Longview News-Journal from Longview, Texas • Page 29

Saint Joseph's Nelson wins Wooden Award i I. '1 V' By BETH HARRIS Associated Press LOS ANGELES Saint Joseph's guard Jameer Nelson has amassed quite a trophy col-lectioa The season's last major player of the year award meant the most to him, though. Nelson won the John R. Wooden Award on Saturday, and the 93-year-old former UCLA coach made an indelible Impression. "All the trophies mean a lot to me, but just sitting next to Coach Wooden means more to me than anything else Nelson said.

"It's unbelievable. I can't express in words how much this means to receive an award with this man's name on it" Saint Joseph's fell a game short of the Final Four, but Nelson spent the last two weeks of the season picking up honors, including from The Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. "I see him as a leader," Childress said, referring to Nelson. "For 40 minutes, he went out and led his team to wins.

It's really something you can't teach." Stanford's Mike Montgomery received the Legends of Coaching Award during the nationally televised ceremony at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. "It's been a long journey since scrapping for minutes in the '60s at Long Beach State to this moment," Montgomery said. "I'm particularly pleased we're recognizing a lifetime of work as opposed to one game. As far as legends of coaching, there's only one in this room and that's John Wooden." Wooden has known the Stanford coach since Montgomery was a toddler. "The LA Athletic Club and Coach Wooden were things that were way above my reach," Montgomery said.

"I think he's a national treasure of how things should be." He also received the Naismith and Adolph Rupp awards and the Bob Cousy Award as the country's top college point guard. Nelson averaged 20.6 points, 5.3 assists, 47 rebounds and 2.9 steals, finishing as the Hawks' career leader in scoring and assists. Saint Joseph's coach Phil Mar-telll recalled walking through the Philadelphia airport with Nelson on their way to the Final Four in San Antonio. "Every five feet there were pictures and autographs. He did it ail with a smile and looked people in the eye," the coach said.

Martelli has been with Nelson on the award circuit 'Today was the first time I thought he emotionally connected with all of this," Martelli said. 'Today kind of stopped him, and I was pleased by that" Nelson led Saint Joseph's to its first No. 1 ranking and a 27-0 stall to the season. The Hawks finished 30-2, losing to Oklahoma State in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament "I'm not going to let that determine my career and my life," Nelson said. "It hurts, but I'm here with the greatest coach ever." "Thanks," Martelli cracked, and Wooden smiled.

Nelson edged Connecticut's Emeka Okafor by 193 points in one of the closest votes since the Wooden Award began in 1976. Nelson got 5,408 points to 5,215 for Okafor. Voting closed March 29, a week before Okafor led the Huskies to the national championship. "We've been getting along great, but I packed my boxing gloves Just in case," Okafor said, joking. Stanford's Josh Childress was third with 3,052 points; Duke's Chris Duhon, whose Blue Devils lost to UConn in the national semifinals, was fourth with and Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts finished fifth with 2,296.

AP Photo Saint Joseph's basketball player Jameer Nelson, right, poses with legendary coach John wooden after Nelson won the John R. Wooden Award, given to the nation's best college basketball player, on Saturday in Los Angeles. ohons tree every year. JL jona win service you can trust every day. Announcing the Customers promise.

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Second place went to Earnum Rinkle and Jim McCann with 8.02 pounds. The next tournament is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday For information contact Jim McCann at 903-984-2498 or 903-240-2887. East Texas Fly Fishers Club slates meeting The East Texas Fly Fishers Club will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Johnny Cace's in Longview.

Jess King, a fishing guide on the Lower Mountain Fork river at Beavers Bend State Park near Broken Bow, Okla. will present the program. For information, contat Jerry Myers at 903-757-4333. Annual bream tourney scheduled May 8 The 13th Annual Bream Tournament, sponsored by Gregg County Memorial VFW Post 1183, will be held May 8 at Alley Creek on Lake O' the Pines. Entry fee for adults and children is $10.

First place pays $500 in the adult division and $75 in the children's (12-and-under) division. Entry forms may be picked up at VFW Post 1183, 6001 W. Marshall Ave. in Longview. A street dance will also be held after the day of fishing.

For more information, call 903-297-3652. AMBUCS Sporting Clays Tournament set The third annual AMBUCS Sporting Clays Tournament will be held June 19 at lYairie Creek Sporting Clays. Registration stalls at 8 a.m. with shooting set for 9 a.m. Entry foe is $100 per shooter or $500 for a five-shooter team.

Trophies will be awarded for high overall, ladies high overall and for each flight. The high overall winner receives $500. For more information, call 903-759-1161. Friday night tourneys set at Lone Star Lake LONE STAR For the sixth straight year, Scenic View Motel Marina is hosting Friday Night Bass Tournaments on Lone Star Lake. The tournaments will be held every Friday through August.

Tournament hours are 7 p.m. to midnight. Entry foe is $20. For more information, call Jim or Kim Sly at 903-656-2272. Women's outdoor workshop planned JEFFERSON -The fifth annual Women in the Outdoors National Wild Turkey Federation Outdoor Skills Workshop is set for May 15 at the International Paper Co.

Big Oaks Hunting Lodge, Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., and a wrap-up meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Courses include archery, ATV safety, dutch oven cooking, sporting clay and still target shooting, turkey calling hunting, muzzle loading, handgun basics, canoeing andor kayaking, fishing, ikuuie Cl'cmo, camping basics and backyard habitat For information, call Judy Kennemer at 903-753-00-41 or 903-6G8-3G24. i- Added Bonus! Switch today and get a sleek Siemens phone FREE! Siemens A56i phone after $70 in instant activation credits and $20 mail-In rebate with a 2-year agreement. Sugg, retail price $89.99.

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