Progressive CBE Classic

PROGRESSIVE CBE CLASSICChampionship Rounds November 21-22, 2011SPRINT CENTER KANSAS CITY, MO.

Columbia RegionalNOVEMBER 14 & 17, 2011Missouri Mercer Niagara

South Bend RegionalNOVEMBER 14 & 16, 2011Notre Dame Detroit Sam Houston St.

Berkeley RegionalNOVEMBER 13 & 15, 2011

Cal George Washington Austin Peay

Athens RegionalNOVEMBER 13 & 16, 2011

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1PROGRESSIVE CBE CLASSIC

Progressive CBe ClassiCChampionship rounds

NovemBer 21-22, 2011sprint Center Kansas City, mo.

Nov. 21 Missouri vs. Notre Dame 7:30 p.m. Cal vs. Georgia 9:30 p.m.Nov. 22 Consolation Game 7:45 p.m. Championship Game 10 p.m.

REGIOnAL ROundSColumbia RegionalMizzou Arena - Columbia, Mo.Nov. 14 Mercer at Missouri 8 p.m. Nov. 17 Niagara at Missouri 8 p.m.

South Bend RegionalPurcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center South Bend, Ind.Nov. 14 Detroit at Notre Dame 9 p.m. Nov. 16 Sam Houston St. at Notre Dame 7:30 p.m.

Berkeley RegionalHaas Pavilion - Berkeley, Calif.Nov. 13 George Washington at Cal 9:30 p.m. Nov. 15 Austin Peay at Cal 10 p.m.

Athens RegionalStegeman Coliseum - Athens, Ga.Nov. 13 Bowling Green at Georgia 6 p.m. Nov. 16 South Dakota St. at Georgia 7 p.m.

SuBREGIOnAL ROundSBowling Green SubregionalStroh Center - Bowling Green, OhioNov. 21 Detroit vs. George Washington 5 p.m. Austin Peay vs. Bowling GreenNov. 22 G. Washington vs. Austin Peay 5 p.m. Detroit vs. Bowling GreenNov. 23 Austin Peay vs. Detroit 5 p.m. G. Washington vs. Bowling Green

Macon SubregionalThe University Center - Macon, Ga.Nov. 21 Niagara vs. South Dakota St. 4:30 p.m. Sam Houston St. vs. MercerNov. 22 South Dakota State vs. Sam Houston State 4:30 p.m. Niagara vs. MercerNov. 23 Sam Houston St. vs. Niagara 4:30 p.m. South Dakota St. vs. Mercer

all times Eastern

On thE COVERHost Teams (bottom to top) Missouris Marcus Denmon, Notre Dames Tim Abromaitis, Cals Jorge Gutierrez, Georgias Gerald Robinson.

Non-Host Teams (top to bottom, left to right) Bowling Greens Scott Thomas, South Dakota States Jordan Dykstra, George Washingtons Dwayne Smith, Austin Peays Josh Terry, Detroits Chase Simon, Sam Houston States Antuan Bootle, Mercers Langston Hall, Niagaras Malcom Lemmons.

CREdItSThe 2011 Progressive CBE Classic is produced by:

The Gazelle Group, Inc.475 Wall StreetPrinceton, N.J. 08540(609) 921-1300fax (609) 921-2332GazelleGroup.com

tABLE Of COntEntSNABC Welcome ............................................2About the NABC....................................... 3-4College Basketball Experience ............... 7-8Hall of Fame ........................................10-11Sprint Center ..............................................122011-12 Season Preview - Top 25 ....14-15Game Notes .........................................16-17

Columbia RegionalMissouri Tigers ..........................................19Mercer Bears .............................................21Niagara Purple Eagles ..............................22

South Bend RegionalNotre Dame Fighting Irish ........................24Detroit Titans .............................................25Sam Houston State BearKats ..................26

Tournament Bracket .................................29Team Rosters ......................................30-31Tournament Preview ................................32

Berkeley RegionalCal Golden Bears .......................................35George Washington Colonials ..................37Austin Peay Governors .............................38

Athens RegionalGeorgia Bulldogs .......................................40Bowling Green Falcons .............................41South Dakota State Jackrabbits ..............42

Event History .......................................45-56 Top 5 Tournament Games ..................45 Top 10 Performances..........................46 Year-By-Year Results ...................49-54 Players in the NBA Draft ....................56Event Records......................................58-59Other Gazelle Group Events .....................60

2 PROGRESSIVE CBE CLASSIC

WelCome

November 2011

Dear Fans,

On behalf of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, we welcome you to the 11th annual Progressive College Basketball Experience (CBE) Classic. This exciting tournament, featuring some of the most outstanding teams, players, traditions and coaches in college basketball today, reflects the establishment of one of the most exciting and immersive entertainment venues in the nationThe College Basketball Experience.

Opened in the fall of 2007, the College Basketball Experience is a highly interactive, hands-on celebration of the game of mens college basketball. A 41,500 square foot facility, the CBE is located immediately adjacent and connected to the Sprint Center, home of the CBE Classic, via a common lobby at the West entrance.

The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, which honors the best of the best from over a century of mens college basketball, is an integral feature of the College Basketball Experience. This month in Kansas City, the sixth class of inductees will be enshrined, including players Ralph Sampson of Virginia, James Worthy of North Carolina, Chris Mullin of St. Johns and Cazzie Russell of Michigan; coaches Bob Knight and Eddie Sutton; and contributors to basketball Eddie Einhorn, TVS Television Network and Joe Vancisin, former Yale coach and NABC executive director.

The NABC and its board of directors would like to express gratitude to the four regional hosts of the 2011 Progressive CBE Classic: University of Notre Dame, University of Missouri, University of California and the University of Georgia. In addition, the NABC would also like to thank the city of Kansas City, Missouri; Mayor Sly James; City Manager Troy Schulte; the Kansas City City Council; and the KC Sports Commission for helping make the 11th annual Progressive CBE Classic a success.

We sincerely thank you, the fans, for your continued enthusiasm and support of the game of college basketball and all of the teams represented in the 2011 Progressive CBE Classic. Enjoy the games!

Sincerely,

Jim HaneyExecutive DirectorNational Association of Basketball Coaches and NABC Foundation, Inc.

Ernie Kent PresidentNational Association of Basketball Coaches

JIm hAnEyExecutive DirectorNational Association of Basketball Coaches

ERnIEKEntPresidentNational Association of Basketball Coaches


aBout the NaBCThe National Association of Basketball Coach-

es (NABC), located in Kansas City, Missouri, was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary University of Kansas basketball coach. Formation of the NABC began as an emergency measure for the presentation of a united opinion when the Joint Basketball Rules Committee, then the cen-tral governing authority of the game, announced without notice that it had adopted a change in the rules which virtually eliminated the dribble.

Allen, a student of basketball founder James Naismith, organized coaches to take a stand in a nationwide protest, which successfully postponed the adoption of the rule change for one year. It is worthy to note that the dribble still is part of the game of basketball. This marked the beginning of this collective group of coaches to serve as Guardians of the Game.

Since its inception, the NABC has contributed numerous ideas and programs to help preserve and enhance the positive aspects of college basketball. These initiatives include establishing the original Basketball Hall of Fame (Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame), creating the format for todays NCAA Basketball Tournament, supporting Coaches vs. Cancer, and building the NABC National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Sprint Center arena located in downtown Kansas City.

PuRPOSESince its beginning, the NABC has continu-

ally worked to further the best interests of the game of basketball as well as the players and coaches who participate in the sport. In doing so, the NABC has established the following goals and objectives to pursue its mission:

To promote the ideals of integrity, sportsmanship and teamwork among mens basketball coaches and the players whom they coach;

To unify coaches on issues pertaining to basketball at all levels;

To provide member services which address the needs of the coach professionally, emotionally, financially, physically and spiritually;

To encourage basketball coaches to serve as community outreach agents who elevate moral, ethical and educational values;

To enlighten the general public, media, institutional educators and athletic administrators to the fact that coaches are good for the sport and the young people whom they serve;

To work with the legislative arm of the NCAA on issues that affect basketball and intercollegiate athletics, in particular identifying issues that not only benefit the student-athlete but also the ability of the coaching staff to work effectively and beneficially within the institution.

mEmBERShIPThe largest professional association of

basketball coaches, the NABC currently claims a membership of nearly 5,000 mens basketball coaches throughout the ranks of the NCAA, NAIA, junior and community colleges and high schools.

Active memberships are available for NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA head coaches and full-time assistants. Associate memberships are available to former coaches with a required number of years of active membership. Activity memberships are afforded to junior college and high school head coaches and assistants as well as part-time assistants at four-year schools. Certain retired coaches, athletic direc-tors, conference commissioners, AAU coaches, non-varsity scholastic coaches, directors of basketball operations at four-year schools, video coordinators and student managers can apply for Affiliate memberships. The NABC Board of Directors has final say on all membership mat-ters and association bylaws.

OnE nAtIOn, OnE fLAG, OnE PEOPLEOne Nation, One Flag, One People encourages

the college basketball community, their fans and others to take a stand against bigotry, terrorism and hatred in America by celebrating the funda-mental principles and ideals on which the country was founded. By acknowledging and celebrat-ing the values Americans share, it is hoped that this initiative can affect attitudes by showcasing teams who are mutually respectful and work collectively toward common goals despite their differences and diverse backgrounds.

Another main purpose of the program is to recognize those who risk their lives to help to protect us. This group includes all of our troops, firefighters, police officers and all other service men and women. Implementation of the One Na-tion, One Flag, One People initiative is an on-the-court ceremony that begins before tip-off of each game with teams lining up on their respective foul lines for the playing of the National Anthem. Before the anthem is performed, the public ad-dress announcer reads a prepared statement on the virtues of tolerance towards others. The pro-gram concludes with both teams shaking hands after the National Anthem.

BOARd Of dIRECtORSErnie Kent, PresidentLarry Gipson, First Vice President (Northeastern State University)Phil Martelli, Second Vice President (Saint Josephs University)Page Moir, Third Vice President (Roanoke College)Ron Hunter, Fourth Vice President (Georgia State University)Dale Clayton, 2009-10 Past President (Carson-Newman College)Tom Izzo, 2010-11 Past President (Michigan State University)Jeff Jones, Director (American University)Bill Self, Director (University of Kansas)Paul Hewitt, Director (George Mason University)Bo Ryan, Director (University of Wisconsin)Charlie Brock, Director (Springfield College)Lorenzo Romar, Director (University of Washington)Mike Brey, Director (University of Notre Dame)Tim Carter, Director (South Carolina State University)Trent Johnson, Director (Louisiana State University)Lennie Acuff, Director (University of Alabama in Huntsville)Mark Gottfried, (North Carolina State University)Jamie Dixon, (University of Pittsburgh)Brad Stevens, (Butler University)Jim Boeheim, (Syracuse University)

EX-OffICIO mEmBERSJim Haney, NABC Executive DirectorReggie Minton, NABC Deputy Executive DirectorBrian Welch, CPADennis Coleman, NABC General Counsel, Ropes & Gray LLP (Boston, Mass.)Rick Leddy, Board Secretary, NABC Public Relations DirectorRick Jones, Marketing Director Fishbait MarketingDave Berst, NCAA Vice President, Division IGreg Shaheen, NCAA Interim Executive Vice President for Championships & Alliances


aBout the NaBCGuARdIAnS Of thE GAmE

As coaches, we are Guardians of the Game. We have a responsibility to protect the integrity of student-athletes, coaches and the game of bas-ketball. A top priority of the NABC is to educate the public on the role coaches play in the lives of student-athletes both on and off the court. In addition, coaches make an invaluable contribution through their community involvement.

The Guardians Awards recognize NABC coaches who exemplify one of the four Guardians of the Game core values: Advocacy, Leadership, Service and Education.

Each year outstanding NABC coaches from all levels will be nominated by their peers for outstanding achievements and contributions to the game, student-athletes and society. The Guardian Awards will be presented at the annual Guardians of the Game Awards Show.

Guardians of the Game is a national aware-ness and education program led by the NABC. The goal of the program is to focus attention on

the positive aspects of basketball and the

role coaches play in the lives of student-athletes, in addition to the contributions coaches make to their communities.

The Guardians of the Game program emphasizes four core values:

ADVOCACY - NABC coaches are advocates for the game of basketball, student-athletes, and coaches, providing leadership and guidance on issues affecting the basketball community. The Advocacy award winner should exemplify the NABCs commitment to taking a stand on issues critical to the integrity of the game. The winner should actively provide support and counsel for the best interests of the game, the individual and society.

LEADERSHIP - NABC coaches provide moral and ethical leadership on issues affecting the game of basketball and society. Leadership on the court is an integral part of coaching, but leader-ship outside of the game, particularly guidance in the ethical arena, is even more critical for the advancement of basketball. This award winner should courageously guide others to maximize their potential.

SERVICE - NABC coaches serve as community leaders who help enhance their communities through civic involvement. Most coaches are active in their community, but this award winner selflessly gives to those in need and gives the ex-tra effort to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors through volunteerism and giving.

EDUCATION - NABC coaches are committed to continuing education and the development of their profession in order to be better mentors, teachers, and leaders. The Education award will go to a coach dedicated to their own professional development, as well as that of their colleagues. Whether it is through continuing education pro-grams and seminars, or teaching at various NABC events, the Education statuette will reward the coach that best mentors, teaches and perpetu-ates the doctrine of the game.

GuARdIAnS AwARdS (2002-2011)ADVOCACY 2002 Ed Bilik, Springfield 2003 Jerry Krause, Gonzaga 2004 Don Showalter, Mid-Prairie High School 2005 Chris Mowry, Santa Fe CC 2006 Bill Leatherman, Bridgewater College 2007 Jud Heathcote, Michigan State University 2008 Pete Smith, Guerin Catholic HS, Noblesville, Ind. (presented by DiGiorno) 2009 Mike Turner, Albion College 2010 Mac Petty, Wabash College (presented by SofSole)2011 Pat Cunningham, Trinity University (presented by SofSole)

LEADERSHIP 2002 Dave Gavitt, Providence/Big East 2003 Lonnie Porter, Regis University 2004 Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State 2005 Harry Statham, McKendree College 2006 Russell F. Booth, Glenwood City High Sch. 2007 Steve Bankson, Baldwin-Wallace College 2008 C. Alan Rowe, Widener University 2009 George Blaney, University of Connecticut 2010 Bob Burchard, Columbia College (presented by Papa Johns) 2011 Don Meyer, Northern State University

SERVICE 2002 Ron Naclerio, Cardozo HS (N.Y.) 2003 Hal Smith, Malone College 2004 Bo Ryan, Wisconsin-Madison 2005 Bill Van Gundy, Genesee CC 2006 Jim Kessler, Grace College 2007 Richard Reed, Sacramento State Univ. 2008 Dave Rose, Brigham Young University 2009 Ron Hunter, IUPUI 2010 Jim Satalin, Coaches vs. Cancer 2011 Bill Self, Kansas (presented by The UPS Store)

EDUCATION 2002 John Wooden, UCLA 2003 Robert Murrey, USA Coaches Clinics 2004 Kevin McCarthy, State University of New York-Cobleskill 2005 Herb Magee, Philadelphia University 2006 Jim Burson, Muskingum College, NABC President 2007 Gary Smith, University of Redlands 2008 Steve Moore, College of Wooster (presented by The Hartford) 2009 Claudie Mackey, Elizabeth City State Univ. (presented by The Hartford) 2010 Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech (presented by The Hartford)2011 Charlie Coles, Miami (Ohio) University (presented by The Hartford)

EXECutIVE StAffJim Haney,

Executive DirectorReggie Minton,

Deputy Executive DirectorKevin Henderson,

CEO, College Basketball ExperienceCarol Haney,

Director of Internal OperationsStephanie Whitcher,

Director of FinanceTroy Hilton,

Director of Association AffairsRick Leddy,

Director of Public RelationsRose Tate,

Director of Membership ServicesEbony Donahue,

Assistant Director ofMembership Services

Janelle Guidry,Convention Manager

Mark Heatherman, Director of Association Services

Phyllis Biddle,Membership/Office Assistant

Wade Hageman, Association/Operations Assistant

ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR JIM HANEY (RIGHT)

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College BasKetBall exPerieNCe

What began as a vision for the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Execu-tive Director Jim Haney is now a reality as the College Basketball Experience (CBE) opened its doors in the fall of 2007 in Kansas City, Mo.

The CBE, a 41,500 square foot, interactive facility, shares a common lobby with the new, 18,500-seat Sprint Center arena as the key element of the citys downtown entertainment district.

Not only is there a permanent home to perpetuate and celebrate college basketball, but the facility, designed by a consortium of some of the nations most prominent archi-tectural design firms for sporting venues, is unlike any other. Its unique, glass facade mir-rors other aspects of Kansas Citys downtown revitalization.

Haney, who took over as NABC execu-tive director in 1992, moved the associations headquarters to the Kansas City area, first to Overland Park, Kan., and then into down-town Kansas City, with the idea to develop the College Basketball Experience. He and his NABC staff, spearheaded by College Basketball Experience CEO Kevin Henderson, fine tuned the concept and received plenty of assistance from the community.

The game was invented in Springfield, Mass., but grew from its roots in and around Kansas City, said Haney. This College Bas-ketball Experience facility is about all of us who have a passion for the game. We were fortunate to have people like Mayor Kay Barnes and members of the Kansas City business com-munity share our passion and take leadership roles in the development of the CBE.

The CBE, which is also the home to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, provides a fun, memorable and multi-faceted

experience for fans of all ages. Visitors have the unique opportunity to learn about every aspect of college basketball at every level, from the junior colleges and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) through to NCAA Divisions I, II and III.

Fans entering the CBE experience the feeling of getting ready to play in a big game, walking down an arena tunnel with the sounds of fans cheering and bands playing. Approach-ing Center Court, they can envision an arena like Dukes Cameron Indoor Stadium, Pauley Pavilion at UCLA, the Pit in Albuquerque or the legendary floor of New Yorks Madison Square Garden among the hundreds of exciting venues across America.

Center Court at the CBE, a cornerstone of the fan experience, features a full basketball floor with a working scoreboard and shot clocks. Visitors can engage in a variety of activi-ties, testing their skills in one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three or five-on-five contests or getting instruction on the fundamentals of basketball at a coaches clinic.

COLLEGE BASKEtBALL EXPERIEnCE fACtSThe CBE is a one-of-a-kind facility offering the most interactive athletic event venues of any hall of fame in the nation.

Size: 41,500 square feet on two floors

Cost: $25 million.

Funding: $10 million from City of Kansas City arena bond issue passed by voters in 2004. The State of Missouri provided $10 million worth of tax credits to assist in fundraising efforts. The NABC has raised almost $15 million with the use of the Missouri Development Finance Board tax credits, mostly through corporate, foundation and personal gifts.

Ownership: The CBE is owned and operated by the NABC Foundation, Inc.

First Excavation Date: March 28, 2005

Official Groundbreaking: June 24, 2005

Opened: October, 2007

Total Attendance Since Opening (4-years): 400,000 (+)

Facility Rental: The CBE is a multi-func-tional space featuring the latest in high tech event and party implements and is available for special events of most any kind. For more information contact: 816-949-7515 or visit our website at www.CollegeBasketballExperience.com

Special Events: The CBE is home to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Reception prior to the induction ceremony at the Midland Theater.

Hours:CBE Classic Extended HoursMonday, November 21 10am-11pmTuesday, November 22 10am-10pm

Regular HoursWed-Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday 11am-6pmThe CBE may be open for extended hours and special days around holidays and Sprint Center sporting events.


The lifeblood of the facility is the presence of college basketball coaches in sounds and images. Kiosks throughout the CBE allow fans to listen as the nations outstanding coaches prepare their teams for games, discuss half-time strategies or huddle on the sideline during a timeout. After watching and listening to coaching tips from these same legends, visitors are able to pick up a basketball and attempt to make a game-winning three-pointer or free throw in the final seconds, accompanied by the sounds of the frenzied crowd cheering.

Activities for hands-on drills on rebound-ing, passing, dribbling and defense are spaced throughout the CBE, allowing everyone to test a variety of skills. What may be the most excit-ing play in college basketball, the slam dunk, has a dedicated area where players of all ages and sizes can test their flashiest moves with a series of dunks at baskets of varied heights.

As fans leave the Fan Experience following their interactive participation in basketball skills, they pause for Half-Time and a chance

to hone their broadcasting skills. The ESPNU sports desk, complete with microphones and a teleprompter, allows visitors to call their own classic college basketball highlight. This transition zone also leads to the Hall of Honor which includes Epochs of the Game, highlighting key moments in a timeline of college basketball history.

The grand finale of a trip through the College Basketball Experience takes fans to Mentors Circle and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The Mentors Circle provides coaches an opportunity to honor their mentors and fans are able to listen as the nations top coaches pay tribute to those who positively affected their lives.

The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame pays tribute to the legends of the game and stimulates almost all of the senses. Beams of light stream from high ceilings and visitors can reach out to catch the light, reading the names of honorees on their palms while listening to the sounds of those legends.

The CBE was designed as a place where the visitor can do rather than just look. This is not a museum, as we purposely envisioned this facility as an active tribute to the sport of mens college basketball by immersing every visitor in the various nuances and situations the sport has to offer, said Henderson.

We are excited as people can enjoy visiting the CBE and the start of another season of col-lege basketball. Our hope is that all visitors will appreciate, enjoy and return to the facility time and again to celebrate the great game that is mens college basketball.

College BasKetBall exPerieNCeCBE EXECutIVE StAffKevin Henderson Chief Executive Officer 816.949.7510

John Gravino Director of Facilities & Operations 816.949.7511

Reggie HinesDirector of Sales and Basketball Operations 816.949.7514

Christi C. Evans Director of Systems & Audio-Visual Services 816.949.7513

Carla Wheeler Manager of Sales, Marketing & Events 816.949.7515

Jeff Gelb Manager of Facilities & Operations 816.949.7512

Cedric Norton Asst. Manager of Facilities & Operations

Christopher Simmons Asst. Manager of Facilities & Operations

mAIntEnAnCE StAffPhil TombsEric HagensJeremy Washington

CBE AmBASSAdORSMickaela BanksJackson BealTalisa BoswellChristina DiasClayton GuyMyles HammondsKJ Henderson Jeff ShivelySpencer Smith


hall of fameTwo of the Atlantic Coast Conferences great-

est players - Virginias Ralph Sampson and North Carolinas James Worthy - headline the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction class of 2011. Joining Sampson and Worthy for en-shrinement will be coaches Bob Knight and Eddie Sutton, players Cazzie Russell and Chris Mullin, and contributors Joe Vancisin and Eddie Einhorn.

The Class of 2011 will be inducted into the Na-tional Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday, November 20, 2011, at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City as part of a three-day celebration of college basketball. The hall of fame is located in the College Basketball Experience, a world-class entertainment facility that provides a multi-fac-eted interactive experience for fans of the game. On November 21-22, Missouri, California, Georgia and Notre Dame will compete at Sprint Center in the Progressive CBE Classic.

2011 InduCtEESEddie Einhorn, Contributor The founder and chairman of the TVS Television Network, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2005, Eddie Einhorn was a leader of sports programming in the 1970s. The TVS telecast of the Houston-UCLA game from the Astrodome in 1968 is credited for the growth in popularity of college basketball on television. He earned a bachelors de-gree from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. degree from the Northwestern University School of Law, joining law school classmate Jerry Reinsdorf in 1981 to head the limited partnership that pur-chased the Chicago White Sox, now serving as vice chairman. He was recognized as the architect of baseballs first billion dollar-plus television contract, leading negotiations on Major League Baseballs 1990 deal with CBS-TV and ESPN, and was instru-mental in the development of the MLB Network.

Bob Knight, Coach (Founding Class) Among the youngest coaches to reach milestone levels of victories beginning at 200 games, Bob Knight is the first coach in NCAA Division I history to guide his teams to 900 wins. In more than 41 seasons as a Division I head coach at Army, Indi-ana and Texas Tech, Knight has a career record of 902-371, winning his 902nd game on February 2, 2008, as Texas Tech topped Oklahoma State. Over the course of those 41 seasons, another remark-able standard set is that Knights teams had a graduation rate of 98 percent. His longest and most successful coaching tenure was at Indiana, where he led the Hoosiers to NCAA champion-ships in 1976, 1981, and 1987; captured 11 Big Ten Conference titles; and an NIT championship. The four-time National Coach of the Year and six-time Big Ten Coach of the Year is one of only three coaches to have his teams win an NCAA title, an NIT championship, and an Olympic gold medal. Knight was head coach of the U.S. Olympic championship team in 1984 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. As an undergraduate, he played

at Ohio State for hall of fame coach Fred Taylor and alongside teammates Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek, winning the 1960 NCAA championship.

Chris Mullin, Player In four seasons playing for coach Lou Carnesecca, Chris Mullin was the first St. Johns player to reach 2,000 points and led the 1985 Redmen to their first No. 1 ranking since 1951, and their first Final Four appearance since 1952. A consensus first-team All-America as a senior, he was presented with the Wooden Award as the nations top player. He played on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team which won the gold medal in Los Angeles and also was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team, leading the U.S. during its gold medal run in Bar-celona with 5.3 rebounds per game. Selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 1985 NBA Draft, Mullin had a 16-year career playing in the NBA with the Warriors and Indiana Pacers. The five-time NBA all-star scored 17,911 points, averaging 18.2 points per game throughout his career while shooting 51 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free throw line. Mullin was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 as a member of the Olympic Dream Team.

Cazzie Russell, Player Playing basketball for Michigan from 1964-66, Ca-zzie Russell made such an impact that the Univer-sity built Crisler Arena to accommodate fans who crowded into Yost Arena Fieldhouse to see him and the Wolverines. Now fans who enter Crisler can look up to the rafters and see a banner with Russells name, number and the years he played at Michigan as the first Wolverine player in history to have his uniform retired. Russell led Michigan to three consecutive Big Ten titles. He was named National Player of the Year as a senior, when he averaged 30.8 points per game, and helped Michigan to the Elite Eight. The three-time All-America and two-time Big Ten Player of the Year led the Wolverines to the NCAA finals in his junior year and to the semifinals in his sophomore year. Russell completed his collegiate career with 2,164 points as the Wolverines had a three-year mark of 65-17. Russell was the first round selection of the New York Knicks in the 1966 NBA Draft and played a key role in the Knicks NBA championship season in 1969-70. He played for 12 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Los Ange-les Lakers, and Chicago Bulls and later coached for a number of seasons in the Continental Basketball Association, was an NBA assistant and the head coach at Savannah College of Art and Design.

Ralph Sampson, Player As a four-time All-America at Virginia, Ralph Sampson dominated mens college basketball from 1980-83. He is one of three players, along with Cincinnatis Oscar Robertson and Bill Walton of UCLA, to win three successive consensus National Player of the Year awards. The 7-4 center helped the Cavaliers to three NCAA Tournaments in his final three seasons after winning an NIT title in his freshman season. Virginia reached the NCAA

A LOOK BACKBelow is a brief look back at the 2010

National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction class.

Wayne Duke was the first employee hired at the NCAA and was a promi-nent force in cultivating media interest, especially with television. He became commissioner of the Big Eight Conference in 1963 at the age of 34 and moved on in 1971 to become commissioner of the Big Ten, where he was instrumental in the conference being at the forefront of affir-mative action, the integration of womens sports, limiting athletic grants-in-aid, and improving academic standards and graduation rates.

Tom Jernstedt spent 38 years with the NCAA and was a steady and guiding force, especially as liaison to the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Committee. He helped nurture the championship tournament through several expan-sion processes, not only in terms of the number of teams involved, but also in the size and scope of the venues, the revenues from marketing and broadcast rights, and the overall image as one of the worlds greatest sporting events.

Christian Laettner may most often be remembered for his spectacular game-winning shot to top Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, but it was steady habits over four seasons that made him special. He helped lead Duke to the NCAA Final Four in each of his four seasons, capturing back-to-back national championships in his final two seasons (1990-91, 1991-92). He topped off his career by being named the National Player of the Year.

David Thompson was among the most amazing scorers ever to play college basketball, A three-time All-American and two-time National Player of the Year at NC State, he was the youngest player ever named to the AP All-America first-team. Thompson powered the Wolfpack to the 1974 NCAA Championship as a junior and turned down lucrative offers from professional basketball twice to return to NC State for his senior season. Thompson was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1996.


hall of fameFinal Four in 1981 and Sampson powered his team to 112 wins in 135 games as the Cavaliers were ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 for 49 con-secutive weeks. A three-time Atlantic Coast Con-ference Player of the Year, Sampson was the sixth player in NCAA history to score more than 2,000 points and pull down more than 1,500 rebounds. He finished his collegiate career as the Cavaliers third all-time scorer with 2,228 points and holds career records for rebounding with 1,511; field goals made with 899; blocked shots with 462; and dunks with 253. He was the recipient of two straight Eastman Awards, two John R. Wooden Awards and three consecutive Rupp trophies. Sampson was the top draft choice of the NBAs Houston Rockets in 1983 and earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors. He played for nine seasons in the NBA with the Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Washington Bullets.

Eddie Sutton, Coach The first coach to take four schools to the NCAA Tournament, Eddie Sutton guided Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma State to the postseason and advanced to the Final Four with Arkansas and Oklahoma State. Sutton, who played at Oklahoma State for Hall of Fame coach Henry Iba, has a career record in 36 years as a Division I head coach of 804 wins and just 328 losses, a winning percentage of 71 percent. He ranks eighth among all NCAA Division I coaches in career wins with 804 and was named coach of the year in a conference eight times. The four-time national Coach of the Year took his teams to the NCAA Tournament 26 times, including 25 times in his last 29 years as a head coach. In 11 seasons at Arkansas, Sutton guided the Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament in his final nine seasons, in-cluding two Sweet 16 finishes and the Final Four in 1978. He coached Kentucky for three seasons, reaching the Sweet 16 in 1988 before taking over as head coach at his alma mater, Oklahoma State, for 16 seasons. OSU missed the NCAA Tourna-ment just three times under Sutton, while earn-ing Final Four berths in 1995 and 2004.

Joe Vancisin, Contributor Joe Vancisins career in basketball covered more than 54 years as a player, coach, and administra-tor. At Dartmouth, where he played basketball

and baseball, he was a starting guard when Dartmouth was edged in overtime in the NCAA championship game by Utah in 1944. Coach Ozzie Cowles persuaded Vancisin to remain to coach the freshman team and, after one season, he enlisted in the Air Force. After being discharged, Vancisin followed Cowles to Michigan, helping the Wolver-ines win the Big Ten title in 1948 as an assistant. He then moved on to Minnesota for seven sea-sons (1949-56) as a basketball and baseball assis-tant coach as the Golden Gophers captured both the Big Ten and NCAA baseball championships in 1955. Vancisin received his first head coaching position in basketball at Yale, where he guided the Elis for 19 seasons, winning a pair of Ivy League titles. Vancisin traveled extensively giving clinics around the world and was member of two U.S. Olympic basketball staffs on the gold medal winning team headed by Dean Smith in 1976 and with the 1980 team, coached by Dave Gavitt.

James Worthy, Player (Founding Class) One of just seven North Carolina players to have his number retired, James Worthy led the Tar Heels to two Final Four appearances. Coach Dean Smiths team won the NCAA champion-ship in 1982 over Georgetown behind Worthys 28 points on 13-17 shooting from the field. The NCAA title capped a superb final season for the junior forward at Carolina as he was a unanimous first-team All-America and the most outstanding player in the ACC tournament, the NCAA Regional and the Final Four. Worthy, who also won the McKevlin Award as the Athlete of the Year in the ACC, averaged 14.5 points per game and 7.4 rebounds in his three seasons in Chapel Hill. He helped lead UNC to the national championship game against Indiana as a sophomore in 1981 as he averaged 14.2 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, and had a 50.0 percent field goal percentage after missing much of his freshman season with a broken ankle. A 2003 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Worthy was the first player selected in the 1982 NBA Draft, chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers. He went on to become a seven-time All-Star in the NBA, playing on world championship teams with the Lakers in 1985, 1987 and 1988. Worthy retired from the NBA in the fall of 1994 and has worked as a basketball analyst for CBS Sports.

A LOOK BACK (continued)Jerry West is arguably the best pure

shooter in basketball history. He was a three-time All-America at West Virginia, holds 17 Mountaineer records, led his team to three consecutive NCAA Tourna-ment berths and the national champion-ship game in 1959 and averaged 29.3 points and 16.5 rebounds per game as a senior. He was co-captain of 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team with Oscar Robertson. West was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1980.

Davey Whitneys teams won 711 games in 35 years of coaching. At Alcorn State, the school reached heights that never seemed possible, dominating the Southwestern Athletic Conference with nine championships. In 1979, Whitney guided his team to a berth in the NIT, one of the first for a historically black institution, and upset Mississippi State in the opening round. The next year, Alcorn earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament, one of four for Whitney-coached teams.

Sidney Wicks played on three of John Woodens UCLA teams and helped lead the Bruins to NCAA championships from 1969-71. He was the Bruins leading scorer (18.6) and rebounder (11.9) as a junior when he was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Final Four and earned National co-Player of the Year honors from the Helms Athletic Foundation. He earned Player of the Year awards from the USBWA and The Sporting News while topping UCLA in scoring and rebounding as a senior.

Best known as the innovator of the triangle offense, Tex Winter was the head coach of five college programs, serving at Marquette, Kansas State, Northwestern, Washington, and Long Beach State. He be-came head coach at Marquette at the age of 28 and stayed for two seasons before going to Kansas State as the head coach. Winter guided the Wildcats for 15 sea-sons, won eight Big Eight titles and was the National Coach of the Year in 1959.

PHOTO 2010 INDUCTEES (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): Sidney Wicks, Jerry West, Davey Whitney, Christian Laettner, Wayne Duke, Tom Jernstedt, David Thompson and Tex Winter.


sPriNt CeNter

photo by Jason Squires

Sprint Center is Kansas Citys home for sports, concerts, family shows, collegiate competitions, tournaments and special events. Anchor to more than $4.5 billion of reinvestment in a revitalized downtown Kansas City, Mo., Sprint Center is a unique public/private partnership between the city of Kansas City and AEG. Sprint Center has ex-ceeded all expectations having hosted more than 500 events and 4.7 million guests since opening. Having recently celebrated its fourth anniversary, Sprint Center continues to set attendance re-cords, exceed financial projections and establish Kansas City as the entertainment heartbeat in the Heart of America. Through the profit sharing provision in the management agreement, Sprint Center/AEG has delivered more than $5 million to the city of Kansas City, Mo.

Sprint Center features the Perceptive Soft-ware Founders Club, a VIP entertainment area where members can enjoy fabulous amenities including priority access to purchase up to four (4) seats to select Sprint Center events, access to the members only lounge and events including food & beverage tastings, reserved parking and a private VIP entrance. In addition, Sprint Center features private meeting rooms for intimate gatherings, seminars, receptions, charity func-tions and special events. Home to the College Basketball Experience, Sprint Center has hosted the 2008, 2010 and 2011 Big 12 Mens Basketball Championship, first- and second- rounds of the 2009 NCAA Mens Basketball Championship and most recently an NBA preseason game between the Miami HEAT and OKC Thunder in 2010. In 2012, Sprint Center will host the Big 12 Mens Basketball Championship.

AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the An-schutz Company, is the leading sports, enter-tainment and venue operator in the world. AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns,

operates or consults with 100 of the industrys preeminent venues worldwide, across five con-tinents, and works in concert with affiliated AEG entities, including live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships and AEG Development to support the success of AEG venues across the globe. AEG owns, operates or provides services to venues including STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.), Nokia Theatre L.A. Live (Los Angeles, Calif.), Citi-zens Business Bank Arena (Ontario, Calif.), Valley View Casino Center (San Diego, Calif.) Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), XL Center and Rentschler Field (Hartford, Conn.), The Rose Garden (Portland, Ore.), KeyArena (Seattle, Wash.), KFC YUM! Center (Louisville, Ky.), AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.), AT&T Center (San Antonio, Texas), Time Warner Cable Arena (Charlotte, N.C.), Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.), Target Center (Minneapolis, Minn.), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), MasterCard Center (Beijing, China), The O2 Arena (London, England), O2 World (Berlin, Germany), O2 World Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany), Ahoy Arena (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Pernambuco Stadium (Recife, Brazil), Allphones Arena (Sydney, Australia), Globe Arenas (Stockholm, Sweden), Turk Telekom Arena (Istanbul, Turkey) and the Qatar National Convention Centre (Doha, Qatar). For more infor-mation, please visit www.aegworldwide.com.

SPRInt CEntER fACtSOpened: October 10, 2007

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Location: 13th Street to Truman Road and Grand Boulevard to Oak Street

Owner: City of Kansas City, Mo.

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Architect: Downtown Arena Design Team (HOK Sport + Venue+ Event, Ellerbe Becket, 360 Architecture, Rafael Architects)

Site Acreage: 8.5 acres

Number of Levels: 7 (Event Floor, Club Level Main Concourse, Suite Level A, Suite Level B, Upper Concourse and Press Level)

Total Square Footage: 709,225

Seating Capacity: 18,630 (basketball); 17,297 (hockey); 19,426 (center stage)

Amenities: Six locker rooms; 14 Box Office windows; Broadcast interview room; 36-screen LED scoreboard; 360-degree ribbon board; Two 50-foot ribbon boards; Four public escalators and seven passenger elevators; 14 concession stands; 20 mens and womens bathrooms

photo by Jason Squires

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2011-12 seasoN PrevieWBy John Akers, Basketball Times

One of the most anticipated college seasons in a decade thank you, NBA lockout brings five or six teams that might be the preseason favorite in a normal season. North Carolina might be the consensus favorite, but it isnt often that the early polls would ignore the nations top player (Ohio State F Jared Sullinger), a perfect blend of talent and experience (Kentucky) or a defending national champion that loses just one starter and adds one of the nations top freshmen (UConn). That alone should give you an idea how good these Tar Heels must be.

1. North Carolina The Tar Heels (29-8) are the nations consensus No. 1-ranked team for obvious reasons. No team has a more acclaimed front court than North Carolinas trio F Tyler Zeller (15.7, 7.2 rpg); F Harrison Barnes (15.7, 5.8); and F John Henson (11.7, 10.1). PG Kendall Marshall (6.2) led all freshmen with 6.2 apg.

2. Ohio State* (2004) The Buckeyes (34-3) avoided an anticipated dropoff with the unexpected return of F Jared Sullinger (17.2, 10.2), a first-team All-American, and second-team All-Big Ten G William Buford (14.4). Great support is available from sopho-mores G Aaron Craft (4.8 apg) and F DeShaun Thomas, who averaged 7.5 points over just 14.0 minutes per game.

3. Kentucky The Wildcats (29-9) mix a trademark top-ranked

recruiting class with more holdovers than usual. F Terrence Jones (15.7, 8.8), G Doron

Lamb (12.3) and F-G Darius Miller (10.9) are joined by a freshman Fab Four F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, F Anthony Davis, G Marquis Teague and F Kyle Wiltjer.

4. Connecticut The defending national-champion

Huskies (32-9) 9-9 in the Big East, yet 14-0 in the Maui, Big East and NCAA tourna-

ments must march on without All-America G Kemba Walker. G-F Jeremy Lamb (11.1) flourished

during the postseason, averaging 16.2 ppg. Highly ranked freshmen

C Andre Drummond and F DeAndre Daniels signed during the summer.

5. Syracuse* (2008) The Orange (27-8) might be national-

championship caliber with the return of F Kris Joseph (14.3), G Scoop Jardine (12.5, 5.9 apg) and

G Brandon Triche (11.1). Or Syracuse could miss the huge void left by C Rick Jackson who led the Big East in rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks and averaged 35.6 minutes in the post.

6. Duke* (2006, 2010) Though the Blue Devils (32-5) have a lot to replace (Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, Kyrie Irving), dynamic freshman G Austin Rivers arrives and F Mason Plumlee (7.2, 8.4 rpg) returns to lead a cast of solid role players. Coach Mike Krzyzewski will break Bob Knights record 902 Division I victo-ries with Dukes third victory.

7. Vanderbilt (at right)

8. Louisville The Cardinals (25-10) lose just a couple of players from a season that was both encouraging (finish-ing in a tie for third in the Big East) and discour-aging (injuries, a first-round NCAA Tournament exit). Theres reason to become encouraged again, with the return of G-F Kyle Kuric (10.8) and G Peyton Siva (9.9, 5.2 apg).

9. Florida* (2008) The Gators (29-8) are swamped with guards, so to speak, from their two second-team All-SEC per-formers, Erving Walker (14.6) and Kenny Boynton (14.2), to Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario (16.7, but only 37.8 percent from the field in 2009-10) and high-scoring freshman Bradley Beal. The loss of three senior forwards raises questions in the front court.

10. Memphis* (2001) The still-young Tigers (25-10) are deep, deep, deep. They return a starting lineup that includes third-team All-C-USA G Will Barton (12.3) and a bench that includes C-USA tournament MVP G Joe Jackson and G-F Wesley Witherspoon, who was third-team All-C-USA in 2009-10. Plus, they add top-10 recruit F Adonis Thomas.

2K SPORtS CLASSIC fEAtuRES StROnG fIELd

The field for the 2K Sports Classic ben-efiting Coaches vs. Cancer is headlined by a most-intriguing group of schools. Ari-zona is coming off a 30-win season that saw the Wildcats come within a whisker of the Final Four. Texas A&M, under the direction of first-year head coach Billy Kennedy, is atop the Big 12s preseason poll for the first time ever. Mississippi State returns 12 players from a team that won 17 games a year ago. St. Johns, which has only one player returning from last years 21-win NCAA Tournament team, welcomes a recruiting class that is ranked among the top five in the country. The four will host Regional Round games on their campuses from Nov. 7-9 before heading to New Yorks Madison Square Garden for the Championship Rounds, November 17-18.

15. Arizona The Wildcats (30-8) figured to lose All-American F Derrick Williams from an Elite Eight team that lost to eventual national champion UConn, though the decision by G MoMo Jones to transfer was a jolt. Theres still a layer of talent there, includ-ing freshman G Josiah Turner, that will make for a far more balanced team.

18. Texas A&M Former Murray State coach Billy Kennedy takes over the Aggies (24-9), who should continue the winning legacy estab-lished by Mark Turgeon and Billy Gillispie. Second-team All-Big 12 F Khris Middleton (14.4, 5.2) and third-team All-Big 12 F David Loubeau (11.8, 5.0) return to a team that over-achieved to reach the NCAA Tournament.

DUKE HEAD COACH MIKE KRzYzEWSKI

ARIzONAS KYLE FOGG


2011-12 seasoN PrevieW11. Pittsburgh* (2009) The Panthers (28-6) lose three starters from the team that won the Big East regular season but lost a heartbreaker to Butler in the NCAA Tourna-ments second round. They return the leagues best player, first-team All-Big East G Ashton Gibbs (16.8) who will move from the point to shooting guard.

12. xavier The Musketeers (24-8) can aim for greater goals than a sixth straight A-10 regular-season title or seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appear-ance, with the return of third-team All-America G Tu Holloway (19.7, 5.0 apg) and G Mark Lyons (13.6), who will team up with Holloway to form one of the nations top back courts.

13. Baylor The Bears (18-13) should have the Big 12s best front court and among the best in the nation. That group includes second-team All-Big 12 F Perry Jones (13.9, 7.2), F Quincy Acy (12.4, 7.6), starter F Anthony Jones (8.5, 5.3) and freshman F Quincy Miller. National JC player of the year PG Pierre Jackson will boost the back court.

14. Kansas* (2008) The Jayhawks (35-3) lose four starters, enough to signal an end to a run of seven consecutive Big 12 titles. But that ignores the potential of F Thomas Robinson (7.6, 6.4), who was limited to 14.6 mpg behind the Morris twins and projects to an All-America caliber 15.6 ppg and 13.2 rpg over 30 minutes per game.

15. Arizona (at left)

16. Wisconsin The importance of G Jordan Taylor (18.1, 4.7 apg) to the Badgers (25-9) cannot be overstated. The second-team All-American had the nations best assists-to-turnovers ratio (3.83), and the Badgers led the nation in scoring defense (58.5 ppg), free throw percentage (.823), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.75) and set an NCAA record for fewest turn-overs per game (7.58).

17. Alabama* (2001) The Crimson Tide (25-12) shouldnt be left out this Selection Sunday with the return of first-team All-SEC F JaMychal Green (15.5, 7.5), second-team All-SEC F Tony Mitchell (15.2, 7.1) and G Trevor Releford (11.0).

18. Texas A&M (at left)

19. UCLA* (2007) The Bruins (23-11) might have been a top-five team nationally, if not for early departures by first-team All-Pac-10 players F Tyler Honeycutt and G Malcolm Lee. They should still be a Top 25 team with first-team All-league F Reeves Nelson (13.9, 9.1) and C Joshua Smith (10.9, 6.3).

20. Marquette* (2006, 2010) The Golden Eagles (22-15) will seek a seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid with second-team All-Big East G Darius Johnson-Odom (15.8) and F Jae Crowder (11.8, 6.8), plus freshman G Todd Mayo.

21. Michigan The Wolverines (21-14) surprised many by shak-ing off a six-game losing streak to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place in the Big Ten. They might be pushing Ohio State as a Big Ten con-tender if not for the early departure by G Darius Morris, though G Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.9) and everyone else are back.

22. Cincinnati The Bearcats (26-9) and Mark Cronin, who got off to a 15-0 start, could be returning to the sort of glory days they enjoyed under Bob Huggins, with the return of four starters, including F Yancy Gates (11.9, 6.9) and G Dion Dixon (11.6). Plus, they welcome freshman PF Shaquille Thomas and JC transfer PF Cheikh Mbodji.

23. Gonzaga* (2010) The Bulldogs (25-10) figure to have an outstand-ing front court with 7-foot All-WCC C Robert Sacre (12.5, 6.3) and F Elias Harris (12.4, 6.0), whose performance slipped because of Achil-les problems but must revamp a back court that was prepared to lose first-team All-WCC Stephen Gray but not Demetri Goodson, who left to play football at Baylor.

24. Michigan State* (2007) Expectations were too high for last seasons Spartans (19-15), No. 2 in last seasons AP preseason poll, but they might be too low this season. They return do-everything F Draymond Green (12.6, 8.6 rpg, 4.1 apg) and add freshman F Branden Dawson and Valparaiso transfer G Brandon Wood (16.7), who was first-team All-Horizon League.

25. Missouri* (2001, 2004, 2007, 2011) The Tigers (23-11) bring cause for optimism and pessimism. All-Big 12 G Marcus Denmon was among five returning starters who got off to a 14-1 start.

VAndERBILt PLAyS In nEw JERSEy

IZOD Center in the Meadowlands will play host to the Championship Rounds of the TicketCity Legends Classic, Nov. 19 and 21. Texas, which has been to each of the last 13 NCAA Tournaments, will rely on a host of newcomers to keep that streak alive. Conversely, Vanderbilt returns 11 players from last years NCAA squad and is projected as a Top 10 team this season. NC State looks to return to its rightful spot in the ACC standings un-der first year head coach Mark Gottfried. Oregon State sees 11 players return in what is expected to be a breakthrough year for the Beavers. It all begins with Regional Round play on campus from November 13-16.

7. Vanderbilt The Commodores (23-11) would be the league favorite in almost any other sea-son, with the return of first-team All-SEC G John Jenkins (19.5), with his streak of 33 consecutive double-digit games; second-team All-SEC G-F Jeffery Taylor (14.7, 5.5);

the much-improved, second-team All-SEC C Festus Ezeli (13.0, 6.3); and G Brad Tinsley (10.6, 4.6 apg).

VANDERBILTS JOHN JENKINS

*team has competed in the Progressive CBE Classic (years of participation in parentheses)


game NotesPRESEASON ATTENTION - TEAM DIVISION Both California and Missouri appear in the ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press preseason polls. Cal is No. 24 in both while Mizzou is ranked No. 25 by the coaches and writers. Cal was last ranked in the preseason in 2009 when they were slated at No. 12. Missouri was No. 15 in both preseason polls a year ago.

PRESEASON ATTENTION - INDIVIDUAL DIVISION Several players participating in the 2011 Progres-sive CBE Classic were among the 50 players on the John R. Wooden Award preseason watch list. Included on the list are Tim Abromaitis of Notre Dame, Cals Allen Crabbe and Jorge Gutierrez, Marcus Denmon of Missouri, and Detroits Ray McCallum.

HOME SWEET HOME This year marks the 11th consecutive year that Kansas City will serve as host of the Champion-ship Rounds of the Progressive CBE Classic. The

first year (2001) the event was held at Kemper Arena before moving to the fabled Municipal Auditorium from 2002-2006. In 2007, the Classic moved into the beautiful Sprint Center.

WELCOME BACK Five teams in the 12-team

field of the Progressive CBE Classic are making a return visit. Missouri is making its record-setting fourth appearance in the

event, having previously participated in 2001, 2004,

and 2007. The Tigers won the inaugural event in 2001

and placed third in 2004 and 2007. Notre Dame (2002 runner-up), Detroit (2006), Sam Houston (2004), and South Dakota State (2005) are each playing in the event for the second time.

PUNCH YOUR TICKET Since the beginning of the Classic in 2001, every team that has won the Championship has gone on to the NCAA Tournament. That trend contin-ued in 2010 with Duke winning last years event and eventually advancing to the Sweet 16. UCLA, which won the CBE Classic in 2007, became the first Classic champion to advance to the Final Four in 2008.

HELPFUL START Fifty-three teams that have participated in the Progressive CBE Classic have gone on to postsea-son play that year 34 NCAA, 11 NIT, six CBI, and two CIT. Last year alone nine of the 12 teams in the event earned postseason berths with seven going to the NCAA Tournament and two to the CBI. Duke, Marquette and San Diego State each reached the Sweet 16. In all, eight teams have ad-vanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament after opening their seasons in the event, with UCLA moving on to the 2008 Final Four. Tulsa, which played in the 2007 tournament, won the 2008 CBI. Memphis, which was a member of the inaugural Guardians Classic field in 2001, earned the 2002 NIT title.

THE MAIN EVENT The Progressive CBE Classic is the na-tions most exciting season-opening college basketball tournament. Twelve teams from across the nation compete in the 11th annual event with Missouri, Notre Dame, California, and Georgia serv-ing as Regional Round hosts. Regional action takes place from Nov. 13-17 with the four hosts then advancing to the Championship Rounds, Nov. 21-22, at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.. The remainder of the field will participate in subregionals held at Bowling Green, Ohio, and Macon, Ga., Nov. 21-23.

Joining the four Championship Round hosts in the Progressive CBE Classic are Austin Peay, Bowling Green, Detroit, George Washington, Mercer, Niagara, Sam Houston State, and South Dakota State.

EVENT HISTORY The tournament was initially estab-lished in 2001 as the Guardians Classic, in partnership with the NABC. The event is now named after the College Basketball Experience, an interactive facility for college basketball fans that is part of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The College Basketball Experience is the nations only facility that celebrates, in its en-tirety, the sport of college basketball. The College Basketball Experience opened in October 2007.

NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH MIKE BREY

DETROITS RAY McCALLUM


game NotesCATAPULTING INTO THE RANKINGS The Classic has catapulted several teams into the national rankings based on their performance in the event. In 2002, Notre Dame advanced to the title game of the Classic before dropping a five-point decision to Creighton. However, the voters were impressed enough with the Fighting Irish that two weeks later, they would go from being unranked to No. 10 in the Associated Press poll and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Syracuse was also unranked at the time of the 2008 CBE Classic but its 89-81 overtime win over No. 23 Kansas put the Orange in both polls No. 16 by the writers and No. 20 by the coaches. Last year, San Diego State was unranked in the coaches poll but after winning four games, the Aztecs were rated No. 19 after the CBE Classic.

THE MAN It occurred in the very first Guardians Classic but it remains the standard today. In his only year of collegiate basketball, Memphis Dajuan Wagner left quite an impression. Wagner set five tourna-ment records that still stand today, including most points in the championship rounds (47) and tour-nament (97). He also holds the records for most field goals in the championship rounds (40) and tournament (78), as well as most free throws in a tournament (29). His 32 points against Old Domin-ion was the tournament standard until last year.

SELECT COMPANY In the last four NBA drafts, 30 players who have played in the Progressive CBE Classic have been selected. The 2011 NBA Draft saw eight Classic alumni chosen, including 2010 CBE Classic MVP Kyrie Irving of Duke being selected No. 1 overall.

THE UNTOUCHABLES Of the 113 teams that have participated in the event since 2001, only six remain undefeated in Classic play. Creighton was crowned the Guard-ians champion in 2002 and 2004 and Texas earned the 2005 and 2009 CBE Classics in compil-ing 8-0 records in event play. South Carolina (2003), UCLA (2007), Syracuse (2008), and San Diego State (2010) have all posted 4-0 records.

HOSTS WITH THE MOST The hosts of the four regional sites of the Pro-gressive CBE Classic combined for an 89-45 re-cord, including a 58-11 mark at home, three NCAA Tournament bids and one NIT bid last season.

KANSAS CITY HERE I COME Six student-athletes from the Kansas City met-ropolitan area will participate in the Progressive CBE Classic with five of them advancing to Sprint Center. In addition, Californias Ricky Kreklow played last season at Missouri.

Cal: David Kravish (Fr.) Lees Summit, Mo./Lees Summit North

Ricky Kreklow (So.) Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge (Univ. of Missouri)

Mizzou: Marcus Denmon (Sr.) Kansas City, Mo./Hogan Prep

Michael Dixon (Jr.) Kansas City, Mo./Lees Summit West

Steve Moore (Sr.) Kansas City, Mo./Truman

Jarrett Sutton (Jr.) Kansas City, Mo./Oak Park

SHSU: Joshua Gibbs (Jr.) Kansas City, Mo/Butler County CC

HALL OF FAME Eight legends will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday, November 20:

Eddie Einhorn, Contributor Bob Knight, Coach Chris Mullin, Player Cazzie Russell, Player Ralph Sampson, Player Eddie Sutton, Coach Joe Vancisin, Contributor James Worthy, Player

The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, which is located in the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, opened in October 2007.

By thE numBERS...1 - The spot in which 2010 tournament MVP Kyrie Irving of Duke was selected in the 2011 NBA Draft.

2 - Number of teams that have won the Progressive CBE Classic twice Creigh-ton (2002, 2004) and Texas (2005, 2009).

4 - Number of times Missouri has partic-ipated in the CBE Classic - a tournament record.

4 - Number of schools returning to the Progressive CBE Classic for the second time in 2011 Detroit, Notre Dame, Sam Houston, and South Dakota State.

5 - Number of Classic records Memphis Dajuan Wagner still holds. Wagner played in the first Classic in 2001.

9 - Number of wins Missouri has in the history of the Classic an event record.

19 - Number of ranked teams that have participated in the previous 10 Classics.

35 - The Classic record for points scored in a game, set last season by Gonzagas Stephen Gray in a game against San Diego State on Nov. 14, 2010.

53 - Number of teams which partici-pated in the Classic who advanced to postseason play the following March.

79 - Number of combined NCAA appear-ances for the four Regional Round hosts of the 2011 Progressive CBE Classic - Missouri, Notre Dame, California, and Georgia.

113 - Number of schools that have par-ticipated in the Progressive CBE Classic during the events previous 10 years.

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missouri tigersQuICK fACtSSchool .................................. University of Missouri Location ............................................. Columbia, Mo.Enrollment ..................................................... 32,415Founded ............................................................1839Nickname ........................................................TigersColors ................................................Black and GoldHome Facility ...................... Mizzou Arena (15,061)Chancellor ....................................Dr. Brady DeatonDirector of Athletics .............................. Mike AldenWeb Site ..................................www.MUTigers.com

Head Coach ...........................................Frank HaithRecord at School ...................................First YearCareer Record .......................... 129-101 (7 years)

2010-11 Record .............................................. 23-11Conference ...................................................Big 12Conference Record (Finish) ................... 8-8 (5th)Postseason ...................................................NCAA

fRAnK hAIthHead Coach first season129-101 overall (seven years)

mAtt PRESSEySr. G 6-2 1956.5 ppg 3.9 apg

RICARdO RAtLIffESr. F 6-9 24010.6 ppg 6.0 rpg

mIChAEL dIXOn Jr. G 6-1 18510.3 ppg 3.5 apg

mARCuS dEnmOnSr. G 6-3 18516.9 ppg 3.5 rpg

KIm EnGLIShSr. G 6-6 20010.0 ppg 3.1 rpg

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A new era of Missouri basketball takes center stage in 2011-12 as Frank Haith takes over for his first season at the helm of the Tigers program. A 25-year veteran of the coaching ranks, Haith spent the previous seven seasons rebuilding the Miami (Fla.) program, becoming the winningest postseason coach in Hurricane history, while also taking the club to five postseason appearances in his seven years. Although the leadership of the program saw a revamping during the off-season, the return of all five starters and top-six scorers leads the Mizzou headlines in 2012.

Missouris eight-member senior class is highlighted by four-year standouts Marcus Denmon, Kim English, Steve Moore, and Laurence Bowers (out for the year due to injury), each of whom have contributed to 77 wins during their Tigers tenure. As freshmen, the players helped Mizzou to a school record 31 wins and an appearance in the Elite Eight and have since been to consecutive NCAA Tournaments in 2010 and 2011. As it stands, the fourth-year Tigers are just 23 wins shy of tying the school record for career wins.

A first-team All-Big 12 selection a year ago, Denmon is coming off one of the most efficient seasons in school history, averag-ing 16.9 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor, 45 percent shooting from 3-point range, and contributing a near 2-to-1 assist/turnover ratio. He scored at least 20 points in 12 of the Tigers 34 contests and ranked fifth in the Big 12 with 82 field goals from beyond the arc.

Denmon is one of four returning seniors who averaged in double figures last season, along with forward Ricardo Ratliffe (10.6 ppg) and guards Michael Dixon (10.3 ppg) and Kim English (10.0 ppg). Guard Phil Pressey contributed 6.5 points and 61 steals as a freshman in 2010-11. Defensively, Missouri forced an impressive 18.1 turnovers and registered 9.7 steals per game (second nationally) while holding seven oppo-nents to less than 60 points.

WELCOME ABOARD: Frank Haith was named the head coach of Missouri on Apr. 5 after compil-ing a 129-101 mark in seven seasons as the head coach at Miami (Fla.). Under his direction, the Hurricanes earned five postseason berths, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2008. He won more postseason games than any other coach in Miami history.

SPECIAL SENIORS: Missouris senior class is 24 wins shy of breaking the school record for wins in a career. The group has 77 wins and needs 23 more to tie the mark set in 1983. That senior class won 100 games and featured Mizzou legends Jon Sundvold and Steve Stipanovich. The Tigers have amassed a school-record 77 victories over the past three seasons and have advanced

to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

DID YOU KNOW: Missouri won 23 games for the second consecutive season in 2010-11 and has at least 23 wins three

straight years for the first time in program history.

BIG RETURNS: Led by senior guard Marcus Denmon (16.9

ppg), Missouri, prior to the season-ending injury to

Laurence Bowers (11.6 ppg), was one of only four teams nationally to return five players who averaged double figures in scoring in

2010-11. Should Bow-ers return next season, he would need just 162 points to top 1,000 points for his career. He

would join teammates Denmon and Kim English as 1,000-point scorers.

WINNING WAYS: Missouri won its 1,500th game in program history last sea-son. The Tigers are one of only five Big 12 schools to accomplish that feat.

MARCUS DENMON


merCer BearsQuICK fACtSSchool ..........................................Mercer UniversityLocation ...................................................Macon, Ga.Enrollment ...................................................... 8.200Founded ............................................................1833Nickname ........................................................ BearsColors .......................................... Orange and WhiteHome Facility ........... The University Center (3,200)President ............................ William D. UnderwoodDirector of Athletics ................................... Jim ColeWeb Site ............................ www.MercerBears.com

Head Coach ........................................ Bob HoffmanRecord at School ..........................48-50 (3 years)Career Record ........................ 360-204 (17 years)

2010-11 Record .............................................. 15-18Conference ........................................ Atlantic SunConference Record (Finish) ................. 11-9 (5th)Postseason ................................................... None

Mercer enters the 2011-12 season already armed with the knowledge that it will rely on a very young roster. Fourth-year head coach Bob Hoffman has but one senior in 6-8 forward Justin Cecil (5.4 ppg) on the roster along with four ju-niors. The balance of the roster is composed of nine sophomores and four freshmen.

But dont feel too sorry for Mercer, or write off this seasons youthful Bears squad. After two of the teams top scoring and rebound-ing leaders (seniors Jeff Smith and Brandon Moore) were lost in the latter portion of the 2010-11 season, there was a transition that the then-inexperienced group of underclassmen seemed to embrace. That translated into valuable court time for Hoffmans young charges. The group stepped up down the stretch as Mercer won 10 of its final 14 contests and advanced to the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun Championship.

Sophomore point guard Langston Hall (8.2 ppg) started every game and was named to the A-Suns All-Freshman team after leading the Bears in assists (117), 3-point field goals (54), and steals (43). Three-point specialist Bud Thomas (4.2 ppg), a 6-6 soph-omore, emerged as a legitimate scoring threat and registered 28 steals in 18.7 mpg. Sophomore Jakob Gollon (4.2 ppg) ranked among the team leaders in steals (28) last season, while junior guard Chris Smith (2.2 ppg.) will be counted on for leadership and depth in the back court.

Mercer will count on the sophomore trio of 6-11 Monty Brown, 6-7 Paul Larsen and 6-10 Daniel Coursey to solidify the front court. Larsen (1.9 ppg) appeared in 29 contests a year ago, while Brown (1.5 ppg) started 10 games as a freshman. Coursey (0.2 ppg) vies for an expanded role after playing sparingly last season. The improvement of all three players will be critical for the Bears, who were out-rebounded by an average of 2.3 rebounds per game and lost six contests by six points or less last season.

TIME TO REPLENISH: Mercer lost more than 67 percent of its scoring and 60 percent of its re-bounding totals from last seasons 15-win squad. The 2011-12 roster welcomes back an average of 22 points and 11.6 rebounds from a year ago. The Bears will field one of the youngest rosters in program history with just one senior and four juniors. The balance of the team consists of nine sophomores and four freshmen.

A HOST OF NEW RIVALRIES: Mercer will play a total of five first-time opponents in 2011-12, three of which will be in the Subregional Rounds of the Progressive CBE Classic in Macon. All three of the teams coming to Georgia - Sam Houston State, Niagara, and South Dakota State

- have never played Mercer prior to this sea-son. Additionally, MU will have its inaugural

meetings versus Seton Hall (Dec. 18) and Tulsa (Dec. 28).

ON THE RISE: Head coach Bob Hoffman en-ters his fourth season at Mercer and has

steadily elevated the program while bringing an exciting, fan-friendly

brand of basketball to Macon. Hoff-mans 34-22 record in Atlantic Sun

play is the best league mark for the program over a three-year

span since 2002-05. More-over, the Bears have won at least 10 games in conference play in each of the last three seasons for the first time in program annals.

GRACIOUS HOSTS: Mercer is certainly no stranger to hosting top tournaments like the Progressive CBE Classic. The Bears hosted the Atlantic Sun Conference

Championship in 2010 and 2011, and will host the A-Sun Championship in both 2012 and 2013.

JUSTIN CECIL

BOB hOffmAnHead Coach fourth season360-204 overall (17 years)

Bud thOmASSo. F 6-6 2004.2 ppg 2.6 rpg

JuStIn CECILSr. F 6-8 2255.4 ppg 2.5 rpg

JAKE GOLLOn R-So. F 6-6 2004.2 ppg 3.0 apg

LAnGStOn hALLSo. G 6-4 1808.2 ppg 3.5 apg

mOnty BROwnSo. C 6-11 2501.5 ppg 1.0 rpg

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Niagara PurPle eaglesQuICK fACtSSchool ........................................ Niagara UniversityLocation .............................Niagara University, N.Y.Enrollment ....................................................... 3,853Founded ............................................................1856Nickname ...........................................Purple EaglesColors ............................................... Purple & WhiteHome Facility .......... Taps Gallagher Center (2,400)President .................Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M.Director of Athletics ........................Ed McLaughlinWeb Site ........................... www.PurpleEagles.com

Head Coach .......................................... Joe MihalichRecord at School ................... 232-170 (13 years)Career Record ........................ 232-170 (13 years)

2010-11 Record ................................................ 9-23Conference ...................... Metro Atlantic AthleticConference Record (Finish) ................. 5-13 (8th)Postseason ................................................... None

Niagara will look to carry the momentum from the end of last season, which included five victories in the month of February. A pair of starters, several returnees, and an influx of highly regarded newcomers have led to a sense of optimism around the program. The steadying influence for the Purple Eagles is head coach Joe Mihalich, who enters his 14th season with 232 career victories, all at Niagara.

With the loss of its top two leading scorers from a year ago in guard Anthony Nelson (15.4 ppg) and forward Kashief Edwards (12.4 ppg), Ni-agara will look to dynamic guard Marvin Jordan to shoulder more of the scoring and leadership re-sponsibilities. The 5-11 sophomore led all Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference freshmen in scoring (11.8 ppg) and 3-point field goals made (77) en route to garnering All-Rookie team distinction in the MAAC. Jordan scored in double figures in 21 of the Purple Eagles 32 contests last season, including a 27-point effort with seven 3-point-ers in a win over Marist. He also handed out 2.1 assists a game.

The other returning starter is junior forward Eric Williams, who posted averages of 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds while starting 22 contests.

Several reserves from last season will be counted on to play more prominent roles in 2011-12. Sophomore guards Malcolm Lemmons (5.9 ppg) and Skylar Jones (5.2 ppg) combined for 15 starts and 40 steals a year ago, with Jones connecting on 25 field goals from beyond the arc. Redshirt freshman guard Antoine Mason averaged 16.7 points in Niagaras first three games last season before missing the remainder of the year, while 6-8 junior Scooter Gil-lette (3.9 ppg) averaged 3.5 rebounds and led the team in blocks (38) while starting 13 contests.

A group of three newcomers is expected to compete for immedi-ate playing time. Junior forward Ali Langford from Allan Hancock Community College will provide a low-post scoring option and a presence on the glass despite his 6-6 frame. Freshman guard Juanya Green and 6-6 swingman Ameen Tanksley both scored over 1,000 points in their high school careers and their athleticism and versa-tility will be an as-set to the Purple Eagles this season.

NOT YOUR ORDINARY SUMMER: Niagara ven-tured to Montreal this summer for a four-game preseason tour from Aug. 30-Sept. 3. The Purple Eagles gained valuable experience in contests with the University of Quebec, Concordia Univer-sity, Carleton University, and McGill University.

NEW TO THE STAFF: Entering his 14th season leading the program, Joe Mihalich added a pair of assistants to his staff in Ron Ginyard and Mike

Farrelly. Ginyard comes to Niagara after serving on the staff at Navy for the previous three years, while Farrelly spent the 2010-11 sea-son on the staff at Mount Saint Marys.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Niaga-ras 2011-12 schedule features

14 home contests, including six home games in an

eight-game stretch in the month of Decem-ber. The Purple Eagles will host CAA favorite

Drexel on Dec. 13 and 2011 CBI participant St.

Bonaventure on Dec. 30.

QUITE A SPLASH: Guard Marvin Jordan made an

immediate impact during his freshman season in 2010-11

as he averaged 11.8 points to lead all MAAC freshmen. In addition,

the 5-11 guard knocked down 77 field goals from beyond the arc,

which tied for the fifth-highest single-season total in Niagara history. Jordan finished second on the team

with 37 steals and was named to the MAAC All-Rookie team.

MARVIN JORDAN

JOE mIhALIChHead Coach 14th season232-170 overall (13 years)

JuAnyA GREEnFr. G 6-3 200first season

mALCOLm LEmmOnSSo. G 6-3 1955.9 ppg 3.5 rpg

AntOInE mASOnR-Fr. G 6-3 21016.7 ppg 4.3 rpg

ERIC wILLIAmSR-Jr. F 6-8 2254.1 ppg 3.2 rpg

mARVIn JORdAnSo. G 5-11 17511.8 ppg 3.0 rpg

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Notre Dame fightiNg irishQuICK fACtSSchool .............................University of Notre DameLocation ........................................ Notre Dame, Ind.Enrollment ..................................................... 11,733Founded ............................................................1842Nickname ........................................... Fighting IrishColors ................................................. Gold and BlueHome Facility ..................................Purcell Pavilion

at the Joyce Center (9,149)President ........................Rev. John I, Jenkins, C.S.C.Director of Athletics ........................ Jack SwarbrickWeb Site: ......................................... www.und.com

Head Coach .............................................. Mike BreyRecord at School ................... 238-120 (11 years)Career Record ........................ 337-172 (16 years)

2010-11 Record ................................................ 27-7Conference ............................................... Big EastConference Record (Finish) .................14-4 (2nd)Postseason .............................NCAA Third Round

Losing three starters from arguably one of the greatest seasons in Notre Dame basketball his-tory a year ago, 12th-year head coach Mike Brey will look to a pair of returning starters in fifth-year seniors Tim Abromaitis and Scott Martin to lead a youthful Irish team.

Gone are leading scorer Ben Hansbrough (18.4 ppg), the 2011 Big East Player of the Year and a consensus second-team All-America selection; second-leading rebounder Tyrone Nash (9.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg); and Carleton Scott, Notre Dames leading rebounder (7.4 rpg) and third-leading scorer (11.2 ppg) a year ago.

Abromaitis, a third-team All-Big East selec-tion and two-year starter, averaged double figures for the second straight season at 15.4 ppg and a career-best 6.1 rpg. The 6-8 forward, who was Notre Dames second-leading scorer in 2010-11, connected on 78 field goals from beyond the arc and shot 42.9 percent (78-182) from 3-point range. Martin, who missed the pre-vious two seasons, netted 9.7 ppg and grabbed 4.8 rpg in his first season in an Irish uniform and made 33 starts.

Junior Jack Cooley will look to bolster the Irish frontline with his physicality. The 6-9 junior played in all 34 games a year ago and averaged 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds. Brey also hopes to get contributions from junior forwards Mike Broghammer (1.8 ppg) and Tom Knight (1.4 ppg).

Sophomore Eric Atkins will handle the point guard duties in 2011-12. He started six of the teams 34 contests last season and averaged 5.8 points and 3.2 assists an outing. Junior guard Joey Brooks (1.6 ppg) gives the Irish a defensive presence and spark off the bench with his athletic ability, while 6-5 sophomore Jerian Grant could emerge as a scor-ing threat and reliable outside shooter. Another second-year player, 6-7 Alex Dragicevich (1.4 ppg), has the skills to be a sig-nificant offensive contributor this season. Swingman Pat Connaughton, the lone freshman on the Irish squad, should see significant minutes and was ranked among the top 25 players at his position by ESPNU.

HOME COOKIN: Notre Dame enters the 2011-12 season riding a 19-game home-winning streak as it completed last season with a perfect 17-0 mark at home. The Irish have gone undefeated at home in three of their last five campaigns.

WINNING WAYS: Head coach Mike Brey enters his 12th season at Notre Dame and has led the Irish to postseason appearances in all 11 seasons he has guided the program. Brey was tabbed the 2011 Associated Press National Coach of the Year and received the Henry Iba Award from the United States Basketball Writ-ers Association. He also was named the Big East Coach of the Year for the third time in five seasons and is one of just five coaches in league history to win the award three or more times. Notre Dame has won at least 20 games eight times and at least 10 conference games on seven occasions during Breys tenure.

SCHOLARLY SHOOTER: Notre Dame welcomes back guard Tim Abromaitis,

who averaged 15.4 points and earned third-team All-Conference

honors last season. Abromaitis received his MBA in May after graduating from Notre Dame in 2010 with an

undergraduate degree in finance. He was tabbed

the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year in both 2010 and 2011 and is a two-

time first-team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American.

ONE FOR THE AGES: The Fighting Irish posted a mark of 27-7 a year ago, the

most-ever wins for a Notre Dame team under Mike Brey, and the pro-

grams highest victory total in the modern era. ND also finished fifth in the final Associated Press top

25, its highest ranking in t

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