Quick hitters for Wednesday:
• The NCAA can't enforce a postseason ban against Indiana this year because the NCAA committee that overlooks the investigation will not hear the case until June, after the tournament is over. If the Committee on Infractions, which doles out the penalty, finds it necessary in that hearing, then a postseason ban for 2009 is always a possibility.
• If coach Kelvin Sampson can't survive this at Indiana, then there will be a long line at the door in Bloomington. One name that might be at the front of the list is Washington State's Tony Bennett. Bennett played at Wisconsin-Green Bay, his family name is strong in the region and he would be well-liked by the high school coaches in the state. His sister, Kathi Bennett, was the Indiana women's coach from 2000-2005. Bennett signed a new deal at Washington State after being named national Coach of the Year in his first season. He likes living the quiet life in Pullman. However, he has a senior-laden team, and if there were ever a time to move back to the Midwest, this would be the perfect opportunity (if the job became available). If Sampson can't beat the NCAA and/or Indiana doesn't want to be patient, then don't be surprised to see Indiana go with a coach who doesn't have any baggage whatsoever in his past.
• The Florida ties at LSU make it more and more likely coach Anthony Grant will be targeted in Baton Rouge after Virginia Commonwealth's season is over. Former LSU coach John Brady was confident that Grant would be high on the list. The person who gets the gig has to ensure he is tight with the most connected basketball person in the Baton Rouge area: Collis Temple Jr.
• The problem for Kentucky in its at-large quest will be the 41-point loss at Vanderbilt. It will make committee members think again about the early-season home loss to Gardner-Webb. That's a bookend of bad games that will haunt the Wildcats' thin chances of landing an at-large berth, if they aren't able to win the SEC tournament.
• Purdue is having a magical Big Ten season under Matt Painter and led by
Robbie Hummel. But what makes it even more special are the long-term effects. Purdue should return everyone next season, save senior
Tarrance Crump (16.4 minutes per game) and adds point guard Lewis Jackson (Decatur, Ill.), who is a leading candidate for Mr. Basketball in Illinois. Purdue seems to have recaptured the frenzied passion of the Boilermaker fans in West Lafayette, making it one of the toughest road stops in the Big Ten once again.
• Pitt's
Levance Fields didn't get into the Providence game Tuesday night. He was cleared to play, but the Panthers didn't feel great about him during shootaround. So, the plan is to take it slow over the next week and continue to make a game-day decision. The next opportunity is Friday night at Marquette. Pitt wants to make sure Fields can play in March and won't run the risk of rushing him back too soon.
• For those who love the RPI, I serve up a note from ASU sports information director Doug Tammaro. Through Tuesday, only nine teams had three wins against Top 25 RPI teams:
Duke 4-1; Purdue 4-2; Texas 4-2; Memphis 3-0; UCLA 3-1; Arizona State 3-2; Louisville 3-2; Connecticut 3-2; Dayton 3-3.
Andy Katz
