The Morning Dish – Friday, October 17th
The Summit: Over 300 head coaches attended the NABC meeting in Chicago Wednesday, and agreed to establish an ethics code. Coaches also agreed to provide the NCAA with recommendations on stiffer penalties for violations, including a new type of NCAA infraction – the “lack of coach control”, which could lead to additional penalties to a program under investigation. And don’t think that the NABC is stopping at the head coaching level. A multi-session professional development program for all assistants will be implemented during the 2004 Final Four weekend in San Antonio this coming spring. Read Hoopville Staff writer Nick Dettmann’s eyewitness account of the NABC Summit.
Wade Indicted: Memphis sophomore guard Clyde Wade was indicted yesterday with eight other people on federal charges for fraud and credit card theft. Wade, a walk-on last season that averaged just under 2 points per game in 25 contests, was arrested with his mother, sister, and six others in a department store credit-card scheme. An inmate data entry worker in Nashville collected personal information from driver’s licenses, contacted department stores to obtain credit information via a conference call with co-conspirators, and then created fraudulent accounts, which Wade’s family members helped process fraudulent transactions through their sales positions at department stores. Wade himself sold fraudulent gift cards at half price throughout Memphis. Wade was suspended by the University of Memphis on Wednesday pending resolution of the charges.
Vroman Suspended, Again: Iowa State senior forward Jackson Vroman was suspended from the team yesterday following a drunken driving arrest. Vroman, who averaged 12.5 points and 9.5 boards per game last season, was suspended from the team in May following an arrest for possession of marijuana. He was also charged with driving on the wrong side of the street and driving without a registration, failed a field sobriety test and refused a blood alcohol test, and spent the night at a county jail. Vroman’s status for the season is uncertain, and there’s a chance he may not return to the squad. The Cyclones’ other top returning player, starting point guard Tim Barnes, is academically ineligible this semester, and was arrested for both marijuana and DUI in June.
Cav Benched: Virginia head coach Pete Gillen has announced that junior forward Jason Clark will not be allowed to play or practice with the squad for the time being. Gillen did not indicate whether Clark would be returning for a portion of the season, and did not provide a reason for the action. Clark played in every game last season and started half of the Cavaliers’ games. He averaged just under 5 points and 3 rebounds per game.
A-Sun Gets One: Or more accurately, gets one back. The Atlantic Sun Conference, which this season lost two quality teams (Jacksonville State and Samford) to the Ohio Valley Conference, has now added a new team. East Tennessee State accepted an invitation from the A-Sun to join for the 2005-06 season. ETSU was to be booted from the Southern Conference, due to its lack of a football program, but was allowed to stay through the 2004-05 season, especially since they represented the conference in the NCAA Tournament last March. While the A-Sun also added former Independent Lipscomb this season, it’s anticipated that Central Florida will depart the conference, as they have received overtures from Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, and even the Big East.
