The Morning Dish – Thursday, December 16th
Wallace Hospitalized: Hawaii head coach Riley Wallace was hospitalized due to heart surgery yesterday. Wallace, in his 18th season at the helm of the Warriors, underwent angioplasty surgery, where a stint was inserted into his right coronary artery to improve blood flow. He had the same procedure six years ago on his left artery. Through a school spokesman, Riley indicated that he should be released sometime tomorrow, and will be on the sidelines for Monday’s game against Long Beach State, in the opening round of the Rainbow Classic.
A New Partnership: A new joint venture between college basketball coaches and the NCAA was announced yesterday at Madison Square Garden. The initiative, called the College Basketball Partnership, was announced by NCAA president Miles Brand and three head coaches, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Oklahoma’s Kelvin Sampson, and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim. The Partnership, who will meet formally at the Final Four in St. Louis in April, will consist of 25 coaches, administrators, commissioners, NCAA staff, and even the NCAA’s television partners. There is a possibility that even student-athletes could be added to the panel, and that a separate one for women’s basketball could be created. Early fruits of the discussions include last April’s repealing of the 5/8 rule, and some discussions of recruiting rules changes.
Brown Pleads Not Guilty: Montana State junior point guard Frank Brown pleaded not guilty in a Bozeman court house yesterday to charges of raping an under-age girl last month. Brown, who averaged 8.5 points and 4.5 assists last season. Brown, 20, is accused of two counts of rape against a 15-year old girl at his Bozeman apartment, once while she was passed out drunk. Brown, who was arrested November 23rd, posted bond and has returned to his Las Vegas home, having been suspended indefinitely from the team. If found guilty, Brown could face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Next up is a scheduling hearing February 14th.
Farley Dismissed: Louisville has dismissed freshman center Terrance Farley from the Cardinal team for a violation of team rules. Farley, a 6-10 Louisville native, had played in two games so far this season for a total of six minutes. In a statement, head coach Rick Pitino wished Farley well in his pursuit of another playing opportunity. No further details about the violation were released.
Another Bulldog Gone: Georgia has announced that sophomore forward Marcus Sikes has been dismissed from Dennis Felton’s squad. The loss of Sikes, who had not played yet this season due to serving a suspension for disciplinary reasons since the start of the semester in September, knocks the team down to seven scholarship players, all underclassmen. There are no seniors and only one junior walk-on on the team. Sikes played in 26 games last season and averaged 2.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest as a freshman last season.
Breathing Down Their Necks: San Diego State has started the first step towards rewarding alumni with Jack Nicholson-type seats. At the Aztec’s home games at Cox Arena, 12 top boosters are now seated at the scorer’s table, up-close-and-personal with the official scorer, scorekeeper, and the shot clock operator. Reaction has been mixed, as it’s not against any NCAA or Mountain West rules, and the move rewards some of the school’s biggest donors with a never-before experience. However in the Monmouth game a few weeks ago, it took longer than normal to adjust the game clock, as the timekeeper had been displaced by the boosters. Never mind the chance for a possibly biased work environment, and not to mention beer spilling on the scoreboard controls.
Storm the Court? Fine!: The SEC has announced that member institutions could face fines of up to $50,000 if their fans storm the football field or basketball court. The measure was approved by all schools and took effect December 1st. Fines will be incremented from $5,000 (first offense), $25,000 (second offense) to the grand-daddy fine. According to the new rules, fans that enter the playing area can be removed from the venue and arrested, and even prevented from future puchase of tickets. Students of the member schools can also be punished, and possibly could be expelled.
Keeping it Regional: The Big Sky Conference is shaping up its list of invitations, but Dakota schools won’t be coming to the party. The Big Sky will be looking to add the University of Northern Colorado for possbile membership, but declined to name other schools that have expressed a desire to join, including the Mid-Continent’s Southern Utah, along with independents North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Southern Utah was bypassed over objection from neighbor Weber State, while the conference’s Pacific Coast schools balked at traveling to the Dakotas. The move may trigger a collapse of the Great West Football Conference, as Northern Colorado, North Dakota State and South Dakota State all will be leaving, and the University of North Dakota is eyeing a D-I move as well. UNC could be a member of the Big Sky as soon as the 2006-07 season.
Not Yet: The University of North Dakota has announced that they won’t be making the leap to D-I until they can secure a conference membership. The likely suitor, the Big Sky Conference, announced yesterday that they will not be considering the Dakota schools for membership due to travel distance. UND, who is D-II, save for their D-I hockey program, will hold off on making a move until both a conference affiliation and necessary funding are available.
Stick to the Script: North Carolina State officials have asked student groups to stick to the original lyrics when the National Anthem is played at Wolfpack home events. Complaints came after the East Carolina football game this season after rowdy fans emphasized the “RED” in “rocket’s red glare”, and sang the “home of the WOLFPACK!” Chancellor James Oblinger received several complaint e-mails, and he notified the NC State band leaders, student government groups, and booster clubs to honor Francis Scott Key’s original version.
