The Morning Dish – Saturday, February 19th
Funky Tigers: After a solid non-conference performannce, Princeton appeared ready to run away with the Ivy League. But the rest of the league has caught up to Princeton, and the Tigers appeared destined for – heaven forbid – last place. Yale continued the Tigers’ descent by beating Princeton 56-43 last night. The Bulldogs led by as many as 16 points in the first half, holding the Tigers to 16 points in the first half. Senior guard Edwin Draughan led all scores for Yale with 20 points. Meanwhile, freshman forward Noah Savage was the only starter to score more than three points, leading the team with 18.
Mono Won’t Make Dean a No-go: Mononucleosis sidelined Duke’s Shavlik Randolph for several games earlier this season, but it won’t bring down Louisville’s Taquan Dean. Dean will play through the illness that causes flu-like symptoms and extreme fatigue. The latter symptom is most detrimental to basketball players, who need every ounce of energy they can muster. Dean averages 13.8 points per game this season for the Cardinals.
Buckeye Reprimanded: Ohio State officials suspended forward Matt Sylvester for today’s game at Minnesota for unsportsmanlike conduct toward a Michigan State fan last week. Sylvester wrote an apology to the fan and was disciplined by Big Ten officials.
Coach Battles Through Surgery: Miami coach Frank Haith will be on the sidelines tonight when the Hurricanes play Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Haith had an emergency appendectomy Thursday after complaining of soreness for nearly a week. Haith originally said he’d miss this game between two 6-6 ACC teams. But he will fly on a private jet this afternoon to be able to coach the team tonight. If that doesn’t inspire the players to give their best effort on the court, nothing will.
Rush Judgment: SEC officials decided that South Carolina violated conference standards for security when students rushed the court following the Gamecocks’ upset victory against Kentucky. As a result, South Carolina must pay $5,000 for the first offense. A second offense would cost the school $15,000. Some student leaders have said the student body may be willing to pony up the cash in exchange for the thrill of storming the court. Considering recent incidents such as the melee in Detroit between the NBA’s Pacers and the Pistons’ fan, SEC officials are correct to issue standards and fines. But they also may be well-advised to find some way to allow overjoyed fans to celebrate a home-team upset at the stadium and maintain safety for opposing players, coaches and fans.
Hire Me: Former Georgetown coach Craig Esherick said earlier this week that he would be a perfect fit as New Mexico State’s next head coach. Former New Mexico State coach Lou Henson retired earlier this year because of health problems. Esherick has experience replacing legendary coaches, stepping up at Georgetown after John Thompson retired in 1999. The Hoyas failed to make the NCAA Tournament three times before school officials fired Esherick in 2004. New Mexico State athletic director McKinley Boston said he wants to find a new coach by early April.
Pierce Faces Three Felonies: Police increased the number of felonies facing former Iowa guard Pierre Pierce from one to three. Pierce now faces charges that include two counts of first-degree burglary, one count of assault with intent to commit sexual assault and one count of fourth-degree criminal mischief. If convicted of all counts, Pierce could face as many as 56 years in prison. The charges stem from an incident in which police claim Pierce had an argument with his former girlfriend about a new man in her life and choked her, stripped her and threatened her with a knife. Iowa coach Steve Alford kicked Pierce off the team and refused to reconsider the dismissal.
