Dec. 21
WELCOME ADDITIONS
'Tis the season for giving and receiving. There are a number of programs receiving additions to their rosters. These players should provide a lift to their respective teams.
At Texas, Rick Barnes is happy to have Darren Kelly back in the lineup. Kelly played 37 minutes and scored 23 points in his season debut, a win over Houston.
Stanford added an active player in Justin Davis, who returned from injury problems. Davis is a strong inside presence, giving Mike Montgomery more depth.
Rolando Howell is a diaper dandy who sat out the first seven games of the season. The 6-foot-9 forward could be a key for Eddie Fogler and South Carolina. He had six points in his debut.
North Carolina may have Julius Peppers in the lineup against UCLA this weekend. The sack star for the football team gives Matt Doherty another big body on the boards.
Fran Fraschilla has to be happy to add Ruben Douglas to his backcourt. The transfer from Arizona provides leadership at point guard.
Damon Thornton has been reinstated at N.C. State. Herb Sendek can use another standout up front. I hope the young man has learned from his past mistakes off the court.
Manhattan is looking forward to adding forward Dave Holmes. The highly-regarded freshman played at Oak Hill Academy.
Georgetown and USC, two of my sleeper teams in the preseason, could be adding to their rosters soon. The Hoyas are hoping Lee Scruggs becomes eligible while the Trojans are waiting for word on Jeff Trepagnier's eligibility.
SALUTE TO THE CRUSADERS
What about a salute to Ralph Willard and his Holy Cross Crusaders...
Holy Cross went into the Bronx and stunned Bob Hill's Fordham Rams. The Crusaders have won three straight road games (at Fordham, Northeastern and Vermont).
Willard's team also scored a win over Massachusetts earlier this season. The former coach at Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh has a big front line and his club is 7-2. Holy Cross won 10 games all of last season.
EARLY-SEASON HONORS
'Tis the season to give out gifts, so let's get a few out there ... here are three early awards.
My award for Most Influential Diaper Dandy goes to Eddie Griffin of Seton Hall. You don't see many freshmen throw up a 20-20, yet Griffin did that earlier this season. He's a key for Tommy Amaker's Pirates.
My award for Most Influential JUCO Transfer goes to Iowa's Reggie Evans. He recorded eight straight double-doubles as the Hawkeyes jumped out to an 8-0 start. He had 20 points and 18 rebounds in a big double-overtime win over Missouri.
My award for the Most Influential Marco Polo (impact transfer) goes to Michael Bradley of Villanova. He has been a force inside for Steve Lappas. Bradley is an excellent shooter and the inside-outside offense runs through the big man.
LOVING THE GAME
There are a number of veteran coaches who have made an impact this season. Think about guys like Hugh Durham at Jacksonville, Lefty Driesell at Georgia State and Rollie Massimino at Cleveland State.
All three of those guys reached high levels at other schools (Durham at Florida State and Georgia, Driesell at Maryland and Massimino at Villanova). Why are they still in coaching? They love the game and they love to teach it. Driesell, at age 68, recently signed a three-year extension.
Speaking of Driesell, I'm hoping for a speedy recovery from surgery to remove a bone spur from his neck. Assistant Mike Perry will coach Georgia State while the Lefthander is sidelined for a few weeks.
CHARLESTON CHARGES ON
John Kresse's team is off to another fine start at College of Charleston. The team's lone early loss came to a Georgetown team which is now ranked.
Some might be surprised to note that the College of Charleston is one of the most successful Division I programs over the last five years.
UTEP ON A ROLL
The Miners are off to a 6-0 start, including wins over New Mexico State and Texas Tech.
One of the main reasons for the early success is forward Brandon Wolfram, one of the nation's leading scorers. Wolfram has scored at least 20 points in all six Miners games this season.
He's the first UTEP player to have six straight 20-points-plus games since Tim Hardaway accomplished the feat during the 1988-89 season.
SUPER SIXTH MAN
Ron Slay of Tennessee is one of the best off the bench. He's Mr. Excitable for the Vols.
Slay came to Tennessee from Oak Hill Academy. Think about his group of high-school teammates (with their current colleges): Travis Watson (Virginia), Steve Blake (Maryland), Cliff Hawkins (Kentucky) and the unsung standout point guard, 5-foot-9 Terry Reynolds (Toledo).
Oak Hill went on to finish ranked No. 1 in the USA Today poll two years ago with Slay and company.
