Another Chapter In the Hawkeye Soap Opera: 'Asked If He Had Interest In Becoming Iowa's Coach, Majerus Said, 'What Part Of No Don't You Understand?'

That damn Rick Majerus.

He sure knows how to screw up a good rumor.

And break the hearts of Hawkeye basketball fans everywhere.

Just when lots of message board users on the Internet -- plus a few naive TV commentators -- had Majerus a lock for the Iowa basketball coaching job, the Big Boy let 'em down.

Like Bruce Pearl before him, the Big Boy said he said he wasn't interested.

Cedar Rapids Gazette sportswriter Scott Dochterman wrote from Atlanta that "Majerus emphatically denied Friday he has any interest in coaching Iowa's men's basketball team.

"Told there were rumors and reports flying around Iowa that he is replacing Steve Alford as the Hawkeyes' coach, Majerus replied, 'No.'

"Asked if he had any interest in becoming Iowa's next coach, Majerus said, 'What part of no don't you understand?'

"And told later that a Cedar Rapids television station reported he'd met with Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, Majerus said, 'No, I have not.'"

Talk about making it a lousy April Fool's weekend for the Hawkeye faithful.

But, hey, give Dochterman credit. At least somebody is doing some reporting at the Final Four.

The rumors have been getting so crazy that some of the supposedly in-the-know folks on the message boards said a press conference to announce Majerus' hiring was already scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday in Iowa City.

A few of the TV stations bought that one. They tell me the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City TV market is wild with reports that the 59-year-old Majerus will be the next coach.

Even John Campbell of KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, who's been checking out Hawkeye rumors almost as long as Pops Harrison was the coach, said Majerus was the guy.

That just shows that grizzled veterans will sometimes latch onto a rumor when they know their viewers are foaming at the mouth.

Sure, some guys will say, "Don't for one minute think Majerus' denial that he's interested in the job will convince fans and a few reporters that he's not Barta's next coach.

"After all, coaches lie all the time, don't they?

"Those guys dodge the truth so often that nobody expects the Big Boy to say, 'I've had a number of talks with Barta, Carver-Hawkeye has always been my favorite arena in the Big Ten and I think I can have Iowa in the Elite Eight next season and in the Final Four two years from now.'"

Frankly, I hope Majerus stays right where he is now -- a collegiate basketball analyst for ESPN.

The man is a walking advertisement for terrible health.

He's grossly overweight, he's already had heart problems and he has diabetes. He might have some problems upstairs, too. He's so goofy he took the Southern California job in 2004 one day and quit it 24 hours later.

If the Big Boy would take the Iowa job, Barta would have to make sure the team doctor sat next to him and not close to the players.

I'd be afraid the most common score at Carver-Hawkeye during Big Ten games would be 9-1-1.

Don't let those Iowa fans change your mind, Rick. We want you around a lot more years to give your insights into why Iowa loses too often to Northwestern and Penn State and why fans don't go to the games.

Looking on the bright side, these rumors could be worse. The message board could say Steve Lavin, a former UCLA coach who also now works at ESPN, will be appearing at a 5 p.m. press conference in Iowa City.

Or Doug Gottlieb.

Now, wouldn't that be a pitiful scenario?

All right, let's be realistic and get back to who's going to get the Iowa job.

Dana Altman? Chris Lowery? Reggie Theus? Nick Nurse?

Exciting names, huh?

*

Photo of Rick Majerus courtesy of Google.

Here's the 'Progress' In Iowa's Coaching Search: The Rumors, Names and Guys Who Are Getting Pay Raises and Staying Right Where They Are

Steve Alford has been gone from the Iowa basketball job for a week already, so it's time for me to report on the progress of the coaching search.

Actually, that part about "progress" is an April Fool's joke.

From all I can tell, more guys are saying and doing things to indicate they're not interested in the Hawkeye job than those who say they are interested.

Take Bruce Pearl, for example.

Every -- well, almost every -- Hawkeye fan who remembered Pearl from his days as an assistant on Tom Davis' staff at Iowa, and every -- well, almost every -- person who has followed Pearl's progress at Tennessee wanted Brucie-boy to come north and rescue Iowa's sad-sack program.

The way I figure, if it took painting his bare chest black-and-gold to bring fans into Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Pearl would do it. He painted his chest in Tennessee's orange-and-white to help Pat Summitt, the Volunteers' women's coach, didn't he?

For all I know, the publicity-hungry Pearl might have sat bare-chested on Iowa's bench to bring capacity crowds of 15,500 into Iowa's arena. Heck, George Raveling and his assistants wore warmup suits for a while when they were at Iowa, so nothing would surprise me.

But, sadly [I guess], Pearl disappointed Iowa's faithful [and evidently Hawkeye athletic director Gary Barta] by saying he's happy at Tennessee.

Imagine that, a guy telling Iowa he's happy in a coaching job somewhere else.

That's not supposed to happen.

Bobby Stoops didn't even do that when the Hawkeyes were looking for a football coach a few years ago. Bobby said, "I'm ready. Hire me now or I'll go to Oklahoma" -- or words to that effect.

That didn't bother then-athletic director Bob Bowlsby a bit. He, in effect, said, "Go ahead and take that Oklahoma job, Bobby-boy; we're hiring Kirk Ferentz."

I don't know how you looked at it, but I kind of thought Pearl went out of his way to make Iowa look bad when he said he was staying at Tennessee.

These days, in most bigtime collegiate job searches, an athletic director will ask a coaching prospect if he's interested. Depending on the answer, the director will say something like, "If we offer you this job, will you take it?"

That way, the athletic director can then say, "Sam [or Bill or Slim or Junior] was our first choice from the start."

In other words, the first guy who says "yes" out of the dozen who are interviewed becomes the athletic director's "first choice."

I think Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said that about Gene Chizik when he hired him for the Cyclones' football job. Who knows, Chizik might have been Pollard's sixth or seventh choice.

Pearl went public with, first, the fact Iowa wanted to talk to him. Then he made a big deal out of saying he talked with Barta out of "courtesy," but that he had bigger fish to fry at Tennessee.

So Iowa was left with the crumbs, and now it looks like some of the crumbs don't even want to be Alford's successor.

Creighton's Dana Altman, Washington State's Tony Bennett [that's the Tony who coaches basketball, not the guy who sang, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco"], Xavier's Sean Miller and others are indicating they're happy where they are, or have signed contract extensions with their present employers.

Reggie Theus of New Mexico State remains a sort of mystery man in this whole deal. Theus is a former Nevada-Las Vegas [they prefer calling it UNLV now] player who was in the NBA for quite a while. He's also been an actor and a broadcaster, and those occupations might have helped him become a pretty fair coach.

There are people who'd like to see Theus in Iowa City -- and maybe Theus is one of them. He's trying to get a pay raise at New Mexico State, and it kind of reminds me of the old, "Pay me or I'll be going somewhere else" kind of threat.

It bothers me a little that Theus has said UNLV is his dream job. That's all Hawkeye fans need -- a 20-victory Hawkeye record next season with Theus doing the coaching, then UNLV saying afterward, "Reggie, how'd you like to be our coach?"

Lon Kruger is the present UNLV coach, and he might be available now to Iowa. I haven't heard him say he isn't. But he's 54 and is, as they say in the coaching business, well-traveled.

He's already coached at Illinois [as well as Florida and Kansas State], and he left college coaching once to make big money with the Atlanta Hawks. That didn't work out so well with him.

He scares me a little bit.

By the way, don't bring up Billy Donovan, whose Florida team won the NCAA title last season and is in the Big Dance again now. Although he's being mentioned as the next Kentucky coach, I think he's staying at Florida. Iowa is too small for him.

Rick Majerus, the heart attack waiting to happen [He certainly would be the Big Man On Campus] whose last real coaching job was at Utah, never counts himself out of any vacancy. He likes to play games with reporters who ask him if he's interested, and the question always comes up about which hotel he'll be living in when he takes the new job.

Majerus probably makes more money at ESPN than he'd earn in a collegiate job. He became Southern California's coach for a day or two a couple of years ago before realizing it wasn't a good idea. He also was interviewed for the Arizona State job a year ago, but the athletic director didn't hire him.

Stay where you are, Rick. I don't want to be there when you collapse at a game.

Then there's Chris Lowery at Southern Illinois. It doesn't seem to make any difference who's coaching the Salukis [a Saluki, by the way, is an Egyptian hunting dog] -- they always win.

Maybe that's why the 35-year-old Lowery was such a big winner. Anyway, he's waiting to get an offer from somebody, and I figure he'd jump to Iowa -- unless Michigan gets him first.

The word is that Michigan's first choice is West Virginia's John Beilein, but it's going to take a $2.5 buyout to get him.

Beilein's team won the NIT championship last night. I don't know if that helps him or hurts him at West Virginia. Don't forget, winning the NIT means he didn't make the NCAA's Big Dance.

West Virginians like to dance, too, you know.

*

WHO-TV [Channel 13 in Des Moines] did a nice job on a story centered on Iowa's coaching search last night.

If you think I'm writing that because I was part of the show, you're correct.

I also write columns for the WHO-TV.com website. I was happy to participate in the Channel 13 project, which was carried in Keith Murphy's sports segment on the 10 p.m. newscast.

Shawn Terrell did the reporting. Included in the folks he talked with in addition to this opinionated veteran were avid Hawkeye fan Phil Nicolino; Jon Miller, a WHO and KXNO sports announcer who operates a popular Iowa website; publisher Tom Kakert of another Hawkeye website, and fans Marv and Ruth Hiddleson of West Des Moines.

I told Terrell that fans often know more about what's going in a coaching search than news reporters, who are being paid to do their work. It's much different now than when then-Iowa athletic director Bump Elliott hired Lute Olson when he was coaching at Long Beach State.

I talked not only with Olson by phone that night, but also his wife, Bobbi. Olson went on to become a pretty good coach at Iowa, but became even better after he left for Arizona. I pretty much had the story to myself.

"Iowa really has not had a coaching search since websites like this exploded on the scene," Kakert said. "People now know they can be part of the story when it breaks."

*

Terrell is a reporter and photographer and is No. 3 in the WHO-TV sports lineup behind Murphy and Andy Fales. Terrell came to the station from KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, where he had worked since 2004. He's a native of Peterson, Ia.

The always entertaining Murphy joked [at least I think it was a joke:] "Shawn's talent and credentials are very good. But it was his ability to put up with Andy and I tghat really sold us on Shawn. Frankly, many candidates just weren't willing to do it. What a sucker. He's live to regret that decision, I promise you."

If I say so myself, Channel 13 is a runaway leader in central Iowa for sports, and is one of the best in the state.

*

Photo of Shawn Terrell [left] courtesy of WHO-TV. Photo of New Mexico State basketball coach Reggie Theus [right] courtesy of the Associated Press.

'I Hope Iowa Does Not Make the Same Mistake It Made With Alford. I Think He Was Too Closely Tied To Indiana, and I Think He Was Very Immature'

Warren from Waterloo [not his real name] e-mailed me about the latest dumb thing Steve Alford did -- trying to talk Iowa's incoming basketball recruits into playing for him in his new job at New Mexico:

"Just remember that the rules do not apply to Steve Alford. That is because he is who he is.

"I hope that Iowa does not make the same mistake it made with Alford. I think that he was too closely tied to Indiana, and I think that he was very immature.

"Surely there is someone out there with maturity and sensibility. Dr. Tom? Lute-Lute-Lute? Gary Garner? Gus Guydon?

"Iowa needs someone who can and will relate to the people of the state (ala Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz, Dr. Tom[Davis], Lute-Lute-Lute [Olson]).The individual needs to operate a class program (academically, etc.) The person needs to be able to pronounce 'W' and to speak in cohesive and comprehensive sentences.

"The person needs to teach and play an exciting brand of basketball (Maybe we can buy the person a copy of Maury John's book on the belly-button defense?)."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: It's silly that we're still talking about Alford a week after he quit his coaching job at Iowa. The guy was in over his head at Iowa City, and my guess is he won't fare any better at New Mexico. By the way, Gus Guydon isn't available to coach Iowa. The former Drake player and assistant coach [who went to Iowa State as an assistant when Maury John became the Cyclones' head coach in 1971] is shooting 20-foot jumpers in the big gym in the sky. He died a couple of years ago].

*

Iowa native Al Schallau, now of Palos Verdes, Calif., also writes about Alford:

"Ron,

"I refuse to get upset, annoyed, or outraged at Steve Alford if takes his three-star recruits away from Iowa and on to New Mexico. A new Iowa coach might be able to use those scholarships to bring in some five-star players.

"If you look at the lists of North Carolina's recruits during the Roy Williams years, you see a lot of five-star players. Those are the players who take a team to the Final Four and then leave for the NBA. That is how it works these days, and coaches like Roy Williams simply accept that.

"Best,"

Al Schallau
Palos Verdes, Calif.

[RON MALY'S COMMENT: I wonder if Gary Barta has checked to see what the buyout clause is in Roy Williams' contract at North Carolina].

*

van gundy in van meter wrote to say, "horseshit reporting by cityview. they missed a big story in this week's edition. because of a schedule change ordered by the pacific coast league, no-name ballteam opens its home season april 1 at no-name ballpark. there will be lots of april fools in the park that day, especially in no-name ballteam's front office."

*

Photo of Steve Alford courtesy of Google.

Alford May Have Broken An NCAA Rule By Inviting High School Senior Jake Kelly To Play At New Mexico After He Had Already Signed With Iowa

Steve Alford has been New Mexico's basketball coach for only a few days, but already he may have broken an NCAA rule.

So says Jim Ecker, a sportswriter for the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Alford accepted the New Mexico job late last week after being Iowa's coach for eight years.

Here's what Ecker wrote today about the situation:

"Jake Kelly, who signed a national letter-of-intent with the Iowa men's basketball program in November, told The Gazette last night that Steve Alford has invited him to play for his new team at New Mexico.

"If true, Alford may have violated an NCAA rule that forbids tampering with student-athletes who have signed with another school.

"Kelly, a senior at Carmel (Ind.) High School, said he'll wait and see who Iowa hires as its next coach before deciding whether to honor his commitment to the Hawkeyes or join Alford at New Mexico.

"'He said he'd like for me to come and that he thinks he's got a good future here,' Kelly said. 'He said it's a big-time place and he's excited about it.'

"Kelly confirmed two other times during the interview that Alford has invited him to New Mexico, raising the question of improper conduct by the coach.

"'All I can say is that the NCAA rules and the national letter-of-intent rules are pretty clear,' Fred Mims, a UI associate director of athletics, told The Gazette. 'By and large, once a person has committed himself to an institution, then that person should not be recruited by another entity -- another institution, that is. With that in mind, I'm assuming this might not be a true story, and I hope it isn't.'

"Mims declined comment on whether Alford may have violated NCAA rules.

"'I don't want to speculate on any of that,' he said. 'It's one of those things that if it comes to pass, we'll have to look at it and have some discussions.'

"Kelly, Dairese Gary from Concord High School in Elkhart, Ind., and Jarryd Cole from Winnetonka High School in Kansas City, Mo., signed with Iowa in November. Gary's mother declined comment last night when reached by The Gazette, saying 'He's not doing any interviews right now.' Cole could not be reached for comment."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Well, it looks like Alford is doing more out there in Albuquerque than wondering how soon his fancy home [pictured at the top, courtesy of my friends in the blogosphere] in Coralville, Ia., will be sold. He's been in the coaching and recruiting business too long to pull a shenanigan like standout reporter Ecker says he's trying. By the way, Alford's 28-room home, at 831 Forest Hill Drive in Coralville, has six bedrooms, a full-sized gym, a swimming pool and a hot tub. Obviously, it would be a great place to get away from the pressures following a tough loss at Penn State].

*

Meanwhile, Jeff Goodman of scout.com says Beas Hamga [pictured at the lower left, courtesy of scout.com] isn't so sure he wants to play for Alford now that he's at New Mexico.

Bud Appleby of Des Moines sent me a clip, in which Goodman writes:

"Beas Hamga is an athletic 7-footer who made his decision to play for Steve Alford at Iowa early in the process. Now that Alford has moved onto New Mexico, Hamga has re-opened his recruitment -- and already has a list of schools.

"'I was disappointed with everything that happened,' Hamga said.

"Hamga spent last season at Cornerstone Christian before playing this season for Alan Huss at Decatur Christian.

"'He’s made tremendous strides,' Huss said. 'Shot-blocking comes naturally to him, but he’s made strides offensively.'

"Hamga recited a list of schools that includes UNLV, Tennessee, Indiana, Florida, Kentucky, UConn, Georgetown and Memphis.

"Hamga will also look at New Mexico and wait and see whoever gets the Iowa job..."

[RON MALY'S COMMENT: I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in something Alford does].

*

Another guy who's disappointed -- by some things he read in one of the many newspapers he reads -- is George Wine of Coralville, who sent the following letter to the Iowa City Press-Citizen:

"Today's edition (March 27) of The Press Citizen has two stories that caught my eye.

"The lead paragraph of a page one story says, 'Instead of landing at the bottom of a waste basket, the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center wants to turn old cell phones into cash.'

"There is no danger of the Senior Center landing at the bottom of a waste basket.

"A story on page one sports says that Homer Harris "broke the color barrier with the Iowa football team . . ."

"Duke Slater, an all-America tackle in the early 1920s, was the first black football player at Iowa. A UI residence hall now bears his name.

"Another black player, Ozzie Simmons, preceded Harris by a couple of years. He was a star running back and is the reason Iowa and Minnesota now play for a traveling trophy called Floyd of Rosedale.

"Last week a headline over Pat Harty's column said 'Alford move to New Mexico good for both he and Iowa.' Maybe, but it is not good grammar."

George Wine
Coralville IA

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Don't try to slip any newspaper stories past George Wine that are factually incorrect. He was the University of Iowa's sports information director for 25 years and has written a couple of books about Hawkeye athletics. He's also an avid newspaper reader who obviously doesn't mind letting editors, columnists and reporters know when they've screwed up].

*

Adam Haluska of Iowa and Lyndsey Medders of Iowa State will be two of the players featured in the slam-dunk and three-point championships preceding the NCAA Final Four this week.

The show will be carried by ESPN at 8 p.m. Thursday from Atlanta.

Haluska will be in the men's three-point championships along with Acie Law of Texas A&M, Stephen Sir of Northern Arizona, Aaron Brooks of Oregon , Colin Falls of Notre Dame, Jarrius Jackson of Texas Tech, Demetris Nichols of Syraucse and Kammron Taylor of Wisconsin.

Medders will be in the women's three-point championships with Cori Chambers of Georgia, Ashley Davis of Texas Christrian, Dee Davis and Caroline Williams of Vanderbilt, Eshaya Murphy of Southern California and Noelle Quinn of UCLA.

The winner of the women's competition will then be matched against the men's winner.

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Good for Haluska and Medders. Let's hope they're the shooters who go against one another for the three-point title. As far as I'm concerned, that'll make the Taco Bell Battle of Champions worth watching. Medders is pictured at the lower right, courtesy of Iowa State University].

*

Back to Steve Alford's house in Coralville for a minute. If you're interested in buying it, here are more facts -- courtesy of the Johnson County Assessor's Office and the blogosphere:

Parcel ID 0730480002
Property Address 831 Forest Hill Dr Coralville 52241
Brief Tax Description HIGHLAND PARK - PART SEVEN LOT 1
Neighborhood # 51340
Section & Plat
Property Class 510 - 1 Family Dwelling
Taxing District CORALVILLE-IOWA CITY
Net Acres 0.00
Total CSR 0.00
Owners
Deed Holder
Alford, Stephen T
Alford, Tanya L
831 Forest Hill Dr
Coralville IA, 52241
Contract Holder
Land
Lot Dimensions Regular Lot: x
Lot Area 0.0000 Acres; 0 SF
Improvements
Residential Dwelling
Occupancy Single family
Style 61 Newer convent'l 2 story
Year Built 2002
Exterior Material Stucco better
Roof Type Gable
Roof Material Asphalt shingles
Interior Walls Drywall
Predominate Floor Covs Carpet , None
# of Stories 1.0
Above-Grade Living Area 9396 SF
Attic Type None
Number of Rooms 28
Number of Bedrooms 6
Basement Type 3/4 Bsmt
Basement Area 4767 SF
Basement Finished Area 2668 SF
Number of Bathrooms 2 Fix(1 ); 3 Fix(3 ); 4 Fix(1 ); 5 Fix(1 );
Central Air Y
Fireplace Y
Heat Type Forced hot air-gas
Porches Enclosed Porch: 0 SF; Open Porch: 147 SF;
Decks 411 SF
Garages Attached: 1103 SF; Detached: SF;
Other Features Residential Pool In Ground
Valuation
2007 2006 2005 2004
+ Assessed Building Value $0 $0 $0 $0
+ Assessed Dwelling Value $1,143,700 $1,059,900 $1,059,900 $1,066,500
+ Assessed Land Value $161,900 $147,370 $147,370 $127,210
= Total Assessed Value $1,305,600 $1,207,270 $1,207,270 $1,193,710
Sales
Date Grantor Recording Type Amount
10/11/2001 HIGHLAND PARK DEVELOPMENT CO, LLP Bk:3153 Pg:227 $179,800.00
05/16/2001 MURPHY, LLOYD J Bk:3062 Pg:779 $263,880.00
01/27/1993 -- Bk:1494 Pg:335 $0.00

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: You'll notice the 28-room place has a total assessed value of $1.3 million. That tends to eliminate about 99.9 percent of the house-hunters right away. The only folks still in the ballpark are other coaches -- including the guy who replaces Alford].

*

somebody said mike gartner wrote about himself again in his civic skinny column in his cityview paper, and wanted to know if i read it. i said no.

I'm Not Surprised: Tennessee Coach and Ex-Hawkeye Assistant Bruce Pearl Listens 'As a Courtesy' To Iowa, But Says He's Not Interested In the Job

Bruce Pearl says he's happy at Tennessee and won't consider leaving.

The basketball coach was contacted today by Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, who got clearance the night before from Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton to talk to Pearl, a former Iowa assistant.

The fact that Pearl isn't interested in Iowa comes as no surprise to me. I wrote yesterday that Tennessee is a better coaching job than Iowa, and I saw no reason for Pearl to leave.

Pearl told Barta he wanted Tennessee's fans to know he wasn't leaving.

"I'm putting it out there just as fast as I can because I don't want it to be a concern of our fans, and I want to demonstrate my loyalty and my commitment to this program. I appreciate very much being here, so I don't want them to worry about me going anywhere," Pearl told the Associated Press. "This is where I want to be. I want to be here as long as they'll be happy with me here."

Pearl expressed appreciation for support from fans, administrators and other coaches, namely football coach Phillip Fulmer and women's basketball coach Pat Summitt.

"It was never a consideration for me to leave Tennessee," Pearl said in a statement. "I had a phone conversation with Iowa's athletic director early this morning as a courtesy for a place I have coached at and have great respect for. The University of Iowa is an outstanding school, and I know they will find a quality coach to continue their strong tradition of great basketball."

Pearl's decision to remain with the Volunteers was first reported by he Knoxville News Sentinel and The Tennessean.

Steve Alford left Iowa after eight seasons to be head coach at New Mexico.

In only two years, Pearl has turned around a mediocre program, delivering two straight appearances in the NCAA tournament and the Volunteers' first time in the round of 16 since 2000.

"I think Bruce wants to be at the University of Tennessee," Hamilton said before Pearl released his statement. "I would expect it to be a natural progression for Iowa to be interested in Bruce because of his tenure there and the success he's had since he left there. But I feel like, based on my relationship with Bruce and the context of our discussions about the future of Tennessee basketball, that he's very happy here and I don't anticipate him leaving."

Pearl was an assistant at Iowa from 1986 to 1992, when he left to become head coach at Division II Southern Indiana. He coached at Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2001 to 2005 before being hired by Tennessee.

Pearl got a two-year extension after last season through 2012 with an escalating pay scale each year. His total compensation package will increase from $1.1 million this year to $1.2 million next year. Hamilton said Pearl would also receive a one-year extension through 2013. Pearl has a $1 million buyout clause.

Pearl caused a stir during his time at Iowa for his role in a recruiting scandal involving Illinois player Deon Thomas. Pearl gave the NCAA tape he'd secretly recorded that started a long investigation, resulting in Illinois being banned from the postseason in 1991.

*

Barta disclosed the names today of the members of the search committee assisting him in the process of picking the next coach:

Elizabeth Altmaier is the University of Iowa’s current faculty representative for intercollegiate athletics and professor in the Department of Psych and Quant Foundations.

B.J. Armstrong is a 1989 graduate of the University of Iowa who was named all-Big Ten three times and all-American once during a brilliant four-year career (1986-89) as a member of the basketball program. Armstrong played basketball professionally after graduation. He was the starting point guard on the 1993 Chicago Bulls team that won the NBA championship and was named to the NBA All-Star team in 1994.

Charles Lynch is president of the President’s Committee on Athletics and a professor in the Department of Epidemiology.

Fred Mims is an associate athletic director at Iowa. He oversees the department’s academic student services and compliance areas and is the administrator responsible for the varsity sports of wrestling and baseball. A 1972 graduate of Iowa, Mims was a two-time letterwinner in basketball (1971-72) and baseball (1971-72).

G. Joseph Reddington is retired. He was chief executive officer of Signature Group and Breuner’s Home Furnishings of Sedona, AZ. A 1963 graduate of the University of Iowa, Reddington was a three-time basketball letterwinner (1961-63).

“I am very excited about the passion and expertise each member of the search committee brings to the process," Barta said. "All care deeply about the University of Iowa and our intercollegiate athletics program. I am confident that each will provide me invaluable assistance as we move forward in the process of hiring the next leader of our men’s basketball program."

Barta said each member of the committee “has already made significant contributions to the search,” a process that he said is fully engaged and active.

“Last Friday I indicated that in short order the search process will enter the phase where confidentiality and due diligence takes priority over public comment, and that our friends, fans and the media would need to be patient. We are in that phase,” said Barta.

*

Doug in Davenport has some opinions on a number of people in collegiate and professional athletics.

Here's his e-mail:

"Hi, Ron,

"I was interested in updates on the former Iowa State basketball coaches.

"Tim Floyd is going to have a powerhouse program at USC. But he has a temper and he will have his moments of idiocy on the court.

"I always thought Larry Eustachy got kind of a bad deal at Iowa State. What he did was silly, but he wasn't even driving. Tony LaRussa will definitely not be fired and Eddie Sutton wasn't officially fired at Oklahoma State, although I thought he should have been. Both did things much worse than Eustachy. I'm convinced that New Mexico actually would have done better with Eustachy. He can recruit and I think he is a better game coach than the coach New Mexico hired."

Doug in Davenport

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I, too, think Eustachy is a better coach than Steve Alford. It appears that Eustachy is ready to leave Southern Mississippi, which gave him a second chance after his alcohol-and-college-age-women problems got him dismissed at Iowa State. Alford had the benefit of Bobby Knight [who coached him at Indiana] working for him. Knight's support was a huge factor in Mr. Hair landing the New Mexico job].

*

The wizardofodds website, which has been keeping track of what's going on with the University of Iowa's purchose of the potential firekirkferentz.com and firelisabluder.com sites, has this update:

"A spokesman for the Drake Group, a collection of academicians who help faculty and staff defend academic integrity in the face of the burgeoning college sport industry, has criticized the decision by the University of Iowa to purchase seven domain names as a preemptive strike against athletic department officials.

"'This situation at Iowa is, in my opinion, farcical and tells me the Iowa A.D. must spend way too much time monitoring these sites," Richard Southall, Assistant Professor, Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Memphis, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"'They must protect their power and will do just about anything to control messages. Staying on message and controlling the dialogue is widespread in college sport.

"'Iowa's A.D. and the athletic department figure that if you prevent rabble-rousers from hanging out on the Internet street corner, they won't be able to build any critical mass. Messages, as any marketer will tell you, have the potential to change people's behaviors and affect their buying decisions. Evidently, they must think it's safer to just throw some money at the problem and it'll go away.'"

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Obviously, Iowa isn't going to drown out websites that are critical of coaches and other athletic department personnel by throwing money at them. All Iowa did was call attention to the situation. If people on the Internet think it's time for a coach to be canned, they'll be able to register their opinions. By the way, the Drake Group has no connection to the university in Des Moines].

*

It's against my better judgement to bring up the names Kerry Wood and Mark Prior again, but I promise to keep this short.

Chicago Cub pitchers Wood and Prior are hurt again, which is the same as saying it's cold in Alaska.

Like Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes, "The more things change for the Cubs, the more they stay the same for Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.

"But for how much longer?

"With their roles on the team already reduced substantially coming into spring training, their inability to open the season on time for a second straight year could be the strongest sign yet that the shuttle bus between the disabled list and Cubs' roster is running out of gas -- especially for Wood.

"The shoulder soreness that resurfaced while Wood was pitching Sunday has sidelined the right-hander indefinitely and raised the most serious doubts to date about the long-term soundness of his surgically repaired shoulder.

"Team officials Monday used words such as "setback" and "getting him right" when discussing the injury, but Wood has not been able to sustain even three consecutive weeks of pitching since undergoing surgery late in the 2005 season.

"Considering Wood already is pitching with a rotator-cuff tear discovered in the shoulder last August, he might be fortunate to return to the mound by June.

"And that's if he doesn't elect to have the surgery he chose to forgo last summer in favor of rehabilitation...If another operation on the shoulder becomes the best option, that means a year of rehab and probably two years before arm strength starts to come back -- if it comes all the way back.

"Meanwhile, the Cubs have made it clear they're ready to start moving into a post-Wood-and-Prior era.

"Prior, who came into camp trying to win a job at the end of the rotation, makes his final Cactus League start Wednesday, after which the team is expected to decide between a DL move and an assignment to Class AAA [No-Name Ballclub at No-Name Ballpark] in Des Moines to build up his arm.

"With Wood already on the DL, it will be the sixth time in nine seasons -- and fourth straight -- that either Wood or Prior has opened on the DL."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: All I can say is that Wood and Prior will forever be part of the bad dream known as the Chicago Cubs. I sure as heck never thought I'd be saying I'm anxious to see how good ex-Cardinal gopher-ball pitcher Jason Marquis can be at Wrigley Field this season].

*

Photo of Bruce Pearl [right] courtesy of the Associated Press. Photo of Larry Eustachy [left] courtesy of Google.

My Life Is Now a Lot Simpler -- Ohio State, UCLA, Georgetown and Florida Are In the Big Dance, And I'm Not Planning On Rooting for Any Of Them

My life got a lot easier in the last couple of days.

I mean, now that Florida, Ohio State, Georgetown and UCLA are in the NCAA's Big Dance, I don't have to root for any of them.

That's right, I want none of them to win. I'm now ready for the baseball season so I can see whether the Chicago Cubs collapse in the first week or the second week.

Why would I want to jump on the bandwagon of Florida, Ohio State, Georgetown or UCLA -- the teams that will be playing Saturday in the Final Four at Atlanta?

They don't need my help.

Florida won last year's championship; UCLA has done the unbelievable and won in 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1995; Georgetown won in 1984 and Ohio State was the champion in 1960.

The only way I'd be interested in this Final Four would be if a team like Drake, George Mason, Charlotte or St. Joseph's were dancing.

That's when it's interesting. Give me a Drake in 1969 -- a team with Maury John, a coach with a nice-guy image and a basketball-killer personality -- and I'm happy.

Give me a game matching the Little Guy against the Big Guy and I'll take the Little Guy all the time.

Georgetown? Ohio State? Florida? UCLA? Basketball factories, that's what they are.

It's enough to make a man sick.

Oh, all right, just to show that I'll maybe sneak an occasional look at The Dance On the Tube later this week, I'll say, "Go, Buckeyes!"

That's for the benefit of the Ohio State fan in Iowa who's got a friendly wager on the Big Ten team.

*

I've been trying to figure out what Iowa basketball fans did to deserve Seth Gorney.

Gorney is the 7-foot, 245-pound junior who was loosely referred to as a center on Steve Alford's final Hawkeye team this season.

Gorney was basically a stiff who showed up for very few games in Iowa's 17-14 season.

I guess he understands the Iowa scenario because he's from Vandalia, Ohio.

He started 17 times and had a whopping 5.5 scoring average and an equally-whopping 3.8 rebounding average.

Those numbers indicate that, although he was a 7-footer, he jumped and shot more like he was 5-11.

Yet, Gorney was among the Hawkeyes who went on the attack when sportswriters last week tried to find out what the players thought of Alford's exit to New Mexico.

He seemed to be blaming fans for Alford's problems, and was among those who think it's bad that Iowa is a football school more than it is a basketball school.

First of all, I don't believe Iowa is more of a football school than a basketball school.

If athletic director Gary Barta can find a better coach than Alford and if that new coach can find some players better than Gorney, watch out.

If that happens, Iowa again will be challenging for the Big Ten basketball championship and filling all the seats in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa has been, and can be, just as good a basketball school as it is a football school. I've seen it happen, and if the right coach and the right players are on the scene in the next few years it will happen again.

*

By the way, count me out of the Bruce Pearl sweepstakes.

I don't look for that man to be Iowa's next basketball coach.

He's got a better job now at Tennessee than he'd have at Iowa.

I've already written that I wouldn't want Pearl because he and his Volunteers blew a 20-point lead in their 85-84 loss to Ohio State in the NCAA South Regional.

Just what Iowa needs -- a coach who blows a 20-point lead over Ohio State.

We've all seen plenty of that in the past.

Besides, Pearl had a 24-11 record at Tennessee this season, he recently got a two-year contract extension through 2012 and his salary will increase from $1.1 million this year to $1.2 million next year.

Why would the man want to come to Iowa City and listen to Big Ten fans again harp about Deon Thomas and that Chevy Blazer?

Besides, I don't know if I can stand the thought of Pearl showing up at an Iowa women's basketball game with his bare chest pained black-and-gold.

*

Like I said earlier, if I were doing the hiring at Iowa, I'd find out Billy Gillispie's phone number at Texas A&M.

*

Photo of Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl [right] courtesy of the Associated Press. Hawkeye fans, is that the man you want as your next coach? Photo of Iowa basketball player Seth Gorney [left] courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Hawkeye fans, is that the man you want as your center and team spokesman?

Like Him Or Dislike Him, CBS Commentator Billy Packer Was Correct When He Said Tim Floyd's Technical Foul Robbed USC Of Its Last Chance To Win

My mind went into rewind late last night when Tim Floyd walked onto the basketball court at East Rutherford, N.J., and threw his coaching notes on the floor.

It was the final minute of Southern California's 74-64 loss to North Carolina in the NCAA tournament.

I was thinking about Floyd and I was thinking about Larry Eustachy, the guy who succeeded him as Iowa State's coach.

A referee slapped Floyd with a technical foul for the outburst at East Rutherford, CBS-TV commentator Billy Packer went into a rage about Floyd, and USC fans were wondering if their coach's temper tantrum had cost their team its final opportunity to win.

Packer certainly thought that was the case. He railed on and on about the situation, as only Packer can do.

I don't always agree with the stuff Packer says and I know a lot of people don't care much for him, but I think he was correct when he said Floyd's technical was a bad thing for USC.

A number of other basketball analysts wouldn't have been so outspoken.

*

I know Floyd has a temper because I saw plenty of examples of it when he was Iowa State's coach from 1995-1998.

I covered Floyd's first game and I covered his last game with the Cyclones.

The first one was an 88-71 victory Nov. 25, 1994 over Illinois State in Hilo, Hawaii, the last one was a 74-55 loss March 8, 1998 to Missouri in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.

In the last game, Floyd marched from his bench to the middle of the floor in the final minutes. He knew he'd be leaving soon to coach the Chicago Bulls, and I'm pretty sure he was trying to draw a technical foul.

The referee wouldn't cooperate, and Floyd went without the "T" he wanted in the 19-point loss.

However, it wasn't only Floyd I was thinking about when I observed that technical in East Rutherford with 49 seconds to play.

I also thought of Eustachy when he was coaching Iowa State on March 25, 2000 in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Eustachy was slapped with two quick technicals late in the Cyclones' 75-64 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Elite Eight game.

Iowa State was probably already out of contention, but Eustachy's technicals took them out of any chance to win.

It was Floyd who suggested in the next couple of days that Eustachy apologize to Iowa State's fans, which he did through newspaper stories.

You know all about Eustachy. He was fired from Iowa State after the 2002-2003 season because of some extracurricular postgame activities that involved beer and college girls.

He's now coaching at Southern Mississippi, but maybe not for long. More on that later in this column.

*

I've listened on an audio tape provided by the Los Angeles Times to what Floyd said in his postgame interview session last night.

"Take us through the technical," a reporter said to Floyd.

"Just disappointed," Floyd said. "Wanted to keep playing. Disappointed with [Taj Gibson's] situation. He was fouling out of the game. But a technical is a part of the game. It just happened. I can't comment on the call, as you know, and I can't comment on his fourth foul, either.

"So you sit there and you exorcise frustration from time to time, as I did."

When the moderator of the press conference asked if there were further questions, someone asked the vanilla question, "Coach, what did you tell your players after the game....?"

It was, again, a disappointing job by reporters who had a chance to ask Floyd if he realized Packer had been critical of him getting a technical at that stage. They could also have asked Floyd if he realized he had taken USC out of its last chance to upset No. 1 seed North Carolina.

As far as I can tell, the only Los Angeles writer who addressed the situation was Times columnist A. J. Adande, who wrote in today's editions:

"USC, the better team for much of the night, went down because it couldn't keep North Carolina off the boards. It didn't help that Coach Tim Floyd picked up a seal-the-deal technical foul when USC was still within six in the final minute.

"So despite all of the good that happened, there's something unfulfilling, a sense that this didn't have to end here, right now, with a final score of North Carolina 74, USC 64...

"I'm also searching the memory banks to recall the last time I saw a coach get a technical foul so late in an NCAA tournament game that wasn't completely out of reach. It happened with 49 seconds left when Gibson received his fifth foul for an illegal screen. A shaky call, sure, but no cause for Floyd to throw his coaching notes on the court when a couple of missed free throws and a three-pointer could have brought the Trojans to within three.

"'Just disappointed,' Floyd said. 'Wanted to keep playing. Disappointed with Taj's situation, he was fouling out of the game. A technical is a part of the game. It just happened. I can't comment on the call. Or his fourth foul. So you sit there and you exorcise frustration from time to time. Which I did.'

"Exorcise it back in the locker room. Kick a table. Don't give away two extra points when your team is trying to extend the game.

"Don't put such a bad ending to a season in which so much went right...."

Times reporter Ben Bolch didn't even mtntion Floyd's technical in his game story.

Bad job by Ben.

*

Another poor reporting job was turned in by Matthew Kredell of the Los Angeles Daily News.

He wrote nothing about Floyd's technical, either.

Some of what Kredell did write:

"....Despite the loss, USC players had little to be disappointed about after setting a school record in victories.

"Expectations will be higher next season....USC is expected to add the top recruit in the nation in Huntington, W. Va., guard O.J. Mayo.

"I think as long as Tim Floyd is coach, this is going to be a national powerhouse," [Lodrick] Stewart said. "This is going to be one of the elite teams in the country and only going to get better."

*

Columnist Frank Burlison of the Los Angeles Daily News wrote this today about Eustachy:

"Friends of University of Southern Mississippi basketball coach Larry Eustachy say that he may have interest in returning to his alma mater as its coach.

"And I'm not referring to Arcadia High, either.

"The 1979 graduate of Long Beach State apparently hadn't had direct or indirect contact from anyone connected with the 49ers (at least he hadn't as of Friday evening).

"But those friends say he has discussed the Long Beach job over the past two days. The position opened when Larry Reynolds was told Tuesday afternoon he wasn't being offered a new contract.

"LBSU Athletic Director Vic Cegles was apparently out of town and didn't return a telephone call Friday.

"The 51-year-old Eustachy just concluded his second season at USM.

"The Golden Eagles, predominately made up of freshmen and sophomores, finished 20-11 and in fourth place in Conference USA. They were the only team to lose to unbeaten conference champion Memphis by less than a double-figure margin (67-64).

"A close friend of current USC coach Tim Floyd (Eustachy followed him as the coach at Iowa State) and a protege of sorts of former Trojans' coach Bob Boyd (he was one of his assistants at Mississippi State), Eustachy has been the Coach of the Year at three different programs (Idaho, Utah State and ISU) and took each to the NCAA tournament.

"His 2000 Cyclones' team lost to eventual national champion Michigan State in a regional final.

"Eustachy's parents live in San Clemente.

"Another source said Friday that University of Nebraska assistant Phil Mathews was contacted this week in order to gauge his interest in the position."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Eustachy's name was also connected briefly to the New Mexico job, which has now been filled by Iowa's Steve Alford. [Think of how that must make Eustachy, a Hawkeye-hater from way back, feel]. The man must want to get away from Southern Mississippi, which helped him resurrect his career, pretty badly if he'll settle for the Long Beach State job. It doesn't sound like any improvement to me].

*

Photos of an unhappy Tim Floyd [top], an unhappy Larry Eustachy [lower left] and a happier Billy Packer [lower right] courtesy of the Los Angeles Daily News and Google.

'End Of An Error,' Then Steve Alford 'Gushed' Over the Presence Of Cedar Rapids Reporter Jim Ecker At His First Press Conference In New Mexico

Mark Robinson of Iowa City says he thinks Steve Alford might have a future as a politician.

My guess is that Alford might be better at that than he is as a basketball coach.

Alford, who has left Iowa and now is New Mexico's coach, had some good things to say about Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Gazette sportswriter Jim Ecker in his first press conference at Albuquerque.

Here's what Robinson wrote to me in an e-mail:

"Hello, Ron;

"You wrote today: "My West Coast Correspondent tells me Jim Ecker of the Cedar Rapids Gazette flew to Albuquerque for Alford's press conference today. Good for the Gazette."

"I saw the press conference online and not only was Ecker on hand, Alford gushed over him. He mentioned him in the body of his speech and, when the presser was over and with the camera still running, told Jim that it really meant a lot for him to be there.

"Based upon theses last eight years of observing Steve Alford, I feel that, after basketball, he has a future in politics.

"Keep writing,"

Mark Robinson

*

Here's what Ecker wrote for his newspaper from Albuquerque, courtesy of the Gazette's web page:

Warm welcome, $975K salary greet Alford

By Jim Ecker
The Gazette

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment. It says so on the license plates, so it must be true. So far, Steve Alford has to agree.

Very few people out here care about Pierre Pierce or even know who he is or what he did, and they don't seem to care a whole lot that Alford won only one NCAA tournament game at Iowa in eight years or that he had a losing record in Big Ten regular-season games.

There were a few uncomfortable headlines in the Albuquerque Journal Friday morning after it was learned Alford was leaving Iowa to become the head coach at the University of New Mexico, calling the move ``A $700K Gamble'' and declaring ``UNM Takes a Risk With Alford.''

That couldn't have made Alford or his bosses at New Mexico happy, and there's no telling what the Journal will say today after everyone learned Alford will be making $975K instead of $700K. That's right, it's a six-year deal worth $975,000 a year, higher than the base salary he had at Iowa.

But other than a few headlines and a grumpy columnist out here, the Land of Enchantment lived up to its name when more than 300 New Mexico students, fans, faculty members, administrators and media types packed Ballroom A at the Student Union to greet the Lobos' head basketball coach Friday afternoon.

Alford arrived in a snappy dark suit but quickly traded his suit coat for a bright red jacket that seemed to fit just fine. That's Lobo red, eerily similar to the Hoosier red he wore as an All-American and golden boy at the University of Indiana, culminating in an NCAA title in 1987.

``It's been nearly 20 years since I've had this color on,'' Alford said after slipping into his new clothes, beaming. ``It was pretty magical the last time. So I hope we have very similar magic.''

New Mexico played in seven NCAA tournaments in the 1990s when Dave Bliss was the head coach and made it again in 2005 under Ritchie McKay, but McKay got a pink slip in February and UNM Athletics Director Paul Krebs immediately put Alford's name on a ``wish list'' of about 15 possible candidates, not knowing if he'd be interested.

It turns out he was, perhaps to escape the possibility of getting his own pink slip at Iowa next year or possibly just to get a fresh start and follow his ``gut feeling,'' as Alford said several times Friday in explaining why he took the job.

Alford said all the right things about great fans, great administrators and special players at Iowa, but there's a reason he's not a Hawkeye anymore. He talked about the ``great passion'' for basketball he's found at New Mexico, praising the university president and noting Iowa has gone more than a year without a president of its own. He also loves the practice facility that's attached to ``The Pit,'' the affectionate name for the 40-year-old New Mexico arena that's due for a facelift soon.

There's been more apathy than anything else at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in recent years, and few people shed any tears Thursday when Alford called it quits. At New Mexico, he's being greeted by school administrators as a possible savior, and Friday's press conference felt and sounded like the one at Carver-Hawkeye eight years ago when Bob Bowlsby hired Alford away from Southwest Missouri State.

``This guy has been our No.1 target from the very beginning,'' Krebs said. ``We got the guy we wanted.''

Krebs, who used to work at Ohio State, has to know what some people were saying about Alford in Big Ten country, about the Pierce scandals and the empty seats in Iowa City and the ambivalence (at best) about Alford's tenure as head coach. Sure, he won two Big Ten tournaments and had a school-record seven straight winning seasons, but the majority of the fan base wasn't buying anymore.

Out here, Krebs talked about Alford's victories over Top 25 programs, his basketball pedigree under Bob Knight and his ability to recruit and develop players (Iowa fans might disagree, but they're not the ones who get to throw $975K at oaches).

Incidentally, Krebs shot down conjecture that Knight had played a significant role in the process here, describing Knight's role as ``minimal.'' New Mexico President David Schmidly was the president at Texas Tech when the Red Raiders hired Knight, which fanned the speculation about Knight's having been involved.

After Krebs drew up his list of candidates, he contacted Alford's agent and one thing led to another. Krebs had his first face-to-face meeting with Alford Tuesday and by Thursday, Alford was saying goodbye to the Hawkeyes. It happened that fast.

``We knew once we started a courtship, we would either consummate the marriage or walk away,'' Krebs said.

They exchanged vows, and now New Mexico has the man it says it wanted.

*

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Nice going, Jim Ecker. I fully expect your bosses to give you a big fat pay raise when you get back home, and maybe they'll even assign you to cover New Mexico's first game next season when Steve Alford will probably wear that idiotic bright red coat].

*

R. H. of Des Moines also wrote to me about the Gazette sending Jim Ecker to Albuquerque:

"Ron,

"Good job of the Gazette for sending Jim Ecker out to Albuquerque for Steve's press conference. The Gannett Mafia at 715 Locust couldn't go-line to Priceline.com to find an afforable plane ticket to send Randy, Keeler, or someone else to Albuquerque?

"I was hoping that [Gazette sports columnist] Mike Hlas would have made the trip as well. Alford would have had the same thoughts that Lute had when you showed up in Tucson.

"Alford: Oh crap, what's this 'freakin' guy from Iowa' doing here? Did he just take a job with the Albuquerque Journal?

"The conspriacy theorist of me have this feeling that Barta may add another guy to the candidate list: Steve McClain. McClain coached Wyoming when Barta was the AD out there. McClain was let go a couple of weeks ago after a fair-to-middlin' season. But, I would rather defer all recommendations to Al Schallau. He's much wiser than this young scribe!"

R.H.
Des Moines

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Ecker has been a pretty tough reporter for the Gazette over the years -- especially when he and Hayden Fry tangled a few times during Fry's term as Iowa's football coach. But maybe Ecker has mellowed in recent years. It sure sounds like Alford has no problems with him. As for native Iowan Steve McClain, I hope he lands on his feet somewhere as a basketball coach. I doubt that Gary Barta would be able to sell him to Hawkeye fans at this stage].

*

A guy I know in the newspaper business sent me this e-mail:

"Wish I were writing the headline for Alford's departure:"

End of an Error

*

Photo of Steve Alford putting on his new red coat in New Mexico courtesy of the Associated Press and the Gazette.

Nobody Ever Said There Was Any Sanity In Basketball Coaching -- Some Want People To Worship At Their Feet, Another Drinks Pepsi for Breakfast

I suppose I should just take the high road and start writing about Billy Gillispie, Lon Kruger and Dana Altman so Steve Alford can start his press conference in Albuquerque.

Yes, I should forget about Alford and begin zeroing in on this guy Gillispie, who the New York Times says drinks Pepsi for breakfast and will probably never get married again because he's a 24-hour-a-day workaholic.

So you're saying Billy Gillispie would never consider the Iowa basketball coaching job that Alford just left?

Guess again, collegiate basketball nutcase.

Hey, if Tubby Smith can bail out of Kentucky and take the -- pardon the expression --Minnesota job, anything can happen when an athletic director is looking for a coaching savior.

I guess a seven-year contract and $1.8 million per season can convince the Tubster that Minnesota in January isn't all that bad or that antiquated Williams Arena is really where blue-chip recruits want to play.

*

Back soon to Gillispie, Kruger, Altman and the other guys dressed in pinstripe suits who may or may not be lined up to interview with Iowa athletic director Gary Barta soon.

Let me get to a few things about Alford, a guy I sincerely hope will find real happiness now that he's at a place so far away from the Big Ten that just as many people buy turquoise jewelry at the Indian reservations than care about the local college's basketball team.

Those same people probably have no idea how arrogant Steve Alford really can be.

Maybe those folks won't remember that Alford kept losing to Penn State and Northwestern.

Alford came to Iowa City thinking that Hawkeye fans would worship at his feet because he made a lot of jump shots for Bobby Knight at Indiana and because he won some games at Southwest Missouri -- a Missouri Valley Conference school with such an identity problem that the name has been changed to Missouri State.

What Alford didn't realize was that Iowa had already been through Lute Olson. So as arrogant as Stevie-Boy could be, he couldn't hold a candle to Olson in that department.

When Olson walked onto the floor in, first, Iowa Fieldhouse, and then Carver-Hawkeye Arena, fans would chant, "Lute! Lute! Lute!"

Olson's problem was that he thought the sportswriters should be doing the same thing after his teams lost games they shouldn't lose.

The last sportswriter who worshipped Olson was Al Grady, and he's now covering games from the Big Basketball Arena In the Sky.

Rest in peace, Al. We'll all somehow get over this.

*

I've pointed this out before, but it's probably worth repeating now that another arrogant coach has left Iowa.

I've leafed through Lute Olson's new book, and I think I got more space in it than any other sportswriter.

By the way, I haven't gotten any checks in the mail yet from his publisher.

*

It probably never dawned on Olson or Alford that sportswriters actually enjoyed covering Iowa when Pops Harrison, Bucky O'Connor, Ralph Miller and Tom Davis coached there.

*

As far as results went, the Iowa coach Steve Alford resembled most was Dick Schultz.

Alford and Schultz made George Raveling seem like John Thompson.

*

I'd suggest that former Iowa assistant Bruce Pearl would be a good candidate to be Alford's successor.

But why hire a guy whose Tennessee team blew a 20-point lead over Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen last night?

Coaches who can't keep 20-point leads are a dime a dozen. Somebody like that at Carver-Hawkeye Arena would be the last thing Iowa needs.

*

My good friend Al Schallau thinks Reggie Theus of New Mexico State would be a good candidate at Iowa.

Schallau suggested to Bump Elliott way back when that Lute Olson would be a good fit at Iowa. He may be right about Theus.

Wouldn't that be something? New Mexico gets Alford and the New Mexico State guy comes to Iowa.

*

Actually, I hope Alford learned a few things in his eight seasons at Iowa.

I hope he found out that his bosses and the fans of whatever university he's employed by now or in the future don't really give a damn how many baskets he made for the Hoosiers.

Don't forget, it was Indiana that brought him back to earth a year ago.

Alford thought he was still a hot coaching property when his alma mater was looking for a new coach.

I'm pretty sure he was all set to put a "For Sale" sign in front of his fancy home --the one with the basketball court in it -- and go back to Bloomington to save Hoosier Nation.

The guy didn't even get an interview.

That had to be embarrassing, my friends.

*

In the first few years after Alford was in the Iowa job, Hawkeye fans were fearful Indiana would steal him away. When that died off, Iowans were saying, "Take him -- please!"

*

Now Gary Barta gets his chance to prove that he was the right choice to succeed Bob Bowlsby as Iowa's athletic director.

This will be his first big hire.

Will he go big -- big as in Gillispie, who has basketball success to Texas A&M, a football school; Kruger, who has already won at Illinois and Florida and now is winning at UNLV -- or will he go small like Creighton's Altman?

I guess I saw too many of Altman's teams at Kansas State. I'm not sure he's ready for the big stage. I think Omaha is where he should stay.

If Tim Floyd didn't already have his Southern California program rocking and rolling, I'd say interview him for the job in Iowa City.

Don't tell this to the Chicago Bulls, but the guy can coach. They already know that at USC.

*

Another coach I really like these days: Chris Lowery of Southern Illinois.

I think he'll look good at Michigan. Those Wolverine fans will probably really go for those 50-48 games.

*

I'm wondering where this business started that coaching basketball at Iowa is uncomfortable because it's a football school.

I guess it's easy for Alford to not like coaching at a place where football is successful because he went to school at Indiana, where football is not yet a sport.

Heck, I had to sit in the press box at Iowa City -- and in places like Columbus and Ann Arbor -- when the Hawkeyes' football team had 19 straight non-winning seasons.

Of course, that was before guys named Hayden and Kirk were working in Iowa City.

And, don't forget, the coach of the best couple of football teams in history at Iowa [1956 and 1958] was Forest Evashevski. The guy coaching the basketball team then was Bucky O'Connor.

They seemed to co-exist pretty well. O'Connor's 1955 team finished fourth in the NCAA tournament and his 1956 "Fabulous Five" finished second to San Francisco.

*

A guy who's in the newspaper business asked me today about the time I showed up in Tucson for Lute Olson's first press conference as Arizona's new coach.

I was in Tempe, trying to take a few days of vacation after yet another emotional season of covering Olson at Iowa.

When it became obvious Olson was jumping ship for Arizona, I called my boss in Des Moines and asked if he wanted me to drive to Tucson for the press conference.

"Go ahead," he said. "You've worked your ass off all season covering that guy. If you can take a few more hours with him, go to Tucson."

That, of course, was in the days when newspaper bosses weren't penny-pinchers.

Both Olson and his then-wife, Bobbi, were surprised to see me on the Arizona campus.

They were probably fearful I had taken a job in Tucson.

It was after that press conference that Bobbi talked about what a fishbowl they lived in at Iowa City.

Those were the days.

*

My West Coast Correspondent tells me Jim Ecker of the Cedar Rapids Gazette flew to Albuquerque for Alford's press conference today. Good for the Gazette.

*

Photos of Steve Alford wearing the red jacket while being introduced today as New Mexico's coach and of Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie courtesy of the Associated Press.

In His New Job As a 'Retiree,' Tom Davis Won't Be Sitting On Drake's Bench -- He'll Keep Some Distance from Keno's Program, 'Unless Asked'

Tom Davis was on the telephone this morning, and we were supposed to be talking about his retirement.

Suddenly, I was asking him to define his new job.

There was something odd about that picture.

Davis, 68, retired yesterday after 32 seasons as a collegiate basketball coach -- including 13 at Iowa and the last four at Drake -- but will stay at the university in Des Moines as a special assistant to the athletic director.

That will enable him to watch the progress made by his son, Keno, who has agreed to a five-year contract as the Bulldogs' next coach.

For those who wonder if Davis will sit on the Drake bench during games -- as Sam Alford did as the director of basketball operations at Iowa in the early years of his son Steve's coaching there -- forget it.

"Everbody is a little different," Davis said. "There can be different ways to do things. My style would be that I have to keep some distance between myself and the basketball program, unless asked.

"Keno knows, the other coaches know and the players know I'm here for them, but basically not to be intrusive or inhibiting what Keno has to do to build the program. I'll be real careful about constantly not being around where it seems like I'm looking over his shoulder.

"I'll keep some separation from the basketball program and practices, unless called upon to do something to help."

*

As for Davis' new responsibilities at Drake, the opportunity came up so quickly that he still needs to learn what they'll be.

Athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb said Davis "will be involved in helping increase the men's basketball season ticket base along with fund-raising and fan support of the athletic program."

"It's funny," Davis said. "When I met with president [David] Maxwell and Sandy after I notified them I would be retiring last weekend, Sandy shared with me that [Maxwell] wondered if I would be interested in helping Drake in some capacity.

"When they asked, I said I hadn't thought about it, but that I would give it some thought. The more I did think about it, I said, 'Hey, why not?' I really have enjoyed Drake and I enjoy Des Moines and the people. Anything we can do to move the Drake program along, I have some interest.

"Nothing has been defined yet, but it's a matter of seeing where I might be a good fit. I have a lot of respect for this school."

*

Davis, who ended Drake's 20 years of non-winning basketball by coaching his 2006-2007 Bulldogs to a 17-15 record, continues to call the Bulldogs' job probably the most challenging in the Missouri Valley Conference.

"Keno is the head coach at one of the toughest -- if not the toughest -- jobs in the conference," Davis said. "There are a lot of great benefits of being at Drake, but it's a tough job in the sense of recruiting, admissions and the resources the other schools are putting into the program."

Davis added that Maxwell and Clubb "know how tough this job is and what we have to do."

*

Mike Mahon, Drake's sports information director, drew a laugh from Davis when he asked the first question during a teleconference today.

"Coach, I'm going to fire the first question," Mahon said. "How do you want to be remembered?"

"Gee, that's a tough question!" Davis said. "What kind of deal is that -- your SID gives you a tough question on your first day of retirement.

"I don't know, Mike. I was trained as a teacher. That's how I view myself. Then the subjects I taught changed over the years. That's what I'd think about first."

*

Davis said he purposely took some time after Drake's season ended to decide what he wanted to do about his future.

"This was a very emotional season for all of us," he said. "Our players were very emotional after they lost to Southern Illinois [in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament]. This was a team that believed we could beat them.

"There were a lot of guys who were disappointed we wouldn't be able to continue. After every season I had asked myself, 'Do I want to do this again?' This year was no different. Each year this job gets a little harder on me physically and mentally. So, as I thought about it, I said, 'Hey, this is a good time to make the move..."

*

Asked what he appreciates most about his time at Drake, Davis said, "[Coaching] was no longer a job. I was doing it because I wanted to do it. Consequently, it was fun. A lot of it had to do with Drake and the low expectations because they hadn't won in so long.

"People appreciated very little step forward. Just the overall enjoyment of going to work every day and having Keno there was very enjoyable. I also treated Chris Davis and Justin Ohl [other members of his staff] as my sons, too.

"It was a great experience. The people here are terrific. President Maxwell, Dave Blank [the athletic director who hired him] and Sandy Hatfield Clubb...I don't know how you could work for an administration that had a better appreciation for what you were doing.

"It was ideal and I enjoyed the whole experience, and I'll miss it."

*

Photo of Tom Davis by Ron Maly.

I Have No Idea If Keno Davis Will Become a Strong Head Coach At Drake, But I Like It That His Dad, Tom, Will Stick Around As a Security Blanket

The big news today at Drake, as far as I'm concerned, wasn't that Keno Davis succeeded his dad, Tom, as the Bulldogs' basketball coach.

We all knew that was going to happen sooner rather than later.

The much more positive piece of information was that Tom, who has been Drake's coach the past four seasons, will remain on the scene as a special assistant to athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb.

Keno, 35, didn't say his dad would be sitting on the Bulldogs' bench during games and wandering around at the team's practices, but it's nice to know he'll be available for Keno to talk with whenever the kid might have a problem or a question.

And, heck, if the Diminutive Doctor has a thing or two to critique about Drake's offense and/or defense, Keno will surely listen.

Clubb is in her first year as Drake's athletic director, which means she wasn't here when Tom Davis was talked out of retirement in 2003 to see if he could inject some life into a Bulldog program that was all but dead.

Nobody has ever said so, but it's likely that Tom agreed to accept an offer from president David Maxwell and then-athletic director Dave Blank to be the new coach with the provision that Keno would be his successor.

You know, a dad helping his kid get set up in a job. Nothing wrong with that.

The fact that Keno would eventually take over was made public before the 2006-2007 season began.

So it made sense that Tom Davis, who was the winningest coach in history at the University of Iowa and has 598 career victories, decided to retire from Drake after a 17-15 record that was the university's first winning season since 1986-87.

Let's face it, nobody knows if Keno Davis will become a good head coach.

How could we know? He's never been a head coach.

The Drake job is a very hard one, with emphasis on the word very. Tom Davis found that out. He probably found out quickly that it was harder than he imagined.

There are academic restrictions at the place that would drive some prospective coaches into real estate school or to the sales floor at Bob Brown Chevrolet.

Some critics of the Drake program were even predicting that, if Davis couldn't turn the program around, the next step could be Division III.

After Gary Garner, the school went through coaches such as Tom Abatemarco, Rudy Washington and Kurt Kanaskie who, at times, seemed like they didn't know their asses from a 30-second timeout.

So it's going to be be good to have Tom Davis around for a while.

He figures to be a very nice security blanket for his kid.

After all, the old man certainly doesn't want the kid to be a flop.

Tom Davis wasn't on hand when Keno was introduced in the Paul Morrison Room today, but he said earlier, "Keno is ready. He has prepared himself well. He had so many years on the bench with me that he has a real good idea what we're trying to do and can communicate that to the players and coaching staff.

"It also was a great advantage for him to have spent eight years working with two exxellent coaches in Gary Garner and Bruce Pearl."

Garner, who had the last winning year at Drake until Tom Davis accomplished it this season, knows how difficult it is to succeed at the university.

He's living in Des Moines again, and sat in on Keno's press conference.

"I think Keno can handle this job," Garner said. "It's tough, but Doctor Tom has done it the right way here, and Keno will do it the right way. I'm going to be pulling awfully hard for him."

Keno was an assistant on Garner's staff at Southeast Missouri State from 1997-2003.

Sandy Hatfield Clubb said Keno was given a five-year contract because "we have faith in him."

The kid will probably need it. The five-year contract, I mean.

Clubb has always been a straight-shooter with me, and I asked her today what Tom Davis would be doing in his new job.

"Tom and I sat down and I talked about that," she said. "He's going to be helping us create a strategic plan to further our season ticket base. As he and I have talked in the last few weeks and months about transition, we [covered] areas of the program that needed to be further developed.

"Keno wasn't one of them and the program wasn't one of them. The area we really need to [improve] is building our season ticket base and fund-raising investment in the program."

Clubb said Drake is working on a contract agreement with Tom, and she said, "He's offered to serve the greater university in whatever capacity might work."

I asked Keno about his staff, which also includes Chris Davis and Justin Ohl and an assistant-to-be-named.

"I hope all my assistants are staying," he said. "If not, it's news to me. They do a great job."

Then I asked if his dad would be sitting on the Drake bench during games.

"I don't know that he'd sit on the bench," Keno answered. "He'd probably be too antsy to make the decisions there. But he's going to be around, and we're excited about that."

Then I added that it's happened before in this state that a young coach's dad [a former coach himself] sat on the bench in Division I games."

I was referring, of course, to Sam Alford sitting on his son Steve's bench in their early years at Iowa. Some of us always thought that Steve made sure he checked with his dad before saying anything to his players during timeouts.

"I know it's happened [that a younger head coach and his dad sat on a bench in this state], but I don't expect it to happen [at Drake]," Keno said.

*

Here's what Greg McDermott [a former coach at Northern Iowa who now is at Iowa State] said about Tom Davis tonight:

"Coach Davis is the best ambassador for the game of basketball that this state has ever seen. He represents what is good about college athletics. His ethical approach and passion for his job was a great lesson for me and any other young coach in this profession. As a native Iowan, I'm proud that he has called Iowa home for many years. We are all better because of it."

*

Photo at the top of Keno Davis [left] and Tom Davis [right]. Second photo of Drake president David Maxwell [left], Keno Davis [center] and Drake athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb [right]. Photo at lower right of former Drake coach Gary Garner. Keno Davis was on Garner's coaching staff at Southeast Missouri State from 1997-2003. All photos by Ron Maly.

More Jeers Than Cheers: University Of Iowa Tries To Let Money Do the Talking, But No Letup In the Cyberspace Let's-Fire-So-And-So Dot Com Sites

The WizardOfOdds has more today on the the University of Iowa's decision to spend money in an effort to wipe out such websites as www.firekirkferentz.com.

[The Wizard's popular site is linked at the right of this column].

Here's the Wizard's latest post on the Hawkeye situation, complete with the illustration at the top:

"Thanks to our network of correspondents and various acts of espionage, we've been monitoring coverage and fallout from Monday's world exclusive that the University of Iowa had purchased domain names that could be used to criticize athletic department officials, including coach Kirk Ferentz.

"Given developments since the story broke, Iowa's decision to snap up seven domain names appears to be backfiring. Interest in other cyberspace combinations have sparked a new round of domain name staking. We heard from one individual who purchased Fire-Kirk-Ferentz.com. A check also showed that FireFerentz.com had been secured in the previous 24 hours. We'd love to hear from others who have purchased domains, and we promise to keep your identity a secret.

"This leads one to ask why Iowa would embark on such a cyberspace venture, especially considering the endless supply of domain name possibilities.

"'If you're trying to sleep in the Puerto Rican rain forest, will snuffing one of the thousands of chirping frogs make it a quiet night?' wrote Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

"Iowa's move is drawing more jeers than cheers. Check out the messages left on the Des Moines Register's site.

"Iowa associate athletic director Rick Klatt explained the decision to secure the seven domain names.

"'In one sense, we're attempting to provide some level of protection to the individual,' Klatt told the Associated Press. 'On a much smaller scale, because they are all dot-com extensions, they could be commercial web sites where people could make money off that web site ... it just seems wrong that someone could benefit from that.'

"By the way, FireRickKlatt.com is available in case anybody wants to try and profit off it....

"We'd also like to thank those who properly credited the site with breaking the story. Among this distinguished group are Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, Will Leitch of Deadspin, Scott Dochterman and Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette and Ron Maly."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I agree with the Wizard. Iowa's efforts to wipe out the "Fire Somebody" sites don't make much sense. Those kinds of things are going to turn up regularly in cyberspace. As we all know, there are plenty of people around who evidently have lots of time on their hands to direct criticism at coaches, athletic directors on the www.FireJoeSchmoe.com sites or even at newspaper reporters and columnists who are trying to do their jobs in this era of "Add a Comment" journalism. And, man, do they ever add a comment -- or 25 of them when it involves Brandon Cleaver's writing in the Des Moines Register or the headline on the Drake-Tennessee women's basketball game or something about Iowa men's coach Steve Alford. A guy wrote an opinion piece in the Register [and, of course, the paper's website] the other day and was promptly accused by readers of "being on crack." Nice, huh?
Tough stuff for the guy's mother and dad to have to read over their morning coffee.]

On the Subject Of Steve Alford and Shoddy Sportswriting: 'Do You Just Sit Around and Think These Things Up, Or Do They Just Come To You In a Flash?'

R. H. of Des Moines writes about Iowa basketball coach Steve Alford in an e-mail he titles "Beating the Dead Horse or shoddy journalism:"

Hi, Ron,

Count me in as one of many who is beating a dead horse on Coach Alford, but for another reason. I read the Albuquerque Journal Sunday morning to see if there was more information on the Alford /New Mexico talk. In an article written by Journal writer Rick Wright, ESPN college insider Andy Katz was quoted in the following excerpt, courtesy of the Albuquerque Journal:

Andy Katz, ESPN's national college basketball reporter and a former Lobo men's basketball beat writer for the Journal, had a different take Thursday. He likes the possibilities.

"Does Alford have detractors in Iowa? Certainly," Katz wrote. "He hasn't had an eight-year run without any issues. But getting a fresh start could be healthy for all parties."

Huh? Without any issues? Did Andy really talk to Steve Alford or did he talk to someone pretending to be "Steve Alford?" In the immortal quote from the movie "Shaft's Big Score," Shaft (Richard Rountree) tells Captain Bollin: "Do you just sit around and think these things up, or do they just come to you in a flash?"

Katz decided to sugar-coat Alford like a pixie stick, hoping that the New Mexico faithful are big enough suckers to fall for the trap. Katz knows better than that. For a noted journalist who is "connected" with so many coaches and sources in the college game, it would have been better to tell the truth for what it's worth.

In another column written by Mark Smith, Ken Miller (of Marty and Miller on KXNO) painted the actual picture about the major issues that Alford has dealt with during his tenure in Iowa City, including Pierre Pierce's penchant in getting into trouble around women. Here is what Ken said to Smith, also courtesy of the Journal:

"I really think it would be so much easier on Barta if he and Alford separate in different directions," Miller said. "(Barta) wasn't happy with the way this year went.

"... For whatever reason, the fans never warmed up to Alford from the start. Maybe because he played at Indiana, maybe because of the Pierre Pierce deal. He looked bad for backing Pierce."

In 2002, Pierce was charged with third-degree sexual abuse and eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assault causing injury. He sat out the 2002-03 season, but was allowed back the next year and led the Hawkeyes as a sophomore at 16.1 points a game. But in 2005, he was arrested again and pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, false imprisonment and fourth-degree criminal mischief.

This time Pierce was kicked off the team and eventually served 11 months at the Iowa Department of Corrections.

Finally, in what I would call the strangest requirement in job ad history to date, here is New Mexico's ad for the basketball job:

JOB POSTING: The following is an excerpt from the posting for the UNM vacancy on the NCAA website:

"Applicants must have a Bachelor's degree and at least ten years of directly related experience. ... Preferences will be given to candidates with: coaching experience in scheduling, budgeting, and public relations, knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations demonstrated in resume."

I thought that in order to be a head coach, the minimum requirement is a Master's degree, a coaching certificate, and experience on a coaching staff or basketball program. I have a Bachelor's degree and nearly ten years of experience in the workplace, not related to sports. I understand the NCAA rules like Myles Brand understands how not to be consistent when it comes to making decisions on rules and regulations.


R.H.
Des Moines

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Wouldn't it be nice for a change, R. H., if we wouldn't have to spend this time of the year wondering where Steve Alford will be coaching next season? Sixty-five major-college basketball coaches draw up game plans for the Big Dance, Alford fends off rumors about where his next paycheck will be coming from. People seem to think New Mexico is interested in Alford and Alford is interested in New Mexico. That's this year. Last year everybody wondered if Indiana, Alford's alma mater, would hire him. Heck, Indiana didn't even interview the guy. Then there were those rumors about him going to Missouri. Is Alford applying for these jobs? Is an Alford representative telling these schools he'd be interested in coaching there? Are athletic directors at these universities saying, "Now here's a guy with good hair who can't win on the road and rarely gets to the Big Dance. Let's see if he's interested in our job." Who knows. All I know is, Alford better get to the NCAA tournament next season or lots of people will have him connected to the Grand View job. Thanks, R. H., for a thorough reporting job].

*

The CEO of the www.TheWizardOfOdds.blogspot.com website sent me an update on the item he carried yesterday about the University of Iowa buying domain rights to seven potential websites, including www.firekirkferentz.com and www.firegarybarta.com

The Wizard became a popular site in newspaper and TV offices in the state of Iowa after it printed the item:

"I see the Des Moines Register, the Iowa City Press-Citizen and the Cedar Rapids Gazette all picked up on the story, but only the Gazette mentioned the site, thus they were the selected link for the followup today on the Wiz," the CEO told me.

"I'm told KCRG TV [of Cedar Rapids] also mentioned it during the news. Frankly, Iowa should be bigger than this."

Here's the Gazette story that was published today:

By Scott Dochterman
The Gazette
scott.dochterman@gazettecommunications.com

IOWA CITY - University of Iowa sports fans might have to go old-school like chain e-mail or message boards to cyber-voice their displeasure with Hawkeye public figures.

Iowa's athletics department purchased domain rights to seven potential Web sites last December, costing the school $674.82. The domain sites are designed to protect high-profile coaches )Kirk Ferentz (football), Steve Alford (men's basketball) and Lisa Bluder (women's basketball, as well as Athletics Director Gary Barta.

They include three versions of fire(insert name).com, and four versions of (insert name)mustgo.com. However, the rights to firestevealford.com were unavailable when the department made the purchase.

``Well, the reason is simply, we perceive it to be an extension of our licensing program,'' said Rick Klatt, Iowa's associate athletics director for external affairs. ``We have certain standards for use of the Tiger Hawk and other images, and we felt it probably prudent in today's cyber world to address in a proactive way some certain Web site domains that could used.''

The department bought the rights from redshirted.com, which lists prices from $50 (fireMikeMartz.com) to $250 (fireBillCallahan.com). The department can retain the domain rights annually at $25 each, or $175 for all seven.

If users type in one of the above domains, the page is redirected to hawkeyesports.com, Iowa sports' home page.

Iowa also owns rights to kirkferentz.com, stevealford.com and lisabluder.com. Those domains were purchased years ago, Klatt said, as potential recruiting opportunities. Those sites also redirect users to hawkeyesports.com.

``If anyone has to have ownership of those sites, it should be those people,'' Klatt said.

The online site wizardofodds.blogspot.com questioned whether Iowa officials are trying to limit criticism of their program by buying the sights. Klatt disagreed.

``There are plenty of opportunities for fans to express their pleasure and displeasure with the performance of our program,'' Klatt said. ``Again, you're not going to be able to stop that, and we're not attempting to stop that.''

Attempts to reach owners of firestevealford.com or redshirted.com were unsuccessful. It's undetermined if other schools have purchased similar sites.

*

Photo of Iowa basketball coach Steve Alford [right] courtesy of Google. Photo of ESPN.com writer Andy Katz [left] courtesy of ESPN.

Something for Tark To Chew On: After Seeing What Kevin Kruger Is Doing, I'm Thinking Of Asking Alford [Or Coach X] If I Can Suit Up Next Season

Time marches on, even though I sometimes hate to admit it.

I mean, Lon Kruger:

--Is 54 years of age, but I remember him as a 20-year-old standout player at Kansas State.

--Has a son, Kevin, who already has a degree from Arizona State and now is the point guard for his dad's UNLV basketball team.

--Keeps taking teams he coaches to the NCAA tournament.

Now Kruger -- after Kansas State, after Florida, after Illinois -- is in the Sweet Sixteen as UNLV's coach.

That's UNLV as in Runnin' Rebels. The place where Tark the Shark used to coach and sink his teeth into that damn white towel. You know, the place that seemed to have thugs in both the lineup and in the grandstand.

Now, here's Kruger, who came across as Mr. Clean when he left Silver Lake, Kan., a long time ago to play for Kansas State in places like Hilton Coliseum at Ames. That was when the league he played in was known as the Big Eight instead of the Big 12 and still had Henry Iba's fingerprints all over it.

Here's Kruger in his third season at a university that sits in the shadows of gambling casinos in Las Vegas. His UNLV Runnin' Rebels will take a 30-6 record into a game Friday night against Oregon [28-7] at St. Louis.

Kevin Kruger is his dad's point guard because he took advantage of a strange NCAA rule that permitted players who got their degrees in four years to play a fifth season somewhere else.

[By the way,that rule is being thrown out after one year. Had it not been, I was thinking about contacting Steve Alford, or whatever the name is of the guy who'll be coaching Iowa next season, to see if I could suit up next season for the Hawkeyes. I've still got my set-shot].

Kruger played at Arizona State, then transferred to UNLV last July. He was a big factor Sunday when the Rebels ended Wisconsin's NCAA dream with a 74-68 victory in Chicago.

Somewhere, I'm sure Tark the Shark -- otherwise known as Jerry Tarkanian -- was enjoying that one.

Well, maybe.

The Shark was the coach who sat on UNLV's bench for so many years, chewing on a towel. I'm not sure if he did it out of nervousness or because he liked it when reporters asked him about it after games.

Explaining why he chewed on a towel was more fun for The Shark than trying to make up answers to the questions about the bums who were in his starting lineup.

UNLV's program reeked of disorder. I remember being in an arena for an NCAA game a number of years ago when one of the Rebels' assistant coaches was sweating profusely while wearing an expensive leather sportcoat as he sat next to Tarkanian on the bench.

"Why doesn't the guy take that leather coat off?" a sportswriter asked.

"Would you put your leather coat on THAT bench?" a guy responded.

In those days, I was like a lot of other people. I wanted UNLV to lose because I thought Tark the Shark was bringing in goons who didn't know what the inside of a classroom looked like. They didn't know ACT from NBA.

I don't know, maybe all of us were being unfair.

The NCAA didn't think much of Tark, either. Every time you looked up, it was trying to do something to get him out of the UNLV job and out of collegiate basketball.

Tarkanian and his wife, Lois, finally sued the NCAA and wound up being awarded $2.5 million in an out-of-court settlement.

Tarkanian probably wasn't as bad as he seemed to us outside his program. But I also zipped the pockets in my cargo pants and didn't turn my back to him when I interviewed him a few years ago at the Des Moines Country Club.

UNLV has tried to change its image since Tarkanian left. It even brought in Charlie Spoonhour to coach a few seasons. Ol' white-haired Charlie -- who coached a half-dozen seasons at Southeastern Community College in Burlington -- looked as much like your Grandfather Ralph as he did a major-college basketball coach.

Now Kruger is at Vegas, and he still looks like Mr. Clean. So does his kid, who's doing everything he can to get the old man into the Final Four.

*

They always called Miami of Ohio the cradle of collegiate football coaches.

Now, how about Southern Illinois being the cradle of basketball coaches?

Southern Illinois sent Bruce Weber to Illinois and Matt Painter to Purdue. Now Chris Lowery, who has the Salukis in the Sweet Sixteen at San Jose, Calif., is on the verge of getting a big-bucks contract somewhere.

It could be Michigan. I'd say it could be Minnesota, too, but I'm starting to doubt that. Minnesota has had all year to zero in on a coach, and still doesn't have one. Now it may be too late to get a guy like the 34-year-old Lowery.

*

Living In the Past, Part II:

It seems like only yesterday that Tim Floyd was coaching his Iowa State basketball teams to victories in the NCAA tournament.

Now, here he is with his Southern California ballclub in the Sweet Sixteen against Kansas Friday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

Kind of sad, really, for the Cyclones.

Iowa State fans couldn't seem to enjoy Floyd's years because they were always worried about how soon he'd be leaving for the Chicago Bulls.

Once he got to the Bulls, we all began wondering how soon he'd be back in the college game.

He's back, but he's a long way from Ames.

And, hey, he wouldn't look bad at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City these days, would he?

On the Iowa bench, I mean.

Do you really think Floyd would've lost that late-season game at Penn State?

*

Photo of UNLV father-son combination Kevin Kruger and Lon Kruger at the top courtesy of UNLV. Photo of former UNLV coach Jerry [Tark the Shar] Tarkanian at the lower right courtesy of Google. Photo of Chris Lowery [lower left], who could soon be leaving as Southern Illinois' coach, courtesy of Southern Illinois University.

Hawkeye Athletic Department Purchases www.FireKirkFerentz.com -- And Also www.FireLisaBluder.com and www.FireGaryBarta.com

My friends at www.TheWizardOfOdds.blogspot.com, the best collegiate sports website in the business, carried this item today:

Is it right for an athletic department to purchase a domain name that could be used to criticize a coach? Last month, the University of Iowa Athletic Department purchased the domain FireKirkFerentz.com, which was previously owned by Redshirted.com, a site that sells fireyourcoach domain names.

Ferentz, the Iowa coach, is the highest-paid employee in the state with an annual salary of $2.7 million. His teams won 31 games during a three-year span from 2002-2004, but his past two squads have struggled to 7-5 and 6-7 records. FireKirkFerentz.com now redirects you to HawkeyeSports.com, the main site of Iowa athletics.

Redshirted is reportedly operated by a technology worker in Austin and last August had fireyourcoach domain rights to 27 coaches. That list has dwindled to 20 and the site lists FireKirkFerentz.com as one of nine domains sold.

To the best of our knowledge, Iowa is the first athletic department to take the proactive move of purchasing domains that could be used to criticize athletic department officials. Iowa also has rights to FireLisaBluder.com, the women's basketball coach, and FireGaryBarta, the athletic director. Those two URLs also redirect you to HawkeyeSports.com.

Up to this point, such purchases have been made by fans, the most notable coming in 2002 when a Florida fan purchased FireRonZook.com shortly after he was named Gator coach.

*

Photo of Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz courtesy of www.TheWizardOfOdds.blogspot.com

'Sleeping Giant' Wakes Up, Tennessee Goes On 34-0 Spree To Hand Drake's Women a 76-37 First-Round Defeat In NCAA Tournament

Pittsburgh, Pa. (AP) -- Longtime women's basketball power Tennessee may never have had a 39-point victory that required so much work, effort and emotion.

Tennessee limited Drake to two points in the opening 10 minutes of each half and Alexis Hornbuckle led a late surge in the first half that broke open a tight game, carrying the Lady Vols to a 76-37 victory tonight in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Lady Vols [29-3], the top seed in the Dayton Regional, weren't supposed to have any trouble with the 16th-seeded Bulldogs [14-19], but got exactly that for most of the first half -- leading only 13-9 nearly 12 minutes into the game and 21-14 with 2:21 remaining before halftime.

Tennessee then went on a remarkable 34-0 run that lasted nearly 13 minutes and didn't end until midway through the second half, time enough for the Vols to push their lead to 55-14 before Drake's Monique Jones made two free throws with 10:36 remaining.

"The sleeping giant awoke at halftime," Drake coach Amy Stephens said.

Hornbuckle scored 14 points, Candace Parker added 13 points and six rebounds, Shannon Bobbitt scored 11 and Dominique Redding finished with 10.

No Drake player reached double figures as the Bulldogs shot 21.4 percent [12-of-56], with their starters a combined 9-of-49.

Vols coach Pat Summitt probably couldn't choose between being pleased with her team's shutdown defense or being exasperated with the long delay it took to generate any offense. Tennessee, No. 3 in the final Associated Press regular-season poll, hadn't played since a 63-54 loss to LSU in the Southeastern Conference tournament on March 3.

"Having been off for a while caused us to come out anxious," Parker said. "We settled down in the second half and ran our offensive sets and ran them right."

Tennessee knows that once the competition starts getting better, perhaps as early as Tuesday, it can't afford to wait nearly as long.

"At the half, someone said, `What's the deal? What's wrong?" Summitt said. "It's postseason play. They came out and matched our intensity. ... At least we executed well in the second half."

Earlier Sunday in the same arena, North Carolina -- the top seed in its region -- needed fewer than 5 minutes to seize a 24-4 lead over another No. 16 seed, Prairie View A&M, in winning 95-38.

By contrast, Tennessee didn't reach double figures until well past the midway point of the first half and was visibly struggling against the smaller and less athletic Bulldogs until Hornbuckle and Parker took over late in the first half.

Parker scored on a spin-move layup with her left hand to make it 23-14, and Hornbuckle finished off the half with a fast-break layup, a shot off the glass and a 3-pointer as the Vols took a 30-14 halftime lead.

"Our goal was to hang around and we were able to do that for a long time," Drake's Lindsay Whorton said. "Then they made us play at a pace we're not used to playing and they wanted to play."

With Drake's shooting percentage hovering in the 14 percent range until late in the game, the Vols scored the first 25 points of the second half against a tiring opponent that was 10-18 until winning four games in four days on its home court to take the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

"We were playing the best of the best in Tennessee and we were excited to be here at first," Lauren Dybing said. "We were nervous."

Parker scored the first two baskets of the half before Bobbitt, 0-of-4 in the first half, got going with a pair of 3-pointers, a driving layup and a basket following a steal.

"I didn't settle down in the first half," Bobbitt said. "I was too anxious and didn't run the team well. My job is to get the game up-tempo in a hurry."

Tennessee, a six-time national champion looking for its first title since 1998, is the top seed in its region for the 18th time. The Vols play the winner of the Pittsburgh-James Madison game on Tuesday night -- setting up the possibility they may have to play a much lower-seeded Pitt team on its home court.

*

Photo courtesy of Associated Press.

Countdown Begins On One Of the Biggest Basketball Games In Drake History -- Read Mike Mahon's Report On Tonight's Battle Against Lady Vols, Summitt

Here's Mike Mahon's report on the Drake women's basketball team that plays third-ranked Tennessee and legendary coach Pat Summitt tonight in the women's NCAA basketball tournament in Pittsburgh:

Pittsburgh, Pa. -- Just hours remain before the Drake women's basketball team plays one of its biggest games in school history -- facing national powerhouse Tennessee in the opening round of the 2007 NCAA women's tournament.

The 118-member team travel party, including fans, band and cheerleaders, arrived in Pittsburgh Friday afternoon -- only to be greeted by three inches of snow.

Head coach Amy Stephens ran her squad through two practices Saturday. The Bulldogs conducted a one-hour workout at the Petersen Events Center, which was open to the public and then held a closed 45-minute practice at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse.

Stephens, along with junior guard Lindsay Whorton (Independence, Mo./Truman),sophomore forward Lauren Dybing (Bloomington, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) and senior forward Jill Martin (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk) participated in a formal press conference prior to practice.

Stephens had an opportunity to personally meet legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt when the two coaches passed each other in the hallway prior to the Bulldogs' practice.

"She's done a great job...Just watching her team I know she's got to be very excited about coming into this setting," said Summitt, who earned the most victories of any NCAA college basketball coach -- owning an incredible 941-180 (.839) overall record.

"I didn't know this until somebody told me, but they said (Amy Stephens) really studied the Tennessee system and was a big fan of our program.

"What she did with her basketball team and overcoming injuries and being able to bring this team to the position of playing here in the NCAA tournament through her (Missouri Valley) conference championship is remarkable. I look forward to letting Amy (Stephens) know how much I've enjoyed scouting the team.

"They've got some really good offensive sets, particularly in the half-court. She may be young, but just watching her demeanor she looks to be a great communicator."

Stephens also got a visit from her high school basketball coach, Val Jansante, in Alliance, Neb. He has ties to the Pittsburgh area as his father Val played six seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.

The Drake team is staying in downtown Pittsburgh at the historic Omni William Penn Hotel, which opened in 1916.

After a 90-minute film and scouting session in Stephens' room Saturday morning, the team enjoyed lunch with a visit to Primanti Brothers restaurant -- a Pittsburgh tradition for over 60 years. Cole slaw and french fries are piled inside the sandwich between two slabs of chewy Italian bread.

The night was capped with an Italian theme again as the team ate dinner at The Spaghetti Warehouse.The Bulldogs will have a 20-minute shoot around, which is closed to the public at 7:40 a.m. at the Petersen Events Center today. Then at 6:07, Drake battles No. 3 Tennessee.

"We're very, very excited about the opportunity to play the University of Tennessee, and there is no doubt that this very special group of young women will certainly be well-prepared," said Stephens. "They'll play their hearts out.

"The adversity that our team went through to get here certainly makes this experience that much more special for everyone involved with our program. It's been an absolute delight to be able to share that with so many friends and family, administrators, everybody involved with our program. "

Meanwhile, Stephens started Saturday by attending a mandatory 9 a.m. pre-tournament meeting at the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus. All head coaches, athletic directors and sports information directors were required to attend to discuss game administration throughout the tournament.

With two of the four designated No. 1 seeds in Tennessee and North Carolina playing in Pittsburgh, it is to see why more than 250 media were issued credentials.

The game will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPNU.

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Mike Mahon is Drake's sports information director. Photo of Tennessee coach Pat Summitt courtesy of the Associated Press.

Going By the Numbers, the Cold Facts Of Life Are That a First-Year Division I Basketball Coach Has Uphill Struggle; Arrington May Be Out At Michigan

Collegiate basketball watcher Al Schallau writes:

"The following chart tells us the cold facts of life that a first-year coach in NCAA Division I has an uphill struggle.

"This chart tells us the 2006-2007 records for the 61 Division I head basketball coaches who were coaching in their first year at their respective universities.

"This is the time of year when dozens of head coaching changes are made in Division I schools. Every school changes coaches with the expectation that the new coach will bring some magic wand that will instantly change a losing program into a big winner.

"Generally speaking, it DOES NOT HAPPEN in the coach's first year. This chart should confirm that it takes several years for the new coach to turn around a losing program."

2006-2007 RECORDS OF FIRST-YEAR DIVISION I COACHES

UNIVERSITY NEW COACH ALL GAMES CONFERENCE GAMES

Alabama-Birmingham Mike Davis 15-16 7-9
Arizona State Herb Sendek 8-22 2-16
Ball State Ronny Thompson 9-22 5-11
Brown Craig Robinson 11-18 6-8
Canisius Tom Parrotta 12-19 6-12
Central Michigan Ernie Ziegler 13-18 7-9
College of Charleston Bobby Cremins 22-11 13-5
Cincinnati Mick Cronin 11-19 2-14
The Citadel Ed Conroy 7-23 4-14
Cleveland State Gary Waters 10-21 3-13
Delaware Monte Ross 5-26 3-15
Duquesne Ron Everhart 10-19 6-10
Fairfield Ed Cooley 13-19 10-8
Florida Atlantic Rex Walters 16-15 10-8
Furman Jeff Jackson 15-16 8-10
Hampton Kevin Nickelberry 15-16 10-8
Hartford Dan Leibovitz 13-18 6-10
Idaho George Pfeifer 4-27 1-15
Indiana Kelvin Sampson 21-10 10-6 made NCAA
Iowa State Greg McDermott 15-16 6-10
Kansas State Bob Huggins 23-11 10-6 made NIT
Lamar Steve Roccaforte 15-17 8-8
Manhattan Barry Rohrssen 13-17 10-8
McNeese State Dave Simmons 15-17 9-7
Mississippi Andy Kennedy 21-12 8-8 made NIT
Missouri Mike Anderson 18-12 7-9
Montana Wayne Tinkle 17-15 10-6
Montana State Brad Huse 11-19 8-8
Morehead State Donnie Tyndall 12-18 8-12
Morgan State Todd Bozeman 13-18 10-8
Murray State Billy Kennedy 16-14 13-7
Nebraska Doc Sadler 17-14 6-10
New Orleans Buzz Williams 14-17 9-9
North Carolina State Sidney Lowe 19-15 5-11 made NIT
N.C.–Wilmington Benny Moss 7-22 4-14
Northeastern Bill Coen 13-19 9-9
Northern Colorado Tad Boyle 4-24 2-14
Northern Iowa Ben Jacobson 18-13 9-9
Oklahoma Jeff Capel 16-15 6-10
Oklahoma State Sean Sutton 22-13 6-10 made NIT
Pennsylvania Glen Miller 22-9 31-1 made NCAA
Pepperdine Vance Walberg 8-23 4-10
Portland Eric Reveno 9-23 4-10
Rutgers Fred Hill 10-19 3-13
St. Peter's John Dunne 5-25 3-15
Seton Hall Bobby Gonzalez 13-16 4-12
S.E. Missouri State Scott Edgar 11-20 9-11
South Carolina State Jamal Brown 13-17 10-8
Southern Methodist Matt Doherty 14-17 3-13
Temple Fran Dunphy 12-16 6-10
Texas Arlington Scott Cross 13-17 8-8
Texas El Paso Tony Barbee 14-17 6-10
Texas Pan American Tom Schuberth 14-15 Independent
Texas San Antonio Brooks Thompson 7-22 3-13
Texas State Doug Davalos 9-20 4-12
Va. Commonwealth Anthony Grant 28-6 16-2 made NCAA
Washington State Tony Bennett 26-7 13-5 made NCAA
Weber State Randy Rahe 20-12 11-5 made NCAA
Wright State Brad Brownell 23-10 13-3 made NCAA

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Adrian Arrington, a troubled wide receiver from Cedar Rapids, Ia., has perhaps played his final football game for Michigan.

Arrington, tight end Carson Butler and defensive end Eugene Germany will not be with the team during spring drills, which begin today and end April 14.

"They're not practicing, and they're not injured," Carr said in a story reported by the Associated Press.

Will the trio be back on the team in August, if Carr's requirements are met?

"That is possible," he said. "Maybe not probable."

The 6-3, 190-pound Arrington was cleared of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge shortly after the season, following a charge stemming from an Oct. 13 incident.

According to a police report, his girlfriend said she picked up Arrington from a bar after she finished work and they got into an argument. Arrington grabbed his girlfriend's keys and pushed her out of the vehicle and drove off, the report said.

The report said she did not want to press charges and only was concerned about Arrington driving because he had been drinking.

Arrington had 40 catches for 544 yards and eight touchdowns last season, playing in every game.

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Pictured at the top is Greg McDermott, who had a 15-16 overall record and a 6-10 Big 12 Conference record in his first season at Iowa State in 2006-2007. McDermott is shown as he was introduced to Cyclone fans last March 21. Pictured at the lower left is Ben Jacobson, who was 18-13 overall and 9-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference in his first season as the successor to McDermott at Northern Iowa. Photo at the lower right is of Adrian Arrington of Cedar Rapids, Ia., whose career at Michigan may be over. Photo of Jacobson by Ron Maly. Photos of McDermott and Arrington courtesy of Iowa State University and the University of Michigan.

Tall Job for Drake: Tennessee's 6-4 Candace Parker Is Probably the Best Women's Player Ever. Her Dad Was a Hawkeye, Her Mom Was An Iowa Cheerleader

Bud Appleby of Des Moines writes in an e-mail:

"Things you never see in the Des Moines Register:

"When the Drake women's basketball team plays Tennessee in the NCAA tournament on Sunday it will have to contend with Candace Parker, probably the best women's player ever.

"Candace Parker's father is Larry Parker, who played at Iowa in the 1970s.

"Her mother is the former Sara Lynn Montgomery of Des Moines, a former Hawkeye cheerleader.

"Her brother is Anthony Parker, who was born in Des Moines. He was a four-year starter at Bradley and a first-round selection in the 1997 NBA draft. He now plays for the Toronto Raptors."

Bud Appleby

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: The 6-foot 4-inch Candace Parker is quite a player. She leads the Lady Vols [28-3] with a 19.7-point scoring average and a 9.7 rebounding average. She averages 30 1/2 minutes a game and has blocked 85 shots. Wikipedia says she "made sports history in March, 2004, by winning the slam-dunk contest in the McDonald's high school all-star competition in Oklahoma City. At 17, she beat five male competitors for the title...After throwing down several dunks in the opening rounds, Parker saved her most dramatic for the final victory. She darted down the left side of the lane, with her left arm covering her eyes, and jammed a crowd-pleasing clean right-handed dunk. Since she took her arm away from her face, it was perhaps not an actual no-look dunk." University of Tennessee publicists say Parker hopes to someday become a TV broadcaster, and lists ABC's Robin Roberts and media mogul Oprah Winfrey as celebrities she admires. My advice to Drake's players: Get plenty of sleep Saturday night in Pittsburgh. You'll need all the energy you can get in your attempts to control Parker. Larry Parker lettered as an Iowa player in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. He played two seasons for coach Dick Schultz, two for Lute Olson].

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Pete from Pisgah also had basketball on his mind when he sent this e-mail:

"Ron, Do you suppose the 'pickers' for the NIT decided not to let Iowa in because Alford is such a prick?"

Pete from Pisgah

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Pete, you're getting kind of personal about all of this, aren't you? I haven't heard if a coach's personality, or his anatomy, have anything to do with whether his team is chosen for the National Invitation Tournament. Don't forget, this is the first year the NIT has been managed by the NCAA. So the rules may have changed. When I get time, I'll try to check with one of the members of the selection committee to see if he [or she] knows if pricks are not allowed to coach in the tournament. It very well could be that the selection committee turned thumbs-down on the Hawkeyes because they were no-shows in their 19-point loss to Purdue early in the Big Ten tournament. But, as a guy I know often says, "You could be right."]

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Photos of Candace Parker courtesy of the University of Tennessee and Google.

How To Become a Fan Really Fast: Jane Burns Thought She'd Be a Drake Basketball Walk-On, But Had No Idea the Bulldogs Were the Nation's No. 12 Team

Newspaper columnist and world traveler Jane Burns is among those of us who are happy to see that Drake's women's basketball team won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and is now preparing for a game against powerful Tennessee in the NCAA's 64-team Big Dance:

"Ron,

"Good to see your postings on a team I can unbiasedly (is that a word?) cheer for now that I don't cover them, the Drake women. And it always makes me smile when you write about Paul Morrison, the kindest man who ever lived.

"If the Drake women hadn't ever been to the tournament before, I'd be kind of sheepish of this as an alum, but heck, what a great story to add to the history of the program. I credit the quality of that program with the way my career turned out and I'm not even an athlete. I showed up on campus thinking maybe I'd walk on to the team, but because there was no information in newspapers back then and I was a kid from out of state, I had no idea they were ranked about No. 12 in the country at the time. So instead of being a player I became a fan and then a student reporter. All the great teams of women's basketball played in the Drake Fieldhouse, Old Dominion, La Tech, Kansas, Texas, Georgia, etc. and I can honestly say that with my own eyes I saw many of the great players and programs in the history of the game.

"I often think of what a different career track I'd have ended up on had I showed up on campus during the Susan Yow years (although in her first year, a Drake team led by freshman point guard Jenni Fitzgerald, now an Iowa assistant, nearly beat Louisiana Tech in the last game of the regular season. A few weeks later, La Tech won the national title.)

"Happy March Madness ...."

Jane Burns

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Burns is a former Des Moines Register and Minneapolis Star Tribune writer and editor who now is at the Capital Times in Madison, Wis. Her mention of Susan Yow sent me to Drake's record books. Yow coached at Drake for four seasons, and was sandwiched between the highly-successful Carole Baumgarten [1974-75 through 1985-86] and Lisa Bluder [1990-91 through 1999-2000]. Yow's records were 9-18 in 1986-87, 15-13 in 1987-88, 17-11 in 1988-89 and 10-16 in 1989-1990. She then was hired to coach at Kansas State. After Baumgarten's teams went 19-1 against Iowa, Yow's Bulldogs lost four straight to the Hawkeyes. Yow was 2-2 against Iowa State. Although the Drake-Tennessee game at 6 p.m. Sunday in Pittsburgh will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPNU, Burns said she's got a scheduling conflict. "I'm bummed," she said. "I WON'T be watching on Sunday, I have tickets for a concert. Tivo time. If that wasn't the case, I'd probably be in Minneapolis watching the Clones or hopping a plane for Pittsburgh (this is the kind of thing I save my frequent flyer miles for)...Speaking of good hoops in town, I believe Des Moines is hosting a first/second round next year at Wells-Fargo. Drake has a home-court advantage to be shooting for if they regroup and make the tournament again."]

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R. H. of Des Moines writes to me about mediocre basketball coaching:

"Hi, Ron,

"I stumbled upon this rumor on the St. Paul Pioneer-Press website that Steve Alford might be a candidate for the New Mexico basketball opening. Ritchie McKay was let go after the end of this season. I have to pose this question for New Mexico: why expect to go to 'the next level' when you are going to get mediocrity anyway? McKay didn't do much at Colorado State and New Mexico.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/16908601.htm

"In conclusion, we would like to thank the Duke Blue Devils for participating in the 2007 NCAA tournament. Please pick up your gifts at the door on the way out. They are courtesy of VCU!"

R.H.
Des Moines

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: If Alford is looking for work at New Mexico or somewhere else, I wish him well. It was at about this time last season that he was being mentioned for the Missouri job. Unfortunately, he didn't get it. I wonder if the TV ratings for the Big Dance will dive now that Coach K and his Duke players have already been eliminated from the Big Dance. But, for the benefit of all those Coach K groupies out there, they'll be able to watch him in the TV commercials when he makes big bucks by saying nice things about cars and car insurance].

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Photo of Drake women's basketball coach Amy Stephens [left] courtesy of Google. Photo of Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt [right] courtesy of the Associated Press.

Knight and His Defenseless Red Raiders Were Out Of the Tournament At 1:15 p.m. He Had Time To Get Back To Lubbock for Tacos. And He's Not Retiring

There was good news and bad news today for all the Bobby Knight-haters.

The 66-year-old Knight might have set a modern-day record for being eliminated from the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but he said he'll be back next season.

In coaching, I mean.

I don't know about the 2008 NCAA tournament.

Knight's Texas Tech team showed up without anything resembling a defense and lost to Boston College, 84-75, in a first round game at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Knight and his players were out of the tournament at 1:15 p.m. With charter flights being what they are these days, that gave them plenty of time to be back in Lubbock, TX, for supper at their favorite Mexican restaurant.

[Hey, I've been in Lubbock. Finding a Mexican restaurant to get a good cheese enchilada is the most exciting thing to do in that town].

Knight became the winningest coach in Division I this season en route to a 21-13 record. Some of those who dislike them -- and there are plenty of you -- were no doubt hoping his exit from the NCAA tournament would signal the end of his long coaching career.

Forget it.

Doug Gottlieb , who knows everything about collegiate basketball [or thinks he does] pointed out on ESPN News, following Knight's press conference, that Bobby has one of the nation's top 10 recruiting classes.

Knight pretty much answered during a calm [for him] press conference that he'll be back.

"We were talking this morning about what we want to do with the kids we've recruited, and what these kids who are coming back are going to have to do," Knight said. "We have some things I think we can do with the players we have that are intriguing.

"But I'm still going fishing tomorrow."

Knight -- known, of course, as a chair-thrower and a guy who regularly loses his temper with sportswriters and referees -- kept his cool during the game and through most of the press conference.

Once, when asked if he would have preferred that one of his players had been more aggressive in the last half, Knight snapped, "Well, yeah, I'd like to see it rain dollar bills, too."

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Hey, it's good to see Coach K back.

In the TV commercials, I mean.

Actually, I'm kidding.

Mike Krzyzewski's Duke basketball team lost a first-round game to Virginia Commonwealth, 79-77, tonight in the NCAA tournament, but...presto! just like magic...he was already on the tube this morning during the Texas Tech-Boston College game.

His commercial was anyway.

Coach K has become a TV regular during the tournament -- whether his team is in it or not.

If he's not hawking cars, he's selling insurance.

The ad I saw today was for State Farm Insurance.

I fully expect my premiums to go sky-high now after State Farm pays Coach K for those commercials.

To keep things equal -- I guess -- Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt will also be on some State Farm commercials during the tournament.

And you know who Summitt's team plays Sunday night.

Yep, our 14-18 Drake team.

Let's hope the Bulldogs have some insurance, too.

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Mark Robinson of Iowa City writes:

"Hi, Ron;

"I just read that the wrestling nationals will be on TV Friday and Saturday! Boy, oh boy, I can't wait. Wait a moment, ESPNU? I don't think I have that. I think the 'U' stands for U aren't going to see it.

"Keep writing."

Mark Robinson

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Know what, Mark? I have ESPNU on my TV. It's channel 178 on my clicker. Maybe I'll watch a fireman's carry or two from the wrestling. Then again, maybe I won't. It depends on how soon Bruce Weber's Illinois offense puts me to sleep in the basketball tournament].

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A Des Moines man sent this e-mail after my column earlier this week on Drake historian Paul Morrison:

"Ron:

"Paul is one of the world's nice guys. What an asset for Drake!

"By the way, the basketball programs appear to be in very good shape at this point, provided players can stay healthy.

"I'd still like to see a return to the Maury John 'belly button' defense. Those teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s were something to watch. Plus, Coach John could really get the team and the crowd at Vets Auditorium fired up. It was a sad night when folks learned that Maury was going to go to Iowa State. I recall the crowd chanting, 'Don't go Maury, don't go!'"

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: How right you are about the tremendous defense Maury John's Drake teams played. It was a shame he couldn't have finished his coaching career with the Bulldogs. There was never a coach like him at Drake before, and there hasn't been one since].

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Sid Hartman, longtime sports columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, writes:

"Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said there is a lot of progress going on with the construction of the new football stadium. 'We're doing all the infrastructure," Maturi said. 'Lots of activity going on, the roads, the parking lots which will surround the stadium, and probably [in] late June, early July, we'll put a hole in the ground there across from Mariucci and Williams Arena and start seeing a structure come out of that ground, and on September 12th of 2009, we'll be running out of a tunnel to play a football game.'

"Maturi still is looking for an opponent for that 2009 home opener. The Gophers will open on the road to start the 2009 season because Sept. 5 coincides with the State Fair."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: State Fair? Can you imagine any team from around here worrying about the fair when it comes to scheduling games? I guess that's the difference between being in Iowa, where there's no competition from professional sports teams, and being in Minnesota, where the pro franchises dictate everything. Whatever, I'm glad the Gophers are getting a new football stadium. It's about time].

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Board of Regents guy Mike Gartner dives into a subject that everyone is talking about in one of the Media Matters segments he writes for his Cityview newspaper: “…It’s been rumored for quite some time that Connie Wimer, owner of Business Publications Corp., which publishes The Des Moines Business Record, is looking to sell the longtime weekly business journal…”

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Photos of Bobby Knight [right] and Mike Krzyzewski [left] courtesy of Google.

Unlikely Trip To the Women's NCAA Tournament Is An 'Amazing Story -- Right Out Of Hollywood,' Says 89-Year-Old Drake Historian Paul Morrison

To get the full impact of what Drake is accomplishing in women's basketball these days, you've got to visit with Paul Morrison.

Morrison has been part of the university virtually non-stop since enrolling as a freshman 72 years ago.

No wonder he knows more about what's going on there than anyone else.

"It's an amazing story," Morrison said of Drake's 2006-2007 team. "It's something right out of Hollywood."

The man who has been the university's sports historian since 1986 following his "retirement" from the school was referring to the unbelievable march fourth-year coach Amy Stephens and her Bulldogs have made to a first-round game in the NCAA women's tournament.

With only eight healthy players, Drake did the improbable by winning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in Des Moines last week, and now plays No. 1 seed and third-ranked Tennessee at 6 p.m. Sunday in the NCAA at Pittsburgh.

Basketball teams with losing records aren't supposed to be in the 64-team Big Dance, but these Bulldogs swept past four opponents in four days in the Valley tournament and are 14-18 heading into the game against Pat Summitt's Lady Vols.

"I don't know of any other team -- women's or men's -- that has made such a comeback after having so many problems," the 89-year-old Morrison said.

Drake was the preseason favorite to win the Valley title, but that was before injuries and illness derailed the regular season.

Senior Jill Martin, the preseason conference player of the year, was averaging 20 points before being sidelined after five games because of a back injury. Then starting point guard Jordann Plummer broke her foot Dec. 5.

If that wasn't enough, forward Brandy Dahir, who was leading the team in scoring with a 17.1-point average, was diagnosed with mononucleosis just before the Valley tournament.

"This is a special sports story about a team that fought through adversity all season long," said Stephens, who has a 61-60 record at Drake despite all the misfortune.

Stephens is another in a line of strong coaches Drake has had since Carole Baumgarten put the school's first team on the floor in a 78-65 victory Nov. 20, 1974 over Iowa.

Wilbur Miller, then the Drake president, "was very supportive of women's athletics," Morrison said. "I don't think anyone -- me included -- realized what an inpact women's programs would have nationally on collegiate athletics."

It was common for Baumgarten's Bulldogs to win 28, 26 and 24 games a season when Drake was getting its program going.

"At one time, she had a 19-1 record against Iowa," Morrison pointed out.

"Later on, Lisa Bluder came along, and then Lisa Stone. Bluder went on to coach at Iowa and Stone went to Wisconsin. They were proof of the strong people we had in the coaching job."

Morrison was already 56 years of age when Drake fielded its first women's basketball team in the 1974-75 season.

He was, of course, well aware of the tradition of the Drake Relays.

He knew that Ossie Solem's Bulldog football teams had played such high-profile opponents as Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska in the 1920s.

He was on the payroll when Maury John's 1968-1969 Drake men's basketball team finished third in the NCAA tournament and went to the Big Dance three straight seasons.

So it's not like he's been a stranger to athletic success at his alma mater.

He's been in the middle of the Drake athletic scene for so long that they've already named a room after him in the Knapp Center. It's filled with trophies and photographs and it's where they hold most of the press conferences after Bulldog men's and women's basketball games.

"I've always thought that we had athletic records that were disproportionate to our facilities and budgets," Morrison pointed out. "Our national reputation was enhanced because Solem played football games all over the country and the Drake Relays brought in great athletes."

Morrison made road trips with Drake's men's basketball team this season -- including those to Alaska and El Paso, Texas. He got a first-hand look at a team that went 17-15 under coach Tom Davis -- the university's first better-than-.500 men's record in 20 years.

In addition, he was at most of the women's home games, where he witnessed the unlikely season turned in by Stephens and the few healthy players on the squad.

"The women on this Drake team will never forget this season as long as they live," Morrison said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"All of the players on the team have another season, so we should be favored to win the championship next year, too."

Morrison will be 90 then. Obviously, he'll be ready.

But first, he's looking ahead to Friday's flight to Pittsburgh.

"I have a feeling I'll be going," he said.

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Photo of Paul Morrison [lower left] by Ron Maly. Photos of Amy Stephens cutting down the net after Drake beat Creighton, 65-64, in overtime in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game [lower right] and Drake fans [top] courtesy of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Associated Press.

Let's Quit Calling These Basketball Players 'Kids' and 'Girls.' They're Women -- And At Drake, They're Darn Good As They Await No. 3 Lady Vols In NCAA

I don't know what bothers me more--people [coaches, TV play-by-play announcers and commentators included]--who call women's collegiate basketball players "kids" or people who call them "girls."

As far as I'm concerned, a 20- and a 21-year-old female is a woman, not a kid or a girl.

Women's coaches commonly refer to their players and other teams' players as "kids." Jill Hutchinson, who handled the commentary on the telecast of Drake's victory over Creighton, continually used the term "kids" for the players on both both teams.

It's not unusual for adult fans to call the players "girls" -- as though they're high school sophomores.

I can't figure out what's wrong with calling them women or players.

*

Regardless of all that, nice going, Drake women.

They were praying for you in churches around Des Moines yesterday morning, and you came through in a bigtime way.

The prayers and the inspired play in four Missouri Valley Conference games sent the Bulldogs into the NCAA tournament with a 14-18 record.

Drake plays third-ranked Tennessee and legendary coach Pat Summitt at 6 p.m. Sunday at Pittsburgh, Pa., in a game that will be televised by ESPN2. The Lady Vols [28-3] are seeded No. 1 in the Dayton Regional.

"We have great respect and admiration for the Tennessee program," Drake coach Amy Stephens said tonight on the university's website. "It is a huge challenge for us and a special opportunity.

"The irony of this matchup is that Tennessee associate head coach Holly Warlick recruited me at Nebraska when she was an assistant there."

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Sixth-seeded Iowa State takes a 25-8 record into an 11 a.m. first round game Saturday against Washington [18-12] at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

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Mark Robinson of Iowa City had the men's basketball postseason on his mind when he sent me this e-mail:

"Apparently, there are 97 teams better than any team from Iowa."

Mark Robinson

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: The way I'm looking at it, Mark, is that the NIT selection committee had representatives at the Big Ten tournament in Chicago last week. They saw that Steve Alford's Hawkeyes were just going through the motions in their 19-point loss to Purdue, and figured they wanted spring break more than they wanted a first-round game at Bradley].

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Sam from the Suburbs had this to say about the Hawkeyes getting stiffed by the NIT:

"Iowa getting turned down by the NIT is like any man who could do her a favor being turned down by Anna Nicole Smith."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Sam, if you can get me an address for Anna Nicole, I'd like to find out if she agrees with Doug Gottlieb about Steve Alford].

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Drake historian Paul Morrison called me today to say the Bulldogs actually played basketball games in the old Des Moines Coliseum.

The 89-year-old Morrison was responding to an e-mail sent to me by Pete in Polk City. Pete questioned whether Des Moines Register sportswriter Brandon Cleaver was accurate when he quoted Bob Dunlap about watching the Bulldogs play at the Coliseum.

"I do not believe Drake played at the Coliseum, which was located where the downtown YMCA now is," Pete in Polk City wrote. "My guess is the guy said he saw them play 'downtown' and Cleaver stuck in the word Coliseum."

Morrison said his records show that Drake played Iowa State at the Coliseum in 1923, 1924, 1925 and 1926, adding that "they probably played more games there in those years. That was before Drake Fieldhouse opened in 1927."

Dunlap is 79 years of age. He would not have been born when Drake played from 1923 through 1926 at the Coliseum.

However, Morrison said he admires the work Cleaver has done in covering Drake's women's team this season.

"He's a nice young man," Morrison said.

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Photo of Paul Morrison by Ron Maly. Photo of Drake's women's basketball team courtesy of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Sign Of a Lousy Men's Basketball Season: All 4 Division I Teams from This State Are Snubbed By the NIT; 14-18 Drake Women Make It To the Big Dance

There's not a bit of good news tonight from the Ron Maly NIT Watch.

No men's basketball teams from this state -- not a darn one of them -- was good enough to be picked for the revamped National Invitation Tournament.

The NIT selection committee slapped our so-called Big Four [man, is that a joke!] with the supreme insult --no invitations.

I guess that should tell all of us that it was a lousy season for men's basketball in the state of Iowa.

Iowa, with a 17-14 record, and Northern Iowa, at 18-13, thought they had chances to get into the NIT.

But it was not to be. The NIT is run by the NCAA now, and I guess it's a whole new ballgame.

Who knows, maybe the selection committee read an e-mail a Hawkeye fan sent to me yesterday that said Iowa would likely draw fewer than 5,000 fans in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a first-round NIT game.

Heck, maybe the selection committee was in Chicago late last week when the Hawkeyes just went through the motions in a 19-point loss to Purdue in the Big Ten tournament.

Whatever, Iowa's season is over, and so is UNI's. Drake and Iowa State, too.

UNI fell apart late in the season under first-year coach Ben Jacobson.

Drake, which won the mythical state championship, was in over its head during much of the Missouri Valley Conference season.

Iowa State was in over its head the entire season.

*

Hey, how about that Drake women's team?

You know, the Drake team with a 14-18 record.

The glass slipper fit and the Bulldogs have become the Cinderella story of the season after beating Creighton, 65-64, in overtime to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament while earning a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Sophomore Kelsey Keizer, who was scoreless in regulation time, scored all five of Drake's points in overtime, including a three-point basket with 55 seconds left which proved to be the difference.

Drake, which was seeded No. 8, earned the league's automatic qualifying spot in the NCAA tournament and will find out its opponent at 7 p.m. Monday on the ESPN selection show.

Drake matched Illinois State [2005] as the lowest seed to win the Valley tournament. The Bulldogs will make their 10th trip to the NCAA tournament, but it will be their first appearance since 2002, when they reached the round of 16.

"We were not picked to win, we were not picked to go as far as we did," said Drake sophomore Lauren Dybing, who scored 16 points and was named to the all-tournament team. "It brought all of our confidence up, because we had nothing to lose. We could just go out there and play our hardest and that's what happened."

Lindsay Whorton, who was named the outstanding player in the tournament and freshman Monique' Jones each had 17 points for Drake, which became the fourth straight host school to win the Valley tournament.

Sophomore Tori Runner grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, surpassing her previous career best of nine against Wichita State in Thursday's opening round game. She finished with 32 rebounds in the tournament.

Drake was the No. 1 team in the Valley's preseason poll, but injuries derailed its season. Senior Jill Martin, the preseason player of the year -- injured her back five games into the season, and sophomore Jordann Plummer broke her foot on Dec. 5.

"I couldn't be more proud of this basketball team. They were just amazing today," said Drake coach Amy Stephens. "I guess it was only fitting that we'd play that type of basketball game, because it's been that type of season. They just never quit."

*

My West Coast Correspondent passes along information that Iowa associate head coach Craig Neal, who is given considerable praise for making an upgrade in the Hawkeyes' basketball recruiting, is interested in the head coaching job at the University of Denver.

"I'm really happy at Iowa, but I've always wanted to be a head coach," Neal told the Denver Post.

Neal, 43, said he has not talked to anyone at Denver. He's a friend of Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke and has other ties to Colorado.

"I'm familiar with the city," he told the newspaper. "I have family in the city. It's a great university, a very sophisticated university, and I think they're committed to a winning basketball program. It's got potential."

Neal is in his third year at Iowa, serving under head coach Steve Alford. Neal was an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors for eight years. He played professionally for eight years, including for the Denver Nuggets during the 1990-91 season.

The Indiana native was a guard for Georgia Tech, earning all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a senior in 1988.

Other possible candidates to replace former Drake and Iowa State assistant coach Terry Carroll -- dismissed March 2 after an extended and unexplained leave of absence -- include Coastal Carolina coach Buzz Peterson, departing New Mexico coach Ritchie McKay, Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap and Alabama-Birmingham assistant Kerry Rupp.

*

This e-mail, titled "Another Error?," came to me today from Pete in Polk City:

"Ron, maybe I'm wrong, but I think Brandon Cleaver made another error in today's Register. In his sidebar about a 79-year-old guy who is a fixture around Drake athletic events, he quotes the guy as saying he became a fan when he saw a Drake men's team play at the downtown Coliseum. You are a better judge than I of Drake history, but I don't think Drake left the old Fieldhouse to go 'downtown' until Vets opened in 1955 or '56. I do not believe Drake played at the Coliseum, which was located where the downtown YMCA now is. My guess is the guy said he saw them play 'downtown' and Cleaver stuck in the word Coliseum."

Pete in Polk City

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: It's been a tough year for Cleaver. He's the sportswriter who used a Cedar Rapids dateline several times when he covered Northern Iowa games in Cedar Falls. He also recently wrote that next season's Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament would be held in St. Joseph, Mo., instead of St. Charles, Mo.]

*

Photo of Amy Stephens at the top by Ron Maly. Photo of Craig Neal courtesy of the University of Iowa.

Fan Says Iowa Will Likely Draw a Crowd of Less Than 5,000 for An NIT Game After Its 'Uninspiring' Performance In the Big Ten Tournament

Longtime Hawkeye fan Tiny from Tiffin sounds like he was ready to throw a sledgehammer through his TV while watching Iowa lose to Purdue, 74-55, in the Big Ten basketball tournament.

Here's his e-mail:

"What an uninspiring performance. If we get a home game in the NIT, the crowd will probably be less than 5,000."

Tiny from Tiffin

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: The Hawkeyes were definitely no-shows in Chicago. They could have mailed it in and saved the cost of the hotel rooms. You've got to wonder what kind of mental preparation the coaches provided for the players from the time the victory over Illinois ended a week ago and the start of the Purdue game. As for the National Invitation Tournament, if the Hawkeyes play like they did against such teams as Penn State, Purdue, Arizona State and Drake this season, basketball is going to sink to an all-time low on the campus. I've been pushing Iowa in the Ron Maly NIT Watch the last few weeks of the season, but the team certainly isn't upholding its part of the bargain. Tiny, I'm thinking you're right on the crowd for an Iowa home game in the NIT. Twenty-five hundred sounds about right. Maybe the best thing would be for the NIT to assign the Hawkeyes to a road game. Then you know they won't last long].

*

Bonzo in Bellingham, also a Hawkeye fan, writes:

"What the hell was that? At least show some passion."

Bonzo in Bellingham

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I don't think Bonzo was very impressed with the effort Iowa showed against Purdue].

*

Al Schallau did some research on the contract of Iowa coach Steve Alford:

Schallau writes:

"The version [of Alford's contract I have] says that the contract extends through June 30, 2010, but I understand that Gary Barta extended the contract through June 30, 2011.

"Paragraph No. 11 is "Termination By University Without Cause; Liquidated Damages."

"That paragraph requires that if the university wants to fire him, they have to pay him $500,000 for each year remaining on the contract. After this year, he has four years left on his contract. So Iowa could fan him out the door next month by paying him $2 million. One problem is the first sentence in Paragraph 11, which reads:

"'This contract may be terminated by the president at any time without cause.'

"Could it be a problem that right now, the University of Iowa doesn't have a president?

"In any event, I don't think there is any proper basis for firing Steve Alford in 2007. But I would sure be happy if he resigned to take a coaching job at some other university."

Al Schallau

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: In other words, Schallau is saying to Alford, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."]

*

In response to my column earlier this week, in which I said it won't surprise me if Tom Davis goes into retirement again after four seasons at Drake, Fred from Fairfax writes:

"Looks like good timing for Tom Davis to retire. I still don't agree with Drake in automatically handing the job to his son. As Hayden Fry would say, 'He ain't fired a shot.'"

Fred from Fairfax

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I'm sure eventually turning the job over to Keno Davis came up when his dad, Tom, agreed to come to Drake in 2003. I don't know if Keno can coach, but I think we're going to find out very soon].

*

Wayne from Waukon writes:

"Ron, I'm sure you saw the picture in a recent edition of the Des Moines Register. That was the year, at the Iowa-Iowa State game (first one) in Kinnick Stadium when [Iowa State coach] Earle Bruce made the decision, which we know he regretted, of sending his team out of the locker room before kickoff with shirts that read 'Beat Iowa'...It was not in his character, and he never did it again. The [recent picture] shows how the shirts were changed after that Iowa game..."

Wayne from Waukon

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Bruce outfitted his Cyclones with "Beat Iowa" jerseys for the 1977 game at Iowa City, which the Hawkeyes won, 12-10. As Wayne from Waukon points out, Iowa State never wore jerseys like that again. The "Beat Iowa" shirts may be collectors' items now -- unless they all wound up being burned in Bruce's fireplace a quarter-century ago].

*

Bud Appleby of Des Moines sent this e-mail titled "Geography Expert:"

"Remember when Brandon Cleaver [a Des Moines Register sportswriter]kept putting a Cedar Rapids dateline on his stories of basketball games played in Cedar Falls?

"One of his stories in the paper this week says the Missouri Valley Conference women's tournament will be played in St. Joseph, Mo., next year. Actually, it will be played in St. Charles, on the other side of the state."

Bud Appleby

[RON MALY'S COMMENT: Well, at least he got the right state].

*

Trixie from the Twin Cities sends an update on former Iowan Terry Carroll, who was an assistant basketball coach at Drake and Iowa State:

"The AP says Carroll will not return as basketball coach for Denver, athletic director Peg Bradley-Doppes said.

"Carroll took an extended leave of absence in December and subsequently, we determined that a change in leadership for our men's basketball program was necessary," athletic director Peg Bradley-Doppes said. "We thank coach Carroll for his efforts over the last six years."

"The reasons for Carroll's leave have not been disclosed, but Bradley-Doppes has said Carroll did not return a series of phone calls since he left the team. The Pioneers finished the season 4-24 overall and 3-15 in the Sun Belt Conference."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Too bad about Terry. I hope everything works out for him in the future].

*

Photo of Iowa State's 1977 "Beat Iowa" jerseys courtesy of the Des Moines Register. Photo of a disappointed Steve Alford courtesy of Google.

If This Was Tom Davis' Swan Song To Major-College Basketball [And It Looks Like That Could Be the Case], He Goes Out As a Class Act

The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to figure that we've seen the last of Tom Davis charting plays on Drake's basketball bench.

Davis accomplished some things in his fourth season as the Bulldogs' coach in 2006-2007 that fans thought might never happen, so--with nothing left to prove-- I'm guessing he's giving strong consideration to hanging up his whistle.

I mean, a winning record happens only every 20 seasons at Drake -- and Davis would be a ripe 88 years of age when the next one comes around.

That would amount to a lot of long nights in Carbondale, Ill., and Terre Haute, Ind.

One stopover in those two places would be too much for me.

With one home on a golf course in Iowa City and another south of Grand in Des Moines, I'm thinking it makes more sense for the Diminutive Doctor to sit back, play 18 holes whenever he wants to, make an occasional visit to son Keno's practices and call it a career.

Keno Davis has already been named Drake's next coach, and he'll have four years -- a full class of players -- to see if he can keep the good times rolling with a Bulldog program that reached some surprising heights this winter.

Drake had a 17-15 record, its first winning season since 1986-1987, and swept the table against Iowa State, Iowa and Northern Iowa [twice].

Davis has 598 career victories, and No. 600 could come in the first week or 10 days of the 2007-2008 season. Heck, I guess athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb could say that she'd like Davis to reach 600 and bring him back for a couple of token weeks at the start of the year.

Then he could be an "advisor" to Keno and his staff the rest of next season, just to make sure the program stays on firm ground.

But those are all decisions that can be made later. Meanwhile, Davis will let all of us know very soon what his plans are -- and, at this stage, I'm guessing he's ready to sit back and see if a Social Security check is all it's cracked up to be.

If this is when he rides off into the basketball sunset, he has a lot of which to be proud.

A personal note. If this winds up to be Tom Davis' last season as a major-college coach, I'm going to miss him. I enjoyed observing his teams at Iowa, when he became the university's winningest coach from 1987-1999, and I've enjoyed watching the progress he's made at Drake.

He's a class act and a strong credit to major-college basketball in this nation.

*

Drake athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb is painting an optimistic picture of the Bulldogs' women's basketball future.

This was an injury-plagued season for coach Amy Stephens' team, which goes into the Missouri Valley Conference's postseason tournament with a 10-18 record.

"We're going to be a program to contend with," Clubb said of the future. "You're going to see a very large investment from the administration in helping to move women's basketball to where it should be in the state of Iowa."

Attendance was one of the things Clubb talked about.

"There's no reason we shouldn't, as a minimum, be filling the lower bowl of our basketball arena," she told fans this week. "In the off-season, we need the help of every of every single one in this room.

"We're going to be working very hard to see that we have the atmosphere in the arena that the Bulldogs deserve. I want to say how proud I am of the women in this program. I'm proud of our coaching staff and how excited I am to be part of this family.

"Drake is a wonderful place, a special place."

Filling what Clubb calls "the lower bowl" of the 7,002-seat Knapp Center would mean crowds of about 3,500.

Drake's average home attendance this season was 1,945 for 15 games. On the road, the Bulldogs averaged 2,440.

Iowa State, by far, had the highest women's home attendance average for Division I schools in this state. The Cyclones averaged 8,906 for 16 games.

Iowa continues to be a disappointment. The Hawkeyes had a home attendance average of only 4,132.

Lagging far behind the others was Northern Iowa, which a 14-game home average of 1,110.

*

Photo of Keno Davis [left], Drake's future coach, and Tom Davis [right], who has been in charge of the Bulldogs' program that past four seasons, by Ron Maly.

Haluska's 'Phenomenal' Senior Season; Alford Feeling Older In the 20th Year Of the 3-Point Field Goal; Once In the Doghouse, Always In the Doghouse

No, I don't have an answer for those of you who are still asking me why Mike Henderson wasn't in Iowa's starting lineup on Senior Day.

But I can tell you Hawkeye coach Steve Alford:

1. Thinks Iowa senior Adam Haluska "deserves to be in the mix" for Big Ten player of the year recognition.

2. Feels "a little older" now that the three-point field goal has been part of collegiate basketball for 20 years.

3. Has sent the folks on the Chambers of Commerce in both Chicago and Indianapolis a feel-good message.

The final coaches' teleconference of the Big Ten season was today, and Alford stressed that his Hawkeyes have to "win as many games as possible" in the Big Ten tournament this week in Chicago.

For Iowa, a team with a 17-13 record, it all starts at 1:30 p.m. Friday against Purdue [20-10].

Anything short of a victory in Sunday's championship game will send the Hawkeyes into the postseason tournament no coach wants to go to, or talk about, except Iowa State's Greg McDermott -- the NIT, a.k.a. the Little Dance.

"With the experience lost from last year's 25-win season, we're pretty excited to get to 9-7 and tie for fourth place in the Big Ten," Alford said.

*

This will be the last time the tournament in played at Chicago's United Center until at least the 2013 season. Indianapolis has locked up the 2008-2012 tournaments.

Alford wasn't about to get into any discussion about having a favorite tournament city.

Instead, he praised both of them.

"We've enjoyed both places," he said. "We've won the tournament in Chicago and we've won it in Indianapolis. I think Indianapolis will be great, but I've enjoyed Chicago very much, too."

*

Just about everyone with the exception of Adam Haluska's family figures either Ohio State's Greg Oden or Wisconsin's Alando Tucker will be voted the Big Ten's player of the year.

Haluska, the Hawkeye who led the Big Ten in scoring with a 21.3-point average, had the misfortune of being a senior in the same season Oden and Tucker played.

Alford said Tucker and Oden were the two leading candidates for player of the year, "but I'd also plug our guy, too. I'd also say Adam has had a phenomenal year."

*

Haluska obviously knows a lot about shooting three-point baskets, and so does Alford.

Alford was reminded that this is the 20th anniversary of the three-point shot.

"That dates me because I played in its first year," Alford said. "I'm getting a little older.

"The three-point shot changed the game. Even if you control a game for 35 minutes, the three-point shot allows teams to get back in. All in all, I think it has been very good for our game."

*

People have been writing to me, complaining that Alford should have started Mike Henderson -- one of his two seniors -- in Saturday's game against Illinois.

Here's an e-mail from Mark Robinson of Iowa City:

"Hi, Ron;

"It was Senior Day featuring Iowa vs. Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and Alford saw fit not to start one of his two seniors, Michael Henderson. Also, with the clock stopped with seconds left and the game in hand, he declined to allow [the two seniors] their final exit and ovation.

"If only we could get inside the head of Coach Alford.

"Keep writing,"

Mark Robinson

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: On Senior Day elsewhere, I've seen coaches give guys who've been bench-warmers all season a chance to start on Senior Day. Henderson spent a Hawkeye career being much more than a bench-warmer. I thought he'd start against Illinois. Shows you what I know. I'm just glad Henderson played a strong game. The best I can tell you, Mark, is that Henderson got into Alford's doghouse early, and never got out].

*

Photo of Iowa basketball player Adam Haluska kissing his fiancee, Kendra Bengtson, during Senior Day festivities following Iowa's 60-53 victory over Illinois Saturday at Carver Hawkeye Arena courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Kendra stood in for Haluska's parents, who couldn't make the trip from Carroll because of travel conditions. Photo of the doghouse courtesy of Google.

I Have a Hard Time Believing the Rumor That Iowa's Steve Alford Is Out. But One Guy Who Definitely Is History Is Indiana State's Royce Waltman

The Hawks Nest website is alive with discussion about -- who else? -- Iowa basketball coach Steve Alford.

Hawkeye fan Mark Robinson tells me ESPN college basketball writer Andy Katz says "rumor has it Steve Alford is out at Iowa."

"Here is the post from the Hawks Nest website," Robinson said in an e-mail:

"Andy Katz -- "Rumor has it Steve Alford is out at Iowa. His biggest supporter, former AD Bob Bowlsby, is now at Stanford, and folks in Iowa City are frustrated by Alford's recruiting. Likely replacement: Creighton's Dana Altman, who's had success with Iowans before (Ryan Sears, Kyle Korver, Nate Funk)...."

Continued Robinson:

"Rumor has it. Rumors are about 75 percent true around here. I'm sure you've checked out the news on Marv Cook's new coaching job and Hakim Hill being in jail again.

"Re: Alford. That will be some big buyout. Katz can be such a putz, but sometimes he comes through.

"Keep writing,"

Mark Robinson
Iowa City

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I can't believe this one. There are a number of Hawkeye fans who hope Andy Katz is right but, actually, I think Alford has done a pretty good coaching job this season. It was supposed to be a rebuilding year, and most people would've been happy with a trip to the National Invitation Tournament when the season began. That's exactly what Iowa is going to get after a poor non-conference season [including losses to Northern Iowa and Drake], then a 17-13 regular-season finish overall and a 9-7 Big Ten record. Now comes the conference tournament. Alford thought his team could make it into the NCAA Big Dance until a 74-72 loss earlier this week at Penn State. Maybe Katz knows something the rest of us don't, but I'd be surprised if Alford loses his job after what turned into a decent season. We'll see. And, by the way, I think Iowa could do better than Creighton's Dana Altman if and when Alford is fired or quits].

*

Dave Reynolds, a former Des Moines Register sportswriter who now covers Bradley for the Peoria Journal Star, writes that Indiana State basketball coach Royce Waltman is finished.

And his departure wasn't pretty.

Here's Reynolds' story in today's Journal Star.

"ST. LOUIS - Indiana State basketball coach Royce Waltman made a brutally honest exit from his job on Friday following his team's season-ending 58-38 loss to Creighton in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinal.

"During his postgame news conference, the 65-year-old coach confirmed reports that he had been fired and pointed out it occurred a week ago.

"'Don't take this as a bitter comment, but the (Indiana State) administration handled this with the deft touch of a 20-mule team,'" he said. 'They set it at a board of trustee meeting, which will obviously leak out, but said they didn't want it announced until after the tournament. So they left every man, woman and child in Terre Haute knowing I'm fired, but it's not official.

"'I'm really saddened, but that doesn't mean the firing isn't justified. I'm very proud of what we did so quickly when we came there. But we failed and there's nobody to blame besides myself. We made some recruiting errors and some mistakes. I'm embarrassed by that.'

"In 1999-2000, Waltman's third year at ISU, he won the MVC regular-season title and returned the program to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 1978 national runner-up team.

"The Sycamores made the Big Dance the next year, beating Oklahoma in the first round.

"But the program finished in last place in the Valley five times in the last six years, going 59-119 overall.

"'I can't get a head coaching job because if you get fired for cheating, you can get hired right back again," Waltman said. "If you get fired for losing, it's like having leprosy. I'm not ready to retire."

"No news on the future of 68-year-old Drake coach Dr. Tom Davis, who has already officially ceded his job to his son, Keno, upon retirement.

"'I'll take some time off and kind of regroup and think about it,' said Davis after DU's loss to Southern Illnois on Friday. 'The older you get, the more you think about it.'"

*

Photo of Steve Alford [right] courtesy of Google. Photo of Royce Waltman [left] courtesy of TribStar.com

You're Getting It All Today: I've Got Des Moines' New Basketball League, the Bulldogs, Steve Alford, Hakim Hill, Terry Carroll, Steve McClain for You

Doug in Davenport, a man who has been observing the sporting scene -- both the amateur and professional varieties -- for a long time, weighs in on Des Moines' new basketball team in this e-mail:

"Ron,

"I think it is interesting that the Register is making quite a commotion about the NBA D-League coming to Des Moines. At one point, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities both had the CBA, which was the highest level of minor league basketball at the time. The quality of basketball will be very high -- a good NBA D-League team would beat the NCAA champion most nights -- but my guess is that the 2,000 or so people who show up for games will still be wondering where Herky is. The players often are NBA quality but just as often 'have issues.' They may be too small for their position in the NBA, not quite quick enough, not good enough shooters or they will have some personal baggage that NBA people know about.

"They were never much for embracing the community either, which is important when you are trying to build up a fan base. They are often very good players with attitudes that don't rise to the same level. What happened in the Quad Cities was that given the choice, fans chose minor league hockey.

"There simply won't be enough fans for the Stars and the NBAD team to co-exist. One of them will fail and history says it will be the basketball team.

"PS: The Hawks seem just about good enough to make the Maly NIT but not good enough to make the second round."

Doug in Davenport

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I'm all for progress, Doug. Consequently, I hope the new basketball team makes it, just as I hope the Iowa Stars hockey franchise and the planned [in 2008] Arena League football team [I guess it's supposed to be called arenafootball2, isn't it?] make it. Whether there will be enough ticket-buyers in Des Moines and the rest of central Iowa remains to be seen. All I know now is that the new basketball team has smart, clear-thinking, strong people at the management level. They are folks who don't go into something like that without understanding everything they need to know. As for your comment, Doug, on the Ron Maly NIT Watch, I knew we had those Hawkeyes in the 32-team fold all along. It's too bad it took a dismal trip to State College, Pa., for Steve Alford to finally realize it].

*

After reading my column on Drake's victory on the opening night of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, Mark Robinson of Iowa City wrote:

"Hi, Ron;

"I appreciate your comments about the Drake basketball team. I guess it is my fault that I don't listen to the games because I haven't taken the time to learn of the AM station that broadcasts their games. Perhaps I couldn't pick them up here in Iowa City anyway.

"My father got his Masters Degree and D ED from Drake, and my brother got his degree from Drake. Both were whooping and hollering when Drake beat Iowa earlier this season. I recalled the 'belly-button defense' of the Maury John days.

"This may be the end of the line for Drake this season, but I do hope they get an NIT invitation. Coach Davis has finished the job and I think he will pass the torch after this season. If Dr. Tom decides to go further, that only means that a few more basketball playing collegians will be lucky enough to play under him.

"After all, Lute is 72.

"Keep writing,"

Mark Robinson

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: This has been a fun Drake team to watch, Mark. The Bulldogs have lagged so far behind Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa in recent years that it was refreshing to see what Tom Davis did with the program. I'd like to see him coach the Bulldogs one or two more years because I think he can do even more with the rebuilding process. He told me a while back that he plans to be the coach again in 2007-2008, but I guess it wouldn't totally surprise me if he hands the job over to his son, Keno, who then would have four seasons to show what he can do as a head coach. By the way, the Bulldogs' season ended this afternoon with a 71-59 loss to 11th-ranked Southern Illinois in the Valley tournament. Drake wound up with a 17-15 record -- the first time since 1986-87 that the school has finished above .500].

*

Chuck from Churdan read the praise that Al Schallau heaped on Steve Alford in one of my columns before the Hawkeyes were embarrassed, 74-72, at Penn State, and snapped back with this e-mail:

"Al, while one game does not a season make, methinks you were a touch (a game or two) early in your praise for SA! For his assistants, no, but for him, yes. Isn't he the president of his own fan club -- you know, the one w/only one member, two if you count him! Question: Just how many empty seats, not to mention NIT appearances, does it take for an AD, (any/either AD) to convince him to 'resign?' Eight years isn't enough, well more than enough, actually! I'm sure you know how many fans -- or former Iowa hoops fans -- dislike his behind. In modern history anyway, I can't think of a better example of a 'bad fit' for ANY major college B-Ball program! The only one who readily comes to mind is Mike Davis, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, in spite of playing for a national title in his first season! We all know what a rabid basketball state Indiana is, and most fans there will be unhappy w/ANY B-Ball coach NOT named Robert Montgomery Knight! At least until he wins another national title for the Hoosiers. Reminds me of what Lou Holtz once said -- I don't want to be the coach who replaces Woody Hayes, I want to be the coach who replaces the coach who replaces Woody Hayes, or words similar to that. (Are you listening, Kelvin? He was a pretty unpopular hire and I'm sure the natives are still restless over there)!...

"Cheers,"

Chuck from Churdan

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Two days after Iowa was upset by a Big Ten team that had lost 13 consecutive games, I still can't believe it. And something tells me Chuck from Churdan won't be taking a van full of Hawkeye fans to Cedar Falls for the Hawkeyes' first-round NIT game against Northern Iowa].

*

My West Coast Correspondent has been a busy guy.

West Coast sent me several stories -- one out of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about Steve McClain, the native of Orient, Ia., who coaches Wyoming's basketball team.

The story said McClain "stormed off the [Texas Christian court] in anger after TCU scored on a layup with 27 remaining against a soft Cowboys defense.

"McClain, a former TCU assistant under Billy Tubbs, was miffed that Neil P. Dougherty drove for a basket that gave him a career-high 11 points in his last home game.

"McClain got into a shouting match with TCU assistant Rick Callahan and knocked over a barrier en route to the locker room. He then had to be separated from TCU coach Neil Dougherty, who had attempted to calm the situation.

"That's a classless thing at the end of a game," said McClain, whose team was involved in a brawl Jan. 30 at New Mexico.

"But, hey, that could be why they've won as many games as they've won..."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: McClain is in his ninth season at Wyoming, and he's been a big winner. If my memory serves me correctly, he was an early candidate for the Iowa State coaching job after Larry Eustachy was fired, but eventually withdrew his name from consideration. That's when Wayne Morgan got the job. McClain's athletic director at Wyoming was Gary Barta, who now is Iowa's AD. By the way, Texas Christian coach Neil Dougherty was an assistant at Drake in 1988-89].

*

West Coast sent a story out of the Denver Post regarding Terry Carroll, the Denver University basketball coach who hasn't been heard from in a while:

"Terry Carroll's days as DU men's basketball coach appear to be numbered. Carroll, who took an unexplained leave of absence in December, does not appear to be coming back.

"They haven't really told us anything, but with the head coach being gone so long, and the common sense of it all, people are thinking that there is going to be a change," freshman guard Tyler Bullock said...

"DU finished the season 4-25. Carroll left the team Dec. 20 for what the school said were personal issues and has had no contact with athletic director Peg Bradley-Doppes since then.

"Bradley-Doppes seems ready to move on without the 2005 Sun Belt Conference coach of the year..."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Too bad about Carroll, who came out of Ames and showed so much coaching promise. Among his collegiate jobs before going to Denver were assistant coaching reponsibilities at Drake and Iowa State. I hope all is well with Terry because he's a good guy].

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This day wouldn't be complete without another story about troubled football player Hakim Hill.

West Coast sent this story from the East Valley [Ariz.] Tribune:

"Former Arizona State University football player Hakim Hill offered a Scottsdale police officer a wad of cash before he was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct outside a downtown hotel last weekend...

"Officers came to the Hotel Indigo...after employees there asked them to help stop a loud, persistent argument in the hallways.

"Smelling of alcohol, Hill flagged down one of the officers outside the hotel and offered him money for a ride somewhere else, acording to the officer. 'I told him I was a police officer and not a taxi cab but would call one for him if he needed one,' the officer wrote.

"Police learned Hill had stepped inthe middle of a confrontation between his brother and two women and had been yelling at one of the women.

"The former running back and son of Arizona State University Hall of Fame receiver J.D. Hill ignored a hotel manager who asked him to stop, police wrote.

"At one point, before police even knew what had taken place, a watery-eyed Hill repeatedly told police he loved his brother. He then emptied his pockets, put his hands behind his back, leaned against the police car without being asked to and said, 'It's all my fault...'

"Before his arrest, Hill told the officer he recently signed with the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders and it was his last chance to play football because of his criminal history.

"The Roughriders dismissed Hill on Thursday...

"Hill's brother, who was at the hotel, Kahlil Hill, 27, is a wide receiver for the Roughriders.

"Hill, 24, was kicked off the ASU team in 2004 for punching a teammate before the Sun Bowl. The University of Northern Iowa Panthers gave him a second chance, but he was dismissed for fighting with police officers in his hometown of Iowa City..."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Kahlil Hill lettered as an Iowa football player in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Of Hakim Hill, my West Coast Correspondent says, "Ferentz made the right call on Hill." Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz didn't recruit Hill, and it's easy to see why].

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The top photo, courtesy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, shows Texas Christian assistant coach Rick Callahan [left] exchanging postgame words with Wyoming coach Steve McClain as TCU coach Neil Dougherty [center] inervenes. The photo below that, courtesy of the Denver Post, is of Denver University coach Terry Carroll. The photo at the lower right of future Drake coach Keno Davis [left] and present coach Tom Davis [right] was taken by Ron Maly. The photo at the lower left of Hakim Hill is courtesy of the East Valley [Ariz.] Tribune.

Drake's Barrage Of 3-Pointers In Valley Tournament Proves It Wasn't a Travesty After All. So the Dolph-and-Larry Show Lives For Another Day

Well, everything turned out all right after all tonight for Dolph Pulliam and Larry Cotlar.

Drake rode a record 15 three-point field goals to a 101-96 victory in overtime over Evansville in the opening game of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

So now the Bulldogs will play regular-season champion Southern Illinois in tomorrow's noon game at St. Louis.

I'd been wanting to hear Pulliam, a member of the best Drake team ever had, and play-by-play announcer Cotlar do a game on KRNT-radio all season.

This was my chance.

I didn't listen to the whole game, but I heard enough to know that Pulliam and Cotlar give it all they've got in the booth.

Especially with Pulliam, everything comes from the heart.

Dolph, who played on the 1968-69 Drake team that had a 26-5 record and finished third in the NCAA Final Four, is now the commentator on the Bulldogs' broadcasts.

And, man, does he get into it.

He kept shouting, "This is a travesty!" and "This is unbelievable!" when he thought the officials were screwing Drake late in regulation time.

At another point, Pulliam said, "That shows there's no respect for Drake."

Later, he said, "They don't want us to win this basketball game!"

I called Cotlar on his cell phone after the game, and he said, "It's not like we don't have some enthusiasm."

Cotlar mentioned during the broadcast that Drake had its largest tournament crowd ever in this game.

"There were a couple hundred Bulldog fans here," he told me later.

I even thought I heard on the radio that one of Drake's fans had gotten so excited during the game that he was ejected from the arena.

Hey, I know Drake has some rabid fans, and if one of 'em got tossed out of the building I'm sure he went out screaming.

It's not like Drake fans haven't gotten unruly before.

I was at a game nearly 40 years ago at Veterans Memorial Auditorium when an adult Bulldog fan got out of his seat, walked to an area where the officials were standing during a timeout, and took a swing at one of them.

That's how it was in the years when Pulliam, Willie McCarter and the rest of Maury John's teams were playing in 1968-69.

Pulliam was the defensive standout on those teams. He was full of emotion then, and he's obviously full of emotion now.

So this Drake team improved its record to 17-14 with its tournament-record 15 three-pointers. The old record was 14 by Wichita State on March 3, 2003.

Drake was 15-of-27 from the three-point stripe.

"I told you we were a good three-point shooting ballclub," coach Tom Davis told Cotlar on his postgame radio show.

The 197 points the teams scored amounted to another Valley tournament record since it moved to St. Louis in 1991.

Freshman Josh Young, who was stiffed in the Valley's freshman of the year and newcomer of the year voting earlier in the week, led Drake with 23 points.

"The beauty of it is that the best things are to come in the future for Josh," Davis said. "It would be nice to be named this or named that, but he doesn't let on to me that [not getting personal honors] bothers him."

Davis called it "a tremendous offensive game. It was well-played on both ends of the court. Evansville played very well, as did our ballclub."

Klayton Korver's three-point basket with 47 seconds left in the overtime sewed up the victory.

A half-dozen Drake players scored three-pointers, and five were in double figures. Nick Grant had 16, Al Stewart 15 and Ajay Calvin 14.

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Photo at the top of the Drake-Evansville game courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Photo of radio microphone courtesy of Google.

At 72, Hall of Famer Lute Olson Deserves Better. I'm Glad There's No Truth To the 'Vicious' Rumors That He Has Parkinson's Disease

If anyone is being mistreated these days in the collegiate basketball universe, it's Lute Olson.

The Arizona coach says he's been the victim of "vicious, vicious rumors" that he has Parkinson's disease.

The rumors began circulating when people noticed that Olson's hands shake. Olson, however, said there is no truth to the rumors, and that he's healthy.

Great. And I'm glad the former Iowa coach, who is now 72 years of age, is showing he hasn't lost his old fight.

The Hall of Fame coach was concerned that the Parkinson's rumors would hinder his recruiting -- which indicates to me that he plans to continue coaching for a number of years.

I was telling some people at lunch yesterday that, during an early-season game on TV, I noticed that Olson's head was shaking a bit when the cameras got a close-up of him.

However, I certainly didn't interpret that as being a sympton of Parkinson's.

As Olson pointed out, lots of people shake these days. Parkinson's disease isn't the only reason they do.

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation says, "Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that is chronic and progressive, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time.

"As many as one million Americans suffer from Parkinson's disease. While approximately 15 percent of people with Parkinson's are diagnosed before the age of 50, incidence increases with age. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are many treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage the symptoms...

"Parkinson's disease occurs when a group of cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra begin to malfunction and die. These cells in the substantia nigra produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that sends information to the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination. When a person has Parkinson's disease, their dopamine-producing cells begin to die and the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases. Messages from the brain telling the body how and when to move are therefore delivered more slowly, leaving a person incapable of initiating and controlling movements in a normal way.

"Parkinson's disease can also cause several different symptoms. The specific group of symptoms that an individual experiences varies from person to person. Some of the most common symptoms of Parkinson's disease are:

"Tremor of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face
"Rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk
"Bradykinesia or slowness of movement
"Postural instability or impaired balance and coordination"

It's my hope that people will lay off Olson, who has been a big winner wherever he's been and is a man who has been a bigtime credit to collegiate basketball.

Here's wishing he coaches for as long as he wants.

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Iowa's basketball team obviously solidified its position in the Ron Maly NIT Watch by losing at Penn State, 74-72, last night.

It's my guess that several members of the NIT selection committee were able to make the short trip from New York City to State College, Pa., for the game.

They likely headed to the nearest Tasty Tacos to hold a victory party after Iowa lost to a Penn State team that had been beaten 13 straight times.

One of the first-round NIT matchups I suggested a while back was another Drake-Iowa game.

The game would be played at the Knapp Center in Des Moines because Drake would sell more than 7,000 tickets and Iowa would draw only about 1,500. For some unknown reason, Hawkeye fans aren't real big on the NIT.

However, with so many teams flopping at the end of the season [are you listening, Oklahoma State?], I'm starting to think Drake isn't going to get into the Little Dance. Tom Davis and his ballclub could be victims of a terrible trickle-down effect.

Now maybe we should concentrate on an Iowa-Northern Iowa NIT rematch at Cedar Falls. But getting the Panthers into the Small Show isn't going to be easy. Don't forget, the NIT field has been cut from 40 teams to 32 this year.

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Hawkeye fan Al Schallau sent me an e-mail saying he thinks Iowa's Steve Alford has done what he calls an "excellent" coaching job this season. Keep in mind Al wrote it before last night's loss:

"Ron,

"Nobody will ever find me at any meetings of the Steve Alford Fan Club. However we must be honest in our comments about the 2006-2007 Iowa Hawkeye basketball team. The truth is that Alford and his assistants have done an excellent coaching job. From last year's 25-9 team, the Hawkeyes lost Greg Brunner, Jeff Horner, Erik Hansen, and Doug Thomas by graduation; and also lost Alex Thompson and Carlton Reed (two top reserves) who transferred to other schools. So that was six players gone.

"During December, Iowa suffered embarrassing losses to Arizona State, Northern Iowa and Drake. But since Dec. 20, the Hawkeyes have played well in most of their games. If Iowa beats Penn State and beats Illinois at Iowa City on Saturday, the Hawkeyes will finish the regular season at 18-12. If Iowa can then win two games in the Big Ten tournament, the Hawkeyes will very possibly get a bid to the NCAA tournament. If that happens, Iowa will probably suffer a first-round loss to Sul Ross State or Stephen F. Austin University.

"Although I am willing to admit that Alford has done a good coaching job this season, I will still be a happy camper if I pick up the newspaper some morning in April and read that he has resigned to accept a job at some other university. I think all those thousands of empty seats at Carver Hawkeye Arena are because many thousand Hawkeye fans just don't like our head coach.

"Best,"

Al Schallau

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Thank goodness Alford and his Hawkeyes won't need to worry about playing Sul Ross State or Stephen F. Austin. The Diet Pepsi is on me, Al, when I see you at Cedar Falls for that NIT first-round Hawkeye-UNI game. Don't forget to bring your pennant.]

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Tickets for the inaugural season of Iowa’s NBA Developmental League team are on sale now. Tickets are allocated on a first come, first serve basis. To reserve the best seats in the arena, call 515-4NBA-TIX (515-462-2849).

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Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz has named Rick Kaczenski the Hawkeyes' interim defensive line coach.

Kaczenski, 32, takes over for Ron Aiken, who left the program to accept a similar position with the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.

"Rick has done an outstanding job as a member of our staff the past two years,” said Ferentz. “I am confident he'll do very well with his new responsibilities. Rick is committed to helping players develop and improve in all areas of their lives. He is a strong teacher and he is enthusiastic in his approach.

“Rick understands and appreciates the values and traditions of our program, our athletic department and our university. Like the rest of our staff, he is eager to help our players and program move forward in a positive direction.”

Kaczenski has spent the last two years as a graduate assistant on the Hawkeye staff, working with the offensive line. He played at Notre Dame, where he was a starter from 1993-96. He helped the Fighting Irish to four straight bowl appearances.

Iowa's spring practices start March 7 and conclude with a controlled scrimmage in Kinnick Stadium on April 14.

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Photos of Lute Olson [right] and Steve Alford [left] courtesy of Google.