RALEIGH – Upper Room Christian Academy senior Rodney Purvis has re-opened his recruiting process and announced a revised list of schools he’s considering for the 20012-13 season.

Purvis, a 6-foot-4 senior guard who pulled his verbal commitment from Louisville in May, said he’s now, in no order, considering offers from: Connecticut, Memphis, Missouri, N.C. Central, N.C. State, Ohio State, Virginia Commonwealth and Virginia.

Purvis and his mother, Shanda McNair, said they have no time frame on a decision, but may wait to after they take five official visits, interact with coaching staffs during home visits and thoroughly evaluate each program. 

“Instead of rushing into another decision,” Purvis said. “I get to sit down and talk with the coaches more. Gain relationship with every coach on the staff. Just get a good feel for the campuses ... and see what fits my style of play the best.”

MEMPHIS — North Carolina’s approaching NCAA Tournament third-round game against Gonzaga played a faint second fiddle in Memphis on Thursday. And Syracuse vs. Oklahoma? Third fiddle.

Even with the South Regional semifinals in town — Friday and Sunday in the FedExForum —  buzz for the games is light. There’s very little foot traffic around the building, no ticket scalpers out front, the usual Carolina groupies are all but nonexistent.

This quaint, but normally busy city, on the Mississippi River’s banks is locked, loaded and fully braced for the hometown Memphis Tigers’ Thursday NCAA West semifinal game against Missouri in Glendale, Ariz.

Across the nation, public universities are slicing and dicing their way through one of the worst budget years in recent memory.

But the methods vary. Here are what three states are doing to help their universities.

• In Missouri, the governor has made a pledge to give public universities as much funding this year as they received a year ago if they agreed not to raise tuition and fees.

• In Maryland, a proposed state budget would actually increase money to higher education.

• In Oregon, legislators are pushing a stimulus package that would include $88 million for higher education in that state.