The Crimes Of Kelvin Sampson

The College Basketball Closer is written by the gang at Storming The Floor.

Right now, we're all just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Heck, some of us have been waiting since Kelvin was coaching the Oklahoma Sooners. Some sources are reporting that the Hoosier coach could be gone as soon as today, some say he might be kept on in order to forestall any later legal action he might take.

But what most of us want to know is: What else did he do? We know about the phone calls, but the NCAA is reporting an additional five major violations, including providing "false or misleading information" to investigators. Hey, it's never too early to start guessing.

Five possible infractions or deceptions committed by Kelvin Sampson:

1. Does not like the film "Hoosiers". Refers to Gene Hackman's character as "a pantywaist with no recruiting savvy".
2. Using his Eduardo Najera connection, got upper deck, row BB tickets to Nuggets/Pacers games to use as recruiting inducements.
3. Claims that all infractions were committed by his evil alter-ego "Centigrade."
4. Told investigators the surprise ending of this week's episode of "Lost" before they could get home and watch it on Tivo.
5. Brings cheap generic snack mix to NCAA poker nights.

As always, your rampant speculations and mean-spirited remarks are encouraged.

The Pac-10 Leads the Nation in Hot Cheerleaders. Stanford 68- Arizona State 72. The Sun Devils were in command of this one for much of the game. There was just a stretch of the second half where Stanford stormed back and took a big lead. ASU tied it on a Harden slam, and played steady team ball to win it in OT. You'd play hard, too, if Lauren Thompson were watching you.

Hook-and-Ladder. Boise State 77-Nevada 68. The Broncos moved into a three-way tie atop the WAC, and pushed Nevada a full game back. You'll be shocked to know that Nick Fazekas finally used up his eligibility and did not suit up for Nevada.

Somebody Up There Likes You. Wake Forest 78-Florida State 70. The Deacs stay at .500 in the ACC, and preserve their space on the bubble by shoving the Seminoles firmly off. Every game is emotional for Wake following Skip Prosser's untimely off-season death, and they're playing tough for him and current coach Dino Gaudio every night.

The Weekender

Friday

Pitt (19-5) at Marquette (17-6). This is an edge-of-the-cliff game for both teams. Win it, and you hang with Notre Dame and UConn. Lose, and suddenly you're keeping company with Cincinnati.

Saturday

Michigan State (20-4) at Indiana (20-4). Kelvin Sampson will either be at this game in a shirt and tie, or at home on the couch in red sweatpants, eating Cheetos. Oh, and the basketball ought to be outstanding as well. My psychic friends network says this is going to be Goran Suton's big night for the Spartans.

Georgetown (20-3) at Syracuse (16-9). I know the relative records and post-season prospects don't really match up here, but this always feels like a big game, and it's in the Carrier Dome, so it should be loud and freakin' orange as hell.

Stanford at Arizona. The Lopez brothers look like a modern-day version of the odd couple. "One's hairy! One's clean cut! Together, they may squabble, but they also dominate the Pac-10!" The outcome of this game depends on which Arizona team shows up - the one that wants to go to the dance, or the one that wants to go on extended Spring Break.

Sunday

UCLA (21-3) at USC (15-8). I'm tipping a forty to Jonah Keri, the original CBB Closa, on this one. It's one of his favorite rivalries, and with the talent in the building, it should be a hell of a game. The lack of Hackett could doom the Trojans, but then again, they've already notched a victory in Pauley, so anything can happen.

Eric Angevine writes about college basketball for Storming the Floor, and contributes to Chicago Sports Weekly. He can be reached at stormingthefloor@gmail.com.

The author of this post can be contacted at tips@deadspin.com

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