ARC President Reacts To Criticism of Team

To enlighten Mr. Michael Mayer, who wrote in a recent letter (Aug. 9) criticizing ARC Mid-Valley for its loss in the second round of the Las Vegas Invitational National Prep Basketball Tournament, there were a number of factors that should be considered. One factor was that while the team had a number of tune-up games, we never had a full team at any practice until we got to Las Vegas. This was due to summer camps, summer high school league games and tournaments, and a player’s first commitment must be to his high school team. After a week of practicing daily in Las Vegas, the team ran its offense properly, with more than one pass, on Friday, and blew out Oregon and Georgia to win the runner-up championship. Another factor was the loss of James Moses, a key starter who did well against New York the previous year, due to a broken ankle one week before Las Vegas. A third factor was youth in key positions. ARC Mid-Valley was a very young team and returns six juniors next year. Finally, the New York Gauchos were a very good team and were allowed to use 19-year-old Lloyd Daniels, who played because of a questionable technicality, not having earned enough high school credits to be considered a senior, but who is planning on attending junior college next year and then UNLV.

ARC teams have been in the finals of the Las Vegas Invitational an incredible 6 out of 9 years, and have won the national championship a record four times. This year’s team was 26-3 in spring and summer competition. I guarantee Mr. Mayer and all our fans that when the New York Gauchos come to California next July to play ARC Mid-Valley in a series of exhibition games, we will send them whimpering back to my old hometown. And furthermore, I guarantee that ARC Mid-Valley will not only be back in the finals in Las Vegas next year, but will reclaim the national championship, before going on a tour of Europe next August. Incidentally, the Los Angeles Times is to be commended for its outstanding coverage of the ARC teams by Heather Hafner in the Las Vegas Tournament.

RICH GOLDBERG

President

American Roundball Corp.

Sepulveda