Long Beach State's hilarious "No Sick Days" promotional video generated so much preseason buzz for the school's men's basketball program that the 49ers have released a follow-up effort.

In the first video, a couple of flu-ridden Long Beach State players practice in giant plastic bubbles in order to avoid infecting their teammates. In the sequel aptly titled "No Sick Days II," this time it's an ailing 49ers coach Dan Monson who must do his job from a bubble quarantine.

The latest video isn't quite as funny as the first one because it lacks the element of surprise and doesn't feature guard Larry Anderson's spot-on deadpan delivery, but it's nonetheless a solid effort.

And good for Monson for embracing the concept, drawing plays from inside the bubble and playfully shouting out instructions. In a sport when some coaches can often seem wooden and humorless, it's nice to see one let his guard down.

Pull up a chair and sit down at the breakfast buffet, an assortment of all the freshest newsworthy college hoops stories on the net. To make a submission, contact me via email or Twitter.

• The only downside to new coach Mike Rice's superb 2011 recruiting class at Rutgers was that it wasn't going to be able to aid his cause this season, but a Scout.com report suggests that may have changed. Instead of spending the year in prep school, top 50 recruit Kadeem Jack may attempt to enroll at Rutgers in January and join the team immediately.

• From Baylor-Ohio State, to Texas-Gonzaga, to Utah-Arizona, a long list of schools played in secret scrimmages this weekend that were closed to both fans and the media. FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman provides some second-hand info on what teams looked good and what players stood out.

• Ex-Kentucky walk-on Landon Slone only made one basket in his return to Rupp Arena with Pike College on Monday night, but the polite applause he received during pregame

From Duke's title game rematch against Butler, to Kentucky's potential showdown with Washington in Maui, to Steve Lavin's return visit to Pauley Pavilion, there are plenty of intriguing non-conference clashes ahead this college basketball season. Here are 10 more matchups I wish were on next season's schedule even though they each have little chance of happening this season or anytime soon:

1. Duke vs. Kentucky

Comment: The rivalry between the Blue Devils and Wildcats is unique because the two teams have produced so many memorable finishes even though they've only met 19 times in history. They've only squared off twice since the Christian Laettner shot in 1992, with Kentucky's Jeff Sheppard leading a historic comeback in the 1998 regional finals and then Jason Williams leading Duke to a memorable overtime victory early in the 2001-02 season.

2. Kentucky at Memphis

Comment: Not only would this be an intriguing matchup between the nation's two top freshman classes, it would also mark

North Carolina's Harrison Barnes won't make his collegiate debut for almost another two weeks, but the prized forward accomplished something on Monday that no other freshman has ever done.

Barnes became the first freshman named to the AP's Preseason All-American team since voting began 24 years ago.

The selection of Barnes represents another sign of how freshman-heavy college hoops has become since the NBA began requiring players to be at least a year out of high school before entering the league The rule change ensured more NBA-caliber talent would pass through college basketball for at least one season, yet it also ensured that the sport's best players are often the youngest.

In the five years since the one-and-done rule went into effect, six freshman have been named to the AP's five-member first-team All-American squad at the end of a season. That list includes Texas' Kevin Durant and Ohio State's Greg Oden in 2007, UCLA's Kevin Love and Kansas State's Michael Beasley in 2008, and

Our conference preview series continues with the Southland Conference. Here's a look at the projected standings, three must-see games and the conference's three most intriguing storylines entering the new season.

Can Stephen F. Austin reclaim the conference crown?

For a team expected to drop off a bit last season, Stephen F. Austin certainly didn't fall very far. The perennial Southland contenders notched a third straight 20-win season, finishing 23-9 and capturing first place in the Eastern Division before getting thumped by Sam Houston State in the conference tournament title game.

There's no reason to believe Stephen F. Austin can't post a fourth straight 20-win season considering how much talent the Lumberjacks have back. Senior guard Eddie Williams highlights a group of three returning starters capable of propelling Stephen F. Austin back to the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years.

Williams, a conference player of the year candidate, averaged 13.3 points and 5.9

Pull up a chair and sit down at the breakfast buffet, an assortment of all the freshest newsworthy college hoops stories on the net. To make a submission, contact me via email or Twitter.

• There's nothing subtle about the Miami basketball program's attempts to take advantage of LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach. Not only did the Hurricanes make sure to publicize the summer pick-up games LeBron played with players on campus, they also feature at least four photos of him their annual media guide in addition to a full-page Nike ad.

• Myck Kabongo had been denying for months that he was having second thoughts about his commitment to Texas, but the Canadian point guard finally acknowledged this week that he was ready to look elsewhere. Now the highest-ranked available player in the Class of 2011, Kabongo will consider Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse and Kentucky in addition to the Longhorns.

• Among the walk-ons Kentucky coach John Calipari didn't invite to return to the

In a story that sounds as though it could have been lifted straight out of an episode of MTV's "Punk'd," celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore may have violated NCAA rules on behalf of the Iowa men's basketball program.

The Des Moines Register reported Sunday that Iowa athletic officials have told the NCAA they allowed two recruits to meet Kutcher, Moore and ex-Hawkeye basketball stars Dean Oliver and Reggie Evans prior to a home football game last month.

Kutcher, an Iowa native and Hawkeyes fan and donor, is considered a representative of the university's athletic interests, as are Oliver and Evans. The NCAA prohibits potential recruits from having any contact with such individuals as a result of the undue influence they could have on the recruiting process.

A juicy story like this one is sure to garner plenty of headlines over the next few days because of Kutcher and Moore's involvement, but the truth is that these potential violations are not that big of a deal.

Our conference preview series continues with the Southern Conference. Here's a look at the projected standings, three must-see games and the conference's three most intriguing storylines entering the new season.

Can Wofford contend for an at-large NCAA berth?

Maybe the most exciting part of Wofford's historic 26-win season last year is that the Terriers return the majority of the players who produced it. Four starters including SoCon player of the year Noah Dahlman are back from the team that captured the regular season and conference tournament championships and put a major scare into Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The centerpiece of Wofford's team is certainly Dahlman, a hard-working 6-foot-6 forward who scored the majority of his 16.6 points per game on layups in the paint or from the free throw line. The Terriers complement Dahlman with rebounder extraordinaire Tim Johnson, sweet-shooting Cameron Rundles and defensive-minded guard Jamar Diggs.

A harbinger