1. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said landing 7-foot-1 David Nyarsuk is a huge addition, both literally and figuratively: “He’s a shot blocker, finisher and runs great. If he was a JUCO he would have been No. 1 in the country." Nyarsuk went to NAIA Mountain State (W.Va.) where he averaged 9.8 points and eight rebounds last season. Nyarsuk, who is from the Sudan, resolved a student visa issue, and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. “He’s a rim protector behind our pressure defense," Cronin said. Nyarsuk will join a frontline of Cheikh Mbodj, Kelvin Gaines and Justin Jackson. The Bearcats should be considered a top 25 team and a Big East top four contender.

2. Marquette decision last week to fire assistant Scott Monarch and suspend head coach Buzz Williams for a game is another example of a school endorsing head coach penalties to head off any potential committee on infractions hits. The era of the coach not being held accountable is now officially over. Coaches can expect to be penalized a game or two or three by their school, conference, or the NCAA for failing to foster an atmosphere of compliance.

3. The Horizon League is desperate for good news after the abrupt departure of Butler to the A-10. Loyola (Ill.) returned from an Italy trip with some dramatic uptick in numbers. The Ramblers averaged a meager 57.2 points a game last season but on a 4-1 trip they averaged 82.3 points a game. The Ramblers also hadn’t had a player average five assists a game since 2003. But Iowa transfer Cully Payne handed out 9.3 assists in the four games. Porter Moser is hoping to see a turnaround and the indication is that this trip may give the Ramblers the necessary bounce.