Dick Vitale and Alex Legion

Dicky V had surgery today to remove lesions from his vocal cords. Many fans had noticed Vitale's struggle to speak over the last month and a half. The good news is that it appears he should be able to return fully to ESPN in February. The amazing part about this story is how the man continues to promote the cause of others during his own medical struggle:

"P.S.: If you want to lend me a helping hand, go to dickvitaleonline.com and during this holiday season, help me assist kids that are battling cancer by making a donation to the V Foundation in memory of Payton Wright. You can send a check in care of the V Foundation and mail it to Tandem Enterprises, 7810 Mathern Court, Lakewood Ranch, Fla. 34202. Or you can call (800) 4-JIMMYV and please indicate that your donation is in memory of Payton Wright."

God bless him and his family as he recovers.

In other news, Alex Legion appears to be transferring to Notre Dame, per his mother. I've previously stated that I hope Coach Brey is cautious about this player, since we have such great chemistry with the team already. However, as long as he works hard and plays nice, Legion could be an exciting addition to the squad. We will see.

For those unacquainted with the 6'4" guard from Oak Hill Academy, I spoke with a writer at the Kentucky blog aseaofblue.com and he gave me a great analysis of the young man. Some notes from his e-mail:

Basketball Skill-

• Very good midrange shooter
• Average from three-point range with a low arc to his shot
• Weak defensively
• Good ball handling, but just average passing ability
• Not big enough for the three, but needs to develop more range to be a strong shooting guard
• Very good at looking for his own shot and has quick release

Maturity and Personality-

• May not take tough coaching well, split with Coach Gillispie (not to be confused with Billy Gillespie) after some harsh words
• Very intelligent, but somewhat immature (take that for what you will, he is only 19)
• Has a bit of an overbearing mother. She is very religious and may or may not believe herself to be a prophet. She current has no plans to move where Alex goes, however, which could be a huge boost in his growth.

After watching Illinois defeat Western Carolina, Legion plans to visit Notre Dame tomorrow. I certainly hope he has a great trip and chooses the Irish.

In the end, however, best of luck to Alex and his family. Hopefully the next school will fit him.