jj's digits

-- Given the number of articles written about Illinois, it is rare to find a piece with unique news or analysis. But oh so precious. Writing for the New York Times, Pete Thamel informs us Bruce Weber had his polyps removed as a preteen, wore a body cast for an entire summer as a teen, worked as a fifth-grade teacher as a young adult, made $2,000 a year as a 22-year old graduate assistant to Gene Keady at Western Kentucky, eats only one meal a day as an adult, and, as the coach of the premier squad in America, regularly munches on generic pretzels that he buys for 99 cents a box at Smitty's grocery store in West Lafayette. A very enjoyable read.

-- How 'bout dem apples? Mark Schlabach of the Washington Post reports the most protected numbers on the Duke University campus are those of J.J. Redick's new cell phone number. Redick's little brother -- and some of his teammates and closest friends -- don't even know his digits. Why the tight lips?

Redick said he took the cautionary measures after a Maryland basketball fan obtained the number to his cell phone last year and started passing it among friends at parties and bars. Redick estimates he received 50 to 75 calls a night from Terrapins fans before he changed it. He had to change the number again a couple of weeks ago, after some North Carolina fans found out what the number was.

Schlabach also devotes several hundred words to an inquiry of why Redick is so hated by opposing fans. The two competing schools of thought are that Redick is hated because he's (1) white or (2) a Dukie. I would argue it has more to do with the second.

-- Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis is up with his weekend picks. He argues North Carolina needs to notch a significant road victory -- and, without Rashad Anderson, Connecticut is ripe for the picking. He also picks Illinois over Wisconsin, Duke over Maryland, Villanova over Syracuse, Notre Dame over Pitt, Oklahoma over Missouri, DePaul over Cincy, Georgetown over West Virginia, Utah State over Pacific, and Southern Illinois over Creighton. My picks? North Carolina, Illinois, Duke, 'Nova, Pitt, Oklahoma, DePaul, Georgetown, Pacific and Southern Illinois.

-- Dave Johnson of the Hampton Roads (VA) Daily Press writes up the grassroots movement to fire Herb Sendek. Now on the web at http://fireherbsendek.com/. Fun with photoshop, eh?