AM Rumble: playing hard, a radio man returns, college hoops recommendations

After the first weekend of the Spring Live period, St. John’s saw a few top 2019 targets show out well, and made some new offers. We cover that in the recruiting update, coming a little later today - now!

But for now, look at former US Presidential Candidate and Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney mocking the Oklahoma Thunder’s Russ Westbrook [video] after Westbrook picked up his fourth foul.

The college basketball commission recommends... The 14-person college basketball commission, chaired by former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, and including John Thompson III, Grant Hill, Hofstra AD Jeffrey Hathaway and Notre Dame President John Jenkins, will release their findings from their six-month study tomorrow.

They are expected to recommend some kind of changes to the one-and-done rule and discuss the relationship of the NCAA to outside groups (as in, AAU, shoe companies and agents). The one-and-done rule is an NBA rule, and the NCAA would need the NBA to make that change.

What tweaks will we see? What wholesale changes should they suggest?

2018 hoops recruits panned for lack of effort. NBA Scouts speaking to recruiting analysts and reporters point out that the top talents in the 2018 class did not impress with their effort — not just in the all-star games, which are played at a more leisurely pace, but in practices, when the players usually work to impress for the scouts in the future.

St. John’s obviously did not land any of the top-30 players. But St. John’s targets Moses Brown and even Jordan Brown (who is uncommitted) have had their on-court effort and consistency questioned.

The players are young, there is time to teach them and develop better effort.

Call it a comeback? For what it’s worth, former WFAN radio personality Mike Francesca may be returning to the airwaves “in some form”, per a cryptic article in Newsday.

Keep your eyes open, if you’re a Francesca fan. Or maybe this is all talk.

The fan spirit: You can drink at NCAA Championship events like the College World Series, Final Four, and, hopefully soon, conference championships! Now, when you’re yelling that some opposing player is a “bum” (despite he or she being housed and clothed by an NCAA program) you don’t have to pre-game!

I mean, if you do that kind of misanthropic screaming. I don’t advise it. Ushers and security often take a dim view of it.

The NCAA announced Wednesday it has lifted all restrictions on the sale of alcohol at championship events. This comes after a pilot program was used the last two years at the College World Series to test the sale of alcohol.

Beginning during the 2016 CWS, beer and wine were allowed to be sold in general seating at TD Ameritrade Park. Alcohol was available at all eight fixed concession stands on the main concourse, plus two more on the upper level. Fans could order two alcoholic drinks at a time.