Sandi Marcius (Getty Images)

When Sandi Marcius announced his intent to transfer from Purdue earlier this month, the center's plan was to earn his diploma this summer so he'd be able to play immediately at his new school without sitting out a full season.

Two weeks later, Marcius has encountered an obstacle he apparently didn't expect.

Purdue reportedly will only honor Marcius' scholarship through the end of the spring semester, meaning the Croatian big man will have to foot the bill himself for the summer classes he needs in order to graduate. Tuition, books and room and board could cost more than $7,000, a hefty price that would likely require Marcius to take out a loan to cover.

Completing his degree this summer is especially important for Marcius because his college basketball career would be over if he has to sit out next season. College athletes have five years to complete their four seasons of eligibility, and Marcius already redshirted one full season at Purdue.

It would have been benevolent of Purdue to extend Marcius' scholarship through the end of the summer, but the school is certainly under no obligation to do so.

Marcius made the decision to transfer voluntarily after losing his starting job to freshman A.J. Hammons early in the season. Not only did Matt Painter want Marcius back next year as a backup, the Purdue coach urged Marcius to reconsider when he first broached the idea of leaving the program.

Angel Rodriguez (Getty Images)

Kansas State already knew it would lose standout guard Rodney McGruder to graduation this offseason.

Now the Wildcats must also overcome the departure of a member of the starting backcourt they did not expect to lose.

Angel Rodriguez, a second-team all-Big 12 point guard as a sophomore this past season, announced Monday night he intends to transfer to a school closer to his family in Puerto Rico. The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 11.4 points and 5.2 assists last season, leading the Wildcats in 3-pointers, assists and steals.

“After multiple conversations, Angel feels an obligation to be closer to his family,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said in a statement. “His mother is raising his two younger brothers all by herself in San Juan and he just wants to be able to see them more often.”

Rodriguez's departure comes as a surprise because he thrived under Weber last season and almost certainly would have been one of the Big 12's top point guards again as a junior. He had briefly considered transferring after Frank Martin left Kansas State last spring, but opted to remain with the Wildcats after a meeting with the then-newly hired Weber.

[Also: Gaudy asking price for Rumeal Robinson's Michigan national title ring]

“It is important that everyone understands that this was a really difficult decision,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “I have really enjoyed my time here and this decision was based entirely on my family and has nothing do with Kansas State, basketball or the coaching staff. It’s unfortunate after the year we just had, but I just feel right now this is the best thing for me and my family."

(Getty Images)

UConn and Cincinnati are both hoping their tenure as members of the American Athletic Conference is short enough that their fans won't need to get accustomed to the new name.

That possibility looks increasingly unlikely, however, now that one of their potential AAC escape routes may have slammed shut.

The ACC announced Monday that its 15 current or future members have signed a grant of rights deal effectively tethering them to the league until 2027. In a grant of rights deal, if an ACC school were to accept membership in another conference, the ACC would receive its media rights payments from the new league.

Since no school is going to willingly fork over tens of millions of dollars a year in TV revenue to bolt from the ACC, that all but ensures talk of Florida State joining the Big 12 or Virginia joining the Big Ten is dead for the foreseeable future. As a result, the ACC will have no need to add new members like a UConn or Cincinnati unless it decides to expand beyond 15 member schools at a later date.

UConn and Cincinnati have been angling for inclusion in the ACC since it became clear the Big East was beginning to disintegrate when Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia left the league. The ACC bypassed both the Huskies and Bearcats in favor of Louisville in November when the league sought a replacement for Big Ten-bound Maryland.

What makes the AAC unappealing to both schools is the large number of non-brand name schools who received invitations to the league to keep it afloat in Division I football. Neither UConn nor Cincinnati is wild about sharing a conference with the likes of Tulane, Tulsa, East Carolina and SMU.

Barry Larkin is thrilled his son emerged as one of college basketball's top point guards this past season, but the former Cincinnati Reds shortstop can't help but wonder what would have happened if Shane had pursued baseball instead.

"He still tells me I could go out there and hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases," Shane Larkin said with a chuckle in late-January.

That may be true, but Shane's a little out of practice these days judging by his attempt at throwing the first pitch before Saturday's baseball game in Coral Gables between Miami and Clemson. Video shot by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel shows Shane's pitch sail wildly over the head of the catcher and to the backstop, a result that will no doubt earn him some ribbing on campus and at the family dinner table.

Russ Smith (AP)

Six days before the NBA's deadline for players to announce if they're entering this year's draft or not, a handful of top college prospects remain undecided. Here's a look at some of the decisions that will have the most bearing on next year's college basketball season:

1. Russ Smith (Louisville): Immediately after Louisville captured the national title by beating Michigan, Smith's father told reporters his son was entering the NBA draft. Since then, however, we've learned Smith himself isn't so sure. Both Smith and Louisville coach Rick Pitino have said the 6-foot-1 junior guard is 50/50 whether to stay or go, with a decision expected sometime this week. The Cardinals will be one of the nation's better teams with or without Smith, but his return would make the Bluegrass State the epicenter of college basketball again next season and give Louisville a far better chance of defending its title.
Why he should stay: The risk for Smith if he leaves is he is not a surefire first-round pick despite leading the Cardinals to a championship because he lacks the size to defend shooting guards in the NBA and the vision and passing ability to play point guard. His ability to provide instant offense off the dribble is unique enough to get him drafted, but Smith knows that going in the second round would mean an NBA contract and roster spot next season is certainly no guarantee.
Why he should go: It's probably going to be difficult for Smith to elevate his draft stock much if he returned as a senior because he wouldn't be playing point guard. Freshman Terry Rozier and junior college transfer Chris Jones are likely to inherit Peyton Siva's role, meaning Smith would not have much chance to showcase newfound passing and playmaking skills even if he were to improve in those areas over the offseason.

James Michael McAdoo (Getty Images)

At the end of a disappointing sophomore season in which he did not emerge as one of the nation's top players the way many expected, North Carolina's James Michael McAdoo had a difficult decision to make.

Leave school now and hope his upside is enough to entice an NBA team to select him in the first round? Or stay another year and hope to play his way back into the lottery in the 2013-14 season?

That McAdoo chose the latter option is great news for a North Carolina program hoping to return to the nation's elite next season. At worst, he solidifies his team's frontcourt and makes the Tar Heels a threat to Duke in the ACC. At best, he develops into one of the nation's premier players and elevates North Carolina into the national title picture.

"I am ecstatic about having the opportunity to coach James Michael for another season," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said in a statement. "He's an incredible young man who did some really nice things this year. He's going to be an even better player in the future. Coaching young people like James Michael is what makes me enjoy coaching so much."

[Also: Projected top-five NBA pick Marcus Smart stays in school]

Though McAdoo averaged a respectable 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a sophomore, there were glaring holes in his games where he can improve. He has an impressive physique and athleticism but he is neither a true post-up threat nor a consistent mid-range shooter, which leaves NBA teams unsure if he's well-suited to play either forward position at that level.

In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of a senior class that won four straight Big 12 titles, Kansas coach Bill Self unleashed a playful one-liner at the expense of one his players during Monday night's team banquet.

Self was reliving senior Elijah Johnson's 39-point outburst in a late February victory at Iowa State when the subject turned to the point guard's game-ending fast-break dunk after the outcome had already been determined. Johnson apologized for the needless showboating after the game, but the dunk enraged Iowa State fans so much that one of them went so far as to confront Self on his way off the floor.

Quipped Self on Monday night, "Talk about Elijah's 39 points, which I think is great, Elijah, but your last two almost got my ass whipped after the game was over."

Funny stuff. And a wise choice by Self not to make a joke of Johnson's struggles in the Jayhawks' season-ending loss to Michigan in the Sweet 16. It's probably still too soon for that.

Vander Blue (Getty Images)

Just when Marquette seemed to be on the verge of a preseason top 10 ranking next season, the Golden Eagles suffered a crippling loss that will probably diminish expectations a bit.

Vander Blue, Marquette's leading scorer as a junior, announced Tuesday morning that he will forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the NBA draft. The decision comes as a surprise since Blue is unlikely to be a first-round pick and would not be guaranteed a roster spot with the team that selects him if he goes in the second round.

[Also: James Michael McAdoo’s return boosts North Carolina’s hoops title hopes]

"I've had three great years here and appreciate everything Marquette has done for me during that time to help me develop," Blue said in a statement. "At this point I want to pursue my dream. I've prayed about it and discussed it with my family and think this is the right decision for me at this time."

A celebrated five-star recruit who developed incrementally during his three seasons at Marquette, Blue played his way onto the NBA's radar as a junior. He averaged 14.8 points per game as a slashing shooting guard, leading the Golden Eagles to a co-Big East title and a berth in the Elite Eight.

A 29-point performance against Butler in the NCAA tournament should boost Blue's stock, but the concern for NBA scouts will be his perimeter shooting. Can a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who hits only 30.3 percent from behind the arc realistically be a first-round pick? It seems unlikely because Blue is a good but not explosive athlete and because his outside shooting has never been a strength.