The Morning Mix

By Troy MachirJan 15, 2013, 8:00 AM EST

Not too much action on the hardwood last night. Louisville beat UConn. Kansas beat Baylor. Grambling lost again, and Savannah State’s Preston Blackman scored 41 points in the Tiger double-overtime win over Morgan State. But despite a light smattering of hoops action, there are a plethora of news items we need to get to.

Lets hit the links.

Tuesday’s Top Games:
7:00 p.m. – No. 20 Notre Dame @ St. John’s
7:00 p.m. – Wake Forest @ Clemson
7:00 p.m. – Tennessee @ Kentucky
8:00 p.m. – Northern Iowa @ No. 12 Creighton
8:30 p.m. – Cincinnati @ DePaul
9:00 p.m. – Wisconsin @ No. 2 Indiana
9:00 p.m. – Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt

Read of the Day:
The Grambling Tigers have yet to win a game this season and are closing in on historic levels of ineptitude. Dom Cosentino wonders if Grambling is on course for the worst season in college basketball history. (Deadspin)

Read of the Day:
Rick Barnes has been criticized over the years for his lack of postseason success despite the number of players he has sent to the pros. But as C.J. Moore explains, we need to cut Barnes a lot of slack. Read it. (Basketball Prospectus)

Top Stories:
What Kevin O’Neill did wrong: The USC head coach was given the boot yesterday after a three-and-a-half year tenure. But what ultimately cost him his job? Sure his teams were riddled with injuries, but his inability to recruit to Southern California area was key.

Louisville defends no. 1 ranking, pushes past UConn: After a rocky first half, The Cardinals held the Huskies without a point for over four minutes in the half, surged ahead, and held on for a 73-58 final margin in Hartford.

Fairfield holds ‘Newtown Day’ in game against Niagara: The Stags invited around 300 kids and their parents from Sandy Hook Elementary and surrounding schools to watch their game against Niagara. The Stags came up short in the game however, losing 67-64.

Danny Berger’s heartfelt thank you letter: During a practice in early December, Berger’s heart-stopped. He got light-headed and passed out on the floor, where trainers first gave him CPR and then used an AED to shock his heart and bring him back to life. Late last week, Berger wrote a heartfelt and touching letter to thank those that saved his life.

Only thing better than the NC State wheelchair courtstorming is the pregame ‘Braveheart’ speech: Words cannot describe the awesomeness of this “Braveheart” pregame speech delivered by two college students to NC State fans waiting in line for the Wolfpack vs. Blue Devils game on Saturday. You need to watch this.

Hoops Housekeeping
– Kansas phenom Ben McLemore suffered an ankle injury in the late stages of the Jayhawks’ blowout win last night against Baylor. Bill Self believes he shouldn’t miss more than a few days. (KUsports.com)

– Wyoming’s second-leading scorer Luke Martinez has been suspended following his arrest in a bar brawl in which he injured his right ring finger. (The Dagger)

– Former Auburn forward Josh Langford has decided to transfer to Southeast Missouri State. (OVC Ball)

– Florida forward Casey Prather could miss up to two weeks of action due to a high ankle sprain he suffered over the weekend. (Fox Sports)

– Georgia State guard R.J. Hunter, the son of Panthers head coach Ron Hunter, suffered a stress fracture during the panthers buzzer-beating loss at home to Delaware on Saturday. (Mid-Major Madness)

– Butler guard Rotnei Clarke will miss the next two games because of the neck sprain he suffered against Dayton. The Bulldogs will be forced to face Gonzaga on Saturday without their best scorer. (Slipper Still Fits)

– Manhattan guard George Beamon has been shut down for the season because of a severe ankle injury and will apply for a medical hardship waiver. (New York Daily News)

– North Dakota State’s top scorer Taylor Braun will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a broken foot. (The Sporting News)

– The game between Temple and Detroit that was postponed due to prevailing weather conditions has been rescheduled for February 28. (Pickin’ Splinters)

– Prosecutors have dropped the sexual abuse charge against Iowa State basketball player Bubu Palo, meaning he may be able to rejoin the Cyclones’ program. (ESPN)

Observations & Insight:
– If USC every wants to have a successful basketball program, they will have to put aside excuses and get to work. (The Sporting News)

– Here’s an interesting name to watch for in the USC coaching search: Saint Mary’s Randy Bennett. I doubt the coach will leave Moraga, but you just never know. (SMC Hoops)

– The eligibility and academic issues that James Southerland is facing is different from those that Fab Melo faced a year ago. (Troy Nunes)

– Seth Davis’ “Fast Break” is a weekly column that is a must-read. No more teases, just read it. (Sports Illustrated)

– Pat Forde’s “Forde Minutes” is another reoccurring column that is worth your time. (Yahoo Sports)

– John Gasaway released his first “Tuesday Truths” of the season. this weekly column takes a look at how teams in the nation’s top 11 conferences are doing against their league opponents on a per-possession basis. It’s also a weekly must-read. (Basketball Prospectus)

– Jay Bilas and Chad Ford discuss the most overrated prospects in the country. James Michael McAdoo, Alex Poythress, and Le’Bryan Nash headline a list of guys who haven’t exactly lived up to the hype. (ESPN Insider)

– If you couldn’t already tell by looking at halftime scores of 19-14, Scoring in college basketball is at a historic-low. (USA Today)

– It’s pretty simple. If you rank Georgetown in the top-20 after they lost to Pittsburgh by 28-points, you deserve to get shredded by Gary Parrish. (Eye on College Basketball)

– Is Ole Miss an at-large team? The SEC is way down, but if the Rebels can avoid bad losses, they could grab a bid. (College Hoops Haven)

– A nice-read about Clemson coach brad Brownell and his emphasis on the development of court vision. (OrangeandWhite.com)

– After a rocky start to his rookie campaign, San Diego State freshman Winston Sheppard is living up to the hype. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Odds & Ends
– Fans are funny. It seems that a North Carolina fan believes the Tar Heels couldn’t beat a 4A high school team. (The Sporting News)

– The ACC is debating the idea of starting its own network. (Eye on College Basketball)

– Northwestern fans do not have fond memories of Kevin O’Neill, who spent three seasons as head coach of the Wildcats. (Sippin’ on Purple)

Picture of the Night:
Will Privette is a wheelchair-bound NC-State student who rushed the court after the Wolfpack’s huge win over Duke on Saturday. But when he was knocked out of his wheelchair, he got some assistance from C.J. Leslie, who saved him from the stampede. (Barstool Sports)

Video of the Night:
Brent Musberger did it again. Dude is on the prowl. (The Big Lead)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ri887CNsa-Q]

Dunk: of the Day:
This is what we like to call “unPOSTERIZED”.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H8DziiWH-2Y]

Do you like the new Morning Mix? Hate it? Have a suggestion or want something featured? Troy Machir will take all your praise, insults and inquiries via Twitter (@TroyMachir)

UCLA guard Jaylen Clark declares for NBA draft

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 12:33 AM EDT

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES – UCLA guard Jaylen Clark has declared for the NBA draft, weeks after a leg injury forced him out of the season’s final six games.

The junior from Riverside, California, announced his plans on his Instagram account Wednesday.

“Thank you to UCLA and coach (Mick) Cronin for believing in me,” Clark’s post read. “I’d like to announce that I am declaring for the 2023 draft.”

Clark didn’t indicate whether he would hire an agent ahead of the June 22 draft or retain his remaining eligibility. He has until May 31 to withdraw and be able to return to Westwood.

He suffered a lower right leg injury in the regular-season finale against Arizona on March 4. Clark averaged 13 points and six rebounds while starting 29 of 30 games. He led the Pac-12 in total steals with 78, tying for third all-time in single-season steals for the Bruins.

He was a second team All-Pac-12 selection, was named the league’s defensive player of the year and made its five-man All-Defensive Team.

—

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Penn State hires VCU’s Rhoades as men’s basketball coach

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 12:29 AM EDT

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State hired VCU’s Mike Rhoades on Wednesday as its men’s basketball coach, bringing in the Pennsylvania native to take over a program coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than a decade.

The Penn State board of trustees approved a seven-year deal worth $25.9 million for Rhoades, who is from Mahanoy City in eastern Pennsylvania.

Just a few hours after Rhoades was named at Penn State, VCU hired Utah State coach Ryan Odom to replace Rhoades.

Rhoades replaces Micah Shrewsberry, who was hired away by Notre Dame last week.

Shrewsberry, an Indiana native, was at Penn State for two seasons. The Nittany Lions went 23-14 this season, reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 and won an NCAA game for the first time since 2001.

Rhoades, 50, was 129-61 in six seasons at VCU, including three NCAA Tournament bids. He also spent three seasons at Rice, going 23-12 in the final year with the Owls before returning to VCU.

He was an assistant at the Richmond, Virginia, school from 2009-14 under then-head coach Shaka Smart.

Odom was 44-25 at Utah State in two seasons, with an NCAA Tournament appearance this season.

He previously spent five seasons at Maryland-Baltimore County, going 97-60. In 2018, Odom’s UMBC team became the first No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament when it beat Virginia.

Temple hires Penn State assistant Fisher to replace McKie

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 12:25 AM EDT

Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA – Temple named Penn State assistant Adam Fisher just its fifth coach since 1973 on Wednesday.

Fisher’s goal will be to turn around a program that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2019.

Fisher replaces Aaron McKie, who was transferred out of the coaching job earlier this month after four seasons and a 52-56 overall record with no tournament berths. McKie is now a special advisor to the athletic department.

Fisher takes over a team in flux with six players in the transfer portal. Temple has yet to find any steady success in the American Athletic Conference.

Fisher spent eight years as an assistant with Miami before he joined Micah Shrewsberry’s staff last season at Penn State. Shrewsberry has since moved on to Notre Dame.

“I am confident we have found the right person to lead Temple men’s basketball,” athletic director Arthur Johnson said. “We look forward to welcoming coach Fisher to the Temple community and returning to the NCAA Tournament under his leadership.”

Fisher also worked as a graduate manager at Villanova under Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright from 2007-09.

The Owls have traditionally given their coaches significant time on the bench, though McKie’s tenure was the shortest since Ernest Messikomer from 1939-42. The next five coaches all lasted at least 10 seasons, notably Hall of Fame coach John Chaney’s tenure from 1982-2006.

Cal hires Mark Madsen as basketball coach

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 12:20 AM EDT

Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

BERKELEY, Calif. – California is hiring a former Stanford star to revive its struggling basketball program.

The Golden Bears announced Wednesday that Mark Madsen was signed to replace the fired Mark Fox following the worst season in school history.

“We conducted an exhaustive search, and one name kept rising to the top – and that’s Mark Madsen,” athletic director Jim Knowlton said. “Mark is a person of high character, high energy, high intensity, and he’s done it the right way. He’s intense. He’s passionate. He loves his student-athletes, and he loves competing. We want an ambassador for this program who is going to make us proud and develop our young men – both on and off the court. I am absolutely thrilled that Mark will lead our program into the future.”

Madsen played at Stanford under Mike Montgomery, who later coached at Cal, from 1996 to 2000 and helped the Cardinal reach the Final Four in 1998.

After a nine-year playing career in the NBA that featured two titles as a backup on the Lakers in 2001-02, Madsen went into coaching.

He spent time in the NBA’s developmental league and a year at Stanford before spending five seasons on the Lakers staff.

Madsen then was hired in 2019 to take over Utah Valley. He posted a 70-51 record in four years with a 28-9 mark this season before losing on Tuesday night in the NIT semifinals to UAB.

“Having grown up in the area, I have always admired Cal as an institution and as an athletic program, with so many of my teachers, coaches and friends impressive Cal graduates,” Madsen said. “We will win with young men who have elite academic and athletic talent and who will represent Cal with pride.”

Madsen is the third prominent coach to flip sides in recent years in the Bay Area rivalry between Cal and Stanford. The Cardinal hired former Cal quarterback Troy Taylor to take over the football program last season and Bears women’s basketball coach Charmin Smith played and coached as an assistant at Stanford.

Madsen is faced with a tough task, taking over a program that went 3-29 under Fox and set a school record for most losses and worst winning percentage in a season.

Cal went 38-87 during Fox’s tenure, ending his final season on a 16-game losing streak. Fox’s .304 winning percentage ranking second worst in school history to predecessor Wyking Jones’ 16-47 mark (.254) in the two seasons before Fox arrived.

The Bears haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2016 and haven’t won a game in the tournament since 2013 under Montgomery.

Adding to the issues for Fox was the complete lack of interest in the program. Cal’s home attendance averaged just 2,155 this season for the lowest mark among any team in the Power 5 or Big East. That’s down from an average of 9,307 per game in Cuonzo Martin’s last season in 2016-17 and from 5,627 the year before Fox arrived.

Cal had the worst winning percentage among any school in the six major conferences during Fox’s tenure. The Bears also were the lowest-scoring team (62.4 points per game) in all Division I under Fox and had the worst scoring margin of any major conference team under Fox.

Brea Beal’s defense lifts South Carolina to Final Four

Associated PressMar 29, 2023, 3:02 PM EDT

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Brea Beal is not just South Carolina’s X factor in one of the country’s best defenses but also a four-year lesson in sacrifice and reinvention that may add a second straight NCAA title to her resume.

Beal is generally third when most think of the landmark recruiting class from 2019 led by heralded All-American Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke. But she could have the most critical role at the Final Four, most likely checking Iowa’s All-American Caitlin Clark in the national semifinals.

The Gamecocks (36-0) face the Hawkeyes (30-6) in the second game in Dallas on Friday night, with the winner playing LSU or Virginia Tech for the national title on Sunday.

Beal, who has started 136 of 137 games in her four seasons, and her senior teammates have racked up championships in their time. They have won three Southeastern Conference Tournament titles, have been to three straight Final Fours and are chasing their second NCAA crown.

Beal takes on the opponent’s best player and, more times than not, limits her effectiveness – a role that took Beal time to embrace.

“It definitely came with some hardship, but throughout time I just walked into it,” she said at the Greenville 1 Regional last weekend.

It wasn’t a path Beal envisioned after a celebrated prep career. She was a three-time Illinois Ms. Basketball from Rock Island High School, averaging 20 or more points a game her final three seasons. Beal joined Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings as the only players in the state to earn that award as a sophomore.

Beal expected to make the offensive impact that Boston and Cooke have had with the Gamecocks.

“It’s not necessarily something I was like, ‘I’m this defender, I’m the best defender,’” Beal said. “It came naturally, just as well as offensively, it’s just something you’ve got to be patient and just accept as time goes.”

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley sees Beal’s value as more than what she does on the court. Beal, overlooked sometimes behind Boston and Cooke, didn’t look to transfer in the portal era or complain about her scoring. She has kept her head down, Staley said, and made herself an indispensable part of the undefeated defending national champions.

“It took her time to just really relax and see where she can find spots to be effective,” Staley said. “Now that she’s a senior, she sees it.”

Clark, the Iowa star, would have to be one of Beal’s most difficult assignments. Clark had a triple-double – 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds – in the Hawkeyes’ 97-83 victory over Louisville to reach their first Final Four in 30 years.

Clark is not one-dimensional – “I pride myself in doing a lot of different things for this team,” she said – and Beal understands it will take a team effort to slow her down.

South Carolina has relied on its defense throughout Beal’s time and this year’s run is no different. The Gamecocks lead the country in blocks and rebound margin, are second in field-goal percentage defense and are third in points allowed.

Cooke believes it’s Beal’s defensive focus that has all the Gamecocks looking to raise their intensity on that side of their game. “She’s the one that taught us how to play defense,” Cooke said. “Especially me. Just watching her and the things she does definitely wore off on me.”

Cooke’s offense may be elevating Beal’s game as of late. Beal has scored in double digits in eight games this season, seven of those since the start of February. She had 10 points in a 59-43 win over UCLA in the Sweet 16 and 16 in an 86-75 victory over Maryland in the Elite Eight.

Once considered the most likely of the 2019 freshmen class to play an extra season, the dual threat has been rising in WNBA mock drafts. ESPN.com has projected her getting called seventh in next month’s draft, going to the Indiana Fever in the first round.

Beal isn’t worried about her pro prospects or savoring all she’s accomplished. She only wants to finish her college career with another championship moment – and that means dialing up the defense.

“We’re a defensively minded team,” she said. “When we come to this part of the season, we definitely need our defense from every single individual.”