NWAC Power Rankings, 2/5/19

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Tonight is “State of Union”, so how about a little “ State of NWAC Hoops”, with some world famous Craw’s Corner” power rankings. Keep in mind, always do everything in 9s, out of respect for great game of golf.

Women

9. Grays Harbor

8. Big Bend

7. Mt Hood

6. Bellevue

5. Olympic

4. Wenatchee Valley

3. Lane

2. Umpqua

1. Centralia

Men

9. Edmonds

8. Spokane

7. South Puget Sound

6. Walla Walla

5. Lane

4. Green River

3. Umpqua

2. Everett 

1. North Idaho 

MLB's 'Truck Day' -Surest Sign of Spring

by Harry Cummins


     Forget the groundhogs and red robins.

     The real harbingers of better days ahead just pulled away yesterday from major league baseball stadiums all across America.  It was the annual 'Truck Day' where all MLB clubs, in unison, load up vans full of equipment and head toward their team's respective spring training destinations in Arizona and Florida

     For the world-champion Red Sox, it meant steering their massive vehicle south toward Ft Myers, while navigating Boston city streets still clustered with celebrating Patriots fans.

    Why is Truck Day the absolute best "holiday" of the year?  Let me count the ways by describing the contents carefully selected to go inside Boston's 53 foot-long ark of renewal:

20,400 baseball's
1,100 bats
200 batting gloves
200 batting helmets
320 BP tops
160 jerseys
300 pairs of pants
400 t-shirts
400 pairs of socks
20 cases of bubble gum
60 cases of sunflower seeds


     The hopes of a hungry baseball nation are once again in motion.





                                                         

'Up In The Air' - Lofty Marks Top Week 3 of Track and Field Season

by Harry Cummins


     The just released NCAA Division 1 Men's Indoor Track and Field Rankings still show Texas Tech holding onto the Number 1 spot, but two spectacular individual aerial performances sent ripples thru the top 10.

     Freshman pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis (LSU) became the second best performer in collegiate indoor history this past weekend, when he soared 19-3"(5.87m) at the LSU Invitational.  Only record holder Shawn Barber has vaulted higher.

     Alabama junior Shelby McEwen became the new season leader in the high jump when he leaped a career best 7'7 (2.31m) at the Carolina Challenge.  The sky is virtually the limit for this former basketball player who once won a  high school slam dunk contest in Las Vegas by duplicating Michael Jordan's signature free-throw line dunk staged at the 1988 NBA All-Star game.

 Here are the latest team rankings:

1. Texas Tech
2. Florida State
3. Florida
4. Houston
5. LSU
6. Georgia
7. Texas A&M
8. Texas
9. Alabama
10 Stanford

19. Oregon


     Be sure to check back with Craw's Corner throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons, ahead of the NCAA D-1 Indoor Championships March 9-10 in Birmingham, Alabama, and the Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas June 5-8.


   

   

China's Top Female Tennis Player Parts Ways With Legendary Coach

by Harry Cummins

    The world's No. 18 ranked women's tennis player, Wang Qiang of China, has ended her four-year partnership with Australia tennis legend and recent coach, Peter McNamara.

     Under McNamara's tutelage that began in the Spring of 2015, Wang rose to the No 1 ranked player in China, and has moved her world ranking from just inside the top 100 to currently inside the top 20.  She advanced to a career best third round of the Australian Open last month in Melbourne and stunned Venus Williams in the first round at Roland Garros last year.

     During the final months of that 2018 season, Wang registered wins over top players Karolina Pliskova, Elina Svitolina, Gabine Muguruza, and Madison Keys.

     Wang Qiang becomes the first Chinese player to finish a year inside the world's top 20 since LiNa's retirement in 2014.  McNamara had been working with Chinese players in recent years, hoping to help them gate-crash the world rankings.

    Peter McNamara is a former two-time Wimbleton men's doubles champion along with partner Paul McNamee, and was Australia's top ranked singles player in 1981 and 1982, claiming careers wins over the likes of Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl, and reaching No 7 in the world in 1983 before a knee injury halted his meteoric rise.

     Giving no reason for the break-up, McNamara made the announcement this week, citing mutual agreement.  Wang is currently entered to play the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships which begin on February 17th.



    * Stay tuned to Craw's Corner for the latest from the world of tennis as early season news often brings changes in coaches. Also from China this week comes word that Sven Groeneveld, once Maria Sharapova coach, has severed his relationship with promising Chinese teenager Wu-Yibing, because of the player's mother.  Never a dull minute!

   


   

Super Bowl Over; Scout's Honor Podcast Talks About What Happens Now

In the latest edition of the Scout's Honor podcast (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/scouts-honor/id1386916817?mt=2) focuses on what happens after the Super Bowl.  From veteran free agency, in which the Patriots and Rams have 45 pending free agents between them, with 27 of those unrestricted, it promises to be a busy few weeks ahead for them and the other 30 teams as well.

Several QB moves are expected beginning Monday and the weeks ahead.  Among the players discusses are Ryan Tannehill, Joe Flacco and all three Eagles QBs, especially Nick Foles and Nate Sudfeld as the team is unlikely to be able to keep them both behind Carson Wentz.

More on trouble for Jason Garrett in Dallas, and who is looking to bring the likes of Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, Jeff Fisher and others back to the sideline.  Those stories along with more on the draft and the first huge snub from receiving an invitation to the Combine.

It's all another must listen for all football fans.

Justin Martin Recaptures National Scoring Lead With 51 Point Outburst!

by Harry Cummins


     With just four games remaining in the regular season, Multnomah's Justin Martin regained the NAIA national scoring lead Saturday night with a spectacular 51 point onslaught in a 114-107 loosing effort at the hands of Northwest Christian in a key Cascade Collegiate Conference contest.

    Northwest Christian (18-7) was able to withstand Martin's heroics thanks to the stellar performance of  6'4" senior Reece Robinson, who paced the Beacons with 38 points on a torrid 15 of 19 shooting night from the field, including (5) 3 pointers.  NCU shot a blistering 73%  in the second half to erase a 20 point deficit and solidify their hold (10-5) on 3rd place in the CCC.

    Martin, the Lions junior guard, is locked in a taut back-and-forth struggle with Cam Hunt  of Southwestern (Kan) for the national scoring title and is bidding to become the first ever NAIA scoring champion representing the CCC.   Thru games of this weekend, Martin has regained the top spot with a 31.38 ppg average, followed closely by Hunt with a 31.17 average. Each player has 4 games remaining.

     Martin now lays claim to the two highest individual scoring performances this season in NAIA D-2 basketball, following his record setting 71 point game earlier this season. His 20 field goals, included 9 3's, against Northwest Christian Saturday, and was just 1 shy of the 21 baskets he recorded in his record breaking win over Warner Pacific in December.  Martin now has 146 made 3's this season and has scored 30 or more points in a game a remarkable 14 times!

    The CCC's second leading scorer, Austin Tyner of Northwest Christian, chipped in with 25 points in the win over Multnomah, while Ernest Ugoagu and Tyrus Hosley added 20 and 18 respectively.For the Lions, Freshman Zach Richardson tallied 17 points, all of them coming in the first half, as MU built a 65-47 halftime lead.

     Multnomah (13-13,4-10) plays it's final game of the regular season at home against Northwest University on Feb 16, in what is now shaping up as a battle for the 8th and final spot in CCC post-season play.

   

 

   

   

Greatest Trail Blazers of All Time

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

For our large group of national and international readers, please forgive me on this one since I live in Oregon, but an avid reader of Craw’s Corner asked me to do this and I am obliging.

The greatest Portland Trail Blazers of all time. If you disagree, don’t take the easy road, give me your own list. Keep in mind, I always do things in 9s out of respect for great nine hole golf courses in the world.

9. Maurice Lucas— A true champion, perhaps most popular Blazer of all time, plus the 3rd most important reason the Trail Blazers won their only NBA championship in 1977.

8. Terry Porter— Smooth as silk. If you needed a big shot, TP was your guy and to this day one of best 3-point shooters in NBA history.

7. Rick Adelman— Led the team as coach to two NBA Finals, a tremendous person and in sad way, holds the title as the greatest coach in NBA never to win a championship.

6. 12, 666, aka Jon Spoelstra- 10 years as a Blazer executive, a true genius. Took the broadcasting rights in house, a huge financial boon and besides keeping greatest sellout streak in sports alive, the only NBA executive in history to ever be traded for a player, Spoelstra to Indiana for Don Buse.

5. Clyde Drexler—- Is he the greatest Blazer of all time, I don’t think so, but many do.

4. The Radio Broadcasters— Radio is much more important in the NBA for west coast teams, than rest of league cause often road games start at 4:00 pm. Fans have been blessed with the original icon “The Schonz” and now the best radio play by play broadcaster in league, Brian Wheeler.

3. Geoff Petrie—- The early years he was the fan developer. He made the crowds go from 2,000 to 11,000 in a short period. He was an awesome shooter, frightening what his stats would have been with a 3-point line.

2. The Owners— Up to 2018, only 2 owners, Larry Weinberg and Paul Allen. No sports team in history has had better owners. Constant pressure to move the team and the franchise is still here. Never overlook as well due largely in part to these 2 men, the ability year in and out to get to playoffs.

1. Jack Ramsay— The greatest Blazer of all time. Only coach in 49 year history of team to win an NBA championship, nothing more needs to be said.

Plenty of room in comment section for your thoughts.