Daniel Hamilton Playing in Springfield, Mass. on Saturday

Daniel Hamilton will be playing about an hour away from UConn on Saturday evening. But it will be tough for Husky diehards who want to watch the much-ballyhooed UConn commit play in person and get to UConn's 9 p.m. bout with Louisville to do both.

Hamilton's St. John Bosco High from California will face Maryland's St. Frances Academy (led by UNLV-bound Dwayne Morgan) on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Springfield College's Blake Arena. The game will be broadcast on The Basketball Channel.

Obviously, fans could get to the game, then make the drive to Storrs and get to Gampel by tip-off for Louisville. UConn's coaching staff, which has continued to recruit Hamilton as if he hadn't committed to the school, won't be able to do the same. But UConn will make sure to get to one of Hamilton's practices this weekend.

Hamilton, of course, hasn't signed a national letter-of-intent to attend UConn but has signed a financial-aid agreement form, which doesn't bind him to the university.

Hamilton's teammate, point guard Tyler Dorsey, committed to Arizona a few days ago.

*** Nice column today by the ProJo's Bill Reynolds on Dee Rowe, who coached Reynolds at Worcester Academy back in 1963-64. Couple of interesting anecdotes on Rowe in this one.

*** Also, here's a piece from today's Memphis Commercial-Appeal on Shabazz Napier. Nothing really new here, but at least the local paper acknowledges that there is a game tonight, which is more than can be said for the Houston Chronicle a couple of weeks ago.

*** A little disappointed in Beale Street. While there appears to be plenty of lively bars, restaurants and blues clubs, it only appears to occupy about a block or two. Then, you're right back in a rather dreary, lifeless downtown Memphis.

Of course, it was about 35 degrees last night, so that probably accounts for the lack of vitality in the city. I've got to believe it's a lot more fun in the summertime around here -- or, for that matter, in March, when the American Athletic Conference championship tournament will be held.