WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2003
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3B
Knight statement explains firings
By Adam Aasen
By Adam Aisen
Indiana Daily Student via U-wire
Indiana University
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Depositions by former Indiana men's basketball coach Bob Knight obtained in a court victory by Indianapolis news station WTHR (and published later by its news partner the Indianapolis Star) have shed light on the personalities of both the former coach and his son, Pat.
In the depositions, taken Aug. 27, 2002, in Lubbock, Texas, Knight and his son touch on the firing and bumping by Knight of IU assistant coach Ron Felling, the alleged choking of former IU player Neil Reed, Knight's departure from IU and his cameo role in the Adam Sandler movie Anger Management.
Felling's lawyer William C. Potter II questioned both Knight and his son individually, with attorney Russell Yates present at both
questionings. Both Knights were under oath on the videotape.
Knight
Knight said he had fired Felling after overhearing Felling and
On Dec. 1, 1999, Knight said he had been watching a game tape when he accidentally bumped his telephone and overheard Dakich and Felling talking about him.
former IU assistant basketball coach Dan Dakich make "hurtful" comments in a telephone conversation, indystar.com reported.
"And the first thing I heard was Dakich saying, 'Are you doing anything different in practice?' Knight said during the deposition. "And Fellingsaid, 'No, we're doing the same old shit, four corners and all that shit, that doesn't
do any good at all. But (Knight) won't listen to anybody. And those guys that are with him don't know a thing about coaching.
"And then, 'You should have seen the fat f--ker come into the locker room with no shirt on and try to show somebody post defense."
After listening for a while, Knightjumped into the conversation.
"I said, 'Dakich, don't bother calling me again about help.'" Knight said. "And I said, 'And Felling, it would be a good idea for you to start looking for another job."
Knight said he approached Felling later that day, telling him, "I'd like to know how you can take money from a guy and then bad mouth the hell out of him just like you've been bad mouthing me, not just here, but for sometime now? How the hell can you do that?"
Knight said he wasn't so much
angry at the situation, as he was hurt.
"You know, I was really hurt that here's a guy that no one but me ever offered a job to, for a variety of reasons, and yet here we are at a point where I think I have really taken care of this guy. ... I felt sorry for Felling that he doesn't understand that somebody's been pretty good to him here for a long period of time," Knight said.
Knight admitted he bumped into Felling but said it had not been with much force.
Potter asked Knight whether he had any sort of anger problem, which Knight denied.
Potter then asked Knight why he appeared in the recent Adam Sandler film, Anger Management, if he had no anger problem.
"I thought it was a great parody of everything that has been done relative to my temperament over the year, and I thought the — I think the movie will be pretty funny," he said.
NBA poses threat for college recruiters
By Dallas Scrip The Lantern via U-wire Ohio State University
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The growing number of underclassmen leaving early for the NBA has put college basketball recruiting behind the eight ball.
College basketball recruiting is a long process. Recruiters sometimes begin looking at high-school players from the time they are freshman in high school.
"If you are not into a kid by his sophomore year in high school, you're on the outside," said OSU assistant coach Monte Mathis.
sional ranks, recruiters go into attack-mode trying to find a player to fill-out the roster.
When an underclassman leaves college early for the profes-
Some major college basketball teams will no longer go after the top talent for the fear that the player might leave early.
"They help you when you have them one or two years, but it devastates your program when you lose them." Mathis said. "You want them for four years."
Ten players from schools around the country have entered the NBA draft early this year.
In past years, it has also become difficult to recruit top high school athletes, as many of them are skipping college entirely. More than five high
schoolers are expected to declare for June's NBA draft.
The major reason underclassmen leave early is the prospect of money from an NBA contract. People outside the basketball program are telling players to take the money while they can get it.
According to recent NCAA figures, no sport has lower graduation rates than men's basketball. Coaches say players think they can do without education or go back and pay for school later. Many of these players are from lower-income backgrounds and see the NBA as a chance to provide a better life for their families.
"This is a very touchy subject," Mathis said. "They are not allowed
to work during season, and have no other means for money. I want a stipend to get them through — not a lot of money — just enough for them to buy things that they need, like toothpaste."
The NCAA views graduation rates for college basketball as a major problem and has a possible solution. It is trying to implement a policy in which a team must graduate 50 percent of its athletes. If the minimum requirement is not met, the NCAA would ban the university from the postseason.
If this policy was in effect last season, the national champion Syracuse Orangemen would not have been eligible to play in the tournament.
Students: ISU coach belligerent, creepy
By Zach Ewing
The Maneater via U-wire
University of Missouri
By Zach Ewing
COLUMBIA, Mo. Accepting oral sex, especially when it's not offered, doesn't seem like a good way to represent a university, but that is exactly what junior Blake Overly said Iowa State men's basketball coach Larry Eustachy did at a late January party in Overly's apartment.
"A girl asked if he wanted a beer, and he said, 'Yeah, I'll take a blowjob.'" Overly said.
The party was held after bars closed in downtown Columbia, Mo., on the night of Jan. 21, after Iowa State had lost 64-59 to Missouri in the Hearnes Center.
Witnesses say Eustachy, 47, was intoxicated when he showed up at the party at the same time as MU basketball player Josh Kroenke and acted inappropriately throughout the early morning hours.
"Larry came up here and started partying, and at first it was cool," junior Sean Devereaux said. "But you can only handle it for so long. A belligerent old guy gets annoying."
Devereaux, who lives in the apartment and took pictures of Eustachy drinking and kissing women, said the coach arrived at about 2 a.m. and didn't leave until a taxi was called for him at about 5 a.m. He said Kroenke stayed for only about 10 minutes.
Eustachy also nearly got in a fight with another man, Devereaux said, who was upset because Eustachy was holding his girlfriend's waist.
your wedding-ring hand off my girlfriend's ass,' and Larry got in his face and started pointing at him and said he wanted to take him outside," Devereaux said.
Iowa State Athletics Director Bruce Van de Velde said in statement he was disappointed with Eustachy's behavior and
Eustachy
'errors in judgment.'
"We made sure he understands his accountability and obligations as men's basketball coach and as a representative of Iowa State University," Vande Velde said.
Eustachy also expressed remorse in a statement.
"It is important to represent ISU in a manner that sheds a positive light on the university and the Cyclone men's basketball program," Eustachy said.
The night of the party, after the Iowa State loss, Eustachy said he was disappointed with the loss and the team's play. Eustachy criticized his team at the party.
"I told him, 'You guys played a good game tonight,'" Overly said. "He said that, 'No, we played like shit.'"
Overly said Eustachy was so drunk he had to be walked to a taxi outside the apartment.
Devereaux mentioned several other specifics about Eustachy's behavior, including whispering to and trying to lick women and asking women if he could go home with them.
"He was being a real big creep," Devereaux said.
No matter how far you fly, you'll find Jayhawks everywhere! Congratulations Class of 2003!
Our graduation gift to you...a free Alumni Association membership!
You'll receive a six-month complimentary membership in the Kansas Alumni Association from June to November 2003, which includes: E-mail forwarding. Go to our Web site for all the details. Your @ku.edu address can become @kualumni.org address, messages will be forwarded to any e-mail address you specify.
- Three issues of Kansas Alumni magazine. Stay up to date with what's happening on campus and what your classmates are doing.
- Invitations to alumni chapter events, professional society events with your school, and access to chapters across the country and worldwide.
- invitations to alumni chapter events, professional
  * Color calendar. Our 2004 calendar with wonderful campus scenes will keep Mount Oread as close as your home or office wall.
- Guide to Jayhawk Basketball. Our hoops guide will ensure you'll never miss a KU game, watch party, or place to hang out with other Jayhawks wherever you are!
Crimson and Blue send-off parties for Class of 2003
Grad Grill
Wednesday, May 7, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m
Join us for your first official alumni event at the Adams Alumni Center sponsored by the Student Alumni Association. Don't miss out on all the great door prizes, free food and drinks. (Catered by the Hereford House. Vegetarian option available.) This is your chance to pick up lots of information about alumni activities and services. The Athletics Department and many other campus offices will be on hand to share information about their
Adams Alumni Center
services to you...a proud KU graduate!
Get a free KU gift when you complete an application for the INTRUST Jayhawk bankcard. Please RSVP to saa@ku.edu
by May 2.
800-584-2957
www.kualumni.org
Commencement Lunch
Sunday, May 18, 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The Outlook, Chancellor's Residence
Graduates and their guests can celebrate before their big walk down the Hill at the Chancellor's residence. Chancellor Robert and Leah Hemenway will provide free box lunches for all graduates and their guests. The Kansas Alumni Association will welcome you into alumni status and the Senior Class officers will announce the class gift and banner. Pick up your requested tickets at the Alumni Association's headquarters on the third floor of the Adams Alumni Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., weekdays, May 1-15. A reservation card is in your Commencement packet; go to the Registrar's office if you did not receive this mailing.
Questions! Call your Alumni Association at 864-4760, e-mail kualumni@kualumni.org or go to www.kualumni.org for a Countdown to Commencement Guide.