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The Secondary Break: Wednesday’s Links

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Coach starting to get heat for Red Storm’s struggles (New York Post)
St. John’s has a big game on Thursday night when the take on Seton Hall, with Steve Lavin’s team looking to pick up its first Big East victory. And those struggles have been a surprise to many, and as a result the coaching is being questioned by some. Can the Red Storm turn things around?

Burke and Hardaway gone, yet Michigan rolls on (New York Times)
Even with the departure of both Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan was expected to factor into the Big Ten race. And despite the loss of Mitch McGary the Wolverines are undefeated in Big Ten play, with Nik Stauskas leading the way for a team looking to win a conference title.

Towson’s Skerry, Marshall’s Herrion team to raise autism awareness (Sports Illustrated)
Towson head coach Pat Skerry and Marshall head coach Tom Herrion are both raising children who have been diagnosed with autism, and they’re using their status to help educate people about autism while also raising money for research.

Vols’ Martin wants more consistency from Stokes (Associated Press)
Tennessee has the talent to not only reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in Cuonzo Martin’s tenure but also contend in an SEC that looks wide-open after Florida and Kentucky. But in order to do so the Volunteers will need junior forward Jarnell Stokes to be a more consistent force in the paint.

The pressure on 13th-ranked UMass doesn’t compare to the lean years (MassLive.com)
No. 13 UMass may have escaped its fair share of close games this season, but the “pressure” to keep things rolling doesn’t compare to the pressure the program felt in lean post-John Calipari years. The program, which hasn’t been to the NCAA tournament in more than a decade, is headed in the right direction under Derek Kellogg after going though some rough years.

College in Vermont signs 10-year-old cancer survivor to basketball team (WPXI Pittsburgh)
Diagnosed with leukemia when he was eight months old, 10-year-old Jimmy Giroux is now a cancer survivor whose path can serve as a source of inspiration for anyone who’s been diagnosed with the disease. And Giroux, whose growth was affected by the disease, signed a letter of intent to join the basketball team at Norwich University in Vermont.

Bryce Cotton is PC’s latest diamond in the rough (Providence Journal)
Providence has a long history of players who arrived on campus amidst little national fanfare putting together outstanding college careers, and senior guard Bryce Cotton has added his name to that list. Second in the Big East in scoring, Cotton’s rarely left the floor for a team that has now won four straight Big East games.

Big Ten atmosphere brings a certain thrill to Pitino (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Minnesota’s surprised some people under first-year head coach Richard Pitino, with the Golden Gophers having the look of a team capable of getting back to the NCAA tournament while adjusting to a style of play different from the one employed by Tubby Smith. And despite the challenges of putting his stamp on the program and facing some of the nation’s best coaches, Pitino’s embraced the opportunity.

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