Coach Defends ‘Family’

Mike Jarvis refers to his team as a family.

Anyone with at least a college credit in psychology would add dysfunctional to that title.

Not on the basketball court, mind you. There the Red Storm are Big East champs and some think a lock to go deep in the NCAA Tournament.

It’s off the court where the St. John’s players make the Sopranos look like the Cleavers. Ward and June. Not Eldridge.

First there’s Erick Barkley and his feud with the NCAA over eligibility.

Then there’s Lavor Postell and his feud with the NCAA over eligibility. (Yes, Zags fans, both are currently eligible and nobody is expecting another Minnesota meltdown.)

Then there is Jarvis and his feud with the NCAA over his players’ eligibility. A feud he took to a new low a couple of weeks back when he compared the investigation and suspension of Barkley to rape.

Then there is Barkley and teammate Bootsy Thornton and their feud with each other.

According to published reports, the pair got into it during halftime of the Big East tournament semifinals. A punch was thrown and Barkley, the starting point guard, threatened not to play in the Big East finals against UConn.

After much soul-searching and undoubtedly cajoling by his coaches he played. And the Red Storm won. “How tough has this season been?” said Jarvis when asked about all the problems. “Let’s put it this way: I had hair when the season started.”

He may not have much hair left, but Jarvis is doing his best to at least put on a good face.

“This is a very functional family,” he said. “It’s a family that cares about one another and is not afraid to share their feelings with one another, even if it means once in a while there might be a family feud. If you listen to some people on TV, there are a few announcers that would like to make people believe that there are places in this country where everybody is just loving each other all the time and there is never a bad word spoken.

“The kids at St. John’s are some of the finest in the country,” Jarvis continued. “They are no different than any kids anywhere else at Duke, North Carolina, etc. They haven’t done anything different than anybody at any other school, trust me.”

For those not buying that, Jarvis countered, at the very least, this season would be a life lesson for the St. John’s players.

“As the players get older and go forward in life and go into the working world then they are going to be better prepared to deal with whatever comes their way,” he said. “That is some of the important things that will come out of it for them and also just how important family is.”

Long and short of it

All eyes will be on Brian Cardinal and Eduardo Najera when Oklahoma and Purdue go at it in the early game in the West Regional today. The pair are not only the leaders of their respective teams, but are considered two of the toughest players in the game.

“These guys are throwback guys,” said Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson. “These are guys who would have looked good in tight shorts. We’ve got a lot of guys who not only would not look good in tight shorts, but they wouldn’t wear them. Brian would wear them and Eduardo would wear them.”

Cardinal knows that his all-out style of play hasn’t won him many friends outside his own locker room.

“I’m probably the most hated man in the Big Ten,” Cardinal said. “Everywhere we go, it seems like there’s a new person that hates me.”

Najera and Cardinal will probably guard each other, at least for parts of the game. Cardinal, who had 18 points and eight rebounds in Purdue’s first-round victory over Dayton, is a more dangerous outside shooter.

Najera, who averaged 18.8 points and 9.5 rebounds this season, is a more polished inside player.

Making his point

Whether on the floor or off, there is little question that Matt Santangelo is the leader of Gonzaga. His leadership was clear in the Zags afternoon meeting with the media.

Axel Dench was asked to assess his team’s matchup with St. John’s. Dench responded with a detailed analysis of how the Bulldogs would match up “throwing a whole lot of different defenses at them” and so on.

After Dench finished his spiel, Santangelo looked over at him and said, “You want to give them any other details of what we are doing?”

Dench’s apology was barely heard over the laughter of the media.

In the money

Former Arizona State coach Bill Frieder is in Tucson doing a bit with NCAA radio. But his real money gig will take place between games at the West Regional next week.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, Frieder will make $10,000 at a speaking engagement in Lake Pleasant. His message: “Whatever they want - motivation, humor, stories, sports.”

Cheer cards available

“GO ZAGS” cheercards are available at all Spokesman-Review offices, local 7-Eleven stores and the Gonzaga bookstore.

The cards are free.