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Here are the top NBA performers for Sunday, February 24, 2008.

Boston Celtics

• Guard Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 8 assists.
• Guard Ray Allen scored 19 points.
• Forward Paul Pierce had 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Chicago Bulls

• Guard Kirk Hinrich had 10 points and 10 assists.
• Forward Tyrus Thomas had 18 point, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Forward LeBron James had 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists.
• Center Ben Wallace had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
• Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 22 rebounds and 13 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks

• Guard Jason Terry scored 20 points.
• Guard Jason Kidd had 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 17 assists.
• Forward Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 8 rebounds.

Detroit Pistons

• Guard Chauncey Billups had 14 points and 11 assists.
• Guard Richard Hamilton scored 18 points.
• Forward Antonio McDyess had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
• Forward Rasheed Wallace scored 22 points.

Houston Rockets

• Guard Tracy McGrady had 24 points and 7 assists.
• Forward Shane Battier had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
• Forward Luis Scola scored 17 points.

Los Angeles Lakers

• Guard Kobe Bryant had 21 points and 10 assists.
• Forward Lamar Odom had 19 points and 11 rebounds.
• Forward Luke Walton had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
• Center Pau Gasol had 22 points and 7 rebounds.

Memphis Grizzlies

• Forward Hakim Warrick had 21 points and 9 rebounds.
• Forward Rudy Gay had 19 points and 7 rebounds.

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Guard Sebastian Telfair had 10 points and 7 rebounds.
• Center Al Jefferson had 22 points and 7 rebounds.

New York Knicks

• Guard Jamal Crawford had 26 points and 6 assists.
• Guard Nate Robinson had 20 points and 8 rebounds.

Orlando Magic

• Forward Rashard Lewis had 16 points and 7 rebounds.
• Center Dwight Howard had 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns

• Forward Amare Stoudemire scored 31 points.
• Center Shaquille O’Neal had 7 points and 11 rebounds.

Portland Trail Blazers

• Guard Jarrett Jack had 17 points and 5 rebounds.
• Guard Steve Black had 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Sacramento Kings

• Guard Kevin Martin had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.
• Forward Ron Artest had 23 points and 6 rebounds.
• Center Brad Miller had 17 points and 6 rebounds.

Seattle Sonics

• Guard Earl Watson had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists.
• Forward Jeff Green had 15 points and 8 rebounds.
• Forward Kevin Durant scored 15 points.
• Center Johan Petro grabbed 10 rebounds.

Toronto Rapters

• Guard Anthony Parker scored 16 points.
• Forward Chris Bosh had 17 points and 5 rebounds.
• Forward Andrea Bargnani had 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Top Bench Performers

These are the NBA players who provided their teams with some help off the bench. Their numbers might not be as impressive as some starters, but they’re on this list because they contributed off the bench.

• Boston Celtics guard Eddie House scored 11 points.
• Boston Celtics forward James Posey scored 15 points.
• Chicago Bulls guard Larry Hughes scored 13 points.
• Chicago Bulls forward Drew Gooden had 12 points and 8 rebounds.
• Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng had 10 points and 6 rebounds.
• Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones scored 11 points.
• Cleveland Cavaliers forward Joe Smith had 14 points and 6 rebounds.
• Cleveland Cavaliers forward Wally Szczerbiak scored 10 points.
• Detroit Pistons forward Jarvis Hayes scored 18 points.
• Houston Rockets guard Bobby Jackson scored 14 points.
• Houston Rockets guard Luther Head scored 11 points.
• Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic scored 13 points.
• Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar scored 12 points.
• Memphis Grizzlies guard Kyle Lowry scored 13 points.
• Minnesota Timberwolves guard Rashad McCants scored 17 points.
• Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric had 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.
• Orlando Magic guard Keyon Dooling scored 14 points.
• Orlando Magic forward Brian Cook scored 14 points.
• Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa had 18 points and 5 assists.
• Portland Trail Blazers forward Martell Webster scored 12 points.
• Portland Trail Blazers forward Travis Outlaw scored 24 points.
• Seattle Sonics guard Mickael Gelabale had 21 points and 8 rebounds.
• Toronto Rapters guard TJ Ford had 15 points and 5 assists.
• Toronto Rapters center Primo Brezec scored 11 points.

After Thursday’s frenzy of trades, LeBron James has come away with a brand new supporting cast.

On the Perimeter

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, everything starts and stops with LeBron James. He’s going to be an MVP candidate for at least the next ten years of his career. The 6′8″, 240 pound forward is also capable of carrying the entire franchise on his shoulders.

With every passing game, Daniel Gibson is establishing himself more and more as a good sidekick for LeBron James. Everyone knows that when you play with an offensive juggernaut like King James, you’re going to be left wide open on more than a few occasions. Daniel Gibson has been shooting an impressive 48% from the three point line.

Sasha Pavlovic provides some quality backup minutes at both wing spots.

Thanks a crowded backcourt in Seattle, Delonte West’s numbers aren’t all that impressive. However, the talent is there. He’s a nice combo guard that can handle the ball and shoot it as well. Plus, he’s still young and developing.

If there’s one thing that you need to know about Wally Szczerbiak, it’s that he can shoot and score. The Cleveland Cavaliers have forever been looking for a sidekick for LeBron James since the moment they drafted him. Wally Szczerbiak might not be the perfect complement, but his outside shooting should make life just a little bit easier for LeBron James.

Offensively, this is going to be a great rotation. They’re going to be able to do a lot of damage. The new additions are also going to help LeBron James be that much more devastating on offense.

It would have been nice for the team to have a defensive stopper in the rotation, but a general manager can only do so much each year.

In the Paint

Former defensive player of the year, Ben Wallace takes over as the focal point of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ defense. He needs to find that spark that made him one of the best shot blocker and rebounder in league history. The perimeter players aren’t going to be shutting down too many opponents, so it’s vital that Ben Wallace steps up.

There’s a good chance that Anderson Varejao’s energy could light a fire under Ben Wallace again. The guy does a lot of the dirty work on defense, and his energy allows him to produce on offense. Whenever the Cleveland Cavaliers need to shut down opposing big men, these two guys will more than likely be on the floor together.

Former first overall draft pick Joe Smith is another energy guy that does a lot of the little things. The veteran can also step outside and hit the midrange jumper consistently.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas can score well enough in the low post to draw double teams. Of course, it’s going to be harder to double team him now that the rotation consists of so many outside shooters. He’s not a defensive stopper by any means, but that won’t be as much of an issue with Joe Smith, Anderson Varejao, and Ben Wallace by his side.

This group has the potential to be one of the best big men rotations in the league. Offensively, they’re set with Zydrunas Ilgauskas scoring inside. Joe Smith and Anderson Varejao can also chip in with some garbage man points as well.

Defensively is where this group can dominate games. If they can mesh well enough by playoff time, they can cause fits for just about any big man in the league.

Closing Thoughts

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ balance and depth puts them on an even playing level with the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons.

On Thursday, the New Orleans Hornets added another weapon to their bench by trading for guard Bonzi Wells.

The Trade

• The Houston Rockets receive forward guard Bobby Jackson, guard Adam Haluska, and forward Sergei Lishouk.
• The Memphis Grizzlies receive forward Marcus Vinicius, center Malick Badiane and cash.
• The New Orleans Hornets receive guard Mike James and guard Bonzi Wells.

For the Houston Rockets

There’s some financial reasons for this trade, but it’s not significant enough for sports fans to really pay attention to, so we’ll go ahead and skip over that.

While it’s true that the Houston Rockets lost some firepower by trading away two valuable backcourt players, they did pick up someone that could help the team out tremendously.

Bobby Jackson is a true scorer. In fact, he might be too much of a scorer, but that’s fine for this team. When he’s on the court, more than likely Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming will be taking their breaks on the bench. He’ll have the green light to shoot with the second unit. He’ll also have the green light because of his familiarity with head coach Rick Adelman (Bobby Jackson played for him in Sacramento).

Not much is known about Adam Haluska and Sergei Lishouk, but they are prospects. Teams don’t really mind collecting those if they’re cheap.

For the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are basically involved in this deal to pick up some extra cash and some extra prospects. Nothing too exciting here.

For the New Orleans Hornets

With so many teams in the Western Conference loading up for what appears to be the most competitive playoff series in NBA history, the New Orleans Hornets knew they had to upgrade. They went the same route as the San Antonio Spurs did by adding minor pieces who can contribute to the team’s success.

Mike James was thrown into the deal because the Houston Rockets wanted to get rid of his high salary. However, he can step into Bobby Jackson’s old role and provide the team with some scoring off the bench. If he’s in the right system, Mike James can be an explosive scorer.

Bonzi Wells was the key piece to this entire trade. His arrival should allow the New Orleans Hornets to attack from a few different ways now.

The 6′5, 210 pound guard should immediately step into the rotation, taking up the majority of backup minutes behind Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic. His ability to score in the low post should complement the outside shooting of the two starting wing players.

Also, in the playoffs, teams have been known to rely on a few “go to” plays. With Bonzi Wells on board, head coach Byron Scott can run an offensive set that has the guard posting up on the low blocks with Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic waiting on the perimeter for a kick out.

Closing Thoughts

This trade has made the best team in the Western Conference that much more potent.

Former defensive player of the year, Ben Wallace, is headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers to help LeBron James get back to the NBA Finals.

The Trade

• The Chicago Bulls receive guard Shannon Brown, guard Larry Hughes, forward Cedric Simmons, and forward Drew Gooden.
• The Cleveland Cavalier receive guard Delonte West, forward Wally Szczerbiak, forward Joe Smith, center Ben Wallace, and a 2009 2nd round draft pick.
• The Seattle Sonics receive guard Adrian Griffin, forward Ira Newble, and forward Donyell Marshall.

For the Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls basically did this trade to rid themselves of Ben Wallace.

The former defensive player of the year was obviously unhappy playing in Chicago. It was to the point where his effectiveness was quite limited. His refusal to be a team captain and his bickering with rookie teammate Joakim Noah basically ruined the team chemistry.

Plus, Ben Wallace has another 2 years left on his contract after this season. He is owed $28.5 million.

Larry Hughes has a pretty big contract as well, but the Chicago Bulls would rather take the risk with him as opposed to keeping things the same with Ben Wallace. Larry Hughes should be able to start in the backcourt alongside Kirk Hinrich. He’s also insurance (albeit an expensive one) in case Ben Gordon leaves the team this summer. The change of scenery could do wonders for Larry Hughes.

Drew Gooden is a solid big man. He should be able to contribute immediately. Plus, if the Chicago Bulls don’t want him in their long term plans, he becomes a valuable commodity next season as a big man with a $7 million expiring contract.

Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons are basically just two prospects for the team. The Chicago Bulls aren’t expecting a lot from them, so any contribution they give would be a bonus.

For the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers did this trade in preparations of a long playoff run. They want to return to the NBA Finals again.

In Ben Wallace, the Cleveland Cavaliers add a guy that could be a force as a rebounder, shot blocker, and defender. If the trade rejuvenates him, then Ben Wallace provides the team with everything that they needed in the paint.

Ben Wallace should also be a perfect complement for center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Big Z can focus on the offensive end while Wallace can focus on the defensive side. Plus, With Zydrunas Ilgaskas being able to step outside with a reliable midrange jumper and good passing abilities, that should allow Ben Wallace to get a couple offensive touches.

Veteran Joe Smith brings added depth to the Cleveland Cavaliers bench. His energy on defense should endear him to fans in the same way that Anderson Varejao does. In fact, the energy from Joe Smith, Anderson Varejao, and Ben Wallace could even become contagious for the other players on the team.

Wally Szczerbiak, who played college basketball in the state of Ohio, will be a great complement for LeBron James. His outside shooting abilities should clear more space for King James to operate in the lane. It also works the other way around as well as the defensive focus on LeBron James should allow for more open shots for Wally Szczerbiak.

For years, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been in search of a point guard. Delonte West could very well become that point guard that they’ve been looking for. When you play with someone like LeBron James, you need to be able to play off the ball. Delonte West came into the league as a combination guard, so he does have that ability. The franchise should be set for the next few years at the position thanks to the combination of Delonte West and Daniel Gibson.

For the Seattle Sonics 

The Seattle Sonics basically did the trade for salary cap purpose.

Wally Szczerbiak was making approximately $13 million. It’s a lot easier to trade several players with smaller contracts as opposed to trading a player with a huge contract. With the team focused on the future, moving the sharpshooter made sense.

Adrian Griffin and Ira Newble are both veterans with small expiring contracts. They’ll provide some defense for the rest of the season and then move on.

Donyell Marshall has an addition year on his contract after this season, but it wouldn’t be difficult at all for the Seattle Sonics to find a taker for the veteran bench scorer. They could also choose to buy him out, too, if they wanted.

Closing Thoughts

This seems to be the season for trades that work out for every team involved. This three way trade is no exception.

The San Antonio Spurs have strengthened their frontline by trading for Kurt Thomas.

The Trade

• The San Antonio Spurs receive forward Kurt Thomas.
• The Seattle Sonics receive guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson, and a 2009 1st round draft pick.

For the San Antonio Spurs

This trade is really simple for the San Antonio Spurs. It also makes a lot of sense. By trading for Kurt Thomas, the team has added more interior toughness.

At just 6′9″, 230 pounds, Kurt Thomas has been a good defender at the center position for the last decade. He rebounds, defends, and is fundamentally sound. Doesn’t that sound exactly like what head coach Gregg Popovich loves?

Kurt Thomas also fits the head coach’s vision in that he fits the team perfectly as a veteran leader. The San Antonio Spurs already have veteran leadership in Michael Finlay, Robert Horry, and Tim Duncan, but it never hurts to add more.

When you look at some of the top teams in the Western Conference, you see a lot of potent tandems at the power positions. Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur. David West and Tyson Chandler.

Having another solid interior defender like Kurt Thomas really helps Tim Duncan out a lot.

For the Seattle Sonics

Usually, general managers will make up some generic compliment in regards to the players coming in. However, the Seattle Sonics aren’t even hiding their reasoning for doing this trade.

There’s no need to. Everyone already knows.

They simply did this trade for the 1st round draft pick that the San Antonio Spurs were offering.

Brent Barry is a great role player, but he doesn’t fit in with the team’s youth movement. Francisco Elson is a serviceable center, but the Seattle Sonics already have plenty of young big men fighting for minutes.

Both players have expiring contracts. Neither one figure into the team’s long term plans. In fact, it wouldn’t be much of a shock if Brent Barry’s contract was bought out, and he ends up back on that San Antonio bench.

Closing Thoughts

A lot of casual fans are just brushing off this trade because it doesn’t involve a big name player, but don’t be too surprise to see this trade helping the San Antonio Spurs win another NBA championship.

The Seattle Sonics are shopping Kurt Thomas around in hopes of trading the veteran big man.

Youth Movement

It’s not official yet, but the signs are there. Kurt Thomas is able to read those signs pretty clearly, too.

The Seattle Sonics are making even more of a commitment towards youth.

Kurt Thomas has been in the league for a dozen years now. The majority of his teammates have yet to play 5 years.

He’s also 35 years old, which makes him about 8 years older than Nick Collison, 10 years older than Chris Wilcox, 13 years older than Robert Swift, and 14 years older than Johan Petro and Mouhamed Sene.

The franchise has absolutely no chance of making the playoffs this year. So, now would be the time to start giving as many minutes as possible to the young group of big men.

Courting Kurt

There appears to be several teams interesting in acquiring Kurt Thomas.

Can’t blame them. In Kurt Thomas, you have a veteran leader who can play power forward and center. He’s a superb rebounder and defender. Plus, he still has the ability to hit a few shots on offense.

Best of all, Kurt Thomas has an expiring $8 million contract.

The Orlando Magic have reportedly already expressed interest in Kurt Thomas. They need a veteran big man next to Dwight Howard to do the dirty work. Head coach Stan Van Gundy has expressed quite a bit of displeasure with his star player’s inability to focus on defense and rebounding. Kurt Thomas just happens to specialize in those two fields.

Kurt Thomas would be a perfect addition for the Dallas Mavericks if they could find the pieces to make the trade happen. The team would be complete with an enforcer like Kurt Thomas on their frontline. He would bring the toughness that the team needs inside.

The Phoenix Suns, who Kurt Thomas played for prior to joining the Seattle Sonics, would also love to add the veteran big man to their rotation. With Kurt Thomas, Amare Stoudemire, and Shaquille O’Neal, the team would be able to compete inside with just about any team in the league.

Closing Thoughts

While this may not be as big as the blockbuster trades we’ve seen these past few days, it would definitely have an impact on the Western Conference playoff scene.

It is now official and Jason Kidd has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks. The new trade has a few changes in the numbers and players.

The Trade

• The Dallas Mavericks receive Jason Kidd, Malik Allen, and Antoine Wright
• The New Jersey Nets receive Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn, $3 million and two future No. 1 draft picks.

The major change was the addition of Antoine Wright and Malik Allen in one trade. The other change was the addition of Keith Van Horn who was signed just for the traded and the removal of Devean George and Jerry Stackhouse. Stackhuse was supposed to be traded, released, and resigned but due to possible league blocking of this, he was removed from the new trade. Dallas will have to release Nick Fazekas to make room for Van Horn but should bring him back.

Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby has been traded to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Trade

The Atlanta Hawks made a trade with Sacramento Kings to add further fuel to their playoff chase this year.

• The Atlanta Hawks receive guard Mike Bibby.
• The Sacramento Kings receive guard Tyronn Lue, guard Anthony Johnson, forward Sheldon Williams, center Lorenzen Wright, and a 2nd round draft pick.

For the Atlanta Hawks

This move makes a lot of sense for the Atlanta Hawks.

The team is currently sitting at 9th in the Eastern Conference at the All Star break. Trading for an all star point guard in Mike Bibby should help them gain an advantage over the New Jersey Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. The additional firepower that he brings should make things a lot easier for Joe Johnson.

With a little chemistry, Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson could form perhaps one of the most difficult backcourts to guard. Both players are capable of handling the ball and scoring. The versatility will make them extremely difficult to contain and key on.

Mike Bibby also brings some much needed leadership to a team whose core is relatively young.

The addition of Mike Bibby should also help out young guard Acie Law. The 11th overall draft pick out of the University of Texas A&M can be given more time to develop now that the Atlanta Hawks have a surefire starter in Mike Bibby. Plus, Acie Law can still be used in the same backcourt with Mike Bibby for stretches in the game.

For the Sacramento Kings

There’s no denying that the Sacramento Kings did this trade in order to clear some cap space.

Tyronn Lue has a $3.5 million contract. Anthony Johnson has $2.9 million. Lorenzen Wright has $3.2 million. All three contracts expire at the end of the season. That right there is more valuable than anything those three players can contribute.

Sheldon Williams doesn’t have an expiring contract this summer, but he does have something the other three players don’t have. He has potential. The 6′9″, 250 young big man from Duke still can develop into a solid starter for years to come in this league.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Kenny Thomas, Mikki Moore, and Brad Miller are all on the other side of 30. Sheldon Williams could form a potent inside combination with rookie Spencer Hawes, who still has a lot of developing to do.

Trading for Sheldon Williams also isn’t much of a financial risk for the Sacramento Kings. If they’re not satisfied with his development, then they scan simply choose not to resign him when his rookie contract comes to a close.

Closing Thoughts

This is another trade that sounds like it will benefit both teams.

The Atlanta Hawks get a veteran all-star guard to help in their chase for the playoffs, and the Sacramento Kings get a jump start on their rebuilding process.

Fans in Dallas aren’t the only ones screaming at Devean George to sign off on the trade. Fans in New Jersey are also yelling at him to let the Dallas Mavericks send over Devin Harris.

The Trade in Limbo

The big talk in the sports world right now is the trade between the Dallas Mavericks and the New Jersey Nets that’s waiting to happen. Both organization are waiting for the following trade to be completed.

• Dallas Mavericks receive guard Devin Harris, guard Maurice Ager, guard Jerry Stackhouse, forward Devean George, center DeSagana Diop, $3 million in cash, and 2 future first round draft picks.
• New Jersey Nets receive guard Jason Kidd, guard Antoine Wright, and forward Malik Allen.

The trade, however, has been held up thanks to a little known clause in Devean George’s contract that allows him to veto any trade involving him.

Net Gain

While the majority of the sports world has been focused on how much the Dallas Mavericks improve with the addition of Jason Kidd, we’re going to take a look at how much this trade benefits the New Jersey Nets.

On paper, it looks bad for the New Jersey Nets. They’re losing an all-star point guard.

However, if you dig deeper, you’ll see that the team is trading away a player that doesn’t want to be in the organization any more. It’s also an organization that has very little chance of winning a championship.

The best move for both Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets was to trade away the talented and versatile guard to another team.

It was time to rebuild.

And what do you always look for when you rebuild? Young players and expiring contracts.

The package that the Dallas Mavericks came up with fulfilled both of those wishes.

Diving in With Devin

Devin Harris is only 24 years old right now, but you can already tell that he has it in him to become a perennial all-star.

The 5th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Devin Harris is one of the quickest players in the league. In fact, you could probably draw a pretty good crowd to a foot race between San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker and him.

He’s already viewed as one of the best defensive guards in the league. Some even call him the best defender at his position.

And he’s still improving.

With that in mind, the New Jersey Nets would do well to rebuild their franchise around him and forward Richard Jefferson. The two could form as potent of a combination as Dwayne Wade and Shawn Marion could down in Miami.

The Foundation is Set

The New Jersey Nets wouldn’t just have two pieces to build around. The roster already has a couple of young players that can still develop into good players. Plus, the trade with the Dallas Mavericks could also bring in some other pieces as well.

First of all, let’s take a look at the pieces that will end up boarding a plane with Devin Harris to New Jersey.

Maurice Ager can still become a good swingman in this league. He just needs more playing time. That was difficult to come by on a team where he was behind Eddie Jones, Jason Terry, Josh Howard, and Jerry Stackhouse on the depth chart.

DeSagana Diop might not become an all-star center in this league, but he can become a solid center for the New Jersey Nets.

He can join a big man rotation with 7 footer Nenad Krstic, who happens to only be 24. Sean Williams and Josh Boone could round out a nice rotation.

Devin Harris and Maurice Ager join a backcourt that already consist of Marcus Willams, a 23 year old guard from Connecticut.

They might not win a lot of games at the start, but they are nice pieces to build around.

Closing Thoughts

For the sake of both franchises, this trade needs to happen.

The NCAA is losing a lot of face by giving Kelvin Sampson and the Indiana Hoosiers college basketball program a tiny slap on the wrist for breaking rules and then breaking them again. Coach Kelvin Sampson was already suspended from recruiting for one year from May 24, 2006, to May 25, 2007 for violations in his stint at Oklahoma and didn’t care for that and kept violating rules and bans.

This was Sampsons response before he took the Indiana job “It is a little bit embarrassing to stand up here and be asked about NCAA violations, but you also have to realize we’re human and we make mistakes. I made a mistake but we’ve corrected it and moved forward.” Look coach, you cheat, you don’t make mistakes. You break rules and overlook them and when your caught, you make petty excuses. Well I guess in the end you have a good recruiting class which is all that counts for you and athletic director Rick Greenspan.

Violations

• Called recruits even under sanctions for prior violations ( He called recruits even though he as banned)
• Contacted 9 potential recruits by “at least 25 telephone calls” (The NCAA has limits on how many times you can contact recruits)
• He broke sanctions and lied to NCAA investigators

Penalties

• Sampson loses a $500,000 bonus for 2007-2008
• Team loses one scholarship for 2008-2009 season
• Assistant Rob Senderoff banned for one year from off campus recruiting and making recruiting phone calls. He also gets no bonus or salary increase for the next year.

This is a sorry excuse for penalties when the Hoosiers already got some of the top players in the recruiting class. It makes me laugh that they are banning another assistant from recruiting by phone. Hello NCAA Sampson was banned from that and that didn’t stop him. This is what is wrong with a lot of sports these days. People just want to win so much that sometimes breaking the rules is ok because the ends results is a winning team. They need to make harsher penalties. Capital punishment in sports sounds great to me. Lets say the Hoosiers are not allowed to play in the post season. That’s capital punishment and should teach the athletic director at Indiana that he should be more than disappoint ed.