- Biggie ups to Tobias Harris for being named to the first-ever U.S. Basketball Writers (USBWA) Freshman All-American team. He was named to the second team, which is at least encouraging in the sense that all the gentlemen on the first team are substantially likely to be taking their talents to the league next year. The same can be said -- unless I am underinformed, which is possible -- for only one member of the second team (Perry Jones). Will this factor into Tobias' decision in any way shape or form? Well of course not. It just provided me with an ephemeral hopeful moment, is all.
- The ever-slumping Cameron Tatum will be back in the starting lineup for our first-round matchup in the Charlotte Coliseum that we know and love so well. Reasonable minds could certainly disagree on the the wisdom of this decision. There is little doubt that Tatum has a much higher offensive upside than Josh Bone, but how much significance does said upside carry when the carrier of said upside is in the midst of a shooting slump of near biblical proportions? The comments section welcomes arguments from both sides.
- Jalen Rose -- who is fresh in many of our minds after ESPN's excellent documentary Sunday evening on the Fab Five -- will have divided loyalties ($) when the Volunteers tip-off against his alma mater on Friday afternoon. Assistant coach Tony Jones, it turns out, coached Jalen Rose in high school. And just how convenient is this? Here is a quote from Jones:
It's very exciting for me, being a Detroit native. I got a call from Jalen Rose as soon as the brackets came up. He's obviously one of the all-time great Michigan Wolverines, part of the Fab Five, but coached him in high school and one of the first things he did was call and give me a scouting report on them.
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John Adams on the transition away from controlled chaos and the likelihood of a reversion back to such orderly anarchy, which he argues is a more entertaining brand of basketball. And on that last point, I would have to agree.