College Basketball
Daily College Basketball Web Roundup
College basketball stories from newspapers around the
country, compiled daily on InsideHoops.com. This is page two. See today's college stories here and yesterday's stories here.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: APRIL 26 - May 10, 2005
The AP reports: Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim agreed to a four-year contract extension Monday.
Boeheim, who has been head coach since 1976, had two years remaining on his current contract.
``This extension recognizes Jim Boeheim for who he is -- one of the top college basketball coaches in the country,'' athletic director Daryl Gross said in a statement. ``We are thrilled to have a commitment from him.''
Boeheim finished his 29th season as head coach with a 703-241 record. His 27 20-win seasons place him in a second-place tie with Bob Knight and Lute Olson on the all-time Division I list. Boeheim also is eighth in Division I NCAA tournament wins with 41.
Ticker reports: Western Kentucky University junior guard Danny Rumph died after collapsing during a pickup basketball game Sunday in his hometown of Philadelphia. He was 21.
Rumph averaged nine points and three rebounds in 31 games, including 29 starts for the Hilltoppers. He was honored as the team's Most Improved Player for a second consecutive season.
Ticker reports: St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli on Wednesday was named coach for the 2005 USA U21 World Championship Team.
Martelli, who served as an assistant when the United States won gold in the 2001 FIBA World Championships, will be assisted by Georgia coach Dennis Felton and Drexel coach James "Bruiser" Flint.
The tournament features athletes age 21 and younger.
The AP reports: Valparaiso center Kenny Harris has regained consciousness almost a month after he collapsed while lifting weights.
Harris' parents, Kenneth and Cynthia Jolly said in a statement that their son is out of the intensive care unit at the University of Chicago hospital.
The AP reports: Vince Cazzetta, one of the most successful men's basketball coaches in Seattle University history, has died. He was 79.
Cazzetta died Wednesday in Hartford, Conn., the school said Friday in a statement.
The AP reports: Illinois junior Dee Brown, the Big Ten player of the year, will enter the NBA draft but has not signed with an agent.
The decision to not hire an agent preserves his right to return for his senior season.
``It was the hardest decision of my life,'' Brown said at a news conference Friday. ``It was just real stressful.''
Ticker (May 6) reports: A day after stepping down as coach at Air Force, Chris Mooney on Friday was named men's basketball coach at Richmond.
Mooney guided Air Force to an 18-12 record - the second-best mark in school history - last season. He previously had spent four years as an assistant with the Falcons before taking over as coach.
"Chris Mooney has achieved success as a student-athlete and coach," Richmond athletic director Jim Miller said. "We are impressed with his energy and winning track record at prestigious institutions."
The AP (May 6) reports: About 100 students at Marquette protested the school's new ``Gold'' nickname on Friday, chanting slogans and waving banners in support of its former name, the Warriors.
The protest came two days after the board of trustees unanimously voted to shorten the Golden Eagles to just the Gold, rejecting a push started by alumni to restore the Warriors, the school's nickname when its men's basketball team won the NCAA championship in 1977 under coach great Al McGuire.
The school became the Warriors in 1954, but abandoned the moniker and logo -- which featured a profile of an American Indian wearing a headdress -- in 1993 because the imagery and a past mascot had offended some Indian groups.
The AP (May 6) reports: North Carolina freshman Marvin Williams signed with an agent Friday as expected, meaning the 6-foot-9 forward is definitely headed to the NBA draft.
When he announced two weeks ago that he was entering the draft -- along with teammates Rashad McCants, Sean May and Raymond Felton -- Williams seemed sure he wouldn't change his mind. His decision Friday to hire Jim Tanner of Williams & Connolly assured it.
The AP reports: Southern hired Alabama State coach Rob Spivery on Thursday to replace Michael Grant, who was fired two weeks ago after interviewing for another job.
Southern officials said they fired Grant not because of his losing record, but because of comments he made about recruiting to officials at his prospective new school.
Spivery spent nine seasons at Alabama State, compiling a 129-136 record. In 20 seasons as a college head coach, he is 304-281.
The AP (May 5) reports: Arizona guard Chris Rodgers is making himself eligible for the NBA draft, though he's left open the possibility that he'll return for his senior season.
Rodgers ranked second on the team last season in three-pointers (33) and third in assists (76) and steals (41). Over three seasons, he averaged 5.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
``It's a good opportunity, a challenge for me,'' Rodgers said in a statement released by the university. ``I'm leaving my options open. I want to get the experience and feedback from the NBA. I plan on coming back to school next year and leading the team to a great season.''
Ticker (May 5) reports: With a trio of top-ranked point guards already having declared early for the NBA draft, Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack followed suit.
Jack announced Thursday that he will make himself eligible for the June 28 draft but will not immediately hire an agent.
Since underclassmen began announcing their eligibility for the NBA draft, high-profile point guards Raymond Felton of North Carolina, Wake Forest's Chris Paul and Illinois' Deron Williams have decided to leave school early.
The AP (May 5) reports: Alabama junior Kennedy Winston has hired an agent, which prohibits him from returning to the Crimson Tide.
Winston told The Tuscaloosa News in a story Thursday that he expects to be picked in the first round of the NBA draft on June 28.
``People are still telling me I'm in the first round,'' he said. ``I'm comfortable about that. But a lot depends on the workouts I'm going to do.''
The AP (May 5) reports: Indiana guard Bracey Wright has signed with a sports agent, effectively ending his college career.
Wright told KRIV television Wednesday that he signed with Bob McClaren of McClaren Sports. Wright has been working out in Houston six days a week to prepare for the NBA draft.
``It was a tough decision,'' Wright told the station. ``I went back and forth with it a lot. There were some nights where I wasn't too sure about things; other nights I was. In the end I knew this was the right decision to make for myself.''
The AP (May 5) reports: Phil Rowe resigned as New Hampshire's basketball coach Thursday, leaving with a 45-125 record in six seasons with the Wildcats.
Rowe's most successful season was in 2001-2002, when he led the Wildcats to an 11-17 record. The team's record was 9-19 this last season.
Ticker (May 5) reports: Centenary forward Chad Maclies, the team's leading scorer and rebounder this past season, was found dead in his dorm room, police said Wednesday. He was 22.
The 6-5, 220-pound Maclies, who averaged 18.0 points and 8.1 rebounds in his senior season, had been chatting with his girlfriend online Tuesday when he suddenly stopped, Shreveport Police Detective Russell Ross said.
When she didn't hear from him for a while, she came looking for him. A fellow student found Maclies face down on the floor and a 911 call was placed at 10:31 p.m., police said.
The AP (May 4) reports: Holy Cross basketball coach Ralph Willard has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but still plans to coach next season.
He is pursuing medical advice on the best way to treat the cancer, he said in a statement issued by the college.
The AP (May 4) reports: A judge has ordered electronic monitoring and a curfew for former Iowa basketball player Pierre Pierce, charged with assaulting his former girlfriend in January.
In a ruling filed Tuesday, Judge Gregory Hulse also banned Pierce from bars and taverns and barred him from visiting Des Moines, West Des Moines or Polk County without permission. Hulse ordered another bond review hearing for May 20.
Ticker (May 3) reports: Junior center Kevin Pittsnogle made a name for himself in West Virginia's magical postseason run. He intends to find out if the NBA scouts took notice.
On Tuesday, Pittsnogle announced he will make himself available for the NBA draft scheduled for June 28. He can withdraw by June 21 and retain his final year of eligibility as long as he does not sign with an agent.
"This is an option that college basketball players are exploring more and more each year," Mountaineers coach John Beilein said. "If he decides there is a lucrative opportunity out there for him, then I fully support his decision. I like the idea that he is testing the waters to see where he stands, and we will advise him the best that we can through the process."
The AP (May 3) reports: Ray Harper, who led Kentucky Wesleyan College to two NCAA Division II titles in nine seasons, resigned Monday amid speculation he'll become the head coach at Oklahoma City University.
Wesleyan spokesman Roy Pickerill said Monday night that Harper was leaving to go to another school, but declined to name which one.
Oklahoma City, which is looking for a replacement for Win Case, who stepped down in March, has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday.
Ticker (April 29) reports: Larry Hunter has a big task in front of him.
Hunter, an assistant at North Carolina State for the last four years, was named men's basketball coach at Western Carolina, athletics director Chip Smith announced on Friday.
Hunter replaces Steve Shurina, who was fired after five consecutive losing seasons, including an 8-22 record and a last-place finish in the Southern Conference North Division.
See today's college stories here and yesterday's stories here.
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