ESPN.com presents College Basketball Rumors http://espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/ 60 en-us Fri, 24 May 2013 01:28:55 webmaster@espn.go.com http://assets.espn.go.com/i/espn/teamlogos/lrg/trans/espn_dotcom_black.gif 110 110 As we noted earlier in the week, Memphis transfer Antonio Barton plans on announcing where he'll play his senior season of college ball on Sunday. He'll be eligible to suit up right away wherever he goes, and each of his four finalists could use him pretty badly at this point. Maryland, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Kansas State are the schools Barton is considering, and each will be able to offer him playing time right away. The Terrapins need someone to replace Pe'Shon Howard, who transferred away when his junior season wrapped up.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5069 Thu, 23 May 2013 17:10:06 EDT 5069 Time is running out for college prospects to impress NBA scouts. And Pierre Jackson is making the most of every opportunity he gets. Nobody questions what Baylor's former point guard is capable of -- at least not at the college level. His 6.5 assists per game ranked him No. 15 in the nation, while his 19.8 points per contest landed him among the top 20 scorers as well. That's a combination that doesn't come along every day, and it's enhanced exponentially by his determination and leadership skills.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5063 Thu, 23 May 2013 16:35:19 EDT 5063 In terms of good news for Duke fans, it doesn't get much better than this. Mike Krzyzewski will be coaching Team USA again at the 2016 Olympics -- that much we already knew. But he acknowledged today that he fully intends to stay at Duke until those Olympics take place. If not longer. Coach K has made it quite clear that being a part of the Olympic program has revitalized his career in many ways. While that's obviously great for fans of USA Basketball, it's also a major plus for the Blue Devils.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5060 Thu, 23 May 2013 16:21:22 EDT 5060 Believe it or not, Iowa hasn't made an appearance at the Big Dance since 2006. And the Hawkeyes haven't won a game there in over a decade (2001). Is next year the year they finally rejoin the festivities? The pieces may very well be in place. Fran McCaffery gets his top five scorers from this past season back -- a luxury most teams simply don't have -- as well as Adam Woodbury. The 7-foot-1 center was the nation's No. 39 overall recruit in 2012 and, if he can blossom into a strong interior weapon, this group could be tough on opponents.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5056 Thu, 23 May 2013 15:56:57 EDT 5056 Juan Anderson's decision to stay at Marquette earlier this week only enhances the frontcourt depth that Buzz Williams has to work with. Jamil Wilson and Steve Taylor Jr. -- among others -- are already in place, giving the Golden Eagles some solid pieces to lean on. And then there's Davante Gardner. With Vander Blue gone, Gardner becomes the team's top returning scorer. He's one of the top rebounders on the team as well, and his overwhelming size makes him a factor every time he steps onto the floor.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5053 Thu, 23 May 2013 15:39:18 EDT 5053 As we noted yesterday, Michigan is returning some key players next season -- perhaps none more pivotal than Glenn Robinson III. And they'll be joined be a very solid crop of incoming freshmen. Zak Irvin is the highest rated recruit in a class that ranks No. 12 nationally. He slots in at No. 22 overall and figures to contribute some scoring right away as the Wolverines look to follow up their deep run through the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Mark Donnal (No.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5049 Thu, 23 May 2013 15:09:29 EDT 5049 At the moment, our own Chad Ford has Kelly Olynyk ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect on his big board. And he projects him to slip a little to the Indiana Pacers at No. 23 in his latest mock. Given what that club has been able to do in these playoffs -- including a thrilling overtime contest with LeBron and Miami last night -- that wouldn't be a bad place for a young player like Olynyk to land. Is it possible he might be worth a higher pick though?]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5045 Thu, 23 May 2013 14:27:57 EDT 5045 At the start of the 2012-13 college season, Cody Zeller seemed well on his way to being a top three pick in this summer's NBA draft. In fact, many experts believed he might even go No. 1 overall. That feeling has changed considerably though, and now the big man out of Indiana is fighting just to stay in the lottery. So what exactly happened? Zeller's field goal percentage dipped a little (from 62.3 percent in 2011-12 to 56.2 percent this past season), but his overall production was generally the same -- if not better -- from his freshman to sophomore years.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5043 Thu, 23 May 2013 14:08:35 EDT 5043 Vanderbilt basketball added somebody today that could significantly alter the path of the program in the future. It wasn't a high-impact recruit or a transfer this time, though. The Commodores hired Harvard assistant coach Yanni Hufnagel, who is one of the key pieces responsible for the Crimson's rise to the national stage in recent years. In much the same way Hufnagel convinced recruits with high academic and athletic prowess to come to Harvard, he should be able to tailor that sell to another institution known for its elite academic presence but not necessarily an athletic one.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5035 Thu, 23 May 2013 12:55:57 EDT 5035 We've written before how 2014 PG Chris Chiozza's (Memphis, Tenn./White Station) commitment to Florida impacts other players in the 2014 class, most specifically 2014 No. 11 Leron Black (Memphis, Tenn./White Station). It appears, though, that the Chiozza commitment also affects Florida's chances at landing another 2014 point guard, four-star Brandone Francis (Jacksonville, Fla./Arlington Country day). Our Dave Telep talked about how the relationship between Francis and Florida strengthened through the spring.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mens-college-basketball/rumors/post?id=5031 Thu, 23 May 2013 12:26:28 EDT 5031