Local squad double dips

Steve Carp

Friday, July 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Being the host team in a tournament has its advantages. Especially when the initial premise for having the tournament is maximized.

The Las Vegas Stars are doing double duty this week at the adidas Big Time tournament and so far, no one's complaining. Even a 98-76 thrashing at the hands of Franklin Quest Express Thursday at Cimarron-Memorial couldn't negate the positives of Al LaRocque's kids getting more exposure from the 200-plus college coaches in town.

"Sometimes, we forget why these tournaments exist," LaRocque said. "I think it's a great opportunity for our kids to be seen more often. You never know who's watching."

The Stars were one of 100 teams entered in the Big Time tourney. But late Wednesday, a team from Kansas City backed out. Instead of awarding forfeits to the teams in Kansas City's pool and depriving those players of the much-desired exposure, tourney director Larry McKay asked LaRocque if the Stars wouldn't mind a double shift.

The kids jumped at the chance.

"It's not like we're playing back-to-back," said Durango's Thomas McTyer. "They've spaced out the games so we'll be able to get our rest."

The Stars lacked energy during most of their loss to Franklin Quest, a team based in Provo, Utah, that is considered one of the favorites to win the Big Time. But the local entry bounced back later in the day with a 57-47 win at Durango High over St. Thomas, Ont.

"I think we're probably more focused on our original pool," said Durango's Tyler Kidd. "These other games were a last-minute thing, so I don't know if everyone was mentally prepared to play this morning."

One Las Vegas player who was ready was Bishop Gorman guard Shane Christensen. The 6-foot senior scored 22 points and played well defensively against 6-5 Mike Johnson, one of the West Coast's top point guards.

"I think Shane helped himself a lot playing this morning," LaRocque said. "There were a lot of coaches there, obviously to watch Utah. But Shane played hard and he did as good a job on Johnson as you can expect. He also shot the ball well and he probably caught somebody's eye."

LaRocque said he has a deep enough roster to withstand two games a day. And along with the added exposure for his kids, he has alleviated himself of a potential headache. With the extra games, there shouldn't be any complaint about playing time.

Big Time notes

* BURGESS DUE TODAY: The Franklin Quest Express rolled despite not having its two top stars -- 6-11 Chris Burgess and 7-1 Eric Chenowith. Both were playing in the Slam 'n' Jam tournament in Long Beach, Calif., and were expected to join their Utah teammates for tonight's second round of pool play. ... The Long Island Panthers, one of the favorites to win the tournament, open play tonight at Cimarron-Memorial. The Panthers, featuring 6-9 forward Lamar Odom and 5-11 point guard Khalid El-Amin, will play twice on Saturday.