Last year, the NCAA experimented with an NBA-style charge arc - a painted arc under the basket clearly showing the restricted area in which a defender cannot stand and take a charge. The experiment used a two-foot arc from the center of the basket. It was recommended to expand that arc to three feet a few weeks ago; and today those changes were approved for both men's and women's basketball.
Also approved was a move back for the three-point line for women, at 20 feet, 9 inches - the same as for the men. So no double arcs on the hardwood floors of college basketball courts.
In St. John's News
Ryan Harrow is going to Kentucky. Glad to close that book.
Lots of kerfuffle about the eligibility of incoming St. John's recruit Maurice Harkless and the academic eligibility of Norvel Pelle. Rumble in the Garden has your recap of the Red Storm eligibility issues, and continue to keep track. Not too worried, despite what others intimate in their headlines; Harkless' should be a non-issue. Pelle's will be more interesting to follow, and more damaging if true.
Tomorrow, expect to hear that God's Gift is really not, that Amir Garrett once knew someone who knew a guy who punched someone, and that D'Angelo Harrison yelled at an old woman crossing the street once. Such drama for May!
In other news
ESPN's Mike Fish has a series on Outside the Lines about some interesting connections between the AAU Indiana Elite and the Indiana University Hoosiers. Not much should come of this; most major teams try to cultivate relationships that look a little close, it's the nature of acquiring top-level players.
South Park takes some swipes at the NCAA - full South Park episode available online. A snippet:
Since the Big East teams are meeting, there's a lot of Big East expansion talk. Pitt Blather has the roundup.
West Virginia football coach (in waiting) Dana Holgerson was escorted from a casino for becoming all unruly, and not for the first time. And so the Twitter hashtag #BigEastCasino was born. Card Chronicle has some of the Big East Casino gems from last night's twitsplosion of jocularity.
A look back at some predictions from last year's College Basketball Prospectus about top recruits going mid-major.
There are plans for a television station focused on Historically Black Colleges and Universities' athletics, and Comcast is in talks to become a carrier. With the revenue to be shared with those schools - often hurting for cash - this sounds like a great idea for exposure and money. Those schools often spend November and December on the road, getting beaten by top Division I teams for the guaranteed payouts/ guarantee games, so they obviously need the money.
In pro baseball: after second baseman Wilson Valdez won the 19-inning game as a PITCHER last night, we think Philadelphia Phillies have a new ace.
In media:The Hangover 2 is expected to bring in beaucoup bucks.
A friend will be writing for the fall show I Hate My Teenage Daughter on Fox. So, you should watch it. Keep her employed.