Wednesday Morning Dump

- Must read of the day -- the story about the transgender player on the GW women's team. I don't understand all the intracacies when it comes to transgendered folks -- the surgeries, the hormones, which pronouns to use, etc. -- but what I think we all can agree on is that Kye Allums has a lot of heart, and hopefully a thick skin, to go through with this in a public forum. Best of luck, Kye, ... and congratulations?

- Mike Rice has done a tip-top job on the recruiting trail at Rutgers so far, but he will have to wait a year until he sees the fruits of his labor pay off. Or that was the case until yesterday, when it was reported that the 6-foot-10 Rutgers pledge had left South Kent (CT) after just two months of prep school. Jack is leaning towards enrolling at Rutgers in January and joining the team right away. Scout got the scoop, but their article is for subscribers. So is the Scout article on Quinn Cook, who will be making his college decision this week.

- Lots of A-10 stuff today. Andy Katz happened to write an article on how Xavier and St. Louis will handle losing key contributors right before the season begins.">personnel losses this close to the beginning of the season. He should have waited, as Xavier's Jamel McLean was taken off the court on a stretcher (Ed. Note: the stretcher was brought out, but he walked off with assistance before being taken to the hospital) last night after catching a vicious (but unintentional) elbow. No word yet on his injuries. Goodman is reporting that McLean is out a month after breaking his orbital bone. Also in the A-10, Dana O'Neil with a must-read piece on St. Bonaventure star Andrew Nicholson, her A-10 media day notebook, and a a quick catch-up with Dayton.

- Fantastic stuff from Adam Zagoria on Herb Pope. Pope's a tough kid...

- Lots of ACC stuff as well -- Luke Winn's primer, Seth Davis' Duke postcard, and Katz with some Tar Heel love.

- Matt Norlander had a bit of a rant yesterday on exhibition games. I disagree with this sentiment. Yes, these are preseason games. No, they don't matter. But its still college basketball. Its still a chance for many of us to see freshman for the first time. Its a chance to see if player x and player y can fit share a front court. It provides talking points. It can start discussion. And, most importantly, its college basketball! If you can't understand the desire to watch college hoops in early November, even if it is just a scrimmage between some D-II program and someone from the Big East, than you are reading the wrong website.

- Seton Hall is applying for a waiver to get an extra season out of Jeff Robinson. His first yeear, he only played five games at Memphis before transferring.

- Good read from Jeff Eisenberg on Isaiah Thomas, made all the more impressive by the fact that he likely wrote this while still drunk from celebrating the Giants World Series win. Side note -- if you look closely, you can see RTSMF from Rush the Court in this crowd. He's the drunk one lighting fires and smashing car windows. He's fun!

- A quick look back at some mid-major expansionocalypse history: Colonial Athletic Conference-style.

- You wouldn't expect a coach who lost his two best players to be overwhelmingly upbeat going into a new season, but as Jeff Goodman explains, Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings likes his team's chance.

- Kyle Whelliston joined forces with Basketball Prospectus. This is like LeBron James joining Bosh and Wade in Miami. Or maybe like when all the powers united on Captain Planet.

- A question that many bloggers, writers and analysts have wondered this off-season: With the graduation of Matt Bouldin, is Steven Gray ready to step up and become the team leader of the Zags?

- Part VII of Rush The Court's series on life at a mid-major. Really good stuff in here.

- BOOKMARK NOW: all past RPI statistics now available.

- I never would have thought that the Canary Islands would be a pipeline for Seton Hall. Hell, I never would have thought they even play basketball on the Canary Islands.

- I love this idea.

- Norlander also discusses the potential of James Madison's Denzel Bowles. The Texas A&M-transfer has the size and skill to be a NBA prospect but lacks the mental toughness needed to turn that potential into reality.

- Chris Dobbertean from Blogging The Bracket provides damn-near every Big Sky expansion-related link possible, plus some solid news and notes.

- Some bullet-points regarding Texas' up-and-down off-season
- Bracketology in November? Really?

- Apparently, the Arizona State squad is chalk full of "extreme athleticism". Is this where SlamBall makes it's comeback? I wish.