Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 March 2000 — Page 17
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ATHLETE
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Of THE WEEK Name:: Michael Bennett School: Brebeuf (24-2) . Sport: Basketball ,Year: Senior ; Playa on paper: The 6-foot-S-inch, 200 poun(l stat-stuffing senior averaged 18 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 4 assists, 4 blocks, and 4 steals for the season. Slow down Mike. You’re doing to much. And he can handle the rock: Bennett dominated the state down in the (Mint, but is being recruited by Ball State as a point or shooting guard. Inside. Outside. The man can do it all and did it all as he lead Brebeuf to their first state title since 1991, when Glen Robinson’s Roosevelt Panthers gave Alan Henderson's Braves the business. Bennett was returned the favor nine
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City-County Super Shootout All-Star Basketball Game to feature top high-school seniors
years later by scoring 26 points, 9 rebounds, four blocks, four steals and four assists in the victory over Andrean. Coaches Comment: “He courageously took on the role as our big man, which was led us to the title. He had his best game in our biggest game.’’—Brian Brate, Brebeuf athletic director
Special to The Recorder ' Marion County hoop fans will have a chance to see the area’s top high school seniors assembled together on the same court for the last time, The Indianapolis Recopcfer will present the 9th Annual City-County Super Shootout All-Star Basketball Game Saturday, April 8 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler
University. , .
The SupCr Shootout has become an intense rivalry andofle of the area’s most exciting high school ^H-star events, collecting Marion County’s top senior boys and girls together in
a final exhibition of local talent.
The action kicks off at 4 p.m. with the girls’ 3-point contest followed by the girls' game at 4:30 p.m. The boys’ 3-point contest begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the slam dunk contest at 7 p.m. The boys’ game will tip-off at 8 o’clock
to conclude the day's activities.
The Indianapolis Recorder this year will again present the annual John Stewart Memorial Award, which will be presented to the most outstanding player in the boys’ game. The Stewart award coincides with the annual Shannon McPherson Memorial Award, which has been awarded to the most outstanding girls’
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Final Four sparks look to the future at YES Clinics
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game player sinceMcPherson’suntimely death.. t Both awards will be presented immediately,; following each respective game. Don’t mist' Marion County’s most exciting high school !, basketball All-Star Game featuring the city’s '; and county’s most talented players. Sponsors’ 1 for this years’ game include Pepsi. Cola of ’*! Indianapolis, the Hoosier Lottery and the Indi* r, ‘ ana Pacers. " ’ Admission for the Super Shootout is $5 at the door and $4 advance. ' For additional information contact Jeffrey j*' Clark, game director, at The Indianapolis Recorder, 317-924-5143.
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Indianapolis TYibe gets 9 players in spring cuts
Special to The Recorder
With just a few days remaining until opening day, the Milwaukee Brewers sent nine more players to Indianapolis from major league
camp.
Infieiders Santiago Perez and Lou Collier were optioned to the Tribe, while RHPs Mike Busby, Hector Ramirez, Eric Lud wick and Bob Scanlan, LHP Ricardo Jordan, INF Jose Fernandez and OF Damon Hollins were reassigned to the team. Hollins and Jordan are both former Indians. Hollins, 25, played in 106 games for the Tribe last season hitting .262 with nine homers and 43 RBI. He ranked third
and has spent parts of the last three seasons in the major leagues. Last year, he hit .385 in 27 games for the RiverBats and .259-2-21 in 74 games with the Brewers. He saw action at five positions in the field. This spring. Collier batted .367-0-6 in 22 Cactus League games. Busby, 27, has spent parts of the last four seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He signed with'Milwaukee this fall and was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in six games this spring. Ramirez, 28, tied for fifth in the IL last season with 58 relief appearances for Louisville (3-3,3.80 ERA, 9 SV). He also pitched in 15 games for Milwaukee going 1-2 with a 3.43 ERA. He was 1 -0 with a4.05 ERA in six games this spring.
By JAMES M. KEOUGH JR. Sports Writer • The National Collegiate Athletic Association brings the Final Four to Indianapolis this
weekend.
That’s right. The best four teams, at least the four regional winners in the Men’s Basketball Tournament, have converged on the city to determine this year’s National Champion. Several of the players from the University of North Carolina (22-13), Michigan State University (30-7), University of Wisconsin (2213) and the University of Florida (28-7) may eventually play in the National Basketball As-
sociation.
Most will not. But for now, having the chance to play on a National Championship team is a dream come true. And the chance to play in the NBA is the goal of a lifetime. The Final Four participants will not be the only student-athletes pursuing a field of dreams this weekend in Indianapolis. The YES Clinic (Youth Education through Sports) is a program involving some of the best young athletes and brightest young minds in selects cities hosting the NCAA Final Four festivities. Youth that participate in the clinics are en-
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training games. ;
• Jordan, 29, was an Indian for most of the 1998 season. He went 2-4 with a 5L49fiRA in 37 games, j^st year, he (hade 37 relief appearances for Albuquerque where hetfaS 4-1 wnh a 7.20 ERA and tm> saves. Jordan pitched in five games this spring for the Brewers and was 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA. . Perez, a 24-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic, spent the entire 1999 season with Louisville where he batted .263 with 7 HR, 38 K(BI and 21 stolen bases. Perez wjis just 7-for-37 T.189) in 16 spripg games. I Collier, 26, split last season beJween Louisville and Milwaukee,
saves. He’s pitched in 31 big league^ games over the past four seasons. 1 He was 0-0 with a 6.97 ERA in
eight games this spring.
Scanlan is a 33-year-old veteran of 270 major league games. He 1 spentallof 1999 with New Orleans where he was 8-15 with a 5.61 ERA in 28 starts. For the spring, Scanlan was 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA
in nine games.
Fernandez hit .347 for the Brewers in 20 spring training games. He had four homers and 14 RBI. The 25-year-old hit .271-14-68 for Ottawa last season and made his major league debut with Montreal on July 3. With the Expos, he hit .208-0-1 in eight games.
top collegiate coaches and student-athletes. This is not just another sports camp. While camps that can enhance skills and athleticism are valuable, there are other factors that can enhance performance that the YES Clinics focus on. Parents are also encouraged to participate through discussions with coaches concerning nutrition, sportsmanship and injury preven-
tion.
Obviously, discussions surrounding sports-
manship and diet can impact other areas in the lives of youth. As many participates may never experience the rush of playing in the RCA Dome in the Final Four or the Conseco Fieldhouse as a professional player, many will benefit from the merits of having a strong character and good health. Each year there are approximately 20 free YES Clinics conducted at select NCAA Final Four sites for nearly 10,000 youths. The participants are between the ages of 10 and 18. Through a series of hands-on sessions, coaches and student-athletes provide young people with the fundamental tools they need to succeed with a focus on skills building, discipline, confidence and commitment. And there is still an opportunity to register at one of this year’s sites. The best news in this program is that three of the on-site coordinators in Indianapolis are a few of the top high school basketball people in the area. Arlington High School boys basketball coach and athletic director, Larry Nicks (317-226-4006) is the on-site coordinator at Arlington. Current Northwest High School and former Indiana University standout Bobby Wilkerson (317-226-4001) is the Northwest HS on-site coordinator. The on-site coordinator at Beech Grove is Dean McNew (317-7864447). The YES Clinics will be conducted on April 1 and 2 from 8:30 a.m. until noon. . Athletics are more than just a chance to excel on a basketball court. Team sports build character and help to shape young adults. The YES Clinics represent a unique opportunity to accomplish both. By the way, Michigan State will beat Wisconsin. Florida will beat North Carolina. Michigan State will win the National Championship.
Tlck«t applications available for 2001 NCAA Man's
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Ticket applications for the 2001 NCAA ’ * Men’s and Women’s Final Fours are available through April 28, the NCAA has an- t-’
nounced.
The Men’s Final Four is March 31 and ^ April 2 at the Hubert H. Humphrey < Metrodome in Minneapolis. Tickets are 4 $142 and $122 and will admit the bearer to ^ the national semifinals on Saturday, March 31, and the championship game on Mon- >' day, April 2. ^ The Women’s Final Four is March 30 and April 1 at the Kiel Center, St Louis. Tickets are $102 and will admit the bearer to the national semifinals on Friday, March 30, and the championship game on Sunday,
April 1.
An official application form (separate forms for the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours) must be used to apply for tickets. Applications may be requested by (1) visiting its Web site, ncaachampiondiips.com, or (2) calling the telephone numbers listed ComplelelnsfeloKare’fflciMwttfi’ 1 '
the official application form.
Men’s application: Call913-236-9400 Women’s application: Call 913-831-
1234.
Completed applications must be received by May 12,2000, for inclusion in the random computerized drawings, which wiH be held in July. Applicants will be notified of the results of the drawings in August. Men’s and Women ’ s Final Four tickets may not be offered as a prize in a sweepstakes or contest unless authorized in advance by the NCAA.
Jordan assesses today’s NBA stars
Mike Busby
Jose Fernandez
Ricardo Jordan
pean champion Crawford Ashley on Saturday at Joe Louis Arena.
Eric Ludwick Santiago Perez Hector Ramirez f|earns , last fight against Grant iy DETROIT CAP) — Thomas pion was to face two-time Euro-
fleams will fight what he says is die last bout of his career against Iftinner cruiserweight champion
Uriah Grant. Hi
2 Heams (59-4-1.46 knockouts) Jyill defend his fringe IBO Cruiserweight title in a 12-round pout, now scheduled for April 8,
promoters said.
if The 41 -year-old former cham-
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CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Jordan says the NBA is trying to create stars who haven’t earned that status. “When I was playing it was never done,” Jordan, now part owner of the Washington Wizards, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “You didn’t create Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. They created themselves.” Although Jordan led North Carolina to the 1982 NCAA title and then won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, he said he still surprised people when he came into the league. “When J came out. no one knew. I had to prove myself,” he told the newspaper. “Kobe Bryant came out of high school and everybody had already projected him as such a great player.” Players like Bryant, one of the stars of the Los Angeles Lakers, are given success before they surprise anybody, making the risk of failure far greater, Jordan said. He is impressed by some players in the league, including the Detroit Pistons’ Grant Hill, but said the NBA is making a mistake by pushing Hill and others as the next Michael Jordan. “Endorsement-wise, financially, that’s fine and good,” said Jordan, who said he is stopping endorsing products when his current contracts expire. “But they need to portray him in his individuality.” Jordan said players such as Bryant and Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors still have much work to do on the
court.
“Kobe, he’s got to continue to grow,” Jordan said. He said that Bryant is fortunate that he’s being coached by Phil Jackson, Jordan's mentor with the Chicago Bulls.
“He’ll listen to Phil,” Jordan said.”
Jordan said Bryant should ignore Carter's offensive
moves, which he said are dazzling.
“But Vince doesn’t play defense,” said Jordan, a former
but Ashley tore his rotator cuff and defensive player of the year as well as a five-time MVP. was unable to fight. Jordan said the Wizards' Juwan Howard, another who Heams won the IBO title last entered the league amid extremely high expectations, works April in England with a victory by hard and can be a winner. But Jordan insists Howard makes
decision over Nate Miller. too much money.
The hometown favorite has held “He’s not a franchise player, although he’s paid like
belts in every weight class from one,” Jordan said,
welterweight to cruiserweight.
Pacers in slump
Allen lvereon(3) torches the Pacers tor two of his 33 points, (photo by Thomas).