SoCal College Game Preview

Thunder's Ida.& Boise Games &
Some SoCal Broncos--(November 18, 1997)

UCLA will play the NBC Thunder on Wednesday evening, November 19, at Pauley. We earlier reported some background on the NBC team, and here's some more:

NBC Thunder is comprised of former collegiate basketball players, many of whom played in the Pacific Northwest. NBC Thunder derives it's name from the "Northwest Basketball Camp", which has been hosting camps for young players in the Northwest and Canada for the last 26 years. This year's NBC Thunder exhibition schedule is 13 games, with UCLA being last on the schedule. NBC Thunder had compiled as of Monday morning a 6-4 record, with a big win over Rhode Island and Jim Harrick (83-59), and victories over (Eastern Washington (83-61), Kansas State (85-73), Southern Illinois (79-67), Illinois (86-83) and Missouri Baptist. The four losses were to Washington State (72-77), Bradley (57-67), Eastern Illinois (84-70) and St. Louis (54-69).

The Thunder played Idaho on Monday night, and we'll have the results of the game this afternoon as soon as they're available.

Idaho looks remarkably similar to this year's UCLA team (at least on paper), and actually while Idaho doesn't have the athleticism of UCLA, it's probably a little taller, with an average height of about 6'-5". Of course, Idaho doesn't have either the coaching ability of UCLA, and it doesn't have Baron Davis, Toby, Earl, J.R., or now Kris. Like UCLA though, they only have three seniors, and are mostly a bunch of freshman and sophs.

Tonight, Tuesday November 18, the NBC Thunder will play Boise State at Boise. The Broncos won their first exhibition game against. . . (drum roll). . . The Russian Central Army Sport Club. . . (rimshot). . .badaboom. Boise won 111 to 61. No details of the game were released. Boise is, after all, pretty close to Moscow (Id.), relatively speaking, and no one is talking, not even the KGB.

The Boise State team actually features some fine SoCal players, including two freshmen and a junior: Scotty Graham (6'-5" Fr. G Long Beach Jordan), Gerry Washington (6'-1" Jr. G Brentwood School), and Kejuan Woods (6'-6" Fr. F Crossroads), who played on the Division IV CIF and State Championship team last year with Baron Davis.

The rest of the Boise roster is pretty tall and athletic too, and includes Roberto Bergersen (6'-6" Sr. F) a transfer from UW, Steve Shephard (6'-3" Sr. G) from Inglemoor High in Bothell, WA, Mike Tolman (6'-6" Sr.F) Mike Hagman (6'-5" Sr.F) Delvin Armstrong (6'-4" So. G) another transfer from Diablo Valley College who played high school at Vallejo High, Clint Hordemann (6'-3" So.G) a transfer from Clackamas College, Trever Tillman (6'-11" Fr. C) from Mountlake Terrace HS in Washington, Clinton Fox (6'-7" So. F) from Mooloolaba, Australia, who played his high school ball in the United States at Brownfield High in Texas as an exchange student, Kenny Van Kirk (6'-11" Sr. C) originally from Yuba City, but a transfer this year from Butte College, Justin Lyons (6'-7" Sr. F) from Sahuarita High in Tuscon, and Shane Flanagan (6'-1" Jr. G) originally from Albuquerque, NM, who previously attended Cuesta CC.

Look for Boise to give the Thunder a tough time. We'll let you know the result shortly after the game.

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