don't hate me because I'm beautiful

-- More from the John Chaney for DNC Chair Communications Shop:

"I hate everything out here. It's not the people I hate, it's what they did that I hate."

John Chaney, Temple head coach and John Kerry supporter on the voters in Cincinnati supporting President Bush in the November election.

-- Street Ball: The Champaign, Illinois City Council will soon vote to rename a section of First Street running near Assembly Hall after Lou Henson. A well-deserved honor for the former Fighting Illini coach.

-- The Tucson Citizen's Corky Simpson praises Salim Stoudamire's stroke, noting the Arizona guard appears to be a "new man" after his one-game suspension. The stats back Simpson up. In Salim's last 10 games, he is averaging 19.1 points, while shooting 64.8 percent (34 of 54) from the arc and 93 percent from the line (40 of 43).

-- Jim Gordon of the Sante Fe New Mexican notes John Calipari is backing a losing horse. To say the least.

There are people -- you know the type -- who want junior guard Jeremy Hunt suspended just because his former girlfriend says a drunken Hunt punched her in the eye, knocked her down, hit her five or six times, then chased her into her house, where he continued to assault her.

Sure, there was a witness who saw Hunt pinning Tamika Rogers to a bed and heard her calling for help.

Sure, Rogers showed signs of a beating, with one eye black and blue, the other swollen, cuts to her face and a bruise on her neck.

Sure, Hunt was charged with assault.

Sure, there is a tape recording of a threatening phone call a man who sounds like Hunt made to Rogers, saying "I'm gonna whup your (expletive) ass for real. I'm dead serious. I might just beat the (expletive) out of you just because you're ... disrespecting me."

But thank God for the bravery of Hunt's coach. At least, I think it's his bravery.

I mean, shortly after the incident -- I'm sorry, the alleged incident -- university President Shirley Raines reminded us all that people accused of crimes are presumed innocent and said no action would be taken by the university until the school conducted a complete investigation. Any discipline for violating team rules, she said, would be Calipari's prerogative.

Then after the school's probe -- which I'm confident was very thorough and fair -- resulted in Hunt being allowed to play, Calipari told reporters the decision was made by the university.

At least the City of Memphis has an independent judiciary. A court order yesterday prohibited Hunt from having any contact with Rogers for one year. Now if only Calipari would come to his senses...

-- Holy Cross 80, American 56. Go view Kyle's artistic recap. A must-see.