn-transder Andre Malone will both be elligible to play for Rhode Island starting second semester next year

- Some of the first information regarding next season's aircraft carrier game between UNC and MSU has been released

- Eric Angevine notes that Bruce Weber want's his team to become more tough. His Illini squad has one of the bigger front-lines in the Big-Ten yet has had trouble getting consistent productivity.

- Matt Jones documents the coaching-move made by Mike Brey last night that won Notre Dame the game

- UNLV has been struggling in MWC-play and the referees are the least of their problems

- Maryland will honor Greivis Vasquez on February 20th by raising his jersey into the rafters

- VCU defeated Delaware in double-OT last night. Both Jamie Skeen and Bradford Burgess eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for their careers

- Princeton defeated Penn on Tuesday night in an improtnat Ivy League game. The tigers are undefeated in league play and this may be a sign that the program is back to it's winning ways

- I wish I could have gotten this up before the game, but it's still worth it: There was no admission cost to attend the Oklahoma/Texas game last night

- Binghamton has removed the interim tag from coach Mark Macon and have given him an extension

- Wyoming made head coach Heath Schroyer the first mid-season causality of the year. Ken Cross wonders if the firing made sense

- Oregon State picked up a committment from 6-foot-3 Swedish combo guard Charles Barton Jr.

- Not sure why this is relevant other than Arizona leading the Pac-10, but whatever: Diamond Leung details the lighting fixtures in the Wildcats locker room

- A Cleveland high school coach called his players "the n-word", players and parents now thinking about boycotting