Cremins announced his retirement Friday -- effective at the end of the season -- after 19 seasons at the school, setting off the list of the usual suspects to be named as possible replacements in Atlanta. But the coaches who have a genuine interest -- Tulsa's Bill Self, Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson, Tulane's Perry Clark, Appalachian State's Buzz Peterson and possibly Miami's Leonard Hamilton -- weren't initially tabbed locally as the top replacements.

Amaker, whose name has become as synonymous with openings as Majerus' has of late, made it clear Monday by saying he's not going anywhere, anytime soon.

Seton Hall signed the top recruiting class in the nation for the 2000-01 season. The Pirates are in the midst of competing for the Big East title. Amaker's wife, Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, is a professor at Seton Hall and isn't about to uproot herself to Atlanta, either.

"We feel good about what we have here, we're happy here and pleased with where we're going," Amaker said. "The only thing we're not happy with is losing the next two games."

Yet Amaker's name gets linked to nearly every high-profile opening as soon as it appears. Previously, his name was thrown into the mix for the Minnesota job last summer. He said he's irked by having to answer the questions in the middle of the season and the strain it puts on him in recruiting.

"It's unfair," Amaker said of reports making it seem like he's interested in the job.

Majerus' jovial remarks are in reference to his fondness for hanging out in Southern California as much as his schedule permits -- as well as poking fun at his whale-like girth.

Möttölä won't be 100 percent
Utah coach Rick Majerus said senior forward Hanno Möttölä may play Monday against UNLV. He said Möttölä and Majerus met with team doctors Sunday night to discuss Möttölä's status after ligament damage in his elbow and thumb forced him to miss the last three games.

"He won't be more than 60 or 70 percent the rest of the season," Majerus said. "It will be up to him how much he can play. There might be a few possessions where he can't catch the ball."

Majerus said if he uses him against UNLV, it would only be for a few spot minutes. He said don't expect a Willis Reed-type of entrance.

Pac-10's punishment
The Pac-10 publicly reprimanded USC's Jeff Trepagnier and Arizona State's Awvee Storey and Tanner Shell for their roles in a postgame altercation Saturday in Tempe. Trepagnier allegedly punched Storey after the game while the two teams were shaking hands. A scuffle ensued that led to press tables being knocked over at midcourt.

Tensions grew Friday night when the two teams couldn't practice on time because of a gymnastics meet. USC refused to leave the court on time. It continued Saturday morning, when practice balls that USC used in a morning shootaround were returned to ASU with obscenities scratched into them.

The Pac-10 said any further incidents by these players would result in harsher penalties, but no one will be suspended for this week's games. The Pac-10 said further suspensions could come from the schools themselves, if they choose.

There has been conference precedents both ways on this sort of issue. Arizona chose to sit forward Eugene Edgerson for a game last year after he knocked BYU's Bret Jepsen to the floor with an elbow. But the Wildcats didn't suspend Michael Wright after he was given a public reprimand by the conference for an elbow incident this season.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Word on college basketball runs Thursdays throughout the season.