When Kobe won the MVP, I was one of a few to suggest Chris Paul should have received the award. Watching Kobe dismantle the Spurs, I have finally come around everyone. Paul is great, but no one takes over a game like Kobe. Maybe it was the antics of Kobe (the insistance on dismantling the Shaq duo, the jump over the Massoroti, the jump over the pool of snakes)- I just never have been very fond of Kobe. But he is the best player in the game today. He has matured immeasurably since the breakup of Shaq. He is a wonder to watch and I actually hope he wins it all. He has proven himself despite all the doubters (me included). That is the mark of a true champion.

Florida International, which apparently is a university and not an airport, has been put on four years probation by the NCAA for violating numerous rules from 2002-2007. The school recently jumped from Division I-AA to Division I-A and apparently didn't know there were different rules in Division I-A. Eleven different sports of the university lost scholarships. And apparently I like saying the word apparently.

Doc Rivers' son, sophomore guard Jeremiah Rivers, has decided to transfer from Georgetown University. He played in all 34 games for the Hoyas last season and was used as a defensive specialist. He did not indicate where he would be transferring to. Rivers is the second Hoya to transfer after last season. Vernon Macklin announced he would be transferring to Florida last month. John Thompson III must be scratchin' his old head.

From 1999-2003, Alabama State athletics committed not one, not two, but 24 rules violations, the NCAA announced Wednesday. Most of the rules were violated by the football program which included: changing eight football players' grades, fielding numerous ineligible players, and providing perks to some athletes. Alabama St. didn't exactly keep it on the low-down.

For reasons not entirely specified, George Washington players Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty have been dismissed from the basketball team. "Certain expectations are placed on our players both on and off the court," coach Karl Hobbs said in a statement. "They did not meet those expectations." Moore averaged 5.1 points and Beatty 4.8, so it probably wasn't too difficult to dismiss them.

After having the brilliant idea of firing guns on campus in March, Mississippi St. football players Michael Brown and Quinton Wesley have been suspended for two years and three years, respectively. Each will be on probation during the sentence.

Less than a week after being named Georgia Tech's assistant director of player personnel, former QB Joe Hamilton decided to hit-and-run while intoxicated and possess marijuana for police to find. Hamilton, who finished second in Heisman Trophy balloting in 1999, was pulled over by police when his car matched the description and license plate number of a hit-and-run incident near the school. His blood-alcohol content level was 0.199 and police found marijuana and an open beer bottle in his car. His black car also had white paint on its front bumper, the same color as the victim's car.

South Carolina guard Devan Downey was charged with simple assault and suspended from the team Monday. The charge stemmed from an argument Downey had with another student on campus last week. Downey led the Gamecocks in scoring last season as a sophomore, averaging 18.4 points. But atleast it was simple assault, and not complicated assault.

Former Montana State basketball player Branden Miller was sentenced to 120 years in prison Tuesday for the shooting death of a suspected drug dealer. The judge sentenced him to 100 years for deliberate homicide. Then he decided to tack on an additional 10 years for the use of a weapon, 10 years for tampering with evidence, and five years for a previous bar incident...which I think is just absolutely way too lenient. Miller pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide in 2006, but said he did not shoot the 26-year-old Jason Wright.

Our friendos at Rivals.com have come up with the 5 best and the 5 worst decisions to enter the upcoming NBA draft, complete with analysis. Kansas' Mario Chalmers was one of the 5 best decisions. Robin Lopez of Stanford, after following his twin bro Brook, was one of the 5 worst decisions.

The NCAA announced Tuesday that 17 football programs and 53 basketball programs will lose some of their scholarships due to athletes' poor academic performance...and that's just Division I. A total of 213 teams from 123 schools will be sanctioned by the NCAA. Some schools could lose as much as 10 percent of their scholarships.

West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has only coached the Mountaineers this season, leading them to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Apparently, that was enough to receive an 11-year contract that will pay him $1.5 million a year and keep him coaching at his alma mater until he's 65 years old.

A day after freshman center Eli Holman announced his intent to transfer vehemently enough that coach Tom Crean had to call the police, Indiana has officially announced that three more players will be leaving Indiana University. Sophomore Armon Bassett and junior Jamarcus Ellis have been dismissed by the team. And junior Deandre Thomas will not return. Have fun playing with only eight players and three returning starters next season Coach Crean. Wait, this sounds familiar...Hoosiers the movie that's it!! Maybe this is a good omen Hoosiers fans!

Arizona State has decided to cut its cheerleading squad after pictures of the cheerleaders in their underwear surfaced on TheDirty.com. Arizona State will now have a "spirit squad" led by the band director. I don't know exactly what a spirit squad is, but I'm guessing they're less attractive than cheerleaders and more talented...which is lame. Suddenly I want to go to Arizona State.

LSU QB Ryan Perrilloux, last season's SEC MVP who led the Tigers to the SEC Championship, was kicked off the team Friday after a host of legal and disciplinary problems. Coach Les Miles wouldn't go into the specifics of what Perrilloux did this time, but said he "didn't fulfill his obligation as an LSU student-athlete." Within the last year, Perriloux was on the fringe of a counterfeit investigation, tried to enter a Baton Rouge casino with a fake ID, was involved in an incident at a nightclub, missed some team meetings and workouts, and had troubles in school. Perrilloux's dad also died on Feb. 7. Not a good year for Perrilloux.