The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 59

Wednesday, October 17, 2001 THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER www.philly.com E3 Snow breaks thumb in Sixers' loss few The score against San Antonio was insignificant compared to the latest setback for the point guard. Lti LIMITED FULL SEASON AND 10 GAME PLANS REMAIN! Guaranteed same seat for 2002 Stanley Cup Playoff home games Mezzanine level seating or excellent lower level single seating available Prices range from $21 per seat per game to $45 per seat per game nals. I've been practicing, but there's nothing like the games." Brown said he wanted Snow to "get out, relax, and enjoy himself." The enjoyment did not last. Allen Iverson and Aaron McK-ie did not travel to San Antonio because both continue to rehabilitate from September surges ies, and Iverson is mourning the death of a close friend. George Lynch and Dikembe Mutombo traveled, but did not play.

"This training camp has been a real total waste," Brown said. Dribbles. After the game, the Sixers departed for Lawrence, where they will practice today and play the Utah Jazz tomorrow night at the University of Kansas' Allen Field House, an old stomping ground of head coach Larry Brown's. The game will be available to fans in Philadelphia only via a Webcast on www.sixers.com. Tom McGinn-is will call the action, beginning at 8:30 p.m.

The Sixers' home injured last night. With 39.4 seconds left in the third quarter, Matt Harpring split the web between the middle and ring fingers of his right hand and needed stitches. He did not return. Snow missed 32 games last season after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his ankle, which he subsequently re-fractured during the Sixers' playoff run. Because of the location of the second break, Snow still was able to play, but after the Finals he had surgery to implant six screws and a plate that supported the ankle.

Snow's rehabilitation regimen made summer basketball nearly impossible, and he practiced sparingly during the Sixers' training camp. Confident the ankle was stable, Snow dressed for the Sixers' second preseason game, against New York on Saturday, then decided with Brown that last night he was ready to play in a game. "The New York game when I dressed, I tried to get dressed, come out, and get ready, get in my routine," Snow said before last night's game. "I haven't played since Game 5 of the Fi- 1031 Pitts. Penguns 1129 Boston Brunt Thurv, 1213 Montreil Canadkm 1220 Dallas Stars 18 Atlanta Thrashers tuts, 122 Ottawa Senators 212 NY blander 37 Calgary Flames 318 Tampa Bay lightning 44 Montreal CanadKns of the half.

I had talked to Coach and he had basically agreed that I wasn't going to play in the second half, and it happened in the last minute." Snow does not know how he broke his thumb, nor did he think he had. "When I break my ankle, then I know, I know it's broken. Maybe I need some milk." With Snow playing, the Sixers looke'd stable, with he and Speedy Claxton in the back-court and Raja Bell, Robert Traylor and Matt Geiger in the frohtcourt. In fact, Snow gave the Sixers their first lead of the preseason when he made a jumper to take a 6-4 lead. Snow obviously comforted Brown, instructing his teammates on where to set up on offense, and how to help on defense.

"He kept control of the game," Brown said. "We were down one point. Eric got pretty good control, at least he controlled the tempo of the game somewhat. He's far from being in shape. He was laboring out there physically, but he has a presence, he's played before, and he took a lot of pressure off Speedy and the other people." Snow finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks in 18 minutes.

Snow was not the only Sixer By Ashley McGeachy INQUIRER STAFF WRITER SAN ANTONIO, Texas Before returning to the 76ers' lineup last night, Eric Snow, finally adequately healed from off-season ankle surgery, had a target in mind. In his first action since the NBA Finals, Snow anticipated playing 10 minutes 15 at the most to test his right ankle and his improving fitness. However, in his 18th minute of first-half action against the San Antonio Spurs with just 40 seconds left in the first half, which would end with the Sixers trailing by 41-40 Snow crashed to the floor, enmeshed in a midcourt pretzel of arms and legs swatting at a loose basketball. Sixers rookie Alvin Jones emerged with the ball, but Snow did not immediately pop up. It was not Snow's ankle.

It was his left thumb. Within minutes, while the Sixers played out the remainder of the first half en route to a 94-75 loss to the Spurs; Snow's thumb swelled despite an ice wrap. X-rays taken at halftime revealed multiple fractures. This morning, Snow is going to see Dr. David P.

Green of the Hand Center of San Antonio. "I was tired, but I was fine," Snw said. "It's just so bizarre that it happened right at the end Mk fe aufcbte on mum tere nice drawled tan dayof-gam Pbyotl horn games taiptanliy i. I Ijhs ttt mratenhp lor yuu cWilm aid grdinlcliildiw. The meiitasty iiUc acrac t.

toiitaa! ewnt. ta (pt! itwie GAME PLANS ARE AVAILABLE! mm) lOGMVERAAS SHOT AS LOW AS ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF opener on Nov. 1 has been moved to 7 p.m. Ashley McGeachy's e-mail address is amcgeachyphillynews.com. On Basketball By Stephen A.

Smith Bad coaches do not deserve any breaks ni nn nnnn I 0) )W I x. A s' Chipper Jones looks to carry the Braves back body else, and raise the standards of passion, energy, respect, and doing things the right way, that the scoreboard will take care of itself." That mode of thinking should be enough to explain why several local institutions have made the moves they've made. Drexel paid $200,000 per season over the next five years to get a local connection in Flint. Villanova finally came to its senses and hired Wright after Steve Lappas left. La Salle was eight years too late, but still made a solid call in bringing a coach with impressive local ties in Hahn.

All of these things have happened for a reason. Those institutions recognized that mediocrity was becoming habitual, so they took the initiative and did something about it. Others, however, didn't have to. But everyone needs to be watched. St.

Joseph's was sensational in the NCAA tournament last season coming within min utes of upsetting top-seeded Stanford and the Hawks were treated accordingly. Yet, all we hear these days is what a great guy Martelli is and how we hope things will be better this season. Well, Jameer Nelson actually thought about entering the NBA draft and is still thinking about doing so this coming June because he's been told he's one of the best point guards in the nation. His sidekick, Marvin O'Connor, also thought about turning pro before being brought back to reality by some wise souls, who informed him he wouldn't be drafted in the first round. In other words, the Hawks are legitimate enough to take the Atlantic Ten Conference and make some noise in March.

Forget about what people are hoping for on Hawk Hill. They should expect as much. Lynn Greer and Kevin Lyde will help Chaney and Temple immensely if they make sure the rest of their teammates are in shape this time around, because they looked awfully tired against Michigan State in last season's Elite Eight. Wright won't have much to worry about at Villanova because Lappas isn't much to succeed, but he still has to concern himself with establishing a local recruiting base in the Philly public schools if he wants to please those on the Main Line. All Dunphy has to do is finally get over the loss of Michael Jordan for Penn to compete with Princeton for the Ivy League title.

Flint just has to recruit to make sure Drexel is respectable. As for Hahn, he may not have eight years, but no matter what he does, he can't possibly make things worse than they've been. Stephen A. Smith's e-mail address is ssrliithphillynews.com. j.

In a perfect basketball world, every coach in Philadelphia would be Speedy Morris. Every coach would get to go through eight consecutive years of abysmal regression in every possible category imaginable be-. fore being fired, and do so hearing nary a word about lack of production. Dismal recruiting. Few wins.

Fewer postseason appearances, as in zero. Name it and Morris wasn't very good at it, but still he remained employed. Boy, those were the days! Ask any coach in this city -about being dealt such a gener- bus hand and some incredulous look will be thrown in your direction. By Drexel's new coach, James "Bruiser" Flint. By Vill- new coach, Jay Wright.

La Salle's new man, Billy Hahn; Penn's Fran Dunphy; St. "Joseph's Phil Martelli; and Tem-' John Chaney. Z' Although most of them love Morris and would praise him to the high heavens, they can't deny that if Morris' history equates to the standard upon -which they'll be measured, ev--ery coach in this city would be given a five-year window of op-" "portunity. To fail. But that time has come to an end.

Morris has descended from the college ranks to St. Jo-- seph's Prep, and there's no room for the same old routine. There shouldn't be silence if any of those coaches develops a culture of losing, Morris did by compiling losing seasons and an 85-138 record from 1992 through 2001. There shouldn't be silence when a program shows an inability to recruit, locally and abroad, or when the only habit its coach manages to develop is producing one losing season after another. An affable demeanor shouldn't camouflage ineptitude.

Expectations should be accentuated, and the time for fulfilling them is now. Not necessarily with wins. But by taking programs in the right direction. "I am a high-energy passion-type guy with what I'm doing," said Hahn, who served for years as an assistant under Gary Williams at the University of Maryland. "This is my 27th year in college basketball, so along with the passion of the game of basketball and the high energy' that I try to bring to every day of my life, I also have tried to instill in my team that because of what basketball has done for me, I want every one of my coaches and players to respect the game, the players that once played here and for the coaches to respect all the other great coaches that have been involved in the history of the Big Five and Philadelphia basketball.

"I believe if I can take care of La Salle, not worry about any 4 i wj (j into the Fall Classic and prove that he's one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game. lHIUIflMI -rrir ity-v mi i nn. Ml mmmm.