POSTERIZED: Josh Selby is still athletic

The theory heading into NBA Draft night was that Josh Selby had an underwhelming freshman season as the result of some nagging injuries that limited his explosiveness.

Apparently, NBA team didn't necessarily feel the same way, as the former Jayhawk dropped all the way into the second round of the draft.

And while his potential as an NBA player may not be what it was when he graduated high school, that doesn't mean that Selby is no longer capable of youtubing a defender:



You might recognize one of those defenders. The guy that Selby goes behind the back on? That's Brandon Jennings. As in the point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks. Let's just say Jennings got his revenge:


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Five second round picks that will hang around the league

The second round of the NBA Draft is, more or less, simply a chance for some lesser college stars to have their one, last chance at seeing their names on TV.

The NBA is not an easy league to make. There are a limited number of roster spots available and an even more limited number of spots in an NBA rotation. Making a team without getting a guaranteed contract through the draft is tough.

But it can be done. There are many stories of players that have carved out terrific careers despite falling out of the guaranteed money. Gilbert Arenas and Manu Ginobli were both picked in the second round. So were Michael Redd, Monta Ellis, Carlos Boozer, Stephen Jackson, and Rashard Lewis. Those are, or recently have been, stars in the NBA.


Finding a diamond in the rough like that is rare. But finding a solid starter in the second round does happen fairly often. Last year, it was Landry Fields out of Stanford going to the New York Knicks. The year before that, both Sam Young and DeJuan Blair fell to the second round after leaving Pitt. Before that, Paul Millsap, Trevor Ariza, and Mo Williams beat the odds to make it in the league.

It can be done.

Sometimes its simply the result of a fortunate pairing between franchise, player, and available roles. Other times, its the result of fears about a player's injury history that causes him to drop. There are times when a draft is loaded with border-line first round picks, causing players to go 45th that would usually be picked 25th. There are also times where a front office does their homework and finds a guy that has flown under-the-radar.

Landing in the second round shouldn't be seen as a disappointment to these players.

It should be seen as an opportunity to make the other 29 teams regret their draft day decisions.

Who in the 2011 NBA Draft Class will have an extended NBA career as a second round pick?

Jimmy Butler, Marquette: There is nothing about Butler's game that makes him appear to be an NBA prospect. He's a capable shooter, but not a significant three point threat from NBA range. He's a decent ball-handler, but he won't blow by you to get to the rim. He's a solid athlete with good size, but he won't be making Sportscenter's top ten. What makes Butler a promising prospect is the fact that he is a tough defender, a terrific teammate and leader in the locker room, a willing role player, and a guy that can do a little bit of everything. Throw in the success that former teammates Wes Matthews and Lazar Hayward have had landing a spot in the NBA and the rave reviews he received at the Portsmouth Invitational, and Butler appears headed for an NBA career. He certainly deserves it.

Charles Jenkins, Hofstra: Jenkins was a big-time scorer at the college level, thriving on his ability to shoot from beyond the arc and create space in the mid-range game. The problem is that those numbers came against CAA competition, which is a much improved league but still a far cry from the NBA. Regardless of who he is playing against, however, Jenkins is going to be able to shoot and score. He won't be a starter in the NBA, but the fact that he was able to score at the rate he did (22.6 ppg) while taking more than 20 shots just three times, creating for his teammates (4.8 apg), and protecting the ball (2.2 t/o's) makes him an ideal candidate as a scoring infusin


JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: Johnson's physical profile is terrific. He's a legit 6'10" with a 7'2" wingspan, he's exceptionally mobile for a player his height, and he has a 38" vertical. He also has a versatile skill-set. He can block a shot at one end and beat his defender down the floor for an open dunk. If that's not there, he can knock down 20 foot jumpers, use his dribble to get a better look should his defender close out long, and score in the post using his advanced repertoire of finesse moves. The knock on Johnson is that he has a slender upper body that will be difficult to add much mass or strength to. While that will limit his upside, his tools and skill-set should earn him a spot in the rotation of a team that likes to run the floor and pick-and-pop.

Josh Selby, Kansas: Selby is quite possibly the most unique prospect in this draft class. Coming out of high school, he was considered one of the top five recruits in the country. An explosive perimeter scorer, Selby's freshman season at Kansas was largely forgettable. He battled injuries (a broken hand in the preseason, a stress fracture late in the year), a suspension, and a role that didn't suit his skill set. As a result, he numbers were far from impressive this year. But that doesn't mean that the talent that garnered him so much attention in high school is gone, especially now that he is healthy.

Nolan Smith, Duke: I am a big fan of Nolan Smith's game. He proved this season just what he is capable at the collegiate level when he is the focal point offensively, winning ACC player of the year and finding himself in the conversation for national player of the year before a late slump. But until Kyrie Irving injured his foot, Smith also showed just how good of a role player he can be, ignoring his individual successes and exposure in exchange for winning games with the Blue Devils. Smith can do everything on a basketball court. He can shoot the three, he can beat a defender off the dribble, he can play on the ball or off, and he's a very good defender.

Bold Prediction: DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky: Liggins did not have a great career at Kentucky. As a freshman, he almost left the program due to his lacking relationship with former head coach Billy Gillispie. As a sophomore, in his first year under John Calipari, Liggins struggled to find a role on a team that was stacked with five future first round picks. But as a junior, Liggins really began to come into his own as a player. He embraced the idea that he was a defensive stopper. At 6'6" with length and lateral quickness, Liggins has the potential to guard all three perimeter positions. Throw in his ability to knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers, and I would be surprised if Liggins wasn't able to find a role on an NBA team somewhere.
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NBA Draft Profiles: Josh Selby, Kansas

Bjorn Zetterberg of SwishScout.com will be helping us out with all of our NBA Draft Profiles this year. You can follow him on twitter @swishscout.

To browse through the latest prospect profiles, click here. To see a complete list of the players we have profiled, click here.

Stats: 7.9 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.2 rpg

Age: 20, freshman

Size:

• Listed: 6'2", 183 lb
• Official: 6'1.75" (no shoes), 6'3" (shoes), 6'5.25" (wingspan), 8'2" (standing reach), 195 lb

Strengths: Its almost unfair to rate Selby on his freshman season. His reputation in high school -- that he started to rebuild at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas -- was as an explosive athlete and big-time scorer. He excels at getting to the basket and can finish with authority above the rim. He's got a terrific first step to get by his defender and the body control in the paint to slide around, and off of, help side defenders. He's at his best when he has the ball in his hands and the opportunity to create offensively. The problem? Selby was forced to play off the ball this season in an offense centered on the play of the Jayhawk big men. He did prove competent as a spot-up shooter, hitting 36.9% of his threes, but an ankle injury midway through Big 12 play limited his explosiveness and thus his effectiveness. He averaged just 3.9 ppg in the 13 games after missing three in early February.

Weaknesses: Selby is not a point guard. Some don't even consider him a combo-guard at this point in his career. While he did average 2.2 apg in limited minutes as a playmaker this past season, Selby's strength isn't as a creator for others, its as a creator for his own shot. At just 6'3", is he big enough to play as a primary scorer? Will he ever end up being more than a flash-in-the-pan off the bench?

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: One name that has been thrown out there quite a bit is Monta Ellis. Ellis is a 25 ppg scorer in the NBA, and that may be a stretch for Selby. Perhaps a more realistic best case scenario is a guy like Bobby Jackson, who made a long and productive career out of being a part-time starter and potent scorer on some very good teams. Jeff Teague, Louis Williams, and Aaron Brooks are some other players that have had success is this role.


• Worst Case Scenario: Willie Warren, who flamed out as a sophomore at Oklahoma after being projected in the lottery as a freshman, is the obvious choice here given the skill-set and the red flags. Another name that I've seen thrown out there is DaJuan Wagner, but Wagner's career was rife with injuries which played a big role in his downfall. How about Quincy Douby, the high-scoring guard from Rutgers and former first round pick now playing in China?

Outlook: Selby is one of the more interesting prospects in this draft class. Looking at him from high school and from some of the early draft workouts, Selby has the tools and the ability to score. Players of his ilk are a trend in the NBA right now. But the issue is how much Selby struggled this year at Kansas and the red flags associated with him. Some of his struggles can be explained -- he was suspended for the first nine games for receiving illicit benefits while in high school, he broke his hand before the season started, missed games and missed practice time put him in a bad position rotation wise on a talented team, he played out of position in a less than ideal role and system, and an ankle injury hampered his explosiveness late in the season -- but it doesn't explain the fact that he comes from a troubled background, the rumors that he struggled to get along with teammates, and the fact he couldn't adapt to a system. The question that scouts are going to have to ask with Selby: did he simply catch a series of bad breaks, or is he just another troubled talent?

Draft Range: Its big. If he continues to play well in workouts, its not out of the question that Selby could sneak into the back end of the lottery. But based on his freshman year performance, there are still some mock drafts that have him slotted in the second round.

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "I've been doing this for a long time, and after watching what Selby did in the gym the past two days, I think he could be the biggest riser in the draft if he works out well against his obvious competition ... Selby's landing in the lottery isn't out of the question if he outplays those players in workouts. ... I'm not sure if he's a point guard -- he doesn't see the floor particularly well yet, and his decision-making can be questionable -- and at 6-foot-2 he is undersized for the 2. But his quickness and ability to create his own shot come at a premium right now in the NBA, and few can do it better than Selby."


• Draft Express: "In the half-court setting, Selby is a very dangerous scorer when he catches the ball on the move, having an outstanding first step to go along with strong change of direction ability and body control in the lane, making him very dynamic within the flow of the offense. The problem for Selby is this had made up just a small part of his game this season, as he's attacked the basket very infrequently, getting to the line and getting shots in the lane at a poor rate. He averages just 1.7 free throws compared to 7.9 field goal attempts per game, and according to Synergy Sports Technology, in the half-court setting he's attempted 95 jumpers compared to 30 shots around the basket."


• Swish Scout: "Explosive combo guard who attacks the basket with his outstanding quickness, superior ball handling, and finishing ability. Unproven player in the NCAA who will be drafted in the late first round because of potential, but Selby is far from being an NBA ready PG in the league, as he is a ‘shoot first’ combo guard who turns the ball over too often."

Highlights:


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Josh Selby is the poster boy for what's wrong with the one and done rule

Last week, Josh Selby announced that he would, in fact, be leaving Kansas after one mediocre season in Lawrence.

It was far from a surprising move, but it still drew some vicious reactions from fans and media members alike. For example, Seth Davis tweeted this. Selby came into college as one of the most highly touted recruits in the country -- he was No. 1 according to Rivals, above Harrison Barnes and Kyrie Irving -- but he never lived up to that billing as a Jayhawk. He was injured (a broken hand in the preseason, a stress fracture in his foot late in the season), suspended for nine games, and overwhelmingly forgettable after he hit a game-winning three against USC in his debut as a collegian.

The reason for the tw-itriol (see what I did there) that was spewed in reaction to Selby's announcement was that the general consensus seemed to be that Selby was the poster child for everything that is wrong with the one-and-done rule.

And he is.

Just not in the way that you think.


Brady McCollough is a writer for the Kansas City Star. Over the weekend, he penned a terrific piece on Selby's background and upbringing in Baltimore:

Josh Selby was 12, his mother just 29 and jobless. They were borderline homeless, moving from spot to spot. His father had never been involved in his life.

Selby would get in fights all the time, he says. Walking home from school one day, he saw a close friend pistol-whipped.

"One more time, he would have died," Selby said. "I was about 12. After that, I got crazy. To see that at that age, I was losing it. I'm not gonna lie. I was really losing it, being disrespectful to my mother, just doing anything I wanted, like a little thug."
[...]
He and his mom were staying with an acquaintance, thankful for every meal they got.

"I felt embarrassed," Witherspoon recalled. "I felt humiliated, less of a parent. This is really not how I want my kid to live."

Her breaking point came when Selby failed seventh grade. Witherspoon began to notice a change in her son. She decided to move in with her mother and take Josh away from the drug- and crime-infested neighborhood of Irvington they'd called home.

Selby's goal growing up wasn't to be a college basketball star. The work that he put in during his middle and high school days were an effort to become a pro. To make the NBA. To be able to afford to move his mother out of the hood. To repay her for everything she did for him to keep him from succumbing to the streets.

I am a fan of the one-and-done rule. Its great for college basketball, as we get to have stars of the Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, and Derrick Rose ilk on campus for at least one year. Its great for the NBA, as they are able to watch and scout the future stars of their league in order to get a better feel for who should be drafted where.

Sometimes, as is the case with Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, and Jared Sullinger this season, forcing the kids to spend one year on campus will have enough of an effect on them that a second year becomes that much more appealing. Being a college student is awesome. Being a college student that also happens to star on a major college basketball team is a dream come true for a lot of these kids.

But for Selby it wasn't.

Selby never should have been on a college campus. He had no interest in being a college student. And I don't say that as a criticism; I know a lot of good people with steady jobs that are raising families that never attended college. And they didn't have to opportunity to become an NBA player in front of them when they decided against college.

Selby is an example of when the one-and-done rule fails.

In a perfect world, he would have been allowed to enter the draft after high school. He would have been allowed to start providing for his family without having to pretend to be a student for seven months.

But since he wasn't, maybe we should all just lay off criticizing a kid for doing what he wanted, and probably should have been able, to do a year ago -- enter the NBA Draft.
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Where he plays next season won't determine whether Josh Selby is a successful pro

In quite possibly the least surprising move of the off-season, Josh Selby made his intentions to stay in the NBA Draft official on Thursday.

That decision was not met with the greatest reaction from those in the college basketball establishment. Seth Davis tweeted "I never wish ill on a youngster but the GM who drafts Josh Selby should have his head examined. Kid wasn't even a decent college player". Jeff Goodman sarcastically said the move was "shocking" and referred to Selby as a "point guard that can't pass and an undersized two-guard who can't shoot". Dan Wolken tweeted "Selby's ratio of production-to-hype has to be at the low end of one-and-dones".

And that is just a sample.


On the surface, that analysis looks correct. After an auspicious start in which Selby scored 21 points and hit the game-winning three against USC the first time he suited up for the Jayhawks, Selby's season went downhill. He finished the year averaging just 7.9 ppg, and he played just under 12 mpg in his last nine games. He played this season behind the likes of Tyrel Reed, Brady Morningstar, and Tyshawn Taylor. That doesn't exactly scream one-and-done lottery pick.

But there are reasons for that. Selby broke his hand before preseason practices started. He was suspended for the first nine games of the season and missed some 20 practices as a result. He battled a stress fracture in his foot late in the season. Throw in the fact that his skill set wasn't a great fit for the offense that Bill Self ran this year -- Selby is a ball-dominating, shoot-first guard that played a role on a team whose offense was based on interior play -- and its not all that hard to see why Selby struggled this season.

Keep in mind that we are talking about a kid that was a consensus top five recruit and the No. 1 recruit according to Rivals. That talent doesn't just go away, the same way that Jrue Holiday's talent didn't go away after he had an underwhelming freshman season.

Like Selby, Holiday was a top five recruit coming out of high school, but as a freshman at UCLA he averaged just 8.5 ppg on a team that didn't have nearly the amount of talent that was on this year's Kansas team. People questioned his decision to enter the draft, and Holiday ended up going 17th to the Sixers, where two years later he is averaging 14.0 ppg and 6.5 apg.

The concern with Selby, however, lies off-the-court.

He's a kid that spent the end of his high school career driving around in white mercedes' in front of New York Times reporters and reaping the (impermissible) benefits of his relationship with Carmelo Anthony's manager. There are concerns about Selby being a spoiled prep superstar, about his work ethic, and about his coachability. That's why he is being compared to former Oklahoma and current NBDL guard Willie Warren and not Holiday.

None of that should matter, though.

Whether or not Selby is going to be drafted in the first round, whether or not he is destined to be a star in the NBA or a bench player in Germany, is irrelevant.

Selby didn't want to be in college. He wanted to be a pro. He wanted to chase his dream of being an NBA player. This spring, he had the opportunity to do so, and he took the chance. Its a risk, certainly, but it was a risk that Selby, Selby's family, and their advisers were willing to take.

The key isn't whether Selby is ready for the NBA right now. Its possible for players to develop when they are being paid to play.

The key is that Selby decides to put in the effort and dedication that is required for him to turn himself into an NBA player. Will he accept coaching? Will he be able to handle playing limited minutes in the NBA and stints in the D-League? Will he put in the hours in the gym and the film room to learn how to be an NBA point guard?

If yes, then he will succeed regardless of where he plays next season. If no, then he won't.

Its as simple as that.
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Josh Selby misses Kansas basketball banquet

It is no secret that Josh Selby has had an eye on the NBA since his days as a high school star in Baltimore. In fact, for the past six days, Selby has been out in Las Vegas working out. That alone -- well, the question marks surrounding who is footing the bill for Selby to be out there -- should be enough to convince folks that Selby is headed to the draft.

But if that wasn't enough, Selby skipped the Kansas basketball banquet.

“I talked to (his mother) today, and that decision is coming real soon,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “He’s done the work he needs to do to academically pass his classes, but he’s been gone now six days. If he’s going to come back, then he’ll be coming back real soon. If not, then he won’t. But certainly he’s going to salvage the semester academically and pass his classes, which is good.”

So it looks like Selby is gone. The Morris twins have already declared for the draft and signed with agents and Brady Morningstar, Tyrel Reed, and Mario Little are graduating. That leaves Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson to carry the torch for Kansas next season.
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Mid-Season Additions Update

Renardo Sidney missed 42 straight college basketball games.

Because of the illegal benefits that Sidney and his family had received while he was a prep, the NCAA ruled that, among other things, Sidney had to sit out for the first year and a half of his collegiate career.

When Sidney finally got eligible, it only took one game -- an 88-57 blowout loss to Virginia Tech in the Bahamas in which an out of shape Sidney had 12 points and 3 boards -- before Sidney got himself suspended again. After an altercation with a walk-on at a Bulldogs practice in Hawaii before the Diamond Head Classic started, Sidney was suspended for Mississippi State's opener against Washington State.

Sidney returned for a loser's bracket game against San Diego, and he played well. He went for 19 points on 7-12 shooting and six boards in just 20 minutes of play. MSU won 69-52. But after that game is when things got crazy. According to Doug Gottlieb, who was doing play by play for ESPN at the Diamond Head Classic, Renardo Sidney wanted to get by junior captain Elgin Bailey to get to the concession stand. Bailey was sitting with his legs on the back of the seat in front of him. Bailey wouldn't move, words were exchanged, and this happened:



Both Sidney and Bailey have been suspended indefinitely and were immediately sent home (on separate flights, I might add) by head coach Rick Stansbury.

The question that has to be asked now is what to do with Sidney. As Jeff Goodman correctly explains here, Sidney is not completely to blame for his actions. Yes, he was the one that threw the punches and that exploded in practice. He was responsible for his actions. But would he be behaving the same way if his enablers -- his AAU coaches, his Reebok reps, even his parents -- hadn't made him believe he was allowed to act this way because he is a "star".

Sidney is a supremely talented young man. He's 6'10", 275 lb with quick feet and a perimeter game. He's got everything that you look for in an NBA big man.

But at this point, Stansbury may be better off playing this season without Sidney. This is the third time this season that Sidney has been suspended -- one more than the number of games he has actually played in.


Stansbury gave this kid a chance when there weren't many other schools willing to take the risk. He got up every morning and did P90x workouts with him to try and help him get into shape. And he repays the coach how? By getting into fights in practice and then trading haymakers in the stands where ESPN cameras can catch the action?

I don't care if Sidney didn't start the fight. He finished it.

Even without Sidney in the lineup, Mississippi State will likely be the best team in the SEC West. At some point, Stansbury needs to ask himself if a chemistry-killer with all-american talent is worth risking an entire season on.


Renardo Sidney was far from the only impact mid-season addition. We wrote about a group of kids that could have an affect on the college hoops landscape a few weeks ago. Let's check in on how they are doing.


Josh Selby, Kansas: 19.5 ppg, 2.5 apg

Selby has been terrific in his two games with the Jayhawks, scoring 21 and hitting the game winner against USC in his first game and following that with 18 points, including 13 in the first half when he hit his first five shots of the game, in a win at Cal. The question with Selby is what role he will eventually play down the road. Right now, he's been more of a spot up jump shooter than anything. That's not really his game. He's more of a slasher. What does look clear at this point, however, is that Selby has played his way into the starting lineup.



Drew Gordon, New Mexico: 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 21.0 mpg

Three games into his Lobo career, and Gordon hasn't exactly had the impact that many expected. He's coming off the bench as Steve Alford tries to slowly integrate him into a team that has already had their rotation set. Gordon reached double figures in his first two games, including a 10 points, 7 rebound performance in a win over Colorado. But he shot 3-10 and fouled out in 23 minutes as Northern Iowa knocked New Mexico. He'll get better has he used to playing in Steve Alford's system.


Jio Fontan, USC: 16.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 2.3 apg

Fontan has been terrific in three games for USC. You can see the stats he's put up, but its more than simply numbers. USC is playing their best basketball of the season. They were a couple of clutch Josh Selby jumpers away from beating the Jayhawks in Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and three days later went into Thompson-Boling Arena and beat Tennessee. As good as Josh Selby has been, Fontan may go down as the most valuable mid-season addition this season.



Jon Kreft, Florida State: 2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 8.0 mpg

Its been a long road for Kreft, a 24 year old, 7-foot junior center, but after stints in both prison and at Chipola Junior College, the former five-star recruit has finally made it to the D-I ranks. His impact, however, has been a bit muted early on. Florida State has a deep and talented front court, and its not a surprise that it is taking a mid-season JuCo transfer a while to really make an impact. But in watching Kreft, its clear that his skills are still there. Florida State is 4-1 in Kreft's five games, including a third place finish in the Diamond Head Classic. With starting center Xavier Gibson out with a sprained knee and a broken hand (suffered in the same, scary fall) don't be surprised if Kreft starts to play a bigger role.


Jeronne Maymon, Tennessee: 4.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 11.3 mpg

Maymon finally got a passing grade in his bowling class and was cleared for Tennessee's game at Charlotte. Unfortunately, his addition coincided with the Volunteer's collapse. Tennessee has lost one point decisions to both Charlotte and USC before barely squeezing out a win against Belmont. Maymon has been rebounding well in his limited minutes, but the versatile forward is still finding his role in the offense.


Roberto Nelson, Oregon State: 8.5 ppg, 15.5 mpg

Nelson has been inconsistent in his first four games with the Beavers. He scored three points in a win over Texas Southern and four points in a loss to George Washington, but he also had 13 in a loss at Montana and 14 in a win over Illinois-Chicago. Right now, Craig Robinson is trying to work Nelson into the rotation, but with how much the Beavers have been struggling this season, maybe its time to start allowing Nelson to play a bigger role.


Gregory Echenique, Creighton: 11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 bpg

Echenique has proven to be a competent addition to the Bluejays. Playing just 19.7 mpg, Echenique is averaging 11.3 ppg and has given Creighton a shot blocking presence. Combined with Antoine Young and Doug McDermott on the perimeter, along with Kenny Lawson inside, Creighton has a team that might be able to compete with Northern Iowa and Wichita State for the MVC title. Now, the question becomes whether or not Gregg McDermott can find a way to use Lawson and Echenique at the same time.


Olex Czyz, Nevada: 7.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg

Czyz, a Duke transfer, has played three games with the Wolfpack since joining the team. He's started, but unfortunately he hasn't been the savior. Nevada is 1-2 since Czyz became eligible, with a win over Portland State and losses to Arizona State and Washington by 30. Even with Czyz, Nevada appears to be a long way from competitive in the WAC.


Mike Holmes, Coastal Carolina: 13.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg

The South Carolina transfer has been just as good as expected. Holmes is averaging 13.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg in three games, including wins over both LSU and East Carolina. The Chanticleers are once again the best team in the Big South, and with Holmes on the roster, they can boast a high-major caliber post player on their roster.


Alex Legion and Dominique Ferguson, Florida International: 11.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg, 10.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg

Legion, whose collegiate career has taken him to both Kentucky and Illinois, has scored 11 points in each of his first two games with FIU, while Ferguson, a top 50 recruit that was unable to get academically eligible until the second semester, had 10 in his debut against Florida A&M. The addition of these two, along with Erick Ferguson and Marvin Wright, makes FIU yet another dangerous team in the Sun Belt.
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12/20 - College Hoops Week in Review: Upsets Galore

Game of the Week: Texas 78, UNC 76

We'll get to Josh Selby and the exciting finish to the Kansas-USC game in a bit. And as terrific as that game was, the Longhorn's win over UNC had an even better finish. Texas used an 18-8 surge in the first half to open up a 28-18 lead over the Heels, punishing them inside despite the fact that Tristan Thompson was out with two fouls. But the Heels didn't fold, attacking the Longhorns off the bounce and using a 15-4 run over the final 7:30 of the half to take a 33-32 lead at the break.


In the second half, both teams came out on fire, but UNC, led by a career-high 18 points from Dexter Strickland, finally found their transition game. On three different occasions, Strickland was able go coast to coast for a layup -- two of which came off of made baskets -- and UNC was able to hold a two possession lead for much of the second half, pushing it to seven three times.

But, as UNC's offense is wont to do, the Heels offense got bogged down for a string of three or four possessions late in the second half, and three straight Texas baskets gave the Horns a 70-69 lead with less than three minutes left. The teams would trade baskets before Thompson -- who was an animal inside over the last four minutes of the game -- got his second dunk in heavy traffic with 45 seconds left for a 74-73 lead. After two free throws from J'Covan Brown, UNC had the ball with 24 second left and down three points. Roy Williams called a time out, drew up a play for Harrison Barnes, and the freshman came off of a screen and drilled a three with 11.7 seconds left to tie the game. It set up this:



With the loss, UNC drops to 7-4 on the season, although the team that took the floor Saturday afternoon looked much improved over the UNC we have seen earlier this season. The win for Texas was important for two reasons. First of all, the Longhorns are entering the most difficult part of their schedule. Their next two games are at Michigan State and at home against UConn before they start Big XII play. But, more importantly, it was a breakout game for freshman point guard Cory Joseph. Joseph had 21 points, and in contrast to the potential game-winner he threw over the back board against Pitt in MSG a month ago, the freshman buried UNC with a tough, turnaround against very good defense. When Joseph, Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson, and J'Covan Brown are all clicking, Texas has a team with a lot of offensive weapons.


This needs mentioning: St. Bonaventure 112, Ohio 107 4OT

Ohio fought back from 10 down with 9:42 left in regulation to force the first overtime on a three from DJ Cooper with 22 seconds left. In the first overtime, the lead changed hands four times before Cooper once again tied the game on a driving layup with 17 seconds on the clock before the Bonnies missed two free throws. The second overtime saw Ohio grab a three point lead, but Michael Davenport once again tied the game with a three pointer. Only four points were scored in the third overtime before St. Bonaventure opened up a five point lead in the fourth OT, making 7-8 free throws (after going 6-18 from the charity stripe in the first three overtimes) to hold on to the win.

The box score read something like a game of NBA 2K11. Cooper had 43 points, 13 assists, 8 steals, and 8 rebounds while shooting 17-41 from the floor. Andrew Nicholson of St. Bonaventure had 44 points, 12 boards, and 5 assists. Five other players reached double figures. Ohio took 101 shots, 40 from three. St. Bonaventure shot 56.7% from the floor. Five players fouled out. Six played more than 50 minutes. Four of them were on St. Bonaventure, with Nicholson logging all 60 minutes of game time. But, perhaps the most incredible stat, the Bonnies only got six points from their bench in 60 minutes of basketball.


Player of the Week: Josh Selby, Kansas

I'm not giving this to him just because he had an impressive performance against USC. Sure, he had 21 points and hit two clutch threes -- including the game-winner with 24 seconds left on the clock -- as the Jayhawks knocked off a scrappy USC team. But if we were rating a player based on their performance alone, Selby probably did not live up to his potential on this night. He was hot from three, there is no question, but Selby's not going to be going 5-8 from three every night. In fact, for a kid known for his slashing ability, Selby did strikingly little inside the arc. Fifteen of this 21 points came on threes, and he hit all three free throws when he was fouled shooting a three. He scored three points and took only three shots doing something other than spotting up while turning the ball over four times. Granted, that was a result of Selby being a good teammate and playing within the Kansas offense, but my point is that the Selby that is playing in the NCAA Tournament will be a different player than the one we saw on Saturday.


No, I'm giving Selby the player of the week in large part because its so damn hard not to feel great for this kid after the performance he had. Kansas was undefeated, but they weren't undefeated in impressive fashion, struggling to beat mediocre teams like Arizona and Memphis. The Jayhawk faithful, after seeing guys like Brandon Knight and Kyrie Irving play great basketball, had sky-high, almost unfair, expectations for the freshman. And, after sitting out nine games, Selby was debuting in a noon tip on a Saturday two hours before the college football bowl games were to start. There were a lot of eyes on this kid.

And not everyone was rooting for him to win. According to the NCAA, Selby is a cheater. He accepted $6,000 worth of illegal benefits and had a personnel relationship with Carmelo Anthony's business manager that the NCAA determined bordered too closely on professional.

Me? I wanted to see this happen. I wanted Selby to succeed. Here's a kid who grew up without the luxuries that many of us grow up with. He spent some time homeless as a kid when his single-mother lost her job. He lived in an area of Baltimore where violence was common. He saw his best-friend get pistol-whipped and had a cousin murdered when he was 15. I fail to see the sense in rooting against a kid that accepted what every recruit accepts and received advisement from a family friend that was illegal because of the job that friend holds.

I may in the minority here, but I want to see Selby succeed. And Hollywood couldn't have scripted a better debut.

The All-they-were-good-too team

• G: Marcus Jordan, Central Florida: Jordan scored 23 points on Saturday in a win over Miami. The win may have been costly, however, as Jordan looked like he injured his ankle at the end of the game.
  
• G: Jon Diebler, Ohio State: Diebler put on one of the most impressive shooting performances of the season, knocking down nine straight threes en route to 29 points in a win over Florida Gulf Coast.
  
• F: Khris Middleton, Texas A&M: Middleton scored a career high 31 points as the Aggies came from behind to knock off Arkansas on Saturday.
• F: Kris Joseph, Syracuse: Joseph had 21 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists to lead the Orange as they held off a scrappy Iona team.
  
• C: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State: The Buckeyes big man has to be considered the favorite to win the Big Ten player of the year award. He had 30 points and 19 rebounds on Saturday as OSU knocked off South Carolina 79-57.
  

Co-Teams of the Week: Florida Gators, UCLA Bruins, Gonzaga Bulldogs

We'll get into it more in a bit, but this week was the week of the upset as seven ranked teams were knocked off by unranked opponents. Florida, UCLA, and Gonzaga were three of the unranked teams to do the knocking off, and while it is still too early in the season to say that anyone needs to "desperately" win a game, it is safe to say that the Gators, the Bruins, and the Zags all really, really, really needed their wins.

• Florida put together one of the most impressive defensive performances of the season in their 57-44 win over Kansas State. The Gators didn't score for the first seven minutes of the game and, with nine minutes left in the half, they found themselves down 20-8. From that point on, K-State managed to score just 24 points, and that included a stretch when the Wildcats missed 23 of 24 field goals, 17 of those misses coming in a row. Perhaps more important, however, was that Kenny Boynton hit three straight threes at the end of the game to put it out of reach. Boynton had been ice cold for about four straight games. The top four in the SEC East are clearly defined, but their order will change on a daily basis.
  

• Talking about a tournament resume for UCLA at this point is a bit silly. Barring a miraculous turnaround, this team is not making the NCAA Tournament. That said, if they are going to make that turnaround, the Bruins, more than anything, seemed like they needed a boost of confidence. After beating BYU 86-79 in Southern California, the Bruins got it. I've said all along, there is talent on this UCLA roster, the issue is figuring out how to use that talent and being able to defend. Their defense was still relatively subpar on Saturday, but Reeves Nelson and Josh Smith dominated the Cougars in the paint offensively, and with Tyler Honeycutt and Zeke Jones hitting jumpers, UCLA was clicking. Can this win be a jumping off point for the Bruins?


• Gonzaga does not have a bad loss of their resume, but regardless of the stretch of your schedule, there's a point where you need to win something. Otherwise, teams like Oakland and Arkansas-Pine Bluff would be getting at-large bids every year. Gonzaga did just that on Saturday, knocking off Baylor 68-64. More impressive, however, was that the Zags did it with Steven Gray missing the entire second half with back spasms and Elias Harris in foul trouble throughout. He fouled out with more than six minutes left and the game tied. On Saturday, it was Robert Sacre (17 points), Marquise Carter (13 points and two big threes), Kelly Olynyk (the go-ahed three with a minute left), and Sam Dower that made the difference. Gonzaga still has Xavier, Oklahoma State, and Memphis in the non-conference. This team can still earn an at-large bid.
  

The Week of the Upset: As I mentioned before, seven ranked teams lost to unranked opponents last week. Considering the limited number of games that took place this week, the percentage of ranked teams that lost to their unranked opponents was incredibly high:

• Tennessee: The Volunteers, coming off of a huge win over Pitt in Pitt, proceeded to blow a 13 point lead and lose to Oakland 89-82 before struggling to find any semblence of an offense in a 49-48 loss at Charlotte. With Bruce Pearl's looming suspension, now is not a good time for Tennessee to be lacking leadership and an identity.


• Louisville: The Cardinals dropped a 52-46 decision to a Drexel team that absolutely dominated them inside. If you can force Louisville to play a half court game, they simply don't have the talent or size on the interior to score or rebound.


• UNLV: The Rebels lost 68-62 to UC Santa Barbara in a game that the Gauchos ran a zone the majority of the time. UNLV shot 29% on the game and just 6-29 from three. That will do it.


• BYU: The Bruins lost to UCLA 86-79 in LA. Am I the only one that think Jimmer Fredette is a bit overrated? I know the kid can blow up for 40 on any given night, but he plays no defense and turns the ball over too much. I'm not saying he isn't an all-american, but putting him in the conversation with guys like Kemba Walker, Jared Sullinger, or (healthy) Kyrie Irving is a stretch to me.


• Kansas State: So when is it time to panic for Kansas State fans? Scoring is a serious issue for this team, as is point guard play and low post play. In fact, about the only thing that this team is going well right now is rebounding and defending.
  


• Baylor: After losing to Gonzaga, the Bears still haven't won a game outside of Waco. This is also the first game that Baylor has played outside of Waco, and it was still in the state of Texas. I like this team, but there are still questions to be answered.


• Illinois: The Illini dropped a 57-54 decision to Illinois-Chicago -- a 4-7 team in the Horizon League -- on Saturday afternoon. Apparently, Illinois is just as inconsistent as they were last season. The Illini better be careful, as this kind of performance against Missouri on Tuesday will result in an embarrassing loss. Isn't it ironic, however, that the kid that was the hero for UIC on Saturday was named Darrin Williams?

Matchups of the Week:

• 12/21 - 7:00 pm: USC @ Tennessee
• 12/21 - 9:00 pm: UNLV vs. Kansas State
• 12/22 - 3:00 pm: Washington State vs. Mississippi State
• 12/22 - 7:00 pm: Dayton @ Seton Hall
  
• 12/22 - 7:00 pm: Texas @ Michigan State
  
• 12/22 - 9:00 pm: Missouri vs. Illinois
  
• 12/22 - 11:00 pm: Kansas @ Cal
• 12/22 - 11:00 pm: Xavier @ Gonzaga
• 12/23 - 8:00 pm: Georgetown @ Memphis
  

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Josh Selby's debut: impressive

The biggest question coming into today's action was what kind of player Josh Selby would be.

The answer?

A damn good one.

Kansas survived a scrappy USC team this afternoon, hanging on to win 70-68 after blowing a double digit second half lead at the Phog. Selby was the savior. He hit a huge three with three minutes left in the game to give Kansas the lead back after USC had taken a 64-62 lead. And he hit an even bigger three -- the eventual game winner -- with 17 seconds left, giving Kansas a 69-68 lead.


All told, Selby finished with 21 points and five boards, knocking down five of his eight threes. When he checked in coming out of the under 16 time out, Selby immediately scored 10 straight points.

Selby is the missing piece for the Kansas team. He's a dynamic scorer and a big time shot maker. He's a kid that clearly isn't afraid to take, and make, a clutch jumper. I don't know that the Jayhawks have another player like that.

But it isn't just the clutch play and impressive shooting that made Selby's debut so impressive. He played defense. He did his damage within the framework of the Jayhawk offense; of the 11 shots he took from the floor, only one -- a forced three in the first half after he had hit two in a row -- was a bad shot.

And we still haven't seen him aggressively attack the rim. His reputation wasn't as a shooter coming out of high school. He's more of a driver, using his size, quickness, and explosiveness to get by his man and to the rim.

The reason he wasn't really attacking the basket is that Selby was playing off the ball. Tyshawn Taylor was the Jayhawk's point guard for the first month of the season, and he was this afternoon as well. Selby's shooting was a by product of the Jayhawk's ball movement and team play.

The question now?

How long will this last? How long will Selby be fine playing off the ball? Will Bill Self be forced to make a change?

Kansas is a team in transition. If Josh Selby continues to play this way, Bill Self is going to have give him more minutes, more shots, and more control of the game.

If that is the case, and the Jayhawk's current starters can accept a freshman playing a leading role, then it won't be long until Kansas is mentioned in the same breath as Duke.

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Josh Selby's long awaited debut is Saturday

As I'm sure everyone is well aware by now, Josh Selby will be eligible to play for Kansas on Saturday.

Now the question we are waiting to have answered is how Selby will fit in with this team. Kansas is undefeated. While they have had their struggles against teams like UCLA, Arizona, and Memphis, they've won all three of those game. Tyshawn Taylor is flourishing in his role as the point guard, and the Kansas offense is clicking when they run through the Morrii, twins Marcus and Markieff.

To his credit, Bill Self seems to get that. Its why Selby won't be starting immediately.


"He's getting all the reps with the first group now," Self said of Selby's work in practice during the Big XII's Monday teleconference. "I don't think I'm going to start him, even though I don't have a made-decision positively. But I don't think I will (start Selby), because he has to beat somebody out. He needs to perform well in the games, not just practice, but he’s going to give us some scoring punch."

"He's certainly a threat when he catches the ball. He has to figure how to play to our other guys’ strengths and they have to figure out where to get him the ball in certain situations and play to his strengths. It'll take a little bit of time."

And to Selby's credit, he also seems to understand that he will need to find his role with this team, not make it his team.

"I just don't want to mess up the chemistry of my team," Selby told ESPN's Dana O'Neil. "I'm not focusing on myself at all. I want to make the fans feel happy and the coaching staff happy."

So how good does Kansas become with Selby in the mix, and how long until he starts?

Personally, I think that Self will do exactly what he said in the quote above. As soon as Selby proves he's as good as the hype in a game, he'll be starting. I've never seen Selby play on anything more than a high school all-american game or a youtube mixtape. Neither are good ways to get a feel for what a young man is capable of.

But what I can tell you is this: Brandon Knight and Kyrie Irving have been living up to the hype they had coming in. Selby, Knight, and Irving were all consensus top five recruits, and a number of sites had Selby ranked above one or both Knight and Irving (Rivals had him as their No. 1 recruit).

So there's that.

Neither Irving or Knight plays the same style as Selby, but stop for a second and think about putting a guard of their caliber alongside Tyshawn Taylor in the Jayhawk backcourt.

Scary, right?

If Selby lives up to his hype -- which I think he will, although I'm not sure his numbers are going to be as great as Irving's or Knight's -- its only a matter of time before Kansas enters the conversation as being better than Duke.


Here's what Kansas fans have to look forward too:


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Josh Selby misses nine games, but Gary Parrish hits a homerun with his reaction

The NCAA has finally ruled on Josh Selby.

The Kansas freshman will be forced to miss the next six games (he has already missed three) and repay $5,758 to a charity of his choice. Selby will be allowed to play December 18th against USC, and will be eligible for the entire Big XII schedule.

All in all, he -- and the Jayhawks -- seem pretty lucky. Selby won't miss much more time than if he had badly sprained his ankle or pulled a hamstring, and Kansas will get their dynamic freshman point guard on the court, immediately thrusting them into the national title conversation.


By now, you've likely read plenty about Selby, so I won't bore you with the same, regurgitated talk.

But if you haven't read Gary Parrish's reaction column, I strongly suggest you do. In essence, Parrish tells recruits to accept benefits. Actually, let me take that back. No "in essence" is needed. Parrish flat out tells recruits to accept illegal benefits.

Take improper benefits.

Seriously, just do it.

(Get it? Just Do It!)

Take flights and hotel rooms, cell phones and cash. Drive a nice car, get a "recruiting advisor" who works with NBA players, grab your mother and tell her to do it, too. More than likely, you won't get caught because, well, it's just hard to prove these things. But even if you do get caught -- like Kansas freshman Josh Selby got caught -- you'll merely be asked to repay a few thousand dollars, and then you'll be reinstated before the start of league play.

The reward clearly outweighs the risk.

He's right.

If illegal benefits really are as prevalent as this article by Dana O'Neil from over the summer makes it seem, than the odds of actually getting caught are slim-to-none.

Like Parrish said, the reward clearly outweighs the risk.

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Bill Self comments on Josh Selby

Bill Self commented today on the eligibility status of freshman point guard Josh Selby. Here is what he said in full:

Josh's status for competition hasn't changed. While he has met NCAA academic requirements to be on aid, practice and compete this year, we continue to work with the NCAA as we review his amateur status. We will not play Josh in games until that process is complete and a decision is rendered.

We support and respect the process, and hope that it is over sooner rather than later. But we don't expect a decision on this before the regular season begins. We will not comment further until the process is complete.

He can't be much more straight forward than that.


This is the first time (well, first time I have seen, please correct me if I missed something along the way) that Self comments on the duration of this investigation. It has to be worrying to Kansas fans that the release said that Self doesn't expect a decision before the regular season starts. Kentucky fans can feel the pain. They went through this with John Wall last year, but Wall was eventually cleared and suspended for two games.

Renardo Sidney went through this process last season as well. The NCAA took until March to come to a decision, and eventually suspended Sidney for a year and a half.

Self also says Selby has been cleared academically, but the NCAA is still investigating his amateur status.

The issue stems from Selby's relationship with Robert "Bay" Frazier, who is Carmelo Anthony's business manager. Frazier admitted that he was an advisor to Selby during the recruiting process, which in and of itself would -- well, should -- not be a problem. The recruiting process is not an easy one to work your way through, and so long as no money or promises were exchanged, Selby getting advice from a Baltimore native is not a violation.

Complicating that issue, however, was a New York Times article where the reporter saw Selby driving a white Mercedes Benz.

Maybe he should have gotten a ride that day.
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Josh Selby update

Josh Selby has been cleared by the NCAA to be on scholarship, to attend class, and to participate in practice, but he has not yet been cleared to play in games.

According to Jeff Goodman, the NCAA is looking into both academic and amateurism issues with Selby. With the growing speculation that Kansas will never be able allow Selby to suit up, Bill Self released a statement yesterday:

We have had numerous inquiries about the status of Josh Selby. The NCAA has cleared Josh to be on scholarship, attend class and practice, but he has not yet been cleared for participation. That process is ongoing. It is not uncommon for these cases to take time, as we have seen in many other cases. Of course we would prefer that this be behind us, but we respect the process and will not comment further until it is complete.

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Josh Selby still not eligible, but he is going to class

Josh Selby is still waiting to hear from the NCAA in regards to his eligibility as a college basketbal player, but starting today, Selby officially begins his career as a college student.

According to the Lawrence Journal-World, the NCAA has allowed Selby to attend class for the first 13 days of the semester -- on scholarship -- while they continue to delve into his eligibility. Selby, who attended three different high schools, is under investigation for his relationship with Robert Frazier, commonly known as "Bay", who is Carmelo Anthony's business manager. Frazier admitted that he was an advisor to Selby during the recruiting process, which in and of itself would -- well, should -- not be a problem. The recruiting process is not an easy one to work your way through, and so long as no money or promises were exchanged, Selby getting advice from a Baltimore native is not a violation.

Complicating that issue, however, was a New York Times article where the reporter saw Selby driving a white Mercedes Benz.

Last season, two high-profile recruits went through a similar process. Renardo Sidney was not cleared all season, and still will not be allowed to play until December of this year for benefits he received in high school. A much more similar case to Selby's was that of John Wall, who was not cleared until October 30th last year. He was suspended two games for taking about $800 of benefits from his AAU coach.
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Let's all throw salt in Kansas' wound!!

Man, am I glad I am not a Kansas basketball fan right now.

With all the talk centering on conference expansion and realignment, Kansas is the program that most believe will be left on the outside looking in. The Pac-10 wants the six Texas and Oklahoma schools. The Big Ten wants Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame, and a couple of Big East schools.

Despite having unequivocally one of the six best basketball programs of all time, just two years removed from a national title and having spent much of last season ranked No. 1 in the country, the Jayhawks could very well be left out in the cold if disaster strikes.

That has to be a miserable feeling.

Can you imagine Kansas playing in the Mountain West? In Conference USA? Nothing against those two conferences, but this is Kansas! KANSAS! Its mind boggling, and surely enough to push some Jayhawk fans close to the edge, or at the very least closer to the local watering hole's bar.

Yup, that's Josh Selby in a cast.
(photo credit: Kansan.com)

As if that wasn't enough, Josh Selby, the 6'2" uber-recruit -- Rivals has him as the No. 1 recruit in the country -- expected to replace Sherron Collins as a playmaking point guard, broke the pinky on his left hand on Monday night playing pickup at KU, just a day after arriving in Lawrence.

Not exactly the best start to his career as a Jayhawk.

Selby won't need surgery and will be out for 4-6 weeks while the finger heals.

UPDATE: If that wasn't enough, The Shiver is reporting that Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, and Thomas Robinson all were injured in today's alumni game.

I bet that makes the Nebraska news hurt just that much better.

LJ World is reporting Marcus Morris bruised his back, Thomas Robinson broke his nose, and Markieff Morris needed three stitches to close a cut in his mouth. Yikes.
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Josh Selby, Doron Lamb, and Mike Rosario all choose their destinations

While you were out enjoying the weekend and not paying any attention to the hum-drum that is the college basketball off-season, three talented guards decided where their basketball futures would be continued.


Josh Selby: Selby certainly lived up to his nickname of "Showtime" during his recruitment. Originally a Tennessee commit, Selby backed out last summer, reopening his recruitment for a variety of reasons. On Saturday night, Selby ended the process, committing to Kansas during a timeout of the Jordan Brand All-American game.

Selby was a big get for Bill Self. He's a scoring point guard with quite a bit of athleticism. Selby is really aggressive attacking the basket -- especially in transition -- but he also is a capable shooter with range. Kansas does lose Cole Aldrich, Sherron Collins, and Xavier Henry all leaving, but they still return quite a bit of talent, much of which was buried on the bench last season. It will be interesting to see how Selby fits in with this team next season. Can he fill Collins ample shoes as the Jayhawk leader? I've seen a few people compare him to Willie Warren, both in ability and attitude.




Doron Lamb: Lamb is another guy who ended a long recruiting process during the Jordan game. Despite a late pitch from Steve Lavin at St. John's, the New York native committed to Kentucky.

Lamb should be a nice complement to Brandon Knight. Where Knight is a point guard, Lamb is much more of a score-first player. He can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot, excelling with his mid-range and pull-up jumper. Lamb can really put up points in a hurry (the youtube clip below is a highlight reel of the 49 points he put up in the Primetime Shootout in February). As good as Lamb is, most believe he is not a one-and-done type player.




Mike Rosario: We talked about Rosario last week, and after visiting Florida on Friday, the former-Rutgers standout will be heading to Gainesville to play for Billy Donovan.

Now, keep in mind that Rosario will have to sit out a season, but assuming that both Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton hang around until the 2011-12 season, the Gators will have a back court loaded with small guards with a shoot-first mentality. I'm not sure if this is really the best decision for Rosario. He said that the reason he left Rutgers was the opportunity to improve his chances at getting drafted, so he goes to a school where there are already two players at his position?

I like Rosario. He is a talented scorer that can put up points in a hurry, but are there going to be enough minutes -- and shots -- for those three to share the back court?

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Where does Kentucky go from here?

As we mentioned earlier, it is being widely reported that five Kentucky Wildcat underclassmen -- freshmen John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and junior Patrick Patterson -- have all declared for the draft (although KSR is reporting that Patterson still hasn't made a decision).

This may be the last time you see these four in a Kentucky uniform.
(photo credit: iSportsWeb)

All five are expected to be first round picks. John Wall is almost a lock to be the first pick. Chad Ford tweeted that he expects DeMarcus Cousins to go in the 3-5 range, Patterson and Orton to go in the 10-18 range, and Bledsoe to fall to somewhere between 12-20, but that his stock may rise with the lack of point guards in the draft. Draft Express has Cousins going third, Patterson 11th, Orton 26th, and Bledsoe 17th in 2011 (although that is sure to change with this announcement). NBADraft.net has them going fifth, ninth, and 24th, respectively, with Bledsoe slotted at 17th this year.

Whatever the case, the exodus of ability from the Kentucky roster is nothing short of incredible.

Five first round picks, with all five possibly going in the lottery? That is unheard of, literally. There have been four occasions where one team had four players go in the first round -- Duke in 1999 (Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, William Avery, Trajan Langdan), UNC in 2005 (Marvin Williams, Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants), and UConn in 2006 (Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone, Marcus Williams). UConn also had Denham Brown go in the second round, becoming the first team to have five players taken in a two-round draft. UNLV had six players drafted in eight rounds in 1977.

But this Kentucky team could have five players taken in the lottery. Most schools are lucky when they happen to have five lottery picks come through their program in a decade. Not a season.

The only issue with have this much talent get drafted is that the talent needs to be replaced.

Assuming they all decide to leave -- including Patterson, who probably should go (ask Da'Sean Butler) -- and factoring in Kentucky's three seniors, there are only five Wildcats left on the roster: Josh Harrellson, Jon Hood, Darius Miller, DeAndre Liggins, and Darnell Dodson, and Dodson may end up transferring.

All hope is not lost for the Wildcats. Enes Kanter, a five-star, 6'9" center from Turkey, is committed to UK while Stacey Poole, a 6'5", athletic small forward that is a consensus top 50 recruit, has already signed. Add those two to what Kentucky is already returning, and the Wildcats have a solid base.

That said, whether or not Kentucky can be a Final Four contender next season may be decided in the next 10 days or so. PG Brandon Knight, the No. 1 recruit in the country, is expected to announce his decision on where to attend college play basketball for a year on April 14th. The Wildcats are widely considered the favorite.

Brandon Knight is this year's John Wall.
(photo credit: SLAM)

Josh Selby, another point guard and a top 10 recruit out of Baltimore, will make his decision public on April 17th during the Jordan All-American game. There was some speculation that 6'9" CJ Leslie, a top 25 recruit and former HS teammate of John Wall, would also announce on the 17th, but he has since scheduled a visit with UConn after the game.

The Wildcats are also still in the mix for Cory Joseph and Doron Lamb, both point guards.

If Kentucky can land Leslie, Selby, and Knight, don't be surprised to see them right back in the preseason top 10.

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Bruce Pearl is none to happy about the Josh Selby situation

Yesterday, we talked about Josh Selby, the PG recruit that de-committed from Tennessee to re-open his recruiting under somewhat shady circumstances. Dana O'Neil wrote a piece about players backing out on their commitment to a school. In it, she says that there is an unwritten rule in the coaching ranks - once a guy has committed somewhere, you stop going after him.

But it doesn't always work like that.

At least that's what Bruce Pearl seems to believe.

Josh Selby has de-committed from Tennessee to the ire of Bruce Pearl.
(photo credit: Strait Pinkie)

In an interview yesterday with ESPN's Andy Katz on ESPN U (h/t Zagsblog), Pearl had this to say:

“I think as coaches, we want to ethically make sure that if a guy’s got a commitment, leave him alone,” Pearl told ESPN’s Andy Katz on Monday in Orlando in a segment that appeared on ESPNU. “Now, student-athletes have a right to do what’s in their best interests.

“And if they think it’s in their best interests to open up their recruiting and look at something else, then they should do that because I don’t want somebody that doesn’t want to necessarily play for us. And I think every mother or father wants what’s best for their kids.

“And if I’m not what’s best for their kids…then that’s fine. Then you go find somebody that is. I think the big thing is…Once I see a guy committed, that’s it. No more phone calls. You don’t put it out there, ‘In case we had interest, would you open up your recruiting?’

“It’s over, leave him alone.”

A little bit of sour grapes? Probably. But he has a point - it does go against the practices of the coaching fraternity.

When it comes down to it, however, he shouldn't be surprised that his peers have questionable ethics. Have you not read this blog the last two days?

Bottom line - once a kid has committed to a school, if he actually listens to other coaches talking to him, he probably isn't fully committed to going to your school. If you start dating a girl, but she keeps cheating on you, then odds are she doesn't really want to be in a relationship - be committed to you.

You move on and find someone else.

Hey Bruce, there's a stud PG in your home state by the name of Joe Jackson. He is still interested in Tennessee. Go land him.

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The Super 64 AAU Tournament was played out in Las Vegas last week, which attracted all of the big time college basketball coaches, as well as many of the big name college hoops writers.

Joe Jackson, a top 15 recruit in the class of '10, led the Memphis Magic to the title on Sunday. But that was far from the biggest news story coming out of the Sin City.

In case you missed it last week, Josh Selby, another top 15 point guard in the class of '10, decommitted from Tennessee while Bruce Pearl was coaching the US in the Maccabiah Games. There is a bit more of a back story here. Selby decommitted after the LeBron Skills Acadamy, where his mom reportedly spoke with William Wesley aka "Worldwide Wes". For those that don't know who he is, Wesley is a basketball power broker with strong ties to Nike and, among other, John Calipari.

Kentucky is a Nike school. Tennessee is Adidas.

Now, this does not necessarily mean that Selby is a lock to replace John Wall next year. If you were to take a look into the stands at anyone of Selby's games in Vegas, you would get a glimpse of a who's-who of the coaching fraternity - Gary Williams, Jim Calhoun, Josh Pastner, John Calipari. Word travels fast through the coaching ranks when it is assumed a kid is destined for a certain school (coaches have stopped recruiting Jackson because it is widely felt he is not leaving Memphis), so the fact that they are still involved means the coaches believe they have a shot at landing him.

That isn't to say, however, that any rumor involving the Wildcats and Coach Cal is unsubstantiated. Take a look at this quote from Selby's mom:

Anybody with a basketball brain and knows what John Calipari has done - you have to consider Kentucky. It doesn't mean its a done deal, but you have to consider Kentucky.

Dana O'Neil wrote a column on ESPN taking a look at players who back out of commitments to schools. Personally, I don't have much of a problem with a recruit backing out of a verbal commitment - it isn't binding, basically all the kid has done is say he wants to play for that specific school. Now I can't speak for anyone else, but I am 24 years old and still have trouble settling on a team to be in Madden or Fifa.

You expect a 16 or 17 year old kid to decide where he wants to spend the next 1-4 years of his life? With so much riding on their decision, should you not expect the kid to waver?

And do I even need to mention that coaches have no problem taking commitments from players only to bounce to a higher-paying job?

The real trouble arises the players decision is influenced by an outside source based on something other than basketball or academics. Now, I don't want to make any assumptions as to why Selby is backing out on his commitment. It is just as likely that Selby was concerned about only seeing two schools (which is what he and his mother have been saying all along) as it is that Wesley has influenced the decision (Selby's mother has said that her only conversation with Wesley was receiving a recommendation that he work with a track coach to prevent leg injuries, but an Andy Katz source said that his mother is the one that approached Wesley).

Hopefully, it is not the latter, and Selby truly was just concerned with his decision. But knowing how college basketball recruiting works, it would not surprise me if Wesley had a hand in this decision.

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Bruce Pearl has spent the majority of July in Israel coaching Team USA in the Maccabiah games. The gig is not as prestigious as Coach K leading the Olympians, Jamie Dixon coaching the U19 squad, or Bo Ryan's effort at the World University Games (the US beat Mexico 112-13).

But Pearl is Jewish, is coaching his son Steven, and the Games have given him an opportunity to bring his parents to Israel for the first time.

While this a great opportunity for Pearl's life outside of basketball - as a religious man and as a family man - the consequences of this trip on him as a coach could be huge. You see, the NCAA did away with April's AAU evaluation period, which means that the two evaluation periods in July have become that much more significant.

And Pearl was in Israel from July 6th-15th, the first July session. The second session begins July 22nd. The Maccabiah finals take place on the 21st, and Pearl will be flying straight from Israel to a tournament in Las Vegas.

How much of an effect this will have on Tennessee's recruiting is debatable. UT's assistants are still out on the road, Pearl will be around for the entirety of the second July session, and the kids the Vols are interested in have been told about Pearl's trip. But while Pearl is off on his Israeli vacation, "coaching" his team to 99 point wins, his assistants are in the stands recruiting against the likes of John Calipari, Josh Pastner, Rick Pitino, etc.

And it may have already burned him.

Josh Selby, a top 10 recruit in the class of 2010, has decommited from Tennessee. There are all kinds of theories out there as to why Selby made this decision. His mother has been quoted as saying that he made his decision too quickly (he commited in September) and wanted to reopen his recruitment to more schools.

But it seems as if there is more to the story. Selby and his family have a relationship with William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley, a notorious college basketball power broker who has strong ties not only to John Calipari, the University of Memphis, and the University of Oregon, but he is closely affiliated with Nike (he is the guy that introduced LeBron James to Michael Jordan when James was a high schooler, an effort to get the young phenom to sign with Nike).

Kentucky, Memphis, and Oregon are all Nike schools. Tennessee is with Adidas.

Then there is the issue of Selby's cousins - Will and Antonio Barton - both signed with Memphis last month (although, this may not be a factor - they are related through Selby's father and Selby was raised by his mother).

It doesn't matter why Selby decommited. What matters is that a top 10 recruit decommited while Pearl was in Israel. Maybe Selby was gone regardless, but one thing that is for sure is that Pearl would have had a lot more influence on the decision had he been stateside.

This is not meant to criticize Pearl as a coach. This trip to Israel seems like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and is most likely in a quite fulfilling trip. But such is the life of a coach of a big time program.
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