When the debate started several months ago of who & how many teams CUSA would get in the Big Dance in March, Memphis topped the list, followed by UAB & maybe Houston. Some of us forgot UTEP. Let's hope the Tigers don't make the same mistake tonight. Commercial Appeal writer Gary Parrish is right on the money in his story today about the implications of tonight's game on the conference's regular season champion.

UTEP has been in the spotlight for more than just its current basketball team in recent weeks. The movie "Glory Road" has brought attention to the school for its history when it was known as Texas Western. So to capitalize on it all, the Miners will where Texas Western throwback jerseys to 1966. What better stage to do it than on ESPN2 against the no. 3 team in the country. Typically, you would think such a special occasion for throwbacks would come at home.

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The month of January was ugly for the Memphis Grizzlies. Let's hope they have escaped the funk that surrounded them. Last night was the team's fourth-straight win, 94-88 over Toronto. There's 30 regular-season games left, 17 are at home. Can the Grizz find the magic that made them one of the most-taled about teams the first two months of the season?

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Could we be adding the University of Mississippi to the list of schools that will be searching for a basketball coach come season's end? Athletic director Pete Boone was non-commital during an interview Tuesday about the future of coach Rod Barnes. I guess that is better than being given the ol' vote of confidence. When that happens, you should go ahead & pack your bags.

I read somewhere recently that over the last 10 years there have been on average 49 division 1 basketball coaching changes annually. That numbers seems high until you consider the snowball affect one firing, retirement of resignation does to the coaching landscape. It leads to other coaches making moves to better their careers & next thing you know, boom, there have been nearly 50 changes.

This year could really get interesting if Kentucky's Tubby Smith jumps to the NBA, as has been rumored for many weeks. Add to the mix Indiana & Missouri... those are just the three we are sure of.

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In college football, Melvin Smith is back with Mississippi State to coach the defensive backfield. Smith was part of Jackie Sherril's staff from 1996-2001, before he left to join the Dallas Cowboys. Smith returns to Starkville after spending a season at Texas A&M coaching safeties.

Meanwhile, former Mississippi offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone will coach wide receivers in the NFL for the New York Jets next season.

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David Poole of The Charlotte Observer (plus, contributor to Focus On Racing Radio) is right on the money today about NASCAR's mishandling of Chad Knaus & his cheating prior to the Daytona 500. David writes:

Did you hear the one about how NASCAR is cracking down on cheating?

Stock car racing rules enforcement officially became a joke Tuesday when NASCAR announced the rest of its penalty against Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson, for the No. 48 Chevrolet's Daytona 500 qualifying violation.

Knaus is suspended for three more Cup races after also having to sit out Johnson's win in the 500 on Sunday. He is suspended until March 22. The season's fifth race, at Bristol, is March 26. Knaus was also fined $25,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.

The punch line, though, is that neither Johnson nor car owner Rick Hendrick lost points.

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Georgia Tech has called a 3 p.m. press conference for this afternoon to announce LSU associate AD Dan Radakovich as the seventh athletics director in school history, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Since they passed over their former coach for the job, I guess that means another season of Bill Curry in the broadcast booth, huh?

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Music quote of the day:

"But when she puts her arms around me,
I can, somehow, rise above it
Yeah man, when I got that little girl standing right by my side,
You know, I can tell the whole wide world, "Shove it,"

Hey, here comes my girl, here comes my girl,
Yeah, she looks so right, she's all I need tonight"

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - "Here Comes My Girl"