Full-Court Press, April 22: Moultrie likely to return

It was reported yesterday that UTEP sophomore Arnett Moultrie would be entering the NBA Draft. However, Moultrie will not hire an agent and it seems as if he is leaning towards returning to the Miners for his junior campaign.

In an interview with an NBC affiliate in El Paso, Moultrie made his intentions clear.

“Yeah, yeah, I am coming back, I am going back,” he said. “I am just going to test the waters to get feedback to raise my stock . . . I will be back at school though.”

Moultrie, an athletic 6-11 forward, averaged 9.8 points and 6.7 rebounds last season.

Silas heading back to Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois junior guard Xavier Silas announced Thursday that he plans on withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft and returning to the Huskies.

"We talked to a couple friends who are affiliated with the league, and they said if I went back and had a good year in all aspects of the game, I could be a first-rounder," Silas told Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago. "That's better than chancing it this year."

Silas is a 6-5 scoring guard who averaged 19.7 points and 5.3 rebounds last season.

Louisiana-Monroe hires Richard

According to Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com, Louisiana-Monroe will hire LSU assistant coach Keith Richard as its next head coach.

Richard was an assistant for the Warhawks from 1989-1994, and then went 150-117 in nine seasons as the head coach at Louisiana Tech.

He will replace Orlando Early, who resigned to become an assistant at South Carolina.

Fortson staying in draft

As first reported by Hoops Hype via Twitter, Arkansas guard Courtney Fortson has hired an agent and will keep his name in the NBA Draft.

Fortson, a 5-11 sophomore was suspended for the first 14 games of last season, but averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists during the final 18 contests.

He has signed with BP Sports Management.

Source: http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/blog/marchmadness/2010/04/full-court-press-april-22-moultrie.html

Michigan's new seats, revamped arena

Ah, new facilities. They're all the rage these days, aren't they? It seems that every offseason, four or five schools -- and that's probably underestimating things a bit -- find themselves building massive practice gyms and all-access weight rooms in the hopes of outpacing the competition for the attention of of talented recruits. Not everyone has T. Boone Pickens flow, and so not everyone can have a $4 million basketball locker room. But everyone does the best they can.

Michigan is no different. Crisler Arena has long needed a major facelift to improve the gym's drab, cavernous interior. It got a portion of said facelift this offseason. The early renovations included what Michigan's release called the "highest priority infrastructure needs such as repairs to the roof, electrical, plumbing and air handling systems." Which is good, because you can't have a leaky roof when you're trying to play basketball. But fans are more likely to notice the new seats in Crisler's lower bowl and the arena's new high-definition video scoreboards, which replaced the old school Jumbotron you'll see here. Oh, and there's also a new court, too. Not too shabby.

On Tuesday, John Beilein's team got its first tour of the new gym. If Beilein and senior forward Zack Novak are to be believed, the arena improvements won't just be aesthetically pleasing -- they'll also be advantageous:

"It just seems like more of a home-court advantage," Beilein said. "It looks like the fans are really on us. I love the look of it. The floor looks tremendous. I love the feel right now and I can tell by looking at the players faces that they feel the same way."

"I think is it going to be a much better experience for the fans," Novak said. "I think they're going to be much more engaged in the game, especially the students because we've got them sitting right on top of the court now.

Of course, the final judgement on any renovation must come from the fans. But if Novak and Beilein are right, then Michigan deserves some serious credit. It's easy for a renovation to focus on the superficial -- glittering scoreboards, cushy seat covers, a shiny floor, a place to dock your iPad. (OK, maybe not that last one. But give it a few years. We'll get there.)

But if a renovation can actually make the fan experience better by getting fans, especially students, closer to the floor, then that's a win-win for everyone. When Michigan opens its new practice facility called the Player Development Center this fall and finally finishes its Phase Two renovations next year, it will be well on its way to catching up with those pesky facilities Joneses. In the meantime, hey, better seats! Like I said: not too shabby.

(Hat tip: UMHoops)

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/34988/michigan-unveils-new-seats-revamped-arena

Coach K eyeing Seth Curry as Duke’s on-court leader

Mike Krzyzewski likes what he sees with Seth Curry. In fact, the junior guard may be Duke’s go-to guy this season, not incoming freshman Austin Rivers.

That doesn’t mean Rivers, the top 2011 recruit according to Rivals.com, won’t be the Devils’ leading scorer or a significant player. As the Fay Observer’s Dan Wiederer notes, Duke’s coach says Rivers to slow down and not be overly reckless and assertive. He’s a talented scorer, but taking on every defender is never a good idea.

During Duke’s recent trip to China and Dubai, it was apparent Rivers was making things too hard. Curry didn’t have that problem.

“On any team, you’d hope there would be some level of separation at least initially,” Krzyzewski Wednesday. “Like Nolan (Smith) and Kyle (Singler) were separated from our team (last year) and then Kyrie (Irving) was there. And then people have to catch up. If you’re always together, you might have a socialistic type of team. But you’re not going to win. There has to be somebody who the other guys chase and who you can count on all the time. And Seth really did that.”

That’s a promising sign for Duke. Rivers may still be the first scoring option, but the less he has to run the offense, the better. That’s not his strength. If Curry can fill that role until Quinn Cook is healthy, it gives Coach K more options during the season.

And if Curry turns into the new version of Nolan Smith – a natural two-guard who could run the show when needed thanks to smarts and experience – that’s the ultimate goal. And somewhat of a scary thought, given how scary Curry is as a scorer…

Related stories:

You also can follow me on Twitter @MikeMillerNBC.

Source: http://beyondthearc.nbcsports.com/2011/09/01/coach-k-eyeing-seth-curry-as-dukes-on-court-leader/

Crumbling Big 12 gives Missouri upper hand on Kansas

When is your enemy not your enemy? When your conference is crumbling.

Texas A&M is starting to divorce itself from the Big 12, which means the remaining teams not named Texas and Oklahoma should be making contingency plans. Even after striking a 13-year deal with Fox last year worth more than $1 billion, the league likely won’t be around long. Sure, everyone’s talking about how to replace the Aggies, but the general consensus is it’ll only be a matter of time before more attrition is too much for the Big 12 to survive.

That’s where the rivals must come to terms. Take Kansas and Missouri.

The Tigers are usually the one’s being talked about when rumors fly about other conferences taking Big 12 teams. Credit the sizable alumni and fan base, along with St. Louis and Kansas City TV markets. Kansas is usually tied to Kansas State as a package deal, mostly because the state’s board of regents wants it that way.

But, as Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger writes, it’s Kansas and Missouri who should be shopping themselves together – if Mizzou will do it. The Tigers presumably don’t need a package deal, but the Jayhawks just might. And that means ditching K-State. From Mellinger’s column:

The cold reality is that in the new college sports world, K-State is vulnerable to being passed over by the power leagues. In the megaconference landscape many experts predict, K-State’s profile is closer to the MAC than SEC. Not many schools have more to lose in a massive reshuffling.

Last summer, there was a thought that K-State could tie itself to Kansas and join a power league. But this summer, experts like Maestas think KU is tenuous enough on its own that it couldn’t carry another school.

Kansas, in the new world, must actively pursue backroom dealings to form an alliance with a more attractive program like MU, in large part because of the remarkable passion in Kansas City.

This puts Mizzou in an enviable position of power when and if the Big 12 blows up.

The divisive and uncomfortable truth is that KU and, especially, K-State would be scrambling behind.

How’d you like to be Kansas officials in this scenario? Asking – perhaps begging – your longtime rivals to help in your moment of need? I’d say that’s a situation where it’s impossible to save face.

But it might just be worth the shame.

You also can follow me on Twitter @MikeMillerNBC.

Source: http://beyondthearc.nbcsports.com/2011/08/31/when-it-comes-to-crumbling-big-12-missouri-has-hand-on-kansas/

Michigan's new seats, revamped arena

Ah, new facilities. They're all the rage these days, aren't they? It seems that every offseason, four or five schools -- and that's probably underestimating things a bit -- find themselves building massive practice gyms and all-access weight rooms in the hopes of outpacing the competition for the attention of of talented recruits. Not everyone has T. Boone Pickens flow, and so not everyone can have a $4 million basketball locker room. But everyone does the best they can.

Michigan is no different. Crisler Arena has long needed a major facelift to improve the gym's drab, cavernous interior. It got a portion of said facelift this offseason. The early renovations included what Michigan's release called the "highest priority infrastructure needs such as repairs to the roof, electrical, plumbing and air handling systems." Which is good, because you can't have a leaky roof when you're trying to play basketball. But fans are more likely to notice the new seats in Crisler's lower bowl and the arena's new high-definition video scoreboards, which replaced the old school Jumbotron you'll see here. Oh, and there's also a new court, too. Not too shabby.

On Tuesday, John Beilein's team got its first tour of the new gym. If Beilein and senior forward Zack Novak are to be believed, the arena improvements won't just be aesthetically pleasing -- they'll also be advantageous:

"It just seems like more of a home-court advantage," Beilein said. "It looks like the fans are really on us. I love the look of it. The floor looks tremendous. I love the feel right now and I can tell by looking at the players faces that they feel the same way."

"I think is it going to be a much better experience for the fans," Novak said. "I think they're going to be much more engaged in the game, especially the students because we've got them sitting right on top of the court now.

Of course, the final judgement on any renovation must come from the fans. But if Novak and Beilein are right, then Michigan deserves some serious credit. It's easy for a renovation to focus on the superficial -- glittering scoreboards, cushy seat covers, a shiny floor, a place to dock your iPad. (OK, maybe not that last one. But give it a few years. We'll get there.)

But if a renovation can actually make the fan experience better by getting fans, especially students, closer to the floor, then that's a win-win for everyone. When Michigan opens its new practice facility called the Player Development Center this fall and finally finishes its Phase Two renovations next year, it will be well on its way to catching up with those pesky facilities Joneses. In the meantime, hey, better seats! Like I said: not too shabby.

(Hat tip: UMHoops)

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/34988/michigan-unveils-new-seats-revamped-arena

Gamecock has nice college football debut

South Carolina guard Bruce Ellington's college football debut went so well in the Gamecocks' 56-37 win against East Carolina on Saturday that his presence on the team is causing opponents to take notice on their scouting reports.

Before the SEC opener against South Carolina, Georgia football coach Mark Richt noted in his news conference today that the Gamecocks want to get the ball into Ellington's hands.

"He's a very multitalented kid," Richt said.

No kidding. After a year away from football spent toward leading South Carolina in scoring in basketball, Ellington accounted for 73 all-purpose yards, lined up in the wildcat formation, and even made two tackles on special teams and had a kick return of more than 50 yards called back due to a penalty. He rushed for 18 yards on two carries, with both runs setting up touchdowns and drawing raves from coach Steve Spurrier for the former high school quarterback who was a finalist for the Mr. Football award in South Carolina.

"We want to get him in there two or three times a game in the wildcat," Spurrier told The Post and Courier. "We need to get him the ball more."

Ellington also has spent time practicing as a receiver, according to ESPN.com SEC writer Edward Aschoff.

Per NCAA rules, he wasn’t allowed to participate in spring football practice, but returned from the summer with his playbook almost memorized, and while he hasn’t played football since high school Spurrier admired the 5-foot-9, 197-pound athlete's quickness and called him "a natural."

According to the Associated Press, Ellington's dual sport goals are fine with basketball coach Darrin Horn, who saw his starting point guard fight through a bruised calf last season when the Gamecocks won 14 games on the court.

"This is not a football-basketball thing," Horn said. "It's a Bruce Ellington thing and we're going to support him."

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/34974/gamecock-has-nice-college-football-debut

Sterling Gibbs to Maryland

The 2011 commitments continue to fly off the board, as junior Sterling Gibbs, a 6-1 guard from Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) made his commitment to Maryland Monday night.

“I just committed about five minutes ago,” he said by phone.

His relationship and familiarity with the coaching staff and players was the deciding factor in his decision.

“I just felt at home, that was my second family the whole time,” Gibbs said. “I knew that if I went there, I wouldn’t regret my decision at all.

“I was comfortable with Gary Williams. I know just about the whole team, I know a lot of the guys coming in.”

Gibbs chose the Terrapins over Seton Hall, Rutgers, Indiana, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Florida, Virginia and St. John’s.

He visited the College Park campus before the season started, and was impressed by the entire trip.

“I really liked coach Williams’ personality,” Gibbs said. “He’s a fiery coach, and he gets the most out of his players. He’s fun to be around.”

It was more than just basketball that attracted Gibbs to Maryland, though.

“The whole campus was really nice,” he said. “I love the school overall. The campus, the academics, it’s not too far from home. And the academic advisors seem like they’re really on top of work, so I can graduate on time.”

Gibbs said that coach Williams was very excited when he notified him about the commitment. He said that Williams is looking forward to the potential of more metro-area players coming to Maryland.

Gibbs is confident that he will be able to come in and immediately get on the floor for the Terrapins.

“If I work hard, I’ll be able to come in and get a lot of playing time as a freshman,” he said. “I think I can make a very big impact. I’m a pure point guard, and I can score when needed. I just want to win, and I’m going to try to have fun. In the ACC, you have to bring it every night, and I love that. I’m a competitive guy.”

Gibbs is the younger brother of Pittsburgh star guard Ashton Gibbs, and the two siblings will likely have many an argument about which conference is better: the ACC or Big East.

Despite Ashton’s ties to the Panthers, Sterling said that his older brother helped him out throughout the entire recruitment.

“He was on the phone with coach [Chuck] Driesell and coach Williams trying to set everything up,” Gibbs said. “He felt like it was the right decision.”

Although Driesell did accept the head coaching job at The Citadel earlier today, Gibbs is still happy with his decision to commit to the Terrapins.

“I knew that this was definitely where I wanted to be,” he said. “At the end of the day, coach Williams is the one making the subs.”

Gibbs is now looking forward to his final AAU circuit and his senior season, where he can finally focus on basketball and not worry about his recruitment.

“I feel like there is a boulder off my chest,” he said. “I’m able to focus on getting better. I don’t have to worry about what coaches are thinking about me, because I know I’m going to Maryland.”

Source: http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/blog/marchmadness/2010/04/sterling-gibbs-to-maryland.html