1. Don't ever underestimate how much fans follow recruiting -- even overseas. I was walking with Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Derrick Nix and Russell Byrd down a hallway at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center after visiting with wounded warriors when 1st LT Aaron Christensen caught Izzo's attention. Christensen is from Safford, Ariz., but is BYU fan. He said his parents are both alumni. He told Izzo how much he admired him, but said do not take top 2013 player Jabari Parker away from his beloved Cougars. Of course, Izzo chuckled. How could he not here in Germany if Parker's recruitment is that closely watched. Parker is likely deciding among Michigan State, Duke, Florida, Stanford and BYU in no particular order.
2. ESPN and the Department of Defense remain committed to continuing the tradition of games on military facilities around Veterans Day. The game last year on the USS Carl Vinson was a one-time special event on 11-11-11. A new five-year cycle with each game at the site of a different branch of the military will begin with Friday's game here at Ramstein Air Base (Air Force) in Germany with Michigan State and Connecticut. Next year's game will be at an Army facility either in the United States or overseas. The Coast Guard, Marines and Navy will host in some capacity in the successive three years.
3. Izzo said Wednesday that he is strongly considering going to the Battle 4 Atlantis where Kansas is also a headline team in November of 2013. The Spartans need to get out of another tournament commitment to make this happen. Izzo said he wanted to take his team to a traditional three-day event, and liked the thought of one closer to home (or at least easier to get to) next year. The Spartans are going from Germany to East Lansing to Atlanta to East Lansing and to Miami (for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge) in the first three weeks of November.
