V-MAIL: May 4
Q: How soon do you think Rick Pitino will have Louisville in the Final Four? What do you think of Pitino's first recruiting class at Louisville? -- Don McIntosh, Houston
VITALE: Rick has done a fantastic job already considering he got in so late. He got Brandon Bender, Larry O'Bannon and Carlos Hurt, who had committed under Denny Crum. That is a nice nucleus to build around. Pitino got some good news when Hurt received a qualifying ACT score, so he should be eligible through the NCAA Clearinghouse. I think it's a matter of three to four years and they will be a contender for the Final Four.
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| The 'Curse of the General' is one reason Coack K's kids may not repeat as national champions. |
Q: How do you think Bob Knight is going to do in Texas? I grew up in Indiana and have been a big fan of his my whole life. ... Also, can Mike Davis get the job done? -- Kenton Powell, Minneapolis
VITALE: Knight has already got some commitments from kids he is excited about, as he told me on the phone recently. He is enthusiastic about the group coming in. He was impressed with the four returning players, saying they were better than he thought. Bobby is happy that the school has sold out its tickets, so there is something special being built in Lubbock. Mike Davis is a player's coach and the team responded well last season. With Jared Jeffries coming back, and a lot of veterans returning, this team has a lot of potential. If Kirk Haston goes through and is in the draft, that obviously would be a big loss. If he comes back, Indiana would probably be one of the favorites in the Big Ten, right there with Illinois.
Q: Now that Jason Kapono has assured his return to UCLA next season, combined with Dan Gadzuric and the impressive recruiting class, what do you think about the Bruins' chances of a championship? And what do you think their preseason ranking should be? Also, I don't know anything about Cedric Bozeman -- do you think he has what it takes to lead the Bruins at the point? -- Tarik Eldin, Sacramento
VITALE: Bozeman should be a great addition at the point, especially after losing Earl Watson. With Kapono and Gadzuric back, the Bruins are in the hunt, right in the top five. I think the magical names right now are Duke, Florida, Maryland, UCLA and Kentucky.
Q: I am a big fan of Shane Battier. I was wondering if you knew of any NBA team in particular that is especially interested in drafting Battier. -- Ryan, San Diego
VITALE: I think a lot of teams should be interested in him. I don't see why not -- he plays on both ends of the floor, he's a winner and he has a great attitude. It is a question of whether a team wants to go for potential or a ready, 10-year player. If they go for potential, they will probably draft the 7-foot-6 kid from China, Yao Ming, or a Tyson Chandler/Eddy Curry.
Q: What do you think the chances are for Duke to repeat? -- Jesse Boord, Greensboro, Pa.
VITALE: Right now, if Jason Williams returns, I think Duke is the team to beat. Think about a lineup with Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Carlos Boozer, Chris Duhon, Casey Sanders and transfer Danhtay Jones from Rutgers. Add Nick Horvath coming back from injury problems and a couple of recruits, and Coach K has a shot to win it all again.
Q: I absolutely disagree with your opinion of the 5/8 rule! If Lute Olson can't sell his kids on the fact that they're not ready for the NBA, that's his problem. Maybe next time he'll recruit kids who actually value the prospect of receiving a degree, instead of just grabbing star basketball players. Just because his guys left early, he should have the opportunity to recruit some more McPlayers because their defections were out of his control? Nonsense! And what about Bobby Knight? This head case blows into town, boots four kids from the program and wants additional scholarships awarded to him? You've got to be kidding! Wasn't the rule put into place to avoid situations where a new coach can come in and rebuild without any regard for the kids who are already there? I didn't hear Coach K crying when he had five kids leave in 1999! In fact, both Duke and UNC have walk-ons, and an occasional football player on their rosters! -- Chris Cody, Huntington Station
VITALE: You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I respect that it is your view, but I feel that the rule is not fair. In the case of Olson, those kids decided to go and now the program is being penalized. I think that with a maximum of 13 scholarships overall, there should be special situations when players leave early, especially if they did the job academically. I feel you should be able to add an extra scholarship to help replace them.
Q: 1) Dick, your opinion on how Troy Murphy's departure will affect Notre Dame next year. 2) Your opinion on Mike Brey as Irish coach. Does he have what it takes to lead the Irish to the next level and allow them to compete for a national title? -- Bob Eveleigh, Cincinnati
VITALE: Any time you lose a player like Troy Murphy, it's difficult to replace him. He was such a versatile player, capable of hurting you both inside and outside. Brey has great ability in dealing with players and a good feel of how to treat people. He also has great knowledge of the game and solid winning experience. Brey was part of six Final Four teams while a member of Duke's staff. He knows the X's and O's and he will continue to do a heckuva job in South Bend.
Q: What's up with Michigan State? They lose two important players early and yet I don't see them making any aggressive moves to recruit some of the undecided top players. There seemed to be a lot of talented big men out there. With the loss of Zach Randolph, coach Tom Izzo desperately needs a presence on the inside. -- Tim Creamer, Grand Rapids, Mich.
VITALE: Don't count Izzo and company out yet. Marcus Taylor will have to step it up, but I expect him to have a super sophomore season. And keep an eye on this diaper dandy -- Kelvin Torbert. He is the real deal, my friend, and he will be a factor right out of the gate. Izzo had a good recruiting class, led by Torbert, and this program will remain competitive.
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| Illinois' Frank Williams returns as one of the nation's best point guards. |
Q: You missed the boat on your Super Six players for the '01-'02 season. Frankie Williams should definitely be on that list and quite possibly Brian Cook. These two are gonna be awesome for coach Bill Self next year. There is no way that Kareem Rush, Troy Bell or Brett Nelson should be listed before either one of Illinois' premier players. Just my opinion of course. -- Doug Pirie, Danville
VITALE: You have a point there. With Troy Murphy falling out from my original list, I may have to add Frank Williams.
Q: How could you not put Stanford on your list of Super Seven teams for next season? If Jason Collins returns, he and Casey Jacobsen will form one of the best 1-2 punches in America. Add a good recruiting class and a healthy Curtis Borchardt and the Cardinal should be better than your fifth-ranked UCLA Bruins. -- Mark, Los Altos, Calif.
VITALE: We can't put everybody on there! Stanford is obviously going to be good, but losing the Collins twins leaves a lot to replace.
Q: How could you put Illinois and Indiana ahead of Iowa in your top seven teams for '01-'02? The Hawkeyes proved they were better than Indiana and that they could play with Illinois last year. Plus, they only lost Dean Oliver but gained two top-ranked point guards in Chauncy Leslie and Pierre Pierce. I don't see how Indiana or Illinois could beat out Iowa next year, especially Indiana. -- Jake Dunshee, Ames, Iowa
VITALE: Iowa has a great chance to compete as Reggie Evans is back up front, plus the return of a healthy Luke Recker would make a difference. They would be there in the upper echelon of the Big Ten.
Q: Love what you do. I'm very appreciative that I can still catch your act in Kuwait. In regard to the Razorbacks, many feel that their days of glory have passed them. ... In fact, it has been rumored that some opposing coaches use the Razorbacks' lack of recent tourney success as a recruiting weapon against them when trying to persuade a blue-chip player to sign with them instead of Arkansas. How do you view the Razorbacks for 2001-02? What is needed for them to return to the elite status they held for much of the '90s? -- Omar Louis, Hawalli, Kuwait
VITALE: Nice to hear from fans overseas. The loss of Joe Johnson, if he stays in the pool and goes into the NBA draft, is a tough one. It's difficult to replace him. Arkansas does have athletes who can pressure and Nolan Richardson tries to take advantage of that. Johnson did not have a super year, but came off an injury in the summer. If Johnson does return, the Razorbacks would be a Top 25 team.
