Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy analyzes what Monday’s buzz means to college basketball.

The Smith’s apprentice

Wonder why college basketball powerhouses schedule opponents such as UNC Greensboro early in the season? Here’s another answer: If one of their players screws up over the summer and gets himself suspended, his teammates can survive.

Duke shooting guard Nolan Smith played in an unsanctioned summer league and has to sit two games, but Greensboro will not beat Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday unless the whole Blue Devils starting five takes a seat. There will be consequences to Smith’ s absence, though, and this being Duke, it might not surprise you to know it’ll be good for the team.

Freshman Andre Dawkins, who had been planning to attend prep school this year until it was discovered he was in position to graduate and provide some backcourt depth, will get all the minutes he can handle in the opening two games. And when Smith returns to take his rightful place in the lineup, Dawkins will have benefited from major minutes.

Commitment issues

Two years ago, almost to the day, I did a column about the 2010 recruiting class and how eager so many of the players were to commit to colleges. They were high school sophomores then, but five of the players in the top 10 had made college choices. Now, on the eve of national signing day for that class, six of the top 10 have chosen their colleges. Only one more guy in three years?

Well, some of the players in the top 10 are different now. But it does illustrate that more prospects are becoming patient. They have seen too many guys requesting releases in April because the coaches who signed them were fired or got better jobs.

The road not taken

It probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that Arkansas-Pine Bluff is in Pine Bluff, Ark. But don’t look for its basketball team there. The Golden Lions begin their season Friday against Colorado in Boulder, then play another 13 consecutive road games—including three league games in the SWAC—before they get to play at home against Southern on Jan. 16.

They’ll be in Tempe, Ann Arbor, Stillwater and Eugene, but the Lions won’t be in Pine Bluff. There are flight attendants who won’t cover that many air miles.

Mike DeCourcy is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at decourcy@sportingnews.com.