5
Sports
Friday, February 1,1991
The Battalion
Sports Editor
Watch out for
patterns in Aggie
linebacker spot
ith the dominant sports story
of the this young semester (there are still
14 weeks left) focusing on the perils and
hardships of Ker-
mit Davis Jr. and
the Texas A&M
basketball team, I
feel it’s time to
give it a rest.
Should the
program come
out of the investi
gation smelling
like a rose, Davis
will undoubtedly
turns things
around.
Douglas Pits
Asst. Sports Editor
Basketball will rise again, but in the
midst of all this confusion a very
interesting situation is developing on the
horizon. A situation that bears an eerie
resemblance to something that this
campus has seen twice before. One can
only wonder if it will happen again.
But first, in case anyone’s forgotten,
football makes a brief return to the
limelight next Wednesday, Feb. 6. That’s
the day that talented high school seniors
across the nation officially decide on
which college campus they will display
their wares for the next four to five
years.
Last year, on the national signing
date, A&M fished with one the top five
freshman classes in the land.
Defensive linemen Kefa Chatham,
Eric England, wide receiver Tony
Harrison and tight end Greg Schorp all
made valuable contributions to the team
as true freshmen last year. In addition,
some of the bigger names like
quarterbacks Jeff Granger, Steve
Emerson and running back Greg Hill
were redshirted.
This year the Aggies once again are
battling with the University of Texas for
the state’s top recruits. As with many
recruiting seasons, controversy swirls
around those attempting to decide
between the two schools.
Someone claiming to be Sam Adams,
one of the state’s best defensive lineman
from Cypress Creek, called A&M head
coach R.C. Slocum early one morning
and various stories about members of
the media steering players to one
university or the other are making the
rounds.
The Aggies have already gathered up
some verbal committments from some
top players, the most interesting, and the
one already alluded to, is a quarterback
named Tommy Preston.
The situation that Preston, the all-
state quarterback who led A&M
Consolidated to a 28-2 record over the
last two years, finds himself in can be
likened to that of two other quarterbacks
who once decided to come to Aggieland.
However, those two didn’t make their
mark as Aggies by heaving the pigskin
into the arms of a receiver speeding
See Pils/Page 6
Medlock adjusts to new role
By STEVE O BRIEN
Of The Battalion Staff
Shawn Medlock’s basketball career is in a
state of transition.
But you could never tell from the way
she plavs.
Medlock, a ju
nior transfer
from McClennan
Community Col
lege in Waco, is
A&M’s main gun
when the Lady
Aggies go to the
running game.
Shawn Medlock
Aggie head coach Lynn Hickey primarily
uses Medlock as the point guardbut Med
lock played off-guard at McClennan where
she developed into a scoring threat.
“She’s still in a transition phase, from
playing shooting guard in junior college,”
Hickey said. “What we’re asking her to do
now is a little difficult.”
Medlock’s quickness and ball handling
ability are what forced coach Hickey to
make a point guard out of her.
Davis denies
NCAA rules
violations
By SCOTT WUDEL
Of The Battalion Staff
Kermit Davis Jr. said Thursday that he
has not violated any University policies or
NCAA regulations in his first year as Texas
A&M basketball coach.
Davis told reporters during a press con
ference that published reports by various
media have been inaccurate, and the uni
versity investigation will prove those accusa
tions are false.
“Specifically, concerning allegations that
I have in the past paid sums of money to
Rob Johnson for the purpose of securing
basketball players to Texas A&M — I abso
lutely deny this activity,” Davis said.
“It simply just didn’t happen and I’m cer
tain this will be brought out in the investiga
tion.”
The University began an intensive inves
tigation into the A&M basketball program
after reports surfaced Dec. 20 in a Syracuse
newspaper alledging possible violatibri^ of
NCAA rules.
The controversy centers around former
University of Syracuse basketball player
Tony Scott.
Scott, who transferred to A&M last fall,
accused the A&M program of twice paying
talent scout Rob Johnson’s travel expenses
to College Station, and paying for more
than $1,400 in long distance phone calls.
Davis is also accused of paying Johnson
$2,400 to be a counselor at one of his bas
ketball camps last summer.
An in-house investigation conducted by
Vice President for Finance and Administra
tion Robert Smith is reportedly in the final
stages, Davis said.
Once a scorer in junior college, Medlock
now contributes to her ballclub with assists
and court leadership.
And the leadership she gives is quiet, for
now.
“You have to remember that she’s going
through the same things a freshman does
because she’s a transfer.” Hickey said.
“The kids know she’s a dedicated player
and a hard worker, and next year, after
some more experience, she’ll be able to give
us the verbal leadership we need.”
But Medlock takes it all in stride.
“I can handle it anywhere they put me,”
she said.
Medlock learned how to be adjustable
way back in the fifth grade when she played
on an all girls team in an all boys league.
“We never won a game,” Medlock said.
“It was so much fun. I was the first time I
played organized basketball.
“All I ever wanted to play against was the
guys. I never wanted to play with the girls.”
Medlock’s 5-foot-5-inch frame also cre
ates a challenge, but she works around it.
“My quickness makes up for a whole lot.
because now I’m having to guard (oppos
ing) guards that are two or three inches up
on me and 10 or 15 pounds heavier,” Med
lock said.
Hickey knew from the beginning that
Medlock would be a star at A&M.
“I think Shawn was one of the best junior
college guards we had seen all year,”
Hickey said.
Medlock, however, is looking to start
playing even better this season, she said.
“I haven’t played as well as I can play,”
Medlock said. “I’ve just been playing about
average. I haven’t been playing much but
I’ve been doing the other things just about
as well as I can.”
Medlock is averaging 6.8 points per
game and 3.3 assists a game. She also has 25
steals for the season.
For the Lady Aggies so far this season,
success has been sporadic, but the team re
mains positive.
“We have spurts in a game where for five
or six minutes, we don’t play well, but over
all I think we’re playing pretty well,” Med
lock said.
JAY JANNER/The Battalion
A&M coach Kermit Davis Jr. denies allegations of wrongdoing.
Smith did not return phone calls Thurs
day.
Davis said A&M President William Mob
ley will study the results of the investigation
once it has been completed.
The coach said he called the news confer
ence to clear the air of the speculation sur
rounding the ongoing investigation.
Davis revealed that Johnson was a legiti
mate candidate for a graduate assistant po
sition.
“After what I considered at the time a
thorough evaluation of his qualifications,”
Davis said.
“After visiting with him on the phone,
and our staff visiting with him, it was mu
tually determined after he came to College
Station that he would not be my graduate
assistant and I would fill it with Barry Sand
erson.”
Davis said he also wanted to quell rumors
that Johnson accompanied Scott on his re
cruiting trip to A&M last summer.
See Kermit/Page 6
Alan Lehmann 845-2688
Hill bright
spot for Ags
By MICHELLE BERGERON
Of The Battalion Staff
Yvonne Hill is a colorful performer
both on and off the court.
The senior community health major
brings a vibrant personality as well as tal
ent to the Texas A&M women’s basket
ball team. In addition to leading the
team with 38 steals, she averages 15.8
points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
To get focused before each game Hill-
goes through some rather unorthodox
rituals.
Yvonne admits with a sheepish grin,
that to become totally intent on what she
is going to do, that she colors in coloring
books.
“It relaxes me and gets my mind
clear,” said Hill. “When I color I think
about the goals I want to achieve and
what the team needs to do, and I write
these things down.”
She also said right before the game
she listens to a couple of gospel and
Christian tapes on her Walkman to relax.
Hill’s colorful personality helps her to
be a leader on the court. That’s nothing
new for Hill, the lone senior starter for
the Lady Aggies.
See Hill/Page 6
Aggies host
hotHorns
From Staff and Wire Reports
The Texas A&M men’s basketball team
begins the second half of its Southwest Con
ference schedule Sunday when it meets the
University of Texas in G. Rollie White Col
iseum.
Tipoff is slated for 1:06 p.m., which is a
change from the original 2 p.m. starting
time. The game will be televised by Ray-
com-TV.
The Aggies made the rounds in the con
ference without winning a game and now
stand at 5-14 overall and 0-8 in the SWC.
Included in those eight losses is a 93-67 loss
at the hands of the Longhorns on Jan. 2 in
Austin.
A&M is coming off a hard-fought 77-64
loss to Houston on Tuesday, while Texas
easily took care of Southern Methodist on
Wednesday 96-80.
Aggie head coach Kermit Davis Jr. said
that guard Isaac Brown is still on indefinite
suspension, but that center Shedrick An
derson will return to the starting lineup.
Both players were suspended before the
Houston game.
The Longhorns are on a hot streak with a
13-5 overall record and a 7-1 SWC mark.
Davis said he’s wary of how well Texas is
playing.
“Texas is coming on strong and may be
playing as well as Arkansas,” Davis said.
“Whenever A&M and Texas play, it’s a big
game, one that both teams look forward to.”
TEACH FOR AMERICA
interview spots available
February 8, 1991
Teach For America is a national
teacher corps of talented,
dedicated individuals from all
ethnic backgrounds and academic
majors who work for two years in
urban and rural schools that have
persistent teacher shortages.
•Salary: $17,000-$29,000
•Loans: deferment (Stafford/GSL) or
cancellation (Perkins/NDSL possible
to sign up for an interview and pick up an
application, stop by Texas A&M Career
Planning and Placement