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Home , Ben Simmons, Demetrius Jackson, Denzel Valentine, Frank Kaminsky, Frank Mason III, Georges Niang

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Visit: www.usbwa.com VOLUME 53, NO. 2 January 2016 Let’s begin a healthy discussion about access There is a natural tension that exists fices. If any of the membership has any between reporters and bright ideas, send them to me: pfeagle- university sports information directors. Or [email protected]. at least there should be. But the location is less important than We wouldn’t be doing our jobs cor- Pat Forde simply having the meetings and getting is- rectly if we got along with the media gate- sues on the table. keepers 100 percent of the time. Our push Yahoo Sports The better basketball writers can ar- for access will inevitably be met with resis- ticulate why we want access to practice, tance. Stories that we deem fair and objec- or the locker room, or the chance for a tive will be considered unfair and subjec- President sitdown with the star player, the better tive. Our belief in how to serve our readers our chances of getting it. In some cases, will butt into an SID’s belief in how to those chances will remain slim at best, but serve his head coach and athletic director. maybe we can open the door a crack. It’s not the easiest of relationships. The better basketball writers can That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find some com- fuming to their colleagues about how the other side explain why disproportionate access – i.e., coaches or mon ground and understand each other’s responsibilities. doesn’t get it, we can fume collectively. schools playing media favorites – is a risky strategy, the Toward that end, there have been some recent, posi- Or, better yet, not fume at all. Have a beer together, better our chances of creating a level playing field. Or tive discussions between USBWA members and SIDs have some chicken wings, have a civil and constructive something close to it. about having an informal get-together. Somewhere, conversation. The better basketball writers can make clear why sometime, somehow. We’re tossing around ideas. Maybe it could happen at the Final Four, where so we occasionally write “negative” stories – or simply non- The of the exercise would be this: making sure many of us from around the nation gather in one place. fawning stories – the better our chances of stopping a SIDs know what we’re trying to do, and SIDs commu- Maybe there could be a series of satellite meetings at feud before it happens. Or de-escalating an ongoing feud. nicating what they’re trying to do. Instead of both sides conference tournaments, with the aid of the league of- CONTINUED on Page 3 Kerkhoff, Pille, Valdiserri enter USBWA’s Hall A past president of the USBWA, a sportswriter for granted. He had fun. He veteran sportswriter of nearly 40 years and enjoyed what he was doing and enjoyed a former sports information director are the the energy of the press box at big games.” newest members of the U. S. Basketball Pille was 80 when he passed away Writers Association’s Hall of Fame. in 2006. He never fully recovered from a Recently selected to the USBWA tragic automobile accident that occurred Hall of Fame are City Star college a year earlier. columnist Blair Kerkhoff, sportswriter His collection of sports books and Bob Pille who is being inducted articles is housed in the Department of posthumously, and retired Notre Dame Communications at Bradley. publicist Roger Valdiserri. Valdiserri helped define the role of The three will be inducted during sports information director while he was ceremonies at the USBWA’s annual SID at Notre Dame for 22 years. He is awards luncheon at this year’s Final Four considered by many to be the gold standard in Houston on April 4. Blair Kerkhoff Bob Pille Roger Valdiserri in the field of media relations. He retired Kerkhoff has been covering college in 1995 as associate athletic director after sports for the Kansas City Star since 1989. He started In addition, he has written five books, including a 33 years in athletic administration at Notre Dame. his career 35 years ago at the Roanoke Times & World biography on former Kansas coach Phog Allen. Valdiserri is a member of the College Sports News under Hall of Fame member and former USBWA Pille, a long-time USBWA member, began covering Information Directors of America Hall of Fame and is president Bill Brill. Kerkhoff served as president of the sports in high school and later in college at Bradley for the a past recipient of the USBWA’s Katha Quinn Award for USBWA in 2000-01. Peoria Journal Star. In 1950, he embarked on a 38-year extraordinary service to the media. His publications at “College basketball was the first thing I covered career that included 22 years with the Chicago Sun-Times. Notre Dame earned more than 50 national awards. when I started,” Kerkhoff said. “I got to cover a lot of He also worked for the Times Herald in Washington D. “Roger always saw to it that reporters got the access conference tournaments. Eventually, it became my C., the Cincinnati Post and the Detroit Free Press. they needed whenever they were in South Bend,” said favorite sport. “Bob was the consummate journalist,” said former John Feinstein, a USBWA past president and Hall of “Actually, it was David Thompson who pulled me St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Dave Dorr, who got Fame member. “Roger was to being an SID what Babe into basketball big time. I was a huge fan of his. I don’t to know Pille when the two covered many of the same Ruth was to hitting home runs.” think I ever missed seeing him play at home in the early and Wisconsin games on the Big Ten beat. Valdiserri served 22 years on the NCAA’s Final ’70s.” “Bob knew basketball and football and the Big Ten Four media coordination committee that assisted the Kerkhoff will be attending his 26th NCAA Final and wrote his game stories with a depth of expertise media covering the Final Four. “He was always a voice Four in April. Along the way, he’s covered some 30 and candor. He was quick to criticize when needed, but of reason, finding ways to help writers get their jobs regional finals and semifinals. also had a humorous touch. Bob didn’t take his job as a done,” Feinstein said. BASKETBALL T IMES

The Basketball Writers Association 803 Wildview Lane; Manchester, Mo. Oklahoma City gala 63021. Visit us at: www.usbwa.com 314-795-6821; Fax: 314-444-4333 adding women’s award

The USBWA will add PRESIDENT – Pat Forde, Yahoo Sports; H: 502- a new wrinkle this season 253-9761; C: 502-472-9163; to the association’s [email protected] annual College Basket- Joe Mitch FIRST VICE PRESIDENT – Ed Graney, Las ball Awards dinner in Vegas Review-Journal; C: 702-524-3553; Oklahoma City next [email protected] April. USBWA SECOND VICE PRESIDENT – Vahe Gregorian, For the first time, the Kansas City Star, C: 816-799-6041; USBWA will honor the Executive Director [email protected] national women’s player THIRD VICE PRESIDENT – Dave Teel, of the year named for Newport News Daily Press; O: 757-247-4636; C: former UCLA standout and Olympian Ann 757-897-2049; [email protected]. Meyers Drysdale. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – Joe Mitch, This award will be in addition to the presentation Proceeds from the dinner are used to support H: 636-227-9113; C: 314-795-6821; of the Trophy for Player of the Year, Smith’s Opening Doors charity, which provides [email protected] the Award for Freshman of the Year, financial assistance for undergraduate students from WEBMASTER – Ted Gangi, C: 214-909-9314; the Award for Coach of the Year and the lower-income families to attend college and for [email protected] Tisdale Humanitarian Award. professionals in education and social work to pursue BOARD MEMBERS The dinner will be held Monday, April 11, at the advanced degrees. Students supported by the fund DISTRICT I – Matt Norlander, CBSSports.com, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum just exemplify Smith’s qualities of leadership, service and C: 203-308-7872; [email protected]. outside Oklahoma City. excellence. DISTRICT II – Nicole Auerbach, USA Today, The dinner has been a huge success in the past, The award is presented annually to an individual O: 703-854-5317; C: 908-672-2840; attracting record crowds each year in excess of 500 in college basketball who embodies the spirit and [email protected] people. values represented by Smith. DISTRICT III – Laura Keeley, Raleigh News & ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla serves as emcee for Candidates for the award include both coaches Observer; C: 724-816-7401; the event. and non-coaches, male and female, from all divisions of the NCAA and NAIA. [email protected] The player and coach awards are selected by the USBWA, and the Humanitarian Award is selected by A site for next year’s dinner has not been DISTRICT IV – Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Access Sports, a nonprofit charitable organization in determined. Sun; O: 352-374-5054; C: 352-514-7189; Oklahoma City. Access Sports serves as host for the NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME. [email protected] dinner. The Hall of Fame has renewed its sponsorship with DISTRICT V – Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune; Funds raised through the gala are used to the USBWA for another three years. O: 574-235-6153; C: 574-229-1234; H: support the USBWA’s scholarship program and The Hall of Fame’s sponsorship is the second- 574-272-6223; [email protected] youth basketball programs in Oklahoma that allow longest in USBWA history behind ESPN, dating back DISTRICT VI – John Bohnenkamp, Burlington disadvantaged youth the opportunity to participate in some two decades. Hawk Eye; O: 319-758-8133; H: 319-754-7523; leagues and training. The Hall of Fame is a participating sponsor of C: 319-759-8367; DEAN SMITH AWARD. The first Dean Smith the USBWA’s awards luncheon at the Final Four and [email protected] Award dinner held last November that the USBWA receives an ad in the USBWA directory. ESPN is the DISTRICT VII – Randy Rosetta, New Orleans worked in concert with the University of North title sponsor of the luncheon and has a full-page color Times-Picayune/NOLA.com; C: 225-505-0667; Carolina to honor the memory of the late Carolina ad on the back cover of the directory. [email protected] coach was a “grand slam” in the minds of many who The Hall of Fame initiated a unique television DISTRICT VIII – Robert Gagliardi, Wyoming witnessed the event. show on ESPN last year that featured naming position awards in college after NBA greats – point Tribune Eagle; O: 307-633-3130; Former Georgetown coach John Thompson was the first recipient of the award. guard for Bob Cousy, for , C: 307-421-1861; [email protected] Nearly 600 people attended the dinner that for , power forward for DISTRICT IX – Bruce Pascoe, Arizona Daily included videos of Smith and Thompson and and the position for Kareem Star; O: 520-573-4147; H: 520-529-8483; C: testimonials from North Carolina coach Roy William Abdul-Jabbar. 520-349-1159. [email protected] and former Georgetown players including Sleepy Sculptures were made in the likeness of each NBA WOMEN – Mel Greenberg; C: 215-815-5943; Floyd. player and presented to the award winners. [email protected] AT-LARGE – Seth Davis, ; C: 917-225-5788; [email protected]. AT-LARGE – Jeff Goodman, ESPN; C: Dufresne leaving LA Times 508-397-8936; [email protected]. SID – Brian Morrison, Atlantic Coast Conference; Chris Dufresne will end nearly 40 years at the Los Sportscasters Association. O: 336-369-1002; H: 336-852-4975; C: Angeles Times following the acceptance of his buyout According to his Facebook page, Dufresne will 336-337-4896; [email protected] from the newspaper in mid-November. continue writing in some capacity. Dufresne wrote: Dufresne began work on the Times’ loading “Almost final LAT count: 6,000-ish bylines, 6 million NEW MEDIA LIAISON – Chris DiSano; College docks in 1976 and, following a brief words. All worth it.” Chalktalk; C: 401-578-7538; stint at the Fullerton Tribune, joined Bob Markus, a former sports re- [email protected] the editorial staff in 1981 and was Lodge Notes porter and columnist for 37 years at the TIPOFF EDITOR – John Akers, Basketball the Times’ national college basketball Chicago Tribune, died in mid-October. Times; H: 704-849-8627; C: 980-422-1294; writer since 1995. He is a multiple national award The three-time Illinois sportswriter of the year was [email protected] winner and was named 2011 California Sports- 81. Markus covered college basketball during the writer of the Year by the National Sportswriters and 1980s.

BASKETBALL T IMES There’s no shortage of Most Courageous candidates During his ESPY stem-winder in “They can surprise you, energize you, give 1993, Jim Valvano offered sage advice. you a good reason to believe in the world.” “If you laugh, you think, and you • Kyle Castlin was Columbia’s second- cry,” he said, “that’s a full day. That’s a David Teel leading scorer last season as a freshman, heck of a day.” averaging 10.3 points and starting all 28 Attending the USBWA’s Final Four games. His father would have been proud. lunch virtually assures you a heck of a day. Daily Press Rodney Castlin, a night clerk at a The reason: our Most Courageous Award. suburban hotel, was murdered on Since its 1978 inception, the Most Third Vice President the job in December 2000. His son was 4 Courageous has recognized players, coach- years old. es, administrators, indeed entire programs, Last October, as Kyle prepared for for overcoming myriad hardships. To hear his college basketball debut, police finally their stories, to meet them in-person, to made an arrest. marvel at their strength truly meets Jimmy V’s criteria. “I say this to everybody, but most people discount In a story by Martin Kessler for onebidwonders. Valvano received the award in 1993, a decade after it,” Cronin told the Hartford Courant’s Dom Amore and com, Kyle said his father “basically put a ball in my his national championship at North Carolina State and others at the American Athletic Conference’s preseason hand when I was like 2 years old. Just playing on that mere weeks before his death from cancer. There was gathering. “We’re all day-to-day. When you go through little goal in my home, I started to really get a love for it Arizona’s Steve Kerr in 1988, four years after his father what I went through, you realize that. For most people, … After losing him, I really wanted to make something was assassinated in Lebanon. There was Virginia Tech’s it’s never hit them in the face.” special out of it.” Rayna DuBose in 2003, forging on despite losing por- • Rob Moxley’s heart stopped in the ambulance. There are many other worthy candidates. Graduate tions of four limbs to a bacterial infection in her brain Paramedics revived him, and doctors later determined transfer Jimmy Gavin is excelling this season for Win- and spinal cord. that he had suffered three small strokes. Thank heavens throp after overcoming Crohn’s disease and his younger Given the following nominees for our 2016 Most his wife had been at home and called 911 when he was brother’s death in an automobile accident. Diagnosed with Courageous Award, the USBWA lunch April 4 in Hous- too unsteady to navigate the stairs. arrhythmia in 2013, Northern Kentucky’s Jalen Billups ton promises to be equally inspiring: Five months after that May scare, Moxley was back has played the last two seasons with a defibrillator in his • Isaiah Williams has emerged from a violent section at work as a North Carolina State assistant coach. chest and is among the nation’s most accurate shooters. of Newark, N.J., to become one of Iona’s best players. “I’ve fought through it,” he told the Raleigh News & New Mexico assistant coach Chris Harriman has lived According to a story by NJ.com’s Matthew Stanmyre, Observer’s Luke DeCock. “I’ve rehabbed and I’m back with fear and uncertainty for more than five years as his Williams has lost 24 friends and worries daily about his full-time, working here at State where I want to be, where son has battled leukemia. Stetson guard Divine Myles was younger brother. I love to be. I’m blessed to be here, that’s for sure.” born three months premature, and doctors were surprised “I was close with all of them,” Williams told Stan- • Bryant assistant Chris Burns in October became the he even had eyes and lungs. Illinois guard Tracy Abrams myre. “But they was in the streets, and all of them got first Division I men’s coach to come out as gay and has is on Take 3 of his senior season after a torn ACL and rup- killed by gun violence.” been overwhelmed by the support of Bryant’s program tured Achilles shelved him in consecutive preseasons. • Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin has returned to the and from colleagues such as Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. The 2016 Most Courageous recipient will be an- Bearcats’ bench after missing much of last season recov- “I can’t say enough about believing in the good in nounced in early 2016 and presented the award at the ering from a brain aneurysm. people, the good in human beings,” Burns told USA Today. Final Four. It promises to be a heck of a day. Watch lists for USBWA’s player of the year awards ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Basketball Writers Asso- Miami; Nic Moore, SMU; Monte Morris, Iowa State; Ja- , California; , Syracuse; Ben ciation announced watch lists for the Oscar Robertson mal Murray, Kentucky; , Iowa State; Marcus Simmons, LSU; , Purdue; , Trophy, the Integris Wayman Tisdale Award and the Paige, North Carolina; II, Oregon State; Jakob Arizona; , UNLV. Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. Poeltl, Utah; , Gonzaga; Wayne Selden Jr., Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Kansas; , LSU; , Maryland; Ty- , Oregon; Nia Davis, Baylor; Nia Cof- Here are the watch lists: ler Ulis, Kentucky; , Michigan State; Fred fey, Northwestern; , Rutgers; Diamond VanVleet, Wichita State; , California; Kyle DeShields, Tennessee; Rebecca Greenwall, Duke; Moriah , Duke; , Villanova; Wiltjer, Gonzaga. Jefferson, Connecticut; , George Washington; , Wichita State; , Virginia; Kyle Wayman Tisdale Award Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland; Kelsey Mitchell, Collinsworth, BYU; , Butler; , , Florida State; , Florida Ohio State; Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina; Leticia Rome- Providence; , Kansas; Yogi Ferrell, Indiana; Mi- State; , Kentucky; , California; ro, Florida State; Azura Stevens, Duke; , chael Gbinije, Syracuse; Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin; Buddy , Villanova; , Kansas; Tyler Connecticut; , Connecticut; , Hield, Oklahoma; , Notre Dame; Damian Dorsey, Oregon; , Marquette; Brandon In- Notre Dame; Vivans, Mississippi State; Courtney Jones, Vanderbilt; Skal Labissiere, Kentucky; Caris LeVert, gram, Duke; Skal Labissiere, Kentucky; Dedric Lawson, Williams, Texas A&M; Courtney Williams, South Florida; Michigan; Frank Mason III, Kansas; Sheldon McClellan, Memphis; , Syracuse; , Kentucky; A’ja Wilson, South Florida. Forde CONTINUED from Page 1 make sense, but you never know until you hear it. and the way they do them, and to ask questions. In my experience, dialog is almost always good. I On the flip side, we can make clear the challenges of A few years ago, I was part of a media panel that believe it’s good for us as writers to let those who feel ag- deadline reporting, the pressure to live-tweet a press con- met with Big Ten SIDs for a Q & A at the league offices grieved vent, if they can do so in a calm/constructive way. ference, the difficulty of trying to capture both audio and in Chicago. It was great. The questions from the media- The key is to not let our feelings get bruised, and to actu- visual recordings at the same time, the reasons why we relations folks were almost all thoughtful. Some were a ally listen. We shouldn’t be above learning a few things. ask certain questions. Heck, I’d like to make the simple bit heated. But on the whole, I believe that everyone left We might learn why Mike Krzyzewski does his request to have a 6-foot-10 player stand up when being the meeting with a greater respect and understanding for postgame news conference at the exact same time the interviewed in a postgame scrum, as opposed to sitting what we all do. Duke locker room is open, forcing writers to choose one down and only being audible to the few reporters directly Hopefully we can convene a meeting – or a series of or the other. We might learn why takes a long in front of him. meetings – that do the same sometime this year. I’d like time to appear for his postgame press conference. We Most SIDs I know would value the chance to ex- to hear ideas on this matter from the membership, so we might learn why Virginia doles out access with an eye plain their roles – and the challenges they face – in can open a dialog that serves us all. dropper on a weekly basis. a non-charged atmosphere. Most basketball writers We don’t have to always get along, and probably Not every explanation will be agreeable or even would value the same opportunity to explain their jobs shouldn’t. But let’s try to understand each other better. BASKETBALL T IMES Sports Illustrated writers dominate best-writing contest Writers from Sports Illustrated dominated the US- USBWA Best-Writing Contest BWA’s best-writing contest, winning three of the five ENTERPRISE categories and placing in another. 1. Seth Davis Sports Illustrated Inexorable Scoring Spiral: Blame The Coaches SI’s Brian Hamilton (game story/spot news), Seth 2. John Akers How Did We Get From There To Here? Davis (enterprise) and Lindsay Schnell (moderate length 3. Jeff Eisenberg Yahoo ! Sports Lack of Trust Cripples NCAA Enforcement feature) all claimed first-place entries, and Luke Winn 4. Shawn Krest Basketball Times Male Practice Players Just One Of The Girls 5. Lew Freedman Cody Enterprise Recruiting By Texts, Email, Skype (game story/spot news) finished third. Seth Davis Ken Davis of KenDavisFiles.com finished first in column writing, and Dana O’Neil of .com took first COLUMNS for magazine length features. 1. Ken Davis Ken Davis Files.com A Birthday Call From Dean Smith The contest’s judge wrote: “The contest this year 2. Kirk Wessler Peoria Journal Star Will Greed, Old As Mankind, Be The End Game? was marked by poignant, passionate tributes to the ex- 3. Mike Sielski Inquirer The Best Of Times – And Then It’s Gone traordinary life of Coach Dean Smith. 4. Greg Barnes Inside Carolina.com ‘He Coached You To Be A Man For A Lifetime’ 5. Luke DeCock Raleigh News & Observer The Day Dean Smith Chose Loyalty “Also, entries in the magazine length category were Ken Davis simply outstanding. Winnowing them to five winners was all but impossible. There could have been twice that MODERATE LENGTH FEATURE , maybe more.” 1. Lindsay Schnell Sports Illustrated Random Waltonisms: He Said What! Ken Davis’ winning column was about an unexpect- 2. Zak Keefer Star The Power Of Courage, Foresight And The Pen ed call from Smith on his birthday: 3. Jesse Newell Topeka Capital-Journal How A Dad’s Sacrifices And Love Shaped His Son “ ‘How can I help you?’ Smith asked. ‘I don’t have a 4. Michael Cohen Memphis Commercial Appeal Flip Phone, Steamy Las Vegas, Nonstop Hoops lot of time, but I wanted to return your call.’ 5. Dave Krider MaxPreps.com ‘A John Wooden Kind Of Guy’ Schnell “You don’t ask Dean Smith to call back when it is more convenient. You can’t tell him that the baby is on a blanket in the living room. So you move on and hope for MAGAZINE LENGTH FEATURE 1. Dana O’Neil ESPN.com Austin Hatch: An Uncommon Story the best. Until the baby starts crying. And then the 4-year- 2. Kevin Armstrong New York Daily News Army’s Kelsey Minato Is A Thrill A Minute old starts screaming, ‘Dad, the baby’s crying. DAD, the 3. Brian Burnsed NCAA Champion Magazine Playing For Two baby’s crying! DAD, THE BABY IS CRYING!!!!’” 4. Dick Jerardi Philadelphia Daily News Hank Gathers, 25 Years Later Hamilton’s winning game story was from Wiscon- 5. Leigh Klein Basketball Times Basketball, According To Garf sin’s victory over Kentucky in the Final Four semifinals: O’Neil “In the locker room, they sang and danced. When entered, the Badgers greeted their All- GAME STORY/SPOT NEWS America forward with a ritual all of two weeks old: Whose 1. Brian Hamilton Sports Illustrated On Wisconsin, A Hardwood Glee Club birthday is it!?! Whose birthday is it!?! they shouted, with 2. John Feinstein Washington Post Coach K On Coach Smith: He’ll Live Forever 3. Luke Winn Sports Illustrated Playing For History, Blemished For All Time the freshly 22-year-old Kaminsky bouncing in the middle, 4. David Rogers Blowing Rock News Taking Down The Mighty Red Tornadoes hands in the air. This was a routine adopted after a dinner 5. Kelly Lyell Fort Collins Coloradoan Colorado State Is Left Out at Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles in Los Ange- Hamilton les only last weekend, during which guard Bronson Koe- nig and forward saw staffers cheer birthday the last few minutes. As a result, this game is in danger “And then Stephen Hatch was gone. In the seconds diners this way. Following an Elite Eight win over Ari- of turning off casual fans while losing ground with the it takes a plane to crash, all that wisdom, the map Austin zona, the Badgers invoked the chant in the locker room. younger set, who have more choices than ever before.” was supposed to follow, his beloved role model and best It wasn’t actually anyone’s birthday that night. To know O’Neil’s winning magazine length feature explored friend ... all gone. Forever.” Wisconsin is to know that is far from the point.” the comeback by Michigan’s Austin Hatch from an air- Schnell explored the bizarre world of : Seth Davis addressed a national decline in scoring plane accident that killed Hatch’s father, Stephen. “Considered one of the best players of all-time, Wal- with his winning enterprise story: “It was as if he was giving his son a manual, a how- ton, a 62-year-old former redhead whose hair is now white, “Millions of people are preparing to set their sights to guide to be something more than ordinary, and Aus- lives his life exactly the way he analyzes college basketball on college basketball for March Madness, but the sport tin, so in awe of his dad, drank it all in. He sat like his games on ESPN and the Pac-12 Network: Randomly. He is not ready for its close-up. All season long, there have dad sat and told terrible jokes like his dad did. He got is popular and polarizing, celebrated and sneered at. Un- been games where the winning team struggles to reach good grades, excelled in basketball, spoke politely and predictable and unquestionably authentic. Friendly, too. 50 points. Halftime scores in the 19-17 range have been behaved admirably. Every day he strove to be the best “ ‘I’m Bill,’ he says moments later, sticking out a a nightly occurrence. And because too many coaches use Austin he could be, all the time believing the best Austin giant hand and dwarfing a timid female student with his too many time outs, games become interminable during would have an awful lot of Stephen Hatch in him. 6-11 frame. ‘Two L’s.’” This Final Four, writers will be housed in downtown Houston Writers should have a better experience covering Two Marriott properties have been designated as Credential applications for all rounds of the this year’s Final Four in Houston than the last time the media hotels: The Residence Inn Houston Downtown tournament can be made by going to www.ncaa.com/ event was held in that city, especially when it comes to and the Courtyard Houston Downtown. Room rates media. Applying for parking and a hotel room should hotel accommodations. are $242 per night, plus tax. There will also be a third be done during the credential application process. The media hotels selected by the NCAA are far media hotel – a new Holiday Inn downtown – that the The NCAA will continue to have a media party on more acceptable this time than what was chosen when NCAA will likely hold for media covering the teams. Thursday night, with details still to come. There will be the Final Four was last held in Houston in 2011. The Downtown Hyatt will be the site for the an open bar and a wide variety of food options, with top Living conditions at the hotel were less than ideal USBWA’s annual awards luncheon on the Monday of the chefs from around the city preparing food for the party. then, but the biggest complaint was that the hotel was championship game, and the association’s meeting with The USBWA will have two events at NRG Stadium located miles away from downtown Houston. The media the NCAA basketball committee on semifinal Saturday. – a news conference on Friday at 10:15 a.m. to present the hotel was close to the stadium but little else, including The NCAA will have a shuttle from both airports in Oscar Robertson Trophy to the national player of the year restaurants, was within walking distance. Houston to the media hotels and from the media hotels to and a writing workshop at 9 a.m.in the stadium press box. This time, the NCAA has arranged to have two the stadium. People can also take the train if they’d like. The NCAA announced that the media’s mock media hotels in downtown Houston, located just minutes There is a stop near the media hotels, and it takes you to selection seminar will take place Feb. 12-13 at the NCAA from the NCAA headquarters hotel (Downtown Hyatt) the stadium. It costs less than two dollars. Both the shuttle national office. Those who are interested in attending and coaches’ hotel (Hilton Americas). and the train take about one-half hour to get to the stadium. should contact Dave Worlock at [email protected].