The Sideline

LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Basketball teams from the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will play in the same arena on the same night next year, but they won't play each other.

Twice next season, the Razorbacks will play after UALR in the Trojans' new arena in North Little Rock.

Opponents and dates are still to be determined.

UALR Athletic Director Rick Mello said some details are being worked out, but that the Razorbacks will net a majority of the profit.

"For us, the big deal is exposure,' he said. "It's a chance to put our team on the floor in front of a lot of fans that perhaps haven't had a chance to see us play before. It will give us two more games that become big events, that will be spectacles."

He thanked Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles for going along with the plan.

"Obviously, this is something they didn't have to do," he said.

"It just seemed like the right to do," Broyles said. "We're part of the same system and we should work together."

UCA player earns GSC baseball honor

Chris Whitford, an outfielder-pitcher for the University of Central Arkansas baseball team has been named Gulf South West Player of the Week.

Whitford, a senior from Pulaski Academy, was 10 of 16 (.625) last week, including two doubles, a home run, four RBI's and three runs scored.

In an 8-0 victory over Williams Baptist, Whitford was two for three with two runs scored and pitching a complete game, two-hit shutout.

In 14 games, Whitford is hitting .440 with five doubles and eight RBI's.

Volleyball player signs with UCA

Alicia Stephens of Sheridan has signed to play volleyball for the University of Central Arkansas.

Stephens, a 6-foot, middle-hitter, was named to all-state and all-state tournament teams in 1997-98 and was all-conference from 1996-98. She was the most valuable player in AAAAA-South in 1997.

Sheridan was the conference champion from 1996-98 and went undefeated in conference play in 1997-98. Last year, the Yellowjackets made it to the final four of the state tournament.

Stephens has a 3.8 grade-point average.

ASU's Dickey Nutt gets 5-year contract

JONESBORO (AP) -- Arkansas State University officials made it clear Tuesday night that Dickey Nutt is the man they want coaching their basketball team.

Athletic Director Barry Dowd announced that the school was awarding Nutt a five-year contract at $250,000 per year. The announcement came hours before the Indians were scheduled to depart for New Orleans and their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Nutt, promoted to head coach four years ago after eight years as an assistant, is in the first year of a two-year contract. About a year ago, the school raised his salary almost $30,000 to $91,000.

The new contract makes Nutt the highest-paid employee in the athletic department and comes at a time when he was being as a possible candidate for jobs at Baylor and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

"There's no question that Dickey's availability and his attractiveness in this tournament has been a considerable factor in this offer coming at this time," said ASU President Les Wyatt. "We wanted, by making this offer prior to the time he went to the tournament, to say that Dickey is going to the tournament as our coach and he's coming home as our coach, and he'll stay with us five years and hopefully beyond that."