THE UNIVERSITY DARRY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2007
SPORTS
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
9B
"I've always said it would take a special place for me to even consider leaving ORU, or even consider talking to someone," Sutton said at a Wednesday news conference at the Mabee Center. "And I think that shows what type of job I think Wichita State is. I think it's a great iob."
Sutton turns down Wichita State stays at ORU
BY JUSTIN JUOZAPACVIUSI
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TULSA, Okla. — Scott Sutton, who led Oral Roberts to its first consecutive NCAA tournament berths in school history, said Wednesday he is withdrawing his name from consideration to be Wichita State's next head coach.
Wichita State is looking for a new coach after Mark Turgeon was hired by Texas A&M on Monday.
Sutton, who has spent his entire coaching career at Oral Roberts, had been contacted by Wichita State on Tuesday. He owed it to himself, his staff and his family to listen to the school.
But he left open the possibility he could someday walk away from the program for another job.
But it was loyalty to ORU President Richard Roberts and athletic director Mike Carter, who gave him a coaching opportunity he "couldn't get anywhere else," that factored in his decision to stay.
Sutton, 36, also said he wanted to build upon the school's back-to-back NCAA berths and prove wrong the doubters who don't believe the program can make it back to where the program has been.
"I think there's unfinished business here," Sutton said.
"There may be a day down the road that I take another job, but right now my focus is trying to make this program and our team the best it can be."
Dice-K mania hits Fenway
An ORU athletics spokesman said the school likely will offer Sutton a contract extension, but those negotiations had started before the Wichita State job came up.
Chitose Suzuki/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fans hold flags in support of Boston Red Sox's Daisuke Matsuzaka during practice before the start of the game between the Red Sox and Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday. The Mariners spoiled Matsuzaka's home debut. Matsuzaka allowed eight hits, three runs and struck out only three.
BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL COMMENTARY
Turgeon could 'surprise' fans Ex-Jayhawk will need support to keep Texas A&M competitive
BY JACK MOLITOR THE BATTALION
COLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M basketball fans who don't know new head coach Mark Turgeon will find out soon. And chances are, they will be pleasantly surprised.
A&M did very well considering the time constraints, available options and the obvious shock and disappointment of Billy Gillispie's departure. Turgeon has been one of the most sought after coaches in the country, especially after his transformation of the Wichita State Shockers from a run of the mill mid-major to expected NCAA tournament team.
Granted, he and the Shockers did not make the tournament this year, as they struggled down the stretch; it was actually his past success that led to his difficulties in 2007.
Turgeon and a litany of other very successful Missouri Valley Conference coaches, including Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery, Creighton's Dana Altman and others, have turned the MVC into a power conference. The MVC is so deep now that for the past three years, it has almost been expected that this mid-major conference will have anywhere from two to five NCAA tournament teams. This puts it almost on par with major conferences like the Pac-10 and the Big 12.
And that is something that A&M is definitely looking for. After experiencing tastes of victory from the past two seasons, Aggie fans want more.
sons, but beyond that, they have blurred the normally obvious differences between their programs and the upper echelons.
What does all of this mean to A&M fans? These coaches have given college basketball fans great Cinderella stories the past few sea-
As a result, these coaches have
become the victim of their own success because their increased accolades have made the MVC and others like it even more competitive. These coaches truly have lifted college basketball to a level of parity that has never been seen.
And they do not consider their program too far from the top.
NCAA BASEBALL One month after wreck, coach still in hospital
ATLANTA — A student coach for an Ohio college baseball team who barely survived a deadly bus crash more than a month ago has been upgraded to fair condition, hospital officials said Wednesday.
Associated Press
Tim Berta,22, suffered brain injuries March 2 when a bus carrying his Blufton University baseball team plowed off an overpass onto Interstate 75 in Atlanta.
ANDERSON CHANDLER LECTURE SERIES
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING PRESENT THE ENGINEERING DISTINGUISHED LECTURESHIP
Alan Mulally
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY
"Working Together"
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2007 · 7:00 P.M.
THE LIED CENTER OF KANSAS