Notebook: Williams disappointed by controversies

By Gary Bedore Mar 12, 2003

March Madness has turned into sheer insanity this college basketball season.

“It’s a sad, sad thing going on,” Kansas University coach Roy Williams said Tuesday of a series of scandals that have rocked the sport on the eve of the NCAA Tournament — college basketball’s main event.

In recent developments:

Georgia suspended head coach Jim Harrick and withdrew from the SEC and NCAA tournaments after an internal investigation showed signs of academic fraud in the program.
St. Bonaventure’s players refused to play their final two games because the Bonnies were forced to forfeit six Atlantic 10 Conference victories for using an ineligible player. The school president was ousted because of the situation, which has the A-10 considering booting St. Bonaventure as a member.
Fresno State’s team was barred from postseason play after a former FSU student said he wrote term papers for players at the WAC university.
And, Villanova suspended 12 players for making unauthorized phone calls by using a school access code. The Wildcats will play their Big East tournament opener tonight with seven players.

“I am absolutely stunned. What St. Bonaventure did, I cannot fathom that,” Williams said of the Bonnies’ players refusing to travel to UMass last week and refusing to play Dayton last Saturday at home.

“If it’s on the schedule, by God we’re going to play. We’re not going to quit, and that’s just the bottom line,” Williams added. “I think one of those schools (in Atlantic 10 conference) had St. Bonaventure coming in for Senior Day. I think that’s bad.”

These scandals give the sport a black eye, Williams said.

“It’s a sad thing that we’ve got all these coming on right here at the end when it’s getting ready to be the marquee time of the year for college basketball and the most exciting time of the year and that’s going to get so much more attention,” he said.

“Last night on (ESPN’s) ‘SportsCenter,’ they went to the Georgia thing three different times in an hour program. It’s sad to me because there were some teams that won that kids were dancing around the court and cutting down nets. We didn’t see those scenes.

“There’s a lot of decisions being made that I wouldn’t necessarily agree with, but I’m not in a position to evaluate or criticize because it’s not my ball game. That old saying, ‘Do not condemn thy neighbor unless you’ve walked in his moccasins for two full moons,’ so who am I to criticize?”

Roy’s reaction to Knight: Texas Tech coach Bob Knight has refused to accept his $250,000 salary because his Red Raiders went 16-11 overall after going 23-9 last season.

“I think if he does that, they should have given him twice the salary last year. He exceeded all expectations last year,” Williams said. “I think it’s a little wacko, but I have a lot of respect for him and anything he does.

“Most of the time if you let a coach decide if he gets his salary or not … just the junk you have to put up with outside the court makes you think you ought to accept it.”

Speaking of off-court distractions: In a 980 AM radio interview, Williams was asked if rumors regarding he and KU athletic director Al Bohl not having a good relationship was a distraction this season.

“The distraction with the athletic director and talk going around has been a distraction to me. I have not talked about it to the team,” Williams said. “I don’t think the athletes care about it or get caught up in it. It has not been a distraction to the team. It’s been a great distraction to me, yet in some ways made me focus even more, made me take a Hey-I’m-coaching-the-team-it’s-what-I-want-to-do-(media)- leave-me-alone approach. Maybe that extra concentration has been good for us.”

Coach of Year: Look for KU’s Williams to be named Big 12 Coach of the Year in voting announced today. It’d be the fourth time in eight years Williams has won the award.