Each week I will write about the sport I love, college basketball:
• I have talked about responsibility time and time again. Two Tennessee hoop stars are saying bye-bye to the Vols because they could not live up to their responsibilities. Coach Bruce Pearl's roster has been depleted with the dismissals of guard Ramar Smith and forward Duke Crews. My friends, the coach had little choice and did the best thing for his program. It is sad in a way because both players are talented, but this is all about responsibility.
• Tom Crean was a great hire for Indiana, and now he knows how shorthanded he will be in his first season in Bloomington. The Hoosiers will have just three returning scholarship players – Jordan Crawford, Kyle Taber and Brandon McGee. Crean's housecleaning from last year's club included farewells to Armon Bassett and JaMarcus Ellis (previously suspended by interim coach Dan Dakich), as well as DeAndre Thomas and Eli Holman (who will play at Detroit Mercy under former Hoosiers assistant Ray McCallum). Crean has done a nice job bringing in new talent, including Nick Williams (originally scheduled to play for the coach at Marquette).
• Congratulations to Bob Huggins on his 11-year extension at West Virginia. He is certainly a popular coach at his alma mater. Also popular and happy is Washington State coach Tony Bennett, who was a hot name this offseason but showed loyalty by staying in Pullman. Bennett was rewarded with a nice raise and contract extension.
• I am really excited about the Dickie V. gala next weekend at the Sarasota Ritz-Carlton resort. Bob Knight and Pat Summitt will be honored, and our goal is to raise $1 million for pediatric cancer research in a grant in the name of Payton Wright. There are still a few tickets remaining and you can get more information by calling 1-800-4-JIMMY V.
• New Massachusetts coach Derek Kellogg made a solid move by adding former Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg to his staff. Walberg has emphasized the dribble-drive philosophy that was successfully employed by Memphis in its run to the Final Four.
• Georgetown suffered a couple of losses when Vernon Macklin and Jeremiah Rivers decided to transfer. John Thompson III will always have talent on his roster and the future of the program is still very, very bright.
• The NCAA continues to crack down on schools that fail to show enough improvement in the academic progress report. There are a number of schools that could be affected and see their basketball programs lose scholarships and postseason eligibility. Let's remember we are talking about student-athletes, so I applaud what the NCAA is doing.
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.
