12:30 - Knicks practice in Greenburgh,  N.Y. Knicks are coming off just their second win of the season last night in Indiana and the Allen Iverson buzz grows stronger every minute.

12:30 – Press conference for Newark Invitational in Newark. Bob and Dan Hurley and players from St. Anthony and St. Ben’s will be on hand to promote this stacked event Jan. 30, which includes a showdown between Duke-bound point guard Kyrie Irving of St. Patrick and Memphis-bound point guard Joe Jackson of Memphis (Tenn.) White Station.

6 p.m. - Iverson due to clear waivers and become a free agent. Is he a Knick by later today or tomorrow?

6 p.m. – Tobias Harris will announce his college choice at the ESPN Zone in midtown. The 6-foot-8 Harris out of Dix Hills Half Hollow Hills West High has already decided and will announce for either Tennessee, Syracuse, West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland and Georgia Tech. I’m thinking I may hit this and then hoof it quickly down to the Garden for…

7 p.m. – Syracuse vs. Cal in the Coaches vs. Cancer event at MSG. Will Jim Boeheim be celebrating Harris’ commitment to the Orange or lamenting his commitment to Tennessee or West Virginia?

9:30 p.m. – North Carolina vs. Ohio State at MSG. Second semifinal features former St. Patrick star Dexter Strickland and new-look defending NCAA champs against Evan Turner and the Buckeyes.

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Lance Stephenson

The 6-foot-5 Brooklyn native started and shot 2-for-10 for 7 points in Cincinnati’s season-opening come-from-behind 69-62 victory over Prairie View A&M.

He was 0-for-3 from beyond the arc while adding 4 rebounds, 2 assist and 1 turnover in 22 minutes.

“He was a nervous wreck,” Bearcats coach Mick Cronin said. “He’ll get better. I have to make sure he isn’t putting too much pressure on himself. When we were struggling, he was the one guy getting visibly more physical. You could see his frustration and his desire to win. I have to teach him how to channel that and there is no such thing as a ten point shot. He was trying to do everything himself, which is good and bad.”

The Bearcats trailed 38-30 at halftime before outscoring Prairie View 39-24 in the second half behind 12 of Deonta Vaughn’s 15 points.

Vaughn came off the bench in the second half after going 0-for-6 to start the game.

“He responded,” Cronin said of Vaughn. “Deonta is a great kid, but he has to give us better leadership. He has to make sure these guys are ready to play. Before the game when coaches aren’t in there, he has to make sure they are ready to play. Upsets happen in college basketball.”

Cincinnati made just 39 percent of its shots, while shooting 27 percent (8-for-30) from beyond the arc.

On Stephenson, Vaughn said his teammate was clearly “frustrated” in his college debut.

“That is for any freshman that comes in,” he said. “Your first couple of games is the hardest for you. I just have to talk to him and tell him how it will be for the rest of the season. He doesn’t have to force anything, and just let it come naturally.”

Cronin won’t make Stephenson available to the media until December, but hoops fans will have plenty of chances to see Lance on TV. In perusing my TV schedules, I see that both SNY and ESPN are showcasing a whole lotta Lance.

Wednesday – Toledo at Cincinnati, 7:30, SNY

Nov. 23 – Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt, 5, ESPN 2 (Maui Invitational)

Nov. 24 – Cincinnati vs. Maryland/Chaminade, 1:30/7, ESPN2

Nov. 25 – Cincinnati vs. TBD, ESPN2

Dec. 1 – Texas Southern at Cincinnati, 7:30, SNY

Dec. 19 – Lipscomb at Cincinnati, 2 p.m., SNY

WALL HITS BUZZER-BEATER

Kentucky freshman John Wall hit a pullup 15-foot buzzer beater to lead No. 5 Kentucky to a 72-70 victory over Miami (Ohio).

“When it hit the bottom of the net, it was a relief, a great feeling,” Wall said, according to The AP.

“John Wall catching it and going, I loved it,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said.

The 6-foot-4 Wall, projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, finished with 19 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Wall sat out Kentucky’s season opener against Morehead State because of amateurism issues.

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Arizona freshman Kevin Parrom of New York will miss at least a month with a stress fracture in his left foot, according to the Arizona Daily Star…No. 12 UConn led by just one at the half before beating Colgate 77-63 beind Stanley Robinson’s 18 points and Kemba Walker’s 16 points, 6 assists and 5 steals. Gavin Edwards added 14 points……Kyle Singler put up 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 11 Duke to a 74-49 win over Coastal Carolina…Syracuse comes to Madison Square Garden this week for the Coaches vs. Cancer event and will play Cal in the first game Thursday night. Defending NCAA champ North Carolina meets Ohio State in the other semi. Read my feature advance on Syracuse’s zone here…Memphis added to its recruiting haul by landing 6-7 center Tarik Black of Memphis Ridgeway, the No. 47 prospect in the nation. Josh Pastner’s club now has seven incoming recruits, five of whom are ranked among the Top 70 by Rivals. Rivals ranks Memphis as the No. 1 overall recruiting class for 2010.

(Photo courtesy Michael Keating, Cincinnati Enquirer)

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Russ Smith

“Yes,  Sunday night at about 9 o’clock,” Russ Smith Sr. said. “We had dinner with Coach [Rick] Pitino, Coach [Ralph] Willard and Coach [Steve] Masiello.”

Smith Sr. said his son chose Louisville over offers from Wake Forest, Arizona, Houston and Baylor.

“He’s very happy and comfortable with the whole situation. He loved the atmosphere,” Smith Sr. said. “He loved the city. He toured the town, toured the new arena. He got a a feel for the players.”

A New York native himself, Pitino has had success with New York-area players before. His current roster includes former Rice guard Edgar Sosa, as well as St. Benedict’s big man Samardo Samuels.

“[Smith] loves that the coach plays three or four guards at a time. He loves the up-tempo style,” his father said.

While playing for Archbishop Molloy, Smith led the Catholic League in scoring last year. He then dropped 27 points in the Jordan Brand Regional Game back in April at Madison Square Garden and was named co-MVP of that event.

New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski says Smith will be a perfect fit for Louisville.

“It’s a great fit in terms of he has a tremendous appetite for the game and he’s going to a program where the coach is going to work him as hard as any coach in the country,” he said. “He loves the game. He’d rather play than breathe. He has a very high skill level. He’s just to got get stronger physically.

“He’s just got to reorient his game. He’s got to trust his teammates. He can really pass the ball, especially on penetration and kick-outs. He’s a scoring point who’s got to make his teammates better. He’s got to  bulk up his frame. He has very good quickness and a tremendous dribble routine. He has the ball on a string. He has an explosive first step. He can get to the basket and dunk on people.

“It’s a good fit. He’s a basketball junkie who’s going into a program run by a basketball junkie.” 

PINKSTON TO ANNOUNCE WEDNESDAY

Jayvaughn Pinkston, a 6-foot-6 forward from Bishop Loughlin, will announce his college choice Wednesday at Loughlin.

Pinkston, considered the top prospect in New York City, is considering Tennessee, Villanova, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Marquette.

“He hasn’t decided yet,” New Heights coach Kimani Young said. “He’s going to make his decision on Wednesday.”

BLACK TO ANNOUNCE MONDAY

Tarik Black, a 6-7, 230-pound power forward from Memphis Ridgeway, is expected to pick Memphis  during a press conference Monday afternoon.

Black also considered Alabama, Florida, Marquette and Tennessee.

He is the the No. 47 senior prospect nationally and the No. 7 center, according to Rivals.

If he signs, it would give Memphis head coach Josh Pastner a seven-man blockbuster class that could become the No. 1 in the country.

Memphis now has the No. 8, 11, 12, 47, and 66 overall players according to Rivals.

MORGAN SIGNS WITH SETON HALL

Seton Hall announced that Jesse “The Takeover” Morgan of Philadelphia has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University and play basketball for the Pirates beginning in the 2010-11 season.

Morgan chose Seton Hall over Louisville, Rutgers, UMass and UConn.

Morgan’s signing is the second for the Pirates during the fall period.  Paterson Catholic small forward Fuquan Edwin signed on to play for Seton Hall on Nov. 13.

The 6-foot-5, 175-pound, shooting guard is highly regarded as an extremely versatile wing player who can shoot the ball well and score in bunches.  He and Edwin will fill the roster spots left vacant by the graduation of seniors John Garcia and Eugene Harvey.

 “We couldn’t be more thrilled to add Jesse Morgan to the program,” Pirates coach Bobby Gonzalez said.  “He’s a versatile player that can play any one of the three guard positions.  We feel he’s one of the most underrated players in the country and that he’s destined to be a future star at Seton Hall.  His long-term potential is incredible, and in the short-term, he’ll provide quality insurance for Jeremy Hazell.  He’s a big guard, who can play the point if necessary, and it’s good for us to add a kid from Philadelphia to our roster as well.”

Prior to a brief stint at South Kent Prep in Connecticut, Morgan was a First Team All-City selection at Olney High School in his native Philadelphia.  He averaged 28 points per game, the third-best total among city-league players, and led the Trojans to a 19-3 record. 

“I can come in and contribute as a freshman and get quality minutes,” Morgan said. “It’s not too far from home so my family can come up and see me play.”

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Kendrick, a 6-foot-6 guard/small forward from Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler, joins Antonio Barton, Will Barton, Chris Crawford, Joe Jackson and Hippolyte Tsafack as members of head coach Josh Pastner’s first recruiting class.

He chose Memphis over Indiana, Alabama and Oregon.

Kendrick is ranked No. 2 among small forwards in the Class of 2010 by Rivals and No. 8 overall.

“Jelan fits in with the vision we have for the program on and off the court. At 6-foot-6, he adds tremendous size to our backcourt. Jelan is a very skilled, multi-dimensional guard who’s a very good passer and has a good feel for the game,” Pastner said.

Memphis’ class is ranked No. 2 by Rivals.com and  No. 3 by ESPN.com.

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Latavious Williams

The Tulsa 66ers chose Williams with the 16th overall pick. Tulsa is an affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His high school coach said Williams turned down a $100,000 guaranteed contract to play in China in favor of entering the D-League Draft because he felt it gave him a better shot at reaching the NBA. The average D-League salary is between $35,000-$40,000.

 “He had a contract on the table that could’ve paid him $100,000 or better in China but he had to weigh the pros and cons,” said Carlos Wilson of Humble (Texas) Christian Life Center. “It came down to taking the money and getting some financial stability for now, but still you’re a long way from the NBA when you’re in China. Or taking the least amount of money and being a step closer instead of four steps closer.”

The 6-foot-8, 205-pound Williams initially committed to Memphis in May but faced academic hurdles that endangered his eligibility. He then announced in July that he would play overseas instead.

“Obviously if a kid has a chance to play professionally and have a chance financially to better him and his family, again, you have to support the kid because that’s No. 1,” Memphis head coach Josh Pastner told the Memphis Commercial Appeal in July.

Brandon Jennings skipped college last year to play professionally in Italy and ended up being chosen No. 10 in this year’s NBA Draft by Milwaukee. He is now the leading contender for NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-10 junior from San Diego, is suffering through a rocky time in Israel and plans to enter the 2011 NBA Draft.

Two American college guards, Nick Calathes of Florida and Terrence Oglesby of Clemson, opted to leave college early to play professionally overseas.

But Williams made history by jumping to the D-League, which he hopes will eventually lead him to the NBA.

“Somebody from the NBA is going to see your every move,” Wilson said. “I think that was it. It was basically closer to making it to the NBA.”

According to Tulsa’s official Website, three players on the Thunder’s opening night roster saw playing time with the 66ers last season.

Kyle Weaver averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and nine assists in two games, while D.J. White averaged 18.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in six games on assignment in Tulsa. Shaun Livingston played 11 games for Tulsa, averaging 9.3 points, six assists and 3.5 rebounds per contest, before being called-up to the Thunder on March 31.

In addition, Ramon Sessions of the Minnesota Timberwolves played on assignment during the 2007-08 season, while Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova and Orlando Magic forward Brandon Bass each played on assignment during the 2005-06 season.

Williams hopes he can follow in their path.

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Brandon Knight

“Looks that way,” Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest coach Dave Beckerman wrote in a text.

The early signing period runs Nov. 11-18.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Knight took an official to Kansas last weekend and Beckerman confirmed that Knight will visit Florida Nov. 13-15.

“It is my understanding that he will visit Florida,” he said.

Knight has previously visited Kentucky and UConn and has also considered Miami and Syracuse.

UCONN AWAITING WORD ON PLAYERS

UConn sophomore point guard Kemba Walker of the Bronx scored 28 points and senior forward Stanley Robinson added 25 points as undermanned UConn defeated American International College, 106-67, Wednesday.

Freshman big man Alex Oriakhi added 16 points and 16 boards.

The No. 12 Huskies played without senior Jerome Dyson, junior Donnell Beverly and freshman Jamal Coombs-McDaniel due to pending evaluation of recently submitted paperwork pertaining to their eligibility certification.

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6-8 forward Gil Biruta of Lithuania and St. Benedict’s Prep visits Rutgers Saturday after taking the SAT. Speaking of Rutgers, see the men’s basketball preview in the Video Player in the right corner of the blog...Latavious Williams has made himself eligible for tonight’s NBDL Draft. Williams initially committed to Memphis and then opted to play overseas…Neumann-Goretti guard Mustafaa Jones committed to Hartford. The 5-foot-11 guard chose Hartford over Hampton, New Hampshire, Columbia and Brown, according to Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer. Jones is the fourth Neumann-Goretti senior to commit, following Tony Chennault (Wake Forest), Daniel Stewart (Rider) and Tyreek Duren (La Salle).

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They’ll be taking in the show at Kentucky.

“I’m excited, it should be good,” said Dix Hills (N.Y.) Half Hollow Hills West forward Tobias Harris, who leaves Friday for Kentucky’s “Big Blue Madness.”

“I heard it’s a really great atmosphere at the Midnight Madness so it should be fun.”

Some 24,000 Kentucky fans are expected at the event and tickets were reportedly selling Thursday for an average of $177.59 on eBay.

Led by first-year coach John Calipari, Kentucky is loaded with talent and could make a Final Four run.

The 6-foot-8 Harris will be joined on the Kentucky trip by fellow senior Kyrie Irving, a point guard at Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick; Michael Gilchrist, a 6-7 junior wing from St. Pat’s considered the top high school player in the nation; and Achraf Yacoubou, a top junior recruit and Harris’ former teammate at Long Island Lutheran.

“Those are cool guys so it should be good,” Harris said.

“I played with Ach and I played with Kyrie and Mike at the LeBron James Camp.  Mike was on my team at LeBron. We’ve got a lot of talent in the metropolitan area and all of us down there should be fun.”

The non-New York contingent headed to Kentucky includes junior forward Quincy Miller of Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Kentucky-bound senior Stacey Poole, Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla. Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God forward C.J. Leslie wasn’t able to make it.

“Once you see Madness, you see what Kentucky has to offer,” Kentucky center Patrick Patterson told the Herald-Leader. “You commit right off the bat.”

While the New York/New Jersey flavor will be strong at Kentucky, Kansas will host an elite group that includes Queens, N.Y. native Doron Lamb, a senior shooting guard at Oak Hill (Va.) Academy pictured at left.

The 6-4 Lamb has visited Oklahoma and plans to visit Kentucky or UConn next weekend.

“It’s a three-way tie out of Kentucky, Kansas and Oklahoma,” he told me earlier this week.

Also headed to Kansas for “Late Night in the Phog” are senior guards Harrison Barnes and Josh Selby and junior guards Bradley Beal and Josiah Turner.

Other New York-area players on the road this weekend include Jersey City (N.J.) St. Anthony senior forward Devon Collier, who is currently on an official to Providence, and Long Island native J.J. Moore of South Kent (Conn.), who is slated to visit Louisville.

The 6-8 Collier visited Oregon State last weekend and plans to hit St. John’s next weekend and Seton Hall Oct. 30.

The 6-5 Moore will visit Florida Oct. 23 and is also considering St. John’s and Pitt.

As for those visiting Kentucky, Irving was quoted as saying he’s “leaning” toward Duke, but also visited Texas A&M and still plans to visit Georgia Tech and Seton Hall. Meantime, Wildcats assistant Rod Strickland is Irving’s Godfather.

“You can’t discount Kentucky because I do have a relationship with coach Strickland,” Drederick Irving, Kyrie’s dad, told me last month. “I’ve known him since I was 7 and we played in the same backcourt with the Gauchos until we were 18. He’s like a brother to me. We have a profound relationship that cannot be discounted. He is Kyrie’s Godfather.”

As for Harris, he has visited Syracuse and Tennessee and still plans to visit Louisville, West Virginia, Georgia Tech and Maryland.

“This is one of the hardest decisions,” Harris said. “Each visit you go to they’ve been really good so it’s hard telling one school form the other, which one is the best fit for me.”

The 6-7 Gilchrist, considered the top high school prospect regardless of class, favors Kentucky and Villanova, according to his mother, Cindy Richardson.

Yet he has visited Michigan, Rutgers and Villanova in recent weeks and his mother says he is open to being recruited by anybody.

“I’m just having fun with my selection of colleges,” he told the Philly Inquirer. “But it’s early. I’m just starting my process.”

Yacoubou (left) is a 6-3 shooting guard who favors Kentucky, Villanova and UConn. He plans to visit Villanova next weekend for its “Hoops Mania.”

But now he’s looking forward to “Big Blue Madness.”

“I’m excited. I’m anxious to see how the team is looking and how the atmosphere is going to be, the events are going to be and curious to see how the school looks,” he said.

Yacoubou played for one year at American Christian (Pa.) with Tyreke Evans, the current NBA guard who was coached last year by Calipari at Memphis.

“I know Calipari makes pros,” Yacoubou said. “He’s won a lot of games.”

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Memphis Sheffield shooting guard Chris Crawford chose Memphis Thursday over Tennessee. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Crawford is the No. 66 prospect and No. 16 shooting guard in the nation.

“I thought long and hard with my mom and prayed on it,” Crawford said at his press conference, according to Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I just really didn’t want to leave home. I felt like I’d be good here in Memphis. It was really a toss-up but I wanted to play here in front of my family and win a national championship.”

“He’s just a player,” one Division 1 head coach said.

Crawford joins a blockbuster recruiting class that already includes Joe Jackson, Will Barton and Antonio Barton.

Will Barton is ranked No. 11 and Jackson No. 12 in the Class of 2010.

“It’s exciting because now we have a spot-up shooter and another scorer,”  Jackson, who played with Crawford on the Memphis Magic Elite AAU squad that won the Adidas Super 64 tournament in Las Vegas this summer, told Wolken. “We’re trying to be No. 1 in the nation.”

PANKEY TO VISIT MARYLAND

Ashton Pankey, a 6-8, 220-pound forward from St. Anthony, will take an official visit to Maryland for Midnight Madness Oct. 16.

“Yes, they’ve officially offered. He’s going on a visit,” said Jeff Rivera of New Heights.

Rivera said Pankey’s list included Maryland, Drexel, Houston, Rice, Hofstra and Oregon State.

No visits are set besides Maryland.

“He’s supposed to go visit Drexel as well but we haven’t confirmed that yet,” Rivera said.

Pankey doesn’t receive quite the attention of teammate Devon Collier or former teammate and current Villanova frosh Dominic Cheek, but the former Archbishop Molloy big man is a rebounding machine.

“First of all, he’s a rebounder. That’s the one thing you can’t do too much of. You can dribble too much, you can shoot too much, you can even pass too much, but no coach has ever taken anyone out of the game for having rebounded too much,” Tom Konchalski told me today about Pankey.

By the way, how about the tremendous delegation job done by the folks at New Heights. Kimani Young is the point man on JayVaughn Pinkston, Adam Berkowitz is handling Collier’s recruitment and Rivera is looking after Pankey’s recruitment. Talk about organization.

Tennessee, by the way, visited Pinkston Thursday at Loughlin.

ST. JOE’S CROSGILE SIDELINED

Saint Joseph’s freshman guard Justin Crosgile will be sidelined for the start of the season after suffering a torn ligament in his left thumb.

That’s a tough break for Crosgile, whose commitment to St. Joe’s I broke, and who is a great kid.

Crosgile, who was injured in a pre-season pick-up game, will undergo surgery and will possibly be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

The 5-11 freshman guard from Paterson, N.J., and DePaul High School was the North Jersey Player of the Year in 2009. He averaged 24. 5 points as a senior while also earning All-State Second Team honors.

The Hawks begin practice on October 17 and will open the Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena on November 13 hosting Drexel.

FORDHAM-VILLANOVA SET

Fordham will take on Villanova Dec. 19 at the Izod Center.

(Photos courtesy Daily News, St. Joe’s athletics)

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“There was a series of events that led me down the path to determine that I needed to make a change in leadership of the men’s basketball program and terminate coach Crews’ contract,” Anderson stated. “I am very disappointed with some things that have come to my attention in recent days and I have decided that it is in the best interests of the basketball program and the institution to terminate our relationship.”

In seven years as Army’s head coach, Crews registered a 60-139 (.302) record. He led Army to the Patriot League Tournament semifinals each of the last three seasons. Army finished 11-19 overall a year ago.

Anderson said that a national search for Crews’ replacement will begin immediately. Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com reports that Anderson has reached out to including Arizona State associate head coach Dedrique Taylor, St. John’s assistant Fred Quartlebaum, Navy assistant Eugene Burroughs, Wake Forest director of basketball operations Walt Corbean and St. Mary’s associate head coach Kyle Smith.

FREE THROWS

Memphis coach Josh Pastner visited Oak Hill forward Roscoe Smith on Wednesday…UConn head coach Jim Calhoun will visit Tobias Harris tonight (Thursday), per Torrel Harris. After that visit, Tobias is expected to cut his list down….Harrison Barnes is set to take an official to Oklahoma Oct. 3, according to a source. That would be a big weekend for the Sooners if Doron Lamb also comes….Here’s something you almost never see, a kid saying he had a bad experience on a visit.

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Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson says the school’s first priority would be to join the Southeastern Conference — not the Big East.

“Quite honestly, the truth of the matter is the lifelong dream of Memphis is to get in the SEC,” Johnson said Thursday in a phone interview. “We’re surrounded by SEC country. When Arkansas got in Memphis thought they were going to get in.”

Johnson hired former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese on a six-month basis and gave him one overwhelming mandate.

“I told him, ‘It’s simple. There are six BCS conferences. Get us in one,’” Johnson said.

Memphis has been a member of Conference USA since the mid-1990s.

Tranghese, in an interview on Wednesday, said he couldn’t pull such a move off singlehandedly.

“I can’t get people into conferences. That’s not what I do,” Tranghese said.

The SEC currently has 12 teams and would need to add teams in order for Memphis to join.

“They would have to expand and I don’t see that happening,” Johnson said. “We’re right in the middle of the SEC country and we would hope someday that that would happen. That would always be our first choice.  We would just really like to get in a BCS conference.”

Joining a BCS conference enables greater payouts from TV and bowl games, as well as enhanced recruiting opportunities.

“Money,” Johnson said. “Money and the image of recruiting. Truthfully, we think our program is better than about half the BCS programs. But not being BCS there’s always that stigma. Even when we were in the Final Four — basketball has nothing to do with BCS –they talked about us being a non-BCS school. And our coaches, they fight that all the time.”

Because Tranghese was associated with the Big East for three decades and was Commissioner for 19 years until stepping down at the end of June, speculation is running high that Johnson wants Tranghese to get Memphis in the Big East.

“Because Mike has been there, that’s the natural inclination. That’s not necessarily the case. I was at Temple before I came here and at that time Temple was in the Big East and that’s where I knew Mike. And we’ve been good friends all along. And he’s so highly thought of,” Johnson said. “We had him come here and analyze our situation and help prepare us.”

Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida joined the Big East in 2004 and Memphis still has strong regional rivalries with the Cardinals and Bearcats.

“Our fan base still relates strongly to Cincinnati and Louisville because that was such a huge rivalry,” Johnson said.

The Big East currently has 16 basketball teams and would likely have to kick somebody out — DePaul didn’t win a single conference game last season — in order for Memphis to join.

“I think so, to be realistically,” Johnson said of the Big East needing to lose a basketball team.

As for football, the Big East currently has eight teams, which creates an unbalanced situation where teams play either three or four league home games per season.

“From the football standpoint, it’s a little awkward on their scheduling because they have seven conference games and ideally you’d like to have a minimum of eight,” Johnson said. “So that’s one of the things that we would hope would be in our favor.”

Johnson said the Big 10 and Pac-10 could also be options if a spot were to open up.

“Our hope is that the Big 10 does something down the road, or the Pac-10, so that there’s a domino effect and then maybe can something where we can get in,” Johnson said.

The Big 10, which actually has 11 teams, could potentially add a 12th team. Rutgers and Notre Dame have both been the subject of numerous rumors.

“I’ve heard all sorts of rumblings,” Johnson said. “Their first choice would certainly be Notre Dame. But I keep hearing that Notre Dame may not be interested. I hear that they might try to get somebody from the East Coast.”

If Rutgers were to leave the Big East for the Big 10, that could potentially open up a spot but that doesn’t seem imminent.

“I’ve talked to some of the Big 10 athletic directors and we’re warmer,” Johnson said. “But I think it’s probably a little bit of a reach. But the truth of the matter is, we’re not too far away. And in this day and age, that doesn’t make a whole lot of difference. Conferences are all over the place.”

On the Pac-10, Johnson said: “We’d go to the Pac-10 if they’d invite us. It’s that big of  a deal.”

Johnson believes Tranghese can help get Memphis into any BCS conference, not just the Big East.

“I think he can get through any door,” Johnson said. “I really believe that. He’s so highly thought of, I think he can do that. And I think everybody would listen to what Mike has to say.”

MORE MEMPHIS NEWS

**Memphis down to eight players.

**Memphis hires Mike Tranghese in hopes of joining Big East.

**Joe Jackson to Memphis.

(Photo courtesy Memphis Commercial Appeal)

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