Cougar eagers face personnel changes
By Tracy M. Sumner
Of The Print
When the ‘82-83 men’s
basketball season begins next
month, the Clackamas Com
munity College squad will take
the floor a radically changed
team from last season, and ac
cording to Head Coach Royce
Kiser, the changes are all for
the better.
“I’m not going to predict
that we’ll win a certain number
of games,” Kiser said, “but I
think we’re going to be much
better than last year.
“For the first time since
I’ve been here, I have point
guards who are true point
guards, wings who are true
wings, and forwards who are
true forwards,” he said.
“This year, we’ll be more
of a finesse team,” the Cougar
mentor said. “Last year, we
had to go to a power game
because that’s the kind of
players we had. It appears we’ll
have a controlled fast-break.
We might run more than we
did last year.”
Center
One position that Kiser
feels his team lacks is a “true”
prospect for is the all-important
position of center. However,
the coach doesn’t see the
Cougars as having any pro
blems in the post position.
Gardner, a first year man out of
McMinnville High School.
“Tim may not be as
talented as the others,” noted
Kiser, “but he plays good
defense and is a good shooter.
A very intelligent player.”
Forward
and he might be our best re
bounder. He also works very
hard in practice.”
Welle returns after an
outstanding freshman cam
paign in which he led the team
in scoring, averaging a shade
under 15 ppg, and rebounding
at a 10.4 caroms per-qame
pace.
The Molalla Union High
best defenders,” said Kiser.
“He works hard on defense.
He’s also a good rebounder.”
Hill led the team in scoring
over the last eight games of last
season including a 30 point
outburst against Chemeketa.
The contribution of Hill
and Welle to the young Cougar
squad will go far beyond
points, rebounds, and assists
this year as the pair have been
chosen co-captains of the
team.
“These (Hill and Welle)
are the guys we’ll be looking to
for leadership this-year,” Kiser
said. “Hill and Welle are tough
guys. They don’t act like it, but
they’re both mentally tough.”
Nippert comes to the
Cougars bearing an impressive
list of basketball credentials. He
was the Most Valuable Player
of the Timber Valley league his
senior season while playing for
Sandy High School. He also
was a member of the triple-A
All State Team and played in
the annual AAA all-star game.
“Bob is young, but he has
an instinct for the ball and the
basket. As the season pro
gresses, he’ll get nothing but
better,” Kiser said.
Joining front-line players
Hill and Welle at the forward
position are first year players
Jim Imper, Mike Imper, Mark
Bergstrom, and John Hurst.
Mark McGlaughlin also joins
the group, but may redshirt
due to injuries.
Jim Imper, who earned
All-State honors at LaSalle
High School, is a player Kiser is
high on.
“I’d rate him with Welle as
the season progresses,” Kiser
stated. “He has size, he’s a
good shooter, a good re
bounder, plays adequate
defense and is a good passer.”
Jim’s brother, Mike Imper
from Santa Barbara High is what Kiser calls “very in
School (California). Phil telligent, a good shooter and a
Tribino of David Douglas High fairly good rebounder. His only
School rounds out the talented drawback may be a lack of
trio.
quickness on defense, but I feel
At the “off” or shooting Mike is one of our best team
guard position, Kiser named players.”
three players including the
Bergstrom, a McMinnville
fourth returnee to the team, grad, made the team through
6-3 Dave Carlson.
“hustle, hard work and in
Carlson returns after an telligence.”
’81-’82 season in which he
Bergstrom’s
biggest
averaged 8.6 ppg while drawback is that he is what
shooting a respectable 49.7 basketball coaches often refer
percent. He was also second to as a “tweener.” At 6-3 he is
on the team in assists with 82 in somewhat small for the forward
26 games.
position, but lacks the skills that
I’d rate Dave’s physical are essential for backcourt play.
talent as very good,” said
Hurst, a 6-5 LaSalle grad
Kiser. “He has a lot of talent, possesses the talent and skill to
he’s just got to get his team play on this level, but with a
game together.”
Cpugar frontcourt as loaded at
Scott Remly, a high it is, he may have trouble fin
school-forward-turned college ding playing time. It is for this
guard brings his All reason, Kiser said, that Hurst
Conference, All-State high may redshirt.
school honors earned at
“If he’s not in the top eight
Oregon City with him to the players this year, we’ll redshirt
Cougars. Kiser rates Remly as him to save his elibibility,” Kiser
a good shooter and leaper and explained.
improved as a passer and
The team begins its season
defender.
November 13 with a contest
Rounding out the Cougar with a College alumni team.
backcourtmen is six footer Tim The game begins at 8 pm.
Guard
weak in the post,” Kiser stated,
“because we have forwards
that can take up the slack.”
Filling in at center for
Clackamas are returnees Tom
Elkins, Tom Welle, Jim Hill,
and 6-5 first year player Bob
Nippert.
The muscular Elkins, a 6-6
Newberg
High
School
graduate, returns after a
freshman
season
for
Clackamas in which he averag
ed 6.3 points per game while
shooting close to 53 percent
from the floor. He also added
5.1 rebounds a contest as a
part-time starter.
“I look at Elkins as a
power player,” Kiser noted.
“He plays pretty good defense
page 11
School grad was also second
on the team in field goal
percentage shooting at a sizzl
ing 56 percent clip.
Even considering Welle’s
fine output of last year, Kiser is
confident that the 6-8 center
forward will be even better this
season.
“He’s taller, stronger and
smarter than last year,” Kiser
explained. “He’s big, coor
dinated, and most important,
he’s intelligent.”
Hill? a 6-6 forward-center,
was second to Welle in scoring
(10.9) and rebounding (6.4)
and earned Kiser’s recognition
as one of the team’s best
defenders.
“Jim’s probably one of our
One of the Cougars’ big
gest weaknesses last season,
according to Kiser, was the lack
of a true “point” or “lead”
guard to direct the team’s of
fense. This season, however,
the team has a trio of compe
tent if not spectacular floor
leaders.
Kelly Burk, a 6-0 McMinn
ville product joins the team
after an All-Conference, All
State senior season. Kiser-is
high on Burk’s ability and
potential.
“Kelly’s a very good point
guard,” Kiser said. “I like his in
telligence, I like his ability, and I
like the way he moves the
team. He’s probably our best
passer of the group and a good
shooter and defender.”
Another lead guard pro
spect is 6-0 Matt Stevenson
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Wednesday, October 27,1982