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News Nuggets, 02.28.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Delayed LeClair Invitational schedules first pitch for today

Although this week's wintry weather scratched Friday from the schedule of the First Annual Keith LeClair Invitational, the three teams involved will still see plenty of action.

East Carolina, Clemson and Georgia Southern will each play two games Saturday, which happens to be the birthday of the tournament's namesake, and Sunday.

Georgia Southern will meet Clemson in the first game Saturday at 12 p.m. ECU will play Georgia Southern at 3 p.m. and Clemson at 6 p.m. Sunday's schedule features meeting between Clemson and Georgia Southern at 10 a.m. ECU will take on Clemson at 1 p.m. and Georgia Southern at 4 p.m.

Here is the revised round-robin schedule for the event, which is sponsored by Trade Mart and Wachovia Bank and named in honor of East Carolina Hall of Famer and former head coach Keith LeClair, who was forced to step down two years ago because of the effects of Lou Gehrig's disease:

Saturday, Feb. 28
   12 p.m. Georgia Southern vs. Clemson
   3 p.m. East Carolina vs. Georgia Southern
   6 p.m. Clemson vs. East Carolina

Sunday, Feb. 29
   10 a.m. Clemson vs. Georgia Southern
   1 p.m. East Carolina vs. Clemson
   4 p.m. Georgia Southern vs. East Carolina

SMU dismisses ECU alum Dement

DALLAS — Southern Methodist fired its coach, East Carolina alumnus Mike Dement, on Friday after nine seasons without an appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Dement was replaced on an interim basis by seven-year assistant Robert Lineberg. The search for a permanent new coach was under way, athletic director Jim Copeland said.

Copeland said he spoke to Dement several times during the past few years about the status of the team, but decided to fire him after the Mustangs' 89-50 loss to Boise State on Thursday night.

"I had felt for a while I would have to make a change," he said. "After last night's performance, I felt we had to do it now."

The firing comes with three regular-season games remaining for the Mustangs and brings to an abrupt halt a rollercoaster ride for Dement this season. Back in December, SMU punctuated a promising start when it upended then nationally-ranked Purdue in the championship game of the Boilermaker Invitational.

Dement graduated from ECU in 1976. His career coaching stops included stints as an assistant with the Pirates and at Duke.

Dement, who had one year left on his contract and had asked for an extension before the season, went 138-120 with the Mustangs. Dement didn't immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

SMU, which also upset Texas Tech earlier in the season, has a 10-15 record, including 4-11 in the Western Athletic Conference.

"That's something I have really struggled with because we had those early wins and we turn around and lose to teams we probably shouldn't lose to and we get beaten badly a couple of times," Copeland said. "I don't have an explanation for that."

Dement had just one other losing season at SMU, going 8-20 his first year. The Mustangs won at least 15 games in every other season, but never reached the NCAA tournament. He went 21-9 in 1999-00, but the Mustangs lost in the first round of the NIT.

SMU has seven double-digit losses this season, including an 80-40 setback against Rice.

Dement spent five years at Cornell, leading the Big Red to the NCAA tournament in 1988. He also spent four years at North Carolina-Greensboro.

Hot Tigers stalk cold Cardinals

Louisville coach Rick Pitino admits that time may be running out for his struggling 21st-ranked Cardinals.

``It's a bad pattern,'' Pitino said after his team's fourth straight loss and sixth in seven games Wednesday night to DePaul. ``We're still trying to get a 'W.' If not, we'll have to win the (Conference USA) tournament.''

Memphis coach John Calipari isn't having any such problems with his red-hot 19th-ranked Tigers, the new C-USA leaders who have run off 11 straight wins.

Pitino will try to reverse his recent misfortune while spoiling Calipari's run of excellence when the Cardinals (17-7, 7-6) and Tigers (20-4, 11-2) meet at Freedom Hall on Saturday.

Not only have the Cardinals fallen on hard times since a 16-game winning streak from Dec. 4-Jan. 28, they've looked like an entirely different team. Louisville has failed to rebound effectively or play with the same defensive tenacity that made it one of the elite teams in the nation.

The Cardinals' lone win in its last seven games was a 73-55 rout of UAB on Feb. 7, but Louisville quickly followed it up with its longest losing streak under Pitino.

Louisville has shot less than 40 percent in eight of its last nine games and Wednesday was no exception. The Cardinals hit just 38 percent from the floor en route to their first home loss to DePaul since 1986, a heartbreaking 60-58 overtime decision.

Francisco Garcia scored 19 points, but also committed five of Louisville's 15 turnovers. The Cardinals were also outrebounded for a fourth straight game, leaving Pitino to wonder what happened to the team that was unbeatable for nearly two months.

``We knew it was going to come down to the wire,'' Pitino said. ``Every game is going to be difficult to win. We are suffering a low basketball IQ and we have to work through it.''

Memphis used a 31-8 second-half burst to blow past Southern Mississippi 74-56 on Tuesday. Sean Banks finished with 22 points as Memphis moved one game in front of Cincinnati and Charlotte for first place in C-USA.

We played great defense,'' Calipari said. ''(The Golden Eagles) were playing aggressive. They were playing very active. It was my team not stepping up and being aggressive back. Again, they only had 24 points at halftime. We played terrific defense again.''

The Tigers beat the Cardinals 62-58 in Memphis on Feb. 4 as Rodney Carney scored 19 points. Louisville played that game without Garcia and guard Taquan Dean, and managed just six points over the final nine minutes.

Louisville leads the series Memphis 48-33.

Coaches rebuked after frostbite incident

MUNCIE — Ball State reprimanded two coaches after a football player suffered frostbite during a disciplinary workout in subzero temperatures.

Ball State's athletic director issued letters of reprimand to head coach Brady Hoke and football strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman after the workout, associate athletics director Joe Hernandez said Friday.

Redshirt freshman receiver Chris Jackson suffered frostbite to several fingers during the 40-minute workout Jan. 31, Hernandez said. Jackson recovered following medical treatment and has returned to workouts.

During the Jan. 31 workout, Jackson and several teammates carried a 25-pound sandbag up and down steps at the school's stadium, athletic director Bubba Cunningham said.

Cunningham said that the disciplinary workout used was acceptable, but not in severe weather conditions.

Jackson's injuries and the resulting reprimands were first reported Friday in The Star Press.

Hoke and Wellman could not be reached for comment. The Associated Press left phone messages Friday at the Ball State offices of the coaches. There are no home phone listings for each coach in Muncie.

"I have met with the coaching staff about appropriate judgments regarding training and conditioning," Cunningham said. "We've talked about appropriate guidelines and expectations of the staff, and we will follow through on that."

The workout, which began about 6 a.m., was conducted on one of the coldest days of the winter. The temperature at the start of the workout was 7 degrees below zero and the wind chill was minus-12, said David Arnold, an associate professor of geography who monitors local weather.

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News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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