Joel Huerto is managing editor of One Man Fastbreak.net and a sports consultant with Opposing Views.com. He has been a member of the sports media for almost 20 years, which included nine years as a news editor at the Los Angeles Times. He will cover a variety of topics, from coach and player profiles to hot-button issues. Joel is also known as "maniLA ice" for his cool demeanor in the friendly confines of the YMCA hardwood. He loves to shoot the "tear drop" and prefers to play zone to hide his deficiencies on defense.
In the movie "Hoosiers," when Norman Dale (played by the legendary Gene Hackman) needed someone to stop the opponents' best scorer, he turned to Buddy. He asked Buddy to stick to his man so close he should be able to tell the type of gum he chews.
"It was Dentyne," Buddy said after fouling out.
Fiction almost became a reality when Loyola College (Md.) Coach Jimmy Patsos, above, instructed two
of his players to stick with Davidson's All-American Stephen Curry, left, during last Tuesday's game. As soon as the game started, both defenders invaded Curry's breathing space and never left him ... the entire game!
The plan worked ... somewhat ... as Curry, who had been averaging 35 points a game this season, went scoreless for the first time in his collegiate career and missed all three of his field-goal attempts. However, Davidson still pounded Loyola, 78-48.
Sources could not confirm if both defenders got close enough to determined whether Curry chews Dentyne.
"I've never seen anything like it," Davidson Coach Bob McKillop told FoxSports.com.
Obviously, Coach McKillop has never seen the HD version of the triangle-and-two defense.
"It seemed to me they were willing to risk the game at the expense of locking up Steph," McKillop said. "When you put two people on somebody and you do it for 30 minutes and at the end of the game, you have to wonder what reasons for that are."
When asked about his "scheme," the very fiery and unconventional Patsos was unapologetic.
"I know the fans are mad at me, but I had to roll the dice as far as a coach goes. I'm not some rookie coach," said the former longtime assistant at Maryland who was on Gary Williams' staff when the Terrapins won the national title. "We had to play against an NBA player.
"Anybody else ever hold him scoreless? I'm a history major. They're going to remember that we held him scoreless or we lost by 30?"
He's absolutely right. Way to go, Shooter!
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