HoopsHype.com Rumors

How great is it that Michigan and Indiana are both really good again at the same time for the first time in two decades? Thoughts on this rekindled, classic Big Ten rivalry, Bob? "I'm not sure what the Fab Five was," Knight said Thursday during an ESPN broadcast of an Alabama-Arkansas game. "They never won anything. "They never won a championship, they didn't get anywhere, they got beat." CBSSports.com

Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, NCAA, Bob Knight, Chris Webber 

Shortly after ESPN showed a promotion for Saturday's matchup between No. 1 Michigan and No. 3 Indiana in Bloomington's Assembly Hall, play-by-play man Rece Davis began to offer a historical perspective on how long it'd been since Michigan had reached the No. 1 spot in a national poll. And, naturally, the Fab Five's 1992-93 team -- which began the year as the preseason No. 1 -- came up. Knight, as is often the case these days, was not impressed. "Fab indicates, to me, that you've won something," Knight said. "I've never been able to understand what 'Fab' was," he added. "It wasn't championships, I always knew that." CBSSports.com

Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, NCAA, Bob Knight, Chris Webber 

Kim English: I keep hearing college Bball analyst say College defense is tougher than NBA defense. I see your Aaron Craft, and I raise you a Tony Allen! Twitter @Englishscope24

Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Tony Allen, NCAA, Kim English 

If there's a sign that Phil Jackson truly isn't looking to return to coaching -- as he has said -- it's that Kurt Rambis is expected to be in the mix to replace Kevin O'Neill as the USC men's basketball coach. Rambis was expected to join Jackson wherever he alit next, be it in Seattle (Jackson's son is involved in the new arena planning) or in Brooklyn. Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, NCAA, Kurt Rambis 

USC announced it fired fourth-year coach Kevin O'Neill on Monday morning after just four Pac-12 games. Interestingly enough, the firing came two days after one of O'Neill's best wins on the Trojans' bench, a 76-59 victory at Utah. He'd also lost to the likes of Nebraska, Georgia and UC-Irvine earlier this season. USC says it will begin its search for O'Neill's successor now, and assistant Bob Cantu will coach the team in the interim. "I would like to thank Kevin O'Neill for his four years of service to USC," athletic director Pat Haden said in a statement. "He took over a program under difficult circumstances because of our NCAA issues and, despite that, he was able to do some good things. USA Today Sports

Coaching, NCAA, Kevin O'Neill 

Marc J. Spears: Southern Cal should take a strong look at Clippers assistant coach Robert Pack,an ex-Trojans star, for opening. Pack well respected with LAC. Twitter @SpearsNBAYahoo

Coaching, NCAA, Robert Pack 

Ken Berger: Kabongo's relationship with Paul, who also represents LeBron James, is at the center of the NCAA probe over alleged improper benefits. Twitter @KBergCBS

NCAA, Agents, Myck Kabongo, Rich Paul 

Ken Berger: Paul was working for mega-agency CAA when he became involved with Kabongo. Paul recently split with CAA, and James left with him. Twitter @KBergCBS

NCAA, Agents, Myck Kabongo, Rich Paul 

Liz Mullen: Fred Nance, attorney for NBA player agent Rich Paul has issued a statement regarding NCAA investigation & Myck Kabungo. Will Tweet it. Twitter @SBJLizMullen

NCAA, Agents, Myck Kabongo, Rich Paul 

Liz Mullen: Fred Nance: "We believe that this ruling by the NCAA completely exonerates the notion of any wrongdoing by my client Rich Paul" (more) Twitter @SBJLizMullen

NCAA, Agents, Myck Kabongo, Rich Paul 

Texas sophomore Myck Kabongo has been hit with a 23-game suspension by the NCAA for accepting impermissible benefits and providing false statements during two separate internal meetings with university officials. The NCAA announced the decision Friday, two days after Yahoo! Sports reported Kabongo wasn't honest regarding how he paid for a trip to Cleveland this past summer and would be hit with a season-long suspension. The Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement modified the decision after hearing the university's appeal Thursday. CBSSports.com

NCAA, Myck Kabongo 

Billy Donovan had proven more than loyal in building the Florida men’s basketball program through 17 seasons. But in a candid interview with Dan LeBatard on AM 790 in Miami, Donovan sounded like a coach still with an itch to work in the NBA someday. When asked if he’s ruled out ever coaching in the NBA, Donovan said. “The one thing that I think is always intriguing the older is the fact that (the NBA) is just all about basketball. I love the practices, I love the games, I love doing individual instruction and and breaking down tape and game planning and doing those things. GatorSports.com

Coaching, NCAA, Billy Donovan 

USA Basketball is expanding its reach into youth basketball by partnering with iHoops, the joint initiative formed the NBA and NCAA to improve programs for young players. NBA.com

USA Basketball, NCAA 

USA Basketball is expanding its reach into youth basketball by partnering with iHoops, the joint initiative formed the NBA and NCAA to improve programs for young players. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo says Friday the move is "an opportunity to make a big impact" on the development of young players and will help his organization find elite players who could eventually play for U.S. national teams. ESPN.com

Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball, NCAA 

Karl spoke about his friendship with Majerus, who died of heart failure Saturday night after being hospitalized for several months. "It's still very hard for me," Karl said before the Nuggets' 113-110 win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. "He's one of my best friends and I think most people in basketball know that. I'm mad at him, I'm angry he's gone, there's a lot of emotions going on in my head. Most of it is I've got to figure out how to celebrate our friendship for the rest of my life even though he's not going to be with us." USA Today

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching, NCAA, Rick Majerus 

Rick Majerus' solitary season on an NBA bench in 1986-87 was spent as a Milwaukee Bucks assistant to head coach Don Nelson and sidekick to then-Bucks assistant Del Harris. Nelson and Harris quickly became two of Majerus' closest friends in the game. The longtime college basketball coach's passing Saturday was thus felt deeply in Dallas, where the Nelson-and-Harris tag team remains firmly entrenched after they reunited with the Mavericks from 2000 through 2007 alongside current Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson. ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Coaching, Donnie Nelson, NCAA, Don Nelson, Del Harris, Rick Majerus 

Said Harris on Sunday: "Rick will be known by his friends and those players who followed him closely by one short sentence: He cared. "Regardless of how demanding he was, Rick proved his love for friends and players past and present in a myriad of ways. I have recorded and saved voicemails he has sent me and my son Dominic has saved encouraging letters Rick sent him from years past. Obviously I could go on and on. "He had tons of friends (in the game). He was totally dedicated to his family, particularly caring for his mother after his father died. He called me the brother he never had and I suspect he used that expression a lot." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Coaching, Donnie Nelson, NCAA, Don Nelson, Del Harris, Rick Majerus 

Tom Thibodeau, coach of the Chicago Bulls, had known of Majerus through Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers -– it was Majerus, remember, who christened the kid formerly known as Glenn with that nickname (Rivers wore a Julius “Dr. J” Erving T-shirt to a summer basketball camp where Majerus was working). But after Thibodeau got hired by the Bulls in 2010, a friendship developed between the two basketball lifers. That first year, Thibodeau met Majerus in Milwaukee for a long dinner about basketball and life – the stout and curious Majerus rarely had any other kind. Then in the summer of 2011, the two got together – with mutual hoops junkies Scott Layden (now Spurs assistant GM) and Jay Larranaga (Celtics assistant), and Majerus’ girlfriend – for a week in Santa Barbara, Calif. NBA.com

Chicago Bulls, Tom Thibodeau, Coaching, NCAA, Rick Majerus 

More coaching chatter. More lavish meals, no matter how low-rent the joint. More philosophizing. Genuine and not one of those sideline strutters from central casting. “We’d talk basketball during the day,” Thibodeau said late Saturday, after the Bulls’ victory over Philadelphia at United Center. “Went out to dinner at night. Went for rides and stuff. He could talk about so many different things. “The guy was just mesmerizing. He could talk about any aspect of the game. I have piles of notes about his basketball philosophy. He’s probably one of the top five basketball coaches at any level.” NBA.com

Chicago Bulls, Tom Thibodeau, Coaching, NCAA, Rick Majerus 

Rivers: “That’s a tough one for me. He’s the one that gave me my name. … I knew before the game that he wasn’t going to make it through the night. I don’t want to talk much about it.” Bucks assistant Jim Boylan, the point guard on Marquette’s 1977 NCAA title team: “For me personally he’s always been there. He’s one of those guys where, you don’t see Rick for a while and then when something is going wrong or you needed some help, boom, he’d be there. He did so much for me over the years when I was trying to get my career going, just extending himself and giving you whatever you needed, whether it was a phone call or having me come out to Salt Lake and stay with him 4-5 weeks at a time working. He would basically give you the shirt off his back if that’s what you needed – whatever it took. He’s going to be really missed. A great person.” Milwaukee scout Bo Ellis, top player on that Warriors squad: “When I came to Marquette, Rick was still very young. He was just getting started too. But always prepared. Great basketball mind. I remember, he stole all of [Al McGuire's] jokes. A good person and a fantastic basketball man.” NBA.com

Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, Coaching, NCAA, Jim Boylan, Rick Majerus, Bo ellis