48 - Wednesday. December 2. 1998 - North Snore News

Former pro we

north shore news

& SPORTS

rking

with Cap’s big men

Andrew McCredie

Sports Editor andrew@nsnews.com

CAPILANO College men’s basketball team is getting some big help this season. Really big.

At just under seven feet in height and with a plaving resume of similar dimension, Lars Hansen brings big time experience to Cap’s big men.

Long before the National Basketball Association broke ground in Canada, and well before every blacktop hoopster pretended to be “Just like Mike,” Lars Hansen was bang- ing in the paint with the best post men in the business.

Following a stellar high school career at) Centennial Secondary, Hansen lettered all four years for the University of Washington Huskies.

He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1976, but when the team landed Artis Gilmore in the ABA dispersal draft for a cool $1 million that year, his “stack,” as he puts it today, “went down a little.”

Like a big rebound, Hansen bounced around the league a little, and two years later was plaving for the Seattle Supersonics the year they won the NBA crown (1978-79).

“And from there [ went on to play in Italy and Spain,” Hansen recalled. I was lucky in Europe because 1 got to play with a lot of the premier teams over there.

“In 1983 I decided to call it quits, came back here and pur- sued other opportunities.”

Those opportunities have included coaching, helping out with community basketball leagues and developing busi- Ness ventures.

The most recent coaching assignment for the Coquitlam native is teaching his tricks of the trade to the Capilano College men’s basketball team, a squad coached by Hansen’s friend and business partner Todd Xozinka.

“A lot of these guys are first year players so they might know the game at the high school level, bur when you take the next step up there a few fundamentals you must be aware of,” Hansen said of his work with the Blues.

“For the post, as the game gets quicker, your feet have to get quicker.

“You can't waste even a millisecond being in the wrong position.”

Kozinka first met Hansen when the former pro was an assistant coach on the SFU team Kozinka played on.

“The time that he has worked with the team has been really valuable,” Kozinka said of Hansen's involvement.

“He’s been working on just the litte things, adjust- ments that make a big differ- ence.”

Hansen said that what he learned about the game of bas- ketball over two decades ago at the University of Washington still holds crue.

“It’s a game of angles and 2

Vancouver Province file photo

FORMER NBA player Lars Hansen is sharing his con- siderable hardcourt experience with Cap College's big men. Sefore lettering at the University of Washington in the early 1970s, he was a much-deco- rated Centennial Secondary star.

game of positioning.”

But he admits there have been changes to the way the game is played.

“The difference is the fact that the game is now played from the outside in; whereas when I played it was inside out,” he explained.

“That's why you don’t see the traditional hook shot any-

more.”

His last bit of advice for young players?

“A sound mind and a sound body.”

Watching him on the floor with players half his age dur- ing a recent Blues’ practice, it’s obvious Lars Hansen stilt has extra-large supplies of both.

Cap cagers win two of three

Andrew McCredie

Sports Editor andrew@usnews.com

CAPILANO College basketball teams won two of three games this past weekend.

Friday night at the Spornsples the Blues hosted the Canboo Sun) Demons tor an evening double header.

In the first game the Cap women scorched the Sun Demons 84-37. in the second: the Cariboo men exacted a measure of revenge with a 88-73 win over the Blues.

The tallowing day the Capilano men beat the College of New Caledonia Kodiaks 74-61 at the Sportsples, improving their season mark to 2-4 and ued for sixth place in B.C. college league standings.

With their home court victory Friday night, the women Blues improved their regular sea- son record to 3-2. They are currently tied for third with the Fraser Valley Cascades in B.C. college standings.

The college teams are off for over a month

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new as the league sasxpends play over the heli dav scasen The Bloes return to hardeaurt accent rhe Sportsples on Pridav, Jan PS as the Paran Western, University Spartans come cillme to North Van tora double header een

Friday night's basketball double header at the Sportyples served as the pertet setumy te honour the Canadian collene women’s seccer champions.

Members ot the Blues’ seer tou were preented natiogal championship gags dunny aimid-court ceremony prior tothe men's bas: ketball pame.

The Blues, coached by Doug Abercrombie, have won the national college nthe three of the past four vears,

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Cap College's volleyball teams have taken a break trom B.C. college league action. Their next regular season games are at the Sportsplex on Friday, Jan. 8 against the College of New Caledonia Kodiaks.

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