Cinco de Mayo

BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — Happy Cinco de Mayo, y’all. It’s time to catch up on the latest links. Make sure your trays are in their full, upright and locked position:

— Doug Harris of the DDN says Georgetown transfer Vee Sanford is a UD-lean:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/daytonflyers/entries/2011/05/05/georgetown_transfer_leaning_to.html?cxtype=feedbot

— Former UD recruit LaDontae “Buckets” Henton visited Providence according to a Tweet from TJ Kelly:

http://twitter.com/#!/bsutefan/statuses/64055350525050880

And he will announce his destination at 2:00PM today between PC and Iowa State, according to a Tweet from Steve Schwanda at All Eyes on Hoops:

http://twitter.com/#!/alleyesonuhoops

Which is ironic because if Henton ends up at PC he will, in essence, replace Dayton native Markus Crider on the Friars’ roster.

— Doug Harris also says that Henton’s fellow-former UD commit Percy Gibson could end up back in the Flyer fold:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/daytonflyers/entries/2011/05/03/ud_in_final_three_for_gibson.html

As always, the comment section after one of Doug’s blog pieces is an absolute must-not read.

— How about a video of the Team Detroit 16s, featuring UD recruiting targets Denzell Watts and Leo Edwards? Sure, why not?

http://www.legends247.com/ngs/?p=3441

— Here’s an NBA pre-draft workout featuring former Flyer Marcus Johnson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPWxLvrz9yk

— Rush the Court with another way of looking at college basketball attendance figures – percent of sellout. UD stills ranks well:

http://rushthecourt.net/2011/04/27/ncaa-attendance-figures-a-closer-examination/

— The Scout 100 is out for 2012 and UD is mentioned by two of the players listed:

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=4&cfg=bb&pid=88&yr=2012

— The Twitter Commandments:

http://www.crimsonquarry.com/2011/4/26/2134545/the-twitter-commandments-rules-for-a-fan-interacting-with-athletes

Wait a minute. This guy is talking about interacting with players on Twitter, as in following and exchanging Tweets with them. Really. And I got crap for publishing a list of UD players’ public Twitter accounts?

— Well this sucks – CBS and excitable announcer Gus Johnson have parted ways:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/richard_deitsch/05/05/gusjohnson.cbs/index.html

Who can forget Johnson’s great call on CW’s breakaway dunk vs. WVU in the NCAA?

— The NCAA came out with their annual rule change on when a player must declare for the NBA Draft:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6444510

— In better news, the NCAA is finally close to adopting a semi-circle restricted area under the hoop:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2011/May/Mens+basketball+rules+committee+recommends+restricted+area+arc

Now if the NCAA would only adopt a rule that says ‘flopping’ is an automatic technical foul, we’d be all set.

— This is long overdue — a statue of Celtics’ legend Bill Russell in Boston:

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2011/05/celtics_to_anno.html

— If you are wondering why vagabond hoops recruit Kevin Ware committed then de-committed to UCF or why onetime Xavier commit Michael Chandler ended up at UCF, you have to ask this solid citizen:

http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/28947918

— Speaking of fishy, here is an account of the basketball program at Quality Education Academy in North Carolina:

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-04-23/sports/29489050_1_ncaa-spokesman-students-academic-work

— Dave Telep from ESPN.com with his suggestions for fixing the above problems:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6472683

— Dana O’Neill with her spin on the same subject:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=6477362

— Chris Herren, “Basketball Junkie”:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2011-05-02/chris-herrens-basketball-junkie-tells-it-straight

— My man Alan Parsons is one of many musicians who will contribute to William Shatner’s new album, “Searching for Major Tom”:

http://www.antimusic.com/news/11/april/14William_Shatner_Recruits_Ritchie_Blackmore,_Zakk_Wylde,_Michael_Schenker,_Davies_and_Frampton_For_New_Album.shtml

— Here’s a feel-good story: two half-brothers from my hometown of Leominster, MA finally found each other…5,000 miles away on Waikiki Beach!