Each Friday I will write about the sport I love, college basketball.
• Hank Nichols served the college basketball scene for so many years, as a referee and then as an administrator. There was great respect when you walked into an arena and saw Nichols was calling the game because you knew it had major importance. You also knew it would be a well-officiated contest, handled fairly. Nichols has done a great job running the NCAA officials and I wish him the best in his retirement. He has served as a true Hall of Famer.
• The decision to put Dino Gaudio in as head coach at Wake Forest was a smart move. It continues stability following the tragic passing of Skip Prosser. The Demon Deacons have a tremendous recruiting class coming in and Gaudio and his staff will have the opportunity to keep things going. They will do a super job dedicating themselves to the integrity and effort brought to the program by Prosser.
• I was sad to see the Ball State scenario come to an end for Ronny Thompson, but I feel the school made a good move hiring Billy Taylor from Lehigh. Taylor brings head coaching experience and he knows the state of Indiana after serving as an assistant at Notre Dame under Mike Brey a few years back.
• Ricky Stokes moved into an administrative role at East Carolina, joining his former coach and the school's athletic director, Terry Holland. Mack McCarthy returns to a familiar role as a head coach; he previously served in that position at Tennessee-Chattanooga and Virginia Commonwealth. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the sidelines for the Pirates.
• Good news for Duke fans as the school's athletic director, Joe Alleva, had his contract renewed. Joe has always been a class act and a great leader for the school's athletic programs. Speaking of the Dukies, they will face Princeton in the first round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The other first round pairings including Illinois vs. Arizona State, Oklahoma State vs. LSU and Marquette vs. host school Chaminade.
• Fans who love the diaper dandies are in for a treat at the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 4. O.J. Mayo of USC will lead the Trojans into the Mecca of college basketball, taking on a Memphis squad that may be No. 1. Then Michael Beasley of Kansas State will be on display against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
• It was sad to hear the passing of another former college basketball coach. Ex-Florida A&M coach Willie Booker died at the age of 65. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
• There is a new stadium being built in Arlington, Texas and it will host a Super Bowl. Now Jerry Jones and his family would like to a get a Final Four in that facility. Don't be surprised if that happens sometime down the line.
• With Glen "Big Baby" Davis gone, Tasmin Mitchell will be called upon to step up to a higher level for LSU. Coach John Brady has said Mitchell is in the best shape ever during his Tigers career.
• There are a number of in-season tournaments. The Legends Classic will have four opening-round sites: Tennessee, New Mexico State, Texas and West Virginia. All of the teams participating will advance to the championship round Nov. 23-24 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The Glenn Wilkes Classic takes place in Daytona Beach, Fla., Nov. 16-18 with four games a day, a great event for fans. Among teams in the round-robin event are UAB, Florida State, Rhode Island and South Florida.
• Massachusetts coach Travis Ford has another ambitious non-conference schedule. The Minutemen will face the likes of Boston College, Syracuse, Toledo and Vanderbilt. Kentucky was also on the schedule before the Wildcats utilized a buyout. That should prepare Massachusetts for league play against Xavier, George Washington, Rhode Island and company.
