Hoops download heading into the weekend

....and there's plenty of news and chatter about Marquette hoops to help you avoid the monotony of work today.

First up, congratulations to Marquette graduate Maurice Acker who signed his first professional basketball contract yesterday. Acker shared the news on Twitter and will suit up for the Bakersfield Jam in the NBA Development League this winter.

Travis Diener, the Sardinian Assassin, talks about his decision to take his game to Italy in this interview with local media there. Here's Diener's player page from the Dinamo Sassari web site. Prego.

After failing to include Jimmy F. Butler in his list of nominees for the 2010-2011 Naismith Award, Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman redeemed himself this week with two hat tips to the Marquette program. First, Goodman listed Vander Blue as one of the nation's top freshmen to watch this season and he followed that up by ranking MU's backcourt as the 9th best in the nation.

Pico Dulce of The East Coast Bias wrapped up his series of blogger-driven Big East previews with two more entries. First the blogging collective talks about contenders for the Final Four followed by a look at must-see games this winter.

MSG's Jon Rothstein, a must-follow on Twitter, figures that DJO is not getting enough love heading into the season (he's right) and talks up the MU junior on his list of underrated players in the Big East.

In the classroom MU hoops continues to separate itself from the pack in the classroom.

Finally -- if you can't get over the recruiting 'losses' this week, the Anonymous Eagle gives you 25 reasons to move on. Meanwhile Buzz Williams is hosting 6'0" guard Derrick Wilson on an official visit this weekend.