Chukar men look to keep championship run within reach
TVCC takes on No. 3 ranked Peninsula today at 2 p.m.
By Ray Rodriguez
Argus Observer
Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:25 AM PST
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| Argus Observer file photo
Treasure Valley Community College guard Newt Basey (right) glides in for the slam dunk in this Argus Observer file photo taken in January. The Chukars kick off playoff action today against Peninsula at 2 p.m. today in Kennewick, Wash. |
Ontario — With a group of 10 freshmen and one sophomore, the members of the Treasure Valley Community College men’s basketball team are not only the new kids on the block, they are the youngest kids on the block in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges playoff bracket.
That youth and the play of shooting guard Shane Miller has catapulted TVCC to a 9-17 overall record and its first playoff berth in recent memory.
The reward for a solid 2008 season — A first round matchup against the No. 3 ranked Peninsula Pirates (22-7 overall, 13-3 league) today at 2 p.m. PST at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash.
The Pirates boast three speedy guards and the inside presence of Clay Greenland, who averages 20 points, 8.3 rebounds and two steals a contest.
Peninsula enters action coming off a 90-86 overtime win over Edmonds Community College Feb. 23 in Lynnwood, Wash. In that game, Greenland scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while guard Dominick Lozano added 23 points.
“They have the benefit of starting three 5-foot-11 inch guards,” TVCC coach Drake Wallick said. “They also have a real nice player in Clay Greenland, who’s a handful. He can outrun other teams’ posts, he’s aggressive and intuitive on the floor. Lozano, he contributes well. He can shoot and he drives real well.”
Even with the inside-outside combination of Peninsula, Wallick feels good about his team’s ability to match up.
“We feel like we match up OK,” Wallick said. “We feel we can put a quicker team on the floor with our combination of guards and forwards. I like our chances.”
Matching up for the Chukars are Miller, who averages 20.3 point per game, Newt Basey (10), Josh Smith (11), Ryan Goodwin and Jason Mumm (12). All provide some offensive pop and can get after it on defense in the up-tempo scheme Wallick institutes.
The Chukars are ranked fourth in the NWAACC in 3-point field goal percentage at 36.8 and average 74.3 point a contest.
Smith, a point guard, missed the final four games of the season with a shoulder injury, but Wallick said the early prognosis is for the freshman to dress down for today’s matchup. Also making a return from an ankle injury is Goodwin.
While the two were saddled with injuries, the Chukars have had two players emerge as quality players down the stretch.
Freshmen Robert Moss and Mychal Harris have chipped in quality minutes and provide speed and scoring into the mix. The addition of the two freshmen allows Wallick to combat the three guard set the Pirates like to play.
“What we will try to do is put a smaller lineup in there and exploit mismatches,” Wallick said. “They will cause trouble. So we will change our defense to a fullcourt trap as well as a man-to-man defense. We have some ideas for their one-two punch. At this point in the season, it’s not about X’s and O’s, it’s about the players and how well they come out and play. It will come down to who wants it more.”
The Chukars have overcome so much this season dealing with the death of assistant coach Varick Cutler and have battled back for some classic come-from-behind wins.
Wallick said the group is resilient and have shown they have what it takes to compete with the top teams in the league.
“We have erased some deficits in some of our games, so it shows we are not afraid to come from behind,” Wallick said. “We have held leads and we have lost some, but for a young team that experience has been able to help us. They know what it’s like. We have been on five sides of the coin so far this year. We got some fresh legs for tomorrow, so I think we’re poised and ready to go.”
