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SPORTS
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l uesday, January 22, 1985/The Battalion/Page 9
Bench warmer signs
with Oklahoma State
Photo by DEAN SAITO
First Texas, then Tech
A&M’s Jimmie Gilbert holds the ball tightly
as Texas’ John Brownlee (55) and Alex
Broadway (12) move in during the Aggies
66-61 victory Sunday. A&M hosts Texas
Tech Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The Aggie
women, who lost 80-58 to the Horns Satur
day, begin Wednesday evening with a 5:15
p.m. tipoff against the Red Raiders.
Associated Press
ARLINGTON — When Dana
Gray’s signed national basketball let
ter of intent was delivered to Okla
homa State Nov. 14, Gray officially
became a Cowboy point-guard-to-be
and one of the first Tarrant County
high school players this season to
commit to a major university.
But Gray, now assured of four
years of free NCAA Division I edu
cation, is not even in the starting
lineup for his own Martin High
School team.
Oklahoma State did not recruit
Gray for his performance at Martin
but because of what he did last sum
mer at the Texas basketball Con
gress International Shootout in
Houston. As a member of a summer
league team from Arlington, Gray
faced a Houston all-star team in the
first game of the shootout and
scored 17 points.
Coaches and scouts were so im
pressed by Gray’s play then and in a
second game that Jay Parker, direc
tor of the T exas High School basket
ball Scouting report, organizer of
the Shootout and self-appointed
coach of the Houston team, gave the
Arlington group an unscheduled
third game.
“He’s a gym rat, that’s the key,”
Parker saict. “I think he was lucky,
even in the draw. He played my
team first. The Houston team was
the strongest and the coaches
showed up to watch them. If Arling
ton was playing Irving, the coaches
might not nave even been in the
gym.
“I’d never heard of this kid, but
he busted our butt. He laid it in their
face numerous times. I know he bur
ied a 20-footer. There was no pres
sure on him. When he’s free, he does
some really creative stuff.”
That “creative stuff’ may have
earned Gray a scholarship, but it is
not what Martin is looking for.
Martin Coach Danny Husband
says that sometimes people think he
is crazy for not starting a player who
already has a college scholarship.
“We weren’t starting well at the first
of the year, and we had to make a
change somewhere,” Husband said.
“1 think his shot selection early in the
season was real poor. Sometimes he
tries to force things.
“He really gets the same amount
of playing time as if he were starting.
He gives us an added boost.”
Gray is averaging just more than
seven points and three rebounds a
game. He is shooting 43 percent
from the floor and 56 From the tree-
throw line.
“He shot more in a summer recre
ational situation where he could
shoot it and get it and shoot it and
get it,” Husband said. “Our style,
probably bothers him worse than
others. He’s probably better in a
run-and-gun situation.”
Parker, who said he has seen more
than 150 teams play this season, con
tends that Gray is one of the top
eight guards in the state, but is in the
wrong situation.
“He’s going to be much better in
college than in high school,” Parker
said. “He’s got real talent and the na
ture of high school basketball in
Texas is not conducive to real ta
lent.”
Gray’s personal life is as different
from his Martin teammates as is his
playing style. And his personal life
probably helped shape his future by
pushing him into basketball.
Since Gray’s f ather was in the mili
tary years ago, Gray moved from
state to state. It was hard to develop
lasting relationships, and Gray says
that is one reason he likes basketball.
Only one person is needed to prac
tice.
Almost every day since he was in
the seventh grade, Gray has gone to
the Woodland West Recreation Cen
ter to play basketball.
On non-game nights, after Mar
tin’s practice, Gray goes to the cen
ter, where he plays with former Con-
tinental Basketball Association
players, a lawyer and some business
types who “always wanted to play
basketball.”
“The rec,” where his fast-paced
style developed, was a refuge during
the initial depression of not being a
starter. Gray said he is no longer de
pressed and will continue to try to
contribute to the Martin team he
calls “very special.”
But he knows there will be more
use for his talent — the talent built
and now honed during his spare
time — next fall at OSU.
“Dana’s got exceptional ability,”
Parker said.
49er fans
celebrate
Super win
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — More than
half a million fans of the San
Francisco 49ers jammed side
walks and perched on window
sills Monday to shower their Su
per Bowl XIX champions with
confetti and release red and gold
balloons during a joyful parade
through the city.
Although the size of the crowd
was similar to the one that gath
ered for the parade three years
ago after the 49ers’ Super Bowl
XVI victory, there was little of the
rowdiness or clashes with police
that marred that day.
Quarterback Joe Montana, the
Super BpwPs most valuable
player who led the 49ers to Sun
day’s 38-16 rout of the Miami
Dolphins, skipped the parade
along with nine teammates and
flew to Hawaii for next week’s
Pro Bowl.
Running back Wendell Tyler,
wide receivers Dwight Clark and
Freddie Solomon and tight end
Russ Francis were among the 30
players who did show up to wave
to the fans, along with Coach Bill
Walsh and team owner Edward J.
DeBartolo Jr.
Walsh and DeBartolo flanked
Mayor Dianne Feinstein atop the
back seat of a shiny blue 1931
Lincoln touring car at the head of
the parade, just behind a phalanx
of police motorcycles.
There were a few isolated inci
dents of violence and theft, said
police spokeswoman Carri Lucas.
About 20 people pounced on two
parked cars near City Hall,
smashing windows and breaking
roofs about an hour after the pa
rade ended. Police also investi
gated the stabbing of three peo
ple by a man.
Aside from those incidents, the
celebration was peaceful.
’ “We were a lot better prepared
for this parade,” said police
Cmdr. Ray Canepa, who esti
mated the crowd at “at least a half
a million.”
The parade lasted only 40 min
utes, but it was loud and colorful.
GRADS, VETS, & MEDS
HERE’S THE SCOOP!
THE 1985 AGGIELAND
WILL BE TAKING
YOUR CLASS PICTURES
THIS WEEK (JAN. 21-25)
ONLY FROM 8:30-12,1-4:30
LOCATION:
YBA Studio
1700 S. Kyle Behind Culpepper Plaza