Smaller schools make impact in hoops recruiting

During his basketball recruitment, Zeke Marshall received countless letters from major basketball programs. He says the letters mostly talked up teams' gaudy numbers, as in won-loss records, championships and frequency of televised games.

"That's all they would send," Marshall, a 6-11 senior center at McKeesport (Pa.) High School, said Wednesday. "It would get annoying. I wanted to know something else."

Marshall said he signed a national letter of intent with the University of Akron on Wednesday because of its basketball team and because the school touted a major in computer information systems that he will pursue. Rated a top-40 prospect by Scout.com and Rivals.com, he bucked the trend that sees highly touted players pick power schools by signing with the Mid-American Conference school.

Two other notable defections from the power-school route: Rashanti Harris, a 6-8 post player at The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C., and Aaric Murray, a 6-10 center at Concordeville (Pa.) High. Harris confirmed early Wednesday he was signing with Georgia State of the Colonial Athletic Association, and Murray signed with La Salle of the Atlantic-10 Conference.

Similarly, top-10 prospect DeMarcus Cousins, a 6-9 forward at Mobile (Ala.) LeFlore High, has publicly committed to Alabama at Birmingham of Conference USA, but has not yet signed.

Memphis. Forward Robert Dozier could be the nation's most versatile and dynamic defender.

Only one percent of the NCAA's Division I teams will be in action today on this, the alleged opening day for the 2008-09 regular season.

College hoops does not coming storming through the door the way the National Football League does, or baseball. The NHL opened its regular season in the Czech Republic last month. This is a bit like that.

There'll be some serious games in another week or so, but until they arrive we've got to get you in the mood for basketball season somehow. And what better way than the foundation for a few really good arguments? FULL STORY

Some transfers poised for strong seasons

Since this season's freshman class is subpar compared to the past few years, we figured we'd give you a peek at some of the top transfers who will likely make a significant impact this season.

Two players on the list — Julian Vaughn and Will Harris — are eligible immediately after receiving hardship waivers from the NCAA.

While Vaughn, who transferred from Florida State to Georgetown, won't put up eye-popping numbers, his presence should be key for a Hoyas team that lost big man Roy Hibbert. FULL STORY

NCAA talking about rules to protect 7th-graders in basketball recruiting

It has come to this in college basketball: The NCAA is weighing whether to officially designate seventh- and eighth-graders as "prospective student-athletes."

The move, backed by the new Championships/Sports Management Cabinet, is intended to help insulate youngsters from recruiters by limiting the contacts by coaches at some camps and clinics. It's also intended to limit contact by e-mail, letters and phone calls, according to Joan Cronan, women's athletic director at Tennessee and a member of the management cabinet.

"The whole idea was to eliminate unappropriate recruiting," said Cronan, also president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. "Some of the real early commitments made people stop and think how early should we be recruiting. … It's more to protect (young athletes)." FULL STORY

Ten cities submit bids to host Final Four from 2012-2016

New domed NFL stadiums near Dallas and Phoenix and familiar host cities Indianapolis, New Orleans and Atlanta are among 10 sites that have submitted bids to host the NCAA men's Final Four from 2012-16.

The Dallas Cowboys are scheduled to move into their new facility in Arlington, Texas, for the 2009 season.

University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., home of the Arizona Cardinals, also has submitted a bid. Glendale has already hosted a Super Bowl and a Bowl Championship Series title game in college football.

The five cities that win bids will be announced in November.

Minneapolis, St. Louis and San Antonio also submitted bids and were joined in the process by 2009 host Detroit and 2011 host Houston.

New Orleans has not held a Final Four since 2003, two years before Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city and damaged the Superdome, which has since reopened.

Glendale would be the first western site to host a Final Four since Seattle in 1995.

Chris Kupets Set To Join Men's Hoops Squad

GREENVILLE, N.C. --- East Carolina University basketball coach Mack McCarthy announced that Chris Kupets has signed a scholarship to attend ECU and play basketball beginning in the fall.

Kupets (5-11, 175) attended one year of prep school at The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C. Patterson was the No. 1-ranked prep school team in the nation for the majority of the 2007-08 season. His Patterson team featured seven additional players that earned Division I scholarships, including Courtney Fortson (Arkansas), Nate Miles (Connecticut), Matt Simpkins (Memphis) and Varez Ward (Texas). FULL STORY

Coaches: No commitments before end of sophomore year

INDIANAPOLIS -- If college basketball coaches have their way, Michael Avery would be the last eighth-grader making a college commitment.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches said Thursday it strongly opposes accepting commitments from students who have not yet completed their sophomore season in high school. The decision comes a little more than a month after the 15-year-old Avery said he would attend Kentucky, and cites NCAA rules that prohibit coaches from contacting athletes before mid-June after their sophomore season. FULL STORY