Sports digest 11/1/01

McGriff to remain a Cub for 2002

CHICAGO -- First baseman Fred McGriff will be back in a Chicago Cubs uniform for the 2002 season, the team announced Wednesday.

McGriff, 38, exercised his player option and will return to the team for a second season. He came to Chicago on July 27, when the Cubs acquired him from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to add power to the lineup and discourage pitchers from walking Sammy Sosa.

McGriff had a no-trade clause in Tampa Bay and initially balked at coming to Chicago before agreeing to be traded for pitcher Manny Aybar and infielder Jason Smith. With the Cubs for 49 games, he hit .282 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs. Including his time with the Devil Rays, he batted .306 with 31 homers and 102 RBIs for the season.

Georgia St. basketball player dies after accident

ATLANTA -- A Georgia State University basketball player died early Wednesday morning from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Andre Tooks, a 21-year-old junior from Lenexa, Kan., was on his way to practice in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday at about 3:15 p.m. when a Dodge Durango ran a red light and struck Tooks' truck, a police report says.

Tooks was taken to Grady Hospital with head and chest injuries. He died at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.

It was not known immediately whether charges would be filed.

Georgia State head coach Lefty Driesell said Tooks, who transferred this summer from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas, was a popular player admired by his teammates for coming back from a foot injury.

"All the players through the years have kind of been like children to me, but it's nothing like a real mother and father has to go through at a time like this," Driesell said in a statement.

Kids can attend SEMO game free

Southeast Missouri State University will be holding two special free admission promotions when the Indians' football team faces Eastern Kentucky at 6 p.m. at Houck Stadium.

First, the contest will be part of NCAA football's annual "Take a Kid to the Game" program. Youngsters age 15 and under will receive a free ticket with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket.

Also, the game will be part of "Cape Youth Tackle League Day." All Cape Youth Tackle League players wearing their jerseys will be admitted free.

SE concludes Dig For Life campaign

The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball program has concluded its Dig For Life campaign for the season, collecting more than $5,500 with the majority of the proceeds going to the Buddy Check 12 program at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

The Otahks posted 379 digs this month.

"What I wanted to do was create a community awareness about the disease and have a way for the athletes to give something back to the community," Southeast coach Cindy Gannon said. "We wanted to double last year's total and we came up just a bit short, but I'm still very happy."

NCAA board expected to make decisions

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA's Board of Directors is expected to make a decision Thursday on a new basketball scholarship rule that has upset coaches.

The proposal would place a two-year moratorium on the so-called "5/8 rule" that prohibits schools from awarding more than five scholarships in any one year and no more than eight over a two-year period. It also would increase the two-year limit to nine.

If approved, the "5/8 rule" would be back in place in 2003-04 with one modification -- a one-scholarship credit when the combination of players graduating and leaving early exceeds the amount of scholarships they could normally award.

The athletes leaving early must be on track to graduate in five years.

-- From staff, wire reports