RGV Capsules: Patterson working toward NBA dream
PHARR — Patrick Patterson is well aware of the allure of the NBA. He’s also aware that not getting any playing time while he’s in the NBA isn’t exactly productive for his development.
So, the Rockets’ first-round draft pick from Kentucky now finds himself wearing a Rio Grande Valley Vipers’ uniform, and he’s OK with that.
“I took it as a challenge,” Patterson said Tuesday afternoon shortly after the Vipers’ practice at Summit Sports Club. “Nobody really wants to not play, and I was frustrated with that because I really wanted to play in Houston.”
Patterson didn’t play in the Rockets’ first six regular season games before he was assigned to the Vipers on Nov. 9. The Rockets’ depth at the power forward and center spots didn’t leave any room for the 6-9 Patterson to get any playing time. He was hardly logging any practice time because of the Rockets’ hectic early-season schedule.
“We’ve been really lucky with the assignment guys from Houston, who come down with the right approach and right attitude,” Vipers coach Chris Finch said. “He’s down here for specific reasons, and we are trying to help him out with those. He’s trying to be more of an inside presence and more of a presence on the board. Defensively, he’s strong already.”
Finch said he took the assignment with the right frame of mind and that’s been a huge plus.
“He’s a smart kid,” Finch said. “He wants to play. He wants to get better. … A lot of times, guys get caught up in being in the NBA, flying around and playing in the arena, but actually they are sitting and they are not getting much reps. He’s been first class all the way.”
Patterson averaged 13.0 points in the Vipers’ two preseason games. He played in six preseason games for the Rockets, averaging 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds. Patterson has reunited with his former Kentucky teammate, 6-7 guard-forward Ramon Harris, who was invited to the Vipers’ training camp after participating in a tryout.
Patterson said he’s noticed improvements in his game since being assigned to the Vipers, most notably in rebounding. He also said he’s shooting the ball with more confidence. He’s also playing, and that’s the most important thing for him right now. Houston will come calling in due time. He said he’s not worried about it.
“I’m not really focused on getting back up there,” Patterson said. “I just want to focus on my time down here and do what I need to do to improve as a player. Also, I want to do what I need to do to help this team — us — win.”
CUTS: Texas A&M product Derrick Roland, a 6-4 shooting guard, and Dayton’s James Cripe, a 6-11 center, were released after practice on Tuesday. That leaves the roster with 11 players, not including Patterson, who doesn’t count on the roster because he is an NBA assignee. The Vipers need to have the roster down to 10 in time for Thursday’s game against the Texas Legends.
RAISE THE FLAG: The Vipers will commemorate its 2009-10 NBA D-League championship with a banner-raising ceremony before Thursday’s game. Championship rings will also be distributed. Mike Harris, last season’s league MVP, and Antonio Anderson are expected to participate in the ceremony. Harris and Anderson, who were on the Houston Rockets training camp roster this season before they were cut, are free agents. The Vipers owns the rights to each, but there are no immediate plans to add them to the roster.
David Hinojosa covers the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can also reach him at (956) 683-4442 or via e-mail at dhinojosa@themonitor.com.
College
UTPA opens home slate against Big Ten's Northwestern
EDINBURG – Northwestern coach Bill Carmody knows how difficult it is for the UTPA men’s basketball team to schedule a home game against a major conference team.
Carmody used to coach at Princeton, a program nationally recognized teams weren’t exactly lining up to play in New Jersey.
“We had some good, decent teams at Princeton,” said Carmody, who’s Wildcats arrived in Edinburg on Tuesday for a game against the Broncs at 7 tonight at the Field House. “Nobody wanted to play us. The only two guys that would play us home-and-home were Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Roy Williams (Kansas), and they had a lot to lose. I just think it is a good thing to do.”
The Wildcats, who compete in the Big Ten, will be the first team from a major conference to play in Edinburg since Illinois in November of 1998.
Broncs coach Ryan Marks seemed overly appreciative that Northwestern, which is 6-0 all-time against UTPA, would travel to deep South Texas for a game.
“It is a unique reward for our fans and something we would like to do more of,” Marks said of tonight’s game. “There are only about 5 percent of the major conference coaches that would be willing to do this.”
The UTPA athletic department has been waiting for this game since the schedule was announced in the summer. On Tuesday, UTPA was putting the finishing touches on the refurbished Field House.
The school is also hoping the fans come out to the team’s home opener. When the Broncs (1-2) played Illinois 12 years ago, the attendance was 2,463. A win over Northwestern in front of a large crowd tonight would give the campus something to be excited about.
“It’s big,” UTPA sophomore guard Aaron Urbanus said. “We get to open our new gym with hopefully a big crowd and feed off them and their energy. Hopefully, we are in it at the end and have a chance to win.”
UTPA played at Northwestern (1-0) last season and was within 42-40 with about 5 minutes left to play. The Wildcats pulled away to win 53-44. Going back to that Illinois game, UTPA led 37-33 at halftime before losing 71-56.
Carmody hasn’t forgotten the Wildcats’ game against the Broncs last season. Although Northwestern is from a major conference, it has never made the NCAA tournament and is trying to find itself on a national stage.
“We played last year and it was a close game at our place,” Carmody said. “We ended up winning by 9. I don’t know about having a lot to lose. I think we just got to play.”
On the other hand, Marks hopes the once-in-a-long-time opportunity will bring out the best in his Broncs.
“If we can play well against a team of this caliber, it is going to be very entertaining for our fans,” Marks said. “Maybe more people will realize that this is a very good product we are putting on the court and would like to get behind these guys.”
Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.
UTPA women edge Texas Southern
EDINBURG - Adanna Opara tallied her first double-double as a University of Texas-Pan American player, netting 12 points and hauling in a game-high 12 rebounds as the Lady Brocns knocked off the Tigers of Texas Southern 70-62 on Tuesday at the HP&E Arena.
After trailing 6-5 with 16:54 remaining in the opening frame, the Broncs (2-0) went on a 10-1 run capped off by an Opara layup to take a 15-7 lead with 13:44 remaining in the half.
The Tigers (0-2) rallied to within five late in the first half on Nicole Walton’s 3-pointer to make the score 24-19 with 5:13 remaining. The Broncs finished the half on a 14-2 run, hitting three 3-pointers in the process, to take a 38-21 lead at the intermission. The Broncs defense held the Tigers to 19 percent in the first half.
The Tigers mounted a furious rally to begin the second half. TSU began the second frame on a 15-0 run to pull within a basket at 38-36 with 16:59 remaining in the game. With 9:09 remaining, Walton knocked down another trey to tie the game at 44.
The Broncs built the lead back up by going on a 13-2 run, capped off by an Erin Lewis layup to run the UTPA lead to 11. The Tigers did not get closer than six points the rest of the way.
Bianca Torre tied Opara’s team leading scoring output with 12 points while handing out a team high six assists with four steals. CeMonay Newell scored 11, while Donne Jackson added 10 points and seven boards to lead the Broncs.
NaDosha Strickland scored a game-high 16 points with five rebounds in the losing effort for the Tigers. Gabrielle Rosiji scored 14 points with 10 rebounds for the double-double. Jasmine Cannon also brought down 10 boards with seven points.
The Broncs return home at 4 p.m. Saturday as they face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the UTPA Field House.
-- UTPA Services
Hockey
Jackalopes double up Bees
ODESSA - The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees were beaten 6-3 by the Odessa Jackalopes on Tuesday.
Sean Muncy, Aaron Lee, and Darcy Campbell all scored for the Bees and Juliano Pagliero made 40 saves in the losing effort.
The Killer Bees (6-4-2) struck first as Muncy pushed a loose puck to the back of the net after it seemed as if Jackalopes goalie Joel Martin covered the puck. Rob Cowan and Jake Obermeyer both collected assists.
The Bees held the lead for more than 10 minutes before the Jacks (3-9-1) tied the game late in the first period. While on the man-advantage, Sebastien Thinel scored his seventh goal of the season. Thinel was attempting a centering feed from the goal line, but it clipped Pagliero’s pads and bounced to the back of the net.
Less than one minute later the Jackalopes took a 2-1 lead when Kenny Corupe snuck a tough angled shot in between the shoulder of Pagliero and the nearside post. The Jacks took a two-goal lead early in the second while on the power play.
The Killer Bees got one back in the second period with a power-play strike. Aaron Lee one-timed a deflected pass from Muncy past Martin to bring the game within a goal. Campbell also earned his seventh assist of the season.
Much like the second period, the Jackalopes made it a two-goal lead before the Killer Bees cut the lead to a single goal. Campbell went driving toward the net from his defensive position and deflected Aaron Lee's pass to the back of the net.
The Killer Bees remained down by one for the next three minutes until the 8:33 mark of the third period when the Jackalopes opened their two-goal lead again. The Jacks added an empty net goal to the score.
The Killer Bees return home this weekend to play host to Bossier-Shreveport and Texas at State Farm Arena. The puck drops at 7:35 both nights.
-- Killer Bees Services
