NCAA: NCAA Turns Hostile Toward Abusive Nicknames

NCAA Turns Hostile Toward Abusive Nicknames: The NCAA executive committee ordered schools with “hostile” or “abusive” American Indian nicknames or logos to stop using them by February. The NCAA banned such images from post-season play. Also, offending mascots would not be welcome at tournaments, and band members and cheerleaders must change their uniforms by 2008. Florida State and Illinois are the highest profile of 18 programs with nicknames and logos that don’t pass the NCAA’s test.

Meanwhile, some activist groups sought more stringent action. The National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, for example, wanted the NCAA to issue a complete ban on American Indian imagery to cut off revenue generated from merchandise sales. The NCAA cannot force schools to change their nickname, but it is making life difficult. Offending schools cannot host future NCAA tournament games, and the NCAA encouraged schools not to schedule opponents with hostile or abusive nicknames and mascots.
[8/5/05]

Florida State: Logo and Nickname Fallout

Logo and Nickname Fallout: Florida State officials expressed frustration and confusion about the NCAA’s decision to ban “hostile” and “abusive” American Indian nicknames or logos because the school has approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The NCAA counters that the school does not have permission from other Seminole tribes, and therefore, they must change their nickname and mascot. Florida State officials intend to take the matter to court if the NCAA doesn’t back down.

Meanwhile, the sports nation has been quick to shoot holes in the NCAA’s crusade to remove hostile and abusive American Indian imagery from the game. A Baltimore Sun story published a list of merchandise available on the NCAA’s Web site from teams with offending nicknames or logos. Blogger Jerry Palm sent an e-mail to the NCAA – which went unanswered – that questions why the NCAA does not consider the Rebels of Mississippi offensive to African-Americans. He also lists other nicknames like the Highlanders, Spartans, Trojans and Fighting Irish as potentially ethnically hostile. Other cynical comments – yet valid to some degree – question whether the NCAA will cave to PETA if the animal rights organization complains about the use of nicknames and logos that could be interpreted as cruelty toward animals.
[8/5/05]

Texas Tech: NIT’s Knight in Shining Armor

NIT’s Knight in Shining Armor: In the midst of an uphill battle against the NCAA, the National Invitation Tournament may have found its savior in Texas Tech coach and NCAA icon Bob Knight. NIT officials have filed a case that the NCAA has created a monopoly with its NCAA Tournament, and Knight agrees. He testified that the NCAA is a monopoly and has been trying to destroy the NIT for decades. A winner of three NCAA Tournament championships and one NIT championship, Knight said he might opt to take inexperienced teams to the NIT if he could choose between that post-season tournament and the NCAA Tournament. But NCAA rules require all teams to accept invitations to its tournament. That rule is the heart of the case. To add to the intrigue of Knight becoming the patron saint of the NIT, NCAA president Myles Brand fired Knight when he was president of Indiana.
[8/5/05]

Georgia Tech: Jackets Reward Hewitt’s Success

Jackets Reward Hewitt’s Success: Happy with the recent success of the program, Georgia Tech officials extended coach Paul Hewitt’s contract by one year. Hewitt will remain the Yellow Jackets’ leader through the 2010-11 season. In five seasons, he has led Georgia Tech to a 96-66 record and took the team to the 2004 championship game. Last year, Georgia Tech lost to Louisville, a Final Four contestant, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
[8/5/05]

Texas Tech: Reality Check on Knight

Reality Check on Knight: Texas Tech coach Bob Knight will be the star of a new reality show in which one Texas Tech student will have the opportunity to walk on to the Red Raiders during the 2006-07 season. The show will feature Knight’s usual regimen of drills, conditioning and instruction. Although many viewers will be watching in hope of witnessing an infamous Knight rant, the show offers an opportunity for college basketball fans to better appreciate the countless hours of hard work that student-athletes undergo in preparation for the season. Even walk-ons, who frequently play only a handful of minutes in an entire season, must sweat a few buckets to claim their spot on the team.
[8/5/05]

NCAA: NCAA Committee Gives Teeth to Academic Rules

NCAA Committee Gives Teeth to Academic Rules: In addition to the mascot controversy, the NCAA executive committee added stronger penalties to the new academic standards. If a team falls below the standards based on the new scoring system, it will receive a warning first. A second consecutive year of non-compliance would produce restrictions on scholarships, recruiting and playing time. Three consecutive years would initiate a ban on post-season play. And four years would mean that all teams at the school are ineligible for post-season play.

On the other hand, the NCAA will reward teams that consistently excel in the classroom with public recognition and additional money. Significant improvement will also receive special recognition.

The NCAA also tweaked the academic point system. It will not penalize schools if an athlete leaves because of situations like a death of a family member or the elimination of a program or major at a school. However, the NCAA will not make exceptions for players that leave a school because of a coaching change. Schools won’t lose a point if a player is academically eligible when drafted, and they can receive a bonus point if a drafted player returns to complete his or her degree.
[8/5/05]

St. Bonaventure: Relph Back on Bonnies

Relph Back on Bonnies: St. Bonaventure reinstated sophomore point guard Tyler Relph after he had been suspended since April for driving while impaired. A judge cleared him of a driving while intoxicated charge, giving him a lesser offense. Relph’s license has been suspended for a year. The West Virginia transfer is expected to be the Bonnies’ starting point guard. He will sit out the team’s first game against Robert Morris Nov. 18.
[8/4/05]

Buffalo: Buffalo Cuts Ties to Hall

Buffalo Cuts Ties to Hall: Sophomore guard Wallace Hall is off the Buffalo team because of conduct detrimental to the team. Coach Reggie Witherspoon would not elaborate about the decision. Hall had been suspended since April because he was charged with possessing and selling marijuana. Playing sporadically last season, Hall averaged only 0.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.
[8/4/05]

Albany: Albany Hires Recent Grad

Albany Hires Recent Grad: Albany coach Will Brown completed his staff by hiring Jeremy Friel as director of basketball operations. Friel played for New Hampshire from 2002 to 2005 and graduated in May. He will be responsible for administrative duties, videotape exchange, travel coordination and summer basketball camp management.
[8/4/05]

Pittsburgh: Pitt Adds Pirate to Backcourt

Pitt Adds Pirate to Backcourt: Pittsburgh prepared for the future by adding East Carolina’s scoring leader from last season. Mike Cook transferred to the Panthers after averaging 15 points, four rebounds and three assists per game last season as a sophomore. He requested a transfer after the Pirates fired coach Bill Herrion and hired Ricky Stokes. Cook must sit out this coming season according to NCAA rules for transfers, but he will be a welcome addition in the backcourt after senior point guard Carl Krauser graduates next year.
[8/4/05]

USC: Trojans Excel in Classroom When It Counts

Trojans Excel in Classroom When It Counts: Faced with the prospect of not playing during the 2005-06 season, several USC players passed summer school courses to regain eligibility for the fall semester. Guards Lodrick Stewart, Gabe Pruitt and Nick Young all took and passed summer classes after struggling academically last year. Freshman point guard Ryan Francis also took summer school, but he must wait for the NCAA Clearinghouse to certify his eligibility.

The eligibility of several important backcourt players will help new coach Tim Floyd rebuild the Trojans’ program. He has one more vacancy on his staff, and rumor has it that former San Jose State coach Phil Johnson is the frontrunner for that spot.
[8/4/05]

Oregon: Duck Goes for Three

Duck Goes for Three: Oregon guard Jordan Kent, son of coach Ernie Kent, will try to add a third sport this fall by trying out for the Ducks’ football team. As a track star and basketball contributor, Kent possesses the mix of speed and size that makes for an intriguing wide receiver prospect. Kent will test his ability to contend for a significant role on the team. If he doesn’t appear likely to contribute in either of his two remaining seasons, he will focus on track and basketball. [8/4/05]

Wyoming: Cowboys Host BCA Invitational

Cowboys Host BCA Invitational: Wyoming will be the host for this year’s BCA Invitational, which will also include Charlotte, Alabama State, Butler, Coppin State, Lehigh, Northwestern and UNC – Wilmington. The Cowboys will be one of the favorites to win the invitational, in which each team will play three games. Charlotte will likely contend with Wyoming for the title. The tournament will run Nov. 13-15. [8/4/05]

Missouri: Mizzou Tells Merchants to Steer Clear of Athletes

Mizzou Tells Merchants to Steer Clear of Athletes: Missouri officials initiated a pre-emptive strike by warning merchants in Columbia, Mo., to remember that the NCAA bans special treatment for student-athletes. That means that merchants ranging from local car dealerships to restaurants cannot provide anything free to the Tigers’ players. An internal audit indicates that the school made such warnings several times in the past few years. It states that although no proof of violations by local merchants exists, suspicion is present.

The report also criticizes the university’s poor graduation rate for student-athletes, which decreased from 62 percent in 2003 to 58 percent in 2004. The report briefly mentions the reforms initiated by the basketball team following the Ricky Clemons scandal, which led to the removal of one assistant coach accused of providing gifts to players, including Clemons. The audit is part of a standard 10-year evaluation, which Tiger officials must submit to the NCAA by Oct. 15.
[8/3/05]

NCAA: NIT Goes Trust Busting

NIT Goes Trust Busting: In attempt to resurrect the No. 2 post-season tournament, the financial backers of the National Invitation Tournament are suing the NCAA because they believe it has “willfully, deliberately set out to get a monopoly.” The five schools that back the pre-season and post-season NIT tournaments are Fordham, Manhattan, St. John’s, Wagner and New York University.

In response, the NCAA’s lawyers argue that the presidents of those schools are merely trying to get more money for their schools at the expense of the nearly 1,000 other schools that participate in NCAA tournaments. The current system has been in place since the 1960s when the NIT agreed to let the NCAA pick teams first for its tournament. The NCAA now requires schools to participate in only one post-season tournament, which NIT lawyers say establishes a monopoly. NCAA officials have considered repealing the rule, but they fear organizers of another tournament, including the NIT, could potentially create rigged tournaments that would produce the most attractive national championship game.
[8/3/05]

Albany: Brown to Remain Top Dog an Extra Year

Brown to Remain Top Dog an Extra Year: Albany rewarded the work of coach Will Brown by extending his contract by one year through 2006. He has been the Great Danes’ coach since 2002 after serving as interim coach in 2001. Albany had its best finish in the America East conference last season by finishing 9-9. With two all-conference players returning this fall, the Great Danes are one of the favorites to win the America East. [8/3/05]

Gonzaga: Turiaf Moves to Recovery Stage

Turiaf Moves to Recovery Stage: Former Gonzaga center Ronny Turiaf has returned to Spokane, Wash., to rehabilitate following heart surgery to repair an enlarged aortic root. Turiaf was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA Draft in June. Last season, Turiaf averaged 15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game. [8/3/05]

Kentucky: Big Blue Madness Envelops Rupp Arena

Big Blue Madness Envelops Rupp Arena: Kentucky’s version of the celebration that coincides with the first official practice of the season will move from Memorial Coliseum to Rupp Arena this fall. Big Blue Madness will pour into the Wildcats’ larger facility because Memorial Coliseum’s capacity has shrunk from 8,700 to 5,600 because of construction. The move also happens to mark the 30th birthday of Rupp Arena, which seats 23,000. Wildcat officials said they do not plan to make the change permanent, adding that this year is merely an experiment. [8/3/05]

Kansas: Bad Blood Spills Into Court

Bad Blood Spills Into Court: The Kansas/Missouri rivalry is taking a legal turn as a trespassing trial has been delayed until Dec. 21. During the Tigers’ home game against the Jayhawks last March, three Kansas students bickered with the off-duty Columbia police chief, who attended the game as a fan. Chief Jack Watring took exception to the Kansas students’ sign, which read “Call it what you want, it’ll always be Allen Fieldhouse East.” The banner referenced the dispute at Mizzou about renaming Paige Arena to Mizzou Area. The arena is named for Paige Laurie, the daughter of a multimillion-dollar donor. But Laurie apparently paid a USC student to finish her coursework.

According to the Kansas fans, Watring argued with the students, then ordered Andrew Wymore to be removed. Officials say he attempted to re-enter the arena, hence the trespassing charge. District attorney officials have offered Wymore, a future law student at UCLA, a plea bargain of $50, which he refuses to accept because he said that would require an admission of guilt. He’s willing to wait until Dec. 21 to start the trial to defend his innocence. The trial must wait because the prosecution’s primary witness was out of town when the trial was supposed to start and Wymore must soon report to UCLA for the upcoming fall semester. Wymore had better hope that Kansas’ recent success in Columbia extends to the court of law. [8/3/05]

Arkansas: Richardson vs. America?

Richardson vs. America?: Although former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson lost in his last court appearance – a lengthy trial in which he claimed wrongful termination and accused Razorback officials of racism – he may soon get to take on the entire country. Panamanian Basketball Federation officials are considering hiring Richardson, but the deal is not final, despite reports that he will coach the team in the Bolivarian Games. A Panama basketball official said Enrique Grenald is leading the team for now, but the country would like to hire Richardson, if they can afford him. Richardson said he only expects enough compensation to cover living expenses. If Richardson becomes coach of Panama’s team, he would lead the squad in the Tournament of the Americas, which starts Aug. 24. Panama is in the same group as the United States. [8/3/05]