Other College Sports Capsules: Sutton pleads guilty, gets probation in drug case
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Apologizing for a series of "terrible mistakes," former Oklahoma State coach Sean Sutton was sentenced Friday to three years of probation after pleading guilty to illegally obtaining prescription drugs.
Sutton agreed to testify against two people who allegedly supplied him with adderall, clonazepam and oxycodone as part of a plea agreement covering four felony counts tied to his February arrest. He was also ordered to pay more than $2,850 in fines, perform 100 hours of community service in the next year and complete more drug rehabilitation treatment.
Sutton responded to Judge Stephen Kistler's questions with "Yes, your honor," and "Yes, sir," when asked if he understood the allegations. When asked why he was pleading guilty, he said: "Because I did it."
"I just want to apologize to you, your honor, the court and the people of the state of Oklahoma," Sutton said when given the chance to address the court. "I've made terrible mistakes and I'm very apologetic to everyone."
Sutton's probation could be revoked if he violates the terms, which will likely include random drug testing. Otherwise, Sutton would be cleared of any charges and be without a felony conviction on his record if he stays clean through Aug. 9, 2013.
"I'm certainly for sending dealers and manufacturers to prison and we do quite often, but for somebody that the real crime is being an addict, we try to give them an opportunity to rehabilitate and we help them along the way with the terms and conditions of probation," District Attorney Rob Hudson said. "He'll be on a pretty short leash with the court and our office."
Sutton was arrested Feb. 12 after agents from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs said he picked up a shipment under another person's name that included about 40 pills, including the anti-anxiety drug clonazepam and two forms of the stimulant adderall.
The agency had previously placed Sutton in a drug rehab program but, according to court documents, he ended up meeting two people who would become his suppliers after he got out.
Hudson said charges were "forthcoming" against those two, but they are not currently in custody or facing any charges.
Sutton pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled dangerous substance (oxycodone) by fraud, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance (oxycodone) without a prescription, attempted possession of controlled dangerous substances (clonazepam and Adderall) and use of a communications device to facilitate a felony.
Sutton said he entered treatment at the Cirque Lodge rehabilitation center in Utah six days after his arrest as "a broken man, recognizing I could lose everything I treasured in life." He said he spent 115 days in treatment, 25 longer than the program is intended to last, and he plans to stay in touch with his sponsor and support group and attend meetings.
"The inpatient treatment that Mr. Sutton had is probably the longest and most extensive that I've ever seen, which is a good thing," Hudson said.
The judge emphasized the importance of Sutton continuing his rehab — including another two weeks at Cirque Lodge — and said the court will use its leverage to make sure he complies.
"It's never as easy as just flipping a switch and it's over with. It's a battle every day," Sutton said before the hearing. "You have to make a commitment to do your program every day. If you don't and you miss enough days, eventually it's going to get a hold of you again."
Sutton knows that from experience. He is the son of Eddie Sutton, the former basketball coach who won more than 800 games in a career that included a stint at the Betty Ford Center to fight an alcohol addiction between his time at Kentucky and his return to Oklahoma State, his alma mater.
Sean Sutton took over the program when his father stepped down following a drunken driving crash in 2006, going 39-29 in two seasons in charge of the Cowboys.
Cirque Lodge director Gary Fisher said Sean Sutton spoke to schoolchildren as part of a community service program and became a leader for others going through treatment. Sean Sutton's wife, Trena, has also helped launch an awareness campaign about the illegal use of prescription drugs in Oklahoma.
Sean Sutton said he hopes to return to coaching and believes it would help him fight his addiction, which initially started after he had been prescribed medications to help with migraine headaches and lower back pain. He said he had been a part of a team from first grade until he resigned as the Cowboys' coach in 2008 at age 38.
"Idle time is no good for anybody," he said. "When you're not doing things productively every day, you don't feel good about yourself, and I felt lost for the first time in my life.
"Other than my kids and my wife, I didn't have anything to really motivate me and get me to look forward to the day. As a person that's been very driven throughout their life, I was lost."
Right now, though, he said his coaching career isn't his top priority.
"I made the statement I got consumed. I thought that's what I was: I was a basketball coach. But really, that's what I do. It's not the person I am."
Calipari, UK head to Canada for exhibition games
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — John Calipari is taking his young Kentucky squad to Canada this weekend for a three-game exhibition trip where seven newcomers will get an early preview of the coach's system.
With just four returning players, Kentucky has had 17 practices the last 10 days to prepare for the trip — and Calipari said the early workouts have been sloppy.
"But I'll tell you, they're all trying. They're here early," Calipari said. "I've challenged them. Some of (the practices) were cerebral on the court but they still were an hour and 15 minutes. The scrimmages, we stretched out a little longer because we're playing eight or nine guys."
Kentucky will play three games in three days in Windsor, Ontario; Sunday's opener is against the University of Windsor, Monday's game is against the Western Mustangs and Tuesday's finale is a rematch against the University of Windsor.
The Wildcats' lineup in Canada will look a little different than it will once the season starts in Lexington. Freshman center Enes Kanter will not play in Canada, Calipari said, because the NCAA is reviewing his eligibility and have not yet made a decision. Kanter has been cleared academically, but his amateur status has not yet been decided. He played for a professional team in his native Turkey.
Another newcomer, junior college transfer Eloy Vargas, will not make the trip. Vargas is still completing a course at Miami Dade College and was unable to enroll in the mandatory three credit hours at Kentucky to attend the trip.
That leaves nine players on the roster. Thankfully for Calipari, he has unlimited timeouts and unlimited fouls during the games.
"I don't know if TV knows that," Calipari said. "I told them I'm calling as many timeouts as I need. If I need to stop it, I'm stopping it."
With a short roster, Calipari said he hopes to find out which of his young players can make crunch-time shots like John Wall did last year.
"It's hard to lead when you start," Calipari said. "Derrick Rose did not lead right away (at Memphis). He was trying to figure it out. It's hard to tell somebody, 'You don't know what you're doing.'"
To help teach his players what winning and losing feel like, each drill in practice has had a winner and a loser.
"I want players in practice having to win games," Calipari said. "Win that drill."
Indiana hoops powers to meet in 2011
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's top college basketball programs will come together in 2011 when Butler, Purdue, Indiana and Notre Dame participate in a doubleheader.
The event will be held in Indianapolis.
Athletic directors Barry Collier of Butler, Fred Glass of Indiana, Jack Swarbrick of Notre Dame and Purdue's Morgan Burke will meet Monday at the state Capitol in Indianapolis to sign a memorandum of understanding and announce the matchups for the inaugural event.
Butler is coming off an NCAA runner-up finish. Purdue has reached the Sweet 16 the past two years. Notre Dame has been a regular in the NCAA tournament the past decade. Indiana has fallen on hard times, but has won five national titles.
UConn given more time to respond to NCAA
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The NCAA is giving Connecticut more time to respond to allegations that the school's basketball program committed eight major rules violations.
The university was expected to respond by Aug. 20, but says the deadline is now Sept. 3. The school says the extension was based on requests by the coaches cited in the allegations of May 21. UConn does not say which coaches asked for more time.
Former assistants Beau Archibald and Patrick Sellers resigned amid accusations that they lied to investigators, who found hundreds of improper calls and texts from UConn staff to recruits. Coach Jim Calhoun also is cited in the NCAA report for failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance.
Georgia signee Lalanne denied admission
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia basketball coach Mark Fox has lost a member of his signing class. Forward Cady Lalanne of Orlando's Oak Ridge High School has been denied admission to the University of Georgia by the NCAA's eligibility committee.
The committee ruled Lalanne did not meet initial-eligibility requirements. The 6-foot-8 Lalanne averaged about 17 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks last year.
He was rated the nation's 21st best center by Scout.com and the nation's 37th best forward by ESPN.com. Fox says he is "extremely disappointed" for Lalanne.
Women's Basketball
Loyola women's basketball completes staff
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Loyola University New Orleans head women's basketball coach Kellie Kennedy has hired two new assistant coaches.
They are Lindsay Werntz and Denis Aidoo.
Werntz comes to Loyola after a head coaching stint at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas in 2007-08. In addition to her coaching duties, she created a strength and condition program and also handled all the operations of the program such as budgeting, fundraising, and scheduling.
Aidoo, a part time assistant, joins the Wolfpack after a one-year stint as an assistant coach for the Slidell High School boys' varsity basketball team where he coached the junior varsity and freshman teams. From 2005-07, he served as an assistant for the Pope John Paul High School girls' basketball team.
College
Alabama A&M dropping men's soccer
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Alabama A&M is dropping its men's soccer program after the upcoming season to save money.
The program won a pair of Division II national titles. Bulldogs athletic director Betty Austin says the decision "broke my heart."
Alabama A&M plays as an independent because the Southwestern Athletic Conference doesn't have soccer. Austin says that was the biggest reason for choosing that sport to cut.
The Bulldogs' final schedule includes a game with defending NCAA champion Virginia and an invitation to a tournament at Nevada-Las Vegas.
Austin says the university will meet all its scholarship obligations.
