05 Apr |
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By Michelle Smith, FanHouse There are such things as freshmen mistakes - and most of them have to do with ill-advised turnovers, not knowing which play you're running or taking a bad shot at the wrong time. Barncastle, who was whistled for a foul for the contact that preceded the punch, left the floor bloodied. After a 10-minute break in which officials reviewed the play on video, Griner was assessed a flagrant foul and ejected from the game. Teammate Morghan Medlock was also given a technical for coming out on to the court. It was a moment of unquestionable aggression by one of the highest profile women's basketball players in the country. It was unsightly and unpleasant and it was an unfortunate moment that could stay with Griner for the rest of her career. Griner has gracefully handled all the media coverage she's received in her first season. She's answered question after question about her ability to dunk. On most nights, she's played to the potential she has as a 6-foot-8 phenom with skills to match her extraordinary size. When she left the game Wednesday night she had 21 points. So this is a moment that seems out of character. But it's also the kind of moment that allows people to draw conclusions about your character. Just ask LeGarrette Blount, the Oregon running back who was vilified and then suspended for the season after punching a Boise State player in the face following the Ducks season-opening game last fall. Blount was reinstated at the end of the season, but that punch will follow him wherever he goes for the rest of his career. Griner has plenty of time to write another story, one about success and not about that moment when she did some really, really stupid. But first there needs to be more punishment. After the game coach Kim Mulkey said she would deal with Griner out of the view of the media. Good luck with that. A high-profile incident with a high-profile player a little more than two weeks before the NCAA tournament isn't going to be able to be dealt with in-house. So the next issue is, what's this going to cost the Bears? Is it enough for the Big 12 to suspend Griner for the final regular-season game, or could her punishment spill into the Big 12 tournament? Does it depend on whether Barncastle is, as Texas Tech coach Kristy Curry fears, unable to play again this season? (Update: Griner was given a two-game suspension.) Griner messed up in a big way and she's going to pay for it. Her team is going to pay for it. How long she pays will be up to her. That's the beauty of being a freshman. There's plenty of time still to fix mistakes. |
