Little Rock coach clashes with fan
Forget Southern hospitality or Southern comfort. College basketball can turn into a brawl when Arkansas -Little Rock plays Arkansas State, and that’s exactly what happened a week and a half ago in Little Rock, Ark.
With 8:44 left in the game, Arkansas-Little Rock head coach Steve Shields had enough of a bothersome Arkansas State fan. According to reports which were confirmed by videotape, Shields violently pursued a fan after the fan swung a water bottle at Shields’ face. The confrontation was quickly broken up by six police officers, who guarded the Little Rock bench for the remainder of the game.
‘I just saw coach Shields go after him,’ Arkansas State head coach Dickey Nutt told the Associated Press. ‘I thought our security was very good. I thought they handled it very well.’
Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State, which are less than two hours apart, are bitter Sun Belt Conference rivals. Arkansas State won the first contest this year between the two teams, but the Little Rock Trojans took the win in the affair which took place on Feb. 10.
‘I think it’s the best rivalry in the league,’ Nutt told the AP. ‘There are a lot of heated moments and games. But to have an incident between a coach and a fan, there is no place in college basketball for that.’
Original reports accused Shields of leaning over a guard rail and taking hold of the fan’s shirt. Shields said no one was touched, an opinion which was backed up by a video tape from a local television station and Rusty Acebo, the Arkansas State season ticket holder involved in the incident.
‘I didn’t touch the fan and it’s clearly shown on the tape,’ Shields told the AP. ‘I was trying to get security behind our bench for the remainder of the game.’
Shields requested security for his team early in the game, because Arkansas State fans were too close to his players, but he didn’t get the officers he requested until after the incident.
Play wasn’t much more peaceful on the court, where officials called 56 personal fouls.
Arkansas State senior guard Dewarick Spencer accused Little Rock assistant coach Wes Flanigan of starting trouble, too. After a second-half timeout was called, Spencer said Flanigan pushed him on his way off the court. Once this happened, the two began to tangle before referees broke up the skirmish.
‘He’s a coach and I’m a player,’ Spencer told the Arkansas Democratic Gazette. ‘He had no right to push me.’
The intense rivalry mixed with roughhousing on the court built up to the incident between Shields and Acebo. Wright Waters, the commissioner of the Sun-Belt conference, has interviewed 27 people connected with the incident and watched two video tapes, but has yet to make a decision on disciplinary action.
According to Waters, the Sun Belt Conference bylaws state coaches are required ‘to be good sportsman and to act in the best interest of the league,’ and is weighing whether Shields was in gross violation of these bylaws.
‘It’s a game with passion and emotion,’ Little Rock athletic director Chris Peterson told the AP. ‘Sometimes fans and everybody involved get carried away.’
PROVIDENCE (+8.5) AT NO. 15 SYRACUSE
Saturday, Noon, ESPN2
The Friars come into the Dome facing Syracuse, which has failed to beat a top 20 opponent this year. Syracuse will finally outrebound an opponent and win against the Friars.
Syracuse 72, Providence 62
NO. 17 CONNECTICUT (PICK’EM) AT NO. 18 PITTSBURGH
Saturday, 3:45 P.M., CBS
When these two teams last met, Pittsburgh’s Chevon Troutman scored 25 of his 29 points in the second half, while pulling down 12 rebounds. The Panthers should win the game, but Pitt will have trouble if it plays like it did last week in its loss at Villanova. Watch closely, because this game could be foreshadowing for the Big East Championship.
Pittsburgh 65, Connecticut 62
SETON HALL (+10.5) AT NO. 3 BOSTON COLLEGE
Saturday, Noon, ESPN Plus
This one shouldn’t be a tough game for the Eagles, just like a majority of the season. Boston College fully deserved its wins against Connecticut and Syracuse, but when you get to play teams like Rutgers, Seton Hall and Providence twice, don’t go crying for respect. If BC fans want respect, don’t rush the court after beating a team ranked lower than you.
Boston College 68, Seton Hall 59
NO. 2 NORTH CAROLINA (-11.5) AT MARYLAND
Sunday, 5:30 P.M., FSN
Illinois has the record, but North Carolina has the team. Despite an early loss to Santa Clara and a loss to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Tar Heels have been virtually flawless throughout the season. They’ll be partying in Chapel Hill when the Tar Heels are cutting down the nets this March.
North Carolina 78, Maryland 65
NO. 11 LOUISVILLE (-5.5) AT MEMPHIS
Saturday, 9 P.M., ESPN
The last matchup between the Conference USA rivals before Louisville heads for the Big East will be broadcast as ESPN GameDay’s Game of the Week from Memphis. The Cardinals haven’t won at Memphis in two years, but this year Louisville junior Francisco Garcia hopes to put a stop to that.
Memphis 72, Louisville71
