|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Jayhawks' Williams eager to get going
Updated: Wednesday November 08, 2000 4:51 PM
It's seems fitting that Kansas will be playing in the season-opening Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Thursday night, because no coach is more eager than Roy Williams to get underway. Last year was extremely trying for Williams because his team underachieved. But that was nothing compared to the grinder Williams went through this summer, when he had to decide whether to become the new coach at North Carolina. There is still some lingering resentment in Chapel Hill towards Williams for not taking the job, but it's apparently not coming from Dean Smith. Williams told me that he and Smith are close as ever after spending lots of time this summer eating meals together, playing golf and working at Michael Jordan's fantasy camp in Las Vegas.
Monson's season can only get betterIt's hard to imagine a coach having a worse week than the one Minnesota's Dan Monson had late last month.On Monday, Oct. 23, the NCAA hit the Gophers with four years of probation. Three days later, the state's best high school prospect, Rick Rickert, announced he would sign a letter-of-intent with Arizona. The Gophers are still recruiting Rickert, but it's doubtful he'll change his mind. And on Friday the 27th, Monson made a boneheaded p.r. move by trying to convince the sports editor of the student newspaper to write more positive columns about the basketball program. Monson suggested that the paper would not be credentialed for games if the coverage didn't improve. Despite these problems, Monson told me he's relieved that the NCAA's investigation is finally over, especially since the penalties did not include a ban on postseason play.
Critical season for DeaconsCan Wake Forest end its three-year absence from the NCAA tournament? It's quite possible, considering the Deacons return their top 10 players from the team that won the postseason NIT this past spring.Wake surged late in the season because coach Dave Odom inserted Ervin Murray at point guard and shifted Robert O'Kelley to the two spot. Odom told me he feels it's important for this team to get off to a good start, but that won't be easy because both Murray and senior center Rafael Vidauretta are out of action for at least another week or two. Murray was diagnosed with mononucleiosis while Vidauretta had knee surgery in September. As much as Odom wants to get back to the NCAA tournament, he is especially eager to give his three seniors a chance to play in it before they leave Winston-Salem next spring. "I want that badly for those guys," Odom said. "They deserve to be there." Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis covers the college basketball beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
|
