Sports
The Clackamas Print Pg. 4
Wednesday, February 16,1994
NBA all-star
selection process
corrupted by
voting fans,
selfish coaches
Men's basketball heads for
playoffs after capturing 12-0
league record, division title
Why is it that the Na
tional Basketball Association con
tinues to allow its fans to vote for
the starters of its all-star games?
And how do some of the league’s
best shooters, who aren’t neces
sarily the most popular, get passed
up by the coaches who pick the
reserves? These are just a couple
of the questions that need to be
answered by the NBA,
The NBA still finds it
necessary to include the fans irt
the all-star voting. Whether the
players in the biggest markets are
having great years or the worst of
their careers, the far&will still
vote them as starters. Mostbasket-
ball fans are unaware of aplaycr’s
success during a certain season.
Fans vote for their favorites, not
always the best players.
The coaches whose teams
have the best record ih each con
ference leading up to the All-Star
Game are selected as the game’s
coaches. These coaches select the
assistant coaches and a trainer for
their teams. All of the NBA coaches
vote on the reserve players for the
game in their own conference.
Sometimes the players that are
showing up the rest of the league
are past up by these selfish coaches.
The late Drazen Petrovic
was snubbed by the Eastern Con
ference coaches during last year’s
picking of the reserves. Petrovic
wastheonlyplayerinthetop 15 in
scoring in the league to not play in
the all-star game. He was also
keeping the New Jersey Nets in
contention with hisall-aroundplay
and yet the coaches decided that
Petro wasn’t good enough to play.
I’m sure that they now regret this
decision.
Whether the players in
the biggest markets are
having great years or the
worst of their careers,
the fans will still vote
them as starters.
What
about
Rod
Strickland of the Trail Blazers?
Isn't he the one who: single
handedly prevented the Blazers
from falling into mediocrity with
his outstanding play? Without
Strickland, the Blazers would be
struggling to stay ahead of die
Kings and the Lakers in the Pa
cific Division. The presence of
Clyde Drexler on the starting line
up prevented Strickland from
making the team. There is no way
that Sonics’ coach George Karl
and the rest of the Western Con
ference coaches would have se
lected Drexler as a reserve.
There are definitely sone
faults in allowing the fans to select
the starters for the NBA All-Star
Game. The best decision to make
now is to pick the players accord
ing to their statistics leading up to
the game. This would be more fair
for everyone involved. It would
eliminate any controversy, from
the all-star selection process.
mented Head Coach Royce Kiser.
“We played pretty decently in the
first half, but we cranked up the
defense in the second and ran
them out of the gym.”
Saturday night, the Cou
gars made the long trip toRoseburg
by Frank Jordan
to take on Umpqua CC. Clacka
The Print staff
The Clackamas Cougar mas shook off a terrible first half
men’s basketball team continued to eventually blow out the home
its whining ways last week, wrap team 94-70.
ping up the NWAACC’s South
“We played absolutely
ern Division regular season title terrible in the first half. We were
with convincing wins over Mt. playing like we were just going
Hood CC by a score of 106-88 and through the motions,” said Coach
a well earned win over Umpqua Kiser. “We were playing down to
CC by a 94-70 tally.
the competition, and for a while
The Cougars got out of there, our hearts were just not in it.
the gate early against Mt. Hood, At halftime, I over-emphasized
going on a 24-7 run midway this point to the players, and we
through the first half to overcome came out focused in the second
an early deficit in taking a 58-51. half to blow them away.”
halftime lead. CCC continued
Orrick led Clackamas in
with the pressure defense in the scoring with 23 points, whilePuerit
second stanza, eventually open chipped in 16 points and 5 re
ing up a 20-point lead before set bounds. Jay Moore came off the
tling for the 18-point win.
bench to add 14 points, Williams
Nate Williams bombed had 10 points and Reinwald had 8
seven 3-point field goals on his points and 5 rebounds.
way to a game-high 30 points to
Matt Dawkins led
lead the Cougars on offense. Zach Umpqua with 17 points and 8
Puent used good free-throw shoot rebounds.
ing (9-10) on his way to 25 points,
The Cougars’ record
while Travis Orrick used four 3- stands at 21-2 overall and 12-0 in
pointers to build his 21 points. the Southern Division. The Cou
Kyle Dixon handed out 11 assists gars have wrapped up the division
and Jeremy Reinwald led the way title and await the divisional play
on the glass, hauling in 11 re offs to be held next week. The
bounds and throwing in 15 points. Cougars close out their home
Antwine Williamsled the schedule tonight with a date with
Saints with 22 points and Jacob second-placeChemeketaCC. The
Chena helped out with 16.
game will be held in the Randall
“We played pretty well Hall gym at 8 p.m., immediately
against Mt Hood, and Mt Hood following the women’s game with
has a pretty good ball club,” com Chemeketa.
■ Scoring leaders Nate
Williams and Travis
Orrick highlight big
wins over Mt. Hood and
Umpqua
by Jesse Sowa
The Print Staff
,
i:ii-
:?
byHum«-
LaiUra
defenders in a game oji Feb.
'
chance to see the Lady Cougars at home will be tonight
at 6
against Chemeketa in the Randall Hall Gym.
Freethrows c ostCougarsiirf;
well fought battle wlth Mt. Hoof ’
by Jason Hunter
'
field goal assisted by Moses,
The second half went
WFrMStaff
TbeLadyCougare'bas- back and forthwith the Salms
ketbail team, doing evetything losing theleadwhenTemplehit
well except free tteows,felishQrt «3-pointer offofanassist from
on a comeback andlosta tight Moses to close the Mt. Hood
one, 65-64 to ML Hood, Feb. 9. leadtothree. KristyPrieskora
> ^ilt^oaeof thebm stole tbs bail when the Saint’s
games wé+veplayédall year. We ^oveWa^i^C^ttoppfi
bcatthem inevery category ex
cept for free throw percentage?’
said Head Coach Karen Twain.
The area that they got
beat m was themost damaging
totheCougars.TheSaintswere
senitolhefinn25timesandihey
convert^ 1? of the shoi& Tfo
Coagars wenttotheline22time$
hut only made 13 baskets.
'
: WithiheCqugatsfead-
mg 21-17 the Saialswent on an
84) nm with ML Hood getting
field goals fnan Tara Gunderson,
and Wendy Wekh. They also
got four points off of free throw
attemptsfromStepHante Allan
big in the final minute with three
big assists to puh . the Cougars
on (he receiving side of the.ball
twice and converted bothfor four
points, Jaimcli Temple closed
Out the fust half scoring with &
them witinn one, Laura Stahl
patted downarebotmd after a
missed Allan shot and passed
aptoMoseswhopulledupatthe
3-point fine and gave ihe Cou
gars their first lead fflf the half
with a41~39 lead/Gunderson
wonid Ito wp, but P(ie^«w.
wouldgivethem thelead again
tor quite« white. / .
%
"•■■■
Mt.HoodwouIdregain
the lead for good when Lori
Bohnenkamp made both free
torowstopnllahead
The
Cougars madeitclose at the end
ofthegantewithLanrieGuIltek
and Olsen making their free
throw attempts to pull,the lead
within one. Aeontroversialcall
was made tm theCmtgarofiense
that finished theCougars hopes
cía comeback. . ' ' < -/
' The Lady Cougars finish
op their home schedule tonight
at 6 part ágáiñsí the áúmber-
one ranked Chemeketa Chiefs.
■"'"we'zz'Givë'ÿôü"]
'
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