1. Connecticut forward Roscoe Smith has transferred to UNLV and the Runnin’ Rebels will file a waiver to have him play next season instead of sitting out. The case, according to a source, will be built on Smith’s desire to play in the NCAA tournament. UConn is banned from the 2013 NCAA tourney due to a poor Academic Progress Rate. The Rebels are perfectly willing to have Smith sit out next season, but are making the attempt. This will be an interesting case for the NCAA. The rule has been that if there is a postseason ban, and you have as many years left as the ban, then you can transfer without sitting out. That’s why UConn’s Alex Oriakhi, who will be a senior, is eligible immediately at Missouri. If Smith, who will be a junior, gets the waiver then the NCAA will be open to criticism for its lack of consistency in interpreting the rule.
2. There is hope for Smith based on the Trey Zeigler case. Zeigler was granted a waiver to play immediately at Pitt after transferring from Central Michigan. Zeigler left after his father Ernie was fired. His transfer is no surprise, but a coach being fired isn’t an out of the norm hardship for a player. No one said Zeigler had to stay at CMU. He didn’t, but now because his father got fired he received a hardship waiver. That’s fine, but it shows once again a lack of consistency by the NCAA as to why some players get a waiver and some don’t.
3. Memphis tried to get Kansas to play a home-and-home series to no avail. But the Tigers are still loading up on their nonconference schedule in their final season in C-USA. Memphis coach Josh Pastner said he has games against Louisville, at Xavier, Tennessee, as well as playing in the Battle 4 Atlantis (Louisville, Duke, Missouri, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Stanford and VCU), and that he is locking in home games against Ohio, Harvard and Loyola (Md.) -- all NCAA teams last season.