ADLER

They're called BUTTLICKERS. They lick the butts of people or organizations with which they have no affiliation, often at the expense of supporting their own organization.

College baseball returning to Denton New TCL franchise could help UNT revive program 08:55 AM CDT on Saturday, July 17, 2004 By Mike McClendon Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writer The Texas Collegiate League is coming to Denton and it could signal the revival of college baseball at the University of North Texas. The TCL announced an agreement on Thursday with an ownership group headed by Dallas-based entrepreneur Jim Leslie to add an expansion franchise in Denton. The TCL is a summer wooden bat league that features some of the top college baseball players from across the country. It is currently in its first year of existence. "The Texas Collegiate League is very pleased to reach an agreement to bring a team to Denton," said TCL Chairman Gerald Haddock. "We feel that Jim Leslie’s group will be a solid addition to our league in an outstanding market." The TCL currently has franchises in Colleyville-Grapevine, Coppell, Highland Park, McKinney, Graham, Granbury, Mineral Wells and Weatherford. The teams play a 54-game schedule that begins in early June and ends in mid-August. The Denton team is expected to begin play next season and the ownership group is expected to announce a nickname for the franchise next week. "It’s great that we’ll have college baseball in Denton," UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said. "For a lot of people, this is baseball country. Hopefully, this Texas Collegiate League team will help bring Division I-A baseball back to the University of North Texas." Leslie and his group are currently working on an agreement with UNT that would result in the development and construction of a new baseball complex on the school’s property. The facility would be used by both UNT and the TCL franchise. "The facility deal is still with the lawyers," said Calvary baseball coach John Hampton, a member of the Denton franchise’s ownership group. "[uNT’s lawyers] sent us something. We sent something back. Now they sent us something. The negotiation is going well and we have nothing but positive feelings right now." "We’re still in the process of exploring what we can and can’t do as far as sharing the facility," added Villarreal. "I feel good about where we are. I feel like have had great discussions. Now we’re getting down to the specifics. There are a lot of legal things to go through. We’re probably looking at sometime in August when we can announce whether or not we can do this." If the ownership group cannot reach a deal with UNT, Hampton said, the group would look for an alternative location for the facility within Denton, or pay a fee to the TCL to terminate the franchise. Hampton said the TCL showed interested in the Denton market a few years ago, but was deterred by the lack of a suitable baseball facility. "We couldn’t make it work the first time, but they [the TCL] came to us again and this time we had some land available to build a stadium on," Hampton said. "We were looking in to making it happen when UNT approached us about building a facility on their land. That’s when this thing took off and we knew we could do something special." If an agreement between UNT and the ownership group is reached, Villarreal said, the school would have to deal with financing and Title IX gender equity issues before reviving baseball, which was last sponsored by the school in 1988. Among the possibilities to conform with Title IX, Villarreal said, are adding a women’s sport or reducing scholarship numbers in other men’s sports. MIKE McCLENDON can be reached at 940-566-6873.

I have a question that possibly some of you seasoned baseball fans can answer. What direction does a batter face in an outdoor baseball stadium? OK smartasses, I'm not asking for "hopefully toward the pitcher" or something, I'm asking if fields are always set with the pitcher facing North, South, East, or West, or are the baselines arranged on direct north/south, and east/west lines? At the ballpark in Arlington formerly known as The Ballpark In Arlington, I think the batter faces southward, but that's somewhat of a guess. About the $$$ for the new baseball stadium, I'm happy with the way things are turning out with a co-financed stadium. I think a stadium financed only by the TCL franchise would be designed to predominantly cover their needs and not the requirements of a 40,000 student body which may have a large contingent following the program. Our former AD would have jumped at any deal that would have gotten us a free stadium no matter how obsolete or embarassingly small it was. I think Rick V has much better insight into the real needs of the university and doesn't duct tape & bailing wire everything. We'll wind up with a stadium and a program we're proud to call our own.

Baseball: TCL close to a reality Announcement pushed back, deal not finalized 09:22 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 By Brett Vito Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writer A group of investors has delayed announcing an agreement to found a Texas Collegiate League baseball team in Denton. The group set Monday as its target date to unveil its plans for a team, but didn’t have all the details worked out. The group is negotiating with UNT to split the cost of building a stadium on campus to house the team. "We are within hours of signing a franchise agreement," said John Hampton, a member of the group trying to bring a team to Denton. "We have one small detail we need to work out." The group set Monday as its target date for an announcement to correspond with the TCL All-Star Game in Graham. UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said reaching an agreement to build a stadium on campus would be a key step in the school reviving its baseball program that last fielded a team from 1984-88. "At this point we don’t see any reason an agreement to build a stadium won’t work out," Hampton said. The TCL is a summer league that features college players. A Denton summer league team would use a field on UNT’s campus after the end of the collegiate season. UNT would then have the opportunity to field a varsity team that would play at the stadium during the school year. Villarreal said baseball would be a natural fit at UNT and a key step in improving the school’s athletic program. Atkinson to turn pro today Former North Texas golfer Zach Atkinson will begin his professional career today when he plays in the Texas State Open at White Bluff Resort. Atkinson’s 73.3 scoring average was the best among UNT golfers last season when he was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team. Atkinson built on the success he enjoyed during his senior year at UNT by becoming the first player from the school to win the Texas State Amateur title earlier this summer. The Texas State Open appears to be the ideal event for Atkinson to begin his professional career. He has posted the best score for an amateur at the event the last two years. Villarreal to receive honor North Texas athletic director Rick Villarreal will receive the General Robert Neyland Athletic Director Award during the All-American Football Foundation’s Banquet of Champions on Sunday in New Orleans. Sun Belt Conference commissioner Wright Waters will receive the Contribution to Football Award while Sun Belt assistant commissioner Judy Wilson will receive the Scoop Hudgins Outstanding Sports Information Director Award. UNT has reached a series of milestones during Villarreal’s tenure, including the construction of a new $7.4 million athletic center that is set to open later this year. The foundation hosts a series of banquets across the country each year to honor coaches, administrators and athletes for their contributions to football. Tory Dickey, the wife of UNT head football coach Darrell Dickey, received the First Lady of Football Award at another Banquet of Champions earlier this year. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

There's no denying that travel would be expensive, but the cost of hockey may not seem so outrageous when comparing it to the cost of fielding a bowling team. The women's scholarships will have to be offered for North Texas to remain in Title IX compliance if Varsity Baseball is added. The largest expense, scholarships would be the same either way. Bowling would have to lease facilities off campus, team travel would still be expensive because hotels and meals would cost the same as for a hockey team, and there is no chance of it becoming a revenue sport able to financially support itself. Bowling just isn't a spectator sport. With hockey, we already have an ideal building in the old Men's Gym which could be converted to an ice rink by the Physical Education department for minimal costs. With the volleyball matches moving to the facilities at the former Liberty Christian School, and all the basketball courts that have been built at the PEB and the SRC, the Men's Gym has no real function remaining. The arena could be used for PE classes, club sports as well as varsity women's hockey competition. In Men's Hockey, North Texas already competes in the College Hockey South West conference, and has done so with great success. If their contests were held on campus, they would surely garner a strong following. Schools Participating in the League Baylor University Oklahoma State University Southern Methodist University Texas A & M Texas Tech University of North Texas University of Texas @ Austin The women's hockey team would be key to getting the facilities built, and the combined gate for the women's NCAA games and the men's club games should easily offset any travel cost difference between a hockey team and a bowling team.

Players back fifth year of eligibility By JON KRAWCZYNSKI The Associated Press 7/9/2004, 4:51 p.m. CT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Keith Brumbaugh shook his head and sighed at the thought of spending five years playing basketball in college. "Five years of school?" the blue chip recruit from Deland, Fla., said Friday at the Nike All-America Camp. "Five years is a long, long time to be in school." But Brumbaugh, who is deciding between Florida and Florida State after flirting with the idea of jumping straight to the NBA, is not the kind of player coaches target with their proposal to add a fifth year of eligibility. The National Association of Basketball Coaches unanimously recommended a sweeping new recruiting model Wednesday, one which includes allowing players to be eligible for five years. NCAA president Myles Brand supports the proposal, saying the extra year of eligibility will help place a greater emphasis on education and improve lagging graduation rates. Brand said most students take 4.8 years to graduate and that athletes should be expected to do the same. Many of the high school players in town for the Nike Camp endorsed the idea of a fifth year, but with an asterisk. "It's better overall, but it's not something I'm going to worry about," said Levance Fields, a 5-foot-10 guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. Like many of the youngsters at this year's camp, Fields envisions a relatively brief college career at a school such as St. John's, Pittsburgh or Miami before making the jump to the NBA. NABC executive director Jim Haney said the proposal is aimed more at the vast majority of Division I schools, not at the center of the basketball universe. "The intent wasn't that it helped one institution," Haney said. "We wanted it to touch and improve all of them." The smaller schools with the less-touted recruits stand to benefit most if a fifth year is added. "Not only does this proposal help the Michigan States and the Dukes, but the Central Michigans and the IUPUIs as well," said IUPUI coach Ron Hunter, who sat on the committee that wrote the proposal. The NCAA asked the NABC nearly three months ago to help develop a new recruiting model that would attract more players to college, encourage them to stay in school and remain at the university they originally choose. North Carolina center Sean May said he thought a fifth year would go a long way toward keeping more players in school and helping them work toward a degree. "A lot of guys take classes to stay eligible," May said. "By the time they get to the end of their college career, they're not on course to graduate, and they still have to come back to school. "If players get that fifth year of eligibility, it could help them and the game a lot," he said. Jonathan Adams, a 6-5 forward from Ringgold, Ga., likes the idea of a fifth year of eligibility. "I think it's a good opportunity for a lot of people," Adams said. "Academic-wise, it would help you graduate and with the extra year, it could make you better and give you a better chance to make it to the NBA." Then there are players like Brumbaugh and Justin Dentmon, who have a hard time envisioning a college career that long. "It would be hard to stick around for that fourth or fifth year watching a lot of guys getting drafted and knowing I could be right there with them," said Dentmon, a 5-11 guard from Carbondale, Ill. That's not what this proposal is about, said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "It's about getting a degree," Izzo said. Tell that to Brumbaugh. "That don't make a difference," Brumbaugh said of the fifth year. "They're having a hard time getting kids to go to college at all."

Brand supports new eligibility proposal By MICHAEL MAROT The Associated Press 7/8/2004, 8:08 p.m. CT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NCAA president Myles Brand will back a sweeping new proposal that would give college basketball players a fifth season of eligibility. One day after the National Association of Basketball Coaches unanimously approved the measure, Brand responded by calling it an "outstanding package." "I'm supportive of the package in its entirety," Brand told The Associated Press on Thursday. "It's coherent, and it's an effort to make the coach look more like a mentor and a teacher." The coaches association plans to submit a revised proposal to the NCAA. The NCAA still must debate the measure and approve the recommendations, a process that will likely take at least a year. Brand believes the extra year of eligibility will help place a greater emphasis on education and improve lagging graduation rates. He said most students take 4.8 years to graduate and that athletes should be expected to do the same. Another part of the package calls for coaches to meet regularly with players about their classwork and future plans. While Brand acknowledged there would be critics, he will not be one. "I understand it will be controversial," he said. "We'll see how it turns out. But I believe the main purpose is to increase graduation rates in men's basketball, which has had the most severe problem." Brand had four NCAA officials help craft the plan during a yearlong process that culminated in the coaches' approval Wednesday. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said at the Nike All-America Camp in Indianapolis that the NCAA and NABC had formed an unprecedented partnership. "Myles Brand has given us more access to himself and the staff," Krzyzewski said. "It's phenomenal. We were in a period 11 or 12 years ago and just a couple of years ago where no one listened. Now they are listening." If the NCAA passes the plan, coaches would also be able to make more phone calls to recruits. Other measures in the proposal include more stringent penalties for schools committing secondary infractions and greater enforcement of current NCAA rules. Brand said the coaches insisted on that part and he believes the entire package will not only put a greater emphasis on academics but also create parity among all Division I programs. "It won't affect kids who leave before the fourth year because they'll leave anyway," Brand said. "But it well help in building parity and in most cases, the benefits will be in the mid-major programs." Brand has been a proponent of academic reform since taking over as president in January 2003. Since taking over, the NCAA has passed legislation increasing the number of core courses required for incoming freshmen and increased the percentage of hours toward graduation for student-athletes to remain eligible. Earlier this year, the NCAA also passed a measure that would penalize schools with consistently poor graduation rates although a subcommittee is still determining where the cutoff line should be. Schools could lose scholarships as early as this fall. Brand considers this proposal another step in that direction. "In some ways, it's not a radical package. It's a coherent package," he said. "It's a new model and a new approach for student-athletes and recruiting. I'm very supportive of it."

Assuming that we add men's baseball and fill it's 11.5 scholarships, to remain Title 9 compliant, we'll have to add a women's sport with a similar amount scholarships and funding.(actually a couple more scholarships since the campus is 55% female) What if........... instead of women's bowling......... What if North Texas decided to have a NCAA Women's Division 1 Hockey program. The old Men's Gym could easily be converted into a first class hockey facility, and recent campus additions have made it increasingly obsolete as a gymnasium. Would/could there be enough interest on campus and in the community to make women's hockey a revenue sport? Could a corporate sponsor be found? With the rising popularity of hockey, would/could there be sufficient usage from intramurals and club sports for maintaining such a facility? The biggest drawback that I see is that most of the NCAA Women's Division 1 hockey programs are in the Big Ten area. It's just a thought, but if you're going to have to fund the scholarships, why not use them for a sport that would capture the attention of the campus and the market. OHIO STATE WOMEN'S HOCKEY

The Super Pit and the PEB weren't built for hosting tournaments either, but they are excellent venues for it. Leasing the 4 additional courts in the SRC for a few days during this part of the summer could be exceptionally valuable to the university as a whole because of it's recruiting value, and the Recreational Sports Department could raise revenue to spend on student equiptment.

Another facet that makes this outstanding is that the two sprinters signed from Denton High school, Brandon Irabor and Ryan Roberson, are also football players. Even if they never set foot on the gridiron for the Mean Green, they could be a valuable asset in recruiting other Denton speedsters to the team. Brandon Irabor Ryan Roberson

I have a question that hopefully one of you can answer. Why aren't the 4 courts in the new Student Rec Center being used for this tournament? It seem to make perfect sense for those to be utilized.

Basketball: It’s Shoot-Out time in Denton Top summer tourney returns with 248 teams vying for several titles 09:10 AM CDT on Friday, July 9, 2004 By Ethan B. Szatmary Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writer The future of college and professional basketball comes to Denton this weekend. The 16th annual Pontiac Denton Great American Shoot-Out begins today and runs through Monday with 248 teams of some of the best high school and prep players from 14 different states competing in the annual tourney, the third largest of its kind during the summer. With so much talent pooled in one place during the brief summer period when college coaches can observe high school players in tournament action, there are sure to be plenty of college scouts on hand, as well. "This tournament stacks up with the best in the country," said Great American Shoot-Out tournament director Mike Kunstadt. "Every year, some of the best teams in the country come here to play. "There’s no question kids can get a lot of exposure during the summertime. It’s still more important to play high school basketball, but college coaches get two 10-day periods in July when the NCAA allows them to get out and see kids play. That’s a very short period of time, and this tournament allows them to see a lot of players at once." The tournament field is divided into three separate skill levels — NBA for the most competitive summer-league all-star teams of rising seniors; NCAA, composed primarily of large high school teams and younger all-star select teams; and the NIT, for small high school teams and less-skilled young select teams. The NBA division is further sub-divided into Gold and Silver brackets, and the NCAA is broken down into Red, White and Blue divisions. Pool play begins today at 2 p.m. at venues around Denton County — the Super Pit, the Physical Education Building and Men’s Gym at the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University’s Kitty Magee Arena, Denton High School, Ryan High School, McMath Middle School, Crownover Middle School, Strickland Middle School, Calhoun Middle School and Argyle High School. Play continues Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Once the teams have been sorted out in pool play, the top two teams in each division advance to the championship bracket, and the bottom two teams move on to the consolation bracket, with elimination games beginning on Sunday at 9 a.m. No area teams will knock heads with the big boys in the NBA Division, but several will compete. Ryan, Northwest, Pilot Point and the Denton Bronx I will all compete in the NCAA Division, while Ponder, the Denton Bronx II, the Liberty Warriors and the North Texas Wildcats [Argyle] will give it a go in the NIT Division. Summer tournaments give these teams experience and time to gel before the real games start in the fall. That can be critical for a team like the North Texas Wildcats. Made up primarily of Argyle high schools, the school’s talented corps of seniors graduated after making a run at the Class 2A state championship earlier this year. Now is the time for Argyle’s rising young players to see what they can do. "This is definitely an opportunity for them to get some playing time against good competition, but more importantly they’re getting the opportunity to play together," said Wildcats co-founder Stephen Martin, whose son Steve graduated from both Argyle and the Wildcats in the spring. "Since that group of seniors was so special and some of these younger guys were on varsity but others weren’t — they just hasn’t had the opportunity to play together." In the NBA Division, the Houston Swoosh 17s, featuring high-flying superstar in the making Martellus Bennett, are attempting to become the first squad to win all four of TexasHoops.com’s summer Shootout tournaments. Previously, the Swoosh prevailed in the San Antonio, College Station and Plano shoot-outs. "The Swoosh has won the triple crown, and now they’re going for the grand slam," said Kunstadt. "They’ll definitely be one of the better teams, but winning won’t come easy." While the Arkansas Hawks 17s are not back to defend their NBA title, Kunstadt predicted that the Swoosh will be tested by Texan teams Austin Dawgs Select, Dallas Hoop Dreams Blue, Dallas Pump N Run Blue, Houston Select, Texas Top Prospects 17s, Dallas Mustangs 17s White, TUAC Warriors, South Texas Stallions, Texas Wolverines and the Top Achiever Eagles, as well as out-of-state squads like Athlete’s First and Williams Energy from Oklahoma, Louisiana Stars Select, the Arkansas Wings, California High 5 America and the Gulfcoast Stars our of Mississippi. ETHAN B. SZATMARY can be reached at 940-566-6869. 2004 Pontiac Denton Great American Shoot-Out Today-Monday Sites: The Super Pit, Physical Education Building at Men’s Gym at UNT, TWU’s Kitty Magee Arena, Denton High School, Ryan High School, Calhoun Middle School, Strickland Middle School, McMath Middle School, Crownover Middle School and Argyle High School Divisions: NBA (Gold and Silver); NCAA (Red, White and Blue); and NIT. 2004 Pontiac Denton Great American Shoot-Out Friday-Monday Sites: The Super Pit, Physical Education Building at Men’s Gym at UNT, TWU’s Kitty Magee Arena, Denton High School, Ryan High School, Calhoun Middle School, Strickland Middle School, McMath Middle School, Crownover Middle School and Argyle High School Schedule of local teams Friday Ryan High School 1 North Texas Wildcats [Argyle] vs. Orange Crush (NIT) at 4:50 p.m. Denton Ryan vs. Odessa All-Stars (NCAA) at 9:05 p.m. McMath Middle School Denton Bronx I vs. Midlothian High School (NCAA) at 2 p.m. Northwest vs. Oklahoma Spirit (NCAA) at 2 p.m. Pilot Point High School vs. Kennedale High School (NCAA) at 3:25 p.m. Strickland Middle School Ponder High School vs. Arlington High School (NIT) at 6:15 p.m. Denton High School Denton Bronx II vs. Texas Terps White (NIT) at 3:25 p.m. Liberty Warriors vs. G2S Wildcats II (NIT) at 6:15 p.m. Denton Bronx II vs. Team Nike (NIT) at 7:40 p.m. Saturday McMath Middle School Dallas Texas Tarheels vs. Pilot Point (NCAA) at 10:20 a.m. North Texas Wildcats vs. Galveston Hornets (NIT) at 5 p.m. Denton Ryan vs. G2S Magic II (NCAA) at 7:40 p.m. Argyle High School Denton Bronx I vs. Northwest (NCAA) at 9 a.m. Strickland Middle School North Texas Wildcats vs. Texas Top Guns II (NIT) at 10:20 a.m. Denton Ryan vs. Austin Dawgs White (NCAA) at 1 p.m. Calhoun Middle School Ponder High School vs. Team Wisconsin II (NIT) at 11:40 a.m. Liberty Warriors vs. Urban Kings (NIT) at 1 p.m. Denton Bronx I vs. Oklahoma Spirit (NCAA) at 2:20 p.m. Pilot Point vs. Wichita Falls Raiders (NCAA) at 3:40 p.m. Denton Bronx II vs. Austin Dawgs Blue (NIT) at 5 p.m.

Group suggests changes in college sports By JON KRAWCZYNSKI The Associated Press 7/7/2004, 9:09 p.m. CT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The National Association of Basketball Coaches recommended a sweeping new recruiting model Wednesday, one which included allowing players to be eligible for five years and giving coaches more access to their players in the offseason. The NABC discussed the proposal at its annual summer meeting and will submit a revised edition to the NCAA, which must approve it. The most significant changes would grant men's players five years of eligibility, allow coaches to talk to players outside the traditional player-coach environment and eliminate official visits to high school juniors in favor of increased phone calls. "This will change the landscape of college basketball," said IUPUI coach Ron Hunter, a member of the committee that wrote the recommendations. "Where now, me as a coach, could have access to my kids and be able to help them become a better basketball player or a better student." The NCAA asked the NABC nearly three months ago to help develop a new recruiting model that would address the student-athlete experience as a whole, both on and off the court. The NCAA hopes the new rules will attract more players to college, encourage them to stay in school and remain at the university they originally choose. The NABC held a 3-hour meeting on Wednesday to get reaction from many of its members. Some recommended subtle changes, which means another committee must examine the revised edition before it is submitted to the NCAA. Executive director Jim Haney was reluctant to talk about specifics, instead saying the recommendations are geared toward three goals the committee set — getting players to graduate, keeping them eligible and from transferring schools. If the NCAA adopts the recommendations, basketball players would get an additional year of eligibility, but also lose a year if they decide to transfer to another Division I school. Current NCAA regulations require players to sit out a year, but they retain all of their eligibility. "It's about getting a degree," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "We're expected to graduate our guys in four years and travel around the country." In recruiting, the committee recommends that coaches give up their official visits to high school juniors in favor of monthly phone calls to the players' homes. Izzo said that would help coaches forge a stronger connection with recruits and help players choose the school that's right for them. "As coaches, we wanted kids and parents to hear more from us than AAU coaches and other people out on the streets," Hunter said. Once players are enrolled in college, coaches want more access to them in the offseason, something strictly regulated by the NCAA. "It's greater access for coaches to mentor and advise a player about his career, academics, things not necessarily specific to basketball," Haney said. It also means coaches would have more contact with players on the court in the summer. "If his shot is broke in April, you rely on the kid to fix it for four months," Izzo said. "Just give us a chance to talk to our kids, do things that are human and natural that we haven't been able to do." The NABC will make the suggested changes and submit the plan to the NCAA, which should decide by April 2005 at the latest, Haney said. "We anticipate there will be plenty of critics," Haney said. "We're prepared to take the scrutiny. Some people just don't want to trust the coaches." When asked the odds of the proposal passing, Haney hesitated, then said, "They are good in that the document is sound, and the recommendations are sound." Izzo said the committee worked closely with the NCAA, which he believes increases the chances for success.

Jones: Shaq’s serious UNT coach, former O’Neal assistant says center is really interested in Mavs 08:20 AM CDT on Thursday, July 1, 2004 By Brett Vito / Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writer North Texas men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones can relate to what Dallas Mavericks officials are going through this summer. Jones spent the early part of his coaching career as an assistant at LSU and helped the Tigers win a recruiting battle for Shaquille O’Neal. The Los Angeles Lakers center is once again in the process of deciding where he wants to play after telling the Lakers on June 18 that he wants to be traded. The Mavericks are considered to be one of the teams most likely to trade for the perennial NBA All-Star. Mavericks officials are now waiting to see if they will have a chance to land O’Neal, the same position Jones was in a few years ago during the height of the college basketball recruiting season. "Shaquille has always been intrigued by the Mavericks and their organization," Jones said. "Two years ago I spent some time with him in Dallas when he was in town for a game. He didn’t play because he was hurt, but he worked out and lifted weights in the Mavericks facility while the team was practicing. He talked about how plush and nice their facilities are. He understands that the organization is first class and committed to their guys. He likes that." Mavericks officials have been reserved when talking about their chances of trading for O’Neal. "All of these pie-in-the-sky things are thrown out there, and that’s exactly what they are," Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations, told The Dallas Morning-News. Jones played a key role in helping LSU achieve its dream scenario by recruiting O’Neal when he was a senior in high school. Jones played at LSU and joined the team as an assistant coach in 1984. During his tenure with the Tigers, Jones helped recruit several of the team’s top players, including O’Neal and two-time All-American Chris Jackson, who later changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. "I always give coach [head coach Dale] Brown credit for bringing Shaquille to LSU," Jones said. "They met when Shaquille was 12 or 13 while coach Brown was speaking to U.S. troops in Germany. Shaquille’s dad was stationed there. Coach Brown and Shaquille became pen pals." O’Neal later moved to Texas and became one of the top college basketball recruits in the country. North Carolina and UCLA wanted to sign O’Neal, but lost out to LSU and Jones who quickly developed a friendship with O’Neal. The two have remained in touch throughout O’Neal’s NBA career. "The great thing about Shaquille is that he is a competitor," Jones said. "He won the mile race in practice when he was a freshman. Whatever we were doing, whether it was a mile run or a 100-yard dash, he wanted to win. That is why he has been so successful." Jones often tells stories of coaching O’Neal while hosting summer camps for young players. "I tell kids all the time that Shaquille had the highest GPA on our team one year," Jones said. "He was very serious and sincere." Jones believes O’Neal would bring that intensity and desire to the Mavericks and take them a step closer to winning an NBA title. "Shaq would be a great fit for any team, but especially the Mavericks because of the supporting cast they could put around him," Jones said. "Since I have been watching the Mavericks, I always thought they were a good center away from winning a championship." According to Mean Green head basketball coach Johnny Jones, who coached Shaquille O’Neal (34) at LSU, says the center is legitimately interested in playing for the Mavericks. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

???: What does it say? MAYNARD: It reads, 'Here may be found the last words of Joseph of Aramathea. He who is valiant and pure of spirit may find the Holy Grail in the Castle of uuggggggh'. ARTHUR: What? MAYNARD: '... the Castle of uuggggggh'. BEDEVERE: What is that? MAYNARD: He must have died while carving it. LANCELOT: Oh, come on! MAYNARD: Well, that's what it says. ARTHUR: Look, if he was dying, he wouldn't bother to carve 'aaggggh'. He'd just say it! MAYNARD: Well, that's what's carved in the rock! GALAHAD: Perhaps he was dictating.

Follow! But! follow only if ye be men of valor, for the entrance to this cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel that no man yet has fought with it and lived! Bones of four fifty men lie strewn about its lair. So, brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty big pointy teeth.

Any news on Je Kel's 6-foot-10, 230-pound Chipola (Fla.) Junior College teamate Shawn Malloy? Malloy had committed to Monte Towe at UNO during the early recruiting period, but I believe he may not have signed. From reports, Malloy is an active player that could become quite a shot blocker.

Melvin Haralson was an assistant on Vic Trilli's staff.

Men's basketball: Ex-UNT coach back at home with Kansas Jankovich on team’s bench for Big 12 Tournament 08:40 AM CST on Friday, March 12, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Denton Record-Chronicle No matter where Tim Jankovich’s career has taken him, Texas always seems to be right around the corner. Jankovich grew up in Kansas and played for Kansas State, but reached a series of milestones in his coaching career in the Lone Star state. The former North Texas coach will be looking to reach another landmark today when he returns to Dallas for the Phillips 66 Men’s Big 12 Tournament at the American Airlines Center. Jankovich is now an assistant coach for Kansas, which will play its first game in the tournament at 8:20 p.m. tonight. The Jayhawks will face the winner of a game between Missouri and Texas A&M that was played late Thursday night. "For me it’s almost too good to be true," Jankovich said of working for Kansas. "Not only am I working with one of the top programs in the history of college basketball, I am also working in my home state." Jankovich worked his way into what he described as an ideal job as an assistant just seven years after the end of his stint as UNT’s head men’s basketball coach. UNT hired Jankovich in 1993 to take over a team that had won just five games the previous season. UNT posted the second-biggest turnaround in the nation by finishing with a 14-15 record in Jankovic’s first season. The Mean Green advanced to the Southland Conference championship game in two of Jankovich’s first three seasons and posted a pair of winning campaigns. Jankovich described his early years at UNT as a great experience. The Mean Green moved to the Big West Conference and posted a 10-16 record in Jankovich’s fourth and final season with the Mean Green. Jankovich became the head coach at Hutchinson Community College the next season and has not worked as a coach in Texas since. Jankovich worked for Bill Self at Illinois and followed him to Kansas this year after Roy Williams left for North Carolina. The move not only brought Jankovich back to his home state, it put him in a league with several Texas rivals. Jankovich became familiar with several of those Texas teams while coaching four teams in the state. He started out as a graduate assistant at Texas-Pan American in 1983. Jankovich went on to work for Texas (1986-87) and Baylor (1991-92) before his stint as head coach at UNT. Jankovich has kept track of the Mean Green since he left and has been impressed with what Johnny Jones has accomplished in three years. The Mean Green recently completed a 13-15 campaign with a 91-89 double overtime loss to New Orleans in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. "They are definitely on the right track under coach Jones," Jankovich said. "You can look at the history of the program and see what a difficult job UNT is. They are doing a great job and are competitive. It will take time, so I hope people are patient." Jankovich said he would like to take a second shot at working as a head coach, but has not found the right opportunity. "Most assistant coaches want the opportunity to lead a program," Jankovich said. "I am no different. Everyone has different criteria for what they are looking for in a place to coach. I would want to be at a place where people are passionate about athletics." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

The CUSA Board has a new poll dealing with the expansion issue, and posts explaining the viewpoints. http://www.ncaabbs.com/forums/confusa/invi...=ST&f=22&t=4954

And there was also one scholarship slot opened with the departure of Scott Roniger. It seems we will have 5 roster spots to fill, maybe more if the above post by CaraBear is correct. I'm not sure how the NCAAs 5-8 rule will affect our ability to fill those spots.

Company: C.U. athletes hired strippers By ROBERT WELLER The Associated Press 2/10/2004, 5:34 p.m. CT DENVER (AP) — Already mired in a scandal that includes rape allegations, the University of Colorado suffered another blow Tuesday when an adult entertainment company confirmed that football players hired strippers for recruiting parties as recently as two weeks ago. Steve Lower, president of Hardbodies Entertainment Inc. in Denver, said athletes at Colorado and universities around the country have been paying strippers to entertain recruits for years. "It's a tradition, like throwing a bachelor party," he said. Lower said students or athletes at the University of Houston, Rice University, University of Northern Colorado and Colorado State University also have hired his dancers. "Yes, these have been our girls doing it, and no, the college has absolutely not paid for it, condoned it or been aware of it," he said. Officials at most of the schools did not return calls seeking comment. "If this is true, it is a violation of what we teach them and tell them," Colorado football coach Gary Barnett said. Houston athletic director Dave Maggard said he and football coach Art Briles were not aware of any strip parties. Earlier this month, St. John's University suspended five basketball players for breaking curfew to go to a strip club. University of Minnesota officials are investigating whether high school football recruits visited bars and a strip club during a visit in December. According to National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, a school "may not arrange or permit excessive entertainment," though it is unclear what constitutes excessive. The NCAA is convening a panel this spring to discuss recruiting problems. Colorado was plunged into scandal last week with the disclosure of allegations that it uses sex and women to entice recruits. The claim was made by Boulder County District Attorney Mary Keenan in one of three federal lawsuits filed by women who say they were raped at an off-campus party in December 2001 attended by Colorado players and recruits. Last week, police said they were also investigating whether Colorado football players hired prostitutes from an escort service. University officials have denied the school uses sex parties as a recruiting tool. Last week, Barnett suspended four players, including one for taking a recruit to a strip club. The Board of Regents has ordered a special commission to investigate and prepare a report by April 30. Regent Jim Martin, who has been critical of how university administrators have handled the scandal, said investigators should find out where the money to pay for the strippers came from. Colorado players testified in depositions that they get $30 from athletic department officials to host recruits. Lower said it costs $250 for two strippers to dance for an hour. "It is usually paid for by friends of the players," said Lower, who spoke first with the Rocky Mountain News. Hardbodies dancer Jennifer Nass, 23, said she has stripped at about a half dozen Colorado recruiting parties. "No one who is a parental figure or coach has ever attended," she said in a telephone interview. The Board of Regents' panel is being co-chaired by former lawmakers Joyce Lawrence and Peggy Lamm. Lawrence drew criticism last week when she suggested the alleged victims should be asked why they went to the party. Regents President Peter Steinhauer said he still backs Lawrence's role on the panel. "I think she probably wishes she could take her comments back," he said. "But we want people who ask tough questions. And that is a question we should ask."

What's the big deal? Weren't they dressed appropriately for a "BUFF" party?

Shawnson Johnson is Player of Game with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

victory, but too close 72 - 67 whew!