Richard Phelps
The close of the collegiate basketball season the faces we normally see weekly disappear from our television screens. Often it’s due to them only reporting on “their” sport. As for Richard ‘Digger’ Phelps missing is noteworthy. Digger is at home recovering from bladder cancer surgery. Hopefully the surgery was successful and he will able to return next season to the job he loves discussing college basketball. If you are a certain age you might not realize Digger served as head coach at Notre Dame for a number of years. Younger viewers might be unaware Dick Vitale once served as head coach too. 

“You Can’t Go Home Again”
Was the title of a Thomas Wolfe novel published in 1940. The title has often been used to point out how difficult it is for a person(s) to return home. It might be true for the novel but it certainly doesn’t appear to hold true for the NBA. Not only did the Cavs rehire Coach Mike Brown another NBA veteran is returning home. Flip Saunders will return to the Wolves as president of basketball operations, February 2005 Saunders was fired as coach of the team. Saunders had served as head coach for eight seasons; he had a couple of coaching stops with the Pistons and Wizards. He replaces David Kahn whom I titled “Dr. Strange Moves.” I did this because of a number of unusual and strange draft choices and free agent signings.

Out of Africa
Movie trivia fans might recognize the title to the 1985 movie starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Our subject is out of Africa too but his story is real life, his name Masai Ujiri (My-See OO-jeree) General Manager of the Denver Nuggets. Ujiri grew up in Nigeria and played soccer as a youth as most African youngsters. He came to the United States played basketball at Bismarck State College and Montana State. After college he played professionally in Europe for six years before leaving the court. His first front office position, an unpaid scout for the Orlando Magic. Several more NBA stops saw him hired as general manager of the Nuggets. Ujiri serves as director of “Basketball Without Borders Africa.” The program is designed to promote and raise the level of basketball on the African continent. (Wikipedia)

I hope you didn’t believe
The stories surrounding Phil Jackson coaching the Nets, PJ politely turned them down.  Once he turned them down the letters fly in; “he’s (PJ) no teacher” and similar comments. I thought the idea was to win; PJ certainly has done that over the course of his NBA career. Sure he had Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe but it’s more than that. You must have the ability to communicate to your players and have them buy into you system, there have been few like PJ. If you want a teacher you hire Larry Brown, if you want championships you hire PJ.

Once upon a time
I believed in the integrity of the NCAA, I thought if they charged you with illegal activity it was valid. No longer do I believe in this organization, allow me to state this, every employee of the NCAA is not guilty but a number certainly are. The latest revelation, the NCAA might have illegally obtained bank records for Mizzou Coach Frank Haith. An attorney for Haith has filed a suit against Bank of America. For unexplained reasons the NCAA has copies of Coach Haith’s banking records. I certainly have no legal skills but I do know only legal authorities can obtain an individuals banking records. If I read the story correctly the bank records were checked in connection with former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro now serving time in federal prison. Do I believe Frank Haith is innocent; I would be stupid to make such a statement. I believe in obtaining evidence of an impropriety legally, this is not legal.

Part II of the NCAA story involves Kansas guard Ben McLemore. Will the NCAA enforce its on rules? Reports broke over the weekend McLemore’s former AAU coach was paid $10,000 to persuade the player to leave Kansas and declare for the NBA draft. “The coach, Darius Cobb, said Rodney Blackstock, CEO of Hooplife Academy, paid him a total of $10,000 and sent him and McLemore's cousin to meetings with agents and others hoping to represent McLemore.” These incentives could affect McLemore’s amateur status and force Kansas to vacate wins. Vacate wins only if the NCAA decides to pursue this investigation. (ESPN.com)