Tubbs has TCU primed for a high-speed ascent

Sporting News, The, Dec 1, 1997 by Mike DeCourcy

Clay was able to go a combined 57 minutes in two games of the Chase NIT and averaged 6.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. He is capable of greater things when healthy, but even if the Rams can count on no more, they're still much better off with him than without him.

Kaspars, the unfriendly post

Before he was suspended by the NCAA for improper contact with an agent, UNLV's 6-11 Keon Clark was rated in preseason as our top center in the nation. The question now is whether he'll get his job back when he is eligible. Don't expect freshman Kaspars Kambala to give it up without a fight, perhaps literally.

Kambala is said to be giving Clark a rough time in Rebels practices, and that seems plausible given his performance in UNLV's early games. Kambala averaged 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds and shot .625 from the floor his first two times out.

A native of Latvia, 6-10 Kambala developed a reputation for being extremely difficult to deal with while playing at Mequon High in Homestead, Wis. He is applying that hard edge to his play, though, and it may keep the Rebels in NCAA Tournament contention while Clark (11 games) and power forward Kevin Simons (14) serve suspensions and center Issiah Epps and guard Brian Keefe establish eligibility.

UNLV has five key games in December, starting with a three-game trip to Southern California, Michigan and Rhode Island, and then home games against Syracuse and UCLA. If the Rebels could win three of those, they would be in fine shape when Clark becomes eligible in January.

However pleased Rebels coach Billy Bayno is with Kambala, he is dealing carefully with his young center. After the early success, Bayno lectured Kambala about not allowing his ego to grow unchecked.

Fat city

As Tubby Smith prepared to make his debut as Kentucky's coach, one suggestion that began popping up more commonly was that Smith made a mistake in choosing to follow a legend as Wildcats coach. A nice theory, totally misapplied.

Rick Pitino did not be come a legend at UK. He did not give himself the time. A legend is not forged in less than 10 years.

So smith is following a phenomenally successful coach. That can be done. As opposed to the difficulty faced by Gene Bartow who took over for John Wooden at UCLA in the 1970s, Roy Williams was able to seamlessly replace Larry Brown, who left Kansas after winning an NCAA title in 1988.

Some UK fans are getting anxious when the first days of the early signing period yielded "only" 6-11 jackrabbit Jules Camara of Oak Hill Academy and 6-2 point guard J.P. Blevins of Metcalfe County, Ky., who had committed to Pitino as a junior.

On the final day of the November period, though, UK landed 6-8 small forward Tayshaun Prince of Compton, Calif., and 6-6 shooting guard Desmond Allison of Tampa. Prince is one of the nation's top five high school seniors, an offensive machine with unlimited range.

Kentucky wound up with a top-10 fall class. Pitino hadn't done that well since 1993.

Parting shots

Schools such as Florida, DePaul, Cincinnati, Arizona and Memphis were ecstatic with the work they did in the early signing period, but the biggest news was how little news was made. Of TSN's top 10 senior prospects, only three-No. 7 Vincent Yarbrough (Tennessee), No. 8 Erik Barkley (St. John's) and No. 10 Corey Maggette (Duke)--signed letters of intent. The spring be wild.