• I guess that keeps burning. You have some coaches who get a taste of the broadcast booth but then they want to go back into the competitive spirit of the sidelines. You feel the highs and lows running a program, where broadcasting usually keeps you in the middle of that emotional rollercoaster. Recently Rick Majerus was hired by Saint Louis; I can tell you this guy is a workaholic, going 24/7. He will have the Billikens in the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10. Then there is Perry Clark, the former head coach at Miami-Florida and Tulane, who spent some time working for Fox's basketball coverage. Clark is back on the sidelines, taking over the position vacated by Ronnie Arrow at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. I remember Perry as a relentless recruiter for Bobby Cremins at Georgia Tech as well. Cremins came back to coaching after serving as a TV analyst, going to College of Charleston. It is part of the make-up as some guys feel they have to get back on the sidelines.
• If you didn't see it in the transactions, it was right there in black and white. Kevin O'Neill is back in college basketball, hired by Arizona as an assistant coach under Lute Olson. Years ago, O'Neill served as an assistant in Tucson under the Hall of Famer. O'Neill was a masterful recruiter and it led to head coaching jobs at Tennessee, Marquette and Northwestern before a shot as an NBA head coach with the Raptors. Things did not work out in the NBA, so he made a turn and went back to college. He can motivate, inspire and teach defense. The sad news is that Jim Rosborough lost his job after being so dedicated and unbelievably loyal to the people at Arizona, where he served as a brilliant second lieutenant. It is good to see O'Neill back on the sideline and something tells me there is a burning desire inside of him. He wants to prove that he can be a successful head coach if given that opportunity again. He deserves another chance.
• Speaking of deserving another chance, what about Jeff Ruland? He did a solid overall job during his tenure at Iona. In fact, it was special, even with the 2006-07 season being a down campaign. There were a lot of reasons for struggle city, but he never cried about it, never made excuses or alibis. There were injuries galore and an inexperienced roster, but he gave it his best. You judge a man by his whole resume and not a short piece. This former NBA player took this Iona program to success as a player under my late buddy Jimmy Valvano. I remember the upset scored by the Gaels against the highly-ranked Louisville Cardinals at Madison Square Garden when Ruland was playing; it was a special moment. I hope he is given the chance to come back on the sidelines.
• At Kentucky, Billy Gillespie has already pulled off some magic. Remember the name Alex Legion, who originally committed to Michigan but backed out when Tommy Amaker was let go? Legion played at Detroit Country Day and then went to Oak Hill Academy. Now Legion will be attending Kentucky, committing to Gillispie. That's a good addition at this late date. Legion had a Motor City connection with Joe Crawford.
• Kentucky did not get the state's high school Player of the Year. 6-5 Steffphon Pettigrew passed on the Wildcats and decided to attend Western Kentucky. Pettigrew will play for coach Darrin Horn, who had to be happy with the young man's decision.
• Down at Illinois, a Jordan is going to join the basketball program as a walk-on. That's right, Jeffrey Jordan, the son of Michael the Magnificent. It is going to create some interest and excitement for some youngsters to be part of the recruiting in Champaign. There will be some positive taken and this kid will bust his gut and serve as a great team player for the Fighting Illini roster. Don't be shocked if he gets some important minutes. Bruce Weber will be happy with his addition. By the way, his daddy was a pretty fair player!
• A chip off the old block, baby! Alex Kellogg, the son of CBS college basketball analyst and former NBA star Clark Kellogg, has decided to go to Providence. The younger Kellogg played at St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus. The 6-7 forward averaged 18.3 ppg and 8.5 rpg last season. He also shot 53.4 percent from the field.
• New St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt suffered a loss when guard A. J. Hawkins decided to transfer. Hawkins was the team's second-leading scorer last season at 12.2 ppg.
• Saint Louis coach Rick Majerus signed his first player, 6-7 JUCO power forward Barry Eberhardt from Coffeyville in Kansas. Wisconsin received a commitment from 6-4 guard Robert Wilson out of Garfield Heights, Ohio. Score one for Bo Ryan and his staff.
• UC-Riverside named former Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge as head coach. Wooldridge had the Wildcats competitive during his six seasons and he deserved another chance.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
