News and Notes actually makes the catch

6 college basketball recruits who blew up this summer - SBNation.com
Who lands at the top of the list? Xavier target Markelle Fultz. The big dogs are also in on Fultz, but Xavier was there early and has a shot at one of the big risers in this year's high school scene.

UPDATED – John Calipari: Kentucky players were ‘relieved’ they lost to Wisconsin in Final Four
It's probably no secret that John Calipari is not a Banners favorite. Of all the things he has said and cheated about though, this one may take the cake. His stumbling attempt at a retraction aside, it probably says a lot about him that his immediate reaction upon seeing his players after their first loss was to think they looked relieved.

Chris Obekpa says he's transferring to UNLV
He'd be a nice fit with the teams of the 90s out there, only those guys actually knew how to play offense. Obepka is quickly becoming a story of massive talent wasted.

ESPN holiday tournament brackets show loaded fields
If Thanksgiving or Christmas football isn't your thing (and you can't get Buttfumble every year), there is a ton of good ball being played those weekend. As we've mentioned here, Xavier tips off at noon on Thanksgiving.

Top 10 holiday tournaments or events in nonconference season
This one is for ESPN Insiders, but here's a snippet on what they have to say about the AdvoCare Invitational "there are several other potential NCAA tournament teams here: Xavier, Dayton, Notre Dame and Iowa." That in addition to Wichita State and Xavier's first round opponent, Alabama. ESPN has the AdvoCare as the fourth best tournament of the season.

The Nike-Under Armour battle for high school stars is heating up - CBSSports.com
High school players are going to the Bahamas for showcases now. I'm not exactly sure what the means, other than that I wish I had been a lot better at basketball in high school.

A couple of non-basketball items:

Braves outfielder celebrates making a catch while the ball rolls 30 feet away - SBNation.com
This dude really thinks he has made the catch, but he hasn't. The look on his face the moment he realizes the ball isn't in the glove he is holding aloft is worth the click through.

A Long Walk's End - SBNation.com
This is a story about a man who dodged a murder charge by simply walking away from it, over and over again.