Former Assistants Deserve a Look: the Register-Guard, Eugene

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The Register-Guard: Sports: Sports

men’s basketball HHHH

Former assistants deserve a look

By Bob Clark The Register-Guard Published: January 30, 2008 04:38AM

In Oregon State’s search for a new basketball coach, maybe the Beavers should take a look at two former Oregon assistant coaches who are in the midst of successful seasons.

Bobby Braswell, who worked as an aide to Jerry Green on the UO bench for four seasons ending in 1995-96, has Cal State-Northridge at 14-4 overall and leading the Big West by two games with a 6-0 record. Greg Graham, an assistant for the Ducks in Ernie Kent’s first five seasons at their alma mater, has Boise State at 15-5 overall and in contention for first place in the Western Athletic Conference at 6-2

This is the 12th season for Braswell with the Matadors, and he has compiled a 182-161 overall record in what can be a trying situation for a head coach. Promises of improved facilities always seem to get pushed back. Salaries are such that keeping assistants is next to impossible.

In an interview with a Los Angeles Daily News reporter earlier this season, Braswell acknowledged he wondered whether he should stay in his current position.

“I thought about coaching high school again, I thought about the ministry,” Braswell said. “There are always periods of doubt when you say to yourself, ‘I don’t know if I can reach (the players) anymore.’ But it always came back to my faith, that this is where God has called me to be.”

The four defeats for the Matadors this season include losses at Gonzaga and at Washington, and a curious defeat last week at Chicago State, a team CSN beat earlier in the season but played this time without an injured starter.

Braswell was one of four finalists for the Oregon job when Kent was hired, and he was interviewed by the Beavers in a past search.

Graham is 98-78 in his fifth season at Boise State, which hired him off Oregon’s run to the Elite Eight in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

In going 6-2 in the WAC, the Broncos’ league losses are to Utah State (6-1) and New Mexico State (5-2) while BSU has a win at Nevada (4-2). In nonleague games, BSU was beaten 84-76 at Washington State, but recorded a home win over BYU, at a time when the Cougars were ranked 20th in the nation.

Off an overtime triumph Monday night at Fresno State, the Broncos will be bidding for a fourth consecutive victory when they play host to Idaho on Saturday, with visions of being selected for a berth in a Bracket Buster game on ESPN, slated later in February.

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“It would be good if we could get on (ESPN),” Graham said. “It’s exposure for your program and the conference.”

And a possible boost for the coach? The Beavers perhaps should be watching.

Overtime call a mistake

Bill McCabe, the Pac-10 coordinator of men’s basketball officiating, said he believes the officials erred in awarding the basketball to USC at the start of overtime in Saturday’s game at McArthur Court.

Oregon’s Bryce Taylor gained possession of the tip and as he drove to the basket for a layup, the scoreboard horn sounded, which brought play to a halt. Though there was confusion over why at the time, officials awarded the basketball to the Trojans, who subsequently scored and led throughout the extra session.

What was ruled by official Brian Shelley was that Taylor had moved too soon, but McCabe said players outside the jump circle can move as soon as the referee, in this case Kevin Brill, has released his toss for the jump ball. Players, however, can’t enter the circle until one of the players jumping has touched the basketball.

According to McCabe, Brill understood Shelley had ruled Taylor entered the circle when in fact Shelley incorrectly penalized the Ducks for Taylor moving, though he legally could do that.

“Our crew didn’t communicate,” McCabe said. “There was confusion on everyone’s part.”

McCabe said his video review showed that Taylor began to move “just as the referee released the ball,” which is legal.

“It’s real close, but my opinion is we missed the call,” McCabe said Tuesday.

The supervisor of officials used the example of “game-appropriate calls, and I’m not sure how appropriate” that one was, considering the potential impact without being certain there was a violation.

McCabe said he had spoken about the play with UO coach Ernie Kent.

“It happens,” McCabe said of the mistake. “There are always two or three plays called that are not right” every game.

As far as the horn sounding and stopping play as Taylor went for a layup, McCabe said that players and officials “should know” that play continues even if a horn inadvertently sounds.

Whatever happened to ...?

Ivan Johnson, who had a troubled season with the Ducks two years ago, is averaging 12.7 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBDL, the minor league affiliated with the NBA.

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After leading Cal State-San Bernardino to the Division II national tournament last season following his dismissal from the Ducks, Johnson was taken in the second round of the NBDL draft, the 20th player chosen overall.

Johnson didn’t play in Anaheim’s first three games, and sparingly in the next five as he totaled 18 fouls and 19 points.

Listed at 230 pounds after weighing between 255 and 270 while at Oregon, the 6-8 Johnson has become much more of a factor while starting 10 of the past 15 games. In the past seven games, Johnson is averaging 17 points and 9.1 rebounds, with a high of 26 points and two games of 14 rebounds.

“A beast,” is the way teammate Mo Charlo described Johnson to a reporter.

“He wants to dunk everything,” Charlo said. “When he gets going full speed, you don’t want to get in his way.”

The NBDL teams include players on contract to NBA teams, but not on the active roster. There are also players like Johnson, hoping to attract the attention of an NBA team.

At the recent NBDL Showcase event held in Boise, where all the teams played games largely for the benefit of NBA scouts, Johnson had one of his standout games with 26 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and was 11-of-16 from the field and also made 4-of-5 free throws.

In a published analysis of his play, one observer wrote that “Johnson looked to be one of the bigger sleepers at the Showcase. He shows great comfort on offense facing the basket (and) also used a right-handed jump-hook from the low block to score on a couple possessions.

“To enter NBA discussions, he must focus on making a defensive improvement. Opposing big men had no problem backing him down and scoring over the power forward in the low post. He also looked completely lost attempting to defend the pick and roll, and often left his position for rebounds to wildly chase a blocked shot. At 6-8, he probably lacks the combination of size and athleticism to make an NBA roster, but the European scouts in attendance took notice of his performance.”