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West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen admires what he has seen from Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph, even if that has included repeated success against the Mountaineers.
"We've been competing against this guy for four years, it seems like," said Holgorsen, who is actually preparing to face Rudolph a third time Saturday in Morgantown. "Mason is really mature. He's a big, tall, good-looking dude that throws the ball extremely well.
"He has a great knowledge of their offense. And he has a really good relationship with probably one of the best receiving corps in college football."
Rudolph has quarterbacked the Cowboys to wins in both of his starts against West Virginia -- in overtime in 2015 and 37-20 in Stillwater a year ago when he threw for three scores.
And behind Rudolph, the No. 11-ranked Cowboys (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) enter Saturday's matchup as the favorite over No. 22 West Virginia (5-2, 3-1).
Yet this time, Holgorsen has his own hot hand of a quarterback in Will Grier, the nation's leader in touchdown passes with 26 while throwing just five interceptions.
"He's had a lot of success," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said of Grier. "His completion percentage and his touchdown-to-interception ratio and such are very good. He has fit well into their system. And he's playing with a lot of confidence, from what it looks like to me when I watch him on video.
"I think this guy throws it better than anybody we've played up to this point."
The quarterback matchup commands the spotlight, yet there are plenty more storylines in this Top 25 pairing.
Each team's top wide receivers -- James Washington for the Cowboys and West Virginia's David Sills V -- rate among the country's best playmakers and deep threats.
Oklahoma State hopes to get healthy along its offensive line, an issue in last Saturday's 13-10 overtime win at Texas, which utilizes a similar defensive approach as the Mountaineers.
And most importantly, the game sets up as a likely Big 12 elimination bout, with the loser absorbing a second conference loss that will be difficult to overcome with four weeks remaining after this weekend.
The league standings are bunched, with TCU at the top with a 4-0 conference record. Four schools, including the Mountaineers and Cowboys, sit at 3-1, all hoping to advance to the Big 12 title game.
"We don't address it every week," Holgorsen said. "That's what everybody's goal is going into the season, and as long as you're in the conversation, then I think you're going to get your team's best effort every week.
"Half the league is ranked in the Top 25. That tells you how good the league really is."
The quarterbacks figure to play prominent roles in the outcome.
Rudolph tied Gundy for the program lead in career quarterback wins a week ago, moving to 28-7 as the starter. The senior has thrown for more than 11,000 yards in his career with 74 touchdowns and a completion percentage better than 63 percent.
Rudolph sits No. 1 nationally in passing yards and passing yards per game (378.6). He is 161 of 242 for 2,650 yards and 19 touchdowns, with just four interceptions.
Grier is in his first season as West Virginia's starter after transferring from Florida. He already is making his mark on the program, setting a Mountaineers record with seven straight 300-yard passing games to begin his career. His back-to-back five-touchdown games against Texas Tech and Baylor the past two weeks are also West Virginia records.
For the season, he is 177 of 267 for 2,467 yards. Besides leading the nation in touchdown passes, he ranks fourth in passing yards per game (352.4) and fifth in passing efficiency.
Rudolph and Grier are battling for quarterback supremacy, both in the Big 12 and nationally.
"It's still year one for Will," Holgorsen said. "They're both very seasoned guys, though. They're both older guys -- very mature guys -- but Will is still trying to establish his timing with more than just a couple of guys.
"We know it exists with Gary (Jennings Jr.) and with David, and we're trying to get it with a couple of other guys. That's what Oklahoma State has right now that we're still lacking."
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Darrell Wallace Jr. to pilot No. 43 full-time in 2018
Wallace, a native of Mobile, Alabama, is already one of the sport's most popular figures with an incredible record of success behind the wheel. A graduate of both NASCAR's Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Next programs, Wallace has broken several barriers and records throughout his rise within the sport.
Earlier this season, Wallace made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut as a substitute driver for the injured Aric Almirola in the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) at Pocono (Penn.) Raceway on June 11. Wallace showed rapid improvement over the four races he participated, substantially improving his finish position every race, culminating with an 11th place finish at Kentucky Speedway on July 8.
Wallace initially rose to prominence in 2013 with a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, becoming the first African-American driver in 50 years to win a NASCAR national touring series feature since NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Wendell Scott. The next season Wallace finished third overall in the truck series point standings with four wins for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Wallace moved up full-time to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Roush Fenway Racing in 2015, where he earned 31 Top-10 finishes over the last three seasons before making his Cup debut in June with RPM.
"This is a dream come true to race for 'The King', Richard Petty Motorsports, the iconic No. 43 and for all the fans and partners that have and continue to support this team," said Wallace. "I believe in what Richard Petty Motorsports is doing and their desire to win races. I believe this team, its partners and fans are ready to see some great things again. I'm humbled that they have chosen me to take that next step with them. I'm ready for next season to begin and to prove to people that we can compete at the level we all expect to be at."
Veteran and winning crew chief Drew Blickensderfer will continue to lead the No. 43 team in 2018 with Wallace. Petty believes that Wallace brings the current youth movement to RPM.
"We have hired a lot of different drivers in the past, but Wallace brings a lot of youth and talent to our team," explained Petty. "He's proven at a young age to be able to be consistent on a weekly basis, give feedback to the team to help improve the car and race hard to get the best finish possible. He knows how to win, too. His records leading up to the top levels of NASCAR speak for themselves. We feel that Bubba can immediately come in and compete. He's really eager to show what he can do and that he belongs in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series."
Wallace will become the first full-time African-American driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series since Scott. Partners for Wallace and the No. 43 team for the 2018 season will be announced at a later date.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Monday Sports in Brief
Associated Press
PRO FOOTBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will play at least one more game before another ruling from a federal judge on his six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla in an order posted Monday turned down the NFL’s request for an expedited hearing on a preliminary injunction. She set one for Oct. 30, a day after the Cowboys visit Washington.
A restraining order granted last week cleared Elliott to play in Sunday’s 40-10 win at San Francisco. Last year’s NFL rushing leader had a career-best 219 yards from scrimmage, including a season-high 147 yards rushing.
The 22-year-old Elliott was suspended in August by Commissioner Roger Goodell after the league concluded following a yearlong investigation that he had several physical confrontations in the summer of 2016 with Tiffany Thompson, his girlfriend at the time. Prosecutors in Ohio declined to pursue the case, citing conflicting evidence.
SOCCER
LONDON (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo has caught up with Lionel Messi to become a five-time winner of FIFA’s best player award.
The Real Madrid forward was crowned player of the year on Monday at the FIFA Best ceremony at the London Palladium theater attended by runner-up Messi and third-placed Neymar.
A second successive honor for Ronaldo was expected after a season in which the Portuguese eclipsed his award counterparts in the trophy stakes.
As well as Spanish league and Spanish Super Cup success, Ronaldo scored twice in the Champions League final against Juventus to win European soccer’s elite competition for the third time in four seasons.
Ronaldo’s coach at Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, was crowned coach of the year.
FIFA has shifted its award ceremony from its usual January slot to October so players are judged across a season — based on the typical European schedule — rather than the calendar year.
The women’s award honored the Netherlands’ success at the European Championship in August. Lieke Martens, who scored in the final win over Denmark, won the player’s award and Sarina Wiegman collected the coaching accolade.
The Puskas Award for best goal went to Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud for a scorpion-style kick. The Puskas Award-winning goal from an overhead back-heeled strike came on New Year’s Day in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.
NBA
NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Curry has been fined $50,000 for throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of an official during the final minute of Golden State’s loss at Memphis on Saturday night.
Teammate Andre Iguodala received a $15,000 fine for his response and “verbally abusing a game official” late in the 111-101 loss that sent the defending NBA champions to a 1-2 start.
The NBA announced the penalties Monday, when the Warriors were set to play at Dallas to conclude their three-game road trip. Curry knew he faced a stiff fine, saying after the game, “My pockets will be a lot lighter for sure.”
Curry became angry because he thought he was fouled on a lay-in with 43.1 seconds left. Kevin Durant also was ejected following the play.
HOCKEY
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The Calgary Flames have placed Jaromir Jagr on injured reserve.
Jagr left Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild in the first period and did not return to the game.
The 45-year-old right wing broke his stick attempting a shot on the Wild net, skated to the bench and walked to the dressing room.
The Flames said he was being evaluated for a lower-body injury. A player placed on injured reserve is ineligible to play in NHL games for seven days.
Calgary has back-to-back road games Tuesday in Nashville and Wednesday in St. Louis and is at home to Dallas on Friday.
Jagr has two assists in five games this season.
Second only to Wayne Gretzky in all-time NHL scoring with 1,914 points, Jagr didn’t participate in Calgary’s training camp and he signed a one-year contract just days before the regular season.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina point guard Joel Berry II will miss about four weeks after suffering a broken bone in his right hand.
The school announced Berry’s injury Monday but didn’t provide details on how Berry was hurt. The reigning national champion’s opener is less than three weeks away, coming Nov. 10 against Northern Iowa.
Berry averaged 14.7 points last season. He was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 22 points in the win against Gonzaga for the program’s sixth NCAA championship. That also made him only the seventh player to score at least 20 points in consecutive national-title games dating to UNC’s 2016 loss to Villanova.
Berry’s injury could mean sophomore Seventh Woods or freshman Jalek Felton see more time at the point until the senior’s return.
PRO FOOTBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will play at least one more game before another ruling from a federal judge on his six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla in an order posted Monday turned down the NFL’s request for an expedited hearing on a preliminary injunction. She set one for Oct. 30, a day after the Cowboys visit Washington.
A restraining order granted last week cleared Elliott to play in Sunday’s 40-10 win at San Francisco. Last year’s NFL rushing leader had a career-best 219 yards from scrimmage, including a season-high 147 yards rushing.
The 22-year-old Elliott was suspended in August by Commissioner Roger Goodell after the league concluded following a yearlong investigation that he had several physical confrontations in the summer of 2016 with Tiffany Thompson, his girlfriend at the time. Prosecutors in Ohio declined to pursue the case, citing conflicting evidence.
SOCCER
LONDON (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo has caught up with Lionel Messi to become a five-time winner of FIFA’s best player award.
The Real Madrid forward was crowned player of the year on Monday at the FIFA Best ceremony at the London Palladium theater attended by runner-up Messi and third-placed Neymar.
A second successive honor for Ronaldo was expected after a season in which the Portuguese eclipsed his award counterparts in the trophy stakes.
As well as Spanish league and Spanish Super Cup success, Ronaldo scored twice in the Champions League final against Juventus to win European soccer’s elite competition for the third time in four seasons.
Ronaldo’s coach at Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, was crowned coach of the year.
FIFA has shifted its award ceremony from its usual January slot to October so players are judged across a season — based on the typical European schedule — rather than the calendar year.
The women’s award honored the Netherlands’ success at the European Championship in August. Lieke Martens, who scored in the final win over Denmark, won the player’s award and Sarina Wiegman collected the coaching accolade.
The Puskas Award for best goal went to Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud for a scorpion-style kick. The Puskas Award-winning goal from an overhead back-heeled strike came on New Year’s Day in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.
NBA
NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Curry has been fined $50,000 for throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of an official during the final minute of Golden State’s loss at Memphis on Saturday night.
Teammate Andre Iguodala received a $15,000 fine for his response and “verbally abusing a game official” late in the 111-101 loss that sent the defending NBA champions to a 1-2 start.
The NBA announced the penalties Monday, when the Warriors were set to play at Dallas to conclude their three-game road trip. Curry knew he faced a stiff fine, saying after the game, “My pockets will be a lot lighter for sure.”
Curry became angry because he thought he was fouled on a lay-in with 43.1 seconds left. Kevin Durant also was ejected following the play.
HOCKEY
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The Calgary Flames have placed Jaromir Jagr on injured reserve.
Jagr left Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild in the first period and did not return to the game.
The 45-year-old right wing broke his stick attempting a shot on the Wild net, skated to the bench and walked to the dressing room.
The Flames said he was being evaluated for a lower-body injury. A player placed on injured reserve is ineligible to play in NHL games for seven days.
Calgary has back-to-back road games Tuesday in Nashville and Wednesday in St. Louis and is at home to Dallas on Friday.
Jagr has two assists in five games this season.
Second only to Wayne Gretzky in all-time NHL scoring with 1,914 points, Jagr didn’t participate in Calgary’s training camp and he signed a one-year contract just days before the regular season.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina point guard Joel Berry II will miss about four weeks after suffering a broken bone in his right hand.
The school announced Berry’s injury Monday but didn’t provide details on how Berry was hurt. The reigning national champion’s opener is less than three weeks away, coming Nov. 10 against Northern Iowa.
Berry averaged 14.7 points last season. He was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 22 points in the win against Gonzaga for the program’s sixth NCAA championship. That also made him only the seventh player to score at least 20 points in consecutive national-title games dating to UNC’s 2016 loss to Villanova.
Berry’s injury could mean sophomore Seventh Woods or freshman Jalek Felton see more time at the point until the senior’s return.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Truex wins with heavy heart in Kansas elimination race
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) -- Martin Truex Jr. didn't feel a sense of urgency to win Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway because of its playoff implications, not with his spot in the next round safe following a victory at Charlotte.
No, the sense of urgency was much more personal.
Truex learned overnight that one of the Furniture Row Racing team's crew members, Jim Watson, died of a heart attack while in town for the race. So with a heavy heart, Truex climbed into his No. 78 Toyota and overcame two early mistakes to win a wild playoff elimination race.
"We were racing for Jim today," Truex said after emerging from his car. "He was a heck of a guy."
Kurt Busch finished second before a wave of playoff contenders headed by Ryan Blaney, whose car failed post-qualifying inspection and was sent to the back. He quickly worked his way through the field and finished third, easily making it within the cutoff line.
Chase Elliott was fourth and Denny Hamlin fifth to punch their tickets to the next round. Kevin Harvick finished eighth to stay alive heading to Martinsville, while Kyle Busch finished 10th and Jimmie Johnson 11th - both of them also making the cutoff line.
Brad Keselowski was 13th after his win last week at Talladega sent him to the next round.
Kyle Larson blew his engine to spoil his chances of advancing, while a penalty on Matt Kenseth for having too many crew members over the pit wall following a wreck ended his championship hopes.
Jamie McMurray and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also were eliminated from the playoffs.
"It's a disappointing way to finish our race and probably our season," said Larson, who had a 33-point buffer coming into the race. "I guess it's sinking in as the second pass."
Truex had dominated at Kansas for years before finally breaking through with a victory in the spring. And while he had nothing to lose Sunday, there was still a sense that Truex wanted to win his seventh race this season for his late crew member and the rest of their team.
"Still pretty surreal at this point," crew chief Cole Pearn said. "We were all focused on what we had to do today. That was the best we could do for Jim. He was a true racer in the purest form."
Truex is the first driver in series history with four straight wins on 1 1/2-mile tracks.
"I can't say enough about all these guys," he said. "Just really proud of them, and definitely we were racing with a heavy heart. Jim was a great worker and put a lot of speed in these Toyotas."
Larson was the first of the 12 remaining playoff contenders whose chances were scuttled when he dropped a cylinder early in the race. He tried to limp on, but his engine finally let go.
Still, Larson held a fleeting hope of advancing when Erik Jones triggered a multi-car wreck on a restart with 70 laps to go, collecting McMurray and causing damage to Kenseth. The former champion thought he would be able to continue when he reached pit road, but seven crew members hopped over the wall for repairs - one more than is allowed under NASCAR's damaged vehicle policy.
The penalty for the violation is an immediate parking.
Day done, playoffs over.
"I don't know what the rules are. It seems like we have a lot of stuff that is changed so often I can't keep up with it," Kenseth said. "You're not able to race anymore? I just don't get it."
Larson still had to hope Johnson, who began the day on the bubble, would falter down the stretch. But despite two early spins, the seven-time champion managed to come home 11th to ease into the round of eight by nine points over a driver many pegged as a favorite should he get to Homestead.
"Freak things happen in every sport," Larson said. "I'm not stunned, because it's a long 10-race playoff season. Anything can happen. But we've had a solid playoffs."
WIN OR ELSE
Stenhouse and McMurray, who both needed to win to advance, were involved in wrecks that ended their hopes. Stenhouse cut a tire and hit the wall with 93 laps left, while McMurray was near the front all afternoon before getting involved in the wreck that knocked Kenseth out.
"If we ever got to the lead," McMurray said, "we could have led the race for a while."
PLAYOFF OUTSIDERS
Chris Buescher finished sixth and Dale Earnhardt Jr., racing at the track for the final time, was seventh. Kansas native Clint Bowyer spent much of the day in the top 10 before he was involved in the crash with 70 laps to go.
UP NEXT
The three-race round of eight begins next Sunday at Martinsville. Johnson won last year's race to punch his ticket to the finale at Homestead, where he won his seventh championship.
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More AP Auto Racing: http://racing.ap.org
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Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race - Hollywood Casino 400
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas
Sunday, October 22, 2017
1. (1) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota, 267.
2. (15) Kurt Busch, Ford, 267.
3. (40) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford, 267.
4. (14) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, 267.
5. (4) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 267.
6. (20) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 267.
7. (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 267.
8. (2) Kevin Harvick (P), Ford, 267.
9. (25) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267.
10. (7) Kyle Busch (P), Toyota, 267.
11. (12) Jimmie Johnson (P), Chevrolet, 267.
12. (23) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 267.
13. (10) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford, 267.
14. (11) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 267.
15. (21) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 267.
16. (29) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 267.
17. (27) David Ragan, Ford, 267.
18. (16) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 267.
19. (9) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 267.
20. (28) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 267.
21. (17) Joey Logano, Ford, 267.
22. (30) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 267.
23. (31) Landon Cassill, Ford, 265.
24. (35) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 263.
25. (37) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 263.
26. (38) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 261.
27. (34) Corey LaJoie #, Toyota, 261.
28. (33) * Gray Gaulding #, Toyota, 259.
29. (24) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P), Ford, Accident, 256.
30. (36) * BJ McLeod(i), Chevrolet, 254.
31. (32) * Brett Moffitt(i), Toyota, 238.
32. (26) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 232.
33. (18) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Accident, 203.
34. (8) Jamie McMurray (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 198.
35. (6) Erik Jones #, Toyota, Accident, 197.
36. (5) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, Accident, 197.
37. (3) Matt Kenseth (P), Toyota, Accident, 197.
38. (22) Danica Patrick, Ford, Accident, 197.
39. (13) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet, Engine, 73.
40. (39) * Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Handling, 35.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 125.189 mph.
Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 11 Mins, 57 Secs. Margin of Victory: 2.284 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 49 laps.
Lead Changes: 14 among 7 drivers.
Lap Leaders: M. Truex Jr. (P) 1-34; K. Busch (P) 35-47; B. Keselowski (P) 48-50; R. Blaney (P) 51-53; K. Busch (P) 54-81; K. Harvick (P) 82; K. Busch (P) 83-128; J. McMurray (P) 129; B. Keselowski (P) 130-144; K. Busch (P) 145-156; K. Harvick (P) 157; D. Hamlin (P) 158-162; K. Harvick (P) 163-197; K. Busch (P) 198-210; M. Truex Jr. (P) 211-267.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): K. Busch (P) 5 times for 112 laps; M. Truex Jr. (P) 2 times for 91 laps; K. Harvick (P) 3 times for 37 laps; B. Keselowski (P) 2 times for 18 laps; D. Hamlin (P) 1 time for 5 laps; R. Blaney (P) 1 time for 3 laps; J. McMurray (P) 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 18,4,11,21,1,48,24,78,20,77
Stage #2 Top Ten: 11,4,2,20,18,77,1,21,24,48
AP Sports Writer
No, the sense of urgency was much more personal.
Truex learned overnight that one of the Furniture Row Racing team's crew members, Jim Watson, died of a heart attack while in town for the race. So with a heavy heart, Truex climbed into his No. 78 Toyota and overcame two early mistakes to win a wild playoff elimination race.
"We were racing for Jim today," Truex said after emerging from his car. "He was a heck of a guy."
Kurt Busch finished second before a wave of playoff contenders headed by Ryan Blaney, whose car failed post-qualifying inspection and was sent to the back. He quickly worked his way through the field and finished third, easily making it within the cutoff line.
Chase Elliott was fourth and Denny Hamlin fifth to punch their tickets to the next round. Kevin Harvick finished eighth to stay alive heading to Martinsville, while Kyle Busch finished 10th and Jimmie Johnson 11th - both of them also making the cutoff line.
Brad Keselowski was 13th after his win last week at Talladega sent him to the next round.
Kyle Larson blew his engine to spoil his chances of advancing, while a penalty on Matt Kenseth for having too many crew members over the pit wall following a wreck ended his championship hopes.
Jamie McMurray and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also were eliminated from the playoffs.
"It's a disappointing way to finish our race and probably our season," said Larson, who had a 33-point buffer coming into the race. "I guess it's sinking in as the second pass."
Truex had dominated at Kansas for years before finally breaking through with a victory in the spring. And while he had nothing to lose Sunday, there was still a sense that Truex wanted to win his seventh race this season for his late crew member and the rest of their team.
"Still pretty surreal at this point," crew chief Cole Pearn said. "We were all focused on what we had to do today. That was the best we could do for Jim. He was a true racer in the purest form."
Truex is the first driver in series history with four straight wins on 1 1/2-mile tracks.
"I can't say enough about all these guys," he said. "Just really proud of them, and definitely we were racing with a heavy heart. Jim was a great worker and put a lot of speed in these Toyotas."
Larson was the first of the 12 remaining playoff contenders whose chances were scuttled when he dropped a cylinder early in the race. He tried to limp on, but his engine finally let go.
Still, Larson held a fleeting hope of advancing when Erik Jones triggered a multi-car wreck on a restart with 70 laps to go, collecting McMurray and causing damage to Kenseth. The former champion thought he would be able to continue when he reached pit road, but seven crew members hopped over the wall for repairs - one more than is allowed under NASCAR's damaged vehicle policy.
The penalty for the violation is an immediate parking.
Day done, playoffs over.
"I don't know what the rules are. It seems like we have a lot of stuff that is changed so often I can't keep up with it," Kenseth said. "You're not able to race anymore? I just don't get it."
Larson still had to hope Johnson, who began the day on the bubble, would falter down the stretch. But despite two early spins, the seven-time champion managed to come home 11th to ease into the round of eight by nine points over a driver many pegged as a favorite should he get to Homestead.
"Freak things happen in every sport," Larson said. "I'm not stunned, because it's a long 10-race playoff season. Anything can happen. But we've had a solid playoffs."
WIN OR ELSE
Stenhouse and McMurray, who both needed to win to advance, were involved in wrecks that ended their hopes. Stenhouse cut a tire and hit the wall with 93 laps left, while McMurray was near the front all afternoon before getting involved in the wreck that knocked Kenseth out.
"If we ever got to the lead," McMurray said, "we could have led the race for a while."
PLAYOFF OUTSIDERS
Chris Buescher finished sixth and Dale Earnhardt Jr., racing at the track for the final time, was seventh. Kansas native Clint Bowyer spent much of the day in the top 10 before he was involved in the crash with 70 laps to go.
UP NEXT
The three-race round of eight begins next Sunday at Martinsville. Johnson won last year's race to punch his ticket to the finale at Homestead, where he won his seventh championship.
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More AP Auto Racing: http://racing.ap.org
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Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race - Hollywood Casino 400
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas
Sunday, October 22, 2017
1. (1) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota, 267.
2. (15) Kurt Busch, Ford, 267.
3. (40) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford, 267.
4. (14) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, 267.
5. (4) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 267.
6. (20) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 267.
7. (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 267.
8. (2) Kevin Harvick (P), Ford, 267.
9. (25) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267.
10. (7) Kyle Busch (P), Toyota, 267.
11. (12) Jimmie Johnson (P), Chevrolet, 267.
12. (23) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 267.
13. (10) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford, 267.
14. (11) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 267.
15. (21) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 267.
16. (29) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 267.
17. (27) David Ragan, Ford, 267.
18. (16) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 267.
19. (9) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 267.
20. (28) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 267.
21. (17) Joey Logano, Ford, 267.
22. (30) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 267.
23. (31) Landon Cassill, Ford, 265.
24. (35) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 263.
25. (37) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 263.
26. (38) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 261.
27. (34) Corey LaJoie #, Toyota, 261.
28. (33) * Gray Gaulding #, Toyota, 259.
29. (24) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P), Ford, Accident, 256.
30. (36) * BJ McLeod(i), Chevrolet, 254.
31. (32) * Brett Moffitt(i), Toyota, 238.
32. (26) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 232.
33. (18) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Accident, 203.
34. (8) Jamie McMurray (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 198.
35. (6) Erik Jones #, Toyota, Accident, 197.
36. (5) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, Accident, 197.
37. (3) Matt Kenseth (P), Toyota, Accident, 197.
38. (22) Danica Patrick, Ford, Accident, 197.
39. (13) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet, Engine, 73.
40. (39) * Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Handling, 35.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 125.189 mph.
Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 11 Mins, 57 Secs. Margin of Victory: 2.284 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 49 laps.
Lead Changes: 14 among 7 drivers.
Lap Leaders: M. Truex Jr. (P) 1-34; K. Busch (P) 35-47; B. Keselowski (P) 48-50; R. Blaney (P) 51-53; K. Busch (P) 54-81; K. Harvick (P) 82; K. Busch (P) 83-128; J. McMurray (P) 129; B. Keselowski (P) 130-144; K. Busch (P) 145-156; K. Harvick (P) 157; D. Hamlin (P) 158-162; K. Harvick (P) 163-197; K. Busch (P) 198-210; M. Truex Jr. (P) 211-267.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): K. Busch (P) 5 times for 112 laps; M. Truex Jr. (P) 2 times for 91 laps; K. Harvick (P) 3 times for 37 laps; B. Keselowski (P) 2 times for 18 laps; D. Hamlin (P) 1 time for 5 laps; R. Blaney (P) 1 time for 3 laps; J. McMurray (P) 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 18,4,11,21,1,48,24,78,20,77
Stage #2 Top Ten: 11,4,2,20,18,77,1,21,24,48
Sunday, October 22, 2017
The Mixlr Six - Edition #1
We’re just over a week away from the first College Football
Playoff Rankings of 2017 being unveiled. With that being right around the
corner, the College Football folks at the Ultimate Sports Radio Network and
Wellington Sports Radio on Mixlr.com have compiled their first Playoff rankings. Just for the heck of it, we'll call it The Mixlr Six. We
asked Carter Floyd, Seth Eaves, Pierre Moss and Dan Vasta along with myself to
give their rankings one through six to see what the rankings look like when
compiled together. So, here they are.
1. Alabama
·
Record: 8-0 (5-0 SEC)
·
Last Game: 45-7 win vs. Tennessee
·
AP Ranking: #1
·
Carter Floyd: #1
·
Pierre Moss: #1
·
Dan Vasta: #2
·
Seth Eaves: #1
·
Matthew Owens: #1
·
Next Game: vs. LSU on November 4th
2. Georgia
·
Record: 7-0 (4-0 SEC)
·
Last Game: 53-28 win vs. Missouri
·
AP Ranking: #3
·
Carter Floyd: #2
·
Pierre Moss: #3
·
Dan Vasta: #1
·
Seth Eaves: #3
·
Matthew Owens: #2
·
Next Game: vs. Florida this Saturday (3:30pm,
CBS)
3. Penn State
·
Record: 7-0 (4-0 Big Ten)
·
Last Game: 42-13 win vs. Michigan
·
AP Ranking: #2
·
Carter Floyd: #3
·
Pierre Moss: #2
·
Dan Vasta: #3
·
Seth Eaves: #2
·
Matthew Owens: #3
·
Next Game: @ Ohio State this Saturday (3:30pm,
USRN)
4. TCU
·
Record: 7-0 (4-0 Big 12)
·
AP Ranking: #4
·
Carter Floyd: #4
·
Pierre Moss: #4
·
Dan Vasta: #4
·
Seth Eaves: #4
·
Matthew Owens: #4
·
Next Game: @ Iowa State this Saturday (3:30pm,
ABC)
5. Notre Dame
·
Record: 6-1 (Independent)
·
AP Ranking: #9
·
Carter Floyd: #6
·
Pierre Moss: N/A
·
Dan Vasta: #5
·
Seth Eaves: N/A
·
Matthew Owens: #5
·
Next Game: vs. North Carolina State this
Saturday (3:30pm, NBC)
6. Clemson
·
Record: 6-1 (4-1 ACC)
·
AP Ranking: #7
·
Carter Floyd: #5
·
Pierre Moss: #5
·
Dan Vasta: #6
·
Seth Eaves: #6
·
Matthew Owens: N/A
·
Next Game: vs. Georgia Tech this Saturday
(8:00pm, ABC)
Now, how did we come up with these rankings? Well obviously,
it’s an imperfect science, but then again, isn’t everything in College Football
rankings? We took the five pollsters’ rankings of teams and then averaged them
out to see who had the best average ranking. If a tiebreaker was needed, then
that was settled by which team had more votes. So how did each of our pollsters
rank the teams?
Carter
Floyd:
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Penn
State
4. TCU
5. Clemson
6. Notre
Dame
Pierre
Moss:
1. Alabama
2. Penn
State
3. Georgia
4. TCU
5. Clemson
6. Ohio
State
Dan
Vasta:
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Penn
State
4. TCU
5. Notre
Dame
6. Clemson
Seth
Eaves:
1. Alabama
2. Penn
State
3. Georgia
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. Clemson
Matthew
Owens:
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Penn
State
4. TCU
5. Notre
Dame
6. Wisconsin
So there’s our first College Football Playoff Rankings of
the year. What’s yours?
Christopher Bell races to first NASCAR XFINITY Series win
By JORDAN WOLF
Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Christopher Bell raced to his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday, beating dominant Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones after they made contract with four laps left at Kansas Speedway.
Bell led for just those four laps, hanging in second place behind Jones for much of the race before sliding in front of him shortly before the collision. After watching his teammate control the race for so long, the finish came as a surprise for Bell.
"I didn't think winning was a possibility," Bell said.
Jones led 186 laps of 200 laps, and won both of the first two stages. He failed to finish the race.
Jones had drifted to the top of the track before Bell attempted to slide past him underneath. Bell said after the race that he felt he was clear. Jones disagreed.
"It's not dirt racing, you know," Jones said. "He's not clear. I can't just stop on the top."
While Jones was initially excited for the race to come down to the wire against a teammate, he was very disappointed in how the race finished as he felt they didn't truly get to compete for the win.
"I thought we were going to race for the win and unfortunately it wasn't much of a race," Jones said. "It was more of a wreck."
Despite his frustrations, though, he knows that unfortunate endings like this one happen, and not to dwell on it moving forward.
"That's racing," Jones said. "It's not always going to go your way and you know it definitely didn't go our way today. We just have to come back ... and do it a little bit better."
For two teammates to be in such a tight race for first is a dicey situation in and of itself, but for one to make a move like Bell did shows the true competitive nature of the sport.
"We both want to win, and that's a product of it," Bell said.
Bell hadn't gotten the chance to apologize to Jones before meeting with the media, but said he intended to and that "it sucks that we couldn't race it out, or that he didn't finish the race."
Bell, a regular in the Truck Series, and Jones are not eligible for the series playoffs.
Justin Allgaier entered the race trailing teammate William Byron in the playoff standings, but now sits in first place after finishing fifth.
Byron, now in second place in the standings, finished fourth and now trails Allgaier by two points.
Elliott Sadler finished not far behind in seventh, maintaining his position of third place but now trailing the lead by 11 points.
Pole winner Tyler Reddick finished second, and Ryan Blaney was third.
NEAR-CRASH: The caution flag came out on Lap 76 when Elliot Sadler spun out. Sadler didn't make contact with any other drivers, as Austin Dillon was able to barely navigate past the smoking No. 1 car as it spun toward the infield. He would return to the race.
SLOWED START: Gray Gaulding and Reed Sorenson were pushed to the rear prior to the race for missing driver introductions, and Spencer Boyd, Byron and Tifft were sent to the rear as well for unapproved adjustments. Byron and Tifft are in the playoff hunt, so the ruling put them in an uphill battle early to catch up with their competition.
UP NEXT: Nov. 4 at Texas Motor Speedway. Jones won at the track in April.
–––––
NASCAR XFINITY Series Race - Kansas Lottery 300
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas
Saturday, October 21, 2017
1. (4) Christopher Bell(i), Toyota, 200.
2. (1) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 200.
3. (3) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, 200.
4. (6) William Byron # (P), Chevrolet, 200.
5. (13) Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, 200.
6. (5) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
7. (11) Elliott Sadler (P), Chevrolet, 200.
8. (8) Matt Tifft # (P), Toyota, 200.
9. (16) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
10. (15) Ryan Reed (P), Ford, 200.
11. (12) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 200.
12. (9) Brennan Poole (P), Chevrolet, 200.
13. (24) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 200.
14. (20) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 199.
15. (2) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 199.
16. (19) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 199.
17. (21) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 199.
18. (10) Daniel Hemric # (P), Chevrolet, 199.
19. (7) Cole Custer # (P), Ford, 198.
20. (23) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 198.
21. (14) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 197.
22. (31) Quin Houff, Chevrolet, 196.
23. (18) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 196.
24. (28) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 195.
25. (22) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 195.
26. (17) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 194.
27. (32) David Starr, Chevrolet, 194.
28. (34) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 192.
29. (36) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet, 192.
30. (35) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 192.
31. (40) Bobby Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 188.
32. (26) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 188.
33. (38) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 188.
34. (33) Josh Berry, Toyota, Engine, 182.
35. (39) Jennifer Jo Cobb(i), Chevrolet, 139.
36. (30) Timmy Hill, Dodge, Vibration, 36.
37. (37) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Suspension, 24.
38. (27) Reed Sorenson(i), Chevrolet, Handling, 7.
39. (29) Gray Gaulding(i), Chevrolet, Brakes, 3.
40. (25) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Handling, 2.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 141.158 mph.
Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 07 Mins, 31 Secs. Margin of Victory: 2.670 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 4 for 20 laps.
Lead Changes: 8 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: T. Reddick 0; E. Jones(i) 1-51; T. Reddick 52-54; E. Jones(i) 55-81; R. Blaney(i) 82-84; E. Jones(i) 85-93; T. Dillon(i) 94-97; E. Jones(i) 98-196; C. Bell(i) 197-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): E. Jones(i) 4 times for 186 laps; T. Dillon(i) 1 time for 4 laps; C. Bell(i) 1 time for 4 laps; T. Reddick 1 time for 3 laps; R. Blaney(i) 1 time for 3 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,22,42,2,18,1,48,7,21,00
Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,22,7,18,42,9,00,48,21,2
Associated Press
Bell led for just those four laps, hanging in second place behind Jones for much of the race before sliding in front of him shortly before the collision. After watching his teammate control the race for so long, the finish came as a surprise for Bell.
"I didn't think winning was a possibility," Bell said.
Jones led 186 laps of 200 laps, and won both of the first two stages. He failed to finish the race.
Jones had drifted to the top of the track before Bell attempted to slide past him underneath. Bell said after the race that he felt he was clear. Jones disagreed.
"It's not dirt racing, you know," Jones said. "He's not clear. I can't just stop on the top."
While Jones was initially excited for the race to come down to the wire against a teammate, he was very disappointed in how the race finished as he felt they didn't truly get to compete for the win.
"I thought we were going to race for the win and unfortunately it wasn't much of a race," Jones said. "It was more of a wreck."
Despite his frustrations, though, he knows that unfortunate endings like this one happen, and not to dwell on it moving forward.
"That's racing," Jones said. "It's not always going to go your way and you know it definitely didn't go our way today. We just have to come back ... and do it a little bit better."
For two teammates to be in such a tight race for first is a dicey situation in and of itself, but for one to make a move like Bell did shows the true competitive nature of the sport.
"We both want to win, and that's a product of it," Bell said.
Bell hadn't gotten the chance to apologize to Jones before meeting with the media, but said he intended to and that "it sucks that we couldn't race it out, or that he didn't finish the race."
Bell, a regular in the Truck Series, and Jones are not eligible for the series playoffs.
Justin Allgaier entered the race trailing teammate William Byron in the playoff standings, but now sits in first place after finishing fifth.
Byron, now in second place in the standings, finished fourth and now trails Allgaier by two points.
Elliott Sadler finished not far behind in seventh, maintaining his position of third place but now trailing the lead by 11 points.
Pole winner Tyler Reddick finished second, and Ryan Blaney was third.
NEAR-CRASH: The caution flag came out on Lap 76 when Elliot Sadler spun out. Sadler didn't make contact with any other drivers, as Austin Dillon was able to barely navigate past the smoking No. 1 car as it spun toward the infield. He would return to the race.
SLOWED START: Gray Gaulding and Reed Sorenson were pushed to the rear prior to the race for missing driver introductions, and Spencer Boyd, Byron and Tifft were sent to the rear as well for unapproved adjustments. Byron and Tifft are in the playoff hunt, so the ruling put them in an uphill battle early to catch up with their competition.
UP NEXT: Nov. 4 at Texas Motor Speedway. Jones won at the track in April.
–––––
NASCAR XFINITY Series Race - Kansas Lottery 300
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas
Saturday, October 21, 2017
1. (4) Christopher Bell(i), Toyota, 200.
2. (1) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 200.
3. (3) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, 200.
4. (6) William Byron # (P), Chevrolet, 200.
5. (13) Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, 200.
6. (5) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
7. (11) Elliott Sadler (P), Chevrolet, 200.
8. (8) Matt Tifft # (P), Toyota, 200.
9. (16) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
10. (15) Ryan Reed (P), Ford, 200.
11. (12) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 200.
12. (9) Brennan Poole (P), Chevrolet, 200.
13. (24) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 200.
14. (20) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 199.
15. (2) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 199.
16. (19) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 199.
17. (21) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 199.
18. (10) Daniel Hemric # (P), Chevrolet, 199.
19. (7) Cole Custer # (P), Ford, 198.
20. (23) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 198.
21. (14) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 197.
22. (31) Quin Houff, Chevrolet, 196.
23. (18) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 196.
24. (28) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 195.
25. (22) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 195.
26. (17) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 194.
27. (32) David Starr, Chevrolet, 194.
28. (34) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 192.
29. (36) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet, 192.
30. (35) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 192.
31. (40) Bobby Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 188.
32. (26) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 188.
33. (38) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 188.
34. (33) Josh Berry, Toyota, Engine, 182.
35. (39) Jennifer Jo Cobb(i), Chevrolet, 139.
36. (30) Timmy Hill, Dodge, Vibration, 36.
37. (37) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Suspension, 24.
38. (27) Reed Sorenson(i), Chevrolet, Handling, 7.
39. (29) Gray Gaulding(i), Chevrolet, Brakes, 3.
40. (25) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Handling, 2.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 141.158 mph.
Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 07 Mins, 31 Secs. Margin of Victory: 2.670 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 4 for 20 laps.
Lead Changes: 8 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: T. Reddick 0; E. Jones(i) 1-51; T. Reddick 52-54; E. Jones(i) 55-81; R. Blaney(i) 82-84; E. Jones(i) 85-93; T. Dillon(i) 94-97; E. Jones(i) 98-196; C. Bell(i) 197-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): E. Jones(i) 4 times for 186 laps; T. Dillon(i) 1 time for 4 laps; C. Bell(i) 1 time for 4 laps; T. Reddick 1 time for 3 laps; R. Blaney(i) 1 time for 3 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,22,42,2,18,1,48,7,21,00
Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,22,7,18,42,9,00,48,21,2
Monday, October 16, 2017
AP Exclusive: Corruption probe prompts reviews of NCAA teams
Associated Press
The spate of arrests, details of under-the-table bribes to teenagers and the expected downfall of one of the sport's best-known coaches has triggered uncomfortable soul-searching among the institutions at the heart of college basketball, including internal reviews by more than two dozen schools of their own prominent programs.
At stake is the future of a business that, over the span of 22 years ending in 2032, will produce $19.6 billion in TV money for the NCAA Tournament, known to the public, simply, as March Madness.
The NCAA distributes those billions to its conferences and universities, and that figure doesn't include the millions splashed around by shoe companies, who play an outsized role in the success of the programs and the careers of some of their top players.
More than two dozen universities with major hoops programs — including Louisville, where Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino is in the process of being fired after 16 seasons — have responded to news of the sport's bribery scandal by conducting internal reviews of their compliance operations.
The Associated Press asked 84 schools, including all the nation's power programs, and six top conferences about their response to the arrests that upended college hoops mere days before practices for the 2017-18 season began around the country.
Of 63 schools that responded, 28 said the probe prompted their own internal reviews. So did the Pac-12 Conference, which formed a task force to dive into the culture and issues of recruiting.
Among the schools reviewing their programs are Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State and Southern California; each had assistant coaches arrested as part of the sting.
The list also includes Alabama, where a review led to the resignation of basketball administrator Kobie Baker but unearthed no NCAA violations, according to school officials.
A representative from one school, St. Johns, told AP the NCAA directed all Division I programs to examine their programs for potential rules violations after the federal complaints were filed. The NCAA declined to comment when asked about that specific directive.
But last week, the NCAA formed a fact-finding commission to be led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, with results expected in April — right around the time the NCAA Tournament comes to an end.
"My only piece of advice (to young players), don't let the process ruin you because we will. I blame myself," said Tom Izzo of Michigan State, one of the schools conducting a review.
Izzo is convinced players' circles grow too large as they near the big-time and fill up with too many people with different agendas.
But in an illustration of wide-ranging perceptions of the issue, Michigan State's cross-state rival, Michigan, said it isn't conducting an internal review and its coach, John Beilein, said "I don't think the sky is falling in college basketball."
"I think that there's certainly some rogue coaches," Beilein said. "How many? Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I can't believe there's too much of that going out there."
Michigan, 34 other schools and the Big East Conference said they were not specifically responding to the federal probe. But many of the "no" responses came with the caveat that the school's athletic department is always reviewing its compliance.
Four conferences and 21 schools declined to respond to the AP's survey, including one university that declined to respond on the record but acknowledged privately that it was reviewing its program because of the probe.
The vast majority of schools surveyed have shoe deals with Nike, Adidas or Under Armour. A top Adidas marketing executive was among the 10 people arrested, after authorities spent two years untangling schemes, often bankrolled with money from the apparel companies, to steer future NBA players toward particular sports agents and financial advisers. No players were accused of doing anything illegal, but any recruits found taking any improper benefits could lose eligibility to play.
In many corners, the arrests have been portrayed as the government's response to activities that have long been viewed as business-as-usual in big-time hoops — a long-awaited reckoning with problems the NCAA has been unwilling or unable to rein in.
An announcement Friday by the NCAA that a seven-year-long investigation into academic fraud at North Carolina would result in no sanctions for the Tar Heels did nothing to promote confidence in the body tasked with keeping its sports clean.
The AP also asked universities if they had been contacted by federal or state law enforcement. Only the schools involved in the federal complaints acknowledged being contacted.
That doesn't mean more isn't coming. Prosecutors have made clear the probe could widen in scope as the investigation continues.
"I'd say most people agree that this is the tip of the iceberg," said John Tauer, the coach at St. Thomas in Minnesota, which has won two Division III titles this decade. "Over the next six months to a year, a lot more chips are going to fall, and you'd have to think that schools that aren't diligent right now could end up paying dearly."
Tauer, who doubles as a social psychology professor specializing in issues of sports in society, spends a lot of time wrestling with the NCAA rulebook. His task isn't as high-stakes, though, because scholarship money and big-time shoe deals are essentially nonexistent in Division III.
"As an educator and a coach, you're certainly disappointed but not shocked to know this kind of thing goes on," Tauer said. "You hear rumors and stories of things that go on in the underworld of recruiting. You always hope they're not true, but you probably know, deep down..."
Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak told a story of losing a hard recruiting battle, and his initial reaction was "at least we didn't cheat."
He called it his heat-of-the-moment reaction, though he's certainly not blind to the issues confronting his sport. When he arrived at Utah in 2011, his two guiding principles were: "We are never going to cheat," and "We aren't going to recruit any turds."
"I wasn't sure in my lifetime that we were going to see anything of this magnitude where the lid got blown off," Krystkowiak said. "I was hopeful that at some point somebody's going to pay the price. Now when you get the feds and the FBI involved, it takes it to a new level."
Kansas coach Bill Self, whose school is among those conducting an internal review, said he harbors no illusions about what's at stake.
"This is bigger than us just coming up with ideas, this is us coming up with ideas that can withhold all the headwind that's going to be coming toward it," Self said.
___
Nearly four dozen AP sports writers around the United States contributed to this report, including Kareem Copeland, Oskar Garcia, Jimmy Golen, Larry Lage, John Marshall, Eric Olson, Dave Skretta and Noah Trister.
___
For more AP college basketball coverage: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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