A Grip on Sports: A couple of local high school stars, and college standouts, part of the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame’s 2020 class
A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s about time. Adam Morrison, who helped change Gonzaga’s basketball trajectory nationally, and Brad Walker, the U-Hi graduate whose pole-vaulting trajectory was unmatched in this country for a few years, have been recognized as Hall of Famers. State of Washington Sports Hall of Famers to be precise.
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• Morrison first burst on the consciousness of the state’s sports fans his senior year at Mead High, when he led the undefeated Panthers to the State 4A basketball finals in the Tacoma Dome.
Though Mead didn’t win, losing to Franklin and Aaron Brooks 67-55 in the 2003 final, Morrison’s scoring ability in the Panthers’ 28-1 season was on full display that week in Tacoma. And put him on the basketball radar.
But it was what he did three years later at Gonzaga that earned him national recognition. He led the nation in scoring, led the Zags to another NCAA tourney berth and was named the country’s player of the year.
After that he was also was the third pick in the NBA draft, suffered a debilitating knee injury his second season and finished out his career as a reserve on two L.A. Lakers championship teams.
Walker went from University High to Washington and was the nation’s premier pole vaulter, a four-time All-American. He set a national record in 2008 and competed in two Olympics.
The duo are part of a six-person 2020 class which will be inducted, coronavirus restrictions willing, sometime this summer into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame. Our Chuck Stewart has more about their honors in this story.
Like many Spokane residents, my path has crossed with Morrison’s often over the years. He’s returned to his hometown and is raising his family here, working in radio – he’s the analyst for Gonzaga broadcasts – and coaching basketball – he assists at Mead High.
Do I have stories? Sure. But I would rather share one about another HOF Class of 2020 member, referee Dick Cartmell. (The other honorees are Aaron Sele, the former Washington State and Seattle Mariner pitcher, former UW athletic director Joe Kearney and former high school and college basketball coach Don Zech.)
Cartmell, from Richland, was the one of, if not the best NCAA basketball official for many years. The coaches trusted him. The players loved him. He worked five Final Fours and three title games. He was really good at it.
He also had two sons, both of whom were the same ages as my sons. That meant we crossed paths even before we became well acquainted while I was covering Washington State.
See, he coached his youngest son’s AAU team the same time I was coaching my youngest son’s group. And the two teams met in a tournament game at East Valley High many years ago.
It was tight throughout, but our team had a small lead as time was running down. There was not a shot clock. So Cartmell yelled to his team to foul, forcing a one-and-one. Except the young man refereeing the game heard him. When the Richland player slapped hard at the ball and hit our point guard, the official called an intentional foul. Why? Well, Cartmell, who had already worked an NCAA title game by then, wanted to know as well. The young man told him, explaining by his yelling for his players to foul, the subsequent foul was intentional, no matter how it occurred.
Cartmell, rightfully, was shocked.
He begged to differ. And he did so with a deeply held righteous indignation. So much so the young man assessed a technical foul.
Over the years, when I would run into Cartmell either at WSU – that son ended up being a Cougar basketball manager – or on the road, we would laugh about the look of incredulity he had on his face while the official explained his call. It’s a look I will never forget.
• What do athletic directors and car salesmen have in common? I don’t know either, but I used to work for a guy who was both in his career.
John Kasser, who was the athletic director at California the last decade of the 20th Century and spearheaded multi-million dollar renovations of Haas Pavilion and other buildings, was my boss for a year at UC Irvine. And almost changed my career path.
After graduating from the Orange County school in 1978, I went to work in the sports information office as the lone assistant in 1979. It was a part-time job that necessitated working at the Orange County Register for $25 a night to make ends meet.
After a year of promoting women’s basketball, tennis and baseball my boss, Jim Brochu, left for greener pastures.
I applied for the full-time gig. The only person in my corner? Kasser, who had moved into athletic administration a few years before after spending much of career in car sales. He joined UCI as an assistant AD in charge of fundraising and external affairs, which made him, ultimately, my supervisor.
He pushed me to apply and, according to a couple people, pushed hard for the athletic director to hire this inexperienced 23-year-old alum. He told people he saw something in me.
The AD didn’t. The school went for an outside candidate and I moved on to Long Beach State a bit embittered. After a short stint there and at Chapman College, I was given the opportunity to move into newspapers full time and did. But I still wonder what would have happened to my life if Kasser had been able to make the hire.
John Kasser died Thursday at the age of 82.
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WSU: If you think COVID-19 is something that happens to someone else, Washington State receiver Renard Bell would beg to differ. His family, from his grandma on down, has had to deal with the virus-caused disease. Thankfully, no one in Bell’s family paid the ultimate price. Theo Lawson has the story of the coronavirus’ impact on the Bells. … Remember the story Theo did recently about WSU not having any football commits for 2021? Well, forget it. The Cougars picked up their first one last night. Theo tells you who it is and what position they play. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, for some reason we have forgotten to pass along the past couple days this outstanding Christian Caple story concerning Don James’ hire. Each afternoon I would see the story on Twitter, tell myself to put a link here and then forget. Sorry. … The University of Oregon president doesn’t sound too hopeful big football crowds will be allowed this fall. The NCAA announced yesterday there will have to be significant testing available for fall sports to happen at all. … USC seems to have bounced back in its football recruiting while other schools struggle due to the pandemic. … With WSU picking up a 2021 commit, only Arizona among conference schools doesn’t have one. … In basketball news, Oregon will play in the 2021 Maui Classic. … UCLA’s Jalen Hill has already pulled back from the NBA Draft. … Arizona State might see all its players return.
EWU: It wasn’t a great NFL draft for the Big Sky Conference. Nor have any Eagles signed free agent contracts since it was finished. Ryan Collingwood delves into the significance of the out-of-the-ordinary year. … Around the Big Sky, Montana had a player sign a free-agent deal. Though recruiting to replace graduates is going slowly. … A couple of Northern Arizona and Cal Poly players signed as well. … Montana State picked up some transfers this week and scheduled a game at Oregon. … Idaho State’s offense will look different next season. … New Northern Colorado coach Ed McCaffrey talked about his vision for the Bears. … In basketball news, there is still a lot of support for fired Montana women’s coach Shannon Schweyen. … Weber State’s roster on the men’s side has undergone a makeover. … An Idaho State player is exploring pro options.
Seahawks: The Hawks officially announced Anthony Gordon’s (and others) signing. … Numbers were not as important to the Hawks during the draft as was something else. … Bob Condotta answers some questions.
Sounders: The MLS will start allowing workouts next week, but Seattle may not be part of the first wave. The Sounders will have to wait until Washington gives its OK. … The U.S. Women’s National Team had part of its lawsuit against the national soccer federation thrown out. The judge ruled the representatives for the women had collectively bargained away an opportunity for equal pay, instead accepting compensation in other areas. Other aspects of their lawsuit, however, can still be part of a trial.
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• One more personal note. The quarantine has claimed another restaurant in Spokane. Rocky Rococo, the pizza place downtown that served as my go-to spot for a salad bar for much of my S-R career, closed yesterday. It opened in 1985, just as I was beginning to work days downtown and needed a series of spots to get me through the daily lunch. Yes. McDonald’s was my top destination, but Rocky’s was there whenever I needed some green stuff. And, of course, a thick slice of sausage and pepperoni pizza. In my more recent years, more than once while working on Dennis Patchin’s radio show, I would call ahead and order a pizza for pickup, as it was on my way home from the station. Now the awesome pizza will just have to exist in my memory – and my waistline. Until later …