LITTLE ROCK — Once again, UALR has stepped up with a big victory for central Arkansas.
Wednesday, when UALR Athletic Director Chris Peterson and Women’s Senior Athletic Director Andrea Duc announced UALR would host an opening weekend of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in 2012, they included all of the central part of the state as a partner in the event.
Gretchen Hall, director of merchandising and communications for the Little Rock Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, did the same.
It is like a merger, one that will benefit many, but it should be pointed out that it was emphasized that this couldn’t happen without the generosity of the Stephensfamily.
The late, great Jack Stephens donated the money to build the Stephens Center, where the games will be played.
This also shows that UALR did a good job with the 2008 NCAA men’s tournament that was played in Verizon Arena.
The NCAA doesn’t give winning bids to schools that have messed up.
UALR bid in the springand was one of 16 schools informed Tuesday that it would get a f irst and second round. The women’s tournament uses 16 sites, all on campus, compared to the men’s tournament, which uses eight and they aren’t necessarily on a campus.
So in 2012, UALR will host three games. Ticket prices are only $50 per session, and season ticket holders for the Trojans’ games will have a priority, which is the way it works everywhere.
At this point in his life, what happens to D.D. Jones after being arrested for possession of a small amount of marijuana is critical.
Football should be secondary to getting his life back on course.
Jones, a 19-year-old defensive tackle from Bastrop, La., has tremendous upside as a football player, but that potential won’t be scratched until he gets his life straightened out.
He’s a nice young man with a lot of personality, one who was proud of his academic success in the spring.
Jones’ mistake has hurt no one but himself, and he should get the opportunity to make amends.
No word on whether the Vanderbilt Commodores will abandon their hurry-up, nohuddle offense for Saturday’s game against Arkansas, but Coach Robbie Caldwell did pull the plug on offensive coordinator Jimmy Kiser this week.
Kiser, who was in his first season as an offensive coordinator, is moving to quarterbacks coach and running backs coach Des Kitchings will be calling the plays starting Saturday against the Razorbacks.
Vanderbilt ranks last in the SEC in scoring with an average of 18.9 points per game and in total offense at 305.9 a game.
Tight ends and special teams coach Ted Cain called the plays for Vandy last season.
As of this writing, Kitchings had not made a final decision on whether he would call plays from the sidelines or the press box.
Vanderbilt is more than a 20-point underdog Saturday, but this is the same Commodores team that was not favored when it went in to Oxford, Miss., on Sept. 18 and knocked off the Rebels 28-14.
If the Razorbacks get the victory, which would make them 6-2, that would be the earliest they have been bowl eligible since that fateful year of 2006.
That was the year ... never mind, everyone remembers that season. It was when Gus Malzahn called the plays and the Hogs won 10 games for the first time since 1989.
Sports, Pages 19 on 10/28/2010