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Monday / October 2.
  • Memphis to Forfeit Final Four; Wooden List

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    John Calipari will forfeit a Final Four appearance for the second time in his coaching career.

    The University of Memphis will forfeit its 2008 Final Four appearance and 38-win season, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, which cited a source close to the situation. The NCAA will release findings of its investigation into violations committed by the program Thursday.

    The NCAA investigated whether someone took the SAT for former Memphis guard Derrick Rose (pictured), now with the Chicago Bulls. That made Rose retroactively ineligible. His older brother, Reggie Rose, was also found to have accumulated $2,260 in unpaid trave expenses. Memphis was notified of potential violations in January and met with the NCAA in June.

    “Honestly, I don’t care,” Antonio Anderson, a member of the ’08 team told Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com. “We know what we did. We didn’t do anything wrong, but it is what it is.”

    It would be the second time both Memphis and Calipari, who left Memphis after the season to coach Kentucky, had to vacate Final Four seasons. The Tigers were stripped of their 1985 appearance under Dana Kirk and Calipari’s Massachusetts team lost its 1996 berth because Marcus Camby took money from an agent.

    Only Memphis’ 1973 Final Four appearance will remain on the books.

    Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, coach Josh Pastner and a spokesman for the team couldn’t be reached by The Associated Press for comment Wednesday night.

    (The AP contributed)

    WOODEN WATCH LIST

    Here is the Wooden Top 50 Preseason List released today. Freshmen were not eligible. Big East players are bolded.

    Solomon Alabi 7-1 So. C Florida State

    Cole Aldrich 6-11 Jr. C Kansas

    Al-Farouq Aminu 6-9 So. F Wake Forest

    Luke Babbit 6-9 So. F Nevada

    Talor Battle 5-11 Jr. G Penn State

    Trevor Booker 6-7 Sr. F Clemson

    Matt Bouldin 6-5 Sr. G Gonzaga

    Craig Brackins 6-10 Jr. F Iowa State

    Da’Sean Butler 6-7 Sr. F West Virginia

    Sherron Collins 5-11 Sr. G Kansas

    Ed Davis 6-10 So. F North Carolina

    Devan Downey 5-9 Sr G South Carolina

     Jerome Dyson 6-3 Sr. G Connecticut

    Devin Ebanks 6-9 So. F West Virginia 

    Corey Fisher 6-1 Jr. G Villanova

    Luke Harangody 6-8 Sr. F Notre Dame

    Manny Harris 6-5 Jr. G Michigan

    Gordon Hayward 6-8 So. G/F Butler

    Jeremy Hazell 6-5 Jr. G Seton Hall

    Robbie Hummel 6-8 Jr. F Purdue

    Damion James 6-7 Sr. G/F Texas

    Sylven Landesberg 6-6 So. G Virginia

    Gani Lawal 6-9 Jr. F Georgia Tech

    Kalin Lucas 6-0 Jr. G Michigan State

    Tasmin Mitchell 6-7 Sr. F Louisiana State

    Greg Monroe 6-11 So. C Georgetown 

    E’Twaun Moore 6-3 Jr. G Purdue

    Raymar Morgan 6-8 Sr. F Michigan State

    A.J. Ogilvy 6-11 Jr. C Vanderbilt

    Patrick Patterson 6-9 Jr. F Kentucky

    Jerome Randle 5-10 Sr. G California

    Scottie Reynolds 6-2 Jr. G Villanova

    Samardo Samuels 6-8 So. F Louisville

    Larry Sanders 6-11 Jr. F VCU

    Jon Scheyer 6-5 Sr. G Duke 

    DeShawn Sims 6-8 Sr. F Michigan

    Kyle Singler 6-8 Jr. F Duke

    Tyler Smith 6-7- Sr. G/F Tennessee 

    Isaiah Thomas 5-8 So. G Washington

     Deon Thompson 6-8 Sr. F North Carolina

     J.T. Tiller 6-3 Sr. G Missouri

    Evan Turner 6-7 Jr. G/F Ohio State 

    Jarvis Varnado 6-9 Sr. F/C Mississippi State

    Greivis Vasquez 6-6 Sr. G Maryland 

    Deonta Vaughn 6-1 Sr. G Cincinnati

    Kemba Walker 6-1 So. G Connecticut

    Willie Warren 6-4 So. G Oklahoma

    Terrico White 6-5 So. G Mississippi 

    Nic Wise 5-10 Sr. G Arizona

    Chris Wright 6-8 Jr. F Dayton

    (Photo courtesy West Virginia athletics)

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    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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