Tuesday, December 9, 1997
Chewing the fat on a Tuesday afternoon:
-- What a wonderful men's basketball exhibition by UC Davis last weekend at Hamilton Court in the Hamilton Classic.
And could it be any more fitting that the Aggies came away with two wins in the tournament named for UCD's longtime coach?
The players certainly rose to the occasion. Friday, when the starters were on the floor, they played their crispest basketball of the young season.
Saturday, against the team that eliminated UCD from the NCAA Tournament last season -- Grand Canyon -- the Aggies built a decent lead and held it down the stretch for a big regional win.
Although UCD won on its own merits, you had to think that they were getting a little help from above.
By the way, the Aggies, at 6-1, are off to their best start since Bob Hamilton coached the team to that same record in 1977.
--Add Aggie men: We've come to expect big things from UCD point guard Dante Ross. But we didn't know how big until Friday against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The 5-foot-9 junior came into the lane and registered a career-high three blocked shots. Two of these were extraordinary.
I've been watching Aggie basketball for eight years, and those are the two loudest blocks I have ever heard. With perfectly-timed leaps and screams, Ross sent two shots flying back toward half court with a palm-on-ball clap that echoed throughout the Rec Hall.
Now I know he has the hops to do it, but when Ross finally dunks in a game, I hope I'm there. Chances are, he won't do it on a simple breakaway. He'll just drive the lane and throw down on some 6-10 behemoth.
--In all the hub-bub of last week's controversy regarding Sacramento State playing UCD in the future, one quote from Sac State coach Tom Abatemarco almost slipped through the cracks.
Almost.
Following the loss to the Aggies, Abatemarco admitted that he told his team they could very well start the season 0-9.
Now that indicates to me that Abatemarco thinks the Hornets should be able to win Game No. 10. A quick check of the schedule shows that Sac State travels to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers.
Yeah, the same Golden Gophers that made the Final Four last season.
Can anyone say, ``0-10?''
--This just in from New Haven, Conn., courtesy of Enterprise staffer Scott Johnson:
UCD head football coach Bob Biggs, about as laid back as anyone can get, is in the interview room following the 27-25 semifinal loss. An aggressive, East Coast-style reporter with a cabbie accent immediately starts grilling Biggs on kicking a field goal instead of going for it on fourth down in the final minute.
Biggs politely replies that kicker Ray Hill can't kick a 45-yard field goal, especially against the wind.
Our friendly colleague then condescendingly asks why UCD didn't kick in the third quarter when quarterback Kevin Daft threw an interception in the end zone.
Without missing a beat, Biggs replies, ``Because it was third down. Next?''
Good for you, Bob.
--UCD men's track coach Jon Vochatzer is starting to grab some of the spotlight. As has been well-chronicled, Deanne Vochatzer, Jon's wife, was the women's coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic track team.
Now Jon has been named an assistant coach for the U.S. team when it competes in the World Outdoor Championships in 1999 at Seville, Spain.
--I really don't want to delve too deep into the Latrell Sprewell situation. San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown probably shouldn't either.
Brown, still reeling from his last foray into the sports world when he called former 49ers quarterback Elvis Grbac ``an embarrassment to humankind'' for throwing an interception against Dallas, immediately jumped to Sprewell's defense, saying maybe P.J. Carlesimo deserved to be throttled.
The joke I heard: Willie Brown only opens his mouth long enough to change feet.
--Marc Erwin is sports editor of The Enterprise. Phone: 756-0800, ext. 249. Fax: 756-1668. Mail: 315 G Street, Davis, CA 95616. e-mail: marcjerwin@aol.com
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