Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
MLB
M’s fall to
split squad
By JOSE M. ROMERO
Associated Press
PEORIA, Ariz. — Avisail
Garcia homered among his
three hits and drove in four
runs, Jose Abreu added to his
sizzling spring training with
two more hits and a Chicago
White Sox split squad beat
the Seattle Mariners 12-4 on
Wednesday.
Abreu raised his spring
t r a i n -
SPRING
ing-lead-
TRAINING
ing batting
average to
.518 (29 for
Chicago
56).
Garcia
and
the
White Sox
are looking
forward to
Seattle
getting the
regular sea-
son start-
ed.
“I’m
ready, and thanks to God
I’m healthy,” Garcia said in
Spanish.
“It was a fastball high and
away,” Garcia said of his
home run off Mariners starter
James Paxton. “I turned on it
and it got out.”
Melky Cabrera added a
two-run double, Jeremy Far-
rell had four hits including a
two-run home run and White
Sox second baseman Carlos
Sanchez, who will be on the
opening-day roster after a
very good spring at the plate,
had four hits and two RBIs.
Gordon Beckham went 3
for 4 with two RBIs for the
White Sox.
“It’s good to see what
we did with a split squad,”
Beckham said, “against a
guy who’s pretty good. It was
good to get some knocks and
GRRXUWKLQJ:H¶OOGH¿QLWHO\
take a day like this, building
momentum going into the
season.”
Chicago teed off on Pax-
ton, who’ll be in Seattle’s
rotation. Paxton allowed sev-
en runs on 10 hits in 3 1-3
innings.
“Just one of those days,”
Paxton said. “It’s going to
feel good to get back to Se-
attle and get that real game-
time adrenalin pumping.”
Seth Smith drove in Seat-
WOH¶V¿UVWUXQZLWKDWZRRXW
single in the third.
BIG WINNER
Tyler Olson, a rookie
left-handed reliever from
Spokane, Washington, made
the Mariners’ opening-day
roster. Mariners manager
Lloyd McClendon has Ol-
son’s name on a board in his
RI¿FH WKDW OLVWV WKH PDQ
roster.
“Take a look at the board,”
McClendon said when asked
about Olson. “Shows a lot
of poise and the ability to
get right-handers and left-
handers out. Holds runners,
works fast, throws strikes,
¿HOGVKLVSRVLWLRQ,VDLGHY-
ery year I’m looking for sur-
prises, and he’s a surprise.”
Olson, who’d never
pitched above Double-A, has
not allowed an earned run
and has 15 strikeouts in 10
games (12 2-3 innings) this
spring.
Starting pitcher Taijuan
Walker is also on that list af-
ter posting a 0.36 ERA (25
innings) in six starts, though
LW¶VQRWRI¿FLDOZKHUH:DONHU
will fall in the rotation order.
12
4
BLAZERS:
Two wins
from
division title
Continued from 1B
the Blazers (48-26) have al-
ready secured a place in the
SOD\RIIV QRZ WKH\¶UH ¿JKW-
ing for home-court advan-
tage. Both teams, as well as
San Antonio, are locked in a
battle behind Golden State,
Memphis and Houston for
one of the top four spots.
The Clippers have played
two more games than the
Blazers.
Even if Portland clinch-
es the Northwest Division,
home-court advantage in the
playoffs goes to the teams
with the best records. How-
ever, the division title is a tie-
breaker if the two teams vy-
LQJIRUWKHIRXUWKVSRW¿QLVK
with identical records.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
NCAA Men’s Tournament
Krzyzewski adapts to ‘1-and-done’ world
Duke dependent
upon strong
freshmen class
By AARON BEARD
Associated Press
DURHAM, N.C. — There was a
time when Duke’s Mike Krzyzews-
ki led Final Four teams built around
players who stayed for years to grow
into tournament-tested veterans.
No longer, not in today’s one-
and-done world in which top players
rarely stick around long.
The Blue Devils enter this week’s
Final Four relying on more fresh-
man starters than John Calipari at
Kentucky’s NBA factory. They have
three freshmen players facing stay-
or-go NBA decisions after the sea-
son.
“What Coach K has done in my
judgment, and I think Calipari has
done the same thing, they’ve adapt-
ed to the landscape, and they are
dealing with it in a positive way,”
said Jay Bilas, an ESPN analyst who
SOD\HG RQ .U]\]HZVNL¶V ¿UVW )LQDO
Four team in 1986.
“Now people want to use val-
ue judgments to it and say, ‘This is
not the way it’s supposed to be’ and
‘This is antithetical to college.’ Well,
says who?”
Krzyzewski, the Hall of Famer in
his 35th season at Duke and the win-
ningest coach in men’s Division I
history with 1,016 wins, didn’t have
a player go pro early for nearly two
decades until three left in 1999. El-
WRQ%UDQGZDVWKH¿UVWWKDW\HDUDIWHU
his sophomore season, followed by
fellow sophomore William Avery
and then freshman Corey Maggette
a few weeks later as Krzyzewski’s
¿UVWRI¿YHRQHDQGGRQHSOD\HUV
,WWRRN¿YH\HDUVIRU/XRO'HQJWR
become the next freshman to leave,
but Duke has now had three in four
seasons: No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Ir-
ving in 2011, Austin Rivers in 2012
and Jabari Parker last year.
AP Photo/Bob Leverone, File
Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor (15) dunks against Notre Dame during
the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals
of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
It’s forced the 68-year-old
Krzyzewski to adjust his approach
compared to the days when Christian
Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant
Hill were four-year guys or even
when Jay Williams, Carlos Boozer
and Mike Dunleavy stayed for three.
“It actually starts before they get
here,” Krzyzewski said. “We try
with the kids, especially if they com-
mit early, to develop even a deeper
relationship with them than we did
10 years ago. You had time (then).
You want to know them even better
because you’re only going to have
them for a shorter period of time.”
Duke (33-4) is built around star
freshman big man Jahlil Okafor,
a possible No. 1 overall pick who
chose Duke jointly with point
guard Tyus Jones. Forward Justise
Winslow is the other every-game
freshman starter.
Their arrival comes a year after
Parker arrived as an all-but-certain
one-year player.
The reality is it isn’t all that differ-
ent — except maybe for the smaller
numbers — than what Kentucky’s
Calipari often is criticized for do-
ing with his “succeed and proceed”
approach, a response to the NBA’s
requirement for players to be at least
one year out of high school before
entering the draft.
As Bilas sums it up, Krzyzews-
ki “has been playing against these
players, and if some of them want to
come to Duke, why not take them?”
And considering college should
help prepare someone for a job,
there’s nothing wrong with a play-
er leaving school to start a lucrative
career.
“I really get tired of this dis-
cussion of basically people — and
they’re not just fans, they’re NCAA
member administrators — their view
is ‘Our one-and-done is a great kid
that had a wonderful opportunity he
couldn’t turn down, and your one-
and-done is a threat to the integrity
of this enterprise,”’ Bilas said.
“You can’t moralize about that.
You take one, you’re in the same
boat. There’s not one negative thing
about a young person going to col-
lege for any amount of time. Not one
negative thing.”
To that point, Krzyzewski said
the program’s ability to develop
players is “obvious” but his pitch in-
cludes that the university itself “has
a chance to develop you, too.”
Okafor said knowing Krzyzews-
ki had “coached the best of the best”
was key in his decision, though he
and Winslow said getting to the
NBA wasn’t a big part of the recruit-
ing conversations.
“He always knew that the NBA
could be a part of my eventual path,”
Winslow said. “But all our discus-
sions were about me becoming the
best player I could at Duke, not real-
ly any conversation about the NBA.”
Bilas was part of the recruit-
ing class that got things rolling for
Krzyzewski, Bilas, Stanford head
coach Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie
and David Henderson were the se-
nior core of a 37-win team that lost
to Louisville in the 1986 title game.
But in today’s game, Bilas said,
Dawkins would’ve probably gone to
the NBA in a year or two and Alarie
in maybe two years.
The only constant in the radically
different equation is Krzyzewski.
LPGA Tour
Ko takes aim at record for consecutive rounds under par
at 8 a.m. when the morning
dew will make the tangled
ORQJJUDVVPRUHGLI¿FXOW
“It will be more catchy,”
By JOHN NICHOLSON
Ko said Wednesday.
Associated press
Ko started the streak in
WKH ¿UVW URXQG RI KHU YLF-
RANCHO MIRAGE, tory last year in the sea-
Calif. — The rough is a lit- son-ending CME Group
tle longer at Mission Hills, Tour Championship. Add
giving Lydia Ko an add- in her win in the Ladies
ed challenge in her bid to European Tour’s New Zea-
break Annika Sorenstam’s land Women’s Open, and
record for consecutive her worldwide streak is 31
rounds under par.
rounds.
A year after Lexi
“Obviously, because I’m
Thompson blasted her way so close, it will be at the
to victory in the LPGA back of my mind because
7RXU¶V ¿UVW PDMRU RI WKH there’s been so much talk
season, the thick primary about it,” Ko said. “I’m
rough is about 3 inches at sure that thought is going
the event now called the to come up within those 18
ANA Inspiration.
holes, but I’m just going to
³,WGH¿QLWHO\LVSOD\LQJD try and have fun.”
lot different than last year,”
Ko also has 10 straight
Thompson said. “The rough WRS ¿QLVKHV DQG KDV
is up, which, I mean, major made the cut in all 48 of her
championships should be.” career LPGA Tour starts,
Thompson is paired WKH¿UVWDVDQDPDWHXU
with the top-ranked Ko, the
“A lot of people ask
17-year-old New Zealander me what the strong point
who will try to match So- is about her game,” Mi-
renstam’s 2004 record of 29 chelle Wie said. “I think
straight rounds under par the strong point is that she
Thursday. They will tee off really doesn’t have a weak-
Teenager looks to
continue hot streak
ness.”
Ko has six LPGA Tour
victories — winning the
Women’s Australian Open
in February the week be-
fore her New Zealand vic-
tory — and 10 worldwide
titles in professional events.
“I always say the most
exciting thing about Lydia
Ko is she’s 17 going on 18,”
LPGA Tour Commissioner
Mike Whan said. “And I’ve
met a lot of 22-year-olds
going on 40 because this
job, this career, grows you
up in a hurry.”
Ko is winless in 12 starts
in majors.
“That’s really what she’s
missing at the moment,”
said Sorenstam, working
the event as an analyst for
Golf Channel. “At that
young age, you would
think she’d be missing a lot
more.”
Ko tied for 25th at Mis-
sion Hills in 2013 and tied
for 29th last season, break-
ing par once in four rounds
a year ago and four times
in eight rounds overall.
She expects the conditions
WR JHW PRUH GLI¿FXOW DV WKH
week progresses.
“I’m pretty sure it’s go-
ing to dry up in the next
couple days,” Ko said.
³,W¶V GH¿QLWHO\ JRLQJ WR EH
different from today to to-
morrow. I think the rough
around the greens is one of
the toughest parts, so I re-
ally need to position myself
well and just be patient.”
The greens were recep-
tive Wednesday than 2011
winner Stacy Lewis would
like.
“You’re not having to
land balls short and kind
of let them roll up,” Lewis
said. “There’s a little less,
I’d say, thinking involved.
, KRSH LW ¿UPV XS EHFDXVH
I would much rather see
it playing a little bit hard-
er than it is right now. ...
:KHQWKH\¶UH¿UPDQGIDVW
that’s when this golf course
plays the hardest.”
Already the youngest
LPGA Tour winner, Ko is
trying to become the young-
est major champion. Mor-
gan Pressel set the record in
2007 at Mission Hills at 18
years, 10 months, 9 days.
As an amateur, Ko won the
2012 Canadian Women’s
Open at 15 years, 4 months,
2 days, and successfully de-
fended her title in 2013.
The third-ranked Lew-
is matched Ko and third-
ranked Inbee Park with
three victories last year.
Lewis tied for 15th last
week at Carlsbad after tying
for second in Thailand and
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and second in Phoenix. She
has 11 career victories.
“I’ve been building on
this tournament really since
February,” Lewis said. “It’s
kind of been in the back of
my mind. We’ve kind of
been progressing with my
golf swing and just working
on little things every single
week and working on my
golf swing. I’ve still played
some pretty good golf lead-
ing up to it. I like where my
game is at.”
All Nippon Airways is
LQ LWV ¿UVW \HDU DV WKH WLWOH
sponsor after Kraft Nabis-
co’s ended its 33-year run
last season. The tournament
name is based on ANA’s
“Inspiration of Japan” slo-
gan.
CLASH: Kelly will play volleyball
at CBC, others undecided
Continued from 1B
right angle triple to give the
Oregon team a 66-59 lead
with four minutes remain-
ing.
“I haven’t touched a ball
since the state tournament,”
said the 5-foot-11 hot shoot-
ing forward. “But, I was in
my comfort zone, it was
nice.”
Headings and the Oregon
team went ice cold for the re-
mainder, going scoreless for
the last four minutes. Wilson
and McKeown would com-
ELQHWRVFRUHWKHJDPH¶V¿QDO
11 points to lead the northern
invaders to victory.
“It took a little bit of time
getting used to each other,”
said Wilson. “Once we start-
LQJ ¿QGLQJ RXU VKRRWHUV ZH
were able to get it.”
McKeown led Team
Washington with 21 points.
7KH DI¿OLDWLRQ ZLWK WKH
northern state will be short
lived for now for Wilson,
she said. She expects to re-
join the Oregon All-Stars for
tonight’s contest versus the
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Kelly Wilson, of Hep-
pner, drives to the bas-
ket Wednesday at Blue
Mountain
Community
College during the Clash
at the Border All-Star
Showcase.
Idaho All-Stars which will
tip at 6 p.m. at BMCC.
However, Wilson will be
continuing here athletic ca-
reer above the state line. Fol-
lowing graduation from Hep-
pner this spring, Wilson will
move north to attend Colum-
bia Basin College in Pasco,
Washington as a member of
the school’s volleyball team.
Donning the Mustang
EDVNHWEDOOMHUVH\IRUWKH¿QDO
two times this week caught
her by surprise. Following
WKHWHDP¶V¿QDOJDPHDORVV
to Weston-McEwen at the
CBC district tournament,
Wilson assumed her basket-
ball playing days were over.
“I thought I was done,”
she said. “I gave away my
uniform, and then I got told
I was going to be put it on
again. It was pretty special.”
Headings and Bodmer
each plan to play collegiate
basketball. Neither has de-
cided upon a school yet.
Headings has narrowed
her selections down to Cor-
ban, George Fox, Northwest
University and Northwest
Christian. She’s in the midst
of visiting all four schools.
Bodmer is considering
Walla Walla Community
College, Mt. Hood Commu-
nity College and the home-
town Blue Mountain Com-
munity College.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Hermiston’s Tavin Headings prepares to shoot Wednes-
day during the Clash at the Border All-Star Showcase
as Kelly Wilson, of Heppner, defends.