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Fresno's Loss is Delta's Gain: Deck Head

Posted on: Monday, 27 February 2006, 12:01 CST

By Bob Highfill, The Record, Stockton, Calif.

Feb. 25--STOCKTON - An unfortunate situation at Fresno State last season helped the Delta College men's basketball team this season.

Sophomore guard Carl Ross transferred to Delta after Fresno State coach Ray Lopes resigned amid an NCAA investigation involving illegal phone calls to recruits. Ross has been a human highlight reel for the Mustangs, with his aerial displays and flashy thievery.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder will lead the Big 7 Conference champion Mustangs (26-6) into the second round of the Northern California Regional playoffs against 16th-seeded Chabot College (19-12) at 7:30 p.m. today at Blanchard Gym. Delta received a first-round bye.

"Once everybody accepted their role, it's been clicking ever since," Ross said. "Anybody can go off on this team and that's why I really like about this team."

Ross was a walk-on at Fresno State out of Washington Union High in Fresno and earned a scholarship from Lopes midway through his freshman season. Ross averaged 9.7 minutes, 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and one assist in 25 games with the Bulldogs.

Ross announced in June he wasn't going to return to Fresno State after Lopes' replacement, Steve Cleveland, did not renew his scholarship. Ross was the odd man out when Cleveland awarded two scholarships to incoming transfers, and the university lost two scholarships because of NCAA sanctions from past seasons. Ross trusted his former coach when it came time to pick a new school.

"I left it in coach Lopes' hands for my future, what he thought was best," Ross said. "He said I should come here. Within a week, I visited and I was moving in a week later."

Delta coach Brian Katz had just returned from a family vacation one week prior to the start of school, when Ross called and asked for a chance to play.

"You could tell right off the bat he's a smart kid," Katz said. "I could sense he understood basketball when I talked to him. The first time I saw him play, I could see he had a feel for the game."

The Mustangs received a bonus when Ross brought along his friend, Pat Cooper, a transfer from Humboldt State. Cooper, who went to Central High in Fresno, has added depth and talent at the guard position.

Ross is an energetic, athletic guard with good instincts. He anticipates passes and makes steals, he shoots and rebounds, and he can get above the rim. But his strength is driving to the basket, where he can create his own shot or pass to an open player.

"He's a tremendous driver and he's explosive," Katz said.

Ross, who averages 10.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, often is the go-to guy.

"If we can't run our stuff, we want to somehow run a set where he gets a chance to drive," Katz said. "He's really good at that. He's a playmaker."

Ross said coming to Delta was the right choice.

"I feel this is really the only junior college that fit my style of play," said Ross, who considered going to Fresno City College. "Coach Katz gives you leeway to play to your strengths. He feels it's hard for guys to stay in front of me, so I play the way he wants me to play."

Contact reporter Bob Highfill at (209) 546-8299 or bhighfill@recordnet.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Record, Stockton, Calif.

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Source: The Record

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