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Basketball official Jim Bain, contrary to implications by Oklahoma State Coach Leonard Hamilton, did not receive free tickets to the controversy-tinged Oklahoma State-Missouri game, Missouri Athletic Director Jack Lengyel said. In the meantime, Big Eight Commissioner Carl James says there will be no public disclosure of the Big E i g h t ' s review of Hamilton's implications of officiating irregularities m Sunday's game, a 92-70 Missouri victory.
"If there are any violations of procedures, we will get involved," James said. " A n y t h i n g done would be of a confidential nature In other words, if I get after somebody it would be done privately." Hamilton was ejected early in the second half alter Oklahoma State drew a third technical Joul -and later he implied That Bain had" spent "10-15 minutes" before the game visiting with Missouri Coach Norm Stewart. Hamilton further implied t h a t B a i n m a y have received free tickets to the game from Missouri. Another Big Eight coach, Larry _Brown_of_Kansas,-said Mbndayon his radio show that he has "never felt comfortable" with Bain, who has worked three NCAA Final Fours. "We lost the Big Eight Tournament (final game) last year because of a phantom call for Missouri by Jim Bain," Brown said "I think the incident with Leonard Hamilton is typical of how Bain works I think if you talk to eight coaches in the Big Eight they would tell you the same thing." Bain, contacted Tuesday by the Associated Press, said: "I have only one comment, and that is Coach'Hamilton's remarks as well as Coach Brown's remarks are so absurd and without foundation that they do not warrant a response."
Big Eight supervisor of officials, both came to Bain's defense. "He did not receive a free ticket. He purchased a ticket,"' Lcn- gye! said Tuesday. "I checked. He is not on our comp list/' Bain, a veteran official, also works Big Ten games. The highest compliment a basketball oflicial can receive is to be asked to worked the NCAA Final Four because NCAA officials carefully screen and evaluate officials each year before making those assign- mcnis. "Jim Bain is one of the best official^ in the country," Ovcrby said.