Fort Worth Star-Telegram du lieu suivant : Fort Worth, Texas • 80

10D wwwdfwcom Star-Telegram I Friday January 4 2002 COLLEGES BCS likely to continue evolving process charge seem to want to keep looking at it to make it work mind the old system with all the games on New Miami coach Larry Coker said think this is the system going to have for a while From what read college presidents are against a playoff If you have a four-team playoff the fifth team is upset A playoff would be just another system for people to Wendell Barnhouse (817) 390-7760 wbhoopsstar-teleqramcom computer rankings it uses The six commissioners in charge of the BCS plan to meet at the NCAA Convention next week and again in April Here are some topics that will be on the table: Consider limiting the BCS title game to schools that win a conference title Adding another human element a committee that would review the final BCS standings and overrule any championship matchup injustices they perceive Consider eliminating the eight computer polls and relying on won-loss records the media and the polls and the strength of schedule component Any of those adjustments would be radical Swofford said that his fellow BCS commissioners are split about whether to modify the formula Both coaches in the BCS title game are ambivalent regarding any BCS adjustments wants a perfect Nebraska coach Frank Solich said people in it a complicated system I would like us to look at a way to improve it and simplify it the other hand we need to be open and receptive to making changes that improve the A year ago the BCS adjusted its formula to add a quality win factor That was because Florida State reached the championship game last season even though Miami beat the Seminoles during the regular season The BCS also limited the impact of margin of victory at 21 points in the eight By WENDELL BAKNHOUSE STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER PASADENA Calif Another season another reason for the Bowl Championship Series to question its methods The BCS completed its first four-year cycle with Thursday Rose Bowl between Miami and Nebraska The presence in the national championship game created controversy because they did not win the Big 12 Conference title and they were beaten 62-36 in their last game mjCl Commissioners IdiSJ who run the Bowl Championship Series will again consider ways to improve the system So how does the BCS fix this problem? concerned about tweaking the system every said Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford the outgoing director of the BCS think the more we tinker with it the longer it takes for the fans to accept it and fully understand facing new test of will NOTES Indiana coach hit with fine The leadership abilities of Texas point guard Fredie Williams left might Longhorns after the loss of senior center Chris Owens basketball team is challenged by coach Rick Barnes to pull together after a season-ending injury to center Chris Owens half mental lapse in the 81-69 victory Barnes said right about Later he expounded worst thing you can do when you have adversity is to feel sorry for Barnes said sit back and think what-if I feel for Chris Owens but no one on our schedule is feeling sorry for us Most people are feeling pretty good saying Texas is dead in the water But the only way this is true is if your guys buy into it and start feeling sorry for themselves If anything got to get tougher I hate the term not about stepping up about playing the game to your ability every night and being mentally tough enough to do things you are supposed to do in the right way every That said there is no debate that the loss of one of the top 30 players nationally as recently judged by the Wooden Award committee severely crimps the potential It also detractSjfrom what nevertheless promises to be an interesting couple of months beginning Saturday when Big 12 play opens with four teams among the Top 25 And loss renders the Longhorns mortal in a conference race in which the smallest of margins looms large in the scramble for a AUSTIN One local follower with a long memory suggests that the seasonending injury suffered by Texas senior center Chris Owens is as egregious as that which befell a Longhorn 20 years ago For those whose memory capacity has suffered over the years from neon poisoning jet me refresh In February 1982 star forward Mike Wacker suffered similar misfortune Like Owens he came down wrong on a knee and tore asunder things that best function in one piece The Longhorns at the time were 14-0 and ranked No 5 nationally They promptly went into a three-game tailspin and won only two of 11 remaining games Abe Lemons was fired expect a similar calamity Rick job in danger and this Texas team roll over and play dead like the Texas team of two decades ago It might expect a few shovels full of dirt to fly in practice because Barnes having any self-pity but injury going to be life-threatening in a competitive sense on watch When sophomore James Thomas after scoring a career-high 19 points in a victory over a decent UT-Pam American team proposed that practice would be more intense than usual because of a second- BOWL said got to be prepared for anything You expect to go into the next day with every player We all need to step it up and take over his load And those are big shoes to Acknowledging other injuries Barnes had this team together for one complete practice and about 12 minutes of the Utah game last Saturday Ironically that was when point guard and defensive specialist Fredie Williams and role-playing forward Deginald Erskin returned to active duty All opinions say the internal cloak of leadership belongs to Williams the guy with the black brace on his left knee who missed the first 10 games of the season look at great teams and they have someone who is their person someone who gives them the leadership and the drive to stay on Barnes said really take criticism well from players like FROM WIRE REPORTS Indiana University coach Mike Davis was fined $10000 by the Big Ten on Thursday for criticizing officials after a loss to Butler Davis was called for a technical foul by referee Mike Sanzere in the closing minutes of 66-64 loss to the Bulldogs Davis had vociferously argued calls three times in the closing minutes Miles has surgery Oklahoma State football coach Les Miles is back on the job after having surgery last week in Cleveland Ohio The surgery was performed Dec 24 to relieve intra-cranial He was released from the hospital the following day and returned to Stillwater Okla early this week He returned to work Wednesday Pitino interested in Stone Louisville coach Rick Pitino said he spoken with former Kentucky player Marvin Stone but would listen if the center wanted to play for him Stone a 6-foot-10 junior was dismissed from the Wildcats last week when he return from a two-day holiday break One of former coaches said the former All-American wants to talk to Pitino But Kentucky athletics director Larry Ivy said the school would not release Stone to play for any school that has an ongoing contract with UK That would include Louisville and eveiy school in the Southeastern Conference among others Meanwhile Pitino suspended freshman forward Brandon Bender for the second time this season this time for violating team rules Bender 6-9 has played in 10 games averaging 55 points and 27 rebounds Briefly Duke junior forward Mike Dunleavy was listed as day-to-day after spraining his left ankle in the top-ranked Blue 106-71 victory over Davidson on Wednesday night 56-23 victory over Maryland in the Orange Bowl drew a 95 overnight rating and 15 share on ABC Sports That is down 24 percent from the Jan 2 BCS game in 2001 though it is only 1 percent lower than in 2000 The University of Memphis will give assistant basketball coach Tony Barbee a letter of reprimand for an incident during a game with Arkansas officials said Arkansas player JJ Sullinger fell into the bench and into Barbee during the second half Wednesday night in a game at The Pyramid Barbee apparently pushed Sullinger away which was replayed several times during the telecast of the game Bob lawyer admitted the former Indiana coach shoved former assistant Ron Felling but he denied it was assault Felling filed a lawsuit in April against Knight and the university claiming he was wrongfully terminated in 199 In the lawsuit Felling claims he was assaulted by Knight RESULTS ATTENDANCE Terrorist attacks hinder bowl attendance THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDOUGLAS PIZAK be even more important to the that because they know what it means to them no question Fredie was that guy before he got hurt and they still feed off him now Players have to play for each other and what I want to see our guys do give it up for each other all the Williams a hard-nosed player knows he has to be more vocal than is his nature have to bring everybody together like a family and not let he said have to let everybody know still a good team and whether everyone thinks dead or not that we can still beat any team in the country if we come to play for 40 minutes think recover fast and I think a lot of people are going to find out how fast we recover when we go up to Oklahoma State this Brave words But what else is he supposed to say? Mike Jones (817)390-7760 jonzstar-teleqramcom Cotton Sugar Fiesta Alamo and Mobile think the bowls and the conferences consciously tried to keep teams close to the sites and I think reflected in the attendance Big East Conference commissioner Mike Tranghese said The four Bowl Championship Series bowls were particularly improved in attendance compared to last year The Rose Fiesta and Sugar were sellouts while the Orange fell 1532 short of a sellout The four BCS bowls averaged 79806 in attendance Last year the four BCS bowls averaged 77765 a rising program and other players should give it a shot I just need to be where only regret was seeing Printers air his grievances publicly think he made himself look very good in this whole Patterson said might allow us to recruit another quarterback move on and leave it at that As far as TCU is concerned closed no longer a Homed Troy Phillips (8171390-7760 tphillipsstar-teleqram com first-division finish that usually carries with it an NCAA Tournament berth No question this is a big blow to Texas it means is that now any team in the conference on that given night can beat said one UT athletic department staffer with more than 30 years of close-up Texas hoops observation Owens was the Texas will miss his 16 points 74 rebounds and shotblocking intimidation Guard play and defense becomes strength But until Thomas or the committee of him and sophomore Jason Klotz andor Brian Boddicker can put up numbers similar to what Thomas did against Pan Am opposing defenses can adjust accordingly now that they that no longer have to fret over Owens mean yeah a big shock to lose Boddicker The welcomed the role of leader and offensive catalyst but not the wrath when things unraveled Patterson called that assessment unfair not new to anyone across the country in a leadership he said the way it works Look through all the postgame comments and the only person who got blamed was myself To me it just sounds like one more TCU increased its-passes per game this season from 167 to 299 but Printers called the increase misleading those officially listed by the bowls themselves Attendance figures provided by tickets sold for the game and reflect actual attendance By WENDELL BARNHOUSE STAR TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER PASADENA Calif Fears of bowl attendance drops because of the aftereffects of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks proved to be unfounded This 25 bowl games had an average attendance of 53390 Last average attendance (51662) was the lowest since 1963 Several bowls this season invited teams based on the ability to sell tickets or regional ties that would allow more fans to drive instead of fly That strategy appeared to pay off Five bowls had sellouts the happen until the sixth or seventh he said we had opened it up against Nebraska we would have won that game When you throw out of a trailing position to come back not being Printers leaves TCU ranked third in team history in career passing yards (4621) and touchdowns (37) He said his decision indict staff or system only that it work out for him have stayed there for three years if it a good he said Note: Stadium capacities are Associated Press and include TCU Continued from ID just having someone coach you not upset If anyone should be upset it should be his teammates He showed that he thought he was more important than Printers said some teammates have phoned since Wednesday to wish him welL He maintains that TCU develop a passing attack until late in the season and only after the running game faltered Printers added that when TCU struggled on offense he felt branded as both the solution and problem He said he galleryfumiturecom Bowl Thursday TCU coach Gary Patterson begrudgingly closed the book on Printers whose family faxed a statement to local media outlets Wednesday while the coach and quarterback were meet-ing just hope happy when Patterson said a lot more to C3 going and transferring than A A I 4 4T.