The Morning Dish – Wednesday, October 29th
Dotson in Texas: Former Baylor player Carlton Dotson is now back in Texas to face charges of murdering his teammate Patrick Dennehy. Dotson, who was arrested July 21st in Chestertown, Maryland, was extradited from Maryland to Waco earlier this week, ten days after Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich agreed to Texas’ warrant for extradition. Dotson is accused of shooting Dennehy twice in the head while the two were target practicing on June 12th. The investigation led to the resignation of head coach Dave Bliss and uncovered NCAA violations in the program, which was placed on two years probation by school president Robert Sloan.
Protect Your-Self: New Kansas head coach Bill Self has announced that Jayhawk practices will no longer be open to the public, two days after detailed descriptions of Self’s offensive plays and player performances were discovered on Internet message boards. Self, who had opened practices just a few days previous as a gesture of goodwill to the Jayhawk faithful, admitted expected something of this nature at some point, but didn’t expect it so soon or so detailed. Kansas opens their season Tuesday against EA Sports All-Stars at Allen Fieldhouse.
Lion Out: Penn State sophomore forward Aaron Johnson underwent surgery yesterday to repair a detached retina in his right eye. Johnson, the Nittany Lions’ leading rebounder last year with 7.5 boards per contest, along with 8 points, will be out indefinitely. The team did not say how Johnson was injured, but the surgery, performed at the Hershey (Pennsylvania) Medical Center, was described as successful. Penn State opens their season with an exhibition against EA Sports on Sunday.
Hayes Out: Georgia senior forward Jonas Hayes sprained his right ankle in practice earlier this week, and is expected to miss up to three weeks. Hayes, the twin brother of Jarvis Hayes, taken 10th overall in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season as a junior. Hayes should be ready to play in the Bulldogs’ home opener against Western Carolina, on November 21st.
Hoosier Cutbacks: The Indiana University ticket office has reneged on original ticket packages, changing student ticket packages from 12 games to eight. Citing 11,500 students clamoring for 7,800 student seats in Assembly Hall, the cutback was the only way that all students that requested a ticket package could get into the games. Last season the same tactic was employed, cutting the package from 10 games to seven. Last month, faculty and staff at Indiana were told that they would have to purchase their tickets for the first time, as normally they are provided gratis. Students that have already paid for 12 games will be refunded the difference, and the ticket assignments will be announced before the November 21st opener against UNC-Greensboro.
Special K: Last week it was Mike Krzyzewski, professor. This week, it’s Mike Krzyzewski, philanthropist. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his wife Mickie have donated $1 million to Duke University, making them a partner in the Duke Basketball Legacy Fund. The donation will endow a yearly athletic scholarship for the captain of the basketball team in honor of Krzyzewski’s brother Bill, a retired Chicago Fire Department captain, who never missed a day of work in 38 years. Former Duke standout Grant Hill is the chairman of the Fund, and is one of the founding partners.
Mmmm, Steak: The Mid-Continent Conference has announced that Hereford House, a chain of steak houses in the Kansas City area, will be the title sponsor for the 2004 Mid-Continent Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Hereford House will sponsor the event March 6-9, 2004, in Kemper Arena in Kansas City. Not a bad bit of publicity for a restaurant chain with only four locations.
