Spring brings changes for Cavaliers
Groh says 'significant' job of rebuilding lies ahead for new U.Va. coaching staff
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Mar 30, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE - During their four seasons on the University of Virginia football team, kicker Connor Hughes scored a school-record 332 points, tailback Wali Lundy totaled an ACC-record 52 touchdowns, and quarterback Marques Hagans threw 27 TD passes.

"They take a lot of points with them," U.Va. coach Al Groh said.

In addition to Hughes, Lundy and Hagans, nine other Cavaliers who started at least five games apiece in 2005 have departed Groh's program. They include offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who's projected to be among the first 10 players taken in next month's NFL draft, and defensive end Brennan Schmidt, who tied the ACC mark with 51 career starts. And that group doesn't include kickoff specialist Kurt Smith, a senior last season, or starting safety Nate Lyles, who's recovering from neck surgery and may not play again.

When Groh left the New York Jets to return to his alma mater after the 2000 season, he spoke of competing for ACC titles and national championships. It was clear from Groh's comments at a news conference Tuesday that expectations for the Cavaliers should be more modest in 2006.

"We have a significant rebuilding job in front of us," said Groh, whose staff includes four assistants who weren't at U.Va. last season, among them new coordinators for defense, offense and special teams.

Sobering facts abound, including this one: Cornerback Marcus Hamilton, who was a second-team all-ACC pick in 2005, figures to be the only senior on Virginia's defensive two-deep this season. In the Cavaliers' 3-4 scheme, the starting linebackers will include two sophomores (Clint Sintim and Antonio Appleby) and, perhaps, a redshirt freshman (Rashawn Jackson).

"We're definitely young," Sintim said.

This has been a turbulent offseason for U.Va., which opened spring drills yesterday. Mike Brown, a rising sophomore who's expected to compete for a starting job at cornerback, was arrested Monday night and faces felony and misdemeanor charges. Groh announced Tuesday the dismissal of of three key defensive players - linebacker Ahmad Brooks, safety Tony Franklin and end Vince Redd - who had repeatedly violated team rules.

"The choices that people make, they have to live with those choices," Hamilton said. "You can always talk to somebody about lifestyle adjustments and what you think they should do, but it's always just your opinion. It's whether or not a person wants to acknowledge what you've said and take it to your heart."

Virginia finished 7-5 in 2005 after rallying to beat Minnesota in the Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tenn. Now Groh must find new starters at numerous spots, including center, offensive tackle, nose tackle, inside linebacker and safety. The battle to replace Hagans at quarterback figures to draw the most public scrutiny. The candidates are rising senior Christian Olsen, who was Hagans' backup last season; rising junior Kevin McCabe; rising sophomore Scott Deke and left-hander Jameel Sewell, who'll be a redshirt freshman this fall.

If a capable quarterback emerges and the offensive line holds - neither is a given, especially if mammoth guard Branden Albert is academically ineligible this fall - the Cavaliers could have an explosive passing game. Back are three tight ends who among them caught 45 passes for 704 yards and four touchdowns in 2005, as well as starting wideouts Deyon Williams and Fontel Mines and reserves Emmanuel Byers, Kevin Ogletree, Maurice Covington and Bud Davis.

And then there's sophomore wideout Andrew Pearman, who sat out last season after transferring from Hawaii. Pearman is smaller than his big brother, Alvin, who starred at tailback for U.Va., but he's faster.

"He's a playmaker, so we're going to find ways to get Andrew the ball, be it special teams or offense," Groh said.

 

UVa dismisses 3 defenders from football team
Ahmad Brooks, a former preseason All-American, as well as Tony Franklin and Vince Redd are moving on.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Seldom has the distribution of a spring football roster caused the kind of commotion that was raised Tuesday at Virginia.

Two months after UVa had hailed the return of 2005 preseason All-American Ahmad Brooks in a news release, the only recognition of his departure was on a personnel chart under "lettermen lost."

Reporters were quick to notice that Brooks, safety Tony Franklin and defensive end Vince Redd were not on a roster that was handed out prior to a news conference coinciding with the start of spring practice.

Head coach Al Groh discussed several matters of emphasis during the spring before confirming that Brooks, Franklin and Redd no longer are in the Cavaliers' plans.

"I have decided it would be in the best interest of the players and the team that we move on and the players move on with their careers," Groh said.

Groh added that all three players are continuing to take classes at Virginia, which initially caused some confusion over their availability for the 2006 season.

"Some guy beat me to the punch with this one: 'Read my lips,'" Groh said. "What did I just say?

"I can't say that any more distinctly than that, can I? I've tried to address the question directly. I hope there's no gray area in there."

Brooks and Franklin would have been seniors this fall, and Redd would have been a fourth-year junior. They cannot transfer to another Division I-A program and play in 2006, but would have instant eligibility at a lower level.

Another option would be to apply for the NFL's supplemental draft, which might be particularly attractive to Brooks, once considered a potential first-round NFL draft pick.

Brooks, Franklin and Redd could not be reached for comment.

No reason was given for the players' departure, but Franklin and Redd were suspended before a Nov. 12 game with Georgia Tech due to a violation of team policy. Franklin was arrested Dec. 4 for misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Groh had conceded earlier this month that Brooks had some issues that he needed "to work through," not all of them injury-related. Brooks missed six games in 2005 due to injuries.

Neither Franklin nor Brooks traveled with the team to the Music City Bowl, where the Cavaliers defeated Minnesota 34-31.

"It's not a big issue for me," Groh said. "Two of the three players were not a part of what we accomplished in Nashville. Those are personnel decisions we just felt we had to make.

"I think it is essential that we have discipline within our organization, do things the right way and not just chase talent for talent's sake."

Cornerback Marcus Hamilton and quarterback Christian Olsen said players were unaware of any action that might have been taken.

"Nobody's been told anything about Ahmad," said Olsen, tapped by Groh as the No. 1 quarterback going into the spring. "We haven't given it two thoughts. It's just not a subject that comes up."

Virginia has lost four prominent defensive underclassmen since the end of the 2005 season. First-team All-ACC linebacker and longtime Brooks running mate Kai Parham made himself available for the NFL Draft.

Virginia's most experienced linebackers are Antonio Appleby, a true freshman who started the first two games last season, and Jon Copper, a walk-on from Northside High who played in all 12 games last year as a redshirt freshman.

Prior to a question-and-answer session with Groh, UVa senior associate athletic director Jon Oliver said that school officials were aware of an incident involving freshman defensive back Mike Brown but would reserve action until they speak to Brown and Groh.

Brown and Cavaliers' soccer player Michael Giallombardo were charged with a felony and a misdemeanor following a March 3 fight at a UVa fraternity.

Cavaliers top Dukes
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
March 30, 2006

Wednesday night's women's lacrosse matchup between Virginia and James Madison marked the 500th game in the history of the UVa program. Prior to the contest, Virginia honored former team members and coaches with a brief ceremony.
When the game began, UVa's current players honored the program's heritage with their second-highest offensive output of the season.

The fourth-ranked Cavaliers dominated No. 17 James Madison from the opening whistle and cruised to an easy 17-6 win in front of a sparse crowd at Klockner Stadium.

"I think it's a great milestone for the program," said Virginia coach Julie Myers. "Linda Southworth and Jane Miller [former coaches] were here. I think it was awesome.

"I think it was a nice way for them to come back and for our team to play really well in front of them, and kind of show them what they started 30 years ago when they started the program. I was glad to have them here. It really made the night a little extra special."

The win was Virginia's third straight. The Cavaliers (9-2) have seemed to put a sluggish 10-9 home loss to North Carolina on March 18 behind them. Since then, Virginia has outscored William & Mary, Princeton and JMU by a 49-14 margin.

The Cavaliers, who play at No. 2 Duke on Saturday, were led by Tyler Leachman's four goals; Blair Weymouth had three goals and five assists; Kate Breslin also scored three goals.

Behind two goals from Leachman and one from Weymouth, Virginia took a 3-0 lead about midway through the first half. JMU (4-3) made it 3-1 on an outside shot by Amanda Barnes, but Virginia answered with three more goals for a 6-1 lead. The Cavaliers led 9-2 at the break.

"We came out really strong," said Breslin. "It's a huge in-state rivalry. I thought our attack and defense played really well today, and our transition was clicking."

Virginia's only hiccup came early in the second half when JMU went on a 3-1 run to trim the lead to 10-5.

"Madison started the second half really strong," Myers said. "They were driving hard and feeding in the middle. As soon as we called a timeout and spoke to them about keeping sticks up, getting settled and calling numbers out, I think our kids did a nice job of responding and turning the momentum right back in our direction."

Virginia scored four unanswered goals over the next 3 minutes, 50 seconds to take a commanding 14-5 lead.

Myers said she hopes her team is ready for Duke.

"In the last few games we've scored a bunch of goals and have held some pretty good attackers to few goals," she said. "Clearly Duke is a great opponent. They're coming at an awesome time for us to try and put a great game together. I think we're moving in the right direction."


 

Jim Donaldson: Let's give it a rest on Duke being best
01:00 AM EST on Saturday, March 25, 2006

If you're a fan of the Duke Blue Devils, this is going to make you see red.

If, that is, you can see anything at all through those red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes. Just like, you know, the ones J.J. Redick had Thursday night after the top-seeded, highly-regarded -- and highly-recruited -- Dookies were done in by a bunch of kids from Baton Rouge, 62-54.

Which, by the way, raises a few questions about coach Mike "You guys shoot around while I shoot another commercial" Krzyzewski, too.

The great players -- the true champions -- are at their best in the biggest games.

That's what makes them great, what sets them apart.

As Exhibit A, we offer Joe Montana. He played in four Super Bowls and won them all. He was the MVP in three of them. One of them was over by halftime, when he threw for four touchdowns in the first 30 minutes of a 55-10 rout of the Broncos. Against the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, Montana cooly executed a 92-yard drive in the final 3:20, finishing it off with a 10-yard TD pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds to go that gave the 49ers a come-from-behind, 20-16 victory.

He did the same stuff in college. As a junior at Notre Dame, he led the Fighting Irish to a national championship in 1977, trouncing undefeated, top-ranked Texas and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Earl Campbell in the Cotton Bowl, 38-10. But that wasn't as impressive as what Montana did the following year at the Cotton Bowl, against Houston. After remaining in the locker room, where he was being treated for hypothermia, after halftime, Montana returned to the field with Notre Dame trailing, 34-12, midway through the third quarter and rallied the Irish to a 35-34 victory, completing the winning touchdown pass as time expired.

That's greatness.

Michael Jordan. Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson. Tiger Woods. Larry Bird. Wayne Gretzky. Magic Johnson. Jack Nicklaus. Tom Brady. They all played at the highest level under the utmost pressure.

Not Redick. And not Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, either. One of them will be Player of the Year. And deservedly so. They both have had tremendous seasons. But neither of them is a player for the ages.

When Morrison made two free throws, for his 23rd and 24th points, Thursday night against UCLA, the 'Zags had a 9-point lead, 71-62, with 3:23 left to play. But the Bruins staged a remarkable comeback, outscoring Gonzaga, 11-0, the rest of the way to win, 73-71.

With the game slipping away, Morrison couldn't score a point. He missed a jumper at 2:22. He missed a layup at 1:03. He missed another jumper with 25 seconds to go. And so the 'Zags wound up missing out on what, with a little over three minutes to go, had seemed like a surefire trip to the regional finals. Instead of a going to the Final Four, Morrison wound up on the floor, face down, in tears.

There may not be any crying in baseball, but there sure is a lot of weeping in college hoops.

As for Redick, for the third time in four years, he came up small in the regional semifinals. Unable to get away from tenacious freshman defender Garret Temple, he was a dismal 3-for-18 against LSU.

Anyone can have a bad game, you say? True. But how about last year, when Redick was 4-for-14 as the Blue Devils lost to Michigan State in the regional semis? And what about his freshman year, when he scored only five points in a bittersweet 16 loss to Kansas?

Forget about how many points a guys scores against Wake Forest or Clemson in January or February. It's what he does in the NCAA tournament in March that people remember.

Now, the truth is that, in every team sport, even a great player can be shut down. That's when his teammates have to step up. And when his coach has to come up with alternative ways to win.

It was "Bum" Phillips who quaintly, but sagely, said a great coach "can take his'n and beat your'n, or take your'n and beat his'n.'

Let's take a look at the material the legendary Coach K, already an enshrined Hall of Famer, had on hand Thursday night.

In addition to Redick, he had five other former McDonald's all-Americans, primo recruits any team in the country would love to have had.

There was Josh McRoberts, the McDonald's high school Player of the Year in 2005. There was Greg Paulus, honored by Gatorade as the national Athlete of the Year in 2005 because he also was highly-recruited as a quarterback. Sophomore DeMarcus Nelson is the all-time leading scorer in California high school history. Sean Dockery and Eric Boateng also were McDonald's all-Americans.

In addition, the Dookies could call on freshman Jamal Boykin, who was the Gatorade Player of the Year last season in California, and senior center Shelden Williams, who twice was Gatorade Player of the Year in Oklahoma as a schoolboy.

Against that array of top-notch talent from all across the country, LSU had three kids from Baton Rouge -- sophomore Glen Davis, redshirt freshman Tyrus Thomas, and Temple, who tenaciously followed Redick wherever he went.

Duke had all that talent, and Krzyzewski has all those Coach of the Year awards, and yet the Blue Devils were stymied and flummoxed, left frustrated and clueless -- how'd you like it when Davis, after missing a foul shot late in the game, was able to grab the rebound, even though there were four Dookies in the lane, and he was the only LSU player on that side of midcourt? -- by the Bayou Bengals.

This will be heresy to some, and lunacy to others, but it could it possibly be that Coach K is getting by on his reputation?

Yes, he's won three NCAA championships, but just one in the last 14 years -- an inability to finish that might have gotten the legendary John Wooten fired at UCLA.

Another indication of a coach's prowess is how his protégés are doing. Consider the following disciples of Coach K: Tommy Amaker has been unable to restore Michigan to hoops glory. Or even the NCAA tournament. At Notre Dame, Mike Brey is looking more and more like Ty Willingham, a nice man who can't get the job done. Dave Henderson just got fired at Delaware -- Delaware? -- with two years remaining on his contract after his third straight losing season. And Quinn Snyder was fired at Missouri amidst questions of unethical activities.

Similar to all those televised sales pitches featuring coach K, the Dookies try to sell their program as the nation's best -- that Redick is the best player in the country, and Krzyzewski is the best coach in the country.

But I'm not buying it.

 

Hagans finds right recipe for respect
Projected to be drafted as a receiver or running back, Marques Hagans might get a shot to play quarterback.
BY MICHAEL C. WRIGHT
247-4759
March 30, 2006

Grilled Italian or blackened chicken on a bed of fettuccine, fresh broccoli and creamy Alfredo sauce. Sound yummy? Most definitely, if you're former University of Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans.

Problem is, three-fourths of a cup of Alfredo sauce and two cups of pasta - ingredients in Hagans' favorite meal at Applebee's - busts the beltline for 1,000 calories and 67 grams of fat. Not advantageous for a prospect projected to play positions of speed and agility in the NFL, especially when he's scarfing down five such feasts a day, not working out and sleeping in every morning just to play John Madden NFL Football on PlayStation 2 late into the night.

Hagans laughs almost uncontrollably talking about his sedentary lifestyle after UVa.'s Music City Bowl win over Minnesota leading to the February NFL combine, in which he ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash (which is considered slow) while working out as a receiver.

It's funny. It's also the past.

After performing well for scouts last week at U.Va.'s pro day, Hagans might have earned a legitimate shot at being selected next month in the NFL draft. Projected by draft analysts to be a receiver or running back in the NFL, Hagans ran 40s in the low 4.5 range while wowing scouts with an impressive performance at his natural position (he completed all but one pass) despite not throwing extensively since Music City Bowl practices.

St. Louis scouts walked away from the workout pleasantly surprised with Hagans' passing arm, according to an NFL source who wished to remain anonymous because of the secretive nature of the draft. Hagans says St. Louis and New Orleans asked to see him throw.

"(My passes) were right there on the money," he says. "I showed velocity when I had to. I think they were satisfied with my throwing ability."

Which presents another dilemma: Where does Hagans fit? Weighing 210 pounds as a senior at U.Va., Hagans had gained 10 pounds by the time he arrived in Arizona for training sessions leading into the draft. Extra bulk takes the sting off the blows quarterbacks take while standing in the pocket.

But Hagans wasn't working out as a quarterback anymore. He arrived in Indianapolis at 202 pounds, heavier than expected and that might have contributed to slow 40 times.

"It was two or three weeks of eating four or five times a day and not working out," Hagans says of the weeks after his final game at U.Va. "You name it, I was eating it ... living the good life."

After arriving in Arizona the second week of January, Hagans took a nutrition class and switched to a healthier diet. Breakfasts consisted of a wheat bagel, turkey bacon and egg, followed by a turkey sandwich and fruit for lunch with protein shakes sprinkled in throughout the day.

Instead of eating eight chicken tenders and a large order of fries, Hagans began to choose two tenders and a cup or two of vegetables.

Hagans now even shies away from his favorites: the chicken and broccoli alfredo bowl at Applebee's and lobster tails from the Outback Steakhouse.

"I can't whip up anything in the kitchen other than hot dogs and Oodles of Noodles," he says, "but I've always wanted to eat right."

Hagans eventually dropped from 220 pounds to his weight of 198 for pro day at U.Va. He continues to work out twice a day - weight lifting on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, conditioning Tuesdays and Thursdays - while concentrating on throwing, catching, running routes and catching punts.

His performance last week created a buzz among NFL scouts. Hagans improved his 40 times by watching video of his workout at the combine and tweaking his sprinting technique.

"Our college director (of scouting) says he could be a late fourth- or fifth-round pick, but could move up based on what he did last week," says an NFC scout, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"Teams are looking for the guy that can play multiple roles. He's a commodity and people want him. His stock will rise because a lot of people are talking about him."

Hagans, 5-foot-9, is most often compared with former Pittsburgh receiver Antwaan Randle El (a former quarterback at Indiana University), who recently signed a $31 million contract with Washington. Interestingly, Hagans originally signed with Indiana coming out of Hampton High School and was touted as the second-coming of Randle El, who was Hagans' host during recruiting.

Though Randle El never caught on as a quarterback in the NFL, the Steelers gave him opportunities to throw on gadget plays. Randle El launched a touchdown pass during Pittsburgh's Super Bowl win over Seattle. Some scouts envision a similar role for Hagans.

"He's got a cannon for an arm, but he's just too short to play quarterback (in the NFL)," the NFC scout said.

With offensive linemen getting bigger and bigger each year, teams seek taller quarterbacks who can see over the line.

But Marvin Allen, a New England Patriots scout, says some teams might benefit in giving Hagans an opportunity to play quarterback. Lack of height didn't limit Hagans at U.Va., where he threw for a career-high 358 yards against Minnesota in the Music City Bowl.

Hagans also proved he has the mental tools to play quarterback in the NFL after scoring a 37 on the Wonderlic (a test used to gauge intelligence) at the combine. Of the 22 quarterbacks at the combine, just three posted better scores than Hagans. Matt Leinart had a 35.

"(New Orleans quarterback) Drew Brees (6-feet) isn't that tall, (New England backup quarterback) Doug Flutie is 5-9 and (Atlanta quarterback) Michael Vick (6-feet) isn't what you'd call tall," Allen said. "If (Hagans) shows he can play, then you work around those things.

"The thing is, teams have to put in so much time to circumvent those height issues. Some teams say it's worth it, some say it's not."

Hagans says he hasn't set up any visits with teams but has spoken with several. He doesn't know what position he'll play in the NFL and says he doesn't care.

But then again...

"Everybody wants to be a quarterback," Hagans says, laughing again. "I'll always want to be a quarterback."

Lacrosse afflicted by sense of entitlement
David Steele

The suspension of Duke's men's lacrosse season Tuesday while the investigation into sexual assault allegations continues sounded like a blow for responsibility and accountability by the school's administration.

At least it did until yesterday, when the 911 tapes came out. And the reports of all the players - a third of the roster - who had been charged by local police in the past three years, mostly for alcohol-related offenses. And the graphic account of the incident by the accuser.

And now there's an account, by a graduate writing in the Duke student newspaper yesterday, of some 20 lacrosse players in a crowded Durham bar "order[ing] round after round of shots, at times slamming the glasses down on tables and cheering 'Duke Lacrosse!' " and "get[ting] plastered and stumbling" -last Saturday, nearly two weeks after the incident, while players were still standing behind their silence to investigators.

Some accountability. If the out-of-control antics of the lacrosse team weren't just known, but well-known, by Duke officials by the time they were forced to face the music this week, then they have no one to blame but themselves.

They will have to live with the question of whether they should have seen this atmosphere of recklessness, lawlessness and entitlement long ago, when the clues were staring them right in the face - with neighbors complaining about the house where the incident took place, or before the number of players cited for underage drinking, public urination and the like reached 15. They have to wonder if this all could have been avoided had someone cracked down long before.

What happened at that house on the edge of campus, rented by members of the lacrosse team, was more than the "lapse in judgment" Duke players called it. Regardless of whether charges are filed, every description of what happened on March 13 points to something far harsher.

Everything about this, in fact, points to a culture - one of permissiveness about everything the athletes do, from drinking to rowdiness to disrespecting women, to, most of all, expecting to get away with it because of who they are.

Entitlement is at the heart of the issue and at the heart of the fury this incident and its handling has inspired. It's not just about college athletes getting in trouble; it's about lacrosse players. It's a sport of privilege played by children of privilege and supported by families of privilege. The university involved is one of privilege.

Plus, this incident has, as they say, "racial overtones." A pack of white lacrosse players - the one player not asked to submit a DNA sample for the investigation was also the only African-American on the roster - accused of an assault on a black dancer from the nearby historically black college, with passers-by hearing slurs shouted from the house and another woman calling 911 to report epithets hurled at her as she walked by? And a meeting yesterday afternoon between Duke President Richard Brodhead and a group of still-angry students being held at Duke's black cultural center?

"Overtones" is a gross understatement.

Too many people who are close to the sport see this as a symptom of the lacrosse culture for it not to be taken seriously. If any group of people should understand that, it should be those close to the game here - if not just because this is the epicenter of the sport, then because this also was the epicenter of what probably was the worst team-related incident before the one at Duke.

Five years ago, St. Paul's canceled its boys high school lacrosse season when some two dozen players were found to have watched a tape made by a teammate of him having sex with an underage girl. That should give some sense of how ingrained the sort of mind-set that leads to situations like that one at Duke can be.

"I'd put these kids up against anybody," then-coach Mitch Whiteley told The Sun at the time, "and yet, look at what they did. ... I never considered myself old-fashioned, but when you consider what is acceptable behavior to these kids - boys and girls across the board - it's mind-boggling."

Still, the time elapsed from the discovery of the tape to the cancellation of St. Paul's season was eight days. The time that has elapsed since Duke officials first heard about the alleged rape at the players' house is 15 days and counting. Even the phrasing of the season suspension announcement seems to allow for the team to return to action if or when the investigation ends.

Also, while there has been an apology by the players and school to the community at large, none has been offered, at least publicly, to the accuser.

This can happen when you're convinced that no matter what you've done and who you've done it to, you haven't done anything wrong.
 

Issues at Duke spark debate
Athletes' behavior, status on campus come into question
By Jeff Barker
Sun Reporter
Originally published March 30, 2006

Durham, N.C. // By indefinitely suspending its men's lacrosse season, Duke University has addressed the short-term matter of whether the team would continue to play while an investigation continues of an alleged sexual assault at an off-campus party.
But long-term issues remain, not only about the team's future but also about how Duke and other universities can foster athletic team "cultures" that don't presume their members are above the rules, according to officials associated with college sports.

Even if the sexual assault allegations involving team members prove false, Duke officials said the March 13 incident still raises troubling questions about the players' level of respect for women and about underage drinking.

Administrators also have expressed concern about reports that racial slurs were shouted at the party, in which an African-American exotic dancer was allegedly pulled into a bathroom and sexually assaulted by three men at a house rented by lacrosse players.

It was not certain yesterday whether Duke's decision to suspend its upcoming schedule would ease campus tensions even minimally. Students and community members have periodically rallied against what some believe is lenient treatment of team members. The players have been permitted to continue practicing, but two games have been lost to suspension already and Saturday's game against Ohio State is off.

"I just don't know," Donna Lisker, the director of Duke Women's Center, said when asked if protesters would now feel they are being heard. "Innocent until proven guilty is a critical presumption. But these are such serious charges."

As President Richard Brodhead left a news conference to announce that the season was suspended Tuesday night, he was met by placard-waving demonstrators demanding justice for the alleged victim, a student at nearby North Carolina Central University.

Yesterday, Brodhead met privately with a few dozen students about the university's response.

"I don't want to say I'm satisfied, but I will say that what happened in there makes me feel like we're moving in a good direction," sophomore Bridgette Howard said after the meeting, which was closed to all reporters except those working for Duke's student newspaper.

The level of outrage had seemed to increase as details about the allegations emerged.

According to a search warrant, the victim and a fellow dancer told police they had been dancing in a master bedroom but tried to leave when the men watching became "aggressive." Asked by one of the suspects to return, the victim was pulled into a bathroom and someone said, "Sweetheart, you can't leave," the document said. It said she was overpowered by three males and was hit, kicked and raped.

Lacrosse team members said in a statement Tuesday night that DNA tests will prove their innocence. The results are expected next week. Brodhead said players told him there was no sex with the victim - either consensual or forced.

The incident has shaken the lacrosse community.

"One of the things that make it so newsworthy is that it's pretty darn unique for the sport," said Steve Stenersen, executive director of Baltimore-based US Lacrosse, a membership group overseeing the sport. "The allegations are very disturbing on their own merits, and that is magnified because it's lacrosse."

Lacrosse is one of America's fastest-growing sports. Many more games are televised now than five years ago, and organized participation is up 50 percent from 2001 to 2005, according to US Lacrosse.

The challenge for the sport is to make sure its young participants don't begin to think of themselves as "stars," aloof from their classmates. That is a potential hazard when campus athletes become prominent, said Paul H. Haagen, a Duke law professor who has counseled student-athletes.

"Across the country there is a kind of increasing separation of athletes from the rest of the student body," Haagen said. "The culture of athletics increasingly is to demand more of athletes as athletes, and not as, say, history students playing athletics. This is not just a college problem; they're coming into college this way."

Asked how the NCAA might remedy the situation, Haagen replied, "You limit practice times, you limit seasons. I would like to see very much more integration."

Stenersen said lacrosse is still "light-years" away from larger sports such as football and basketball in terms of revenue and exposure.

"But are there challenges that growth causes? There's no question," he said. "Every kid's lacrosse education has to include issues of personal responsibility to themselves, to their team and to the sport itself."

 

Lacrosse players' lawyers object
Defenders say DNA tests will clear team members, and they fire back at prosecutors
Benjamin Niolet, Anne Blythe and Jane Stancill, Staff Writers

Defense lawyers representing members of the Duke University men's lacrosse team say prosecutors are trying to convict their clients in public in a rape investigation before any charges have been filed.
As concerned students meet with university officials and the community continues to hold vigils for the woman who reported being raped by three men at a lacrosse team party two weeks ago, defense lawyers said their clients strongly deny that any assault took place.

During a "Take Back the Night" rally and march on campus Wednesday night, anonymous fliers were placed on nearby cars. They contained photos taken from Duke's Web site of all but four of the lacrosse team players, and urged the players to tell what they know about the incident.

"Each and every one of those young men who were present at this party categorically deny that any assault of any description took place," said Durham lawyer Bill Thomas, who said he represents one of the captains. "The entire Duke lacrosse team looks forward to the results of the DNA test in order to clear their names."

Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong said Wednesday that even if DNA results, which are expected as early as next week, do not match team members, no one is necessarily exonerated. The attackers could have used condoms or might not have been team members, Nifong said.

"How does DNA exonerate you? It's either a match or there's not a match," Nifong said. " ... If the only thing that we ever have in this case is DNA, then we wouldn't have a case."

The lawyers criticized Nifong's frequent interviews in local and national media outlets. Nifong is running to keep his job against three candidates in May.

"The fact that the DA is out in public saying these boys are guilty is just extraordinary," said Joseph B. Cheshire V, a prominent Raleigh lawyer who represents team captain Dave Evans. "I am absolutely convinced, and I think that everyone in that house will testify, that nothing like these allegations happened."

Most of the team members have a lawyer. Durham lawyer Bob Ekstrand said he represents 35 members but wouldn't comment further.

Tension builds

The case, which erupted last week when police took DNA from all but one member of the team, heightened tensions between the city and Duke, a private university sometimes accused of walling itself off from a community with blue-collar roots.

The incident has sparked outrage on and off campus about classism, racism and sexual violence. The woman, an N.C. Central University student and employee of an escort service hired for the party, is black; she told authorities that her attackers were white. The one member of the lacrosse team not DNA tested is black.

Frustration over Duke's response continued Wednesday.

Wednesday's Take Back the Night rally, planned months ago, drew nearly a thousand people. Students and residents walked nearly a mile from East Campus to the landmark chapel on West Campus, chanting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, all rape has got to go."

Ignacio Adriasola, an art history graduate student, had a sign taped to his shirt: "It isn't what Duke has, but what it lax," using the shorthand word for lacrosse.

Jean Leonard, Duke's sexual assault support services coordinator, welcomed rally participants from Duke, NCCU and Durham Technical Community College. TV trucks from national media outlets rumbled nearby. "Tonight is about more than a great media story that the nation has great interest in," Leonard said. "Tonight is more about healing."

Malbert Smith, a Duke alumnus and a Chapel Hill resident, went to the rally because he is unhappy with the way his alma mater has handled the situation. He said he had hoped Coach Mike Pressler and athletics department officials would have taken action against players for having the party and for racial slurs that allegedly were made there.

"For us to say it's basically boorish behavior, I'm offended by that," Smith said. "I'm offended by the fact that the lacrosse team is still practicing."

The community outrage to a case that has yet to produce criminal charges bothered the lawyers.

Durham lawyer Butch Williams represents captain Daniel Flannery. "Once these young men are vindicated, I feel that a big apology from the community is in order," Williams said.

Durham lawyer Kerry Sutton declined to say which player she represents, but she said she expects him not to have DNA trouble.

"If it comes out that all 46 are exonerated, they've still been tagged as rapists," Sutton said.

The incident began March 13 when the team gathered at a home on North Buchanan Boulevard shared by three captains. A woman called 911 just after midnight on March 14 to say that someone outside the house had shouted a racial slur, according to a tape of the call.

Police responded minutes later but took no report. An hour later, authorities received a call reporting a rape.

Medical records

At Duke Hospital, a nurse trained in sexual assault forensics and a doctor examined the woman, court documents say. "Medical records and interviews showed that the woman had signs, symptoms and injuries consistent with being raped and sexually assaulted vaginally and anally," according to the order a judge signed that required the team to submit DNA.

Community groups have criticized the police for a slow response. In a news release Wednesday, authorities explained what investigators were doing in the days after the attack.

They interviewed the woman -- when was unclear -- and developed probable cause for a search warrant, which was served at the house March 16. The residents volunteered to come to a substation for interviews. They then agreed to provide DNA.

Police investigators later spoke with the players' coach and asked him to set up a meeting with the players and investigators March 22, at which the players were to voluntarily answer questions and possibly submit to identification procedures, the release said.

A few hours before the meeting was to take place, a lawyer called investigators and told them that the players would not attend and that legal counsel would be representing them. The District Attorney's Office then obtained an order from a judge that required 46 members of the team to provide DNA samples. The players did so March 23 at a police lab.

Since the incident was reported, details of the case have sometimes emerged faster than Duke officials have been prepared.

President Richard Brodhead was at a news conference Tuesday with Athletics Director Joe Alleva when he learned about the 911 call about the racial slur.

"I have now had the opportunity to listen to the tape," Brodhead said in a statement released Wednesday. "It is disgusting. Racism and its hateful language have no place in this community. I am sorry the woman and her friend were subjected to such abuse."

Early Wednesday, Brodhead met with concerned students, many of whom protested outside his news conference Tuesday.

Other than student media, no reporters were allowed in the meeting, which lasted about an hour.

The students worked on a list of questions for Brodhead and distributed a statement that said: "The university is cultivating and sustaining a culture of privilege and silence that allows inappropriate behavior to plague the campus."

Sonia Dolutskaya, a graduate student, said the meeting was desperately needed after two weeks of silence by the university.

"This is a conversation we need to continue," she said.

Students said some of Brodhead's answers were vague because the officials must wait until the police investigation is done.

"I think people might be looking for answers that aren't available yet," said Wintta Woldemariam, a senior. But the university must condemn the poor behavior and racial epithets, she said.

 

Lax games suspended amid controversy
Mike Van Pelt

As details of an alleged rape at a March 13 men's lacrosse team party continue to unfold, the University announced Tuesday that it has suspended the team's games until a clearer resolution of the legal situation has been reached.

"It would be inappropriate to resume the normal schedule of play," Duke President Richard Brodhead said Tuesday night. "Sports have their time and place, but when an issue of this gravity is in question, it is not the time to be playing games."

As he was leaving the press conference, Brodhead was met by a group of about 100 protesting students demanding answers and a stronger response from the school's administration. Brodhead said he would address students' concerns Wednesday morning at the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture. A group of students and community members convened there in the middle of the night to formulate their thoughts in anticipation of Brodhead's discussion.

The lacrosse team's captains met with Brodhead Tuesday morning and requested that the University "suspend competitive play until the DNA results come back."

In a statement from the captains, they said the allegations of sexual assault and rape are "totally and transparently false" and "because of the intense emotions surrounding these allegations, we feel it is in the best interest of the University, the community and our families that the team should not play competitively."

Brodhead, however, said it is important not just to suspend games until the results of the DNA evidence are disclosed next week but also to suspend all games until the "major legal issues are resolved." He also would not speculate about when or if the team will resume its season.

"At a certain point, we'll know that the uncertainty has been reduced in some way or another such that it seems appropriate to resume play, or it won't be, and we'll continue with the suspension of play," Brodhead said.

The team, which dropped from second to ninth in the latest poll, was supposed to travel to Columbus, Ohio, Saturday to play Ohio State University. Director of Athletics Joe Alleva had already cancelled the team's previously scheduled games against Georgetown University March 25 and Mount St. Mary's College March 28. The two contests were called off to penalize the team for its party, at which underage drinking and the hiring of private dancers occurred. Members of the team admitted to this behavior, which Alleva said is inconsistent with the values of the University and the Athletic Department.

Before the cancellation of the March 25 contest, community members had organized a silent protest that was scheduled to take place at Koskinen Stadium during the game. Acknowledging that such demonstrations could negatively affect the team, Alleva said the University took into account the safety of the student-athletes when it made the decisions to suspend future contests and to remove the team's roster from the athletics website.

Brodhead echoed the sentiments of the athletic director, stressing that the cancellations were not been made to punish any members of the team.

"We have done this in view of the situation we are now in," Brodhead said. "There are questions so grave that are in the air that for us to continue to play would be inappropriate. We have not prejudged the guilt of the team."

Tuesday night's protest after the press conference was the fifth demonstration in four days that members of the community have organized to express their outrage about the rape allegations and the racial remarks reportedly made the night of the party.

Several enraged students raised questions about their safety on campus and asked why the administration has not communicated with the student body about the accusation.

"I promise you, you will see this University respond with great and appropriate seriousness once the truth is established," Brodhead said to the group assembled outside the West Union Building. "I want this to be resolved as quickly as you do."

Still, several students expressed discontent and said the administration should be making a better effort to communicate with the University community about the allegations.

"[The administration] is making us agitated, nervous and upset," sophomore Simone Randolph said. "Since they've taken such a quiet stance on it, we're not confident that they're going to do the right thing."

Alleva admitted that the situation is the most difficult one he has ever dealt with in his 28 years with the Athletic Department. The repercussions of the allegations have been felt not just by the team but by other coaches and the rest of the his department, he said.

Men's lacrosse head coach Mike Pressler has been cooperative throughout the investigation of the allegations and has not tried to conceal any information, Alleva added.

"Coach Pressler has handled this with an understanding of the seriousness," he said. "Like every one of my coaches, he will be evaluated at the end of the year, and we'll go from there."

The Blue Devils, who will continue to hold practices, would have had five regular-season games and the ACC Championships remaining this season, which was supposed to run through early May.

The two games that Duke has already cancelled and all subsequent contests will not count against the team's record because of a clause in the NCAA Division I manual that states, "no forfeit is charged unless the referee or other appropriate contest official has assumed jurisdiction of the contest." The team's record will remain at 6-2.