Coaching Changes

College Basketball Coaching Changes: 2012

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:20 -0700

As usual, the 2012 college basketball off-season features a never-ending parade of coaching changes. Some moves make sense, others are questionable, while others are simply head-scratchers. Thanks to collegesportsinfo.com, where a lot of this info was gleaned from. Also, apologies if all the colors give you a headache!

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Power Conferences

Illinois

In - Jim Groce (ohio hc)

Out - Bruce Weber (fired >> kansas st))

Kansas St

In - Bruce Weber (illinois hc)

Out - Frank Martin (resigned >> so carolina)

LSU

In - Johnny Jones (north texas hc)

Out - Trent Johnson (resigned)

Mississippi St

In - Rick Ray (clemson asst)

Out - Rick Stansbury (retired)

Nebraska

In - Tim Miles (colorado st hc)

Out - Doc Sadler (fired)

South Carolina

In - Frank Martin (kansas st hc)

Out - Darrin Horn (fired)

Virginia Teach

Out - Seth Greenberg (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: High-Majors

Air Force

In - Dave Philopovich (asst)

Out - Jeff Reynolds (fired)

Colorado St

In - Larry Eustachy (so miss hc)

Out - Tim Miles (resigned >> nebraska)

Duquesne

In - Jim Ferry (liu hc)

Out - Ron Everhart (fired)

Rhode Island

In - Danny Hurley (wagner hc)

Out - Jim Baron (fired >> canisius)

Southern Illinois

In - Barry Hinson (kansas asst)

Out - Chris Lowery (fired)

SMU

In - Larry Brown

Out - Matt Doherty (fired)

Southern Miss

Out - Larry Eustachy (resigned)

TCU

In - Trent Johnson (lsu hc)

Out - Jim Christian (resigned)

Tulsa

In - Danny Manning (kansas asst)

Out - Doug Wojcik (fired >> charleston)

UAB

In - Jerrod Hasse (unc asst)

Out - Mike Davis (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Mid-Majors

Central Michigan

In - Keno Davis

Out - Ernie Ziegler (fired)

Charleston

In - Doug Wojcik (tulsa hc)

Out - Bobby Cremins (retired)

FIU

In - Richard Pitino (louisville asst)

Out - Isiah Thomas (fired)

Miami (OH)

In - John Cooper (tennessee st hc)

Out - Charlie Coles (retired)

North Texas

In - Tony Benford (marquette asst)

Out - Johnny Jones (resigned >> lsu)

Ohio

In - Jim Christian (tcu hc)

Out - John Groce (resigned >> illinois)

Western Kentucky

In - Ray Harper (asst)

Out - Ken McDonald (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Low-Majors

Brown

Out - Jessie Angel (fired)

Canisius

In - Jim Baron (rhode island hc)

Out - Tom Parrotta (fired)

Eastern Illinois

In - Jay Spoonhour

Out - Mike Miller (fired)

Grambling

Out - Bobby Washington (fired)

Idaho St

In - Bill Evans (montana asst)

Out - Joe O'Brien (resigned)

LIU

In - Jack Perri (asst)

Out - Jim Perry (reisgned)

Mt St. Mary's

In - Jamion Christian (vcu asst)

Out - Robert Burke (reisgned)

NC A&T

In - Cy Alexander

Out - Jerry Evans (fired(

Northern Arizona

In - Jack Murphy (memphis asst)

Out - Mike Adras (resigned)

Samford

In - Bennie Seltzer

Out - Jimmy Tillette (fired)

Southern Utah

In - Nick Robinson (lsu asst)

Out - Roger Reid (retired)

SFPA

In - Rob Krimmel

Out - Don Friday (fired)

Tennessee St

In - Travis Williams (asst)

Out - John Cooper (resigned >> Miami OH)

UNCG

In - Wes Miller (asst)

Out - Mike Dement (fired)

Wagner

In - Bashir Mason (asst)

Out - Danny Hurley (resigned >> rhode island)

Winthrop

In - Pat Kelsey

Out - Randy Peele (fired)

Please email shawn@collegehoops.net if we're missing any transactions

Mchigan St vs Louisville: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 07:46:51 -0700

(1) Michigan State vs. (4) Louisville: West Region

Records

Michigan State 29-7, 13-5 Big Ten (Regular season and Conference Tournament Champions)

Louisville 28-9, 10-8 Big East (Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 7:47 p.m. Thursday

TV: TBS

Location: U.S. Airways Arena in Phoenix

Winner will face: (3) Marquette or (7) Florida, Sunday

Tournament Results

Michigan State def. Long Island, 89-67; def. Saint Louis, 65-61

Louisville def. Davidson, 69-62; def. New Mexico, 59-56

Rankings

Michigan State No. 5 AP; No. 4 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

Louisville No. 17 AP; No. 18 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Michigan State 2

Louisville 10

Line: Michigan State -5 (O/U 125)

Players to Watch

Michigan State: F Draymond Green, 6-7 Sr. (16.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 3.8 apg); C Derrick Nix, 6-9 Jr. (8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 55.9% FG); G Keith Appling, 6-1 So. (11.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.2 spg). Green – the Big Ten Player of the Year – was at his best in the Spartans’ first two rounds of the tournament, including a triple-double in an 89-67 win over Long Island. He has 42 points, 25 rebounds, 16 assists, three steals and he has made 16 of his 28 field goal attempts and four of his eight 3s.

Louisville: G Peyton Siva, 6-0 Jr. (9.2 ppg, 5.5 apg, 1.8 spg); C Gorgui Dieng, 6-11 So. (9.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.1 bpg); G Russ Smith, 6-0 So. (11.4 ppg, 2.3 spg, 1.9 apg). Smith can be spectacular and … let’s just say inconsistent. On Saturday he was definitely the former, scoring 17 points, hitting all three of his 3-point shots, getting three steals and playing great overall defense in the win over New Mexico.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Michigan State: Draymond Green. If they have nothing else, the Spartans have Green, one of the toughest, smartest and best leaders in college basketball. Having a star is always a key to winning a national championship, and Green seems to be on the level of Magic Johnson and Mateen Cleaves. Michigan State shoots 48.2 percent from the field, thanks to a bulky, savvy frontline. The Spartans are a very good rebounding team and out-rebound opponents by 8.3 points per game. They rarely allow an offensive rebound and they rebound 37 percent of their own misses.

Louisville: The Cardinals have one of the best defenses in the country, holding opponents to 61.1 points, 37.9 percent from the floor and 30.2 from the 3-point line. They force 15.6 turnovers and get nine steals per game. During their 6-game winning streak, U of L has held five of the opponents to under 40 percent from the field, including a 23-for-58 outing for a hot New Mexico squad. Siva is an outstanding playmaker and floor leader and the Cardinals have very good depth.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Michigan State: Because of their style, pace and lack of perimeter offense, the Spartans have a hard time pulling away from anyone. That could put them in jeopardy late in the tournament. Against Saint Louis, MSU shot 54 percent and the Billikens managed just 35, yet because of the Spartans’ lack of explosiveness, the final margin was just four points. The Michigan State defense applies almost no perimeter pressure, forcing only 12.7 turnovers per game and they have a minus-0.2 turnover margin. Although the frontline is the Spartans’ strength, without injured Branden Dawson, they have almost no frontline depth, so foul trouble has the potential to be damaging.

Louisville: The Cardinals have really struggled to put the ball in the basket. They shoot just 42.5 percent from the floor, 31.3 from behind the arc and 68.7 from the stripe. Louisville turns the ball over 14.4 times per game and has a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. For the season, the Cardinals out-rebound opponents 37.9-36.3 per game, but they were dominated by the Lobos, 34-23 on the boards, allowing 15 offensive rebounds.

The Bottom Line: Louisville has played above its head. Green will bring the Cardinals back down to Earth.

The Pick: Michigan State 61, Louisville 51

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 214-164-6

NCAA Tournament (through first two rounds): 27-21-1

College Basketball Twitter: Dashboard

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:14:19 -0800

The latest tweets from college basketball's most insightful twitter users. The tweets update live so you can sit back and follow the action in real-time.

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2011

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:10:35 -0700

We'll track coaching changes as they occur. If there's any missing on here, or if you have contract info to add (including salaries), please mention it in the comments section.

Latest Hiring/Firing 6/27: Not done yet; Bethune-Cookman fires Reed

BCS Conferences

Arkansas
Was: John Pelphrey
Is: Mike Anderson (from Missouri)

Georgia Tech
Was: Paul Hewitt
Is: Brian Gregory (from Dayton)

Maryland
Was: Gary Williams
Is: Mark Turgeon (from Texas A&M)

Miami (FL)
Was: Frank Haith
Is: Jim Larranaga (from George Mason)

Missouri
Was: Mike Anderson
Is: Frank Haith (from Miami)

North Carolina State
Was: Sidney Lowe
Is: Mark Gottfried (ESPN analyst/former Alabama head coach)

Oklahoma
Was: Jeff Capel
Is: Lon Kruger (from UNLV)

Penn State
Was: Ed DeChellis
Is: Patrick Chambers (from Boston University)

Providence
Was: Keno Davis
Is: Ed Cooley (from Fairfield)

Tennessee
Was: Bruce Pearl
Is: Cuonzo Martin (from Missouri St)

Texas A&M
Was: Mark Turgeon
Is: Billy Kennedy (from Murray State)

Texas Tech
Was: Pat Knight
Is: Billy Gillispie

High-Majors

Bradley
Was: Jim Les
Is: Geno Ford (from Kent St)

Dayton
Was: Brian Gregory
Is: Archie Miller (Arizona assistant)

Fresno St
Was: Steve Cleveland
Is: Rodney Terry (Texas assistant)

George Mason
Was: Jim Larranaga
Is: Paul Hewitt (former Georgia Tech head coach)

George Washington
Was: Karl Hobbs
Is: Mike Lonergan (from Vermont)

Georgia St
Was: Rod Barnes
Is: Ron Hunter (from IUPUI)

Louisiana Tech
Was: Kerry Rupp
Is: Mike White (Ole Miss assistant)

Missouri St
Was: Cuonzo Martin
Is: Paul Lusk (Purdue associate head coach)

Pepperdine
Was: Tom Asbury
Is: Marty Wilson

Towson
Was: Pat Kennedy
Is: Pat Skerry (Pittsburgh assistant)

UNLV
Was: Lon Kruger
Is: Dave Rice (BYU assistant)

Utah
Was: Jim Boylen
Is: Larry Krystkowiak (New Jersey Nets assistant)

Wyoming
Was: Heath Schroyer
Is: Larry Shyatt (Florida assistant)

Mid-Majors

Boston University
Was: Patrick Chambers
Is: Joe Jones (Boston College assistant)

Eastern Michigan
Was: Charles Ramsey
Is: Rob Murphy (Syracuse assistant)

Fairfield
Was: Ed Cooley
Is: Sydney Johnson (from Princeton)

IPFW
Was: Dane Fife
Is: Tony Jasick (IPFW assistant)

IUPUI
Was: Ron Hunter
Is: Todd Howard (IUPUI assistant)

Kent St
Was: Geno Ford
Is: Rob Senderoff (Kent St assistant)

Loyola (Chi)
Was: Jim Whitesell
Is: Porter Moser (Saint Louis associate head coach)

Manhattan
Was: Barry Rohrssen
Is: Steve Masiello (Louisville assistant)

Northern Illinois
Was: Ricardo Patton
Is: Mark Montgomery

Princeton
Was: Sydney Johnson
Is: Mitch Henderson (Northwestern assistant)

Vermont
Was: Mike Lonergan
Is: John Becker (Vermont assistant)

Low-Majors

Alcorn St
Was: Larry Smith
Is: Luther Riley (Provine (AL) HS head coach)

Bethune-Cookman
Was: Clifford Reed
Is:

Colgate
Was: Emmett Davis
Is: Matt Langel (Temple assistant)

Eastern Washington
Was: Kirk Earlywine
Is: Jim Hayford (Whitworth College)

Florida A&M
Was: Eugene Harris
Is: Clem Johnson (Alaska-Fairbanks)

Florida Gulf Coast
Was: Dave Balza
Is: Andy Enfield (Florida State assistant)

Kennesaw St
Was: Tony Ingle
Is: Lewis Preston (Penn State assistant)

Lamar
Was: Steve Roccaforte
Is: Pat Knight (former Texas Tech head coach)

Monmouth
Was: Dave Calloway
Is: King Rice (Vanderbilt assistant)

Murray State
Was: Billy Kennedy
Is: Steve Prohm (Murray State assistant)

Navy
Was: Billy Lange
Is: Ed DeChellis (from Penn State)

Radford
Was: Brad Greenberg
Is: Mike Jones (VCU assistant)

Stetson
Was: Derrek Waugh
Is: Casey Alexander (Belmont assistant)

Tennessee Tech
Was: Mike Sutton
Is: Steve Payne

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Was: Perry Clark
Is: Willis Wilson (Memphis assistant)

Top Coaching Prospects

Todd Bozeman (Morgan St Coach)
~~Ed Cooley (Fairfield Coach) HIRED~~
Keno Davis (Former Providence Coach)
Joe Dooley (Kansas Assistant)
John Dunne (Saint Peter's Coach)
~~Andy Enfield (FSU Assistant) HIRED~~
Jim Ferry (LIU Coach)
Ray Giacoletti (Gonzaga Assistant)
~~Billy Gillispie (Former Coach) HIRED~~
~~Jim Larranaga (George Mason Coach) HIRED~~
Jim Les (Former Bradley Coach)
~~Mike Lonergan (Vermont Coach) HIRED~~
Bobby Lutz (Iowa St Assistant)
Donnie Marsh (UAB associate head coach)
Gregg Marshall (Wichita St Coach)
~~Steve Masiello (Louisville Assistant) HIRED~~
John Pelphrey (Arkansas Coach)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2010

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:20:06 -0700

We'll track coaching changes as they occur. If there's any missing on here, or if you have contract info to add (including salaries), please mention it in the comments section.

Latest 8/20: UIC tabs Wisconsin assistant to replace Collins

BCS Conferences

Auburn
Was: Jeff Lebo
Is: Tony Barbee (UTEP)

Boston College
Was: Al Skinner
Is: Steve Donahue (Cornell)

Clemson
Was: Oliver Purnell
Is: Brad Brownell (Wright State)

Colorado
Was: Jeff Bzdelik
Is: Tad Boyle (Northern Colorado)

DePaul
Was: Jerry Wainwright
Interim: Tracy Webster
Is: Oliver Purnell

Iowa
Was: Todd Lickliter
Is: Fran McCaffery (Siena)

Iowa State
Was: Greg McDermott
Is: Fred Hoiberg (VP of Basketball Operations, Minnesota Timberwolves)

Oregon
Was: Ernie Kent
Is: Dana Altman (Creighton)

Rutgers
Was: Fred Hill Jr.
Is: Mike Rice (Robert Morris)

Seton Hall
Was: Bobby Gonzalez
Is: Kevin Willard (Iona)

St. John's
Was: Norm Roberts
Is: Steve Lavin (not coaching)

Wake Forest
Was: Dino Gaudio
Is: Jeff Bzdelik (Colorado)

High-Majors

Boise St
Was: Greg Graham
Is: Leon Rice (Gonzaga Asst)

Central Florida
Was: Kirk Speraw
Is: Donnie Jones (Marshall)

Charlotte
Was: Bobby Lutz
Is: Alan Major (Ohio State Asst)

Creighton
Was: Dana Altman
Is: Greg McDermott (Iowa State)

East Carolina
Was: Mark McCarthy
Is: Jeff Lebo (Auburn)

Fordham
Was: Dereck Whittenburg
Interim: Jared Grasso (Interim)
Is: Tom Pecora (Hofstra)

Hawaii
Was: Bob Nash
Is: Gib Arnold (USC Asst)

Hofstra
Was: Tom Pecora
Was: Tim Welsh
Is:Mo Cassara (Hofstra Asst)

Houston
Was: Tom Penders
Is: James Dickey (not coaching)

Indiana State
Was: Kevin McKenna (Oregon assistant)
Is: Greg Lansing (Indiana State assistant)

Marshall
Was: Donnie Jones
Is: Bill Herrion (Pittsburgh Asst)

Tulane
Was: Dave Dickerson
Is: Ed Conroy (Citadel)

UNCW
Was: Benny Moss
Interim: Brooks Lee
Is: Buzz Peterson (Appalachian State)

UTEP
Was: Tony Barbee
Is: Tim Floyd (not coaching)

Mid-Majors

Columbia
Was: Joe Jones
Is: Kyle Smith (Saint Mary's assistant)

Cornell
Was: Steve Donahue
Is: Bill Courtney (Virginia Tech Assistant)

Dartmouth
Was: Terry Dunn
Interim: Mark Gaupe (Interim)
Is: Paul Cormier (scout; Golden State Warriors)

Illinois-Chicago
Was: Jimmy Collins (retiring effective August 31st)
Is: Howard Moore (Wisconsin assistant)

Iona
Was: Kevin Willard
Is: Tim Cluess (CW Post)

Louisiana-Lafayette
Was: Robert Lee
Is: Bob Marlin (Sam Houston St)

Louisiana-Monroe
Was: Orlando Early
Is: Keith Richard (LSU assistant)

Penn
Was: Glen Miller
Interim: Jerome Allen
In: Jerome Allen (Interim)

Siena
Was: Fran McCaffery
Is: Mitch Buonaguro (Siena Asst)

Toledo
Was: Gene Cross
Is: Tod Kowalczyk (UWGB)

UC-Irvine
Was: Pat Douglass
Is: Russell Turner (Golden State Warriors assistant)

UWGB
Was: Tod Kowalczyk
Is: Brian Wardle (UWGB Asst)

Wright State
Was: Brad Brownell
Is: Billy Donlon (Wright State Associate head coach)

Low-Majors

Appalachian State
Was: Buzz Peterson
Is: Jason Capel (Appalachian State assistant)

Central Arkansas
Was: Rand Chappell
Is: Corlis Williamson (Arkansas Baptist)

Chicago State
Was: Benjy Taylor
Is: Tracy Dildy (UIC assistant)

Citadel
Was: Ed Conroy
Is: Chuck Driesell (Maryland assistant)

Gardner-Webb
Was: Ricky Scruggs
Is: Chris Holtmann (Ohio Asst)

Hartford
Was: Dan Leibovitz
Is: Joe Gallagher (Boston College Asst)

Holy Cross
Was: Sean Kearney
Is: Milan Brown (Mount St. Mary's)

Howard
Was: Gil Jackson
Is: Kevin Nickleberry (DePaul assistant)

Mount St. Mary's
Was: Milan Brown
Is: Robert Burke (American assistant)

Northern Colorado
Was: Tad Boyle
Is: B.J. Hill (Northern Colorado assistant)

Robert Morris
Was: Mike Rice
Is: Andrew Toole (Robert Morris assistant)

Sam Houson St
Was: Bob Marlin
Is: James Hooten (Asst)

St. Francis (NY)
Was: Brian Nash
Is: Glenn Braica (St. John's assistant)

Wagner
Was: Mike Deane
Is: Danny Hurley (St. Benedict's HS)

Poll: How Much Longer Will Jim Calhoun Coach?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:16:56 -0800

Poll: Who Will be the Next Coach Fired?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:39:55 -0800

Speeding Towards Indy: A College Hoops Preview

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:43:57 -0800

College Hoops is here. Finally! (This also means we get more of Gus Johnson! I’m excited!) We know all about Coach Cal’s new colors, Pitino’s “family” issues, and most of the big name players and teams in the country. Plus two Isaiah/Isiah Thomases this year. We’re in for a treat.

Here are some games, names, and predictions to watch out for this year…

There was Durant and Oden. Followed by Rose, Beasley, Mayo, and Love. After a year off, the Freshmen are back. There will be multiple “one-and-done” guys this year. Here are five freshmen to look out for:

1. John Wall (Kentucky): There has already been a great deal of hype surrounding this kid. The 6’4” guard at Kentucky has the ability to take Calipari and company to Indianapolis. Derrick Rose flourished in Coach Cal’s system and I see John Wall doing the same (maybe even earning himself a #1 pick like Rose did in ’08) This kid’s got talent

2. Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech): He’ll be a household name in the ACC before year’s end. Georgia Tech may contend for the ACC title because of Favors. This 6’10” freshman will most likely be a one-and-done and land himself in the top 5 of next year’s draft.

3. Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati): He’s cleared to play. Several schools passed on him due to attitude concerns and off-the-court issues. He’s the next big thing out of Lincoln HS in NYC. It’ll be interesting to see him go up against the tough guard play in the Big East.

4. Avery Bradley (Texas): TJ Ford, DJ Augustin, and AJ Abrams all had great collegiate careers under Barnes. Avery Bradley is next. (The only thing he’s missing is the abbreviated first name.) Bradley can drive, shoot, and defend. He should compliment Damion James nicely for the Longhorns.

5. Xavier Henry (Kansas): He landed at Kansas. Henry was recruited heavily by just about every top program in the country. It’ll be interesting to see if he’ll “accept” being the 3^rd option (Collins and Aldrich) on his loaded Jayhawk team. The 6’6” southpaw guard can flat out score and is a deadly shooter.

We know the preseason All-Americans (Collins, Aldrich, Harangody, Singler, Patterson). There are some other names that may not necessarily be under the radar, but they need to have your attention this year.

1. Devan Downey (South Carolina): He can take over a game. He can score in bunches and gives opposing defenses fits. He hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament yet and that will only make him better this season.

2. Isaiah Thomas (Washington): It must be the name. As a freshman he had 207 free throw attempts last season. What’s that mean? He can get to the rack…quickly.

3. Gordon Hayward (Butler): He’s got Bulldog fans thinking Final Four. Hayward helped the United States win the gold in the under-19 World Basketball Championships.

4. Craig Brackins (Iowa State): If he had any help at Iowa State, he’d be a household name. He averaged 20.2 ppg and 9.5 rpg as a Sophomore last season.

5. Devin Ebanks (West Virginia): He came into his own during the Big East tournament last year as a freshman. A year of experience both in the Big East and under Huggy Bear should help for a breakout sophomore campaign.

Same face, different place. Here are some important coaching changes:

1. John Calipari, Kentucky (from Memphis)

2. Tony Bennett, Virginia (Washington State)

3. Sean Miller, Arizona (Xavier)

4. Anthony Grant, Alabama (VCU)

5. Isaiah Thomas, FIU (no former team)

This year, like every year, features a ton of great non-conference games. Here’s a look at a few games to look out for:

1. Michigan State at North Carolina (December 1^st)

2. Kansas at UCLA (December 6^th)

3. North Carolina at Kentucky (December 5^th)

4. West Virginia at Purdue (January 1^st)

5. Louisville at Kentucky (January 2nd)

6. ~~Butler at Ohio State~~ Ohio State at Butler (December 12^th)

7. North Carolina at Texas (December 19^th)

8. Texas at Connecticut (January 23^rd)

9. California at Kansas (December 22^nd)

10. Washington vs. Georgetown (December 12^th)

Here are a few predictions…some are bold, some are not so bold

1. Texas will win the national championship. They have an NBA caliber player in Damion James. Transfer, Jai Lucas, will become eligible mid-December. They have two stud freshmen in Avery Bradley and Jordan Hamilton (said to be a Paul Pierce clone). They are extremely deep and have a great coach in Rick Barnes.

2. Freshman John Wall will win POY. He’s exciting to watch, and damn good. I think he has what it takes and will flourish in Calipari’s system

3. Butler will make the Final Four. Led by Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard, Butler is this year’s sexy pick to make a deep run into March. I’m buying this.

4. Northwestern will make their first ever NCAA tournament appearance. They just missed the cut last year and will go dancing this year. (Editor: Northwestern lost its best player, Kevin Coble, shortly before this article was set to go on-line.. perhaps the curse of Matthew Ryter??)

5. Paul Hewitt will win Coach of the Year. Thanks to Derrick Favors, Gani Lawal, and Iman Shumpert this team will finish in the top 3 in the ACC. They were last in the ACC last year (2-14) and will be much improved.

Matthew Ryter keeps you up to date on the world of college basketball with his "Ryter's Block" column. What do you think about this story? Post your comments below:

Fall Out Boy: USC Continues Shakeup Following Tim Floyd Fallout

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:42:50 -0700

"As of 1 p.m. today, I am resigning as head basketball coach at the University of Southern California," wrote Coach Floyd in the letter. "I appreciate the opportunity afforded me by the university, as well as the chance to know and work with some of the finest young men in college athletics. Unfortunately, I no longer feel I can offer the level of enthusiasm to my duties that is deserved by the university, my coaching staff, my players, their families, and the supporters of Southern Cal."

"I always promised my self and my family that if I ever felt I could no longer give my full enthusiasm to a job, that I should leave it to others who could. I intend to contact my coaching staff and my players in coming days and weeks to tell them how much each of them means to me. I wish the best to USC and to my successor."

Things took a turn for the worse back on May 12th due to an investigation by Yahoo! Sports, with Louis Johnson, once a friend of OJ Mayo, alleging that Floyd gave runner Rodney Guillory $1,000 to funnel to Mayo. Guillory, who worked for the Bill Duffy Sports Agency, eventually delivered the prospect to Duffy's agency when he declared for the NBA Draft. The NCAA combined the investigation of Mayo with that of former football star Reggie Bush, who is alleged to have received illegal benefits in the six-figure range while playing for the school.

Floyd leaves USC with a record of 85-50 over four seasons at the school, and an overall mark of 328-180 in sixteen seasons at the collegiate level. Coach Floyd also had head coaching stints in the NBA with Chicago and New Orleans, but it remains to be seen what his next move could be. Last year Kelvin Sampson left Indiana amidst an NCAA investigation and became an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks. According to Garrett the Trojans will begin their search for a new head coach immediately, and it remains to be seen what happens in regards to roster turnover.

Yesterday, Derrick Williams (La Mirada, CA) was the third player released from his commitment to the program. Lamont Jones (Harlem, NY) and Noel Johnson (Fayetteville, GA), both Top 75 prospects according to Rivals.com, had also been released in recent weeks. This leaves the less heralded Evan Smith (Calabassas, CA) as the lone remaining freshman on USC's roster. (Besides those official losses, there was also the decision back in April of potential super-signee Renardo Sidney to look elsewhere.)

Adding to the bad news for USC fans, big man Taj Gibson decided to remain in the NBA Draft despite having little shot of getting drafted in the First Round.

And with it being unknown what the end result of the investigation will be, expect a long, tough search for a new head coach.

Tim Floyd out at USC

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:13:19 -0700

The lasting image of Tim Floyd's tenure at USC won't be the celebration following the Trojans' run to the Pac-10 tournament title. Instead, it will be an alleged payment of $1,000 to a runner and the mass exodus of key players this offseason. With a program severely hampered by the NCAA's ongoing investigation, Coach Floyd turned in a letter of resignation to athletic director Mike Garrett on Tuesday afternoon as reported by the Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi. Floyd is a native of Mississippi and according to sources the allegations had taken a toll on the coach.

Incoming freshmen Lamont Jones (Harlem, NY) and Derrick Wiliams (La Mirada, CA) have signed letters of intent, while Evan Smith (Calabasas, CA) remains a verbal commitment. Having already lost the highly-touted Noel Johnson, it wouldn't be a surprise if USC also had to deal with Jones' camp requesting a release from his LOI. According to Adam Zagoria that's exactly what's going to happen. And with it being unknown what the end result of the investigation will be, expect a long, tough search for a new head coach.

Recruiting Impact

Lamont Jones: Arizona, Florida and Memphis have been named as the three schools he's looking at right now. There was a report when "Momo" signed with USC that he was told by the staff that a visit to Arizona would result in them taking their offer off of the table. As with Noel Johnson the Trojans could very well release Jones with the string attached that he cannot attend another Pac-10 school.

Derrick Williams: Williams had concerns about the situation before Floyd resigned, telling the Pasadena Star-News' Scott Dixon that he was still "trying to get more information about USC and the O.J. Mayo stuff and investigation". According to scout.com, Williams also held offers from Arizona State, Marquette, Nevada, San Diego and Santa Clara.

Question: Who do you think will be the next head coach at USC?