WAC boss could overturn Nailon's 1-game suspension

FORT WORTH, Texas -- What was Lee Nailon thinking?

Apparently, the Texas Christian star center wasn't when he hauled off and smacked UNLV's Mark Dickel 34 seconds into Saturday's game between two of the Western Athletic Conference's most heated rivals -- won by the Rebels in overtime, 95-88.

And because Nailon wasn't prone to using good judgment, he'll get a chance to think about it tonight when the 24th-ranked Horned Frogs travel to Tulsa for a key Mountain Division matchup and Nailon's sitting in street clothes.

Or will he?

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said Sunday night he will review the tape of the game to determine whether referee Bill Gracey properly processed the call.

If Benson believes that Gracey, a veteran official who is one of the WAC's best, did not execute the call properly, he could overrule Gracey and allow Nailon to play against the Golden Hurricane.

"TCU has asked me to review the tapes of the game, which I will do," Benson said. "As of now, he (Nailon) is suspended because the NCAA rules are very clear that a player who is ejected for fighting must sit out a game.

"The only way I can overturn the call was if a gross error in applying the rules was made."

In a statement issued by TCU's sports information office following the game. Gracey said, "I am reporting Lee Nailon to the league because I thought that he threw a punch when there was a dead ball."

Nailon made the trip to Tulsa Sunday with the team.

Benson, who will confer with supervisor of officials Bobby Dibler before making a ruling today, said TCU is questioning whether the foul was reported as fighting or just flagrant. If it is the latter, there is precedent to still suspend Nailon. The previous case also involved a UNLV player.

In 1997, Sunshine Smith and San Jose State's Rich Taylor got into a scuffle on the floor and Smith was assessed a flagrant foul and ejected. Benson ruled that Smith had thrown a punch and suspended him for UNLV's next game, which also, ironically, was against TCU.

Last season, Kaspars Kambala and Wyoming's Jeff Allen exchanged cheap shots in the second half of a conference game in Laramie. Allen's blow to the back of Kambala's head went undetected by the refs. But Kambala's retaliatory blow, a swipe of the back of his hand to Allen's face, was seen.

Kambala was ejected, again for a flagrant foul. Benson again ruled that Kambala would have to sit out one game. Kambala did not play the following game at Air Force.

As for the play itself Saturday, Nailon had just turned it over by stepping on the baseline 34 seconds into the contest. As he complained to the refs that Kambala had fouled him, he held onto the ball.

Dickel, who was trying to wrest the ball from Nailon so he could get play restarted before TCU could set up the full-court press it likes to play, got smacked in the face for his efforts.

Dickel, to his credit, kept his temper in check. He shook off the effects of the slap and got himself together.

"It's not like he hit me very hard," Dickel said. "But sometimes, you've got to take one for the team."

Hoop du jour The fireworks didn't end when the final horn sounded. On the way to the locker room, former Western High star Prince Fowler got into a heated exchange with a couple of UNLV players and coaches before being hustled into the TCU locker room. Fowler, you may remember, transferred to UNLV from Oklahoma but never played for Bayno, opting to join Tubbs at TCU in 1995. ... Speaking of Fowler, he had a tough night shooting, going 3 for 11 and playing with four fouls most of the second half and overtime. But he still had 12 assists and just two turnovers. Dickel, his opposite number, had 11 assists and four turnovers in the battle of the WAC's top two assist men. ... Lost in all the hubbub was the play of UNLV's bench, which outscored TCU 34-13. Desmond Herod's 18 points was the big difference.

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