Ex-UW Coach Nance Hired At Sw Baptist

Former University of Washington head basketball coach Lynn Nance has been named head coach at Southwest Baptist University.

Nance, 53, has held head coaching jobs at Iowa State, Central Missouri State and St. Mary’s College of California. His most recent post was at Washington, where his teams were 50-62 from 1989 to 1993. His career record as a head coach is 270-86, including 114-35 at Central Missouri.

He has worked since 1994 as director of a company that conducts national and international basketball clinics.

Nance will also serve as an assistant athletic director and as associate director of compliance at Southwest Baptist.

Big Ten’s little showing

The Big Ten’s black eye in the NCAA tournament the past two seasons has caught the nation’s eye.

“Unless we make a quick turnaround, there will be less of us invited,” Iowa coach Tom Davis said after losing to Arizona and becoming the last of the conference’s five basketball teams to exit the tournament.

Top-seeded Purdue and Iowa were the only Big Ten teams to make it to the second round this season. In 1995, the Boilermakers got the only victory as the six teams were 1-6. The league’s ‘95 and ‘96 record is 3-11.

“We’ve (Big Ten) backed ourselves into the corner,” Purdue coach Gene Keady said. “I imagine they’re going to judge that and use it as criteria. But next year, if we have eight great teams in the Big Ten, I hope they would evaluate it on what we’re doing that year, not on the past.”

A win for Rutgers-Camden

Three weeks ago, the provost of Rutgers-Camden (N.J.) ended the school’s basketball program, declaring it a lost cause. After all, the Pioneers had lost 108 straight games.

Amid pleas from students and criticism from a national sports magazine, Walter Gordon reconsidered. On Tuesday, he brought Rutgers-Camden basketball back to life, saying the team had more backers than he thought.

The Division III Pioneers went 0-24 this season, their fifth straight losing season. Their last win came against Ramapo College, 74-73 on Jan. 18, 1992.

ASU recruits won’t be charged

Three Arizona State University basketball recruits won’t face criminal charges in the alleged sexual and physical assault of a female student and another woman, authorities said.

Maricopa County attorney Rick Romley said a review by his office showed there was little chance that any of the men, all freshmen, would be convicted if charges were brought.

Romley cited inconsistencies in witness statements and evidence that some of the people involved had a previous sexual relationship.

Following the alleged Feb. 28 attacks, Arizona State suspended Tommie Prince and Rico Harris, both 18, and George Gervin, 19, the son of NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin. All had been arrested on suspicion of assault and unlawful imprisonment.

One woman told police she was raped. Authorities said the other was “physically mishandled” in Prince’s dormitory room. Police confiscated a BB gun from Prince’s room after the women, both 18, told police the athletes had threatened them with a gun. Schools officials said the athletes would remain suspended until receiving a full report from Romley’s office.