ESPN Network: ESPN.com | RPM | NFL.com | NBA.com | NHL.com | WNBA.com | ABCSports | EXPN | FANTASY | INSIDER

NCAA Tournament
  Bracket
  East Region
  West Region
  South Region
  Midwest Region
  Scores/Schedules
  Rankings
  RPI Rankings
  Standings
  Statistics
  Transactions
  Injuries
  Teams
  Players
  Message Board
  Recruiting
  NCAA StatSearch





Saturday, March 17, 2001
Knight talks with eight hand-picked students



LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) – Sounding more like a teacher than a coach, Bob Knight met Saturday with Texas Tech students who will be asked for input on whether he will be hired by the school.

According to the students, the fired Indiana coach talked about making sure players graduate, building interest in the basketball program and offering lessons – both on basketball and on life.

At least one of the eight students, who were hand-picked by Tech administrators for the breakfast meeting, was swayed.

Before the encounter, said David Kelley, a 23-year-old senior and member of the student government association, "I was feeling that he was going to bring some negativity to the Texas Tech basketball team, kind of like what he was getting in Indiana.

"Everything we heard was negative. I thought he was going to be a fiery guy who didn't get along with the students at all."

It didn't take long for the Hall of Fame coach to win Kelley over.

"Just getting to know him personally, I kind of understand him now, and that changed my ideas about him," the student said.

Dozens of Tech faculty members have signed a petition opposing Knight's hiring, citing several highly publicized outbursts during his 29 years with the Hoosiers.

Knight wrapped up three days in Lubbock on Saturday, including sitting down again with Tech president David Schmidly and athletic director Gerald Myers.

Knight can't be offered the job until Friday because of a university policy that the post remain vacant for 10 business days. It opened when James Dickey was fired March 9 – four days after Schmidly and Myers met with Knight in Florida about the job.

Knight, a friend of Myers' for 30 years, was fired by Indiana in September after grabbing a student by the arm to lecture him on manners. In May, Indiana put Knight under a zero-tolerance behavior policy.

The only basketball player at Saturday's meeting, junior Andy Ellis, said he had no reservations about Knight.

"Coach Dickey was real close to me. He was kind of like a father figure to me," Ellis said. "If he couldn't come back, I think it's great that they went out and tried to get the best coach in America.

"I'm real excited now," the player said. "I can't wait to see if he's going to be our next coach."

Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
ALSO SEE
Formal talks begin between Knight, Tech president

Ratto: All Knight, all the time

Knight arrives in Lubbock, says he could like it there

Tech faculty on anti-Knight crusade before coach's visit

Knight's son: My father will take Texas Tech job