Cleveland Melvin, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound senior forward from Fitchburg (Mass.) Notre Dame Prep, has decomitted from UConn and “opened up his recruitment,” according to Notre Dame coach Ryan Hurd.
“He wants to be a wing at the next level,” Hurd wrote by text. “They see him as a four. [It's a] mutual decision. No hard feelings [...]

Seton Hall junior shooting guard Jeremy Hazell could miss up to a week after sustaining  a deep cut on his right [shooting] hand during the Pirates’ 59-50 win Wednesday at St. John’s.
“The doctor said he would be out about a week,” a source with direct knowledge said.
The Pirates play at West Virginia Saturday before hosting Rutgers Tuesday.
Hazell reportedly received eight [...]

Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody will participate in the shootaround before tonight’s game at Louisville (7:30, ESPN2) but whether he plays will be a game-time decision.
“I was in street clothes sitting on the bench for the St. John’s game on Sunday and my status for today’s game at Louisville probably will be a game-time decision,” [...]

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – When Rutgers started the season 0-8 in the Big East, talk of replacing head coach Fred Hill was at a fever pitch on the messageboards and in the media.
But Hill may well have saved his job with Rutgers’ thrilling 71-68 victory over No. 7 Georgetown at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
The victory was [...]

NEW YORK — Rick Pitino blew through the Big Apple one night after a massive snowstorm hit, and he left almost as much chaos in his wake.
On top of his team’s ugly 74-55 loss to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, Pitino tried to quell questions about his coaching future.
“I’ve been at Louisville nine years, [...]

Louisville coach Rick Pitino flatly denies a Daily News report that he has interest in becoming the next head coach of the Nets.
“I can’t keep talking about rumors and untruths,” Pitino, whose team visits St. John’s Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, said on the Big East conference call. “All I can say is in [...]

Louisville coach Rick Pitino has flatly denied a Daily News report that he’s interested in the Nets’ job.
“There’s not an ounce of truth to it,” Pitino told ESPN.com’s Pat Forde.
“I have no interest, period,” Pitino said Thursday. “I’m done with coaching professional basketball. I’ve put the professional ranks behind me.”
Nets president Rod Thorn also refuted [...]

Here are a couple of quick, but interesting recruiting notes for Tuesday morning…
**Louisville Coach Rick Pitino was on hand Monday night to watch Mount Vernon junior point guard Jabarie Hinds in his team’s final regular season game. Hinds dropped 13 points in a 77-67 loss.
The top six schools showing interest in Hinds are Louisville, Virginia, [...]

From Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon to Rutgers players Jonathan Mitchell and Mike Coburn to West Virginia sophomore Kevin Jones, Mount Vernon High School coach Bob Cimmino has turned out one star after another.
The next in that line is junior point guard Jabarie Hinds.
The 6-foot, 166-pound Hinds is ranked No. 18 among point guards in [...]

NEWARK, N.J. – Seton Hall’s dancing dreams remain alive.
Pirates coach Bobby Gonzalez talked boldly before this season began about how making the NCAA tournament was a goal — and a realistic possibility — for this team.
After a 1-4 start in Big East play, that dream seemed to be fading fast.
But Jeremy Hazell, Jordan Theodore and [...]