1983_02 Insight February 1983

              fVbri/.iry 2, 198.1
SPORTS FEATURES
Insight
Reynolds
Raps
ByJKKKHKYNOUKS
9
Chicago-transfer becomes
CSUF basketball star
Bulldogs lose edge
gain experience
The Bulldog basketball team, after enjoying back-to-back championship seasons, find themselves in an unusual position in the Pacific Coast
Athletic Association - near the bottom of the standings with a 3-4
conference  record.
Four losses after the first seven league games is almost unheard of
around Fresno. Since Coach Boyd Grant took over six years ago, the
Bulldogs had never lost four of its first seven league games, but things
are different in tbe PCAA this season.
Grant built the CSUF basketball program into a powerhouse with a
smothering defense and a patient offense which looked for tbe best shot —
even if it took a minute or more to get a shot off.
This season he cannot enjoy that luxury. The PCAA voted last season
to try an experimental 30-second shot clock and a three-point field goal
line. Tbe three point shot experiment really hasn't made much of a difference, but what has put a crimp in the Bulldogs' style is the 30-second
clock.
In four of Grant's six seasons as the Bulldog skipper, his teams have
led tbe NCAA in scoring defense three times and is once again leading the
country in that catagory. giving up slightly more than 47 points a game.
Tbe use of a 30-second clock has effectively wiped out Fresno's defensive advantage, and tbe results have been painfully clear through the
first round of conference play. Three of the Bulldogs' four PCAA losses
have been decided by four points or less. In three of those losses, the
'Dogs had leads in tbe closing minutes, but because of the 30-second
clock, among other things, tbe Bulldogs weren't able to hold on and win.
Many people feel, and Grant is among those in agreement, that the
PCAA holds a grudge against CSUF because of its success the past few
years. Those people feel that tbe PCAA instituted the 30-second clock and
three-point line to take away, the Bulldogs' defensive edge over tbe other
conference teams. I would be inclined to agree with assessment, but the
fact that the Bulldogs have had their troubles offensively this season cannot be overlooked.
The 30-second clock works against the Bulldogs both offensively and
defensively. In the past, the 'Dogs patiently passed the ball around for up
to a minute or more working for a good shot. They no longer can do that,
and many- times have been forced to take a bad shot with one or two
seconds left on the shot clock.
Last Thursday's last-second loss to Cal State Fullerton was the fourth
PCAA loss for the Bulldogs, and all but crushed any hopes for a third
straight conference crown. But all is not lost for Grant and his team. The
PCAA representative to the NCAA post-sajBDn tournament is the PCAA
tournament winner — not the regular season champftjsjpo even if CSUF
finishes out of the running in the regular season, the 'Dogs still have a second chance at an NCAA berth by winning the post-season tournament,
which will be held this year at The Forum in Los Angeles.
8HELLI   ANDRANIGIAN.   Insight reporter
disappointed at all in him.
"He's really been playing the last
On the bulletin board of Ron five or six games. His stats really
Anderson's tJormitory room, there's a snow it too.''
photocopy of tbe following words: Grant said dw Junior transfer is
Talent is God-Given "quicker" than Rod Higgins, the 1982
Be Grateful Bulldog stand-out who now plays for
Fame is Man-Given the Chicago Bulls, but not as intent in
Be Thankful his play bt>ardwise or as good on
Conceit is Self-Given defense. He attributes tbe weaknesses
Be Careful to Anderson's overall inexperience
Anderson,   the 6-foot-7-inch, with the g»m» and tbe fact that
2U-pound CSUF star basketball for- Anderson had to play tone at Santa
ward, haa not forgotten to be thankful Barbara, as there were not enough
for twice being the benef iciary ef lady personnel to play otherwise,
luck in tbe last three and one-half "If Ron has a fault at being an
years. athlete," Grant aald, "ifs that be
He received his first break during could be a little bit more aggressive,
tbe summer of 1979 in Chicago while Personally, as a coach, I think he's a
participating in his first park basket- little soft on defense."
ball  tournament,   Anderson  was Anderson said be has been work-
discovered by a visitor from Califor- log to overcome that problem and ad-
nla who had come to watch someone mits he could use a "little work"
else play. This led him to Santa Bar- defensively.
bare City College enroute to CSUF. "Anyone, wherever he might be,
Anderson, then 20 yean 0ld, was might make for more improvement,"
his own attitude was an important fac-
"Aa far as my ability to want to be
better,"  Anderson said,  "that
In ■ Chicago
grocery store and bad only played
organized baseball. He accepted tbe
offer after some initial suspicion.
Anderson's ^second break came
when CSUF Head Basketball Coach
Boyd Grant noticed him in Santa Bar-
he said.
"I feel that I've improved 100 percent from coming in at tbe start"
has not gone unnoticed.
"He's gained more
Nievea said. "Ifs taken him a Utile
attitude about higher
education so that getting a degree
ranks Just as high as going pro, be
said.
"If I had tbe opportunity to play in
tbe NBA I'd take it," Anderson said,
not pausing to add, "what I really
want to do is get my degree."
Anderson is majoring in physical
education at CSUF and compiled a 2.8
GPA last semester.
On the court, Andersen is second
only to Bernard Thompson in over-all
statistics. He has played longer and
Shpt more accurately than anyone
"else on tbe team.
"My favorite shot is the one that
goes in," be says, laughing.
Anderson says he still would like
to slam one in someday soon at tbe
Selland Arena.
"I'm no great dunker or nothing
like that," Anderson said. "But ifs
bound to happen. I'm going to shock
tbe arena one of these days."
Anderson said be chose Fresno
because of the players, fan support,
and what be described aa tbe
"truthfulness" of tbe CSUF program.
"I knew that I would be treated as
a human being," he said.
"Since I've bean bare I've gained
a respect I've always wanted with the
people here. Tbe people here are
grea*I k
Hesa
s said Us personal rAUosophy of
"I Just treat people tbe way I want
to be treated," Anderson said.
"He's a very likeable person,"
teammate Charlie Smith said.
Nievea said that the coach at Santa Barbara waa tbe one who gave
is posted on tbe star forward's dorm
bulletin board.
"There's a lot of tbe sayings tbe
coach at tbe Junior college gave us,"
Nieves said. "I think he (Ron) follows
"I think that he is grateful that be
is talented and that he is alive."
Anderson, mindful of the break in
being discovered by Williams in
Chicago, and later by Grant in Santa
Barbara, has much to be grateful for.
"I guess I was tbe lucky one," be
stud.
ban while recruiting Omel Nieves, while, but he's gained that'
now a senior guard for tbe Bulldogs. Anderson was recruited to be a
Grant did not contact Anderson then, scoring forward,  according to the
but kept in mind the freshman center 1962-S3 Fresno State Basketball media
from  Chicago  who  averaged   11.8 guide. In it, Grant is quoted as saving,
points and 9.9 rebounds that season. "He was the number one forward we
He was heavily recruited the next were recruiting to replace Rod Hig-
year by California, DePaul, UC Santa
Barbara, Washington and Virginia
Tech. But with former Bulldog
basketball assistant Frank Carbajal
at the Santa Barbara helm, Grant
may have had an edge in snaring the
Junior transfer.
Since he's been at CSUF, Anderson has been averaging 14.3 points
and five rebounds per game, while
shooting 72 percent from tbe line and
56 percent from tbe field.
"He's been a very productive
athlete," Grant said "I have not been
Three or four years ago Anderson
had never beard of Higgins.
"I didn't know any of these guys
back in Chicago," he said.
Enter Keith Williams, tbe Santa
Barbara basketball player, who took
it upon himself to look for a player for
Carbajal while in Chicago for family
Williams had gone to Chicago to
watch his brother play in a basketball
tournament, coincidentally, the same
When Williams discovered Anderson, he approached him and asked if
he was interested in playing basketball in California.
Anderson said he "shined him on"
at the time since both he and Williams
were in tbewont part of Chicago. But
then he changed his mind and decided
"why not?" He called Carbajal tbe
next day and within a week be was in
California.
Before tbe offer, Anderson, a
graduate of Chicago's Bowen High
School, had no plans to further his
education, much less play basketball.
He never competed on high school
"■"teams, although he spent time in tbe
little, raaJorSsnd pony leagues of
ages of five and
also/ making "good
the /supervisory-type
positrgn he bad worked
up to in his two yean at the grocery
store.
/ Tbe move out west changed his
outlook on basketball and life in
/general.
"In Santa Barbara I had good
coachingjl'Jie said, pointing out that
Carbajal's program is patterned after
Grant's with some intensity and
defense stressed.
In his final season at Santa Bar-
bare, Anderson had practically doubled his offensive ouput, scoring 20.3
points a game and achieving i	
high 31
jEFFKRAtsE/;«itM    points a game and achieving a career-
high 31.
Ron Anderson relaxes tn his CSUF dormitory room. A Chicago, DL native, Anderson was recralted by the Bulldogs T^ coaching at CSUF, Anderson
after a stint at Santa Barbara City College. (Right) Anderson goes for a basket la a recent game against a Utah State    Mld' P^y^ a big part in his learning
Player. B the sport, although he said he thinks
NFL vs. USFL
Drafted 'Dogs consider alternatives
RONNIE ARNOLD, fnttaht reporter
Once there was a time when a
football player who was drafted and
cut by a National Football League
team, had one of three choices. He
could pack his bags and head north to
the Qanadian Football League, play
semi-pro football, or give up football
altogether.
But now there's a new kid on tbe
block, an alternative. Tbe new kid
comes to tbe form of the United States
Football League. Unlike tbe old World
Football League which went defunct
about seven yean ago trying to
challenge tbe NFL. tbe USFL trill
play its games in the Spring. Tbe
only challenge of tbe two leagues will
be for college football talent
In that pool of talent are two
CSUF footballers, John Blacksill and
Henry Ellard. Tbe two senior gridders
were selected in the first-ever draft of
college football players by tbe USFL.
Ellard was drafted by the Oakland Invaders; Blacksill by the Los Angeles
JOHN BLACKSILL
Ellard, a sure-fire pick for tbe
NFL, has opted not to sign with the Invaders Just yet. He plans to wait for
the NFL draft later in the Spring.
Because he is small for a NFL-type
center, Blacksill has elected to sign
with the Express and pass up the NFL
draft.
Ellard says be hasn't decided
about bis offer from tbe Invaders.
"When they talked to me tbe first
time, my shoulder was still injured,"
EDard says. "After tbe NFL draft is
over, they'll make me another offer.
"That's not to say more money, but
better benefits," Ellard explains.
Blacksill says he signed with the
Express because be thinks it would be
better than waiting on tbe NFL draft.
"I don't think I would have gotten
drafted by tbe NFL," Blacksill says
bluntly, "it would have been close
though. I'm sure I could have signed
as a free agent somewhere."
Head football coach Jim Sweeney
says that the USFL will be good for
Blacksill. But, Sweeney said. "By
NFL standards, John's too small. The
scouts in the NFL are looking for
centers that are 6 feet 4 inches and 260
Blacksill doesn't think his size
would be much of a factor in either
league: "I'm 6 feet 2 inches and 245
pounds. Being two inches taller
doesn't make a guy great. I think
small guys can get the Job done just as
well as big guys.
"In tbe NFL," be added, "the
scouts may want you to be that big ...
but tbe average site of centers in tbe
NFL is 6 feet 2 inches, and about 280
pounds."
One of the .deciding factors for the
23-year-old Blacksill to sign with the
Express are the benefits be receives.
Although he wouldn't disclose his
salary, he did say that there is a
clause in tbe contract that says the
owners of the Los Angeles Express
will pay for the final semester of
Blacksill's education if be falls to
make tbe team.
"In addition to this, there are
clauses that say I'll make an extra
$2,000 as a bonus if I become a starter,
if I'm graded at 80 percent or better
for tbe year, I receive another $2,000
bonus, and if I'm a member of tbe All-
USFL  team,  I  received  a  88,000
Getting an education and receiving his degree is very Important to
Blacksill. "I really want to play pro
ball," Blacksill says. "But getting
that piece of paper is also important.
I '11 take some classes in tbe LA. area,
but when I get that degree, *hrantit to
say Fresno State University edit."
Of his athletic achievements,
Blacksill says that getting drafted
was one of the happiest moments.
"Being drafted by a team is definitely
up there," Blacksill says. "But going
to tbe Cal Bowl and being on a cham-
Blackslil can thank an old high
school football coach for the success
that he Is now enjoying. "When I was
at Washington Union High School."
Blacksill remembers, "I waa racing
motorcycles at tbe time. The coach
convinced me to quit and concentrate
on football. He told me that If I lifted
weights and trained hard I could get
Into a university."
Now this has all come to be. With
hard work and determination,
Blacksill can become the success with
tbe Express as he has been with tbe
HENRY ELLARD