Of the many memories Ronald Nored shared in a blog post looking back at Butler's historic Final Four run, the most interesting was an anecdote that revealed how close the sophomore guard came to not participating in any of it.

When the Bulldogs were in San Jose for first- and second-round games against UTEP and Murray State last March, they spent some downtime walking around the city's bustling downtown area. The Alabama-born Nored is such a country boy that he somehow stepped in front of a moving train that he neither saw nor heard coming.  

I was running my mouth like usual as I was going to throw my trash away. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was or the horn from the train that was honking at me. The train was less than 10 feet away from me and it took Avery Jukes yelling at me to get me see that I probably should speed up otherwise I was a goner.  

Thankfully Nored averted disaster, however, he'd have to endure one more harrowing experience before earning the chance to play in the Final Four. Hours prior to Butler's Elite Eight matchup with Kansas State, Nored and 15 others got stuck in the elevator of their Salt Lake City hotel for roughly 25 minutes on the way up to their rooms.

At the time it was not very funny because there was no air and we were all very upset. We took our anger out on Kansas State by playing harder than ever.

Despite those two nerve-jangling memories, most of Nored's March memories are naturally pleasant ones. He reflected on the joy of proving the naysayers wrong, practicing in front of 30,000 fans and sharing a memorable journey with not just his teammates and coaches but an entire university and city.

"We couldn't have gone as far as we did without support from our school, the fans and the nation," he wrote. "Our university came together in a way that could only be understood if you were apart of it. Now people aren't asking, "who is Butler?" or "where is Butler". Now they know, and those of us who are here are proud to say where we go to school."

If Notre Dame fans want Mike Brey to trade his signature mock turtleneck and slacks for a green tam and matching kilt this season, the veteran coach is giving them a chance to make it happen.

Brey is one of 12 participants in "McDazzle 2010 "Men in Kilts," a fundraising drive to raise money and awareness for the Ronald McDonald charities in the South Bend area and pay for overnight stays for families with a critically ill child.

Anyone interested in contributing can peruse the photos on this website and then pay $50 to cast their vote for which of the participants has earned the title of best-dressed man in a kilt. If Brey is the leading vote-getter, he has promised to coach the first half of Notre Dame's season-opening exhibition game wearing a kilt.

"After 10 years in mock turtlenecks, I am excited to change my look," Brey said. "Help me raise money for a great organization."

So far Brey's campaign is off to a highly shaky start. As of Friday morning, he had just 13 votes, more than 100 less than the leading vote-getter.

Perhaps part of the problem is that Notre Dame fans don't want to see Brey's pasty legs peeking out from under a plaid green kilt during the game. One potential alternative? Maybe the school could promise never to unleash another hilariously awful promotional video like this one from earlier this year if Brey emerges as the leading vote-getter.

It's the least they could do, right?

(Thanks, Ballin' Is a Habit)

If Dayton coach Brian Gregory doesn't seem that worried about filling the void left by three key guards who graduated, perhaps it's because of the confidence he has in one of the replacements.

Juwan Staten, maybe the most highly touted recruit signed by any Atlantic 10 team, is the heir apparent at point guard for the Flyers. The Dayton native drew interest from a plethora of programs with more pedigree, but he chose to honor the commitment he made to his hometown school as a high school sophomore.

I recently caught up with Staten and asked him about how Gregory won him over and whether he feels he can team with forwards Chris Wright and Chris Johnson to lead Dayton back to the NCAA tournament. Here's what Staten had to say on those subjects and others:

JE: You had opportunities to go to numerous other marquee programs. Why did you choose Dayton?

JS: I chose Dayton first because of coach Gregory. I thought he could help me get to the next level and make me a better player. I also chose it because it's close to home and my parents can come see me play a lot. My dad has been very involved in my life, so I knew that if I stayed at Dayton he could watch me play. Also Dayton has great academics, so that was a factor too. And with the players that were already there and the players that were coming in, I just felt that it could be a good team.

JE: Did you grow up watching Dayton basketball?

JS: Not at all. When I was little, I always said I was going to Duke. 

JE: When did that change? When did you become interested in Dayton?

JS: When they first offered me, I thought you either take the offer or it goes off the table. I thought I was supposed to take it then and there, but the coaches told me to wait, think about it and see some other schools. They encouraged me to go on other visits because they felt their program was ultimately a better program and a better fit. Around sophomore year of high school, I was talking to a lot of coaches and I was really getting tired of it. I wanted to narrow it down and think about the schools I was looking at so I could concentrate on getting better.

JE: Was there a particular moment that made you sure about Dayton?

JS: I remember sophomore year I had a game that I didn't play too well in and every coach that was there, they put the blame on somebody else. But Coach Gregory told me straight that I didn't play too well and I didn't look like I was into it. I thought I had all these schools after me that were bigger than UD and they were all just kissing up to me, but Coach Gregory was the type of coach who could tell me what I needed to hear rather than what I wanted to hear and I wasn't even part of the program yet. I knew he had my best interests in mind, so that's what really sold me on Dayton. 

JE: Did you have friends who questioned your decision to go to Dayton rather than one of the big-name schools looking at you?

JS: They said something about it all the time. Every time I saw someone, they were like, "Why UD, man? Why don't you go somewhere big like Ohio State?" I told them Dayton was where I felt most comfortable. It wasn't about the name on the jersey. It was about the team, the bond you develop with the coaches and the players.

JE: And on the opposite end of that spectrum, I'm guessing the Dayton fans you saw around the city were very supportive?

JS: Yes, they all were very excited I chose UD. They told me I made a very mature decision and that they were excited to see me play.

JE: Describe your experience at Oak Hill last year. Was it a good decision to transfer there, and how did the increased competition benefit you?

JS: I think it was a very good decision for me to go there for a year. I learned how to compete every single day. Because of who we were, we got every team's best every single day. You couldn't half-step at all. That just taught me to come ready to play every single time I step on the court. And also the players on our team, it made me come ready every day in practice because those are guys who are going to be playing Division I basketball. It made me an overall better player and it made me more focused.

JE: Describe yourself as a player for those who haven't seen you play?

JS: I like to think o myself as a decision maker. Some games I need to score more and then some games I like to make passes and set people up. I let the game determine how I play.

JE: What's something about you fans might not know?

JS: Something fans might not know about me is that I have a 40-inch vertical.

JE: Wow, so who's the better dunker, you or Chris Wright?

JS: Chris Wright, by far.

JE: Last season, there were such high expecations at Dayton. Was it tough on you seeing them struggle to meet those?

JS: It was tough because they came out playing really well and I thought it was going to be a great season, but then they hit a stretch where they weren't playing their best basketball. It seemed like people weren't into it, but I couldn't figure out what it was. But I was happy they turned it around and ended up winning the NIT. That let me know that the guys bought in. I know that guys will be more enthusiastic about this year because of what happened last year.

JE: Along those same lines, how big of a motivation is it for this team to get back to the NCAA tournament this year and live up to the expectations of the past two seasons?

JS: That's what we've been talking about a lot. Winning the NIT was great, but it's still not good enough. No matter how great it was, it still was the second best tournament. We want to be seen as the champions of the best tournament. 

Of the three Gonzaga players participating in the World Basketball Championships, Canadian forward Kelly Olynyk was probably the least likely guy to emerge as a breakout star.

Whereas Germany's Elias Harris averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds as a freshman last season and fellow Canadian Robert Sacre was a productive starting center for the Zags, Olynyk rarely saw significant playing time. The floppy-haired sophomore-to-be tallied 3.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.3 minutes a game last season as a true freshman and had more fouls than points in Gonzaga's two NCAA tournament games.

Based on Olynyk's performance for Canada this week, however, the Zags can expect Olynyk to make a far more significant contribution next season. He averaged 11 points per night the last three games, doing his best work against the top two teams in Canada's group with 13 points on Tuesday against France and 14 on Thursday against Spain.

The 6-foot-11 Olynyk's perimeter skills and agility have made him a centerpiece of Canada's basketball future and a potential contributor at Gonzaga later in his career, but few thought the 19-year-old was ready to make an impact at this level. Canadian coach Leo Rautins didn't think enough of him to give him more than 30 seconds playing time during the team's opening two losses.  

"I was kicking myself in the rear end, we didn't bring him here to sit him on the bench," Rautins told the Toronto Star after the France game. "This kid's a big part of what I think our future is going to be. He's a talented kid; he plays with balls.

"He's not afraid and there's not been one game where I've put him in and he's been timid, and we've had some other guys who've been timid at times."

If Olynyk can play with this level of consistency and aggressiveness for Gonzaga next season, it could give the Zags one of the deepest and most versatile front courts in the nation. The 6-foot-8 Harris is a legit NBA prospect and the 7-foot Sacre averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds as a sophomore.

Sacre tallied eight points and three rebounds against Spain on Thursday but managed just four points and seven boards in Canada's other four games combined. Harris had a combined 10 points in Germany's opening two games but went scoreless in the next two entering Thursday's group stage finale against Jordan.

If you've never heard a ubiquitous college fight song chopped up and remixed into an even more unpleasant rap song, Tennessee forward Renaldo Woolridge is giving you the opportunity to change that.

In honor of the start of college football season, Woolridge, who goes by the rap name Swiperboy, released a new track this week that's sure to be beloved by Vols fans and belittled by the rest of the SEC. It's called "FootVol," a name as subtle as most of the lyrics.

In between school and basketball, Woolridge has found time to release a handful of songs beginning with last December's debut, "Tip Off (College Hoops Time). He told the Knoxville News Sentinel he was a little nervous about the reaction to his latest effort since he was altering a song as beloved in Knoxville as Rocky Top.

"There was a fine line, because it's the Rocky Top song, and people have loved that here for years," Woolridge said. "I remember watching a tape of Marvin Gaye singing the national anthem in 1983, and he sang it differently, and some people liked it, and some people hated it."

There is one aspect of "FootVol" that both Vols supporters and opposing fans can probably both enjoy: A gratuitous shot at former Tennessee and current USC football coach Lane Kiffin.

Raps Woolridge: "Neyland Stadium stand up, let's get it done. We drivin in a new Lane. Forget the last one."  

(Thanks, Rush The Court)

As HBO's "Hard Knocks" winds down with NFL training camp is nearing its conclusion, Marquette is hoping you'll get your reality TV sports fix from its new behind-the-scenes show.

Marquette Basketball: Revealed, an all-access look at the Golden Eagles' program, made its debut this week on the school's official athletic site. The premiere webisode focuses on the team's first meeting of the season during which charismatic coach Buzz Williams imparts some life lessons to his players about displaying strong character and having each-other's backs.

Whereas a show like "Hard Knocks" has a built-in story arc following players' bids to make the New York Jets' roster, the problem with Marquette's show is that there isn't a similar plot line to keep general viewers interested. The show is only slated to run through the team's rivalry game against Wisconsin on Dec. 11, so viewers won't even be able to follow the Golden Eagles' progress throughout the season.

On the other hand, if Marquette is simply hoping this series will attract diehard fans and serve as a recruiting tool, then there's a great chance the school will find success.

A glimpse of players and coaches in an environment in which we wouldn't normally see them will be interesting for Marquette fans hoping to better get to know team personnel entering the season. Potential recruits also will surely enjoy familiarizing themselves with the inner workings of the program, even if the scenes they're allowed to watch are surely heavily edited and hand-picked by members of the school's athletic department.

Our week-long Atlantic 10 preview continues with a look at the conference's 15 most intriguing matchups next season.    

1. Temple at Duke, Feb. 23

Comment: The Atlantic 10 favorites travel to the home of the defending national champions for a rare non-conference showdown just days before the calendar turns to March. Temple's stingy defense facing off with Duke's talented guards should be a treat to watch.

2. Butler at Xavier, TBD

Comment: Add Xavier's quest for revenge after a timekeeper's error cost them a victory at Butler last year, and what already would have been a marquee non-conference game gets that much more intriguing.

Comment: The Atlantic 10's preeminent rivalry will again play a role in shaping the conference title race again next season. Xavier and Dayton split a pair of games last year, with the Musketeers grinding out a home win and the Flyers returning the favor in a 90-65 blowout a few weeks later.

4. Georgetown at Temple, Dec. 9

Comment: On a Temple schedule loaded with challenging non-conference games, this might be the most anticipated home matchup. The Hoyas lost elite center Greg Monroe to the NBA, but return one of the Big East's top backcourts.

5. Florida at Xavier, Dec. 31

Comment: What's the recipe for a wild New Year's pre-party in Cincinnati? How about an afternoon showdown between Atlantic 10 contender Xavier and a Florida team hoping to challenge Kentucky and Tennessee in the SEC West? 

6. Temple at Xavier, TBD

Comment: Temple beat Xavier at home in their lone meeting last season on the way to sharing the conference title with the Musketeers. The two Atlantic 10 contenders again play only once next season, but this time it's in Cincinnati.

7. Saint Louis at Duke, Dec. 11 2010

Comment: It's probably too much to ask for the Billikens to upset Duke at Cameron Indoor Arena, but we learned last year the danger of underestimating Rick Majerus' team. Either way, this should be a great barometer of how much Saint Louis has improved heading into conference play.   

8. Xavier at Cincinnati, TBD

Comment: There was a time when the Crosstown Showdown was the only marquee game on Xavier's non-conference schedule. Even now that it's just one of many, it's still one of the nation's fiercest inter-conference rivalry games.

9. Wake Forest at Richmond, Dec. 29

Comment: Youthful Wake Forest likely won't be as strong as it has been in the past, but getting the Demon Deacons at home is still a nice coup for Richmond. The Spiders rode wins over Florida, Missouri and Old Dominion to an NCAA tournament berth last season.  

10. Temple at Villanova, Dec. 29

Comment: The victory that signaled Temple's strength last season was a 75-65 win over previously undefeated Villanova in December. The Owls will meet their Big 5 rivals again this season, but this time it will be on the road. 

11. Richmond vs. Purdue, Nov. 27 (Chicago)

Comment: If Richmond beats Wright State and Purdue defeats Southern Illinois, it will set up this fun matchup in the title game of the Chicago Invitational Challenge. It's a difficult test for the Spiders, but a nice Thanksgiving treat for the rest of us.

12. Temple at Dayton, TBD

Comment: Two of the league's top defensive teams produced a 49-41 Temple victory last season. Will the Owls be able to hold down Dayton again next season in the lone meeting of the Atlantic 10 contenders?

13. Charlotte vs. Tennessee, Dec. 17 

Comment: If the 49ers are going to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years, this is the type of game they need to win. Tennessee wouldn't play on Charlotte's campus, so they'll play at the Bobcats' home arena instead.

14. Rhode Island at Providence, Dec. 4

Comment: A November visit to Big East favorite Pittsburgh may be the bigger game nationally, but Rhode Island fans would take great pleasure from adding to what has been a miserable past few months for Providence. A Rams win would be their third in four years. 

15. Xavier at Gonzaga, TBD

Comment: Xavier and Gonzaga have been the nation's two premier non-BCS programs the past decade along with Memphis and Butler, but they haven't met in a regular season game during that span. Their lone meeting was a 79-75 Gonzaga victory in the first round of the 2006 NCAA tournament. 

If anyone suspects that other West Coast Conference programs are intimidated by adding a school whose enrollment, funding and facilities dwarf theirs, the league's coaches and administrators would like to put that notion to rest.

Gonzaga officials are excited about BYU joining the WCC because it elevates the league's profile and makes it more difficult for detractors to discount the achievement of winning the conference each season. And basketball coaches from the league's seven other schools believe the extra TV revenue and exposure generated by BYU will aid their quest to consistently compete with the league's two flagship programs in the long term. 

"To be able to add a quality institution like BYU is what we've been looking for since the conference began talking about expansion," Portland coach Eric Reveno said. "I don't feel it makes our challenge any harder because Gonzaga's already in our league and we were already trying to catch Gonzaga. It's like we're in a 100-meter race and there's already one really fast guy in the race. Well, once we get as fast as him, if there's two really fast guys in the race, then it makes no difference."

The arrival of BYU instantly gives the WCC a chance to earn as many as three NCAA tourney berths each year, which puts them in select company among non-BCS conferences. In the past five seasons, the Mountain West, Atlantic 10 and Missouri Valley Conference are the only other non-BCS leagues to earn that many NCAA bids in a single season.

Whereas the WCC had studied the possibility of adding the likes of Seattle, Denver or Pacific for the past year without pulling the trigger, commissioner Jamie Zaninovich wasted little time in snapping up BYU once it became available. The Cougars won 30 games last season, they've been to four straight NCAA tournaments and their large fan base, top-notch facilities and proven commitment to athletics make them a valuable commodity.

The only real risk for Gonzaga is that the Zags find competing with BYU more difficult than expected and damage their national brand by consistently finishing second in what will be regarded at first as a two-team conference. Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said Tuesday night that such a risk was far out-weighed by the boost BYU could give to the league on the court and off.

"One of the things that they will do for us is make our league more competitive," Roth said. "That's a positive thing. BYU is a national brand. Let's face it, they're nationally known. They will raise that profile of Gonzaga and the league."

The lingering question facing the league's other programs is whether BYU's arrival will help the rest of the WCC bridge the gap with Gonzaga or further widen the gap between the haves and have-nots. Saint Mary's made a surprise run to the Sweet 16 last season and San Diego and Portland have enjoyed successful spurts, but no team has consistently matched Gonzaga's success during the past decade.

Although former San Diego coach Brad Holland fully understands why the league will benefit from adding BYU, he said his initial reaction as a coach would have been that his job was about to get even more difficult. He believes that most of the WCC teams will have to strain to compete with BYU and Gonzaga at first, but he's hopeful that the exposure and TV revenue will eventually help those schools recruit better and improve their facilities to the point where they can hold their own.

"It elevates the significance of the conference in a variety of ways, so the trickle-down effect will be positive for a lot of programs," Holland said. "You're getting closer to getting three teams into the NCAA tournament every year which helps in television and recruiting."

For the league to maximize its potential, Holland said he believes it needs to add a 10th member to make scheduling easier and give BYU a travel partner. League officials said no addition expansion is imminent, but Holland said he thinks Denver's facilities and location make it a strong candidate.

"Denver was definitely making hard overtures to the league during my time in the league," Holland said. "Seattle doesn't have a facility. Denver has a really nice facility and you can tie them in with BYU. Denver, on the surface, makes a lot more sense."

In addition to their legacy as the first team to win back-to-back national titles since John Wooden's UCLA dynasty, members of Duke's 1991 and '92 championship teams seem to share something else in common.

They aren't too great at investing their money wisely. 

The latest victim of a bad investment is former point guard Bobby Hurley, who the Lexington Herald-Leader reports is leaving the thoroughbred business after a bank foreclosed on his 140-acre farm in Florida. PNC Bank is expected to auction off Hurley's Devils Eleven Farm next month to help pay off the $3.3 million debt he owes.

Hurley's financial woes are making headlines slightly more than a year after two of his former Duke teammates hit a similar well-publicized rough patch. San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman filed a lawsuit in May 2009 against Blue Devil Ventures, owned by Christian Laettner and Brian Davis, for failure to repay a $3.64 million loan he had given the company in 2007.

It's a bit more surprising to see Hurley in this predicament considering that his foray into the thoroughbred industry began with so much promise. One of his first horses, the aptly named Songandaprayer, won the 2001 Fountain of Youth Stakes and emerged as an early Kentucky Derby favorite before eventually placing a midly disappointing 13th later that year.

Obviously, the trouble Hurley, Laettner and Davis have experienced is related to the nationwide recession, but it's probably safe to assume a segment of Duke-hating North Carolina and Kentucky fans are taking some perverse pleasure in this.

The rest of us can hope that Hurley's new assistant coaching gig alongside his brother at Wagner helps him land on his feet. And that the current crop of Blue Devils are taking thorough notes in their economics classes.