Five Tiny Tidbits On: The Big East Conference

Thought we were done previewing things? How could you think that, with your NCAA Basketball Tournament office pool a mere five months away? You've got to start studying now if you want to impress that chick in reception. So who's with me? Let's Gooo! Please send contributions to [email protected].

• 1. Hold The Pickles Hold The Harris ... Syracuse freshman Paul Harris was selected by Big East coaches as Preseason Rookie of the Year. Harris, however was snubbed when the McDonald's High School All-American game committee removed him from that team. Morgan Wooten, selection committee chairman, said that he removed Harris from the team because he took five years to graduate from high school (Notre Dame Prep). Prior participants Gerald Green and JR Smith were not barred from the game even though they took five years to complete high school. Wooten then announced that "if someone is a felon, we don't want that type of person as a McDonald's High School All American," referring to Harris' drug arrest that occurred four years ago. — (Thanks to P. Whiteford).

• 2. Levon Also Sells Cartoon Balloons In Town. Big East preseason player of the year Aaron Gray is the anchor of Pitt's offense, but his teammate, Levon Kendall, may be the most underrated player in the conference. It also just so happens that Kendall enjoys piano, cliff diving, meditation, racing mountain bikes, and whitewater rafting. — ( Thanks to D. O'Neil).

• 3. And Thabeet Goes On. UConn freshman Hasheem Thabeet was ruled eligible by the NCAA clearinghouse after weeks of analyzing his transcript. Louisville, Georgia Tech and Texas A&M all felt that he would not be eligible and stopped recruiting him. Given his blocks numbers in the first two exhibition games, it looks as though coach Jim Calhoun has scored a major recruiting coup. — (Thanks to Ian Bethune)

• 4. Please Pass The Biscuits, King Of Kings. St. Johns senior guard Daryll Hill is a cousin of Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers. If Hill could have dinner with any three people in the history of the world, his choices would be "Mark Jackson, Jesus and David Stern."

• 5. Hoyas Stand Pat. Junior forward Patrick Ewing (yes, the son of that Patrick Ewing) started off at Indiana, but transferred to Georgetown last year, where he had to sit out a season due to college transfer rules. He is 6-foot-8 and averaged 3.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in two seasons with the Hoosiers.

Tomorrow: Conference USA