Things never slow down in Bluegrass country. On the same day in which Louisville coach Rick Pitino secured a verbal commitment from one of the top players in the Class of 2011 (No. 38-ranked Zach Price), the news surfaced that ex-Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie checked himself into rehab.

JAMES ANDERSON'S OMISSION

Somehow, Oklahoma State's talented wing James Anderson was left off the Wooden Preseason Top 50 list.

"I care," said the 6-foot-6 junior. "I worked hard for it, but I look at it as something to make me get better."

Anderson's numbers were as impressive as just about anyone on the list. He averaged 18.2 points and nearly six rebounds per game while getting to the free throw line five times per contest and shooting more than 40 percent from beyond the arc.

"I was surprised," said the humble, soft-spoken Anderson. "But I really didn't know too much about (the list). But after I found out about it, it's the real one – the one at the end of the year that I want to be on – not the preseason one."

Anderson has always been considered somewhat of a tease in his high school and AAU days – and even as a freshman – due to inconsistency.

"You're right," he admitted. "But I'm more consistent now, and it's something I worked on."

In fact, Anderson scored in double-figures in 32 of 35 games last season, and even against Texas Tech, in which he managed just seven points, he grabbed a dozen rebounds.

Anderson will be the featured guy for coach Travis Ford again this year on a Cowboys team that lost veteran point guard Byron Eaton.

"Right now we have no idea who is going to start at point guard," Anderson said.

It'll likely be one of three freshmen – either Ray Penn, Reger Dowell, or Fred Gulley. Sources indicate that even though Penn is recovering from an injury, he's the frontrunner to win the job.

"He fits our system because he's so fast and quick," Anderson said. "He likes to get up and down, and that's one of the reasons he came here."

Oklahoma State also returns senior Obi Muonelo, who likely won't have to guard power forwards as he did last season due to the team's lack of size.

The Cowboys have added a pair of 6-foot-10 freshmen in Torin Walker and Jarred Shaw – and will also have well-traveled 6-foot-8 junior Matt Pilgrim – who sat out last year at Kentucky after transferring from Hampton.

"We're going to have more size and depth than we did last year," Anderson said.

BIG MAN IS "X" FACTOR FOR AKRON

Big guys like Zeke Marshall don't come along often in the MAC.

Akron coach Keith Dambrot has been forced to go with undersized post players such as 6-foot-6 Jeremiah Wood and Romeo Travis in the past.

Now he'll have a new dimension with 7-foot, 215-pound freshman Zeke Marshall.

"We've never had anyone like him – someone that can cover our mistakes," Dambrot said.

Marshall comes into the program as the most heralded and highly rated recruit arguably in the history of the school.

"I've been impressed with him so far," Dambrot said. "He's better offensively than I thought. He's not strong in the weight room but is deceptively strong and can keep people off him."

"He runs like a gazelle, but he's got a good touch and that was surprising," he added. "I think he's got a chance to be a pro."

Akron may be the hip pick to win the league after taking the conference tournament last season and returning the McKnight brothers – Brett and Chris – and also its top four guards.

However, Dambrot would like to see someone on the team emerge – potentially guard Anthony Hitchens – as a go-to guy down the stretch.

RANDOM NOTES: Sad news at Samford, where Jim Griffin died of an apparent heart condition while sleeping on Tuesday morning. ... Minnesota's Trevor Mbakwe, who has been accused of punching a woman in the face back in April, is still allowed to practice with the team even though he hasn't been cleared to play. Mbakwe is scheduled to stand trial for felony battery charges in December. ... Ball State has promoted Bob Simmons to associate head coach and brought Mitch Gilfillan on as the director of basketball operations. ... Rutgers added guard Muhamed Hasani, who played for the Kosovo senior national team. ... Former Northwestern State basketball player Demetrius Bell will likely start at left tackle for the Buffalo Bills in Monday night's opener against the New England Patriots. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Bell didn't play organized football until his third season at Northwestern State and was a seventh-round pick in 2008. ... Siena senior Cory Magee's career is over after a post-concussion syndrome suffered in preseason practice that caused him to sit out last season. He will remain with the team as a student-assistant coach.