CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Quick hitters for Friday:
• Former Cal coach Ben Braun didn't want to comment publicly on his firing Friday, but he was clearly miffed by the decision. He said he didn't know he was going to be fired until his arrival back from Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday from the second-round NIT game against Ohio State. He said he never heard any discussion about him being fired. Braun did say he had one of the youngest teams in the Pac-10. The Bears should be a formidable team next season, assuming Ryan Anderson returns. One of the team's top defenders, Theo Robertson, was hurt this season but is expected back.
• Multiple sources in and around the South Carolina program said Western Kentucky coach Darrin Horn is the top choice to replace the outgoing Dave Odom.
• Kansas State coach Frank Martin said Friday that he will meet with freshman Michael Beasley and redshirt freshman Bill Walker on Monday and Tuesday about their NBA draft status. He said he hasn't talked to one team that came through to scout Beasley that didn't believe he would be the No. 1 pick. That being said, he fully expects Beasley to declare and stay in the draft. He also said he expects Walker to declare. He said that had the NBA draft rule not been in place when Walker came out of high school (a player must be 19 and a year out of high school to declare) then Walker would have gone in the lottery.
"He's coming off major ACL surgery, and not too many other freshmen had the numbers he did," Martin said of Walker. "As the year went on, he was better and better."
Beasley averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds. Walker averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 boards.
Martin, who replaced Bob Huggins after his one-year stint, said he has been going nonstop since taking over for Huggs a year ago.
"It's been a whirlwind since I had to go re-recruit the guys we signed and then I had to go to speak to alumni groups because it's not like [Kansas State] hired Bob Huggins with me, they didn't know who I was," Martin said. "It hasn't stopped here."
Martin said that as soon as the Wildcats lost last week in the second round of the NCAAs to Wisconsin in Omaha, Neb., he went on the road to recruit. He's still gone.
"I still haven't caught my breath," Martin said.
• The Providence Journal's Bill Reynolds, a former Brown player, gave a ringing endorsement of Brown coach Craig Robinson for the Providence job. But as of Thursday, Robinson hadn't heard from PC. To be fair to Bob Driscoll, the Friars' athletic director is on the NCAA hockey selection committee and that tournament began Friday.
• The Toledo job is open and once things settle down this week, fired coaches Braun and Tim Welsh, formerly of PC, may show interest.
Andy Katz
