Photo courtesy of Black College Sports Review ? Tjve Blaqk College Basketball Classic has the potential to become a must-see event tor pro bas ? fcfetbali scouts to evaluate black college talent. Basketball Classic needs a few new wrinkles, but has so much potential By CRAIG T. GREENLEE Chronicle Sports Editor It's too bad that more people didn't show up for the first annual Black College Basketball Classic at Rock Hill, SC. After all, the top black col lege seniors convened for two days of competition to demon- ^ strate thei* skills in front of a~ dozen scrutinizing NBA scouts. Too bad for black college roundball fans. For the scouts, however, word has it that they were pleased with the con cept and how the two-day event was run. It's been quite a while since so much black college talent (60-plus players) has been assembled on one floor. ; _ / ' But in the meantime, the scouts weren't able to get very thorough looks at this year's all-star partici pants. With 17 guys on each team, there wasn't sufficient playing time for everybody. The substitution pat terns tended to be wholesale, with most people playing in six or eight minute spans. That's not enough time for a scout to get a good look at a would-be pro prospect. For that reason, observers say the roster size of teams should be reduced to 10 - the best 10 that is. That way, the talent level is at its highest and people get more quality playing time to strut their stuff. The NBA scouts were very impressed with this classic. So impressed, according to some observers, that the NBA may serious ly consider becoming a part of it. But before that takes place, this classic needs to be sanctioned by the NCAA. Without NCAA approval, the league isn't likely to be of great assistance in helping this all-star game get off the ground. In addition, observers feel it's a good idea to set the teams up by con ferences, thereby generating the kind of interest that already exist for each league and its roundball programs. Nevertheless, the bottom line will have to be dealt with; Sponsorship is mand^ory and so is the need to induce people to attend the games1. But based on the ticket prices from this year's event ($15 per game); it's easy to understand why few people showed up for the four games: Matter of fact, estimates of crowd-attenciance" ragned from 100 and 200 for ||! each night. For that reason, the classic I may best be served by moving to I a smaller setting, for the Hrsr two or three years anyway. The Winthrop Coliseum (site for the *91 game) seats around 6,500 but was still as empty as a canyon. That should tell you something. To build spectator invest, observers say that there's nothing wrong with playing in a high;9cJiool gym that seats 2,000 or so* That's what they do for the Portsmoufly Invi tational, which over the yeiji*has become one of the prestigious jit-star games that attracts fans and a jflifliora of pro scouts. All this classic needs is a tin kering here and there to brmj jfeout optimal results. The tren?$*: "In the post-Kareem years, we &$ven't been there," Johnson said, ?'*? referring to retired teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. "And I - think the older you get, the more you want to be there, too, and have an opportunity to win it. "You just want to end up with as many opportunities as you can on your way out." Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers . can lake a giant step toward another appearance in the finals with a vie Taylor is very critical of Giants management tory tomorrow over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers and Blazers have won one game apiece in the Western Conference finals. LA siezed the home court advantage via a4 H-l 06 victory last Saturday on the Blaz ers' home court. Johnson said it's tough to get to the finals, even though the Lakers have been there eight times in the last 11 years. 4 'Even to get to this point where we're at now is very hard, very dif ficult," he said. 4 'And to actually go the championships, that's very difficult. Then to win it, oh man. The competition is so much tougher now." Johnson said there is a natural^ VOiOC (AP)?~)NftW York Giants linebacker Lawrence Tay lor criticized general manager ,..;i3eorge Young for allowing coach I . BUI Patceils to quit i "George Young, ( Mvik m a little bit his fault," Taylor said to The New York Times before play I tag Friday in aceiebrity golf tour nament in 1*rmingdaie, n.j. ! "More money, whatever it takes." 1 Parcelis, wfto led the Giants to Magic Johnson l iheir seSoad Saper Bowl title in five years in January/ quit Wednesday and was replaced by offensive coordinator Ray Hand ley*, Parcel Is said thai money was qotanime. s | | ||| 1 1 "Phil Strums, Ottis Anderson, Cart Banks, Leonard Marshall* Lawrence Taylor were }u$t play ers,^ Ifeytor said. ^BlII P&rcell* & the blueprint* Without him, noth ing works/**, ' , ? ?1 tendency for a team to relax after winning a big playoff game on the road. "We're trying to keep everybody into it and not relax/' he said. "You can't relax with them (the Blazers) -because^once-y ou ex hale^you ' re ? blown out, quickly." Lakers' coach Mike Dunleavy said he doesn't trust the homecourt advantage in this series. Portland beat the Lakers twice in Inglewood during the regular season. "I just think the way these two teams have played during the year and because of the talent they both have, nobody's homecourt is safe," Dunleavy said. 4 'Therefore, you don't want to say you just need to i get one victory on their court. You may need more than one." ? HpMMl " b