ESPN.com presents Men's College Basketball Nation http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation 60 en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 14:35:03 webmaster@espn.go.com http://assets.espn.go.com/i/espn/teamlogos/lrg/trans/espn_dotcom_black.gif 110 110 If I were an 18-year-old college basketball star, I would want to play for Team USA. Maybe it's because I grew up playing soccer, and representing your state, region or country at various age Olympic Development Program levels was always the goal (one I fell far short of reaching; I settled on playing for my high school). Or maybe I'm partial to being flown around the world to play basketball for what amounts to an age-appropriate national All-Star team.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84899/top-freshmen-passing-on-u19-games Thu, 23 May 2013 16:30:37 EDT 84899 We knew Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was going to return to USA Basketball earlier this week; the man himself all but confirmed it to SI.com Saturday. That made today's announcement with Jerry Colangelo, available via the wonder of YouTube, rather anticlimactic. There was some fun backstory: Colangelo said he never really accepted the idea that Krzyzewski was totally done with the Olympics and thus engaged in a full-court press (basketball lingo!) to persuade Coach K to return for the 2016 Rio Games.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84891/dont-worry-duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-isnt-going-anywhere Thu, 23 May 2013 15:20:36 EDT 84891 Had he never accepted the head coaching job of the USA men's basketball national team in 2005, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski might have been considering retirement right about now. Farfetched? Maybe, maybe not. Being the leader of the national team has revitalized the 66-year old Krzyzewski like nothing college basketball, or maybe even the NBA, could have done for him. Those close to him say it has added at least 10 years to his career, maybe more. “USA basketball has helped energize me," Krzyzewski said on a conference call Thursday after accepting Jerry Colangelo's offer to lead the Americans yet again.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84873/national-team-has-invigorated-krzyzewski Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:34 EDT 84873 Two-sport athletes are common in collegiate sports. In high school, young men and women often compete in multiple events. Some who are committed and exceptional in two sports will attempt to participate in both at the Division I level. Julius Peppers played football and basketball for North Carolina. Andrew Luck played baseball and football at Stanford. Football great Jim Brown was an All-American in lacrosse at Syracuse. Today’s athletic schedules, however, make life difficult for two-sport athletes.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84874/minnesota-wing-could-jump-over-shaq Thu, 23 May 2013 14:45:39 EDT 84874 Editor’s Note: This month, ESPN Insider’s college basketball and recruiting experts are teaming up to examine how 15 of the nation’s best recruiting classes will fit in with their teams in the 2013-14 season. Today's featured program: Marquette , which Dana O'Neil delves more into here. Check out the Nation blog each morning for a corresponding post on the key returnee for each of the 15 teams. Marquette’s Davante Gardner is listed at 6-foot-8, 290 pounds, but he’s probably hovered above 300 throughout his career.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84865/marquette-key-returnee-davante-gardner Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:52 EDT 84865 1. The commitment to USA basketball at the junior national team level is at an unprecedented level. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, who chairs the junior national team committee, said Wednesday that the consistency of coaches and players was never done in the program in the past like its counterparts in other countries. Florida’s Billy Donovan will coach the U-19 team in the Czech Republic after winning gold in Brazil with the U-18 team last summer.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84861/3-point-shot-usa-hoops-on-solid-ground Thu, 23 May 2013 06:51:23 EDT 84861 Dave Telep interviews No. 13 player in the 2014 class and newest North Carolina commit Theo Pinson. Pinson chose UNC over Indiana, Georgetown, Duke and Louisville. ]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84859/video-dave-telep-interviews-theo-pinson Wed, 22 May 2013 18:49:26 EDT 84859 Remember the San Diego point-shaving scandal? Sure you do. Brandon Johnson, the school's all-time points and assists leader, was implicated and later charged and sentenced as the result of an FBI investigation into a point-shaving scheme during the Toreros' 2009-10 season. After his career was over, he later attempted to recruit another USD player into the game-fixing morass. Eight people connected to the conspiracy were convicted and sent to federal prison, the most recent being illegal bookmaker Richard Francis Garmo.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84846/fbi-releases-details-on-san-diego-scandal Wed, 22 May 2013 18:30:07 EDT 84846 Andy Katz discusses the reports that Mike Krzyzewski will remain as head coach of the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84843/video-coach-k-returns-to-team-usa Wed, 22 May 2013 16:54:18 EDT 84843 The NBA draft combine and its various subsequent workouts don't mean a whole lot to the average college basketball fan, at least not at first glance. After all, now that players are forced to enter the draft in April and can't decide to come back to college after testing the draft waters, the things we might learn from, say, vertical leap measurements have no potential application to next season. Our time with these guys is over. Sad, I know. Still, I love the combine measurements.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84839/d-j-stephens-is-a-freak-of-nature Wed, 22 May 2013 16:50:42 EDT 84839