01:00 AM EST on Sunday, January 22, 2006

Got my first look at Quinton Hosley the other night. All I can say is oh, my.

If you still think Providence College has an open door admissions policy for hoop players, think again. Hosley, a New York playground legend who earned JUCO All-American honors in Colorado last year, signed with the Friars last fall. Tim Welsh built much of his hopes for this year on rolling out a team featuring the 6-foot-7 Hosley's versatile skills.

However, word is the admissions office wouldn't pull the trigger on Hosley's academic background even though he wanted to be a Friar. Cast aside late in the year even though he was fully qualified under NCAA rules, Hosley eventually landed at Fresno State. Earlier this week, Hosley scored a career-high 35 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had four blocks and three steals in a 87-77 win over Western Athletic Conference favorite Nevada.

To put it simply, this kid would've helped. He shoots it, can score off the dribble and wants to mix it up inside. I've never seen his transcript, and PC can choose to do what it wants in admissions, but the Friars have always rode the talents of junior college players (Rick Santos, Dwight Williams, Ron Jackson, Eric Williams, Abdul Abdullah, Ruben Garces, Derrick Brown) through the school's basketball history. There have been some train-wrecks, too, but plenty of those kids came from high school as well.

By all accounts, Quinton Hosley is a good kid but not a great student. The Big East lives on those type of kids. Next time the Friars recruit a junior college All-American, admissions had better think five times before it turns its back on him. Either that or join the Little East.

Worth remembering

Brown wasn't the only Eastern school honoring its basketball history this weekend.

St. John's held a 'Basketball Legacy Honors' tribute yesterday and introduced its greatest players and coaches at halftime of the Pittsburgh game. The honorees included coaches Joe Lapchick and Lou Carnesecca and eight players: Walter Berry, Lloyd "Sonny" Dove, Mark Jackson, Tony Jackson, Dick McGuire, Chris Mullin, Malik Sealy and Alan Seiden.

Notice that the most recent player in that group is Sealy, who left in 1992. Once the Redmen switched to the Red Storm about that time, the talent dried up in Queens. The New York fans have noticed, too. Last year's largest crowd for a Big East game was 9,596. St. John's-Louisville drew 5,224 at the Garden Wednesday.

Legitimate contenders

Xavier survived its annual shootout with Cincinnati in overtime on Thursday night and clearly looks like a challenger with George Washington for supremacy in the Atlantic 10. The Musketeers (12-2) have only lost to Illinois (65-62) and Creighton (61-59). Sean Miller's team is holding opponents to 37 percent shooting and 59 points a game. If the Muskies can roll up 13 or 14 A-10 wins, they should secure a top-five seed.

"That why they're a ranked team and will serve the Atlantic 10 well," Hawks' coach Phil Martelli said of George Washington, "but they're not the only national team in the A-10. Xavier is a national team -- it's just that people haven't paid attention yet."

How about this list of teams that are currently struggling and could sit on the fence come NCAA Tourney time? Wake Forest, Boston College, North Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Louisville, Utah, Arizona, Stanford and Kentucky.

Conference play will only further muddy the résumé of most of these teams, so watch out for spoiled fans who consider a spot in the NCAA's their birthright to fall into a state of panic if the losses pile higher.

Pregnant pauses

With his wife, Heather, due to give birth to their son in the first week of February, West Virginia's Kevin Pittsnogle is on call these days. At Mountaineers' practices and games, a manager carries a cell phone in case Heather Pittsnogle goes into labor.

"God has a plan that we can't really predict. It makes basketball seem like nothing," said WVU coach John Beilein. "It's going to be a distraction and it should be. We want Kevin and Heather to have a healthy baby. We'd prefer than over a healthy game, if we're given the choice."

Double dribbles

Tickets to the Big East Tournament in New York sold out two weeks ago before ever going on sale to the general public. The conference's 16 schools snapped up all 20,000 tickets . . . The best freshman in the Big East looks like Marquette's Dominic James. He scored 28 points in a loss to West Virginia, then beat that with 29 points in Tuesday's victory over DePaul . . . Word is URI would like to add an aggressive big man. Travis George of Boston is one possibility. PC is involved with Kansas forward Casey Crawford and New York forwards Tyrone Nash and Tyrone Hanson. Also, the national stock of St. Andrew's guard Rakim Sanders is sliding after several average efforts this season . . . Popular Internet rumor has Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser moving to Cincinnati at end of season. West Virginia's Beilein would go to Wake and WVU alum Bob Huggins rejuvenates his career in Morgantown. Makes sense, except that Prosser would be crazy to leave Wake for Cincy. How about leaving everyone in place and giving Huggins the Missouri job once Quin Snyder gets the boot?

kmcnamar@projo.com / (401) 277-7340