(USA Today Sports Images)

Nothing is finalized but it's looking like Tennessee and Memphis will continue their series in basketball with an agreement in principle for four games over the next four seasons.

The Knoxville News reported the deal as all but done with ongoing talks about also meeting in future seasons on the football field.

“We’re going to play,” Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart told the paper. “We’re going to continue the basketball series.”

Meanwhile, several outlets reported that the Memphis Commercial Appeal has told its readers that while scheduling has been discussed between the two schools, there is no deal.

(Busted Coverage)

Rick Pitino appears to have adopted an NHL mentality after winning the national championship last month. Just as they do in hockey with the Stanley Cup, Pitino has taken the national championship trophy along on a few adventures.

The latest was a trip to Florida to celebrate his daughter Jacqueline's 21st birthday. Pitino, his daughter and several friends posed for the picture above in Fort Lauderdale at Cafe Martorano.(h/t busted coverage.com)

Mike Krzyzewski (Getty Images)

In addition to becoming the winningest Division I basketball coach in history in 2011, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had bragging rights over his peers in at least one other respect.

He was very, very well paid.

Krzyzewski made nearly $9.7 million in total compensation during the 2011 calendar year, USA Today reported Wednesday after reviewing the Duke coach's federal tax return recently filed by the school. That is the highest single-year salary for a college basketball or football coach since the newspaper began tracking compensation in 2006, topping the $8.9 million Louisville coach Rick Pitino received in 2010-11.

Krzyzewski’s base salary in 2011 was $1,978,401, but the rest of his total income came from several sources. He earned $5,642,574 in bonus and incentive compensation and $1,982,097 in retirement and other deferred compensation. There was also $59,616 for "other reportable compensation" such as charter travel for family and friends and $19,344 from non-taxable benefits.

USA Today reported Krzyzewski earned more than $7.2 million in the 2010 calendar year and nearly $4.7 million in 2009. Assessing why Krzyzewski's annual compensation more than doubled in two years is tough because private schools typically decline to make their contracts available to reporters.

screen shot via WXII

They've taken out newspaper ads, donned T-shirts and launched websites to no avail, so now Wake Forest fans eager to see a change in leadership in their basketball program are upping the ante one step further.

They've raised $4,500 to erect a billboard calling for the firing of fourth-year coach Jeff Bzdelik and the athletic director who continues to stand behind him.

The billboard stands along U.S. Route 52 in Winston Salem, a monument to the anger and discontentment many Wake Forest fans feel after Ron Wellman gave Bzdelik a fourth season to turn around the program even though he's just 34-60 in his first three. The top line of the billboard features the hashtags #BuzzOut and #FireWellman and the message below that reads "Demand Accountability, Rewake the Nation."

Brian Stratton, a Wake Forest fan who has been vocal in his displeasure with Bzdelik, explained to WXII-TV that he believes the billboard is necessary because Wellman has alienated the fan base with his allegiance to the coach. Stratton elaborated further on Wednesday in a Facebook post to the Fire Jeff Bzdelik group, noting that fans have sent hundreds of emails, placed dozens of phone calls and tried every possible way to convey they want the embattled coach gone.

"To date, we haven't received a single reply from Wellman, the athletic department, or the administration," Stratton wrote. "This is very odd considering that 90 percent of the fan base wants Bzdelik gone. It's even more insulting given the fact that Wellman wants us to donate to the Deacon Club, renew season tickets, and help fund the cost of buying and renevating the Joel.

Josh Davis (USA Today Sports Images)

San Diego State has found a player who may be capable of filling the huge void left by the departure of Jamaal Franklin to the NBA.

The Aztecs out-dueled Gonzaga and numerous other top programs to land coveted Tulane transfer Josh Davis, the 6-foot-8 forward's former high school coach confirmed Wednesday.

Davis, who averaged 17.6 points and 10.7 boards at Tulane last season, is a versatile player capable of rebounding, defending multiple positions and scoring with his back to the basket or by attacking the rim. He has graduated from Tulane and will be eligible to play his final year of eligibility next season for San Diego State.

"I think San Diego State is a really good fit for him," Athens Drive High School coach Robert Clemons said. "Gonzaga was really high on his list too. It came down to either or and I think he just liked San Diego State a little bit better."

Originally a North Carolina State signee under Sidney Lowe, Davis transferred to Tulane after a freshman season in which he played only 10.4 minutes per game for the Wolfpack. The Raleigh native became an impact player for the Green Wave, playing either forward position the past two years and even some center and helping lead the team to a 20-15 record last season.

Davis considered staying at Tulane and turning pro, but ultimately he decided his best option would be playing his final year of college basketball on a bigger stage than the Green Wave could provide. Numerous high-major schools expressed interest since he was coming off an impressive season and would be eligible immediately, but San Diego State was ultimately Davis' top choice.

Evan Gordon (Getty Images)In dire need of perimeter scoring, veteran leadership and another ball handler, Indiana added a player who can help in all those areas.

Arizona State transfer Evan Gordon announced Wednesday morning that he has chosen the Hoosiers over Butler. The younger brother of former Indiana star Eric Gordon has graduated from Arizona State and will be eligible to play his lone season with the Hoosiers immediately.

Gordon became a priority for Indiana coach Tom Crean as a result of the departure of backcourt standouts Victor Oladipo and Jordan Hulls as well as reserves Remy Abell and Maurice Creek. Yogi Ferrell returns at point guard and Will Sheehey will move into the starting lineup at small forward, but the addition of Gordon enables Crean to go with a veteran at shooting guard instead of throwing an incoming freshman into the lineup before he's ready.

Expectations for Gordon's lone season at Indiana need to be realistic, however, because he's not going to conjure memories of Oladipo. The 6-foot-1 combo guard averaged 10.1 points per game playing alongside Jahii Carson at Arizona State last season, but he shot 39.1 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from behind the arc.

What Gordon can do is play solid defense, aid Ferrell and Sheehey in providing leadership for a young team and assume ball handling responsibilities whenever Ferrell needs a rest. That's probably not going to elevate this Indiana team into Big Ten title contention alongside Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State, but it will help the Hoosiers contend for an upper half of the league finish and an NCAA bid.

Julien Lewis (Getty Images)

For Texas fans to stop bemoaning their recent run of football mediocrity long enough to pay attention to basketball, the Longhorns either have to be contending for Final Fours or enduring uncharacteristic struggles.

Unfortunately for coach Rick Barnes, right now it's the latter.

On the heels of a disappointing season in which Texas missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in Barnes' 15-year tenure, the line of players leaving the program in search of a fresh start continues to grow more crowded. Starting guard Julien Lewis, the program's leading 3-point shooter last season, became the fourth underclassman to leave since March when Texas revealed Tuesday that he will transfer.

The departure of Lewis means a Texas team that already shot 29.7 percent from behind the arc a year ago and 41.3 percent overall now will have to replace its three leading scorers. Sophomore point guard Myck Kabongo entered the NBA draft despite missing the first 23 games of last season due to NCAA eligibility issues and promising sophomore wing Sheldon McClellan announced in late March he intends to transfer.

The responsibility of providing perimeter scoring punch likely would have fallen to Lewis with Kabongo and McClellan gone, but an increased role apparently wasn't enough to keep the rising junior in Austin. Already there are reports Lewis will likely join former Texas assistant Rodney Terry at Fresno State.

Texas appears to be floating the idea that some of the transfers were mutual and could be addition by subtraction, but it's difficult to get behind that concept considering the lack of proven players on next season's roster. 

Isaiah Austin (Getty Images)

In the three years since the short-lived Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series ended with a whimper in 2010, it doesn't appear as though one of the leagues involved has learned from all its mistakes.

The Big 12 has entered into a similar 10-game challenge with the SEC that will begin next season, but the 2013 format leaves a lot to be desired.

Much like the games in the Big 12/Pac-10 series were annually spread over the course of a month, next season's Big 12-SEC challenge games span a six-week window from Nov. 14 to Dec. 21. Spacing the games so far apart hampers the event's chances of creating early-season buzz because only the most hardcore fans will even realize all 10 of the games are part of a challenge between the two leagues.

The only way a series between two leagues can truly capture the attention of fans is if the format is similar to the highly successful ACC-Big Ten Challenge, a battle for bragging rights that spans only two days. The Big 12's release announcing the event mentions that scheduling conflicts were the reason the event is so spread out next season and pledges to work with ESPN to schedule the games across consecutive days in the future.

Hopefully schools in both leagues commit to juggling their future schedules and making this event a two-day blockbuster because it does have potential if it's organized properly. The other problem with the inaugural version, however, is the matchups don't seem to have been chosen with much imagination.

Besides a potential top 10 showdown between Kansas and Florida and an already existing neutral-court game between Kentucky and Baylor, the rest of the slate is far from inspiring. Some of that is a result of the weakness of the bottom half of both leagues, but some of it is also a product of poor matchup choices.