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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1985)
by Jeff Millar & Bill Hinds Tuesday, February 19, 1985/The Battalion/Page 11 ■tMMMMMMHMHMHMiaia iliiiiiiiili dp 1905 NEXT ! SWC coaches learning to stay in sideline box Associated Press ■Being on the NCAA basketball rules committee has its advantages, says Texas A&M’s Shelby Metcalf, speaking not from first-hand experi ence but from watching Arkansas Coach Eddie Sutton. ■Sutton serves on the committee, which voted last spring to institute a coaching box this season designed to keep coaches on — or at least near — the bench, where they theoretically belong. , ■ At a critical point in the Aggies’ game with the Razorbacks in Jan uary at College Station, Sutton ven tured past the little white line to de bate a foul on William Mills. He was not hit with a technical foul for leav ing the box. Metctilf could have lived with that had he not received a tech nical only seconds earlier for stray ing beyond the line. “I guess Eddie’s got diplomatic immunity,” the A&M coacn specu lated several days after the incident. “I’m going to have to get me one of those hog hats because maybe they won’t call you for it if you’re wearing one.” , . Metcalf was joking. Sort of. At the time, it didn’t seem like a laughing matter, especially since Arkansas es caped with a 70-67 win. Hjlf Sutton did, indeed, have diplo matic immunity from the coaches box for his membership on the rules committee, it expired in Dallas three :rveovertkf|d|ys after the A&M incident. t Souths Against SMU, Arkansas twice was called for box infractions. Sutton got a technical early, then (he bench got e men's t« ‘7 know n lot of people in Texas think Vm a wild man, but J think ifs a good rule. The mtmt h.tp down to the scorer's table, like I did in Dallas against Coach Eddie Sutton .KF.csm one late, as SMU took a 3-point over time verdict. Afterward, Sutton fumed that the Hogs were “hosed” by the officials. Since those misadventures involv ing the box early in league play, things have quieted down. The con ference doesn’t know the number of box infractions — “That’s a negative statistic. We don’t keep that,” Bob Prewitt, the SWC’s supervisor of bas ketball officials, tried to explain — but coaches appear to be learning how to live with and within the box. They should, because the rule was enforced on an experimental basis in the SWC last year. The box actually is a line that extends 28 feet from the baseline and ends at a point where, ideally, coaches can’t get to the scorer’s table. It was tried in the SWC last year, Prewitt said, because of the success the Southeastern Con ference had with it in the 1982-83 season. “7 think it’s a good rule, ” said Pre will, the former SMU coach. “It de fines limits on just how far a coach can go.” Some conference followers be lieve the rule was implemented here not because of the SEC’s success with it, but because of a famous Sutton performance at the SWC postseason tournament at Dallas’ Reunion Arena in 1982. In the finals against Houston, the Arkansas coach did everything but moonwalk for the SRO crowd. Tak ing vociferous exception to an offi cial’s call, Sutton stormed onto the court, flung his red sports coat to the ground, strode angrily to the scorer’s table more than once and generally conducted himself in a manner that has attained legendary status in conference circles. “From what I understand, that was part of the reason we’ve got the rule,” said game official Robert Led better of Round Rock, a 17-year offi ciating veteran who has called SWC games for seven years. Sutton, perhaps surprisingly, likes the rule. “I know a lot of people in Texas think I’m a wild man, but I think it’s a good rule because coaches have re sponsibilities they need to accept,” he said. “What I did three years ago was wrong. I shouldn’t have done it. “The intent of the rule is not to call technicals if a guy happens to step six inches over the line. The in tent is to keep coaches from going down to the scorer’s table, like I did in Dallas against Houston. ” Texas A&M Sportscope Twelfth Man organizational meeting set tor Feb. 20 An organizational meeting for all students interested in trying out for the 1985 Texas A&M Twelfth Man kickoff team will be held Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. under the stands on the west side of Kyle Field, next to the football locker room. A&M Wrestling Club wins second State Collegiate Championship The Texas A&M Wrestling Club won its second State Collegiate Wrestling Championship this past week end at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos. All seven members of the A&M team reached the finals and split three individual first-places with SWTSU. The final team standings were: A&M, 69 points; SWTSU, 64.5; Texas, 26; Texas Christian, 14; and Texas-San Antonio, 2. A&M Coach Cliff Walton said the Ags were led by numerous outstanding perfomances, particularly by junior Gerry Holthaus in the 150 pound class. Holthaus pinned two wrestlers, one in just 24 seconds, on his way to the individual title and Most Valuable Wrestler award, selected by the coaches and officials. Ag volleyball team places second In USVBA tournament The Texas A&M volleyball team finished second in a Lone Star Region USVBA tournament held over the weekend in San Marcos. A&M’s new crop of players defeated those from Texas twice during the tourney. The team lost to a team sponsored by Bud Light, which consisted of former Longhorn players. ;pc 0 0 ;oliition it°r j )0S : 30a.fl' an. alter er Bring A Blood Buddy to Blood Drive and Boost the Blood Barometer!! 3000 UNITS GOAL-Spring ’85 2200 UNITS TOTAL-Fall 84 1000 Units Rudder Fountain Pavilion Commons Sbisa 10 am-6 pm 10 am-3 pm 10 am-8 pm 10 am-6 pm OPA STUDENT GOVERNMENT APO o