Don't worry, it isn't about the Buffs. We finally get to watch other Big 12 teams make a few mistakes while CU isn't involved. So far, the Buffs have been pretty clean on the off-the-field blotter. Only Max Tuioti-Mariner has been injured this offseason and rumors of Lynn Katoa not cutting it in the classroom is the most we have had to discuss this spring. Knock on wood but that is a big improvement from last year where it seemed like every week a Buff was getting into a fight, etc.. Let's hope the maturation of the team continues in the right direction.
Two other Big 12 teams have had a few issues that are noteworthy
Kansas coach Mark Mangino has indefinitely suspended star WR Dezmon Briscoe and DT Jamal Greene for an undisclosed team violation. No word yet on what caused this or the time frame of the suspension but they are not practicing with the team right now.
In a crazy story, Oklahoma 2009 commit DL Justin Chaisson from Nevada totally lost it on his 15 year old girl friend. Sometimes I wonder what kids are thinking about. You can read the article and thoughts on the incident at Crimson and Cream Machine but this summarizes it pretty well:
After the dispute, the school official made sure the girl was okay. The 15-year-old then left the school with Chaisson following behind her, stopping at a nearby shopping district.
She then got into Chaisson's vehicle, and the two drove to another intersection in Las Vegas.
The girl then escaped from Chaisson's vehicle. The two got into another argument and Chaisson grabbed the girl by her jaw and put a screwdriver to her neck. He also made threats to the 15-year-old.
A friend who had been following the two attempted to rescue the girl, but Chaisson was able to grab his girlfriend again, forcing her into his car.
Chaisson and the 15-year-old girl travelled to a residential neighborhood, where he let the girl out of his car. She immediately called police and a warrant was issued on March 23.
Wow. I watched Chaisson in the Under Armor High School game and he was a beast but this is going to be interesting to see how Bob Stoops handles this. After the Rhett Bomar scandal and the Jarboe incident last year, can Stoops do anything but kick the kid off the team before he even enrolls?
Oklahoma State has also lost three wide receivers this year to suspension, removal from the team and transfer.
Now for some Buffs stories:
The Boulder Daily Camera covers the center position and the competition that will take place between four players: Blake Behrens, Evan Eastburn, Mike Iltis and Keenan Stevens. The tough news is no one has any real experience at the college level as former starting center, Daniel Sanders, was a stalwart at the position. I still like the possibility of Iltis and Behrens there, though. I think the offensive line has a chance to be dominant.
Neil Woelk says something we all know: 2009 will be pivotal for all major CU programs. My favorite part comes when Woelk comments on the progress of the football team and how Hawkins needs to turn the corner. I wish he would have completed the sentence below but well, it would be impossible for someone in the media to actually say that his job is one the line, right???:
Hawkins didn't exactly temper expectations when he pronounced his goal of 10 wins at the team banquet after last season. If he gets close to that number with a team still dominated by sophomores and juniors, it will be a strong sign that better days are ahead.
If not ...
He does have the authority to suggest that the CU women's basketball coach can be fired.