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Tehama Tracker Friday's results Cotton Bowl Kansas State Arkansas 29 16 Thursday's results GIRLS SOCCER West Valley Corning 0 2 Saturday's games BOYS HOOPS 11th Annual Corning Shootout Corning will play at 4 or 5:30 p.m. depending on Friday's outcome GIRLS HOOPS at West Valley Tourney WRESTLING at Nor Cal Championships in Anderson NFL Playoffs Cincinnati Houston Detroit New Orleans BBVA Compass Bowl SMU Pittsburgh NBA Utah Warriors NHL Washington Sharks 7:30 p.m. CSNC Sunday's games NFL Playoffs Atlanta N.Y. Giants Pittsburgh Denver 10 a.m. FOX 4:30 p.m. CBS GoDaddy.com Bowl Arkansas St. N. Illinois NBA Orlando Kings 3 p.m. CSNC Monday's games ALPINE at Mt. Shasta BCS National Championship LSU Alabama 5:30 p.m. ESPN Around Town Red Bluff Youth Lacrosse registration will be held at Round Table Pizza, 6 p.m., Sunday. A meeting will be held at the same place and time on Wednesday for all players. For more informa- tion contact: Corey LeVier 736-2992 or redblufflacrosse.com 6 p.m. ESPN SACRAMENTO (AP) — Keith Smart spent much of his time during the lockout this summer scribbling notes at home, everything from design- ing plays to deciding what he'd do dif- ferently if he ever got another chance to be an NBA head coach. He never figured that time would come so soon. More than eight months after the Golden State Warriors let his one-and- done contract expire, Smart, the former Indiana guard best known for hitting ''The Shot'' against Syracuse to win the 1987 NCAA title, is getting anoth- er shot — as the Sacramento Kings coach. ''When it happened the way it hap- pened, you say, 'I hope I get another opportunity,''' Smart said. ''Well, I can coach now and develop a team,'' he said. The Kings fired Paul Westphal D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 seven games into the lockout-short- ened season Thursday, marking the third time Smart has ascended from assistant to the top spot — never seeing a second season each time previously, never really even having a chance to earn that time in either case. While nothing is promised again, Smart is confident he finally has strong support to be the lasting replacement. The 47-year-old isn't one to sulk about whether he got a ''fair shake'' with the Warriors, who ousted the NBA's career wins leader, Don Nelson, before training camp last year and hastily appointed Smart. Golden State finished with a 36-46 record, a 10- game improvement under Smart from the previous season. He never stood a chance. New Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber wanted to make their own hire, if nothing else just for the sake of change, cutting ties with Smart and signing the more flamboyant Mark Jackson — the former Knicks and Pac- ers point guard and ABC/ESPN broad- caster who had never coached at any level. Smart also had a stint as the Cleveland Cavaliers' interim head coach for the final 40 games in 2003 after taking over for John Lucas. ''This opportunity is not how a coach likes to come into it,'' said 7:30 p.m. CSNB 10 a.m. ESPN 1:30 p.m. NBC Daily News photo by Rich Greene 5 p.m. NBC Daily News photo by Rich Greene Mercy's Harlow Johnson goes up for a shot, Friday night. Mercy had started the BOYS HOOPS U-Prep 71 Mercy 37 By RICHGREENE DN Sports Editor The Warriors didn't have an answer for University Prep's press and the Pan- thers breezed past Mercy in the second half for a 71-37 win. game slow, but picked up momentum in the second quarter only to see their hard work erased in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Panthers extended a single-digit lead out to 52- 28 by the end of the third led by Cody Warren's 19- point performance. University Prep outscored Mercy 42-17 in the second half. U-Prep had three more scorers reach double digits in Jacob Armelino, Stephen Adena and Ryan Frommer as the Panthers took advan- tage of numerous Mercy turnovers. Frommer finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds. The Warriors were paced by Isaac Williams, who scored 14 points and had seven rebounds. Steven Rodriguez added another 12 points for Mercy and Tommy Garcia chipped in with seven points. Harlow Johnson fin- ished with three points and Chris Bartlett made a free throw. Mercy's Marissa Starman drives to the basket, Friday night, against University Prep. GIRLS HOOPS U-Prep 40 Mercy 20 By RICH GREENE DN Sports Editor In a game where points were at a premium the University Prep Lady Panthers found just enough offense to get past Mercy 40-20, Friday night. A 14-8 game at half- time, University Prep was Smart gets another shot, this time as Kings coach Smart, who spoke with Westphal before signing his contract. ''He said, 'Don't do anything stupid and reject this. I want you to coach this team.' He felt it, and I felt that he meant it from the bottom of his heart.'' Smart's style should mimic the run- and-fun ways Nelson made famous — only with a bigger backcourt. When players entered the Kings locker room Thursday, Smart followed a precedent he set from his Warriors days: He walked around to each player and asked for a handshake, signaling a pact that they would allow Smart to coach them and be involved in their lives. Then he wrote on the white board: ''Play Hard,'' the one request Smart makes before every game without debate. ''What I took from it was everybody was going to be held accountable the same way,'' said Kings center DeMar- cus Cousins, whose escalating feud with Westphal played a major role in the coach's departure. ''No matter if you're the star player to the rookie to a role player that doesn't play at all, we all will be held accountable, and that's the way it needs to be.'' Smart inherits a roster with perhaps more talent than the one he had at Golden State — albeit even rawer, more unproven and with more difficult personalities to manage. A young and emerging team in the deep Western Conference, Sacramento finished 24-58 last season and missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year, although a late-season surge behind a healthy Tyreke Evans — the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year — provided hope that maybe the Kings weren't that far off from making the postseason again. Instead, Sacramento stumbled at the start. The Cousins-Westphal spat dragged on, the guard trio of Evans, Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette has struggled to find a rhythm amid a con- stantly rotating roster and new addi- tions John Salmons and Chuck Hayes are still searching for their place. ''Right now, the team is dealing with an identity crisis,'' Smart said. ''Each guy is trying to push forth his identity. And so when you have that, they're not playing like they don't want to win, but each guy is trying to do the things to win. ''And that's called an issue.'' Sacramento (3-5) was far from playing its best ball when Smart start- ed. But the team's potential was evident in Smart's debut Thursday night, when the Kings overcame a 21-point half- time deficit for a thrilling 103-100 vic- tory over Milwaukee. Cousins gleeful- ly bear-hugged Smart, players high- fived along the bench and smiles filled the arena for the first time since the sea- son-opening victory over the Lakers on Dec. 26. ''The guys are going to respect him because he is going to be straight up,'' said Bucks swingman Stephen Jack- son, who played under Smart during his seven seasons as a Warriors assis- tant. ''He's not going to sugarcoat any- thing.'' Smart is the second exiled Warriors coach to go straight to the Kings job, following in the footsteps of Eric Mus- selman (2006-2007). Because he was already on the staff, Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie called Smart ''the best man for the job'' and decided not to prolong a search for an outside hire. Ownership agreed. ''We think he can do the job here,'' Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said of Smart. ''We just got to put everything behind us, all of the negatives and try to push forward and think positive.'' Smart's stature as a former player will only go so far in the Kings locker room. Cousins, for instance, wasn't born until three years after Smart knocked down the baseline jump shot that lifted the Hoosiers over Syracuse for the national title. Smart fizzled out in the NBA after the Warriors drafted him, spending most of his short-lived career overseas and in the CBA. After serving as a career assistant for more than a decade, Smart has lived in relatively anonymity since. He couldn't care less if he gets any notori- ety. Just so long as he gets a chance. ''I've had my moment to be famous with a championship shot in '87. It's all about them now,'' Smart said. ''I don't need the credit, it's for them. I want them to be good. I want them to have success. And when they have success, everyone around us has success.'' able to break free in the fourth quarter to score 17 points and take control of the game. Maggie Keller had another strong perfor- mance for the Lady War- riors, she netted a team- high seven points. Freshman Marissa Starman also added seven points, racking up most of her points at the free throw line. Michelle Jaramillo added three for Mercy, Stefanie Cheek had two points and Julia Misslin sunk a free throw. Mercy travels to Dun- smuir, Tuesday night. Raiders to hire McKenzie as GM OAKLAND (AP) — The Oakland Raiders have landed their new personnel man, who faces the daunting task of helping fill the void left by late owner Al Davis. The Raiders said Friday they have reached an agree- ment with Green Bay Pack- ers director of football oper- ations Reggie McKenzie to become their new general manager. They scheduled a news conference for Tues- day to introduce McKenzie, who will fulfill many of the duties handled by iconic owner Davis until his Oct. 8 death at age 82. One of McKenzie's first orders of business likely will be sitting down with coach Hue Jack- son, who handled many per- sonnel decisions in recent months. Jackson, who just completed his first season as head coach after being ele- vated from offensive coordi- nator, pulled off the highly debated October trade for quarterback Carson Palmer after starter Jason Campbell broke his collarbone. The 48-year-old McKenzie will take over his new job with the Raiders immediately, a person with knowledge of the hiring told The Associat- ed Press, speaking on condi- tion of anonymity because those details weren't formal- ly announced. That means McKenzie will leave the defending Super Bowl champion Packers (15-1) before they open defense of their title. The NFC's No. 1 seed is off this weekend with a first-round playoff bye. ''I would like to thank Reggie McKenzie for all that he has done for the Green Bay Packers over the last 18 years,'' Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson said in a statement. Sports 1B Weekend January 7-8, 2012 U-Prep sweeps Mercy