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Players promise all-star offense
BY ROBERT TURBEVILLE -ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Defensive-minded Darrell Walker pointed out that all-star games are all about offense but promised his East squad will play defense. Swore it. Even got Corliss Williamson to back him up.
Then Walker, a former Arkansas Razorbacks guard and NBA player and coach known for his defense, went out and drafted the all-stars from Nolan Richardson's "40 minutes of hell" Razorbacks teams for tonight's Legends in the Rock charity basketball game at Alltel Arena.
Walker, the former coach of the Toronto Raptors and now a scout for the Washington Wizards, picked 11 former Razorbacks, including six from the 1994 national championship team, during a draft full of one-liners and big names Friday at the Peabody Hotel. His West squad counterpart, another former Razorback and NBA veteran, Joe Kleine, nabbed four former Hogs.
"I hate to say this, but we're going to win," said Williamson, the Detroit Pistons forward and event organizer, as he high-fived Walker.
Williamson, the first pick in the charity game's draft by Walker, then joked that Kleine, who owns Corky's barbecue restaurant in Little Rock, might have eaten too much before the draft and wasn't thinking clearly.
"We might have to come back and re-evaluate the draft," Williamson said, laughing. "Do like they do in the expansion draft where you can protect so many players and we'll get with Joe and see if he wants to switch out some."
"I wanted to get Corliss, but they rigged the coin toss," Kleine said. "I called heads but it was a double-tailed coin. I never had a chance."
Kleine can't complain about his first pick, though. He took Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher (LR Parkview, UALR), one of four current NBA players on his team. He has 10 players with NBA experience on his team to Walker's four.
"Darrell ain't gonna pay you," Kleine said jokingly to the few players who gathered to watch the draft. "You got to play defense for Darrell."
Walker certainly has the tools for a defensive team, but also has plenty of shooters and guys from Richardson teams "who know how to push the ball up the court," Walker said.
"I don't think he's going to push us too hard to play defense," Williamson said. "He's been preaching that he wants some scorers on his team."
The rest of Walker's East squad includes: Phoenix Suns forward Joe Johnson (LR Central, Razorbacks); former Hogs Scotty Thurman, Lee Mayberry, Al Dillard, Kareem Reid, Dwight Stewart, John Engskov (Berryville), Sunday Adebayo, Chris Walker and Roger Crawford; former Kansas Jayhawk Richard Scott (LR Central); former Southwest Baptist player Brad Johnson (Little Rock); and Spud Webb, the former NBA guard.
Kleine's West team features: Corey Beck (Razorbacks); Carl Brown (UALR); Clint McDaniel (Razorbacks); Todd Day (Razorbacks); former NBA journeyman Elliott Perry; Detroit Pistons center Mikki Moore; Elmer Martin (Razorbacks); Memphis Grizzlies forward Lorenzen Wright; Golden State forward Cedric Henderson; Joe Stephens (UALR); Malik Dixon (UALR); former Washington Bullet Duane Washington (LR Parkview), who is Fisher's older brother; and former Los Angeles Clipper Steffond Johnson.
As is the case with most all-star events, don't expect a lot of organized plays, Kleine said. Fans should look for a lot of running and gunning.
Walker said his philosophy will be to work the ball inside to Williamson, and if the defense starts doubling down, kick the ball outside to one of his perimeter shooters, such as Mayberry, Dillard or Thurman.
"I'm excited about it myself," Walker said. "I hope fans go out and buy tickets. It should be a lot of fun."
The game benefits P.A.R.K., Arkansas Community Foundation, Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, Tidwell Project and the Russellville Boys and Girls Club.
<br/>At a glance
WHAT Charity basketball game, featuring Corliss Williamson, Derek Fisher and other past and present professional and college players
WHEN 6:30 tonight
WHERE Alltel Arena (cap. 18,163), North Little Rock
TICKETS $16.50, available at the Alltel Arena box office or any TicketMaster outlet
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Legends of the Rock- ultimate UA game
