repeat offenders

-- Minneapolis Star Tribune beat writer and ESPN columnist Jeff Shelman has kindly posted his AP ballot here. Why did Wichita State fall from 24 to 25? More importantly, why does Jeff believe Connecticut is still a Top 25 team?

-- Good News: Read down to the bottom of this piece about Sean May to learn the North Carolina star is likely to return for another year of college basketball. Grin. Bad News: NBA vultures are interested in Marvin Williams.

-- Blogger Tim argues the loss of Travis Diener won't cost Marquette an NCAA Tournament bid. I agree -- all the moreso because Tim qualifies his belief by noting that Diener must come back "in time to show that he has returned to his pre-injury form" and must then lead the Golden Eagles to wins against (at least) Houston and St. Louis. (I don't believe the DePaul game is a must-win).

-- Iowa's Pierre Pierce is the latest addition to the All Jeremy Hunt Team. No fewer than five staff writers at the Des Moines Register contributed to a story that speaks to Pierce's personal relationship with the alleged victim. I have to believe Pierre's troubles all but end's Steve Alford's hopes (?) of coaching at Indiana next season. Mediocre results over several seasons is one knock. Mediocre results plus scandal -- Pierce is a repeat offender, having pleaded guilty in November of 2002 to assault causing injury after allegations of sexual assault against a then-member of the Hawkeyes women's basketball team -- is two knocks. Enough to send most coaches to the mat. (But not Quin Snyder).

-- Or so we thought. Ryan Wood of Lawrence (KS) Journal-World writes-up the "Quin, you're fired!" chants sung by the Kansas faithful. After today, I'll refer to Missouri's coach as the "embattled Quin Snyder..." As in, "The embattaled Quin Snyder looks less and less like Sideshow Bob these days. What gives?"