Countdown to tipoff

The no. 4 Memphis Tigers host Louisiana Tech tonight at 7 pm at FedEx Forum. My pregame show starts at 5:30 pm on SportsRadio WMC.

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A pair of Texas football players will likely NOT be charged with any crime, according to an attorney. While I do find it interesting the allegation against one player was he was begging for money for pizza in Austin's entertainment district, I'll let it go.

Meanwhile, an Austin TV station reported Monday night that wide receiver Myron Hardy was arrested Nov. 6 for carrying a butterfly knife. Hardy, a sophomore, is redshirting this season.

Even more bad news for Mack Brown and company came Monday when player graduation rates were released and the Longhorns ranked number 113 out of 117. The numbers reflect the last three years of John Mackovic (95-97) and the first year of Brown (98). A freshman has six years to obtain his degree.

So while many coaches will throw their hands up over these numbers and proclaim their innocence, who are a few of the good guys?

- Fisher Deberry, Air Force - he graduates 91-percent of his guys.
- Joe Paterno, Penn State - he graduates 84-percent of his players, plus he's winning football games again!
- Jeff Bower, Southern Mississippi - 76-percent graduation, eight bowl games in the last nine seasons... what else can I say?

Memphis had a rate of 61-percent over this period which covers a large portion of coach Rip Scherer's era through 2000.

On the basketball side, coach John Calipari makes sure his players get a degree. That was not always the case.

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The heat is on coach Bill Parcells of the Dallas Cowboys. Fans have forgotten their three consecutive 5-11 seasons before Parcells came to town.

Dallas needs a miracle to make it in the playoffs. They blew up Sunday in the loss to the Redskins. Point a finger at Parcells if you like.

But he's the best thing to happen to the Cowboys in years.

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If you are a Conference USA fan, here's a must-read on Houston athletics. Athletic Diector Dave Maggard has his work cut our for him. I still shake my head in amazement at how a program with history and tradition could lose it all and not care. Maybe Maggard will help them care again.

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Kentucky says the NCAA is not worried about the immaculate fax concerning Randolph Morris, so why should you be concerned?

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Since Louisville left CUSA for the Big East, all I have been told by Cards fans is how happy they are to be in a "real conference." Case in point: when Louisville received their invite to the Gator Bowl, fans, columnists and analysts offered opinions on how much better this trip will be compared to Memphis and the Liberty Bowl, a game they appeared in a three times since 200.

Well Loserville, it's time to put your money where your mouth is... Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett said Monday, "To be honest, the response from Louisville hasn't been what we expected, based on what they told us they thought they could do." For the record, Virginia Tech has sold their near 13-thousand-ticket allotment.

Louisville claims ticket demand is very high; it's just fans are not buying through the university. Instead, they opt for buying directly from the bowl or though Ebay.

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See you on the radio.