| Saturday, November 25, 2006 |
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There's an old joke about a mathematician working through a complicated problem. After a long series of calculations, the number cruncher, just before the solution, writes on the chalkboard: "and then magic happens."
Central Valley boys basketball coach Rick Sloan knows how important that step can be.
Magic happened for the Bears a year ago. A middle-of-the-pack team coming out of the Greater Spokane League, the young squad put together a magical run through February and into March that got them all the way to the State Class 4A championship game – the school's first appearance in the finals since 1968's state title.
At state, the Bears knocked off Bellarmine Prep, 59-52, in the first round, Gig Harbor, 46-34, in the quarterfinals and South Kitsap, 58-48, in the semis before falling to Franklin, 70-51, in the state finals
"I think it was a combination of things," Sloan said. "We had been pretty banged up early in the season. Part of it was we finally got healthy. Part of it was chemistry. Part of it was a group of seniors who knew how to contribute in crunch time. I'm not sure you can point to any one thing."
The Bears of 2005-06 are a perfect example of what can happen to teams that strive to improve every game.
"It wasn't just that it was a fun run to be on," Sloan said. "It was fun to see those kids, who are such good kids and who worked so hard, to see them experience a run like that and be key members and contributors on the run."
The Bears open the season at Shadle Park and University is home against North Central in Tuesday's GSL openers. East Valley opens the GSL season Friday at NC. West Valley, now a member of the Great Northern League, is home Tuesday, Dec. 5 for a nonleague opener against Coeur d'Alene.
Central Valley BearsThe Bears, 23-7 a year ago, return three starters from last year: senior point guard Kevin Cameron, an All-GSL honorable mention honoree a year ago, senior forward Nick Ambrose, a second-team All-GSL pick, and junior guard Luke Clift, an All-GSL honorable mention pick and a second-team all-state tournament selection a year ago.
Clift, however, is still healing after surgery to repair a dislocated knee cap over the summer.
"He played football, but he was kind of hobbling," Sloan said. "Basketball is a different game with all the cutting and starting and stopping you have to do.
"It's just an ongoing thing. He's not ready to play."
Once again, getting healthy will be a key to the Bears season.
So too, will be filling the shoes of last year's senior class – and replacing their never-say-die attitude, especially late in games.
"Those three – Brad Johnson, Brad Dieter and Matt Morgan – their contribution was the kind that doesn't show up in the stat column," Sloan said. "In a way, that's what we're missing now: who's going to step up, who will be the leaders for us who do all those little things that don't show up in the stat column."
Forward Chris Burdick, a 6-foot 2-inch senior forward, will look to fill one of those openings after being the team's first post player off the bench a year ago.
Junior guards Connor Janhunen and Willie Davis, 5-10 and 6-0, respectively, and sophomore J.C. Agen, a 6-2 forward, all are expected to contribute. All three played significant minutes off the bench a year ago and will be called on even more while Clift heals.
East Valley KnightsIn recent years, the Knights would have been perfectly at home playing in a 6-foot-and-under league.
There just hasn't been a lot of height to be found and the roster was made up of players who averaged 6-0.
"We're finally getting a little height," coach Steve Henderson said. "It's been a strange run. The first year East Valley was in the GSL, we had some really good size. We were 6-5, 6-5, 6-6 across the front line. But after those kids left, we were all about 6-foot.
"We aren't going to compete size-wise with teams that are 6-6 across the front, but we have something to work with."
Junior guard Lonnie Quirk is a slasher at 6-3, and junior forward Danny Marshall stands 6-4. Henderson has a 6-5 forward on the junior varsity and he expects to see him break onto the varsity at some point this season.
Still, the majority of the Knights roster stands in at around the school standard.
Swingman Josh Peck is a hair over 6-0, as is guard Cole Abramson and forward Tanner Hamilton. Guard Matt Schneidmiller stands in at 5-9 and shooter Emerson Fulton is 5-10.
Henderson expected Fulton to replace the graduated Dylan Sattin as the team's go-to outside shooter.
"Unfortunately, Emerson broke his hand, his shooting hand, Friday," he said. "He's going to be out for at least six weeks.
"The good news is that we have some experience. We have seven seniors on the varsity and they've all played at this level."
The three Class 3A schools in the GSL will play off at the end of the season to determine which two will face their counterparts from the Columbia Basin 3A League.
University TitansThe Titans will have a new look under first-year coach Garrick Phillips, who comes home after 13 seasons as head boys coach at Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, where he led the Wildcats to the King Co Conference title last year and a sixth-place finish at the State 3A tournament.
Phillips, 36, graduated from Northwest Christian in 1988 and played four years of basketball at the University of Puget Sound.
Under their new coach, the Titans will emphasize intensity in the form of a hard-nosed defense. U-Hi will have good team speed, athleticism and size and will use those attributes to push the ball up the floor.
The challenge will be on the offensive end.
"I don't know how well we're going to shoot night-in and night-out," Phillips said. "That's a question mark. We'll try to make up for that by playing tough defense and see if we can create some opportunities."
Three players return with varsity experience: senior guard Ryan Cornell, a 5-8 guard, Tyler Olson, a 6-2 junior guard, and Ryan Dixon, a 6-5 junior post.
Newcomer Nate Martin, a 6-5 senior forward, transferred in from Phoenix, and brings an impressive set of springs.
"He has a 36-inch vertical," Phillips said. "He's going to be an eraser for us because he loves to block shots, but I think his biggest impact may be on the offensive boards. His first game this summer he had eight offensive rebounds in the first half.
"You're going to hear a lot more about that family over the next few years. Nate is the first of seven brothers who will come through U-Hi."
Mason Johnson, a 5-9 sophomore, will see plenty of action at guard, as will senior James Seely and junior Andrew Pirttima.
Johnson transferred to U-Hi last year and was forced to play the year on the junior varsity under eligibility requirements. He brings speed and ball-handling skills to the point along with Cornell.
West Valley EaglesThe Eagles enter a new league with a new roster and a new gym.
West Valley drops from the Greater Spokane League, where the Eagles annually challenged for the league title, to the Great Northern League.
But before anyone runs off to pick the Eagles as the favorites to win the GNL title, remember this: Nine players graduated from last year's state eighth-place-trophy winning team.
"We have a lot of new faces this year," coach Jamie Nilles said. "We don't have the same kind of height we've had inside the last few years – I think I got a little spoiled."
Guard Casey Sherrill brings the most varsity experience to this year's team and is a team leader. Maverick Counts and Jake Allen, both 6-5, give the team size inside and flesh out the three-member senior class.
Unlike their time in the GSL, the Eagles benefit from a good-sized nonleague schedule to work out the kinks and build a team identity. West Valley opens at home against Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls the first week of December and follow that up at Moscow and Sandpoint the following week.
"We're revisiting the old Border League," Nilles joked.
After opening league play at home Jan. 5 against Cheney, the Eagles play four of their next five on the road in the GNL.
