Prep basketball: Roundup from Monday’s action. 3C
Sports
T U E S D A Y , J A N U A R Y 29 , 2008
WWW.TUSCALOOSANEWS.COM
BALL Crimson Tide gymnastics ranked fourth TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama gymnastics team will be hosting the top-ranked team in the country Friday when three-time defending national champion Georgia visits Coleman Coliseum. Alabama fell one spot to No. 4 in the latest rankings, which are based on average score. The Tide is averaging 196.342 through three meets. Georgia’s average is 196.869, and the Gym Dogs also hold the highest score in the nation with last weekend’s 197.55 at home against LSU. Alabama is ranked third on uneven parallel bars, fourth on floor exercise and balance beam and 10th on vault. Alabama has three gymnasts ranked in the individual all-around, with Morgan Dennis fifth (39.425 average), Kayla Hoffman 12th (39.325) and Kassi Price 14th (39.292). Hoffman, a freshman, is ranked fourth on floor exercise (9.9 average) and fifth on vault (9.892). Price is ranked second on uneven bars (9.908) and 14th on floor exercise (9.867). Dennis is ranked seventh on balance beam (9.85) and 20th on vault (9.85). Terin Humphrey is ranked 13th on bars (9.862), with Brittany Magee 12th (9.837) and Ricki Lebegern 19th (9.825) on beam.
SECTION C
ALABAMA SOFTBALL
Tide sells entire allotment of season tickets By Tommy Deas
Alabama’s Dani Woods connects on a pitch for a sacrifice fly to center in the second inning of the Tide’s game against Mississippi State last season. The Tide, ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll, has sold out its season tickets, with all 1,595 seats sold in the form of season ticket packages.
ALABAMA HOME OPENER
Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA | Patrick Murphy isn’t sure if the University of Alabama’s softball season ticket sellout is more remarkable because it happened, or because of how it happened. The Crimson Tide reached the sellout point over the weekend, with all 1,595 seats at the Alabama Softball Complex sold in the form of season ticket packages. It’s the first time that has ever happened at Alabama, and maybe the first time it’s ever happened anywhere. “We think it’s the first time ever in college softball, and definitely in the South,” said Murphy, head coach of the Crimson Tide. “It’s been like a dream come true.” The sellout was achieved without a big push. Alabama, which has ranked third nationally in attendance the last two seasons, sold about 1,100 season tickets last season. Murphy had hoped to up that number to 1,250
Hampton Inn Bash ■ When: Feb. 8-9 ■ Where: Alabama Softball Complex ■ Teams: Purdue, Jacksonville State, South Alabama
For video of an interview with Tide softball coach Pat Murphy, visit www. tidesports.com for 2008. “By Nov. 1 we had already reached 1,000,” he said. “We really did very little in the way of advertising. It was friends telling friends and word of mouth. We had a neat kind of underground thing going. SEE SELLOUT | 5C
FILE PHOTO | JASON HARLESS
ALABAMA BASKETBALL
UA RECRUITING
Race is on for the No. 1 recruit class
— Tommy Deas F AF ST
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Missing memorabilia creates hurt feelings for Earnhardt
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LAS VEGAS | A mix-up over memorabilia has created hurt feelings with Dale Earnhardt Jr., while his former team claims it’s all a misunderstanding. Earnhardt said Monday he’s upset that all signs of his stint at Dale Earnhardt Inc. had allegedly been removed from the shop. First told of the absence of his memorabilia last week, he originally said he didn’t care. But at the first day of testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt said time to think about it had made him mad. He said the team members that were part of his Daytona 500 victory and two Busch Series championships should be recognized at the shop. “It sort of hurt my feelings that it’s sort of a hack at even the guys that are still there and have worked on that car,” Earnhardt said. “To not see the accolades or any sort of appreciation for the work that they did, and they’re still there.” The absence of Earnhardt-related items was noticed by media who attended a luncheon at DEI last Wednesday. The driver left his late father’s company at the end of last season, and he’ll drive for Hendrick Motorsports this year.
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NEW YORK | Roger Clemens’ agent released an 18,000-word statistical report Monday to rebut allegations the pitcher’s career rebounded about the time he was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs. “Clemens’ longevity was due to his ability to adjust his style of pitching as he got older, incorporating his very effective split-finger fastball to offset the decrease in the speed of his regular fastball caused by aging,” said the report, created by Randy Hendricks and two associates at his firm. Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, claimed in last month’s Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball that he injected the pitcher with steroids and human growth hormone at least 16 times in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Clemens vehemently denies the allegations, and Clemens and McNamee are among five witnesses scheduled to testify before a House committee on Feb. 13. Hendricks’ report, which includes 38 charts, in some ways resembles a salary arbitration case. One of the charts shows Clemens’ ERA was lower than the league average in all but two of his 23 major league seasons. The report also compares variations in Clemens’ career with those of Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling and Nolan Ryan, and maintains slumps often can be correlated with injuries.
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Absolutely foul STRUGGLING AT THE LINE
Clemens’ agent releases report to rebut combating steroids allegations
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Free-thow statistics for Crimson Tide players with a minimum of 10 free throws.
When it comes to free throws, Crimson Tide way off the mark By Cecil Hurt Sports Editor
FT 25
Mykal Riley Att. Pct. 33 75.8
FT 59
Alonzo Gee Att. Pct. 84 70.2
FT 11
Demetrius Jemison Att. Pct. 20 55.0
FT 11
Brandon Hollinger Att. Pct. 20 55.0
FT 75
Richard Hendrix Att. Pct. 139 54.0
FT 15
Rico Pickett Att. Pct. 28 53.6
FT 5
Yamene Coleman Att. Pct. 14 35.7
FT 6
Senario Hillman Att. Pct. 17 35.3
FT 228
Team Att. Pct. 385 59.2
TUSCALOOSA | The epidemic came on suddenly. The University of Alabama men’s basketball team hadn’t displayed any symptoms prior to this winter. But after 20 games, the symptoms are unmistakable: the Crimson Tide has a bad case of the free-throw blues. The Crimson Tide is currently last in the SEC in foul shooting at 59.2 percent from the line. In league competition only, Alabama is 11th, ahead of only Mis- ALABAMA VS. sissippi State. In games like tonight’s crucial 8 NO. 7 TENNESSEE p.m. contest against No. ■ When: 8 p.m., tonight 7 Tennessee, every point ■ Where: Coleman Coliseum counts — and the Crim- ■ Records: Alabama 12-8 son Tide is clearly leavTennessee 17-2 ing points at the line. ■ TV: ESPN ”We’ve talked to all our ■ Radio: 105.9 FM, 1420 AM players about it,” Tide head coach Mark Gottfried said on Monday. “We are always trying to find ways to help them with any part of their game. We’ve looked at tapes and studied each player. You do have to be careful, especially at mid-year, about changing somebody’s shot. I don’t know that coaches feel real comfortable about doing that because foul shooting is a rhythm. “We have struggled there this year, but it is something we work on every day.” SEE TIDE | 5C
To see video of Mark Gottfried’s Monday press conference, visit www.tidesports.com.
N
ational Signing Day is Wednesday, Feb. 6, and Alabama fans are anxious to see if the Tide will land the No.1 recruiting class in the country. The mythical national championship in recruiting is a very useful tool and recruits are paying very close attention. College coaches pay attention as well especially if your class is in the top five in the nation. Scout.com ranks Notre Dame with the No.1 recruiting class this week with Alabama sitting in the No.2 spot with Florida and Miami closing strong. Ten prospects remain uncommitted and still linked to Alabama including in-state Scout. com five-star and the nation’s No.1 prospect Julio Jones (Foley), four-star linebacker Jerrell Harris (Gadsden City), four-star ANDREW defensive end William BONE Green (Spain Park), three-star defensive end Glenn Harbin (McGill-Toolen) and four-star defensive tackle Marcel Dareus (Huffman). The out-of-state prospects include fourstar defensive end Robert Quinn (North Charleston-Fort Dorchester, S.C.), fourstar defensive back Alonzo Lawrence (Lucedale-George County, Miss.), fourstar defensive back T.J. Bryant (Tallahassee-Lincoln, Fla.), four-star offensive lineman Omoregi Uzzi (Chamblee, Ga.) and three-star running back Mark Ingram (Flint-Southwestern, Mich.). The commitments on board are rated some of the best in the country at their position with a couple of sleeper verbal pledges who are extremely talented as well. A Scout.com national recruiting analyst said Monday, “They [Alabama] wanted an athletic quarterback and got Star Jackson. They needed big time play makers at wide receiver and got Melvin Ray, Chris Jackson and Destin Hood.” “Burton Scott could star on either side of the ball at receiver or cornerback. Mark Barron could star at receiver, safety or grow into a linebacker. Devonta Bolton could play either receiver or linebacker.” “The Tide did well in the trenches with a great one in Tyler Love. On the other side of the ball they have committed seven defensive linemen, including 385 pounds tackle Junior College transfer Terrance Cody as well as some athletic ends in Courtney Upshaw, Michael Williams and Dont’a Hightower.” “Damian Square has a chance to be an outstanding outside linebacker and Robby Green is a gem at cornerback.” Alabama has received 26 commitments with two counting as a part of the 2007 class after enrolling in January. Wide receiver Chris Jackson and kicker/punter Corey Smith will get a jump start for Spring with the two allowed to practice with the team. Some Alabama fans need to pace themselves in order to make it to National Signing Day. SEE BONE | 5C