A few REALLY interesting articles about Sac State...

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A giant hole remains on Sac State's wish list
By John Schumacher -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C1

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Wanted: Big man to run the floor, block shots, rebound and provide low-post points. Athleticism a must. Prefer someone 6-foot-8 or taller but will consider a shorter player with heart and quickness.
For Jerome Jenkins, the search for a quality inside player continues year ... after year ... after year.

Coaches do not win with guards alone. And Jenkins has plenty of those: Loren Leath, Clark Woods, Haron Hargrave, redshirt Kris Groce and incoming recruits Tristan Wilson and Chris Hart appear likely to divide the minutes at the three perimeter positions next season.


Big men? Well, the Hornets did conclude their recruiting season by signing 6-8, 210-pound forward-center Curtis Harrison last month. But Harrison's numbers last season at Monterey Peninsula College -- 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks -- suggest he's not an impact player.
Can Harrison fill the gaping hole in the Hornets' lineup?

"I think he's going to be a solid big guy for us, do a lot of little things for us: block shots, rebound and make layups," said Jenkins, whose team finished 15-15 last season and lost in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament.

"He's known for being a defensive stopper. I think that's something we need."

Jenkins said Harrison should be able to contribute next season.

"He's just a solid basketball player," Jenkins said. "He'll be a garbage-type guy."

As for returning players, 6-6, 235-pound Alex Bausley often played like a warrior last season, averaging 13.6 points and 5.2 rebounds en route to All-Big Sky Conference honors. But the junior prefers the perimeter and doesn't often do that back-to-the-basket stuff.

Jenkins often used 6-6, 200-pound sophomore Justin Williams and 6-6, 205-pound sophomore Davon Roberts at center. And while both made contributions, there's no escaping the notion they're forwards playing out of position.

Ditto for 6-6, 200-pound sophomore Jason Gilzene. And while 6-8, 220-pound sophomore Randy Adams looks more the part, his blue-collar approach has yet to pay big dividends.

Check the Big Sky statistics. The Hornets finished last in rebound margin, with opponents averaging 5.9 more rebounds per game. That season-ending 98-83 loss to Northern Arizona in the Big Sky semifinals? The Lumberjacks outrebounded the Hornets 49-16.

And the Big Sky isn't exactly loaded with impressive big men. Andrew Strait, a 6-8, 245-pound center, powered Montana into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. At 6-11 and 210 pounds, Montana State's Al Beye earned all-conference honors.

But other effective inside players were more Sac State's size, players such as 6-7, 185-pound Ruben Boykin Jr. of Northern Arizona and 6-7, 195-pound Slim Millien of Idaho State.

The Hornets do have 7-foot, 340-pound redshirt Stephen Colvin in the fold, but he's considered a project without the quickness needed to play in Jenkins' uptempo system.

Jenkins acknowledged it's always a struggle to land a talented big man and that there was a short supply this past recruiting season.

"We want certain types of bigs," Jenkins said, referring to players who can play at a faster tempo. "Right now it's been kind of tough for us."

Selling a kid on a program that has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament since joining Division I in the 1991-92 season but is moving up is one thing. Showing him the 1,200-seat Hornets Nest is another.

Which might be one reason the Hornets haven't had a quality big man 6-8 or taller since Sean Houston played from 1997 to 1999.

"What I always said as a recruiter, 90 percent of what kids want to see is the town they're in and the facilities they're going to play in," Hornets assistant coach Lorenzo Watkins said. "Sacramento is lovely. There's not a better town in our league. We've got that going for us.

"Once they hit campus, we've really got to do some selling."

Plans to build an on-campus arena were recently separated from an effort to build a recreation center for students. In the meantime, Jenkins and his staff must make do with the Hornets Nest.

"We have our own deficiencies we have to deal with," Jenkins said. "It's kind of discouraging for me. There's four or five guys out there doing really well at other Division I schools that we had on this campus who could have helped us get to the NCAA Tournament."

Before signing Harrison, Jenkins said community college players often want to go to bigger schools.

"We're kind of used to just settling," he said. "'OK, you're 6-8, you can run a little bit.' Let's try to develop him."





Ex-Sac State coach would love to lead Kings
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C1

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Don Newman wants the gig, to coach the Kings.
At the very least, he craves an interview with the front-office brass to show he's more than the coach who couldn't win when he was at the helm of Sacramento State a decade ago, and that he's more than just an assistant coach perched next to higher-profile names with the San Antonio Spurs - including P.J. Carlesimo, who also has expressed interest in the Kings' vacancy.


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"I feel strongly about this, and if it's a situation where the Kings even looked in my direction, I'd certainly be interested," Newman said by phone in Texas, where the Spurs are fighting for their playoff lives, trailing Dallas 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinals.

The coaching candidates, whoever they are, will include men of varying degrees of experience. Newman, in that regard, fits right in - if he even is considered.

But with mounting interest in the Kings' post that represents the single vacancy in the NBA, Newman acknowledges he's a long shot. But a long shot with a lot to offer.

"At this level, you're talking about phenomenally skilled people," he said. "Then the challenge is to put people in their strengths. I have that ability to prepare, to relate, and that's essential in being successful. I feel very strongly about my relationship with the players, to get guys to believe in themselves."

Newmanonce saw himself as a college hoops lifer, a man who built a reputation as a superb recruiter and players coach as an assistant in the Pacific- 10 Conference in the 1980s. In the early 1990s, he was handed the controls of a Sac State program that was making the jump from Division II to Division I, which for the Hornets was like taking on Niagara Falls with a rowboat and one busted oar.

Newman endured five trying Hornets seasons, going 20-114. But Newman said he shouldn't be knocked for his struggles at Sac State when the résumé looks so strong and polished since, including the past two seasons as a Spurs assistant.

"WhenI was in the Pac-10, one of the top conferences in the country, you have a lot of support and academic support and all the resources are available," Newman said. "I went to Arizona State after that, used the same sort of enthusiasm and knowledge and won."

Newman also has worked for some of the top coaches in NBA, gleaming tricks of the trade. He was an assistant under George Karl in Milwaukee, and he was interviewed for the Bucks' job that eventually went to Terry Porter in 2003. In San Antonio, the Spurs are led by Gregg Popovich, who seeks his fourth NBA title in 10 seasons.

Newman also has worked with a lot of defensive schemes in San Antonio, a staple to the Spurs' title teams and a point of emphasis for the Maloofs. "That's what we do here," Newman said.

"That's totally important. It comes downto adjustments, how to take things away from the dominant player. And Sacramento would be a great place to work, from the owners to Geoff Petrie to the players. You've got Ron Artest, Mike Bibby. It's a great nucleus, a lot to work with."





A new nest is in the making
University officials remain committed to plans for an updated basketball facility
By John Schumacher -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Monday, May 15, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C1

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Jameel Pugh played at the 1,200-seat Hornets Nest during his Sacramento State basketball career. Current Hornets players and coaches back a proposal for a new arena.
Sacramento Bee, file, 2005/José Luis Villegas

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This arena will not be built in Natomas, the railyards or anywhere near the up-and-coming downtown waterfront.
Instead, the idea is to build the long-awaited facility a few hundred yards from the American River, next to a football stadium and a parking structure, hoping it becomes a centerpiece that draws the community onto an often-overlooked campus.

The biggest questions are when it will be built, and who will pay for it.

Sound familiar?

For all the on-again, off-again talk of a new Kings arena, there's another proposed basketball building stirring chatter around town.


Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez announced last month the university arena project, estimated to cost $50 million to $60 million, would be separated from plans to construct an estimated $9 million football fieldhouse and a projected $63 million to $68 million recreation, wellness and events center for students, as well as those to spend $32 million to $36 million renovating Hornet Stadium.
Some took that as a setback to the university's attempt to build an arena, including some students who voted two years ago to pay $110 a semester toward the project.

Others, including Gonzalez, remain optimistic the facility, which essentially will be privately funded and is projected to have 6,000 to 8,000 seats, will become a reality, even if there is no official time frame.

"I've already started talking to people about the arena," he said. "I'm committed. I want to move forward."

While there is debate over whether the Kings truly need a new arena, it's harder to question Sac State's pursuit of a new basketball facility. The men's and women's teams play at the Hornets Nest, a 1,200-seat gym that opened in 1955 and is tied for the sixth-smallest arena among the NCAA's 333 Division I basketball schools.

That makes attracting top recruits virtually impossible.

"I'm able to talk to certain types of guys and get their attention, but it's just kind of hard to pull them in and finish the job," said men's basketball coach Jerome Jenkins, who, in his sixth season, posted a 15-15 record, the first time the Hornets have reached .500 since joining Division I in 1991-92.

"When I worked at Eastern Washington, guys driving into Cheney were like, 'Wow, see the cows.' But then they saw the arena (6,000-seat Reese Court). It was something extra special."

Women's basketball coach Dan Muscatell said the lack of an arena can be a deal breaker.

"Recruiting to our current facility is the number one objection that I try to overcome very, very early in the process," he said. "In other words, I'm telling kids, 'If you need a four-sided arena with more than 2,000 seats, this isn't the place for you.'

"When you're recruiting a higher level of student athletes, they want that 'Wow' factor. We don't have that. That's what the arena brings to us."

Young players on campus said they would love to be in a new arena.

"It would help us in recruiting a lot because somebody walks into our gym, they see it like a high school gym," freshman guard Loren Leath said. "They walk into an 8,000-seat arena, they can just imagine themselves playing in it."

Sacramento State and Portland State are the only schools in the eight-team Big Sky Conference - Northern Colorado will become the ninth member in the fall - whose regular arenas are not large enough to host the conference tournament.

"We think it's imperative that they (have one), and I think they do, too," Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton said. "We encourage them."

Athletic director Terry Wanless said he is confident Gonzalez will deliver, calling the arena the "final piece of the puzzle" to transform Sacramento State into a destination campus.

"Obviously, the decision to separate out the projects is a very logical process so we can start the building process," Wanless said. "I'm very excited we're going to start with the fieldhouse and recreation center. Hopefully that will be a source of encouragement. The arena is not just for athletes. It will enhance student life."

And maybe set up the Hornets for an eventual move to the Western Athletic Conference, whose members include nearby Nevada, Fresno State and San Jose State. Sacramento State competes in the WAC in baseball and gymnastics.

"If you look long-term, the possibility exists," Wanless said. "The university could consider elevating the program to the next level. The WAC makes the most sense because of geographic location.

"The WAC isn't going to be interested in an institution that doesn't have facilities similar to other members. Look at what's out there. It's obvious we're deficient."

Who will pay for the arena? With student fees now directed primarily toward the recreation center, Gonzalez hopes to raise private money and/or find a business partner for the arena.

And while the $50 million to $60 million price tag is a far cry from the $400 million figure mentioned for a new Kings arena, it still is serious money. And finding dollars for sports in Sacramento can be a trying task.

Brian Flajole, tournament director of the Longs Drugs Challenge, searched in vain for a title sponsor to replace Longs Drugs when the company opted last fall to move its LPGA tournament from Auburn to Danville.

"The problem they face is like every sports team or organization in this town," Flajole said. "You're always trying to go to the same companies and get a slice of the pie. And that pie doesn't get any bigger."

It's often not really a local pie, either, with many visible companies here (Intel, Hewlett-Packard) headquartered elsewhere. Longs moved the golf tournament to be closer to corporate headquarters in Walnut Creek.

"A lot of decisions on those kinds of dollars, whether donations or sponsorships or whatever, are made outside the area," Flajole said. "What you lose a lot of times is the emotional buy-in. You don't have a guy who lives there or has a son who goes there."

There are different ways to finance an arena. Consider:

* Gonzaga built the 6,000-seat McCarthey Athletic Center, completed in November 2004, for $25 million, relying on private donations and a building partner fund.

* The University of San Diego opened the 5,100-seat, $17 million Jenny Craig Pavilion in 2000, with Craig providing the majority of the funding.

* Fresno State plays at the 16,116-seat Save Mart Center, which cost $100 million and opened in 2003. Save Mart, corporate sponsorships, private gifts and luxury seat licenses helped pay the tab.

* USC hopes to open the 10,000-seat, $100 million Galen Center, built with private donations, in September.

"Fundraising is always the most interesting part of it," said USD associate athletic director John Martin, who said Craig's contribution was "probably two-thirds" of the total cost.

"It always comes around you kind of overshoot what you're going to do, then draw back."

USD also used naming rights within the arena, with the fitness center, locker rooms and other parts of the building generating more donations.

Gonzalez hopes he can someday point with pride to an arena at Sac State. He notes he raised the required $25 million before student fees kicked in to primarily fund the recreation, wellness and events center. While that building could wind up with 2,000 to 3,000 seats, Gonzalez said it will not take the place of an arena.

"If we could build something like 6,000 to 8,000 (seats), that would be really good for the region," he said.

Gonzalez said reaction to splitting off the arena, which was done to save the practice track needed for hosting major events such as the Olympic Trials and NCAA Championships, reminded him of a commercial he saw recently where a woman orders a latte and immediately asks, "Where's my latte?"

"It doesn't happen that way," he said. "It takes awhile. We really are moving at light speed compared to other projects.

"This is a part of my track record. Let's see what I can do in the next couple of years."



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BUILDING TREND
Recently constructed Division I West Coast college basketball arenas:

JENNY CRAIG PAVILION
School: University of San Diego
Capacity: 5,100 Cost: $17 million
Year opened: 2000

McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER
School: Gonzaga
Capacity: 6,000 Cost: $25 million
Year opened: 2004

SAVE MART CENTER
School: Fresno State
Capacity: 16,116 Cost: $100 million
Year opened: 2003

GALEN CENTER
School: USC
Capacity: 10,000
Cost: $100 million
Set to open: September 2006
Source: Bee research