It’s time for Bill Walton to stop slamming Ben Howland (CBS Sports)
UCLA’s win over Alabama last Saturday also marked the season debut of ESPN color commentator Bill Walton, one of the greatest players in college basketball history. And for those who have watched him call college games, his disapproval of the Ben Howland era is well-known. He continued on that path Saturday, and the feeling in some circles is that he needs to put a cap on it now that Howland’s no longer the head coach at UCLA.
I’m not sure it’s the hardest job, but this is one of the best (Coach Cal)
Kentucky head coach John Calipari has his own website, which he uses to relay his thoughts to fans of the program. In this post he tackled the idea that he currently has the toughest job in college basketball, offering up some interesting words on the topic.
Arizona, Syracuse stride into 2014 as top teams (Sports Illustrated)
As two of the nation’s seven remaining undefeated teams, Arizona and Syracuse have remained atop the national polls as they begin conference play this weekend. That’s also the case in Luke Winn’s power rankings, in which he discusses the Wildcats’ offensive balance and Wisconsin’s efficiency on baseline out of bounds plays.
Grad students have helped UConn, but some want tighter rules (Hartford Courant)
After R.J. Evans proved to be a capable contributor for UConn last season, George Washington transfer Lasan Kromah has done so this season for the Huskies. But even with that being the case, there are some who aren’t too fond of the current NCAA rules regarding graduate transfers.
Big patience: transfer Hunter Mickelson using year to learn (Lawrence Journal-World)
One big man on the Kansas roster who has not played this season is center Hunter Mickelson, who has to sit out this season after transferring in from Arkansas. And even though he can’t play in games, Mickelson’s done his best to improve and learn from one of the nation’s best coaches in Bill Self.
Answers come for Utah, but the biggest question remains (Salt Lake Tribune)
Utah performed well in its 70-68 loss to No. 10 Oregon on Thursday night, with Jordan Loveridge, Delon Wright and Dallin Bachynski all playing well. But even with that being the case, the next step for the program is to learn how to win games of that magnitude.
Butler basketball comes out a winner figuratively, if not literally (Fort Wayne News-Sentinel)
Butler made its Big East debut on Tuesday night, losing to No. 8 Villanova in overtime at Hinkle Fieldhouse. But even with the loss it’s difficult to say that the Bulldogs weren’t a winner in one regard, as the debut was the culmination of years of hard work to reach that point.
Perspective needed for transition season in Bloomington (Inside the Hall)
Indiana dropped its Big Ten opener at Illinois on Tuesday night, and while there’s certainly talent at Tom Crean’s disposal there will be growing pains as well. And given how much was lost from last year’s Big Ten champion squad, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.