SELECT GROUP College basketball: Duke pounds Maryland, poised for top spot. Page 5C Jack Britt’s Xavier Nixon has been named to the annual Parade Magazine high C school All-American football team. Check out SUNDAY the squad in the magazine. SPORTS January 25, 2009 HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING 3C • TENNIS 7C • NFL 8C • NBA/NHL 9C www.fayobserver.com/sports KAY YOW: 1942-2009 THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE RECRUITMENT OF WORD OF GOD’S JOHN WALL WHAT’S THE DEAL? AP file photo Kay Yow ‘created an amazing awareness’ of the fight against cancer, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Saturday. COACH. MENTOR. TEACHER. PIONEER. Most of us only knew her as a coach, and Kay Yow was one of the best the game of women’s basketball has ever known. But when the N.C. State icon died Saturday after a long, heroic battle against breast cancer, the world lost far more than a coach. Gone is a pioneer, an innovator, an ambassador, a mentor and teacher, a spiritual adviser, and a spirit that inspired hundreds of young women throughout a 38-year coaching career. Yow, 66, had struggled SAMMY with breast cancer since first BATTEN being diagnosed in 1987. It Photographs provided by The (Raleigh) News & Observer and the Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald resurfaced during the 2004-05 season and again in 2006-07, INSIDE causing Yow to miss a total % By Dan Wiederer NCAA RULES of 18 games. But Yow refused Career Staff writer to submit to the wicked highlights, The NCAA rulebook includes recruiting disease and would become reaction, RALEIGH — If John Wall bylaws that attempt to regulate the hiring The point appears just a tad bored, if it one of the leading advocates Page 7C of employees who may be closely tied with looks as if he is just going supporting research to find a % Coach was guard from through the motions, maybe prospective student-athletes. NCAA cure. spokeswoman Gail Dent said the rules are in “The really great thing a symbol it’s because he’s in need of a of courage, Raleigh and bigger stage and hungry for place to protect the student-athlete and about her was that she had greater competition. maintain the integrity of the NCAA and its the courage to fight her hope, Page 1A nation’s No. 1 On this particular member institutions. Dent also said the battle (with cancer) in Wednesday night in early following bylaw, although not worded as such, public,” Duke men’s December, Wall is barely applies to parents, friends and basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said recruit is the breaking a sweat. Yet his AAU coaches of recruits. Saturday. “And as a result, she not only Word of God Holy Rams are fought for her, she fought for everyone who has cancer or will have cancer, and for the talk of the rolling to an 86-47 blowout of FROM THE NCAA’S RULEBOOK families that are involved. She created an St. David’s. BYLAW 13.8.3.3.1 amazing awareness of that fight and served recruiting You want big fish in a A member institution is permitted little pond? This is the very See BATTEN, Page 7C to enter into a contractual scene — definition with Wall, the No. 1 high school basketball recruit agreement with a high school, in the country playing in a preparatory school or two-year MOTOR SPORTS as much for bandbox gym — capacity: 555 college coach for an employment opportunity — against an obviously that begins with the next academic year, the saga overmatched opponent. provided the employment contract with the Kvapil keeps The arena, with just five member institution is not contingent upon the as for his rows of purple bleachers on enrollment of a prospective student-athlete either side of the court, is jammed. At least a dozen and the coach does not begin any coaching positive amid dynamic play. camcorders glow red as Wall duties (e.g., recruiting, selection of coaching makes a steal at midcourt staff) for the member institution while and, with one jet-pack burst, remaining associated with the high school, difficult times See WALL, Page 4C preparatory school or two-year college. By Thomas Pope Motor sports editor Travis Kvapil’s meeting with his boss a few weeks ago was of the good news-bad news va- TWO-FOR-ONE riety. The bad news was that the NASCAR Sprint Baylor’s hiring of Dwon Clifton has raised questions, but it’s far from the first time something like this has happened Cup points Kvapil earned in 2008 were going to in college basketball recruiting. Here’s a closer look at the Clifton-Wall situation, along with some similar events: be transferred to a new team- mate, Bobby Labonte, as well as his entire crew. That 23rd- place finish in the points that guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races of 2009? Those were given to Labonte and Hall of Fame Racing for JOHN DWON MARIO RONNIE DANNY ED MICHAEL DALONTE joining the fold. WALL CLIFTON CALMERS CHALMERS MANNING MANNING BEASLEY HILL The good news? For taking Kvapil one for the team, he’ll have a chance to qualify in at least the first five races { { { { of the season. After that, racing proceeds on a In July, Clifton, Wall’s Mario’s father, Ronnie, was hired Danny ended up at Kansas after Beasley went to Kansas State race-to-race basis, all of it contingent on spon- summer league coach from as Kansas’ director of basketball his father, Ed, was hired by after the school hired Hill, sorship. Greensboro-based D-One Sports, operations in June 2005, a little Jayhawks coach Larry Brown who had previously been a coach was named Baylor’s director more than a year after Mario as an assistant coach just before for the same D.C. Assault AAU It’s a good thing, then, that Kvapil is a of player development. committed to the Jayhawks. Danny’s senior year of high school. program for which Beasley played. See KVAPIL , Page 7C 4C SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 2009 COLLEGE BASKETBALL THE FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER Wall: Top recruit will announce his decision in April From Page 1C kind of dog-and-pony show are you running here? Have you turns it into a left-handed satisfied yourselves that this is windmill dunk just before the all above board?’ ” third-quarter buzzer. Only one problem: The Just like that, the chatter folks at Baylor haven’t elevates. Suddenly, the names exactly been eager to open up of Ty Lawson and Derrick on the matter. According to Rose and Chris Paul are Chris Yandle, Bears assistant bouncing around the stands as director of media relations, so many curious spectators neither Driscoll nor head try to determine Wall’s future coach Scott Drew would agree place on the totem pole of to an interview for this story, elite point guards. sticking only to the statement Visitors here in recent they released at the time of weeks have included N.C. Clifton’s hiring. State coach Sidney Lowe and That testimonial from Drew Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. read: “We're pleased that Dwon But like the helpless Clifton will be joining the defenders Wall bewilders with Baylor family. His professional his ballhandling, the Holy playing experience and ability Rams senior is also toying as a former player to relate to with several college basketball young student-athletes make programs right now. him a great addition to our Wall’s most recent list of staff.” finalists: Baylor, Memphis, In a subsequent e-mail N.C. State, Kansas, Oregon, exchange with the Observer, Miami and Duke. Baylor athletic director Ian Many recruiting experts McCaw wrote, “Dwon Clifton and even more speculative has been a great addition to fans believe Wall ultimately our staff and is doing a will give Baylor the nod. terrific job working with our That’s because in July, Wall’s men's basketball program as summer league coach, Dwon Director of Player Clifton from Greensboro-based Development. Dwon's playing D-One Sports, was given a job experience, both as a in Baylor’s program, successful Division I player accepting the newly created and a professional overseas, position of director of player are a benefit to our players as development. he helps them develop. We Under NCAA guidelines, it believe his ability to mentor was a perfectly legal hire. But our student-athletes will be an at the time, many saw asset to our program.” Baylor’s move as a quid-pro- When asked why the quo strategy of, “Bring John director of player Wall to Waco, and we’ll get development position was you on the payroll.” deemed necessary at Baylor One recruiting analyst said this summer and what on the condition of anonymity: (Raleigh) News & Observer photo specifically about Clifton left “Wall has to end up at Baylor. John Wall’s most recent list of finalists includes Baylor, Memphis, N.C. State, Kansas, Oregon, Miami and Duke. ‘Everybody an impression on the Bears Unless you just think Baylor thinks they know what’s going on in my head,’ Wall says. ‘Everybody thinks they know the answer.’ coaches, McCaw declined was taking a chance that further comment. maybe, just maybe, they legitimate candidates for Lowe found a position for “Based upon the nature of would get John Wall by jobs.” Clifton, the Wolfpack would be these questions, it seems as making that hire. But there’s So, if Wall winds up at higher up Wall’s list than though your story is focusing a big part of me that can’t Baylor thanks in part to his Baylor.