1. In case you missed it amidst all the football over the weekend, leading NPOY candidate Evan Turner broke two vertebrae in his back when he fell on a dunk attempt and will miss up to eight weeks as he recovers from this injury.  This is unquestionably a huge blow to Ohio State’s Big Ten and national chances this season, as it’s always uncertain how someone will respond both physically and mentally to such a blow.
2. Georgia Tech sophomore guard Iman Shumpert will miss 3-6 weeks because of surgery on his right knee related to a meniscus tear.  Tech, at 6-1 is off to its best start since 2006, and Shumpert’s 8/5 APG is a big part of that.  Other than a home date against Florida State on 12/20, the schedule is fairly light for the Jackets until after the new year, when road trips to Charlotte, Georgia and a home game against Duke await.   Hopefully Shumpert will be back in action before then.
3. Did you catch John Wall over the weekend?  Two plays in particular in the first half seemed to represent just how sicknasty this guy can be.  One resulted in a crossover step-through for a full-speed dunk; the other resulted in a ridiculous reverse layup on the break that only he knows how he got to roll in.  Mike DeCourcy called it the collegiate version of the famous Dr. J dunk, while Jeff Goodman believes that the only reason the second half was close was because Wall cramped up for a while.  Fair points, both.  We’d still like to know the real reason(s) why Roy Williams never offered Wall a scholly, though.
4. Southern Miss head coach Larry Eustachy, not a fan of Rick Stansbury, eh?
5. South Florida reported to the St. Petersburg Times on Friday that they have no record of inquiry from the NCAA, which disputes a previous report by Fanhouse that the NCAA has opened an investigation into the school based on illegal benefits given to Gus Gilchrist and open practices run by assistant coach Terrelle Woody.

As reported by AOL Fanhouse (is just Fanhouse now?), South Florida’s basketball program is under NCAA investigation based on multiple accusations of impropriety that the same outlet reported two weeks ago.  The allegations mostly derive from excessive transportation, tickets to NBA games and ‘open’ practices during dead periods held under strength coach Terrelle Woody’s purview.  Woody came to USF as part of a package deal with the well-traveled and much-maligned Gus Gilchrist, whom we still haven’t forgiven around these parts for using the tragic Virginia Tech shootings as an excuse to bail from his prep commitment to that school.  Comedy springs from tragedy, though, and how funny would it be if Gilchrist’s handler ended up with his star player suspended and his employer put on probation?  Of course that’s unlikely, because as often happens in these situations, at the first sign of trouble the traveling circus of Woody/Gilchrist will bolt for greener pastures leaving the angry townspeople of Tampa holding the bag.   

In other encouraging news out of Stan Heath’s program, transfer guard Anthony Crater, who was set to begin play on December 13 against Central Michigan, has reportedly failed his second drug test at the school and will have to sit out 4-6 additional games, depending on how USF interprets their internal substance abuse policy.  The article also notes that Crater failed a drug test while a freshman at Ohio State last year, which means that the talented but troubled point guard who has also been arrested for possession (later dropped) and suspected of involvement in theft of $8000 of property while in Tampa (but never charged) has failed three drug tests in just over a calendar year.  Heath is on the record stating after Crater’s arrest for possession last January that players such as he only get so many chances: “You get chance No. 1, you get chance No. 2; at some point in time you’ve got to make adjustments that the program is bigger than what you are.”

Where does the adjustment/program size threshold start again, Coach Heath?  Because, by our count, this is chance #5. 

1. Failed drug test at Ohio State (allegedly)
2. Failed drug test at USF (definitely)
3. Arrest for marijuana possession (definitely)
4. Primary suspect in theft of $8000 of property, with an on-record admission of an earlier theft (definitely)
5. Failed second drug test at USF (definitely)

Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised.  Heath also allowed another basketball vagabond/troublemaker, Mike Mercer, back onto the team this season even after he was arrested twice last year for public consumption and marijuana possession.  The reason?  He graduated in August.  Well that… and the fact that he provides defense and depth at the guard position for his 7-1 Bulls.