Posts from the Big East Basketball Category at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

West Virginia head basketball coach Bob Huggins was in a Charlotte, NC hospital after bumping his head. Huggs was talking on his cell phone as he was deboarding a plane when he tripped over a cone.

Haley Gentry, public affairs manager at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, said, "Upon exiting the plane, apparently he became dizzy and required medical attention." Gentry said a report of the incident did not say Huggins fainted.

Huggins was in Charlotte to meet with an alumni group.

Though the story sounds somewhat funny now, hearing that he was in the hospital is no joke. In 2002, Huggins suffered a massive heart attack while in an airport in Pittsburgh. He had to be shocked back to life three times. Since then, his health has been a topic of discussion -- including during West Virginia's recent Sweet 16 run.

Though it doesn't seem serious, here's wishing for a speedy recovery for Huggins.

I guess with Mark Cuban anything is possible. It seems everyone is throwing about rumors that the Mavs might consider bringing in a college coach. There was the almost laughable Bob Knight rumor. Nearly as silly, is the idea that he might consider in Rick Pitino.

Should Mike D'Antoni and the Suns soon part company, his name will be added to Cuban's short list that ultimately may include Pitino. I've been told he'd consider leaving Louisville for a third NBA chance, but the team would have to be in relatively good roster shape.

I don't know; the thought of coaching Erick Damper (11M/$12M/$13M) for the next three seasons might be a turn-off. It's not as if he can be traded. I doubt Cuban could package Dampier with Microsoft and get a good deal.

Where to start in breaking this apart. First, this is from Peter Vecsey. Two, it's not a rumor that the Mavs want Pitino, it's that Pitino might want the job. Does that even amount to a rumor? Of course, Greg Doyel at Sportsline is also saying that Pitino might be interested.

That still only makes it one way interest. I don't see Cuban and Donnie Nelson going to Pitino. Especially since they won't have any interest in letting Pitino have much say in the roster.

No, not Rich Rodriguez. It's John Beilein making the first of his 5 annual payments to West Virginia on his contract buyout. Beilein and WVU agreed to reduce the buyout from $2.5 million to $1.5 million over 5 years.

You would think Beilein would make the payment quietly and with at least some satisfaction that he got it brought down and spread over time. No, he's still not happy.

Beilein wrote that he made the first payment under protest, calling the buyout clause "unenforceable" and "grossly disproportional" to actual damages incurred by the university. WVU hired Bob Huggins away from Kansas State two days after Beilein's departure.

In the letter, Beilein left open the chance he might contest the settlement later.

"I urge the University to stop using the liquidated damages provision in its employment contracts because such provisions are illegal, onerous, and violate public policy," Beilein wrote.

Um, no it isn't. Liquidated damages are perfectly valid. If they were any of what Beilein claimed, the clause would be void and illegal under present contract law.

This seems more like Beilein is waiting to see what happens with the Rich Rodriguez lawsuit. If Rodriguez somehow wriggles out of his buyout, you can bet Beilein won't be far behind to file his own suit to avoid paying his buyout.

From the moment Derrick Caracter made his bizarrely timed announcement (the eve of the Sweet 16) and questionable decision to turn pro, there was little angst from Louisville Coach Rick Pitino.

With good reason. Caracter has been nothing but a problem since he arrived in Louisville. In his two years there he has been suspended multiple times for disciplinary reasons. He has had a questionable work ethic and desire (to be kind). Despite talent and size that would make NBA scouts drool, the production has never matched.

Well, Caracter made his decision and then had reality slap him in the face -- hard. He has found out how little interest there is in him. That the NBA isn't going to be looking to snatch him up. That at best, he is staring at the NBDL or playing somewhere overseas.

That had Caracter looking to scramble back to Louisville. That's not going to happen.

He hasn't hired an agent, still is attending classes at the University of Louisville and sends coach Rick Pitino text messages almost every day. Advertisement

But Pitino said yesterday that it's in the best interests of both Caracter and the program for the enigmatic 6-foot-9 center to move on.

"My plan is to see him get on to the NBA or get on to Europe and get on with his life," Pitino said. "He has a change of heart right now, but he's had two years to show he wants to be a student, he's had two years to show he wants to be an integral part of college life, and he has not shown that."

This can fairly considered addition by subtraction for Louisville.

The less famous, younger Hansbrough -- Ben -- announced his intent to transfer earlier this month from Mississippi State. The 6'3" guard was a starter and averaged 10.5 points. It was a blow to the Bulldogs, but Hansbrough was uncomfortable remaining.

Returning to Mississippi State never was an option.

"Sometimes a place is not the best fit for you," Hansbrough said.

It seems Ben Hansbrough just didn't like the system at Mississippi State , preferring a more up and down tempo such as the Irish play. Hansbrough chose Notre Dame over Oklahoma State and Purdue. He'll have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out next season.

He has the support of his older brother who apparently wants new gear.

"Ty sent me a text message this morning saying, you better get me some Notre Dame gear," Ben Hansbrough said Tuesday.

Considering UNC is a Nike school and Notre Dame is Adidas, there might be some additional annoyance at the idea of Tyler Hansbrough wandering around Chapel Hill in Irish apparel.

With the graduation of Roy Hibbert and Patrick Ewing, Jr., no player stood to benefit more than Vernon Macklin. The sophomore power forward would likely pick-up a lot more minutes. With two years of the John Thompson III's Princeton Offense under his belt, he would have an edge in knowledge and experience over the incoming, talented front court players of Greg Monroe, Chris Braswell and Henry Sims.

Instead, the former McDonald's All-American has made a very curious decision. He's transferring. There's no indication where, but it has to be assumed that he will be staying in Division I and will have to sit out next year.

Macklin showed flashes this season of his potential but wasn't consistent. The decision for the transfer apparently had to do with Macklin feeling that he should be more of the focus of the team.

Rather, Macklin's decision was based on the advice of those inside his circle but outside the program that his growth as a player was being stunted at Georgetown.

Said the source: "Ticket [Macklin's nickname] chose to listen to what he wanted to hear from some folks outside the program, rather than what he needed to hear from those within it. When expectations don't meet reality, the hardest thing to do is point the finger at yourself."

When Macklin picked Georgetown, it was over ACC schools: UNC, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Wake Forest. Expect a few of them to make a play for Macklin. As will Nebraska.

In something of a surprise, UConn center Hasheem Thabeet announced he would be returning for his junior year.

"We are happy that Hasheem has made the decision to return for his junior season," said head coach Jim Calhoun. "Hasheem has made as much progress as any player I have coached in my 36 years and if he continues that incredible progress, he will help us take the next step as a team and help himself become one of the best players in college basketball."

The major surprise isn't that Thabeet is coming back to UConn. He's still very raw despite the great progress he made this year. Even though he's thought about it the last two years, he hasn't pulled the trigger.

The bigger surprise is that he didn't even put his name on the draft list to at least test the waters. To go through the draft camps and some workouts for teams to see what they wanted to see from him seems like a smarter move. Especially when he was considered a late lottery pick.

For UConn, this is great news. If point guard A.J. Price makes a complete recovery from his ACL tear, the Huskies will return their entire starting 5 and along with Pitt be the favorites to win the Big East in 2008-09.

In what has become an annual tradition at St. John's the last couple years, a couple players want out and are transferring. In his four seasons at St. John's 10 of the 22 players recruited by Norm Roberts have either been dismissed, transferred or quit. This year it is shooting guard Larry Wright and guard-forward Mike Cavataio looking elsewhere.

Cavataio won't be a great loss for the team since he didn't see much playing time -- only 100 minutes for the entire season -- but it is a small embarrassment that a local NYC kid who played in the Catholic League and had always been a St. John's fan decided to leave. He wants more playing time, and is looking very closely at Holy Cross in the Patriot League.

Wright, though, is a tough loss.

I like Fran Fraschilla the college basketball analyst. He seems more willing than most ex-coaches-turned-talking-head to consider statistical analysis. He scouts international players. He's also willing to offers some real criticisms. Including bad officiating. Not that he needs me to like him. He has plenty of friends willing to take up for him.

In the Providence coaching search which finally ended with Keno Davis taking it, Fraschilla's name repeatedly came up for the job. Fraschilla has been mentioned for numerous jobs the last couple of years. He came up for the USF job last year and was mentioned as possibly being interested in the TCU job.

Yet in relation to the Providence job, a columnist at the Providence Journal in the course of his column wrote less than flattering things about the possibility of a Fraschilla hire.

I don't know what the sales pitch Jim Calhoun uses to get players to choose UConn. Most likely it involves getting to the NBA and winning games. It's hard to believe he pitches players on how they will be part of a family. If it does, then he likely doesn't mention what happens to family that screws up or doesn't produce.

Last month, Jim Calhoun made it very clear that some players were definitely not welcome back. The most obvious was back-up point guard Doug Wiggins. Sure enough, the ax fell Wiggins decided that he would transfer.

Naturally, Calhoun was very clear that it was all Wiggins call. That he wasn't pushed or forced.

"I completely respect Doug's decision," Calhoun said in a statement. "He has contributed to many successes for us in his time here. We will do everything we can to help him finish school in good standing this semester and move on to a place where he will be happy. I appreciate him for the time that he was here with us and wish him the best of luck in the future."

The part about finishing the semester in good standing is hilarious.