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News Nuggets, 11.16.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Fall signing period nets tall timber for Pirates

The East Carolina basketball program is in store for the infusion of young talent along its front line that the Pirates' new head coach had sought.

Four freshman frontcourt players — ranging in height from 6-6 to 6-11 — have signed letters of intent during the fall signing period to join the team in 2006-07, Coach Ricky Stokes announced Tuesday.

Two of the incoming recruits, Gabe Blair (6-8, 190) and John Fields (6-9, 205) , are in-state products, while Hillary Haley (6-6, 195) and Chad Wynn (6-11, 255) hail from Maryland and Georgia, respectively.

The signings help satisfy a high-priority need identified by Stokes after he was named coach of the Pirates last March.

“We are very pleased with the decision of these four young men to come to East Carolina,” Stokes stated in a press release issued by the school's sports information office. “One of our primary goals during the recruiting process was to strengthen our frontcourt and we were able to sign four versatile players that meet our needs.

"Each of these players had a great desire to be a Pirate and we’re very excited to have them on board.”

Blair (Kings Mountain/Hope Christian HS) averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds last season at Prince Avenue High in Pickens, SC, before moving to the Charlotte area. He played AAU ball for the Charlotte Royals this past summer.

Fields (Fayetteville/Jack Britt HS) averaged 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game as a junior at Fayetteville Academy last season. Fields has since transferred to Jack Britt High School where he’ll play this season.

Haley (Ft. Washington, MD/Friendly HS) was named by The Washington Post one of the D.C. Metro area's top prospects after averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds last season.

Wynn (Marietta, GA/North Atlanta Prep) averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks per game last season at Marietta High School.

From an ECU Athletics release and staff reports.

Tigers, 'Cocks to kiss and make up before game

COLUMBIA — After a year of reflection, review and, in most cases, remorse, Clemson and South Carolina will get together on the field before Saturday's game in a show of solidarity to put last year's ugly brawl to rest.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said he and Clemson's Tommy Bowden signed off on the proposal made by both school's athletic directors. The 19th-ranked Gamecocks (7-3) take on the Tigers (6-4) this weekend at Williams-Brice Stadium.

"If players come out and shake hands or bump fists with the other guy and say, 'Hey, let's have a go at each other. (The) team that plays best wins and that will be decided in a very sportsmanlike manner,' that's good for our state and for both universities," Spurrier said.

The brawl took place in the fourth quarter of Clemson's 29-7 victory at Death Valley last November. The Gamecocks had failed on a fourth-down play when Clemson players lingered too long on top of quarterback Syvelle Newton. Soon enough, shoves turned into punches and both sidelines emptied onto the field.

Retiring coach Lou Holtz was among the first to midfield, trying to pull much larger players off the growing pile. The mob scene stretched nearly 60 yards at one point with brawl hotspots erupting all over the field.

Eventually, order was restored and the game concluded. However, it became the defining moment of the rivalry for the last year.

The fight was shown on national news and sports shows. Both teams forfeited bowl opportunities as punishment. Six players from each team were suspended a game by their respective leagues, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference.

South Carolina linebacker Lance Laury has tried to put the fight behind him because too many negative things came out of it. He is friendly with several Clemson players and thinks a handshake is a nice gesture to show fans bothered by last year's spectacle.

Bowden said he was proud of the response the school's administration took to the brawl.

"I think my players learned a valuable lesson," he said. "I know I did."

South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman said he and Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips wanted a show of respect to start the game in a positive direction.

"So when it's all said and done, the team that wins, wins it with sportsmanship," Hyman said.

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News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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