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 Friday, October 1
Missed the Word?
 
 Did you miss the latest scoop from the world of college basketball? Let ESPN.com's Andy Katz catch you up to date with the Weekly Word.

Sept. 16: September running coaches ragged
Coaches find themselves traveling across the country for a little face time with each big recruit. But is it worth the effort?

Sept. 16: Getting to the bottom of C-USA speculation
Despite contrary reports, TCU and SMU are far from being a lock to join Conference USA.

Sept. 9: Duhon checking his list
When college coaches come calling, prep point guard Chris Duhon has his list of questions ready -- including the one about guaranteed playing time.

Sept. 2: Wright shaping up Longhorns
With the help of a uniquely designed conditioning program from strength coach Todd Wright, Texas is getting a leg up on the season.

Aug. 26: Cleaves cuts to the chase
Mateen Cleaves wants to put his summer behind him and just get back to basketball.

Aug. 19: Cracking the SAT code
Some players are finding a secret weapon in the search for eligibility -- a test-taking system taught by a little-known tutor in the Los Angeles area.

Aug. 12: Big kahunas come ashore for camp
Honolulu was the place to be if you were a big man looking to improve your skills, thanks to Pete Newell's Big Man Camp.

Aug. 5: Tide rising for 'Bama
Mark Gottfried's early recruiting haul has the Crimson Tide positioning itself as a challenger for the SEC title over the next few years.

July 29: Prepsters pointed toward college
Despite the lure of the NBA, several of the top high school players say they are planning on going to college first to season their games.

July 22: Gophers on brink of decision
Minnesota can salvage its coaching search by hiring one of four finalists -- Dan Monson, Barry Collier, Willis Wilson or Jim Crews.

July 15: Maryland expecting more from Morris
Terence Morris spent the summer on campus working on his game. It's a good thing, considering the Terrapins will need him to step up after the team bid adieu to Steve Francis, Laron Profit, Obinna Ekezie and Terrell Stokes.

July 8: Remembering a great man
Those who were fortunate enough to know Ricky Byrdsong described him as a man who never stopped giving.

July 1: Gophers digging in wrong place for coaching candidate
Minnesota shouldn't bother thinking about Rick Majerus for its coaching vacancy.

June 23: Freshmen ineligibility not the solution to NCAA's woes
There are so many problems with the idea of making freshmen ineligible for basketball, Andy Katz hardly knows where to start.

June 17: UNC avoids ACC turmoil
For once, North Carolina has been spared the early-entry shuffle while fellow ACC powers Duke and Maryland face rebuilding.

June 10: Time is now for Magliore
Jamaal Magliore needs a strong performance at the Chicago pre-draft camp to keep his name in the NBA draft.

June 3: Legal turmoil mars BCA future
Legal disputes against the former Black Coaches Association director over misuse of funds has damaged the organization.

May 27: Recruits taking control
The letter of intent has long been the cornerstone of recruiting. But signs of a trend starting of elite players not signing that binding document has some coaches scared.

May 20: Elite teams will be fine
Don't worry about the turnover in the rosters at Duke and Kentucky. Those programs have plenty of new talent coming in and rank as two of the top five makeovers heading into next season.

May 13: Draft rush picking up steam
Expect Corey Maggette and Lamar Odom to join Baron Davis in the late rush to declare for the NBA draft, radically changing how the top of the draft is projected to go down.

May 6: Bender not prepared for NBA
The Mississippi State coaching staff insists prep standout Jonathan Bender isn't going to declare for the NBA draft, which is a good thing -- physically, Bender is nowhere near ready for the pro game.

April 29: Too much transfer talk
The flood of recent transfers hints at a larger problem in college basketball, with some coaches going as far as calling it an "epidemic."

April 22: Bruins not fretting over Baron
UCLA awaits Baron Davis' decision, but the Bruins aren't holding their breath. They've played without him before, and they'll likely do it again.

April 15: Cincinnati is loaded for bear
Cincinnati has filled the necessary holes needed to make a Final Four run next season. Now Bob Huggins has to put the package together.

April 8: Can't blame a coach for trying
This is the time of year when a coach is going to get feelers on possible job offers. A school and its fans can't hold it against a guy for making himself available.

March 8: Midwest is one loaded region
Sure the NCAA selection committee is being praised, but how could six conference tournament champs end up in the same bracket?

March 1: Tournament do's and don'ts
Wondering what all those bubble teams need to do to make the NCAA Tournament? Here's a rundown of all the major conferences.

Feb. 25: Handing out the hardware
Andre Miller has done more than just run the show at Utah -- he's become a teacher on the floor for a young but quickly improving team. For that, he earns the Weekly Word's player of the year award.

Feb. 18: Hooked on a feeling
Forget all that nonsense about RPI, strength of schedule, performance over the last 10 games or conference pedigree -- sometimes a team makes the NCAA Tournament because of the selection committee's gut feeling.

Feb. 11: Louisville back in the Cards
The recent lifting of Louisville's postseason ban could have wide-ranging effects, not only in Conference USA but across many other major and mid-major conferences.

Feb. 4: Travel woes now pay off later
As hard as they are on teams, midseason cross-country trips help in the long run because they simulate NCAA Tournament conditions.

Jan. 28: Give us more, not less
Nonconference rivalries like Xavier-Cincinnati are becoming less and less common, which is hurting college basketball.

Jan. 21: Cardinals not hampered by postseason ban
Denny Crum and Louisville haven't allowed a potential postseason ban to ruin their season. In fact, the Cardinals are playing as well as any sanction-saddled team in recent memory.

Jan. 14: Making sense of lockout logic
Some of college basketball's top underclassmen give their opinions on the end of the NBA lockout.

Jan. 7: Davis has more in mind
Tom Davis may be leaving Iowa, but he's not leaving coaching.

Dec. 30: Carolina quandry
With a young lineup and a two-game losing streak, North Carolina is finding itself in unusual territory.

Dec. 23: Jucos making significant impact
Several junior college transfers are making the grade, taking some teams from national title pretenders to contenders.

Dec. 16: Here comes the cavalry
With the fall semester in the books, it's time for some players who have been sitting out for various reasons to get back on the court.

Dec. 9: Know your scheduling limits
For some teams, stocking up on cupcakes in the non-conference schedule is vital to making the NCAA Tournament. For others, a more well-rounded schedule is preferable.

Dec. 2: Different names, same play
Don't be alarmed if the play Cincinnati used to beat Duke in the Great Alaska Shootout looked familiar, because it's a variation on the play Valparaiso used to beat Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament.

Nov. 26: Big East back with a bang
With strong showings across the country in holiday tournaments, the maligned Big East Conference proved it belongs in the nation's elite.

Nov. 20: A heaping helping of holiday action
Take a look at who has something to prove and who's just happy to get a trip to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Nov. 12: Odom leaves early impression
Lamar Odom wasted little time in leaving a powerful impression.

Nov. 5: Non-conference upsets hold the key
For teams like College of Charleston, an NCAA Tournament bid can be secured by pulling one or two big upsets in non-conference play.

Oct. 29: Terp transfer may be terrific
There's a good reason why everyone is talking about Maryland's Steve Francis -- the kid can play.

Oct. 22: Davis lends sympathetic ear to Glover's injury woes
UCLA's Baron Davis knows about the pain and frustration Dion Glover faces after blowing out his knee -- Davis is just getting over the same injury.

Oct. 15: A mad dash around the country
With the start of practice just around the corner, take a look at some of the more pressing issues facing some of the nation's top programs.

Oct. 8: Asking the wrong people
If you ask ESPN.com's Andy Katz, the basketball issues committee is soliciting opinions from the wrong group of people.

Oct. 1: Cats play while Olson was away
Lute Olson didn't spend much time this fall in the gym, but ESPN.com's Andy Katz says the 'Cats were in good hands.

Sept. 24: Crum looking for motivation
Louisville needs to find something to play for now that it has been saddled with a ban from all postseason action in 1999.

Sept. 17: Tulane not quick to cooperate
Solomon Hughes wants to play for Cal this season, but Tulane isn't going out of its way to help Hughes out of the letter of intent he signed with the Green Wave.

Sept. 11: Spartans fight the jinx
Michigan State can't seem to shake off the injury bug. But with Mateen Cleaves and Thomas Kelley on the comeback trail, watch out for the loaded Spartans.

Sept. 4: European vacation worth it for UConn
Connecticut's six-game journey through England and Israel helped coach Jim Calhoun tackle some early roster questions.

Aug. 27: Rico Harris finds a home at Northridge
Rico Harris has found a home at Cal State-Northridge. But how long will he stay? Also, take a look inside Pete Newell's Big Man Camp.

Aug. 20: Thoughts on the summer
Changes are in store for the summer recruiting period. But will that help or hinder college coaches?

 


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