The Mark Graham Sports Blog's posts tagged College Basketball

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• Iowa Player Throws Shoe, Nearly Hits Coach in the Face

  January 14, 2013

  Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery had to watch out for more than Northwestern's gameplan on Sunday. He had to watch out for a shoe.

  That's right. A shoe.

  Northwestern's Alex Marcotullio's shoe came off midway through the second half of the Iowa-Northwestern game yesterday, that's where Iowa's Aaron White comes into the picture. White, with a heads up move, tossed the shoe off the court and out of harms way.

  On the court at least.

  White haphazardly threw the shoe towards the Iowa bench where it nearly struck his coach right in the face and instead hit a spectator in the first row. Silver lining for White is that the fan was probably a Northwestern fan anyways.

  So, if you are an Iowa bench player, or coach, be sure to look out for Aaron White and his shoe throwing techniques.

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• Maryland Basketball Gets Into The Ugly Maryland Uniform Game

  October 19, 2012

  

  What is it with the University of Maryland and ugly, odd looking uniforms?

  
  

  The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team unveiled its new alternate jerseys that they will wear against its game against the Kentucky Wildcats and it is very, well, Maryland.

  
  

  The new uniforms are gray, but if you look closely it also resembles wool fabric. Wool? Why wool? Its to honor the Brooklyn Dodgers. Why the Brooklyn Dodgers you ask? The game is being held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

  
  

  Makes... sense?

  
  

  One person on a Maryland-themed site, Tesudo Times, said that, "They are ugly as sin and the University of Maryland basketball is paying homage to a Brooklyn baseball team. I don't get it."

  
  

  Adam Clement of Under Armour, the makers of the uniforms, said, "The expectation is for teams to come out in unique uniforms for big games,

  
  

  "We worked with the school to do something that showed the appreciation for sports in Brooklyn."

  
  

  The Terps have no connections or ties with the Brooklyn Dodgers other than playing the game in Brooklyn, so it really does make no sense for these jerseys.

  
  

  Under Armour, you never cease to amaze.

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• Indiana Hoosiers Top AP Coaches Poll; Defending Champ Kentucky #3

  October 19, 2012

  

  The USA Today Preseason Coaches poll was released on Wednesday and a somewhat surprising school topped the list at #1.

  
  

  The Indiana Hoosiers received 21 of the 31 first place votes to top the list while defending champion Kentucky sits at #3. The Hoosiers squad this year return four starters from last season's turnaround year that saw the Hoosiers win an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2007. This is the first time that the Hoosiers have been the preseason number one since 1981.

  
  

  Hoosiers head coach Tom Crean seems to be excited for his team and prepares for the target attached to them.

  
  

  "I think it'd be crazy to try to shy away from it," Crean told USA Today. "If we were, our kids would look at us and roll their eyes. We don't talk about it much. We talk about living up to the standards that we need to live up to on a daily basis to have it that way at the end of the year."

  
  

  The Hoosiers are aiming to win their first National Championship since 1987 and will start their campaign on November 9th against Bryant University.

  
  

  The Louisville Cardinals are right behind the Hoosiers at #2, followed by Kentucky, Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Michigan Wolverines rounding out the top five.

  
  

  North Carolina State Wolfpack, Kansas Jayhawks, Duke Blue Devils, Syracuse Orange, and the Florida Gators round out the top ten.

  
  

   

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• Report: Jim Calhoun Retirement Is "Imminent"

  September 12, 2012

  

  According to NBC Connecticut, a source has said that UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun is expected to retire in the near future and said that is was "imminent".

  Calhoun, 70, has a had a history of medical issues and has taken leave of absences in the past, including a fractured hip from a bicycle accident in August.

  According to NBC Connecticut, nothing was been made official, nor has Calhoun made a decision as of yet.

  "Don't be surprised by anything, even this week," Calhoun said. However, another source said that it is all but finalized that Calhoun will step aside and retire as coach.

  UConn faces an NCAA Tournament ban for the 2012-2013 season after failing to meet the NCAA academic requirements for the 2007-2010 seasons.

  Calhoun took over a hapless UConn program in 1986, but soon led the team to prominence. In 1987, in his second season at UConn, the Huskies won the NIT. Calhoun has won 618 of his 873 wins at Connecticut and has won three national titles, most recently in 2011.

  It has been said that Calhoun would like assistant coach and former player Kevin Ollie to become the new head coach, but Athletic Director Warde Manuel said that no decision on Calhoun's successor has been made.

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• Hoosier Player Integral in Knight's Firing Dies

  July 26, 2012

  

  Ex-Indiana Hoosier basketball player, who played a key part in Bobby Knight's dismissal, Neil Reed died Thursday in California.

  He was 36.

  Reed collapsed at his home in Nipomo, California and was later found out to have had a massive heart attack.

  Back in 2000, Reed accused Knight of choking him at practice that Knight denied until a video surfaced of Knight indeed choking Reed and the university fired Knight shortly after. Reed transferred to Southern Mississippi after the incident.

  At the time of his death, Reed was the freshman basketball coach at Pioneer Valley High School in Santa Maria, California. He also served as coach of the girls golf team and taught physical education.

  Reed is survived by his wife, Kelly, and their two daughters, Marley and Pressley.

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• Pat Summitt Wins The Arthur Ashe Courage Award

  July 12, 2012

  

  Every year, ESPN makes a big deal about its ESPY Awards and make it seem like its the most prestigious award in the history of the world (Case in point the poll on ESPN.com asking people if they'd rather win an Oscar or an ESPY).

  However, there is one moment every year that tugs on the heart string. Usually, its whoever wins the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and this year was no different.

  The recipient this year was former Tennessee Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt, who is currently battling early onset dementia.

  Tennessee alum and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning introduced a tribute video devoted to Pat Summitt and presented her with the award. Manning first met Summitt while he was a freshman in Knoxville.

  Summitt resigned as head coach of the Lady Vols in April after coaching one final season while dealing with dementia. Summitt took the role of Head Coach Emeritus allowing her to still be involved with the program she built into a national powerhouse.

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