Michigan State, Virginia, Xavier eye Notre Dame's McAlarney

If Notre Dame has no use for scoring point guard Kyle McAlarney, there are at least three other big-time basketball programs interested in having him join their team.

Michigan State, Virginia and Xavier have expressed interest in having McAlarney as a transfer, CBS SportsLine.com learned on Wednesday.

McAlarney, a sophomore from New York, was averaging 10.3 points for the Irish when he was suspended indefinitely after being arrested on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. McAlarney entered a pretrial diversion program but was suspended from school for the spring semester, a particularly harsh penalty for such a mistake.

It was not known if Michigan State, Virginia and/or Xavier had received a release from Notre Dame to speak with McAlarney, but that would be a minor breach of etiquette in this case. As shoddily as Notre Dame -- not coach Mike Brey, but the actual academic institution -- has treated McAlarney, he ought to be fair game for anyone with an available scholarship.