KFDM COOP

McNamee now is the one who sounds desperate Was Brian McNamee asking Roger Clemens for money? That's certainly how it sounded. How do you like your star witness now, George Mitchell? If Clemens had made an offer, would McNamee have changed his story? He sounded desperate enough to do or say just about anything, telling Clemens he has no money, no job and a very sick son. "All I did was what I thought was right," he says. "I never thought it was right, but I thought that I had no other choice, put it that way." He doesn't sound like a man caught telling a lie. If he changes his story now, he's going directly to jail. But in the same conversation, he tells Clemens he's willing to do just that. Without McNamee, there's no case against Clemens. On the best day Clemens has had since Mitchell's report on baseball and steroids was released almost four weeks ago, McNamee suddenly looked like a shaky witness. "Whatever you can do to help," he tells Clemens at one point in that 17-minute telephone conversation attorney Rusty Hardin released Monday afternoon. If that's not a request for money, it's pretty close. It's important to note McNamee hasn't changed his story about injecting Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone. But he appears to have neither the stomach nor the money for a long fight with Clemens. He seems willing to negotiate. "I need somebody to tell the truth, Mac," Clemens tells him. "I just don't know why you did it." There's something akin to panic in McNamee's voice. "What do you want me to do?" he asks Clemens. "I'll go to jail, I'll do whatever you want." They sounded like two old friends at times, each telling the other he's sorry for what's happening. At other times, they sounded like two men on the edge. "I want it to go away," McNamee says. "I'm in your corner. I don't want this to happen. But I'd also like not to go to jail, too. But it has nothing to do with you." They're so civil that it's easy to forget each is responsible for the other's troubles. McNamee tells Clemens he ratted him out only when threatened with jail time. Then he offers to go to jail if it will make things right. "You treated me like family," McNamee says. Clemens tells McNamee he wants the truth to come out, but never really presses him to admit that he made up the stories about steroids. Hardin released the tape hoping reporters would notice how McNamee declines to say anything about Clemens using steroids and human growth hormone. "You hear (Clemens) throughout saying, 'Tell the truth,' " Hardin said. Hardin said it was telling that when Clemens urged McNamee to tell the truth, McNamee didn't respond: "I am telling the truth." Clemens once more angrily denied using steroids or human growth hormone. And he said he'd repeat those denials under oath next week to a congressional committee. "I'm going to Congress, and I'm going to tell the truth," Clemens said. No athlete has gone to such lengths to clear his name. Of course, no athlete has had so much to lose in terms of reputation or earning potential. When it was over, nothing of substance had changed except maybe the tone of the debate. McNamee stuck to his previous statements that he injected Clemens between 16 and 21 times in the 1998, 2000 and 2001 seasons. Speaking of those injections, if that's all Clemens is accused of doing, it's not much. I'm no expert on performance-enhancing drugs, but 21 injections over a four-year period don't exactly make Roger Clemens a steroid abuser. "He took them in late July, August, and never for more than four to six weeks max," McNamee told Sports Illustrated. "Within the culture of what was going on, he was just a small part of it. A lot of guys did it. You can't take away the work Roger did. You can't take away the fact that he worked out as hard as anybody." Clemens stormed out of the news conference in which his rage bubbled near the surface. At one point, Hardin passed him a note that said: "Lighten up." But he was in no mood to lighten up. This is the fight of his life. "How I can I prove a negative?" he said. He admitted some people will always believe he did what he's accused of doing. For the first time, though, he seemed to turn things in his direction. He told his story with emotion to reporters and said he'll do it again under oath. Unless there's a paper trail, it's going to come down to one man's word against another man's word. Clemens doesn't seem worried about more evidence surfacing. For the first time, he looks like a man who believes in his fight.

8) I agree!

I agree, i think this will be a close game!

It's at EC.

New year brings big shakeup to latest boys' hoops Super 25 BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS Super 25 Who's out: No. 4 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) fell twice in the Houston vs. The Nation tournament to unranked teams, losing to Cypress Springs (Cypress, Texas) 65-59 and to Klein Collins (Spring, Texas) 45-43. … No. 6 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), dropped two tournament games in the Iolani Classic in Honolulu, falling to Westchester (Los Angeles) 60-53 and then-No. 14 LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) 49-38. … No. 11 Fairfax (Los Angeles) lost to then-No. 23 Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) 57-52 and Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) 55-54. … No. 15 Mount Vernon (N.Y.) lost twice in the Iolani Classic, falling to Mason County (Maysville, Ky.) 73-69 and then-No. 10 Rice (New York) 75-51. … No. 18 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) fell to unranked Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.) 74-51 and to Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 78-75. … No. 21 Marion (Ind.) dropped out after falling 51-46 to New Albany (Ind.) and 65-60 to Edgewood (Ellettsville, Ind.). … No. 23 Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) is out after losing for the second time to then-No. 19 Taft 73-59. … No. 24 Helen Cox (Harvey, La.) lost four times, including 64-50 to No. 1 St. Benedict's Prep (Newark), 74-56 to then-unranked Holy Cross (Flushing, N.Y.), 56-53 to Oregon City (Ore.) and 77-29 to DeLaSalle (Concord, Calif.). •Records through Sunday 1. St. Benedict's Prep, Newark (13-0) Previous: 1. Results: Samardo Samuels, bound for Louisville, was the MVP of the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., and the Bojangles Shootout in Marvin, N.C., as the Gray Bees won both tournaments. In the Palms Classic, the Gray Bees topped then-No. 16 Chester (Pa.) 68-55 in the title game and defeated then-No. 24 Helen Cox (Harvey, La.) 64-50. St. Benedict's defeated then-unranked Moeller (Cincinnati) 56-45 in the title game of the Bojangles as Samuels scored 23 points. Also defeated South Atlanta in the Bojangles, 57-43. Next: Today vs. Academy of the New Church (Bryn Athyn, Pa.), Sunday vs. No. 12 Rice (New York) at Nike Super Six Invitational in Madison Square Garden in New York City. 2. St. Anthony, Jersey City (9-0) FIND MORE STORIES IN: Texas | Va | NC | NY | Lost | Calif | Prep | Results | Chester | Next | Taft Previous: 5. Results: Won T-Mobile Invitational in Albuquerque, defeating La Cueva (Albuquerque) 84-34 and Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 54-43 as Dominic Cheek averaged 13 points and 6.5 rebounds in the tournament. Also defeated Morris Catholic (Denville) 95-18 as Mike Rosario had 22 points. Defeated Bergen Catholic 80-24 as Rosario had 20 points and five rebounds. Defeated Hackensack 78-36 as Cheek had 19 points and Rosario added 18. Next: Today at Life Center Academy (Burlington), Saturday vs. New Brunswick. 3. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (16-0) Previous: 7. Results: Won Orange (Calif.) Holiday Classic, defeating Jserra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) 88-74 in the title game as five players scored in double-figures, led by Gary Franklin's 19 points. Travis and David Wear were named co-MVPs of the tournament. Won on the road vs. Durango (Las Vegas) 74-54 as the Wears combined for 37 points. Defeated St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 87-56 as the Wears, who recently committed to North Carolina, combined for 35. Next: Today vs. Jserra Catholic, Friday vs. No. 21 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita). 4. Duncanville, Texas (20-1) Previous: 2. Results: Lost 78-77 to then-No. 17 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) on Dec. 19 despite 21 points by Shawn Williams. Defeated Monsignor Pace (Opa Locka, Fla.) 67-61 in a semifinal game in the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Also in the tournament, defeated Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.) 68-62. In the final the Panthers defeated Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 69-57. Roger Franklin led Duncanville with 18 points and six rebounds to earn MVP honors. Routed Arlington 117-49 as Brian Talley had 20 points and Williams had 17. Next: Tonight at Martin (Arlington), Friday vs. DeSoto. 5. St. Patrick, Elizabeth, N.J. (8-1) Previous: 3. Results: Quintrell Thomas had 22 points and six rebounds and junior guard Dexter Strickland tallied 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a 70-67 win vs. Madison (Houston) in the Houston vs. The Nation tournament. Lost to Yates (Houston) 66-60 in the tournament. Thomas had 19 points and eight rebounds in a 96-50 win vs. Living Faith Christian (Cherry Hill). Defeated Monmouth Academy (Howell) 76-57 as Dexter Strickland had 20 points and six rebounds. Next: Played Life Center Academy (Burlington) on Monday, Thursday vs. TrentonCatholic. 6. Saginaw, Mich. (8-0) Previous: 12. Results: Cortney Washington had 23 points to lead the Trojans to a 79-40 win vs. Flint Central. Washington had 39 as Saginaw defeated Northwestern (Flint) 103-50. Next: Today at Arthur Hill (Saginaw), Thursday vs. Central (Flint), Saturday vs. Romulus. 7. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (11-0) Previous: 13. Results: The Monarchs routed Fairfield 95-68 as Drew Gordon had 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven blocks, three assists, three steals and five dunks. Also defeated Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 72-44 as Angelo Caloiaro scored 26 points. Defeated Serra (San Diego) 71-50 as Caloiaro scored 20. Next: Today at St. Francis (Mountain View), Thursday vs. St. Ignatius (San Francisco), Saturday at Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco). 8. St. Raymond's, Bronx, N.Y. (11-0) Previous: 25. Results: Darryl Bryant had 20 points to lead the Ravens to win in Gatorade Tournament of Champions in Puerto Rico. Kevin Parrom had 31 points in a 88-71 defeat of Archbishop Molloy (Queens). Defeated then-unranked Holy Cross (Flushing) 77-69 as Parrom had 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists. Next: Sunday vs. No. 12 Rice (New York) in Nike Super Six Invitational at Madison Square Garden. 9. Yates, Houston (13-2) Previous: Not ranked. Results: Defeated then-No. 17 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson) 82-80 as Xavier Roberson had 21 points, and then-No. 3 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) 66-60 in Houston vs. The Nation tournament as Anthony Jones led the way with 25 points. Defeated Reagan County (Big Lake) 97-78 as Jones had 16 points. Next: Wednesday vs. Waltrip (Houston). 10. Chester, Pa. (12-1) Previous: 16. Results: Went 3-1 in City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., defeating Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, Fla.) 66-41, Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.) 83-69 and then-unranked Holy Cross (Flushing, N.Y.) 62-53, but lost in the title game 68-55 to No. 1 St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.). Karon Butler led Chester with 15 points in the loss. He was also named MVP of Chester's Pete Nelson Classic, leading his team to a 75-70 win vs. Prep Charter (Philadelphia) and an 82-76 title game win vs. Strawberry Mansion (Philadelphia). In the title game, he had 25 points and 10 assists. Also defeated Interboro Prep (Prospect Park) 61-25. Next: Tonight vs. Sun Valley (Aston), Thursday vs. Harriton(Rosemont). 11. Moeller, Cincinnati (11-1) Previous: NR. Results: Outscoring opponents by more than 15 points per game. Michael Davenport had 24 points and 12 rebounds as the Crusaders defeated then-No. 9 Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 57-55 in the semifinals of Bojangles High School Shootout in Marvin, N.C. Only loss was 56-45 to No. 1 St. Benedict's Prep in the final. Davenport led Moeller with 13 points. Next: Friday at Carroll (Dayton). 12. Rice, New York (10-1) Previous: 10. Results: Kemba Walker scored 20 points as Rice won the Bay Ball Classic in Lewes, Del., routing Caravel Academy (Bear, Del.) 74-41 in the title game. Won Red Division of Iolani Classic in Honolulu as Chris Fouch scored 29 points in a 75-51 win vs. then-No. 15 Mount Vernon (N.Y.). Lost 65-61 at Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.). Next: Saturday at No. 8 St. Raymond's (Bronx, N.Y.). 13. Norcross, Ga. (9-1) Previous: 8. Results: Went 3-1 in Amare Stoudemire Invitational in Davenport, Fla., as the Blue Devils lost 51-45 to Kathleen (Lakeland, Fla.) but defeated Westlake Prep (Davie, Fla.) 81-76, Westlake (Atlanta) 61-57 and Urspring Basketball Academy (Germany) 67-42. Defeated Mill Creek (Hochston) 83-42 as Al-Farouq Aminu scored 29 points. Next: Today at Duluth, Thursday vs. Helen Cox (Harvey, La.), Friday at North Gwinnett (Suwanee), Saturday vs. North Gwinnett. 14. Word of God Academy, Raleigh, N.C. (15-0) Previous: NR. Results: C.J. Leslie was named the most outstanding player of the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, scoring 20 points in a 64-62 win vs. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.). Also defeated then-No. 19 Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) 55-52 in a tournament semifinal as the sophomore Leslie had 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. John Wall scored 20 points as the Rams defeated American Christian (Chester, Pa.) 80-79. Next: Tonight vs. Flora MacDonald (Red Springs), Friday at Trinity Christian (Fayetteville). 15. Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y. (6-1) Previous: 9. Results: Lost 57-55 to then-unranked Moeller (Cincinnati) in the semifinals of the Bojangles High School Shootout in Marvin, N.C. Defeated city rivals Grady 90-16 and Boys & Girls 109-95. Lance Stephenson had 33 points and 15 rebounds for Lincoln vs. Boys & Girls. Next: Tonight at Canarsie, Thursday at Jefferson. 16. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (14-0) Previous: NR. Results: Won D.C. Classic and Rotary Roundball Championship in Charleston, S.C., and has a 61-55 win vs. Benedictine (Richmond, Va.) and a 70-62 victory vs. Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.). Cameron Johnson was named the most outstanding player in the Roundball Championship. Routed St. Mary's Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.) 70-40 as Ian Hummer had 16 points, five rebounds and five blocked shots. Next: Tonight at Paul VI, Thursday vs. McNamara, Saturday at Ireton. 17. LeFlore, Mobile, Ala. (17-1) Previous: 14. Results: Won the White Division in the Iolani Classic in Honolulu, defeating then-No. 6 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) 49-38 in the final. Also beat Moanalua (Honolulu) 87-45, Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) 40-16 and Westchester (Los Angeles) 71-59. Lost 69-66 in overtime to Vincent (Milwaukee), ending a 22-game winning streak for the Rattlers. Defeated B.C. Rain (Mobile) 72-53 as DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points and 13 rebounds. Defeated Princeton (Minn.) 71-55 in Minnesota Timberwolves-Gatorade Shootout in Minneapolis as Cousins had 11 points, nine points, four steals, three assists and six blocks. Next: Tonight at Montgomery (Semmes), Thursday at Satsuma. 18. Whitney Young, Chicago (9-1) Previous: NR. Results: A.J. Rompza scored 17 points as Dolphins avenged their only loss by defeating then-No. 22 Homewood Flossmoor (Flossmoor) 55-53 in overtime in title game of Proviso West Tournament in Hillside Ill. Next: Tonight at Prosser (Chicago), Thursday vs. North Lawndale (Chicago), Sunday vs. East (Aurora). 19. Homewood Flossmoor, Flossmoor Ill. (11-1) Previous: 22. Results: Kevin Dillard was named MVP of the Proviso West tournament in Hillside, Ill., despite having his team lose the final in overtime 55-53 to then-unranked Whitney Young. Homewood upset No. 20 Marshall 63-61 in the semifinals of the tournament. Next: Jan. 19 at Thornton. 20. Marshall, Chicago (8-1) Previous: 20. Results: Darius Smith had 17 points, four steals and six rebounds as the Commandos defeated Curie 64-54 in the quarterfinals of the Public League Holiday Tournament at DePaul. Fell 63-61 to then-No. 22 Homewood Flossmoor in Proviso West Tournament in Hillside, Ill. Next: Tonight vs. Clemerite (Chicago), Thursday at Manley (Chicago), Saturday vs. Hales Franciscan (Chicago). 21. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (16-1) Previous: NR. Results: Defeated then-No. 11 Fairfax (Los Angeles) 55-54 in the finals of the Lynwood (Calif.) Christmas Classic as Klay Thompson scored 21 points and had nine rebounds and was tournament MVP. Next: Wednesday vs. Servite (Anaheim), Friday at Mater Dei (Santa Ana). 22. Holy Cross, Flushing, N.Y. (9-2) Previous: NR. Results: Knocked off two ranked teams, including a 66-59 win vs. then-No. 19 Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) in City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., as Sylven Landesberg followed up a 31-point, 11-rebound game with 44 points and 11 rebounds in his team's 74-56 tournament win vs. then-No. 24 Helen Cox (Harvey, La.). Lost to then-No. 16 Chester (Pa.) 62-53 in a tournament semifinal. Lost 77-69 at then-No. 25 St. Raymond's (Bronx, N.Y.) despite 26 points by Landesberg. Next: Tonight vs. Xavierian (Brooklyn). 23. Taft, Woodland Hills, Calif. (9-2) Previous: 19. Results: Beat then-No. 23 Dominguez (Compton) for the second time, 73-59, as Taft scored the game's first 16 points. Only losses are two teams currently ranked, 66-59 to then-unranked Holy Cross (Flushing, N.Y.) and 55-52 to then-unranked Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.). Next: Wednesday at El Camino Real (Woodland Hills, Calif.), Friday vs. Granada Hills. 24. Oak Hill, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (16-3) Previous: 17. Results: Handed then-No. 2 Duncanville (Texas) its first loss 78-77 as Brandon Jennings scored 34 points and had six assists. Lost to then-unranked Yates (Houston) in the Houston vs. The Nation tournament, despite 31 points by Jennings. Next: Saturday at Fleming (Rocky Mount, Va.), Sunday vs. Westlake Prep (Davie, Fla.), Monday at Hickory (N.C.). 25. McClymonds, Oakland (16-0) Previous: NR. Results: Damon Powell, averaging 16.9 points per game, scored 21 in a 85-30 rout of Richmond. Coach Dwight Nathaniel, whose team is outscoring opponents by an average of 24.8 points, says he'll retire after this season. Next: Tonight vs. Castlemont (Oakland), Friday vs. Oakland. Next rankings: Jan. 15. USA TODAY/MaxPreps Player of the Week In a battle of Fort Wayne, Ind., rivals, super sophomore DeShaun Thomas poured in a season-high 43 points to go along with 12 rebounds as Bishop Luers knocked off Wayne on Saturday night 93-81. Weekly leaders •Points 1. Derek Williams, 6-2, Jr., PacificaChristian (Santa Monica, Calif.), 49 2. Ryan Dougherty, 6-0, Sr., Bethesda Christian (Fort Worth), 47 3. DeShaun Thomas, 6-7, So., Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, Ind.), 43 4. Michael Burwell, 6-7, Sr., Cardinal McCarrick (South Amboy, N.J.), 41 (tie) T.J. Johnson, 6-2, Sr., Hendrickson (Pflugerville, Texas), 41 •Rebounds 1. Josh Figini, 6-8, Jr., Chicago Lakes Area (Lindstrom, Minn.), 26 2. Trevor Noonan, 6-8, Sr., Legacy(Broomfield, Colo.), 24 3. Dexter Wilson, 6-3, So., First Baptist(Rosemount, Minn.), 23 (tie) Caleb Creech, Sr., Heritage Christian (Zebulon, N.C.), 23 5. Van Erwin, 6-4, Jr., California Academy of Math & Science (Carson, Calif.), 22 •Assists 1. Mario Denogean, 6-0, Sr., Browne(Phoenix, Ariz.), 15 (tie). Laurence Whitmore, 5-7, So., Melody Christian (Live Oak, Fla.), 15 (tie) Chris Canada, 6-2, Jr., Wells (Texas), 15 4. David Hammer, 6-5, Jr., PacificaChristian (Santa Monica, Calif.), 14 (tie) Nathan Roberts, 6-1, Sr., South Sevier (Monroe, Utah), 14 •Three-Point Field Goals 1. Thomas Hammock, 5-8, So., Centennial (Compton, Calif.), 10 2. Derek Williams, 6-2, Jr., PacificaChristian (Santa Monica, Calif.), 9 3. Derek Williams, 6-2, Jr., PacificaChristian (Santa Monica, Calif.), 8 (tie) Doug Towery, 6-3, Jr., East Gaston(Mount Holly, N.C.), 8 (tie) Josh Akers, 6-0, Sr., Wells (Texas), 8

Area high schools facing key games By Cody Pastorella The Port Arthur News Some very important games take place this week, as the area district races start to heat up for both girl’s and boy’s basketball. Tonight, when District 21-5A leading Kingwood rolls into Port Arthur, Memorial boy’s will try to take a share of first place, or keep a share of second place, by beating the Mustangs, who are currently 3-0 in league play. The Titans are 2-1 in the district after holding Atascocita 60-57 on the road Friday night, and head coach Terrul Henderson says his players were excited about that win and are looking forward to tonight’s contest. Henderson said the approach to this game is just like any other but he says his Titans are definitely ready for the competition. “We’ve played some of the same teams they have faced and we know what to expect from them,†he said. “It’s a long district race so we’re looking at this game just like any other.†Henderson said the key for victory is for the Titans to play hard on both ends of the floor for the full 32 minutes. “If we do that,†he said, “we will be in great shape.†After tonight’s game, Memorial travels to district bottom feeder, Baytown Lee. If Port Arthur beats Kingwood, and assuming the Titans handle Lee, Memorial would be in great shape going into next week’s matchup with West Brook. Beating the Mustangs would have the Titans and Kingwood in at least second place at 3-1. Humble, who is at 3-0 and currently tied for first with Kingwood, draws two, tough opponents this week. The Wildcats host Atascocita tonight and then travels to Kingwood Friday. If the Titans win both their games this week, it is most likley that they will be tied at first place, at 4-1, with either Humble or Kingwood. In District 22-4A, the Nederland Bulldogs look to make a move to second place this week. After beating Little Cypress-Mauriceville on Friday (highlighted by 30-points from Chris Hammond), Nederland plays host to Dayton tonight and then travels to Lumberton Friday night. Dayton is still a team with a lot questions and its 4-10 overall record and 1-2 district record is hardly a strong representation of what this team is capable of. The biggest reason for the Broncos shady record was caused by football season. Now that football is over, Dayton is fully armed and considerably a deeper threat. But if the Dogs roll up two victories this week, they would likely be in a two-way tie for second place with either No. 4 Ozen or Central, pending the outcome of the Beaumont bash on Friday night when the Panthers travel to play the Jaguars. Both Ozen and Central are 3-0 in district play.

Hunsaker finally makes way to Lamar By Bob West The Port Arthur News BEAUMONT — In the spring of 1999, Lamar University was looking for a coach to upgrade its sagging basketball program. A Utah assistant named Dick Hunsaker, who had helped Ball State to the NCAA Sweet 16 in the early 1990s, thought he was the perfect guy to get the Cardinals back on track. Unfortunately for Hunsaker, and for Lamar, this was to be another of those ill-fated coaching searches that came to define the school in both football and basketball. Maybe not as egregious as snubbing Tom Floyd in the late 1980s, but certainly a decision that turned out badly. With LU financially strapped, Cardinal athletic director Dean Billick hired recently fired Marquette coach Mike Deane. Deane was selected not so much because he was the best available coach for the LU program, but because Marquette was going to have a foot the bill for a significant part of his contract. We all know how that deal turned out. Hunsaker, meanwhile, stayed at Utah, became its interim head coach the next season when Rick Majerus was sidelined by heart problems, led the Utes to the Mountain West Conference championship and was named the league’s Coach of the Year. After Majerus returned, the former Weber State star left to take a flyer on a junior college in the process of becoming a four-year school and going Division 1 in basketball. That school, Utah Valley State, furnishes the opposition for Lamar’s final non-conference tuneup tonight at 7 o’clock in the Montagne Center. Utah Valley State, now in the sixth year of a seven-year transition to Division 1, has had remarkable success playing as an independent. Hunsaker’s first five Wolverine teams were 104-43, topped by a 22-7 mark last year that was best record for an independent since Notre Dame’s 1985-86 season. Along the way Hunsaker has been named Independent Coach of the Year three times. Other accomplishments include guard Ronnie Price, the nation’s third lead scorer in 2005, making it in the NBA. The team’s signature victory was on the road at Arizona State in the 2005-06 season. “Accepting this job was the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken,†Hunsaker said Monday. “I loved Utah and wanted to stay in Utah and took a chance. Every coaching colleague I talked to tried to discourage me. Everybody said it was a road-kill job.†Hunsaker, who owns a career head coaching mark of 277-126 in 14 seaons as a head coach, has proved othewise. Although the 6-10 Wolverines have struggled a bit this season, he says that’s mostly due to a step up in the level of competition. He’s having no second thoughts. “These have been the most enjoyable, most fun coaching years of my life,†he said. UVS, which is located 40 miles south of Salt Lake City in Orem, Utah, is playing a schedule this season that includes the likes of Marquette, Arkansas State, San Francisco, UC-Santa Barbara, Boise State, Louisiana Lafayette and, of course, Lamar. Hunsaker says he’s not fooled by Lamar’s 5-7 record. “They have played a difficult schedule,†he said, reeling off BYU, Mississippi, Oral Roberts, Wyoming and New Orleans. “Sometimes you can schedule yourself into disarray. But it looks like they are starting to put it together. “They have several good players. I’m familiar with Kenny Dawkins. I saw him play last year in junior college. Lamar Sanders is a load, a really difficult matchup. All those JC kids from Mississippi can play. I think it has probably taken a little time for the returning players and the new players to mesh.â€

Good luck to you guys!

Good luck to both teams!

[move]CONGRATS SEAHAWKS[/move]

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[Hidden Content] Scroll down once link comes up to see team.

Jan. 29th

Let's get a W before Conference!!

Where would the money come from for something like that?

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Congrats Coach!!! Great article Gabe.

Maybe Clemens is innocent Listening to a phone call from the trainer to Clemens and I tell you..he might be innocent

I'll need a halftime and final score texted to me from this game, Thanks

Gosh that would be nice!

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I remember! We'll see what happens!!

Im ready!