Things we missed during the first week of February

The University of Arizona has placed it's basketball team on probation, which will mildly handcuff the program for the next two years. The school has taken away a scholarship, and reduced the number of days Wildcat coaches can spend time with recruits. The penalties are the result of former coach Lute Olson's letter of request to boosters asking for financial support for an on-campus AAU tournament back in 2008. Olsen denies ever sending a letter, although an electronic signature suggests otherwise.
Isiah Thomas is denying reports he may be leaving Florida International after one season to coach the woeful Los Angeles Clippers. Thomas, who is 7-19 (4-9 in the Sun Belt Conference), addressed the rumors before the question was even posed to him following yesterday's loss to North Texas. "I'm very happy here at FIU," Thomas said. "We've got a great recruiting class coming in next year, one of the best recruiting classes in the school's history, and my 2011 class, I hope that's even better."
West Virginia is internationally known. The Mountaineers' Deniz Kilicli, of Turkey, is now eligible to play and could give Bob Huggins club a huge boost in the front court. Kilicli was forced to sit out the first 20 games of the season as penalty for playing professionally across the pond, before enrolling at WVU. Said Kilicli's prep school coach Rob Fulford (as told to SI.com's Luke Winn): "One thing they're [West Virginia] kind of missing is an a--hole. And he can play like an a--hole."

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