in progress...

-- Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer debunks several rumors about North Carolina State's Ilian Evtimov. The Wolfpack's forward (1) does not plan to graduate this year, give up his final year of college eligibility and play pro basketball in Europe next season, (2) is as mobile as he was last season, and (3) is not, statistically speaking, critical to the Pack's success.

-- NCAA President Myles Brand is scheduled to testify in the Michael Jackson child-molestation trial...er...Bobby Knight "zero tolerance" behavior trial...Props to the Indianapolis Star for filing a Freedom of Information suit to gain access to the Indiana University report that led to the firing of Mike Davis...er...Bobby Knight.

-- Virginia Tech upset Duke, undermining the Blue Devils' bid for a No. 1 seed and affirming that second-year Hokies floor general Seth Greenberg should be the ACC Coach of the Year for leading Virginia Tech to a 6-6 conference record. Few pundits expected his club to finish anywhere but last in the league.

-- The State of New Mexico will name a southern New Mexico highway after Lou Henson. Sweet.

-- The Dallas Morning News' Brad Townsend looks forward to "Bracket Buster" Saturday and suggests the SEC's weakness will prevent Kentucky from securing a No. 1 seed.

-- The Maui Visitors Bureau found the Maui Invitational to be worth $10 million to the local economy.

-- Rana Cash of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution finds North Carolina State repositioning itself for an NCAA Tournament bid, notes Maryland focused on Shelden Williams rather than J.J. Redick in the Terps recent victory over the Dukies, and finds Coach K upset at Daniel Ewing for picking up three technical fouls in the past five games.

-- More good news for Dan Monson. The NCAA granted Adam Boone's appeal for a sixth season of eligibility. The 6'3" guard has not played since undergoing surgery to repair a torn right biceps tendon on October 7.

-- The Albuquerque (NM) Journal reported UTEP and New Mexico have agreed to a four game series starting this fall. The teams last played in 2000 before the Lobos left the Western Athletic Conference to join the Mountain West.

-- Savannah State coach Ed Daniels should have seen his dismissal coming after a 0-28 season.

-- Seton Hall Coach Louis Orr suspended swingman J.R. Morris for academic reasons.

-- Best wishes to Miami coach Frank Haith after his Thursday appendectomy. May he recover...in time for Saturday's game against Virginia Tech.

-- A Flip Saunders sighting! Hello, Ryan.

-- Ian Crosswhite is no longer in the crosshairs. He's gone, dismissed by Ernie Kent & Co. from Oregon's basketball team.

-- The normally reliable Tom Coyne has an off day for the Associated Press. His lead:

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey doesn't want the Fighting Irish getting comfortable. He wants them to have edge.

-- The ACC released the conference's basketball rotation through 2008. Maryland is guaranteed home-and-away matchups with Duke each of the next three seasons.

-- Jay Bilas doesn't think very highly of Arizona.

-- More evidence the John Brady era is coming to a close at Louisiana State.

-- New Mexico coach Ritchie McKay, understanding a weak schedule this year cost his Lobos a chance at an NCAA Tournament bid, has wisely promised to play tougher opponents in the future.

-- Via Greg Wallace of the Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald. Heh.

Lately, ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale has become something of a caricature of himself, an ambassador of college basketball who clearly has his head buried in the sand when it comes to college hoops' real issues.

Take his comments on Kentucky freshman point guard Rajon Rondo, for instance. Before Kentucky's victory over Florida last Tuesday, the shiny-headed analyst offered the Lexington Herald-Leader an unsolicited assessment of Rondo, who has emerged as one of the league's best point guards.

"If he stays four years, he could be the best Kentucky point guard in 20 years," Vitale said. "He should forget any thought of the NBA and stay four years. The passion and pageantry of college basketball, why give it up?"

A better question: with the lucrative early-entry NBA draft culture spinning as fast as ever, why stay? Or, as LSU Coach John Brady said when relayed Vitale's advice - "What's Dick smoking?"

-- Fun with lawsuits, Obie-style. Here's hoping the defense brings in the booster who made out with the Buckeye player in front of her husband to testify.

-- Steve Rivera of the Tucson Citizen notes the Oregon Ducks have become one of the Pac 10's quickest -- if not winningest -- teams. Am I the only pundit looking forward to Malik Hairston's sophomore year?

-- Marlen Garcia of the Chicago Tribune finds Phil Martelli advising Bruce Weber and the Fighting Illini to "forget all the hogwash" about needing a loss and win the rest of their games. Well said. But I still hate Martelli for his comments about Lute Olson and Arizona several years back. The snowstorm...you (must) remember.