Joe Dean Sr., Mr. String Music and an LSU/college basketball legend, passes away (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
College basketball lost one of its all-time greats on Sunday, as Joe Dean passed away at the age of 83. A member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame, Dean was known as “Mr. String Music” and was one of SEC basketball’s biggest proponents.
Michigan welcomes back Mitch McGary, goes hunting for chemistry (MLive.com)
Mitch McGary made his return to the court in Michigan’s 77-70 loss to Iowa State, finishing the game with nine points and seven rebounds. And as Brendan Quinn points out here, it’s going to take the Wolverines a little time to get used to having the big man on the court.
Thompson emerging for the Hokies (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
With their lack of experience, Virginia Tech’s going to need contributions from their newcomers if they’re to hold their own in the ACC. One of those players is Trevor Thompson, who posted a double-double in his second career game. While veteran C.J. Barksdale will be back on the floor after serving a three-game suspension, Thompson’s earned himself a spot in James Johnson’s rotation.
Wildcats and their fans never forgot loss to Robert Morris (Beaver County Times)
Despite the fact that the two teams are drastically different this season, more than a few Kentucky fans saw Sunday’s game against Robert Morris as a shot at payback. And in the aftermath of Kentucky’s 87-49 win, both head coaches are hopeful that the talk about that Postseason NIT game can come to an end.
Illini’s Groce fires back at critics (Chicago Tribune)
To say the least Friday was a tough day for Illinois on the recruiting trail, as Quentin Snider de-committed and signed with Louisville and Cliff Alexander chose Kansas. That led to some stating that John Groce’s program was “put in its place,” and he wasn’t a fan of that talk. Groce spoke on the matter Saturday while announcing the players the program did manage to sign during the early signing period.
After rough childhood, David Laury’s thriving at Iona (New York Post)
In forward David Laury the Iona Gaels have one of the best forwards at the mid-major level, as he’s a threat to post a double-double every night he’s on the floor. But life wasn’t always so “easy” for Laury, as more than 20 moves as a child (living in six different states) had a significant impact on the power forward. He’s been able to take steps in the right direction at Iona, thanks in large part to head coach Tim Cluess.
Yogi Ferrell settling into starting role for Indiana, ahead of New York City trip (Indianapolis Star)
Given how much production the Hoosiers lost from last season’s Big Ten champion team, point guard Yogi Ferrell is a highly important piece to the puzzle for Tom Crean. Thus far the sophomore’s gotten more comfortable as a leader, and with the Hoosiers participating in the 2K Sports Classic this coming week we’ll learn even more about Ferrell.
