Rivals Give Cards A Helping Hand

By last Thursday, North Idaho College had a game tape and three scouting reports on its opponent at this week’s national junior college men’s basketball tournament.

Bossier Parish, meanwhile, claimed to have sparse scouting success.

“I’m sure all of Mississippi sent them tapes,” said Bossier coach Mike McConathy, explaining that his southern neighbors don’t like it when a Louisiana school wins “their region.

“In y’all’s region, I can’t get anything out of them. It’s like the greatest secret in America. I admire their loyalty.”

“They asked for film,” Utah Valley’s Jeff Reinert said. “I said, ‘Nope.’ I want NIC to win the whole darn thing.”

NIC meets Bossier Parish on Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. PST in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Those Florida oranges

If Hiwassee women’s coach Dean Walsh were a betting man, he’d put his money on top-ranked Central Florida (31-0) emerging as the national champ.

Walsh’s Tigerettes played the Lady Pirates of Ocala, Fla., in a tournament at Central Florida in early January. Hiwassee was spanked 105-77.

“We played them after the holiday break,” said Walsh, whose club opens against NIC at noon PST Tuesday in Tyler, Texas. “We hadn’t played for (three weeks). They’re my pick to win it all. I feel good we scored 77 points against them. They average 117.”

Central Florida starts three players 6-foot-3, including Walsh’s pick for player of the year, 6-3 post Conswella Sparrow.

“She can dunk the ball,” Walsh said.

Contrary to a published report in another local newspaper, the NIC women wouldn’t be eliminated if they won a first-round game and lost in the second.

The tournament is a false double-elimination format, meaning it’s single elimination to the championship but double elimination for placing.

Double their pleasure

This is the first time both NIC’s men’s and women’s teams qualified for nationals in the same year.

NIC isn’t the lone school pulling a double this week. Two other schools advanced both their men’s and women’s teams: Vincennes (Ind.) and Savannah (Ga.) Tech.

This ‘n that

NIC sophomore Ann Shepard nursed an injured knee in practices leading up to nationals. She kept her shooting touch sharp, but didn’t participate in scrimmages.

The 6-2 Shepard suffered a slightly torn meniscus ligament.

“She’s definitely not at full strength, but we think we can get some minutes out of her,” coach Greg Crimp said.

In case you didn’t notice, this is Crimp’s 13th year overall and his first trip to nationals since returning as NIC coach three seasons ago.

Could 13 be a lucky number for Crimp? He hopes so.

Defending women’s champ and second-ranked Trinity Valley (30-2) of Athens, Texas, is in NIC’s bracket. Ten of the top 20 teams qualified for nationals.

The highest ranked team that failed to qualify was No. 3 Connors State.

There are five ranked teams in NIC’s bracket, seven in the other bracket.

Speaking of qualifiers, Kansas City CC is making its first trip to nationals. And Seminole (Okla.) qualified for the first time in 21 years. Seminole won a national title in 1976, was second in ‘77 and third in ‘78.

Hiwassee is a private school in Madisonville, Tenn. It’s affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

“I’ve got a good Christian bunch of girls,” Walsh said. “They don’t trash talk. They just go out and play their game.”

Hiwassee was 9-1 against teams ranked in the top 20.

The men’s tourney is 50 years old, while the women’s is just under half that age at 23.

NIC men’s guard Shawn Myrick is from Maysville, Ky., which wasn’t immune to the Ohio River flooding.

Myrick said his family’s home wasn’t damaged because the house is on a hill.

Myrick’s teammate, Chris Harrison, will have some fan support in Hutchinson. His parents, Doug and Linda, of Houston, will be on hand.

Western Nebraska twins Phillip and George VonBackstrom have no problem seeing over corn rows. The centers, who hail from South Africa, are raw talents who stand 7-foot-2.

“They’d never played 5 on 5 until they came here,” coach Dave Campbell said. “They’re getting recruited by everybody from Oregon State to North Carolina State. I don’t think they’ll go to the same school.”

Two men’s teams are unbeaten. Champlain (Burlington, Verm.) is 30-0 and beat top-ranked Allegany 84-81 in its regional final. No. 2 San Jacinto is 33-0.

No. 15 St. Catherine (Kent.) led the nation by averaging 107 points per game. NIC would meet St. Catherine in the second round if both teams win or both lose on Wednesday.

Tyler, Texas, site of the women’s tourney, claims to be the Rose Capital of the U.S.

, DataTimes