- Fred Hoiberg may have led his team to an NCAA Tournament victory this season, but he can now brag about another impressive feat–sending a player to the NBA. Royce White declared for the NBA Draft yesterday and says he will sign with an agent soon. Yes, it’s certainly a blow to Hoiberg’s 2012-13 roster. But considering his team finished with just three Big 12 victories in his first season, qualifying for the Big Dance and sending a star to the pros is another sign that Hoiberg has the ball rolling with Ames. Look out, recruiting trail: The Mayor is here, and he’s building quite a college resume.
- J’Covan Brown also joined White by announcing he will skip his senior season. This one hurts for Rick Barnes. If point guard Myck Kabongo also follows suit, Barnes may need to rebuild again with more young parts in 2012-13. If Kabongo comes back, though, he could be one of the league’s better point guards, and he could serve as the catalyst for a Longhorns squad ready to take a leap and build off this year’s NCAA Tournament appearance.
- Fans in St. Louis better be ready for Thomas Robinson in the Midwest Regional, because he’s on a mission to earn Kansas a national championship. Robinson is already a Naismith finalist, but the NCAA Tournament is where legends are made. He has the ability– “he tries too hard,” coach Bill Self said. Now, it’s time for him to showcase his talents as he will inevitably head to the NBA where he belongs.
- It’s hard to believe, but Baylor‘s Brady Heslip used to be, well, a little chunky. Let teammate Quincy Miller tell the story: “I saw the pictures of him when he was fat. He had a couple of extra chins.” Now, though, he’s lost 24 pounds, and it’s certainly helped him on the court. The interesting thing about this story is Heslip does not fit the traditional mold of a player who needs to shed weight. Normally, you think of Dexter Pittman-type centers who need to lose 70 pounds and remake their bodies. In Heslip’s case, all he needed was to cut out a little junk food. Looks like it worked.
- It’s NCAA Tournament time, but it’s never too early to look to next season. That’s when TCU will join the conference along with West Virginia. After an 18-15 season, the Horned Frogs are feeling confident about their modest success and the future of their program in the Big 12. TCU hadn’t made the post-season since 2005, so this year’s CBI appearance is at least something to build on.