Brand Defends His Decision; Knight’s Son Voices Anger

Indiana University President Myles Brand insists he made the right call in disciplining Bob Knight in what he said was a no-win situation for the school.

“The route I took was one that was tough and fair,” Brand told the Downtown Kiwanis Club of Indianapolis on Friday. “The tough part is zero tolerance. We expect Coach Knight to change his behavior.”

Knight was suspended for three games, fined $30,000 and ordered to stay out of trouble after trustees investigated accusations of abusive conduct.

Meanwhile, Pat Knight, the coach’s son and an assistant coach, says the family name has been dragged through the mud.

“This isn’t over. This will never be over for any of us,” Pat Knight told the Indianapolis Star. “There were people out there trying to get us fired. I took this personally. This is my family you’re messing with.”

Pat Knight said even his 84-year-old maternal grandmother in Florida received calls from media outlets.

“This has really just gotten out of hand,” he said.

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San Diego State basketball player Walter Small, a former Compton Dominguez High standout, and three teammates have asked the NCAA to investigate the school regarding its decision to not renew their scholarships for the 2000-01 school year. Small, who said he has asked the school for a hearing but received no response, will file an action in San Diego Superior Court on Monday if his request is ignored. Jeffrey Berokoff, Joe Mann and Eric Rohwer--the other three players involved--signed a letter to the NCAA but have not appealed to the school.

Jurisprudence

The murder trial of Baltimore Raven linebacker Ray Lewis and two other defendants could drag on for several weeks despite the judge’s efforts to speed it along.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Alice D. Bonner expressed frustration at the expected length of the case. Earlier, Bonner had told lawyers that the trial should last no more than a week.

District Attorney Paul Howard said it will take at least a week for the state to present its version of the fight that left two men fatally stabbed after a Super Bowl party Jan. 31.

Art Schlichter was ordered back to Indiana to face money laundering charges, a day after the former quarterback was arrested in an Ohio restaurant while making a phone call. Schlichter, whose gambling has brought him legal trouble for almost two decades, waived his right to contest a transfer during a hearing.

Green Bay Packer right guard Marco Rivera was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. A Brown County deputy working a saturation patrol stopped Rivera for allegedly speeding east of Pine Tree Road in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Rivera was clocked at 95 mph in a 45-mph zone, the Brown County Sheriff’s Department said. . . . An attorney for Mark Chmura wants a judge to dismiss a charge that the Packer tight end sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl at a prom party because the complaint is flawed, violating Chmura’s right to due process, according to the motion filed by Bridget Boyle in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Auburn football players Deandre Green and Brandon Reed were arrested after a handgun was fired to break up a fight at a fraternity concert. Green is accused of firing the gun and was charged with reckless endangerment. Reed was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm. . . . Michael Southall, one of the top high school basketball players in Wisconsin last season and a Kentucky recruit, was charged with selling marijuana. After Southall’s arrest, Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith said the scholarship could be revoked.

Pro Football

The Pittsburgh Steelers were fined $150,000 by the NFL and told to pay $400,000 to retired offensive lineman Will Wolford for a salary cap violation the team itself brought to the attention of the league.

The Steelers also will lose their third-round choice in next year’s draft.

San Francisco 49er tackle Dave Fiore recently had surgery on his left knee and is not expected to return until sometime during training camp. General Manager Bill Walsh said he expects Fiore to be ready for the regular season. . . . The Seattle Seahawks re-signed fullback Reggie Brown to a multiyear contract. . . . The Denver Broncos signed free-agent center Jason Johnson. Johnson, 26, had spent the last three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

College Baseball

Loyola Marymount’s Scott Walter hit two three-run home runs and tied a school record by driving in eight runs and Anthony Angel had five of the Lions’ 23 hits in a 19-5 victory over Pepperdine in Game 1 of the West Coast Conference championship series at Loyola Marymount. The winner of the best-of-three series gets an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. . . . In a game featuring eight home runs, UCLA scored the winning run on a wild pitch to defeat Stanford, 10-9, and remain in first place in the Pacific 10. . . . USC freshman Alberto Concepcion hit two home runs and drove in five runs in a 6-1 victory over Washington, the Trojans’ eighth consecutive win. . . . Chuck Lopez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Long Beach State made it hold up for a 2-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton at Blair Field.

Miscellany

Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil moved into the semifinals of the German Open at Hamburg by defeating top-ranked Magnus Norman of Sweden, 6-4, 6-2. Kuerten next plays Andrei Pavel, a Romanian qualifier who defeated Mariano Zabaleta, 7-5, 6-4.

Monica Seles fought off hard-hitting Jelena Dokic, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals of the Italian Open at Rome. Seles, seeded fifth, will face Corina Morariu, who defeated Giulia Casoni, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Bill Elliott won the pole for The Winston at Concord, N.C. Elliott averaged 152.928 mph--shattering the record of 146.830 that Bobby Labonte set last year.

USC’s men’s golfers made a big move in the second round of the NCAA West Regional at Riverbend Golf Course in Madera, Calif., climbing from eighth place to a tie for third. Brigham Young is leading.

The Beach Volleyball America women’s tour stops in Santa Monica today and Sunday. The tournament begins today at 9 a.m., south of the Santa Monica Pier.