Sept. 21
As we try to move forward in the sports world, let's look at some college basketball topics...

Let's talk about Duke's recruiting class. Mike Krzyzewski has put together a class that will be as good as any he has brought to Duke. He has received commitments from a standout group.

	Mike Krzyzewski and Duke have a tough road to another title.

Check out this class: superstar point guard Sean Dockery of Chicago; 6-foot-10 Michael Thompson, one of the top big men in the Midwest; J.J. Redick of Virginia, whom Howard Garfinkel of Five-Star Camp says is one of the best shooters he's ever seen; and Lee Melchionni, whose dad, Gary, played at Duke years ago. Lee's uncle, Billy, was a superstar at Villanova. Melchionni understands how to play the game given his outstanding background.

If that weren't enough, the Blue Devils added a commitment from Shelden Williams, rated by most gurus as a top-five player. Williams, from Oklahoma, was a great coup since he passed up others on Tobacco Road.

Coach K isn't necessarily done yet. He's still in the running for Shavlik Randolph, the 6-10 star. Yes, five scholarships would be the maximum for one year, but Melchionni has already indicated that he would give up his ride and walk on as a freshman if Randolph goes to Durham.

If that happens, it would simply mean the dynasty goes on and on!

Calhoun improving UConn's strength of schedule
Now let's talk about scheduling. So much is made of the RPI and strength of scheduling at the end of the season. Some coaches and schools have been smart enough to improve the quality of their non-league opponents.

One example is Jim Calhoun at Connecticut. The RPI was a factor against the Huskies when the NCAA Tournament selection committee looked at Connecticut last season.

For the 2001-02 season, the Huskies already had Syracuse and Notre Dame off the schedule as the Big East rotates opponents. Calhoun added a number of quality non-league games, including Oklahoma, Arizona, North Carolina and Vanderbilt. There is also a potential showdown against top-five foe Maryland in the BB&T Classic.

Just a few thoughts as we try to move forward in these trying times...