Journal and Courier from Lafayette, Indiana • 11

Sports Hale eager to get on board In brief Johnson See HALE Page B2 Hale started all 30 games for Bridgton which finished 15 15 Hale spent most of the time at power forward but did move to center from time to time here I adjusted well but then I got Hale said riday night say it happens to ev erybody Once I got to know more people it eased the Thanks to mentoring and a listening ear from Lesure Hale overcame his anxiety of my problem was that there really any restaurants nearby where you can just go and get away from Hale said like a college atmosphere realized not much SUNDAY APRIL 3 2011 JOURNAL COURIER JCONLINECOM In Business Keystone Architecture has designs on several building projects See Page B8 Photo provided Purdue signee Donnie Hale Johnson receives Big Man Award HOUSTON Purdue senior JaJuan Johnson was selected the 12th winner of the Pete Newell Big Man Award on Sat urday by the National Associa tion of Basketball Coaches The award is given to the nation top post player and has among its past recipients David West Emeka Okafor Greg Oden Michael Beasley and Blake Griffin Johnson was also selected first team All American and Boilermaker teammate Moore re ceived third team All America billing Johnson is first consensus All American since Glenn Robinson in 1994 In or he has managed well he did get homesick so I would bring him to my house and we would talk Then Donnie would talk to his mom He worked through Lesure likes the way Hale in teracts with other students on the Bridgton Academy campus has served him Lesure said has a real good sense of humor Put hat together and this year will help him pre pare for the freshman year in col else to do except for study so I lege challenge that every student concentrated and got a 325 (on a experiences also going to 40 scale) last semester I did well help Donnie meet the demands of in the major college Lesure realized quickly that Hale might need someone willing to listen of the real positives for Donnie is that he has had a pro ductive year in the Lesure said that scoreboard By JE WASHBURN jwashburnjconlinecom or a basketball player raised across the Ohio River from Lou isville in New Albany a year at a Maine prep school has been quite the learning experience Purdue recruit Donnie Hale a 6 foot 7 205 pound forward av eraged 15 points and 10 rebounds this season at Bridgton Academy He agreed to attend Bridgton and postpone his enrollment at Purdue last spring when JaJuan Johnson withdrew from the NBA draft to return for his senior sea son with the Boilermakers That prevented coach Matt Painter from having a scholarship available for Hale So it was off to Bridgton to play for coach Whit Lesure who just completed his 14th season at the school the first month I was A Ml Ji der to earn consensus distinc tion a player must earn first team accolades from a majority of the following organizations: Associated Press National As sociation of Basketball Coaches Sporting News and United States Basketball Writers As sociation Johnson received first team honors from all four organizations Richard helps Padres wallop Cardinals ST LOUIS Clayton Rich ard had two RBIs to match his career high without getting the ball out of the infield and pitched six solid innings in San 11 3 victory over St Louis Cardinals on Saturday Albert Pujols homered on the 10th anniversary of his major league debut and Allen Craig subbing for ailing Matt Hol liday had a two run single for the Cardinals St Louis led 2 0 after one inning and 3 2 after three but Jake Westbrook (0 1) was knocked out after retiring only one of six batters in the six run sixth Three of the five Richard hits off Richard (1 0) came in a first capped by two run single The only other dam age came from first hit of the season a drive into the bullpen leading off the third put St Louis ahead 3 2 and ended an for 6 start that featured a career worst three double play balls in the opener was a home run Richard said was a back door cutter slash slider and he hit it good After that we all did well I threw more strikes and the bullpen did a great job after I left They threw well Richard who had entered 2 9 with a 563 on the road allowed only two baserunners the rest of his outing Richard has nine career RBIs including three two run games His perfectly executed squeeze bunt tied it at 2 in the second and Jason Motte walked him on four pitches for the fifth run in the fifth was waiting until I got a Richard said throw me one and I got the walk That was Butler bursts bubble RkIihIt a MM HMiHiHMi Bulldogs return to title game By DAVID WOODS The Indianapolis Star HOUSTON White uniforms or black uniforms favorites or underdogs higher seeds or lower seeds Lucas Oil Stadium or Reli ant Stadium Just details to the Butler Bull dogs If there is an NCAA tournament game to be played on this planet they are ready They are back in college championship game Shelvin Mack scored 24 points to extend his extraordinary tour nament run and Matt Howard closed it out They helped propel Butler past Virginia Common wealth 70 62 Saturday in a inal our semifinal No 8 seed Butler (28 9) meets No 3 seed Connecticut (31 9) for the NCAA championship Monday night The only other seed as low as Butler to reach the title game was No 8 Villanova in 1985 The Wild cats proceeded to upset George town 66 64 Before last year no school as small as Butler (enrollment 4400) had played for the national cham pionship since Jacksonville in 1970 Now Butler tries to finish what it began in March 2010 just got to be one shot better than last year the bottom Butler coach Brad By The Associated Press Butler's Shelvin Mack celebrates Saturday's victory against VCU Mack led the Bulldogs with 24 points finalouXllXMorewe Butler 70 Virginia Common pf championship team Snapshots: Viewa collection ou 1 wealth 62 Z' AvX'i UConn advances: Huskies turn' pictures by The Associated L' Connecticut 56 lfentucfy55 back Kentucky BT ztfrom Saturday's games at the Monday 7 7 Women's inal our: ormer men inal our and Saturday IX Butler (28 9) vs Connecticut Purdue coach finds comfortzone i practice sessions from the worn 031 9) 9 oni ESPN analyst Bl iMfcen's inal our in Indianapphss Stevens said Butler a 200 to shot to win it all last year lost to Duke 61 59 in the championship at Indianapolis Butler began this tournament at 2500 to Again details As the final seconds ticked away senior guard Shawn Vanz ant in jubilation tugged his jersey to show the fans and a See BULLDOGS Page B2 CONTACTUS Sports Editor Jim Stafford jstaffordjconlinecom 5235 ax: (765) 420 5246 WHATS INSIDE COLLEGE BASKETBALL B2 3 PURDUE ROUNDUP B4 BASEBALL B5 SCOREBOARD B6 DID YOU KNOW? Phil Mickelson shot his lowest round in two years on Saturday tying the course record with a 9 under 63 to share the lead with Scott Verplank after three rounds at the Houston Open ONJCONLINECOM The Journal Mike Carmin shares his insights on Purdue football in his blog at boilerstationcom.