Thursday, October 31, 2013

Clackamas CC Pre-League Jamboree, November 2nd

By: Greg Crawford, basketball insider

For the 20th straight year, Clackamas Community College will host the NWAACC Pre-League Jamboree starting Saturday morning and running all day on November 2nd. Action on two courts will get underway at 9:30 and games will run through 3:30.

Once again Clackamas head men's basketball coach Clif Wegner has assembled a great group of teams to participate in the all day affair.

"As a basketball coach, this is so much fun to put on an event of this nature," said Wegner. "It is a great time to see people we have not seen for awhile including fans, coaches and referees. The competition is also very fierce as everyone wants to establish themselves, from the get go."

The Saturday, November 2nd affair is open to the public, with a small charge at the gate.

Teams competing this year Clackamas CC, Mt. Hood, Lane, Portland CC, Linn Benton, Concordia JVs, Big Bend and Grays Harbor.

If you are a basketball fan, this is a can't miss event. Not only good basketball, but the event also brings in many people from sports who will be in attendance.

NWAACC basketball is terrific and features many players who will go on to play at four year schools, including D-1 teams.

Greg Crawford covers D-1 college basketball for CSNNW.com, but his heart as a basketball fan is also always with "small college" basketball.

You can follow Greg on twitter @wchoops and on Facebook www.facebook.com/greg.crawford.10


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Multnomah Lions Start Season 3-1

It could have been a 4-0 start for the Multnomah Lions to their 2013-14 season, but the team will have to settle for 3-1, after suffering their first loss of the season last Friday night to Vancouver Island.

"Obviously I would love 4-0, but I am proud of the way our players have played so far," said Coach Curt Bickley. "We showed a lot of toughness last weekend with the way we played on Saturday afternoon, after a tough loss the night before. Sometimes coming back that quickly can be tough, the our guys just went out and played a tough opponent in Camosun and got the victory."

The month of November will not be an easy one for the Lions, as they play many tough opponents that include, Concordia University, Eastern Oregon, Northwest Christian and Warner Pacific.

"Our opponents in the month of November will be one of the toughest string of games for non-league since I have been here in my 11 years at Multnomah," said Bickley. "But when you play tough opponents, you also improve and that is what I am looking for in the next few weeks. We have to continue to score from the 3-point line and we also need to continually work on our spacing at the offensive end."

The tough November will kick off with a home game on November 6th against cross-town opponent Concordia, one of the early favorites to win the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Tip-off is 7:00 and huge crowd is expected and you should be one of those to be there.

Greg Crawford can also be read on CSNNW.com with his coverage of D-1 basketball .

Greg Crawford on twitter @wchoops

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Multnomah Lions Try To Make 4-0 Start

The road to starting the season 4-0 gets very tough this week when the 2-0 Multnomah Lions take on two very tough opponents. Actually it is not the road at all, as the Lions will play at their home gym, located at 8435 NE Glisan in Portland for the second straight weekend.

On Friday night, October 25th the Lions take on Vancouver Island University, the defending D-2 Canadian champions. And then will little rest, Multnomah comes back on Saturday to face a solid Camosun College team, with a noon tipoff.

For the first time in the history of Curt Bickley's successful coaching career at Multnomah, which is now into its 11th year, his team has started the season 2-0 after wonderful wins this past weekend over Douglas and Columbia Bible. Though much work is to be done, Coach Bickley really liked the fact that in the two opening games, his team got up 224 field goal attempts.

"For us to be successful this season, we have to get up lots of shots, including many 3-pointers, space the floor properly and continue to run the basketball, " said Bickley. "I was pleased we were able to accomplish some of our keys to winning this weekend, now it is critical we keep it up."

As for this weekend's games? "As a coach I am always nervous, these opponents this weekend are both quality teams. But we also need to just worry about ourselves, play to our potential and take the pressure off."

To watch Multnomah basketball is a joy and more and more people are discovering that fact. This past weekend's crowds were terrific, but there is always room for more people. If you are a basketball fan, it is must see basketball. Plan to attend both games or at least one and let me know about your experience, where parking is always free and the gym is set up great.

Greg Crawford can be reached at gregorycrawfordspeaks@gmail.com

On Twitter @wchoops

On Facebook www.facebook.com/greg.crawford.10

You can also here Coach Bickley each Sunday night at 9:30 on the "Portland Metro Small College Hoops Show" on blog talk radio.

You can also catch Greg Crawford every Tuesday and Friday on CSNNW.com where he is the college basketball insider and writes Crawford's Court


Thursday, October 17, 2013

NWAACC Coaches Clinic

On Saturday, October 19th there a wonderful basketball coaching clinic will take place at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Oregon.

I honored to be one of the presenters, along with a host of other much more talented people. I strongly encourage anyone who is in coaching, no matter what the level to attend, as well as anyone who is thinking about becoming a basketball coach.

For more information you can go to http://depts.clackamas.edu/athletics or call Clif Wegner at 503 594-3893.

Please consider attending, you will not be disappointed.

Greg Crawford
@wchoops
www.facebook.com/greg.crawford.10

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Multnomah Lions Open 2013-14 Season October 18th

Season Opener---It all gets underway for real this Friday, October 18th as the Multnomah Lions open their 2013-14 men's basketball season.

The opponent for Friday night will be Douglas College out of Canada and tipoff is slated for 7:00. The Lions will not get much rest, as on Saturday night, they take on Columbia Bible College of Canada, also at 7:00 p.m.

Multnomah's gym is located at 8435 NE Glisan in Portland, Oregon and parking is always free. As my good friend Jim Hurd, who sees several basketball games each week, always says, the Multnomah floor might be the best in basketball from a spectator standpoint.

Friday night will also mark the 11th opener for Coach Curt Bickley at the helm of Multnomah basketball and he is excited.

"You never know what to expect from an opening game, but one thing our players and coaches do expect is that we are going to play with passion, excitement and flair," says Bickley.

The Lions have been practicing since September and to a person, they are rather sick of facing off against each other and are looking forward to having an actual opponent on Friday night.

"Our practices for the most part have been good and meaningful, but there is nothing like playing an actual game to see where you stand and what is good and bad about your team," said Bickley. "We are not big, but as per most of our teams, we have some good shooters and we are going to put the 3-ball in the air, start to finish."

As I am long time basketball person  on all levels, if you have not been to a Multnomah game, you must get there. It is exciting, fast break basketball when no lead on either side is safe and you will be entertained.

Please always share your comments below about Multnomah basketball. And every Tuesday, we will have an article on gregcrawfordbasketball.blogspot.com

Greg Crawford is the college basketball insider for CSNNW.com, where you can read him every Tuesday and Friday in Crawford's Court.

email Greg @ gregorycrawfordspeaks@gmail.com

You can also follow Greg on:

twitter: @wchoops

facebook: www.facebook.com/greg.crawford.10

linkedin: www.linkedin.com/gregcrawford

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Multnomah Lions March Towards Season Opener

Portland, Oregon----As the Multnomah Lions move towards their opening game of the 2013-14 men's basketball season on October 18th, Coach Curt Bickley is like all basketball coaches, nervous, but excited.

"We have lots of work to do, especially on our out of bounds plays, but overall I am pleased with our practices and energy so far, " said Bickley.

The Lions will open the season against Canadian team Douglas at Multnomah on the 18th at 7:00 p.m., in what should be a high scoring and exciting contest.

"It is great that we can face teams from Canada on successive weekends at home to start the season," Bickley said. "As we head towards another tough schedule including these games, it will really give us an idea of what we are all about as a team."

Multnomah will be one of the smallest teams in the country on any level and when you are small, rebounding is so critical and the Lions have been doing a lot of work on the rebounding game.

Bickley really likes the leadership of this year's team.

"We are experienced and that is going to help, in our five month span of basketball. You do not even have to tell our veterans, they just step up and lead the younger guys and that is a dream for any basketball coach."

NOTE: Every Tuesday, you can follow Multnomah University basketball at http://gregcrawfordbasketball.blogspot.com as we go in-depth into the Lions' season. Multnomah University is located at 8435 NE Glisan, Portland, Oregon

You can also read more of Greg Crawford at CSNNW.com, Crawford's Court as he covers D-1 college basketball.

Please follow Greg:

http://www.csnnw.com/blog/crawfords-court

twitter @wchoops

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If you enjoy this about Multnomah basketball and are a fan of basketball and/or a Multnomah fan please comment under the blog and also please spread the word. It is greatly appreciated.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Portland Metro Small College Hoops Show

This is a show never to miss, it is all about basketball and it comes to you every Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. The next "Portland Metro Small College Hoops Show" will take place on October 6th, 2013. Here is the link to listen.

http://tobtr.com/s/5452663

Tomorrow night's guest will be:

Curt Bickley---Multnomah University

Tim Cleary------Pacific University (Forest Grove)

Clif Wegner----Clackamas Community College

Dinari Foreman---Lewis and Clark College

Brad Barbarick----Concordia University (Portland, Oregon)

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Multnomah University Basketball

NOTE: This blog, is dedicated strictly to basketball, all levels. And on certain days you will see schools and teams featured, such as today, October 1st, which it being Tuesday will always have features, news, info and all things Multnomah University. If you are a basketball fan, you need to come here often.

Multnomah University, located at 8435 NE Glisan in Portland, Oregon will kick off its 2013-14 college basketball season on Friday, October 18th with a home game against Douglas College from Canada. Not much rest for the Lions as they will play the next night at home against Columbia Bible also out of Canada. Both games will tip off at 7:00 p.m.

If you have not seen a game at Multnomah, you must. Great place to watch a game, plenty of free parking and great concession stand. And one of the best floors anywhere in basketball.

With all that, you will always see a team that competes, wire to wire and loves the 3-point shot. As a matter of fact, it is pretty certain that Multnomah will lead college basketball every year when it comes to putting up the 3-ball. And even better, the shooters on the team are excellent.

At present the Multnomah Lions have 16 players, on the roster, but only two seniors. The seniors are Davey Walker out of Tigard, Oregon and Erik Mendoza from Chicago, Illionois.

Guiding the Lions will be Curt Bickley, who on October 18th will begin his 11th year as head coach at the NE Portland school. Bickley will be assisted this year by Tim Bieri (4th year), Jesse Cain (2nd year) and star guard from last year's squad who has traded a uniform for a clipboard, Austin Hodges.

The Lions will play 17 regular season games at home and will also host the NCCAA western regionals on February 28 and March 1st. On the road this year as always, the Lions will see plenty of the country as they will appear in the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and Michigan.

As the season goes along we will talk more about the Lions' schedule, but I strongly urge people to take in a game or many during the season.

Greg Crawford is the college basketball insider for CSNNW.com, www.csnnw.com/blog/crawfords-court.

Crawford also hosts each Sunday night at 9:30 PDT, the "Portland Metro Small College Hoops" show on blog talk radio, in which Coach Bickley is a regular guest.

Greg Crawford on twitter @wchoops

Greg Crawford on facebook www.facebook.com/greg.crawford.10

Greg Crawford is also on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/GregCrawford (COO of Kiyokawa Crawford Sports Management)

Please email any questions to gregorycrawfordspeaks@gmail.com (http://gregcrawfordspeaks.weebly.com