Douglass Reluctantly Dealing With Losing

Eight games in and counting, basketball Coach Pat Douglass knows why he got a five-year contract. Of course, he didn’t make this mess. He is just the guy with the mop and bucket.

“There are coaches who can handle losing better than others,’ Douglass said. “I don’t have one of those personalities.”

That was two weeks ago. Since then, the Anteaters (2-6) looked good in beating Portland Thursday, then got pasted by Northern Arizona Sunday. It was just another reminder of the chore Douglass has on his hands.

On Feb. 12, 1996, Irvine defeated Long Beach State to move into first place in the Big West Conference. Since then, the Anteaters are 5-36, and have lost 19 consecutive road games heading into tonight’s game against Nevada Las Vegas, making 20 a virtual reality.

Such rapid descent won’t be reversed in one season, merely slowed or halted.

Still, things are a bit better. The Anteaters play hard and, with their limited talent, will even win once in a while. They might even be OK in a conference full of doormats. North Texas is 1-7, flailing against a brutal schedule. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is 5-5 against a much easier schedule. Long Beach State seems to be unraveling as fast as Irvine did two years ago.

Guard Lamarr Parker has improved, but, at times, fades into the same bad habits--no defense, bad decisions--prevalent last season.

Guard Junior Bond doesn’t get shaken but, at times, is too short. Team manager Dennis Wisco, at 5 feet 8, is taller.

Center Matt Willard is agile and energetic but, at times, too thin. A bout of mononucleosis didn’t help.

Freshmen Ben Jones and Malachi Edmond are good shooters and fearless but, at times, too green.

So the Anteaters, at times, take their lumps.

Still, Jones and Edmond will only improve. Recruits Stan Divranos and Mark Gottschalk are big and talented. Douglass has been adept at game management, he just needs more talent.

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Some reasons Irvine is in such a state will be on display tonight, on the Las Vegas bench.

Guard Brian Keefe and forward Kevin Simmons, who bolted after the 1995-96 season, play for the Rebels. Both are close to Rebel assistant Greg Vetrone, who was at Irvine five seasons.

It won’t exactly be a reunion. The only people in the Irvine contingent they will recognize are Parker and sports information director Bob Olson.

“It’s not really a big game for me,” said Keefe, who became eligible to play last week. “No one I played with or who coached me is left except Lamarr.”

Said Simmons: “It’s just another game. Another game we have to win.”

While Keefe, who transferred to Boston College before going to Las Vegas, can help the Rebels win, Simmons can only watch. He was suspended 14 games for receiving benefits from a sports agent during a trip to Florida last spring.

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Andrew Cheney, sophomore tennis player, teamed with his father, Brian, to win the father/son division in the U.S. Tennis Assn. Gold Ball tournament last week. His reaction?

Said Anteater Coach Steve Clark: “He called and said, ‘Hey coach, I just won the Gold Ball. Now I just have 285 to go to catch Dodo.’ ”

Dodo Cheney, his 81-year-old grandmother, has 286 USTA national championships at last count.

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A friend in need: Larry Knuth’s return to Irvine as an assistant track coach shouldn’t be surprising. After all, he and Anteater Coach Vince O’Boyle have crossed paths for years.

O’Boyle not only took over the Irvine cross-country program for Knuth, he also received his first college job from him.

“I would run at Pasadena College when Larry was the track coach there,” O’Boyle said. “He asked me if I wanted to help coach. Because of Larry, I received training as a college coach. He has pretty much been the guy behind the scenes for me.”

Including when O’Boyle applied for the Irvine cross-country position. Knuth was the Anteater coach from 1979-82 and pushed for O’Boyle. “I’m sure his recommendation helped a lot,” O’Boyle said.

Knuth will work with the long and triple jumpers and assist O’Boyle with the distance runners this season. His pay?

“I think I get a dinner out of Vince,” Knuth said. “I had to do this. I got to thinking that I have really never done anything for Vince.”

Not according to O’Boyle.

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Coming Attractions

Key games this week for UC Irvine:

* Men’s basketball against Nevada Las Vegas at 7:30 tonight in Las Vegas.

* Women’s basketball, 7 p.m. Monday against Lehigh in the Bren Center.