C.J. Leslie said Wednesday morning that he hasn't made a final list
of schools that he is considering, but that he is most interested in
Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, N.C. State and Oregon.

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.

LAHAINA, Hawaii — Oregon, making its first appearance in the Maui Invitational, held Alabama to 28.6 percent shooting in the second half Monday night to advance to a semi-final match-up with top-ranked North Carolina tonight. The 9:30 p.m. EST tipoff will be televised on ESPN.

Notes on the Ducks:

Word of God basketball point guard John Wall says he has not made his college decision.

Wall, a 6-foot-3 senior point guard, said Baylor, Memphis, Kansas, Kentucky, Oregon, N.C. State and Oklahoma State were the schools that were recruiting him the hardest, but that he was willing to talk to other schools if they were interested in him.