Sportsfrog.com

- Weird announcement out of Syracuse yesterday that Mike Hopkins will succeed Jim Boeheim as coach of the Orange, but no timetable has been set. Does that mean this season, next season, or in five years? It seems likely that Hopkins got a head coaching offer and Syracuse doesn’t want to lose him. But this is pretty darn vague. How do you commit to someone unless he is under contract?

- Florida just picked up Jai Lucas, the top-rated point guard out there, as a late signee. That’s bad news for Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, and especially Maryland. He’s considered a T.J. Ford type and the #3 point guard prospect in the incoming class.

- Coach K can be a good guy? Say it ain’t so, Dave!

- Andy Katz declares Memphis as the #1 men’s basketball team in the land. Why? They lost no one, and gained a star: “The deadline to declare for the NBA draft was Sunday night. Of all the potential favorites, Memphis was the only team that didn’t get hit. And if you watched any of the high school all-star games the past month, you know the Tigers are adding one of the best players in the country in big guard Derrick Rose.”

- And kudos to Luke Winn for a fantastic read on Patrick Patterson, the top recruit left in the country. Winn, through Patterson and his Mom, provides great insight from a high school kid’s perspective on the recruiting process and the coaching carousel. You’ve got to love the loyalty of UK Nation, and the relentless preparation of Billy Gillispie. You’ve also gotta love how other recruits from Florida are trying to convince him to sign there based on how fine the Gainesville co-eds are. And maybe best, you have to love how the kid flat-out rejected That Matta in a cell phone break-up. One lesson learned: if your kid is a top prospect, get unlimited text messaging on your cell phone plan.