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The Secondary Break: Wednesday’s Links

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Dante Exum should skip college, says Andrew Bogut (The Guardian)
One of the most highly regarded players in the 2014 class is point guard Dante Exum, the son of former North Carolina big man Cecil Exum. But unlike the other players on those lists, Exum has options with one being to enter the 2014 NBA Draft. And according to Golden State Warriors center and fellow Australian Andrew Bogut, that’s the path Exum should take as opposed to spending a year in college.

Indiana benefitting from hoops obsession of Vonleh, the other top frosh (Sports Illustrated)
Much of the attention heaped upon the nation’s top freshmen has been reserved for those who participated in last month’s Champions Classic, leading to some players being ignored (relatively speaking). One of those players is Indiana forward Noah Vonleh, whose work ethic has been one of his greatest strengths at both the high school and collegiate levels.

Bruce Ellington’s back with the Gamecocks after football (Macon Telegraph)
South Carolina guard Bruce Ellington’s been pulling off the football/basketball double for the last couple of seasons, and he’ll do so again in 2013-14 as he’s rejoined the basketball team. Ellington, who’s expected to play on Friday night when the Gamecocks visit No. 9 Oklahoma State, will be with the basketball team until the football team begins its preparations for their bowl game.

Race once bigger deal in college basketball (Casper Star-Tribune)
With the 1963 Loyola (Ill.) Ramblers inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame last week, the sport honored the first predominantly Black squad to win a national title. And it’s safe to say that society is more tolerant now than it was during the 1960s, with the Ramblers’ achievement occurring during a particularly tumultuous time in American history.

Aggie Remi Barry could miss remainder of the season (Las Cruces Sun-News)
New Mexico State is the clear favorite to win the WAC and make a third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, but one thing that can make the race closer than expected is injury. There’s a chance that the team could be without forward Remi Barry for the remainder of the season, with Barry suffering a knee injury in the Aggies’ close loss to Colorado State last week.

Ex-basketball player gets plea deal in kidnapping case (Modesto Bee)
Former Alabama forward Devonta Pollard was involved in the kidnapping of a 6-year old relative in relation to a land dispute, with the charges ending his career in Tuscaloosa. On Tuesday Pollard accepted a plea deal, and if he meets the terms of his probation the charges will be cleared from his record in two years. Pollard, now attending East Mississippi CC, testified against his mother during the trial, pinpointing her as the orchestrator of the crime.

Losing Alexander didn’t slow John Groce a bit (Chicago Sun-Times)
In one of the biggest days in recruiting in recent memory fans across the country watched 2014 big man Cliff Alexander pick up an Illinois hat, only to put it down and select Kansas. As a result there were reactions stating that John Groce’s program was in trouble (despite this being just his second season in Champaign), but the head coach has continued to work towards making the Fighting Illini a perennial contender in the Big Ten.

Tar Heels encounter wild swings on basketball court (Greensboro News & Record)
Who is North Carolina? Are the Tar Heels the team that beat Louisville on a neutral floor, or are they the team that has lost to both Belmont and UAB? That’s the question many have asked since Sunday’s loss in Birmingham, with the team working hard to become a more consistent outfit. Next up for North Carolina: a game at No. 1 Michigan State on Wednesday night.

Ranking both new and familiar to Villanova (City of Basketball Love)
After the Villanova Wildcats capped their run in The Bahamas with a victory over Iowa to take home the Battle 4 Atlantis crown, it was hard to think that Jay Wright’s team wouldn’t be in the national polls come Monday. Now ranked 14th, Villanova is back in the polls for the first time in over two seasons with senior James Bell the only player on the current roster who knows what it’s like to play on a ranked team.

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