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The Secondary Break: Monday’s Links

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Cal, Stanford will be revealed this week (San Jose Mercury News)
Entering this week with a combined record of 8-1, bitter rivals California and Stanford will be tested this week in separate in-season tournaments. Cal, which is 4-0, begins play in the Maui Invitational on Monday with a game against Arkansas and the Golden Bears have the talent needed to contend in the Pac-12. Stanford, whose lone blemish came at the hands of BYU, takes on Houston in Brooklyn at the Progressive Legends Classic. By the time Bay Area basketball fans stuff themselves with Thanksgiving dinner, they should have a better idea of what the two area Pac-12 teams are capable of this season.

College basketball hall calls its first team: the 1963 Loyola Ramblers (Kansas City Star)
On Sunday night the College Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its 2013 class in Kansas City, and among the inductees was the first team to receive such an honor. The 1963 national champion Loyola (Ill.) Ramblers, who tend to be overlooked by many due to the Texas Western squad that won the title with five Black starters three years later, were the first national champion with a predominantly Black starting lineup.

Eric Mika expected to play when BYU takes on Texas Monday night (Deseret News)
Late in BYU’s loss to Iowa State on Wednesday night BYU freshman forward Eric Mika was struck in the right eye when DeAndre Kane reached in to strip Mika of the basketball. Kane received a flagrant two and Mika received an eye abrasion, and it seems as if the freshman will be able to go on Monday night when the Cougars play Texas in the CBE Classic in Kansas City.

A look at what’s behind the explosion of neutral-site games in college basketball (The Oklahoman)
In recent years more neutral-site games have been played in college basketball, from in-season tournaments to the single-game match-ups that tend to help match up high-profile programs in an environment that doesn’t favor one team or the other. But it can be argued that this development has come at the expense of the locals who support their programs, as the home non-conference schedule becomes less attractive as a result of these games.

Wilbekin ready to rejoin Gators for Jacksonville game after long road back (Florida Athletics)
Florida senior guard Scottie Wilbekin has earned he way back onto the floor for Billy Donovan, and he’ll make his season debut on Monday when the Gators take on Jacksonville. The road was tough but Wilbekin did what he needed to do and it’s a good thing he did, as the Gators are still without freshman Kasey Hill (ankle).

Will Devonte Graham end up at Appalachian State? “No shot in hell” (CBS Sports)
Earlier this fall the story of Devonte Graham, who signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Appalachian State in 2012, made news. Graham wanted out of the NLI but Appalachian State, stating that it felt that another school had tampered with Graham, refused the request. Now at Brewster Academy, Graham participated in this past weekend’s National Prep Showcase and played well. Coaches at other schools remain interested, but they can’t talk to Graham until May.

Gonzaga University’s basketball success fuels unprecedented growth (Spokesman-Review)
The impact of big-time athletics on universities has been discussed with greater regularity in recent years, as conference realignment and growing salaries and television deals make many wonder what’s being done with all the money. One school that has benefitted greatly from the success of its basketball program is Gonzaga, which has seen an 82% increase in enrollment since 1999.

Colorado’s Boyle impressed with Calipari’s success (Boulder Daily Camera)
Building a program primarily with players who are due to become millionaires within a year isn’t for everyone, but one of the coaches who has enjoyed a great deal of success with such players is Kentucky’s John Calipari. And in the eyes of Colorado head coach Tad Boyle, who has four true freshmen to mold this season, Calipari doesn’t receive the credit he deserves when it comes to coaching such players.

Flintstone Mateen Cleaves humbled to join legendary pantheon of athletes in local hall of fame (MLive.com)
Michigan State great Mateen Cleaves has been inducted into another hall of fame, as he’s a member of the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame. Cleaves, also a member of the Michigan State Athletics and Michigan Sports halls of fame, was the leader of a team that won Michigan State’s second basketball national title in 2000.

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