STEPHEN WILLIAMS
Take a couple of days off to go skiing at the west side Palace resort and everybody forgets you exist…
Bob Lutz wrote a nice column today on the Newman-Friends basketball rivalry, which has ceased to exist in no small part because of Newman’s move to a full-fledged NCAA Division II school. So here’s a question: If Newman can play Bethel, Tabor and Sterling, then why not Friends? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Mr. Williams
And yet more Newman men’s hoop news. Six-foot-1 guard Stephen Williams was named the Heartland Conference player of the week, the first Jet to grab league honors since Newman joined the Heartland. Williams, a transfer from Mid-Continent University, earned the kudos after racking up 16 points, nine assists and five steals — with just one turnover — in a 119-68 win over York College last Saturday. It does seem like the Jets are starting to get the hang of this whole D2 thing as of late … but conference play will show if they’re really ready. I think they are.
ZAC CLARK
Zac’s a Duck
Butler defensive end Zac Clark is going to Oregon … I’m not totally sure about this , but I don’t think he even made it to his Texas A&M visit. So what happened? Was it the Ducks Xbox heavy, Futurama-inspired locker room? The incredible game-day atmosphere? Or … maybe it was this. Chris Harper has no clue. They’re gonna love this Wichita kid in Eugene.
MIKE BARGEN
Mike Bargen is doing pretty good
I’m not old … but I’m getting there. I got an e-mail from Erik Nott, an old high school basketball teammate of mine who went on to be an all-KCAC guy at Friends, and he told me he remembered playing with Butler men’s coach Mike Bargen at a summer camp when he was in high school. Excuse me, when I was also in high school. Now Erik’s a doctor. That takes a long time, people.
But on to Bargen. He played at Marquette in the mid-90s (yes, I have some Hoop Dreams questions when I talk to him next) and now he’s the head coach at Butler and they’re 11-3 after falling off the map the last couple of years. His dad was the coach at Hutch back in the day, so there’s a connection to the Jayhawk Conference there. Nice to see the Grizzlies getting back on track. My Grizzly sources tell me plans are in the works to make Hutchinson’s Jan. 14 visit to El Dorado … very unpleasant.
I’m out.
-TA