A Few Quick Basketball Notes

- Tennessee forward Duke Crews has been suspended indefinitely by coach Bruce Pearl for violating team rules. This is not good news for the Vols, as Crews was a likely starter and one of the few players on the team with some height. No report on what the team rule was, but as long as it's not murder, I have a feeling he'll be back by SEC season time at the latest.

- Alabama point guard Ronald Steele is out for the season due to knee problems. This severely sucks for the Tide, as Steele was a pretty big key to their season. I'm not exactly sure how official this is, but the Tide dropped from #21 to #32 in the Down with Goldy rankings.

- Former Gopher signee Andrew Brommer has signed on with the Iowa Hawkeyes. This is kind of surprising, as everything pointed to Brommer de-committing and reopening his recruitment due to Tubby not thinking he was Big Ten caliber, or at least that was the speculation. Interesting to see if the Gophers just have their sights set higher than the Hawkeyes, or if Iowa coach Todd Lickliter sees something that Tubby is missing. I'm better on the former.

- I've posted on him before, and didn't pay that much attention with Nathen Garth on board, but with Garth off to New Mexico, PG Verdell Jones should be a major target for the Gophers for 2008. Add him to the list along with Sampson and Joseph as a most wanted player to add to the class with Iverson and Carter. And it sounds like the Gophers are most definitely in the mix, as this article from Scout.com says "Jones' father said that Minnesota is very strong in the mix for his son's recruitment, due to their coaching staff.

"There is an offer on the table. Lou Rawls got it wrong in that song, 'When you say Bud, you've said it all.' When you say Tubby Smith, you said it all. He has a proven track record. Look at the player he has had at Tulsa, Georgia and Kentucky. He is a great teacher of the game," Verdell Sr. said.

His father is equally high on Gopher assistant coach Vince Taylor.

"Vince has a lot of experience as a coach and player," he said. "He was a coach with Rick Pitino. We are taking a serious look at the situation and we are talking about setting up a visit."

Thanks to JohnnyGopher at the Gopher Hole for posting the article.