BROOMFIELD, Colo. - Suspended Colorado football coach Gary Barnett told investigators there is "no question" there was misbehavior at a 2001 party at the center of a sexual assault scandal, but suggested everyone who attended shared blame.
Barnett, appearing for the first time before a panel looking into recruiting practices at the school, said Tuesday there were 10 people at the off-campus party, including four football players.
"There is no question that the behavior of the 10 young people involved was the result of their own poor decisions and under the influence of alcohol," Barnett said.
Three women have said they were sexually assaulted by players or recruits at the party or just afterward. The Board of Regents' panel will issue a report at the end of the month on whether CU uses sex and alcohol to entice recruits to the Boulder campus.
USF signings imminent
The South Florida men's basketball team expects to sign three players today on the first day of the late signing period, including recent commitment Maurice Mobley of Andress, Texas.
Jucojunction.com reported Mobley, a 6-5, 240-pound power forward for Parkland (Ill.) C.C. who averaged 12.1 points and 8.8 rebounds as a sophomore, will join previous commitments Montavious Waters, a 6-3 guard from Albany (Ga.) Westover and 6-5 guard/forward Marius Prekevicius of Weatherford (Texas) College. USF signed two in the fall, North Richland Hills (Texas) Richland guard Collin Dennis and former Daytona Beach C.C. power forward Solomon Jones, giving the Bulls the maximum of five for their 2004 recruiting class.
The women expect to sign two or three more players. Three junior college players visit this weekend, two from national champion Trinity Valley (Texas) C.C.: 6-2 forward Vanessa Clementino of Aracatuba, Brazil, and 5-5 guard Chanae Early of Atlanta. The third is former Texas shooting guard Stephanie Thiel, who played at Seward County (Kan.) C.C.
MORE BASKETBALL: Saint Joseph's Jameer Nelson (5-foot-11) was honored as the best college player under 6 feet by the Basketball Hall of Fame. He is the first consensus Division I player of the year to receive the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. ... Kansas assistant Norm Roberts was named St. John's coach.
MORE TV TIME?: USF's season opener against Pittsburgh could be picked up by ESPN and moved from Sept. 4 to Sept. 6, Labor Day, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The game would be played in the afternoon before the FSU-Miami game. ESPN spokesman Mike Humes said the Pitt-USF game is among a large pool being considered for ESPN or ESPN2. It also could be moved to Sept. 5, and as part of the deal another USF game would be broadcast by ESPN, possibly Oct. 2 vs. Southern Miss. AD SEARCH: Five more applied for USF athletic director: Clarence Williams III, customer service representative, Qwest Diagnostics; Richard Konzem, former senior associate AD at Kansas; James Tyson II, CEO and co-owner, Sideline Signatures; Joseph Bierdon, AD at El Paso (N.M.) Community College; and Juan Perez, VP of operations/business development, Vici Marketing in Pinellas Park. USF has 19 applications.
- Staff writer Pete Young contributed to this report.
