Basketball Program

These dogs have bite Mike Anthony Hartford Courant One school, Connecticut, has produced dual national championships. In 2004, Emeka Okafor led the men and Diana Taurasi led the women to titles. And both teams were in the 2009 Final Four. Is there any other measuring stick? They were the first men's and women's teams from the same school to be ranked No.1 simultaneously, in 1994-95. Both are coached by members of the Hall of Fame. Jim Calhoun just completed his 24th season coaching the men's team, while Geno Auriemma in his 26th season with the women's team.

Maryland's basketball recruiting class officially added a fourth member today when Charles Mitchell signed his letter of intent . Mitchell, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Marietta, Ga., committed to the Terps in March before Maryland's ACC tournament opener against Wake Forest. He joins Houston center Shaquille Cleare , Fredericksburg, Va., guard Seth Allen , and Wrentham, Mass., small forward Jake Layman in Maryland's 2012 recruiting class. Damonte Dodd , a 6-foot-9 power forward from Queen Anne's County High, hasn't yet signed his LOI. “It's a great day for our program to be able to add Charles Mitchell to the Maryland basketball family," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said in a news release.

Tommy Polley has played in his share of big games at the highest level before millions of viewers, but he was admittedly nervous when he entered the Dunbar High School gymnasium Tuesday before an audience of about 200 current and former students and faculty. This time, Polley, who played six seasons in the NFL, including one with the Ravens, was playing the role of storyteller instead of playmaker. The former football and basketball star at Dunbar in the mid-1990s was on hand for a screening of Poet Pride, a documentary that he co-produced with fellow alums Rob Foster and David Manigault about the school's storied basketball program, which was a national powerhouse in the '80s and '90s.

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of Mychal Parker's development during his two-year stay at Maryland was one which fans couldn't see, much less appreciate. A “solid C+” student in high school, according to a 2010 Rivals.com article (subscription required) reviewing his senior season at The Miller School, Parker came to Gary Williams with obvious athletic gifts but less spectacular off-the-court assets. That changed for the better at Maryland, former Miller School coach Scott Willard said Monday.

It's a little hard to concentrate on work as I sit safely in my living room writing this column.Most of my thoughts are 10,000 miles away, where almost a half-million American military personnel stare at the face of war on the sands of the Saudi Arabian desert and in theskies over Kuwait and Iraq.Here's hoping for their quick and safe return.*The Winfield rec council basketball program, at least temporarily, has expanded toinclude 10th-graders.Council basketball Commissioner Mel Wroten attributed the move to the large number of last year's ninth-graders who wanted to return.

It was the fall of 1975, and Chris Fuller, just two years removed from college and a starring role as an undersized center at Buffalo State, was a Detroit salesman keeping his hand in basketball by playing and coaching semipro teams that barnstormed through Michigan."

The flagship university for the state of Maryland, which happens to be a pioneer member of the Bowl Championship Series-rich Atlantic Coast Conference and resides in a state that boasts the wealthiest county in the country, has announced it will eliminate eight sports teams from its athletic department. The reason given by the University of Maryland, College Park: money troubles. Terrapin student-athletes playing on teams such as men's tennis, women's swimming and indoor/outdoor track, to name a few, will continue to receive scholarship assistance for their remaining time at Maryland but will have to go elsewhere if they wish to satisfy their competitive edge.

Editor's note: Each week, InsideMdSports.com provides this blog with a Maryland recruiting feature that previously appeared as premium content on its site. A year ago, Obi Enechionyia not only wasn't seeing attention from recruiters - he wasn't seeing the court. Enechionyia was glued to the bench at South County (Va.) High, prompting a move North to St. James' boarding school in Hagerstown, where an effort to bolster the basketball program was underway.

Former NBA coach Larry Brown visited the Maryland men's basketball program recently. Terps coach Mark Turgeon played for Brown at Kansas. Check out video of Brown's visit below.

A new prospect has been mentioned in connection with the Maryland men's basketball program, and the player in question doesn't live far from College Park. According to CBSSports.com's Jeff Borzello, the Terps are in the mix with William Howard , a 6-foot-7 wing from France who's currently doing a post-grad year at New Hope Academy in Landover. Borzello caught up with New Hope coach Chris Chaney for a breakdown of Howard's recruiting . In terms of recruiting, Washington, Providence, Rhode Island and Maryland have all shown interest in Howard.

Editor's note: Each week, InsideMdSports.com provides this blog with a Maryland recruiting feature that previously appeared as premium content on its site. A year ago, Obi Enechionyia not only wasn't seeing attention from recruiters - he wasn't seeing the court. Enechionyia was glued to the bench at South County (Va.) High, prompting a move North to St. James' boarding school in Hagerstown, where an effort to bolster the basketball program was underway.

The sniping between Kentucky's John Calipari and Louisville's Rick Pitino has been put on hold this week, much to the disappointment of the fan bases of their respective teams and the media assembled for the Final Four in New Orleans. It picked up in October, when Calipari talked about Kentucky's stature in college basketball. “It's a unique thing,” Calipari said at the time. “There's no other state, none, that's as connected to their basketball program as this one. Michigan has Michigan State, California has UCLA, North Carolina has Duke.

Mount St. Mary's has accepted the resignation of men's basketball coach Robert Burke. "We thank Robert for his service to our players and to the Mount community, and we wish him well," athletic director Lynne Robinson said in a news release. "We will now focus our attention on hiring the best head coach to lead our renowned men's basketball program. " Burke requested to be placed on paid administrative leave in February after conversations with university officials. Mountaineers assistant coach Matt Henry was elevated to interim coach.

Former NBA coach Larry Brown visited the Maryland men's basketball program recently. Terps coach Mark Turgeon played for Brown at Kansas. Check out video of Brown's visit below.

What is Boeheim's role? Mike Anthony Hartford Courant Any damage to Syracuse, or more specifically its basketball program, will come down to whether head coach Jim Boeheim faces any fallout. Assistant coach Bernie Fine is out. Good. The program can move on without much of a hiccup, assuming this is where it ends. But if the legendary Boeheim is found to have overlooked something he should not have, if his career ends with the same ignominy as that of Joe Paterno, well, what's the first thing one will think of at the mention of Syracuse basketball?

The flagship university for the state of Maryland, which happens to be a pioneer member of the Bowl Championship Series-rich Atlantic Coast Conference and resides in a state that boasts the wealthiest county in the country, has announced it will eliminate eight sports teams from its athletic department. The reason given by the University of Maryland, College Park: money troubles. Terrapin student-athletes playing on teams such as men's tennis, women's swimming and indoor/outdoor track, to name a few, will continue to receive scholarship assistance for their remaining time at Maryland but will have to go elsewhere if they wish to satisfy their competitive edge.

Mount St. Mary's has accepted the resignation of men's basketball coach Robert Burke. "We thank Robert for his service to our players and to the Mount community, and we wish him well," athletic director Lynne Robinson said in a news release. "We will now focus our attention on hiring the best head coach to lead our renowned men's basketball program. " Burke requested to be placed on paid administrative leave in February after conversations with university officials. Mountaineers assistant coach Matt Henry was elevated to interim coach.

In March of 1982, upstart Calvert Hall College High School, with a young team and a young coach, beat Hyattsville's DeMatha High School, under legendary coach Morgan Wootten, to win the prestigious Alhambra Tournament and complete an undefeated season. Ranked No. 1 in the country at the beginning of that season by Street & Smith and Basketball Weekly - admittedly, a nebulous thing - the Calvert Hall Cardinals of Towson went from Las Vegas to Philadelphia and back to beat all comers and finish 34-0, proving that ranking as best as it could be proved.

A new prospect has been mentioned in connection with the Maryland men's basketball program, and the player in question doesn't live far from College Park. According to CBSSports.com's Jeff Borzello, the Terps are in the mix with William Howard , a 6-foot-7 wing from France who's currently doing a post-grad year at New Hope Academy in Landover. Borzello caught up with New Hope coach Chris Chaney for a breakdown of Howard's recruiting . In terms of recruiting, Washington, Providence, Rhode Island and Maryland have all shown interest in Howard.

So where do all the accusations and counter-accusations between sports agent  Joel Bell and basketball player Michael Beasley leave Maryland assistant coach Dalonte Hill? Does it change anything for Hill at all? I'm told Maryland has been pleased with Hill and continues  to feel that way. You all know by now that Beasley has accused Bell in a civil action of teaming with Curtis Malone  -- co-founder of the DC Assault summer  basketball program - to ultimately secure for  Bell the right to represent Beasley.