Volume 116, Issue 18
the VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”
ucentralmedia.com vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
TPS to Roll Out New Parking Permits Megan Thele @1bigtime
Copy Editor
Students vehicles are parked in the Liberal Arts Parking lot on October 30, 2017 with their UCO parking passes displayed in the lower corner of their windshield. This year students will have the option to but a cheaper parking pass called the remote/event parking pass. (Vista Archives)
Transportation and Parking Services at the University of Central Oklahoma is introducing a new parking permit, which will cost half the price of a standard permit, to provide a more cost-effective option for students, faculty and staff. Although parking permit prices are staying the same this year, TPS is introducing the new remote/evening permit, which is $62.50 and allows parking in northern parking lots during the day and multipermit lots in the evening, according to Josh Stone, director of Transportation and Parking Services. “The remote/evening parking permit is replacing the North Parking program that has existed in previous years,” Stone said. “This permit is Continued on page 4
UCO Recognized for Service to Santa Fe South Christian Tabak
South Superintendent Chris Brewster said that their partnership with UCO Editor-In-Chief stands out for the institute’s supportThe University of Central Oklaho- ive programming and work within ma was recognized as Santa Fe South Santa Fe’s classrooms. Schools’ 2018 Higher Education “Clearly as a result of the servant Partner of the Year for its compreleadership of [College of Education hensive and generous involvement Dean John] Machell, we have a longwithin the district at the charter term, productive partnership with school’s fourth annual Spring Gala. the College of Education,” Brewster Among the district’s many partsaid. “We have always been warmly ner universities, which also include received, supported and encouraged Oklahoma State University and the by our interactions with the dean and University of Oklahoma, Santa Fe the members of the UCO faculty.”
@CaffeineWallace
While the award recognizes all the ways in which UCO has supported the district as an institution for higher education, the College of Education and Professional Studies accepted the award on behalf of the university specifically for the college’s work in supporting education within Santa Fe South. “Here in the College of Education and Professional Studies we partner with many organizations in the Oklahoma City metro. Santa Fe South is one of our valued partners,” said
Lorene Roberson, who coordinates communications and public relations for CEPS. “We work with Santa Fe South is many ways, whether it be through our student teaching program or our faculty visiting classrooms to share information with students.” Along with the college’s student teaching and classroom visits, it is also an active partner within Oklahoma’s Bilingual Teacher Pipeline Project and the Urban Teacher Preparation Academy programs. Continued on page 4
OKLAHOMA NEWS
Tax Increase
to Help Fund
BRONCHO SPORTS
UCO Golf Takes a Major Swing
Teacher Pay
on pg. 3
on pg. 6
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July 10, 2018
the
VISTA
CONTENTS
Tax Increase.......................................................................3 Parking Permits/Santa Fe.....................................................4 Spor ts..............................................................5 Golf/NBA ...........................................................6 Bucking Broncho.................................................................7
STAFF
Christian Tabak Katie Standlee Jonathan Goudeau Regan Rosson Megan Thele Alejandro Gonzalez Evelyn Stewart Rani Spindle Austein Brown James Jackson Derek Parker Travis Wilson Teddy Burch
THE VISTA
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On the Cover:
Bottom Left: On April 2 at the teacher walk-out march for higher teacher pay at the Oklahoma State Capital a participant in the walk-out hold a sign. The tax increase will be put towards Oklahoma teacher pay. (Regan Rosson/ The Vista).
Bottom Right: A Broncho female golf athlete plays during a fall 2017 golf match (Vista Archives).
Contents
Tax Increase
July 10, 2018
3
Tax Increase to Help Fund Teacher Pay Katie Standlee
@katiestandlee Managing Editor
Tax increases went into effect July 1 in Oklahoma for gas and cigarettes in an effort to fund teacher pay raises. However, some are considering other effects of the tax increase such as cutting down the smoking rate, Oklahoma losing its place as one of the top in the world for oil and gas investment and businesses concerned about losing business. For cigarettes the increase will be $1.03 for a pack of 20, which combined with the previous tax increase from last year, will make the total tax on cigarettes $2.03. For gas the price will go up three cents per gallon and six cents for diesel per gallon. Little cigars are also being taxed the same rate as cigarettes and the oil and gas gross production rate is also increasing from two to five percent for new horizontal oil and gas wells, according to the Tax Foundation. The increase, adminstered by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, occurred after the passage of House Bill 1010. “It’s going to be used to directly fund teacher pay raises and what has been reported is that this will lead to an average salary increase of about $6,000 dollars per teacher in the state,” said James Machell, dean for the College of Education and Professional Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma. Paula Ross, director of Communications for the Oklahoma Tax Commission, said the tax increase will generate in excess of $400 million. “Teachers in Oklahoma are very badly underpaid and have been for a long time,” Machell said. “We are far behind the regional and national average for teacher salaries, and so these added taxes were really badly needed as a source for funding much needed teacher pay raises.” Machell said there are several issues still occurring that this tax increase will not fix, such as a large number of older teachers retiring, a large number of teachers who are leaving the state and profession, and a lower number of students enrolling into teacher education programs. However, he said the increase is a good first step to fixing the problem. Teacher pay is not the only thing that is expected to be impacted, the dollar increase on cigarettes is also expected to lower the smoking rate in Oklahoma, especially among younger generations.
“Some of the numbers that have been crunched say that we should have about 17,000 youths that will not start smoking directly because the price increase on a pack of cigarettes,” said John Wood, executive director for the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. In preparation for the tax increase, TSET raised it’s budget for the tobacco quitting helpline, because the board anticipated an increase in demand. “Recognizing that a price increase in cigarettes does increase quit attempts on behalf of smokers [because] historically we have received [an] increase in callers to the helpline, we wanted to make sure that we had the resources available to respond to those increased phone calls,” Wood said. “We increased our budget, I believe, by half a million dollars to respond to that increased demand. . .” Wood said that even before the tax went into effect, TSET saw an increase in the helpline for those who were wanting to make a quit attempt. “In Oklahoma, 7,500 Oklahomans die every year from smoking related illnesses,” Wood said. “Smoking related illnesses cost Oklahoma a little over 1.6 billion dollars a year, so [the
tax increase] is a way to save lives, and it is a way to save state health care dollars. . .” Cody Bannister, vice president of Communications for the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, said OIPA thinks it will be more difficult for Oklahoma to attract investment and businesses within the oil and gas industry with the tax increase. “We believe it’s going to damage the industry’s ability to bring capital to Oklahoma,” Bannister said. “Now, that’s not to say the men and women who make up Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry are not Oklahomans first, they want teachers to be paid better, they want to ensure core government services are funded adequately, but they can’t be the only industry to be asked to shoulder the load.” Bannister said that according to the Fraser Institute, which surveys oil and gas executives around the world, Oklahoma has been one of the top places in the world for oil and gas. Also, Oklahoma was number one for two years in a row and fell to number two in 2017. When looking at the gross production rate for oil, Ross said that 96.25 percent of the increase will go into general revenue funds, 3.28 percent
will go into funding county bridges and roads, and .47 percent will go to the statewide circuit energy district revolving fund. Ross said those three should add up to 100 percent and that is where the increase from the gross production is going to. Laura Aufleger, vice president for Corporate Communications at OnCue, said she does think that because tribal smoke shops do not have to implement taxes on cigarettes convenience stores will lose business, but that it is hard to tell what the results will be right now. “I do see a lot of folks buying their products out of state and bringing them back, especially with difference in tax that Missouri has on Oklahoma,” Aufleger said. Almost all of OnCue’s charitable efforts go towards helping the youth in the community and they support education and teachers, Aufleger said. “Right now we have a Support Oklahoma Education collectors cup in all of our stores,” Aufleger said. “When you buy the cup, fifty cents will be donated to that stores’ local school system. This was another way for us to support education and the future of Oklahoma kids.”
A person refuels their vehicle with a gas pump nozzel at a gas station. Oklahoma has put a tax on both gas and cigarettes as to pay for the teacher raises. (Pixabay)
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July 10, 2018
Parking Permits/Santa Fe
TPS to Roll Out New Parking Permits Continued from page 1
half the cost of a normal permit and is valid in parking lots 1, 2 and 3 east of Wantland Stadium from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day; from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. the permit is valid in any multipermit lot on campus.” The permit is part of TPS’ efforts to provide more cost-effective options for non-traditional students and students who do not mind walking as far, according to Stone. He added that all parking lots are considered multipermit from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day, providing late night and early morning accessibility with the new permits. Jennifer Sirera, assistant director of Parking Administration said TPS is hoping this will be a popular option for students with evening classes and anyone looking for a lower cost alternative to regular permits. In addition to promoting the new passes, TPS has taken to their social media pages to promote current parking permit offerings that students may not be aware of. Carpool permits are available for commuter students, faculty and staff. Two or more people can share the permit and split the cost of the full-price permit, which usually costs $125 according to Stone. “A benefit of the carpool permit is
that it is valid in the Nigh University Center visitor lot,” Sirera said. The permit also valid in any commuter or multipermit lot around campus
Sirera said that each member of the carpool receives up to six complimentary one-day parking passes per semester for days when they cannot ride in the carpool.
When logging into the UCO Parking and Transportation Services website to purchase a parking permit this is what students will see. The purchase page features new parking permits called the remote/evening permit that is available for purchase for the 2018-2019 school year. (Regan Rosson/The Vista).
“The program has seen a steady 25-30 permits sold per year, which means 50-120 parking spaces stay available due to not selling single permits,” Stone said. TPS also offers bicycle registration for students who regularly use or keep their bicycles on campus. “Anyone can register his or her bicycle on the parking website by purchasing a bicycle permit at no cost,” Sirera said. Bicycle permits are available at the same website, uco.edu/parking, where parking permits can be bought. This process keeps all of a student’s permit information together. “In order to register the bike, we need the bike make, predominant color and the serial number,” Stone said. “We’ve been successful in the past with finding lost or stolen bikes if it is registered.” Even with multiple parking options at the Edmond campus, the downtown UCO campuses require separate parking passes. These passes can be obtained directly from the Carnegie Center and Academy of Contemporary Music offices, according to Stone. These passes for the downtown campuses are available at a lower cost and are available on a semester basis rather than a yearly pass.
UCO Recognized for Service to Santa Fe South Continued from page 1
Launched in November 2017, the Bilingual Teacher Pipeline Project works with Santa Fe South Schools and 17 other school districts to improve education professionals’ training to meet the needs of the Oklahoma City metro’s diverse student population. There are more than 52 languages spoken within Oklahoma City Public Schools and other metro school districts, with approximately 54 percent of the population also being Hispanic. “Santa Fe South and UCO both have complementary missions in serving the needs of the metro Oklahoma City area, with an increasing awareness for the needs of the Hispanic community,” Machell said. As a founding partner of the Urban Teacher Preparation Academy, UCO has worked with OKCPS through the program to not only address the decline in the state’s urban teachers, but to also help provide specialized training for teaching within urban schools.
According to Brewster, Santa Fe South has had a number of its faculty and administrators trained through UCO’s teaching program and the training that they have received was another consideration in UCO being selected for Partner of the Year. “I believe that they have been
prepared to work with our students in ways that other schools are not yet doing so,” Brewster said. “The true awareness of the challenges faced by students in poverty, second-language learners and first generation graduates is present in those who have been prepared by UCO.”
Santa Fe South began as a small charter school of 120 students more than 15 years ago and has since grown to accommodate more than 3,200 students at eight schools across the Oklahoma City metro area.
Attendees dine at the fourth annual Sante Fe South Spring Gala in Oklahoma City on April 19. During the event, John Machell, dean of UCO’s College of Education and Professional Studies, accepted the parter of the year award on behalf of UCO. (Provided/Angela Serna).
Sports
July 10, 2018
5
SPORTS
Thunder Bolster Their Bench
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks the shot of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Raymond Felton (2) in the second half during Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Salt Lake City. Felton signed a one-year deal to return with the Thunder. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
James Jackson
@JamesDJackson15 Sports Reporter
The Oklahoma City Thunder obtained Deonte Burton, Raymond Felton and Nerlens Noel in free agency to help bolster their second unit. Free agent center Noel signed to the Thunder on a two-year minimum deal on July 6 with the second season including a player option, announced by Sam Presti, executive vice president and general manager. “We are excited to bring Nerlens to the Thunder,” Presti said. “In addition to being a multi-faceted defender, he moves the ball at a high level for a player at his position, which complements our existing core.” The 24-year-old, 6 foot 11 inch Noel averaged 9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.41 blocks in 26 minutes per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field over his career. Noel and NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins are the only current players in the NBA to average over 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in the past four seasons. Last summer Noel turned down the Dallas Mavericks four-year, $70 million extension and signed the team’s $4.1 million qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Noel, because of lingering injuries, has appeared in 223 career games and started in 158 through his five seasons in the NBA, averaging 44.6 games played per season. Last season he appeared in just 30 games for the Mavericks, averaging 4.4 points and 5.6 rebounds during his stint. During the season Noel had voluntary surgery on his thumb and was suspended the last five games of the NBA season for violating the league’s anti-drug program in early April. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the punishment for an NBA player who violates the substance abuse policy a third time is a five game suspension. In college as a Kentucky Wildcat, Noel won 2013 SEC Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year while staring in all 24 of the games he appeared in. Noel was also named to the All-SEC team after he led the country in total blocks with 106 on the season and averaging 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 4.42 blocks and 2.08 steals in 31.9 minutes per contest. He had an operation to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, an injury he suffered in his freshman season on March 2013. Even with his injury, Noel was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans with the sixth pick in the 2013 NBA draft, but was then traded to the
Philadelphia 76ers that June for point guard Jrue Holiday and a protected 2014 first-round pick. He missed his entire rookie season due to his knee injury. After three seasons with Philadelphia, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Just a day after signing Noel, the Thunder signed guard Deonte Burton to a Two-Way Contract. The 6 foot 5 inch Burton spent the 2017-18 season with Wonju Dongbu Promy of South Korea’s KBL. There he appeared and started in 63 games, averaging 23.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.65 steals and 1.03 blocks in 31.1 minutes per contest while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. “He’s a hungry kid,” said Vin Bhavnani, Thunder assistant coach. “He’s got very good size, physical strength and the athleticism and foot speed. So he has a chance to be a really good player.” In college Burton spent two seasons at Marquette University then transferred to Iowa State University, where he was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year for the 2015-16 season and was selected to the AllBig 12 Second Team the following season. According to NBA rules, each team is allowed to sign two players on Two-Way Contracts in addition to the standard 15 man roster.
The Thunder are paying an NBA record due to Felton agreeing to a one-year, $2.4 million deal last Wednesday. If the roster stays the way it is currently, through the end of the season, the Thunder will be pay $300 million in payroll and luxury tax for it. The Thunder franchise was purchased for $350 million in 2008 by Clay Bennett. Last season, 34-year-old Felton averaged 6.9 points and 2.5 assists in 82 games with the Thunder. The deal for Raymond Felton marks the return of every Thunder player from last season.
“We are excited to bring Nerlens to the Thunder,” Presti said. “In addition to being a multi-faceted defender, he moves the ball at a high level for a player at his position, which complements our existing core.”
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July 10, 2018
Golf/NBA
UCO Golf Takes a Major Swing Jonathan Goudeau @Goudeau_jdg Sports Editor
It has been a eventful couple of weeks for former and current University of Central Oklahoma golfers. Two-time All-American and 2012 national champion Josh Creel picked up his fourth win on the Adams Professional Tour with a one-stroke victory at the New Hope Oklahoma Championship in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Creel shot 23-under-par 265 at the Golf Club of Indian Springs, firing rounds of 63-64-67-71. He made par saves on two of the last three holes to hold on for the one-shot win, earning the $22,000 first-prize. Creel was a two-time All-American for the Bronchos in 2011 and 2012, winning the NCAA Division II National Championship his senior year. He has competed professionally in several tours, making his first appearance on the PGA Tour earlier this year at the Valero Texas Open. Dillon Rust, another former Bron-
cho golfer, tied for 20th in the New Hope Oklahoma Championship with a 13-under-par 275 total. Rust was a four-year starter from 2009-2013. Current golfer Blake Murray was runner-up at The Railer, Kansas Stroke Play Championship in Newton, Kansas. Murray had a chance to force a playoff on the final hole, but his chip-shot came up an inch short and he finished one shot behind winner Alex Moorman. The junior’s final-round 71 at Sand Creek Station ended the 54-hole tournament with a nine-under-par 207 total after shooting 70-66 the first two days.
be a junior, is a PGA management major from Brownwood, Texas. She owns the Ladies Course record for shooting a 67 (5-under-par) at The Hideout in Lake Brownwood.and
Kansas. She finished in the top-10 twice in the fall. Roberts, who will
Sydney Roberts takes a swing during a golf tournament last season. She was named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team. (BronchoSports)
The UCO women’s golf team’s Makena Mucciaccio and Sydney Roberts were named to the 2017-18 Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team. Mucciaccio, who will be a senior this fall, is a physical education/health major from Goddard,
is now a two-time Scholar Athlete winner. Student-athletes with a minimum 3.50 grade point average are eligible for selection.
Cap Space Affects Teams in Free Agency Travis Wilson
@TheVista1903 Contributing Writer
LeBron James and Paul George are no longer available in this summer’s free-agent pool, but there are other players still on the market. The 2018 offseason has proven to be a deep free-agent class. Most teams started pursuing players when free agency began July
1. As a result, a majority of the teams in the NBA are struggling with cap space, making it difficult to fill their rosters. Due to limited cap space, players are not receiving the deals they had originally sought. Houston Rockets center Clint Capela is at the top of the list of remaining free-agents. Capela, a restricted free-agent, is coming off a career season, setting personal bests in scoring, averaging
Houston Rockets’ Trevor Ariza plays against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 3 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, in Minneapolis. A person with knowledge of the situation says forward Trevor Ariza has agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract with the Phoenix Suns. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)
13.9 ppg, rebounding, with 10.8 rpg and blocks at 1.9 bpg. He was an important part of Houston’s 2018 Western Conference championship run, playing the screen and roll position for James Harden and Chris Paul. Houston has already lost forward Trevor Ariza to free agency and have yet to resign forwards Luc Mbah a Moute and Joe Johnson, as well as center Brandon Wright. Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has yet to make a decision on his future. The 36-year-old former All-Star has an option to retire or resign with the Heat for his 16th NBA season. No other teams are currently pursuing him. Over the past two seasons, the Boston Celtics have made big moves with key players. In 2016, they signed unrestricted freeagent Al Horford. Last season, they landed swingman Gordon Hayward and guard Kyrie Irving. This season one big move remains: Boston has yet to re-sign guard Marcus Smart. The only offer from Boston is the $6.05 million qualifying offer
tendered on June 29th to retain matching rights. As the Oklahoma City Thunder ponder their record-high setting $310 million payroll and luxury tax, they plan to separate with forward Carmelo Anthony. Parting ways with the 15-year veteran could save the team over $100 million.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dunks against Miami Heat guards Goran Dragic (7) and Wayne Ellington (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game. He and the Thunder have agreed to part ways. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
Bucking Broncho
7
July 10, 2018
Sports with Derek Parker
Sports Reporter
@D_Park2
End of a Golden Dynasty?
The Golden State Warriors have won their second-straight NBA title. A team consisting of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green has blazed through the postseason yet again to win their third title in four years. Everything seems to be looking up for Golden State. Four all-stars, two-time MVP Steph Curry signed to a max deal earlier in the season, bagging Kevin Durant for at least another year and a shiny ring to show for all of it. On top of all that, the Warriors went and signed free agent and four time all-star Demarcus Cousins for the measly price of $5.3 million. However, the end may be nearer than you think for the Golden State dynasty. The Warriors championship squad is heavily carried by its core-four in Curry, Durant, Thompson and Green. Steph Curry is a two-time MVP and three-time champion, and is now the highest paid player in the NBA after signing his 5-year $201 million contract. With unlimited range and effortless handles, it seems there is no downside to Curry. The all-NBA point guard has eclipsed the 30-year mark, and by the time his contract is up, he will be 35-years-old, with the average retirement age in the NBA coming around 34 to 35. Not only that, but Curry has battled injuries his entire career, leading to him playing only 51 of the 82 games in the regular season. While Curry is currently still competing at all-star potential, his reign may be over sooner rather than later. Kevin Durant, former MVP and two-time NBA finals MVP, has signed yet another two year deal with Golden State. His deal features a player option after the 2018-19 season, which gives him the option to opt out of his contract with Golden State. While Durant signing back with the Warriors is obviously a plus for Golden State, yet another short-term deal isn’t the news they were hoping for. Durant’s inability to commit long-term to the Warriors could mean he’s open to the idea of leaving in the near future.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the first half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif. Curry might have to rework his contract in order to keep the core-four intact. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
There have also been reports that new Laker Lebron James reached out to Durant to team with him in Los Angeles. With the Warriors, Durant can comfortably keep his eye on possible future destinations. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, all-star anchors for Golden State, will both be free agents in 2019. Both are three-time champs and will be looking to take max contracts after the 2018-19 season. It has already been reported Green thinks he’s deserving of the super-max deal that could be coming to him, and Thompson would be sacrificing nearly $86 million to re-sign with Golden State. Thompson could take a pay cut to keep the squad together, and has expressed it’s not out of the question, it seems unlikely that Golden State will offer Green a max deal. While Green is a key component to the teams success, his stats don’t exactly scream super-max. The bills are starting to add up for Golden State, and retaining their squad is looking to be a financial nightmare.
DeMarcus Cousins has agreed to a deal with Golden State, league source tells ESPN. The last and most recent piece is Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins, who averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds last season, is traditionally one of the best centers in the NBA and the Warriors signed him for only $5.3 million. The kicker: Cousins is coming off one of the worst sports injuries there is - an Achilles-tendon tear. Kobe Bryant suffered the same injury, and seemed to be only a shell of his former five-time NBA-champion self. Cousins is taller and weighs significantly more than Bryant, which will almost certainly factor into the recovery process. On top of his injury, Cousins is known to have one of the more volatile attitudes in the NBA. He had a harsh exit with the Sacramento Kings, and reports are out that teammate and MVP-candidate Anthony Davis didn’t want Cousins back on the squad in the New Orleans Pelicans. Cousins is slated
to make his return sometime in 2019, and while signing a four-time all-star is never a bad thing, it may be too soon to renounce the NBA. The Warriors will have at least one more year of the core-four and Cousins. But with Thompson and Green’s free agency looming, and Kevin Durants ever-watchful eye, future NBA titles might be more up for grabs than they seem.
DeMarcus Cousins (0) dunks against Charlotte Hornets’ Marvin Williams (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game. Cousins has signed a contract to join the Golden State Warriors (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)