UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, March 14. 1997
5B
Booster allegedly paid players
University of Michigan, NCAA examining reports of violations
Associated Press
DETROIT — A University of Michigan basketball booster made cash payments to Wolverine players, the Detroit Free Press reported yesterday.
Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the newspaper that the payments were provided by Ed Martin. The sources said Martin had given money to Michigan players for years.
The sources said several current players had received money during the season and during summer breaks, but they did not know how many. Some received hundreds of dollars, sometimes during meetings with Martin outside the locker room at Crisler Arena, one source said.
Other players received cash in envelopes hidden inside cake boxes that Martin gave them, and he provided money to some players through their girlfriends, that source said.
The Free Press said it could not reach Martin for comment.
Reports earlier this week in the Free Press and the Detroit News identified Martin as a basketball program booster who allegedly tried to rent an apartment for a player and tried to buy plane tickets for players' relatives but was stopped from doing so by coach Steve Fisher.
In a report last week to the NCAA, Michigan cited Fisher and his staff for not reporting the actions of the booster. Besides noting Fisher's actions, Michigan told the NCAA it had cut ties to the booster and had imposed sanctions upon its basketball program.
Michigan has conducted dozens of interviews after hearing allegations about payments to players, but no one has admitted that any player received money from a booster, Michigan representative Walt Harrison said.
Traylor said the lease was a decision made completely by his aunt, Lydia Johnson of Detroit. She works as a machine operator for a Detroit steel
"We are committed to running a program that is above reproach and above suspicion," Harrison told the Free Press. "We will search out any solvent lead we have. Unless people come forward and allow us to interview them, we cannot investigate."
Fisher declined to comment, the newspaper said.
Earlier Wednesday, Wolverines forward Robert Traylor issued a statement saying neither he nor his aunt had done anything wrong in connection with the lease of a $47.906 vehicle.
The News reported that Traylor used the custom-built Chevrolet Suburban but did not register the vehicle with athletic department officials, as he would be required to do.
company. the News reported.
"She works two jobs, has great credit and selected the car for both of us to drive," Traylor said. "It is her money, and she should be able to spend her money as she wishes."
Jerry Bonanno, general manager of the Dearborn dealership where the Suburban was leased, said the lease payments exceed $700 a month without insurance.
Michigan officials said they would investigate the matter.
The Wolverines play Miami tonight in the first round of the NIT.
Texas Tech staffers fired, shuffled
Compliance officer stripped of duties following forfeiture
By Mark Bablneck The Associated Press
LUBBOCK, Texas — Even as Texas Tech reshuffles personnel and policies relating to the academic certification of athletes, officials will watch carefully an audit that could yield further adversity.
Four days after forfeiting 10 Big 12 victories and removing itself from consideration for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, the school on Wednesday stripped compliance officer Taylor McNeel of his duties.
Also being reassigned were academic counselor Michele Matticks and associate athletic director Alfonso Scandrett, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported yesterday.
McNeel and Matticks had been responsible for the certification program that resulted in the basketball disqualifications.
The school had certified players Gracen Averil and Deuce Jones as eligible but found out during the Big 12 tournament last week that the players lacked necessary credits.
Kathy Jones — a former NCAA official who is now a consultant based in Overland Park — will assist internal auditors in a deeper inquiry into student certifications, starting with athletes now competing.
"In the weeks ahead, as we overhaul our current system of academic certification, it is possible that we will find additional instances of previous certification problems," said Texas Tech president Donald Haragan.
Women's basketball coach Marsha Sharp has said her team checked out cleanly as it heads into a first-round NCAA Tournament game tomorrow at Palo Alto, Calif.
Deuce Jones' father said he and his son were upset that the two D's that rendered the point guard ineligible were public. Release of college grades is a violation of federal law.
Nevertheless, Texas Tech had people who were responsible for and salaried to pay attention to every detail."
Donald Haragan
Texas Tech president
"I also hope that when he does get his degree in December that people don't associate the negative connotation and may cause him not to make $ \bar{X} $ amount of dollars," said Fred Jones, who discussed his concerns privately with Chancellor
John Montford on Wednesday.
Haragan announced the appointment of Texas Tech attorney Victor Mellinger as the acting compliance officer, taking over for McNeel.
There had been no firings related to the matter as of yesterday morning, but Montford said he expected some terminations once the dust settled.
Montford and Haragan said the NCAA policies that dictate academic eligibility issues were complicated and, in Haragan's words, difficult to keep up with.
He also said there could be other reassignments or firings.
"Nevertheless, Texas Tech had people who were responsible for and salaried to pay attention to every detail and directive that came down from the NCAA," Haragan said. "And this is where our system broke down."
Six athletes either have lost playing time or eligibility related to university administrative mistakes in the past year.
School officials should have phoned the NCAA office if they had questions about an academic certification issue, Montford said.
San Francisco has a chance at next SuperBowl
The Macarena is finally dead. Thank goodness for small miracles.
The Niners will defeat the Packers and head to the Super Bowl next season.
It looks like the San Francisco 49ers have finally found themselves a running back. The team signed unrestricted free-agent Garrison Hearst, who led the Bengals in rushing last season and was the third overall pick in the 1993 NFL draft. If Hearst can catch and Steve Young can stay healthy,
SPORTS REPORTER
Keep your eye on a battle that seems to be developing between Tiger Woods and Ken Griffey Jr. Tiger said baseball players stood around a lot and played an easy game. Griffey responded, "At least we can't take a can of soda onto the field with us." The two should be taking their battle to pay-per-wime time now.
Two of the worst spots to be in right now in the sports world:
1. Steve Bono's wife (or anyone related to him, for that matter).
2. Anyone coaching or playing for any team in the NCAA tournament besides the 'Hawks,
The far-out rumor of the week award goes to TNT announcers when they were discussing during the March 7 Bulls-Pacers game the possibility that, since Phil Jackson's contract runs out this season, Iowa State coach Tim Floyd may be coaching the Bulls next season. I'm not saying that Floyd isn't a great coach, but if the Bulls did get rid of Jackson, maybe that would show that even Chicago's management is tired of them winning all of the time.
■ How do the Texas schools expect us to believe they can handle the responsibilities of the Big 12 Tournament when they can't even handle their own athletes? As most of you saw, two Texas Tech players were suspended during tournament play after it was discovered that they were academically ineligible. This came after it was found that two football players finished the season despite carrying 0.00 grade point averages. Yeah, it's clear that the Lone Star State really has its act together.
March is a great month for sports, with NCAA action and major league baseball's opening day inching closer and closer. But it's also a time when the dreaded creature known as the midterm rears its ugly head. But, hey, don't frust. Spring break will be here in one week.
Comments? E-mail Matt at mwoodruff@kansan.com
The following are comments the sports desk received via e-mail. The Kansan sports desk can be e-mailed at sports@kansan.com if you have comments or suggestions.
■ Hey guys: The headline reads "Preparing for the Big Dance allows no team relaxation." Too bad the same can't be true of the person who put together the probable starters graphic under the picture. It would be great if Pollard were a junior but not at 6-1 and JV at 6-8.
Come on, let's get it right in these early games so that we can depend on you in the later, more crucial contests. NO RELAXATION.
In response to Spencer Duncan's column suggesting that the Big 12 Conference Tournament be abolished:
I suggest that whatever medication you've been taking needs to be
taken according to instruction.
The Big 12 needs a tournament. The Big Eight didn't since all conference teams matched up twice. Because of the division split, the tournament is needed to sort out the north and south.
One point for the tournament is the Big 10. They don't have a tournament. This year, a team such as Iowa will get hosed in the seeding or possibly be left out, just because it came on strong late and started slow. Also, Minnesota doesn't have a No.1 seed anchored down. A conference tournament win would secure that.
Anyone who thinks we should get rid of the conference tournament is a fool. Big 12 officials and those such as yourself who act as though the Big 12 is about money have no business even writing articles that have exposure to mass audiences. College basketball is a fan's game. As soon as you start regarding it as a moneymaker, you take it that final step toward making it professional. In that case, the players should be paid a salary. If that's where you're headed, fine. If not, quit writing articles with no sensible basis for their justification.
Have I missed baseball stories?
DANCE
said the team wanted to return to its winning ways.
Continued from Page 1B
"The loss against K-State really made us angry, to say the least," Trapp said. "For now, we just want to focus on getting past these two rounds to get to the Sweet Sixteen. We're going to play with a lot of emotion because we're ready to win again."
The Jayhawks will face a school making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Detroit Mercy has won 11 consecutive games, dating back to Jan. 30. The Titans had lost back-to-back home games against conference opponents Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Green Bay before the streak started.
Five players average double figures in scoring for Detroit Mercy, a team that likes to run. Leading the Titans is forward Shafarrah Hill, who averages a team-high 14.1 points a game and shoots better than 40 percent from behind the three-point line.
The Titans swept the regular-season and conference titles in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference this season. They have played one Big 12 opponent this season, Texas, and lost 66-54. Kansas lost 82-72 to the Longhorns on Jan. 18 in Austin, Texas
"We need to work together because it's five players on a court that have to play good defense," Trapp said. "Even though it's a real general goal, it'll be important when we play some really tough teams who will constantly come at us at the offensive end."
While Detroit Mercy might try to win the game on offense, Trapp said Kansas had worked hard during the season to win games by playing tough defense.
largest crowd despite being much smaller than the other schools.
Detroit Mercy assistant coach LaTonya Tate said the school, which has an enrollment of about 7,500 students, will have between 100 and 150 people in Lawrence supporting the team.
Last year in the opening rounds of the tournament, more than 3,000 Southwest Missouri State fans drove to Lawrence when their team played its first-round game at Allen Field House. Also, more than 200 fans flew from Austin, Texas, to watch the Longhorns in the tournament.
Kansas recorded two of its top six attendance marks in school history during last year's tournament.
In a first-round game against Middle Tennessee State, the Jayhawks drew 5,279 people. In a second-round game against Texas, they drew 4,450 people.
Although no team falls within Kansas' geographical boundaries this year, ticket office associate Kathy Frederickson said Kansas had sold more than 1,000 all-tournament packages. The package includes tickets to both first-round games tomorrow and the second-round game on Monday night.
FANS
Continued from Page 1B
"Some teams have paid as much as $1,500 for a red-eye flight to get to their first and second-round site." Kathy Anderson Washington basketball staff
"We've done pretty good with our ticket sales so far," Frederickson said. "There are a lot of people that can go to the games on Saturday night but can't go to the game on Monday night. Those people might not buy the package for all three games, but we expect to sell a lot of tickets when the games are played."
HenryT's Bar&Grill
6th & Kasold
Saturday Specials: $2.00 Bottles $2.50 Black & Tans $2.00 of all steaks after 6:00 pm
Pep Rally for the KU Women's Basketball Team Saturday Night at 6:30 pm
Pep Rally
Come join us to cheer on the KU Women's Basketball Team! The KU Cheerleaders, members of the Pep Band and the Jayhawk Mascots will be here!
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