Saints bring fast-paced attack to the court in 2009

COLLEGE BASKETBALL – Returning backcourt duo powers the Mt. Hood attack

By David Ball

The Gresham Outlook, Nov 23, 2009

Mt. Hood guard Jamar Johnson looks for a shot on the baseline during a game last season.

David Ball / The Outlook

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The only thing that could slow down the Mt. Hood Community College men’s basketball team this season would be a police officer sitting in the bleachers with a radar gun. The Saints are expected to keep their foot on the accelerator this season with the talented backcourt duo of Jamar Johnson and Earl Jones returning at the wheel.

The Saints finished second in the Southern Region last year behind a young lineup filled out with freshmen. Over the past five seasons, Mt. Hood has compiled the most regular-season wins of any two-year school in the Northwest. Last year, the Saints went 22-8 before suffering an early exit in the Northwest playoffs.

“We have guys that have been through the battle,” first-year coach Geoff Gibor said. “They aren’t happy with the way last season ended, and they’re ready to start out again.”

Johnson led the team in scoring last season, averaging 14.5 points per game, while Jones wasn’t far behind at 13.5 while directing the team’s speedy attack at point guard.

“Earl is really quick and athletic,” Gibor said. “But what sets him apart is that he shoots the ball exceptionally well. He’s a guy who can create a lot of things, but he can also score.”

The Saints ranked second in scoring last year, piling up 86 points per game.

Returning forward Jeremy Jones, a Barlow graduate, gives the Saints another option in the fast-break game, while Gresham graduate Chris Weitzel returns at center.

“Chris is a physical player, and at 6-7, 235 pounds, he’s a guy that can give people some problems,” Gibor said.

The Saints are loaded with local players with 10 of them living within a half-hour drive of the campus. That includes three other Barlow graduates in sophomore Garrett Strasburg and freshmen Drew Johnson and Dustin Jones.

Mt. Hood’s biggest challenge will be dethroning a Clackamas squad that has won two of the last three Northwest championships.