Linked Up, Jan. 2

Quick-hitters from around the country, including plenty of injury news:

- South Carolina three-point specialist Brandis Raley-Ross sprained his left knee during a voluntary two-person practice session on Saturday night. He will miss at least two weeks. (The State)

- Yet another chapter was added to the Herb Pope saga on Friday when he was arrested in Pennsylvania and and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, underage drinking, additional parking regulations and recklessly endangering another person. (Las Cruces Sun-News)

- UCLA will be without junior guard Michael Roll indefinitely after he ruptured a tendon in his left foot at practice on Monday. It was the same injury he suffered Nov. 3, causing him to miss the first seven games of the season. (Los Angeles Times)

- Auburn junior forward Korvotney Barber, the team’s leading scorer, will miss four-to-six weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. He suffered the injury in a win over Towson on Saturday. (Mobile Press-Register)

- Oregon sophomore forward Joevan Catron will be out three-to-six weeks with a torn ligament in his right foot. The injury occurred during Oregon's final non-conference game against Mount St. Mary's on Friday. (Eugene Register-Guard)

- Iowa freshman forward Jarryd Cole tore the ACL in his left knee in a win over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, and will miss the rest of the season. Cyrus Tate will replace him in the starting lineup. (Iowa City Press-Citizen, Des Moines Register)

- Michigan has dismissed junior guard Jerret Smith for not meeting certain team expectations. Smith had not played or practiced since Dec. 8, when he didn’t travel for the Duke game in order to focus on academics. (Ann Arbor News)

- After missing the entire season so far in order to help his mom recover from cancer, Northwestern sophomore forward Kevin Coble will make his debut tonight against Penn State. (Chicago Tribune)

- Memphis head coach John Calipari is spending more time working with the Tigers' reserves so some of them can get their confidence back after recent struggles, and so they will all be ready if counted upon down the line. (Memphis Commercial Appeal)

- Pittsburgh will try out its new lineup without starters Levance Fields and Mike Cook against Lafayette tonight. Keith Benjamin and Gilbert Brown are the replacements in the starting lineup. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

- Kentucky senior guard Ramel Bradley continues to believe the Wildcats will get past this rough stretch of losses and be competitive in the SEC. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

- North Carolina's depth at point guard is much-depleted after Bobby Frasor tore a ligament in his knee last week and Quentin Thomas injured his left ankle and missed Sunday's game against Valparaiso. (Charlotte Observer)

- Speaking of North Carolina, Tar Heels sophomore forward Alex Stepheson will miss tonight's game against Kent State because of an illness in the family. He has returned home to California and it is not clear when he will return. (Raleigh News & Observer)

- Louisville senior center David Padgett had 13 points, four rebounds and two assists in his first game back since breaking his right kneecap Nov. 18 -- but the Cardinals lost to Cincinnati. (Louisville Courier-Journal)