There were some big stories in the college and prep hoops world in the last 24 hours…
**Yahoo! Sports broke the news of the Kansas ticket scandal that has everyone in college hoops talking. Kansas announced that six university employees engaged in a scam that sold off more than $1 million in basketball and football tickets over the past five years. The story indicates college power brokers Dana and David Pump (pictured) orchestrated the scam and have made hundreds of thousands of dollars in ticket scams at the 2002 and ’03 NCAA tournaments.
This is the latest black eye for a Kansas program that last year made news when members of the basketball and football teams got into fights with one another on campus.
**Former Oregon assistant and Louisville player Kenny Payne is leaving the Ducks to join John Calipari’s staff at Kentucky.
“Kentucky is Kentucky,” Payne, 43, told The Register-Guard. “It’s one of the most prestigious programs in the history of college basketball and it’s an honor for them to even look at me.”
Payne won an NCAA championship at Louisville in 1986. He earns a reported $300,000 base salary with incentives that could raise his income to $469,000.
The Payne move follows a reorganization at Kentucky that saw former assistant Rod Strickland, the onetime Knicks point guard, get demoted to an operations spot after getting charged with a DUI.
Kentucky had no official comment and Calipari didn’t Tweet about it.
**In an effort to save money in tough financial times, New Jersey may do away with the Tournament of Champions, The Star-Ledger reports.
The TOC features the six winners of state group championships in a single-elimination event that determines one overall state champion. St. Anthony, led by Hall of Famer Bob Hurley, has won nine TOC’s and St. Patrick, coached by Kevin Boyle, has won five, including three of the last five.
**Maurice Harkless, a 6-6 junior small forward from Forest Hills (Queens) High who has committed to UConn, will prep next year at South Kent (Conn.).
“South Kent School in Connecticut is where I will be in September,” Harkless, who averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds last season, told ZAGSBLOG contributor Alex Kline.
Harkless could team with current Rice High School forward Kadeem Jack, who has said he will prep at South Kent instead of going to college next season.
South Kent, coached by Kelvin Jefferson, has become a new home for many New York-area players in recent years, including Omari Lawrence, Kevin Parrom (Arizona), Russell Smith (Louisville) and J.J. Moore (Pittsburgh).
Said Jefferson: “I am very excited to have a chance to coach a player with Maurice’s abilities. Maurice is the epitome of a student-athlete. He is an honor student in the classroom and he has a tremendous scoring package on the court. He is a welcome addition to the South Kent family.”
**The Great Alaska Shootout schedule is out, and St. John’s will open play against Ball State Nov. 24.
(Photos courtesy Yahoo! Sports, Louisville Courier-Journal & Rivals)
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
TJ / May 27, 2010
Kansas just cant seem to stay off probation cause thats all the NCAA may do.
/
rbcat / May 27, 2010
Finally, something is said about poor Kansas and their efforts in their lack of control of their athletic department. I say put the hammer to them… Wonder how much money went to Morningstar (dad and player) and the other top recruits who played under him in AAU circuit. See smoke—gotta be fire.
I am sure Self did not know anything about this???
For all you jayhawk fans who say KY and CAL are dirty—that is what you get… Wonder what else will come out with all of this? Jayhawk fans gotta be a little nervous 🙂
/
BostonCat / May 27, 2010
forgot the morningstar DUI
…and the hiring of mario chalmers dad to the basketball operations position as a package deal that today is a violation
…and the massive academic fraud and gift giving of graduates that got them put on probation
…and darrnell jackson being ruled ineligible for taking $5000
…and jr giddons getting stabbed in a bar fight then later “left” the team
…and cj giles getting kicked off the team for assaulting a woman
…and the darrell arthur grade change that didnt change but was changed
…and sherron collins sexually assaults a woman in an elevator
…and, well the list is getting to long to remember them all. so never mind.
/
Jayhawk_Jake / May 27, 2010
Yeah this is embarressing and sucks, it started in 02 before Self, but still sucks. Doubt they paid Brady Morningstar his dad was involved and he was a 3star prep player with an alumni dad so quit with the paid crap. The athletic big wigs look bad here not Coach Self. I dont bash Cal, so I dont wana hear how dirty KU is. UK fans and Im sorry to the good fans out there but stop seriously. Its not just KU fans all you bad fans who never shut your mouths are making the college bball nation hate your school. I have always respected the hell out of Uk I mean damn Rupp was a Jayhawk 1st so I cant hate UK, but not gonna lie its starting to get old, and for all the bashing Im gonna get and all the negative KU comments, grow up Im not here bashing UK Im just saying why dont people start worrying about their own team and quit bashing everybody else.
/
Jayhawk_Jake / May 27, 2010
Seriously man worry about UK,, not KU, people like you and even KU fans on here that all they do is talk trash are rediculous, its ok to keep your eye to whats going on but jesus worry about the Wildcats not Jayhawks. I wish KU would get back to playing UK every year because it could turn into one hell of a rivalry.
/
BostonCat / May 27, 2010
keep that in mind next time you or a KU fans feels like taking a cheap shot at uk and cal.
/
Jayhawk_Jake / May 27, 2010
Feel free to look at all post I havent taken any shots at Cal, and Im me I cant control what other fans do
/
Jayhawk_Jake / May 27, 2010
Oh and you said other KU fans right after I said and even other KU fans bashing
/
TheFinger / May 27, 2010
has there ever been a clearer case for the term; “lack of institutional control” than this? where there is money, greed always follows.
/
bigpapijugg / May 27, 2010
Whether you say to worry about your own team. Jessiewildcat, fearthephog, pastaboy, etc. are not going to listen. Therefor if az fans and ku fans run their mouth about WWW and Cal we will in turn laugh and enjoy your shortcomings. I couldnt agree more, i wish it was fans getting along on here but it will never happen. This is just proof that everyone has their own “www” in some form or fashion.
/
TheFinger / May 27, 2010
you got that right – to get along we have to go along, and that aint happening here. too many missles have been fired from every direction. maybe some tea and crumpets chat room is more befitting this guy jake.
/
blasphemy / May 27, 2010
Those two up there (rbcat and boston) are taking this out of the perspective it needs to be in (even they are as tired of hearing the “Cal is dirty” theme as I am). From what I understand, the Pump brothers “shake” down other schools for tickets as well and that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The perspective this needs to be in is that something needs to be done about the Pump ‘n Run brothers, not to KU.
For the future, try not to respond to them (as tempting as it may be, trust me I know), they are trying to provoke fearthephog25 and the like when they do that, not logical fans such as yourself. I won’t blame you for responding though. The insults thrown at ones school quickly becomes tiresome.
/
blasphemy / May 27, 2010
Um, yes, think: Fordham.
/
blasphemy / May 27, 2010
In any case of any doubt, it should be noted that those among us who, in most cases, try to get a long, that they should be rewarded with either a sensible conversation, or rewarded with the knowledge that an insult thrown toward their program is not intended for them specifically. Examples include, jhawk(4?), tsmooth, jayhawk jake, etc among only a very few others that I have seen. This is not to say that it can, or should, be “lovey-dovey” on here, but that we should attempt to NOT to try to provoke EVERYBODY.
/
bigpapijugg / May 27, 2010
it should be about rivalry. i dont like many other programs but i respect the hell out of just about everyone of them. we shouldn’t necessarily stick to our own programs news(that would make blogs like this worthless) but instead share the up to date news about who is going to be good, who’s going where and what teams to watch out for in March. a LITTLE small trash talking is ok, but the rumors about other programs and taking shots is what kills this site.
/
bigpapijugg / May 27, 2010
it has been a little quiet since recruiting season is mostly over.
/
BostonCat / May 27, 2010
i think many started jumping off bridges once uk landed the #1 class again. so the heard is a little thinned out 🙂
2010 is over, but 2011 and beyond is just starting to kick into full gear. cal doesnt really need an assistant to help him land a recruit. but payne is a major get and will pay dividends rather quickly i think.
should be a fun summer
/
TheFinger / May 27, 2010
true, cal doesn’t need assistants to augment his recruiting … he needs assistants to compensate for his coaching deficiencies. payne will bolster neither category. after 6 years on UOs staff the ducks have become the laughing stock of the pac10 (quack, quack) which is mainly due to having the least amount of talented players. not all payne’s fault, but where’s the prowess (coaching and recruiting) that’s being thrown his way?
/
BostonCat / May 27, 2010
what ever you need to tell yourself. only haters agree with you. and we all know that group isnt biased or has an agenda at all. lol
/
blasphemy / May 27, 2010
I hate to say it BostonCat, but sir-fingers-a-lot does raise a FAIR question about Paynes “ability” to recruit. Oregon hasn’t signed a 5-star in this class to the 07 class (I didn’t feel the need to check beyond that) and has landed classes that are three point something average star classes in them. And landed only 3 four stars in 08 through 09. This is also based on the assumption he ALONE recruited them there. But he is touted as a great recruiting guy by a lot people in the media, and you can’t ignore that he was being paid 300k a year…… he has to be good at something…….somehow…….. what it is, only time will tell. Perhaps he’s a great seller and closer? If so why didn’t he go after the better kids? Only time, or an article on why by Adam Z. *cough*, will tell.
/
BostonCat / May 27, 2010
its an absurd point. how many assistants “sign” recruits? NONE. thats the head coaches job. assistants jobs is to establish connections and get recruits interested in your program. its the head coaches job to seal the deal. assistants can only take a recruit so far.
/
tsmooth / May 27, 2010
Pastner SIGNED Xavier Henry at Memphis. Orlando Antigua SIGNED Will Coleman at Memphis.
Just a few examples.
/
UofA BJ / May 27, 2010
Feels good to have a clean prrogram and coach and thats more than KU or UK fans could say.
/
UofA BJ / May 27, 2010
Papa you do realize that Cal will end up fucking kentucky dont you?
I personaly dont hate UK just hate what Calipari is doing.
/
BostonCat / May 27, 2010
what the F are you talking about? didnt you just lose scholarships and recruiting privileges for crap that happened like 2 years ago? your “clean” program went 16-15 last year…i’ll bet that didnt feel too good. probably didnt feel to good to whiff on every decent recruit miller went after either. but no worries….when 70% of your conference has about a .500 record you dont really need talent, just a pulse.
/
tsmooth / May 27, 2010
or think: USC.
/
blasphemy / May 28, 2010
You do realize you and all the other “haters” have told us that 1000 times already right? Why do you keep saying this to us when you know we are tired of hearing this…. The logical conclusion is that, yes indeed, you actually hate UK too. ‘Nuff said…. liar.
/
blasphemy / May 28, 2010
Boston, it IS a fair question, I don’t care how much you don’t like it. Having said that, yes, it could very well just be Oregon’s head man’s inability to seal the deal. I never discounted the idea that he IS a great recruiter. My point is that regardless of how much debating we do, we probably will never actually know unless Adam Z. *cough again* or the like does an article explaining WHY KP is a great recruiter as so many articles about him say that he is.
/
bigpapijugg / May 28, 2010
If pastner signed x then y did x bail on pastner. X did not even consider memphis after cal left. Not bashing but idk how that is the case. If a guy signs with an assistant y not stay committed when he becomes a head coach. Also payne is considered a good recruiter by getting top prospects to even consider that awful school. He is like strickland bcuz he has many connections which just adds another pipeline of talent.
/
bigpapijugg / May 28, 2010
Oh and ppl who are interested. Brandon knight now has a fade he cut off the’rows
/
BostonCat / May 28, 2010
its a retarded question…sorry if you cant see why.
/
tsmooth / May 28, 2010
He did consider Memphis after Cal left. He went to KU because he thought Memphis was gonna be in turmoil.
Trust me on this. Pastner practically lived in Oklahoma to get Xavier to sign.
Will Coleman didn’t go anywhere even though Coach Antigua signed him.
/
blasphemy / May 28, 2010
Boston, people who aren’t total homers see why it’s fair question. I even said I DO think he is a great recruiter, as evidence by his salary, but it IS a fair question. Giving circumstantial and unproven reasons does not qualify it as a retarded question. Sorry if you can’t see why.
/
tsmooth / May 28, 2010
Trouble in paradise for UK…
/