6B
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, March 8, 1996
R.T. Enterprises
BY SCOTT ADAMS
ILBERT®
Tigers not ready to give up on national tournament bid
The Associated Press
Stewart said with all the problems the team has had, indications of Missouri winning the tournament aren't very strong.
"But it's like everything else, you always have a chance so you try to make the most of it," Stewart said.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Although Missouri enters the Big Eight Conference tournament on a five-game losing streak, it's not all gloom and doom.
"It can always happen," said coach Norm Stewart, whose sixth-seeded team plays Oklahoma in the first round tonight at Kemper Arena in Kansas City. Mo.
The source of that optimism is largely based on the 1992-93 team that finished the year on a sevengame losing streak and then turned around and won the conference
The school has all but turned the thumbs-down on the NIT, so this weekend is do-or-die.
But this team has definitely confounded Stewart. Ranked 14th in preseason, the Tigers finished sixth in the Big Eight at 6-8 and are 16-13 overall entering the matchup against third-seeded Oklahoma, who is 8-6 in the conference and 17-11 overall.
"I don't know whether it's motivation," Stewart said. "There's a lot of different things on a lot of different gus' minds."
"Go in and play, or go home," senior Julian Winfield said.
Athletic director Joe Castiglione said earlier this week that playing in the NIT was like sneaking into the local disco. Sammie Haley said the initials stand for "not invited to the tournament."
tournament.
himself about it.
Winfield said he didn't concern
"We have no say-so," he said. "There's no reason for us to chit-chat about it.
"To be quite honest, it's not something that's mentioned in practice; it's not something that's mentioned going to class. Look at the record, look at how we performed, and it's in their hands. We just go out and play the next ball game."
Like Stewart, he's not ready to give up yet.
"We have the resources necessary to win ball games," Winfield said. "It's just we're not putting all those together at the same time for 40 minutes."
"We know when we do that we're a tough team. We know that."
Missouri split regular-season meetings against Oklahoma, winning 75-73 at home Jan. 15 and losing 104-68 at Norman, Okla., Feb. 3.
Mississippi State put on probation
The Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. — The NCAA slapped Mississippi State with probation yesterday after determining that an employee and two boosters made improper inducements to football recruits.
Other infractions involved were described as a lack of institutional control on the part of Mississippi State and unethical conduct by staff members, by the committee.
The school could have received more severe penalties, but the NCAA allowed the Bulldogs to remain eligible for television appearances and postseason play.
Alleged violations by recruiting intern Boris Banks were the most serious of the four infractions that prompted the penalties, said David Swank, NCAA Infractions Committee chairman.
The committee found that Banks offered money to two potential football signees from south Florida if they would visit the campus.
The second infraction included unauthorized benefits from booster Steve Wells to five football players.
The NCAA had leveled 21 allegations, but later dropped five against associate athletic director Wesley Reed.
The school admitted to eight infractions,including charges involving the boosters.