Basketball: West Texas Clinic notebook

>> ONCE UPON A TIME: Marfa head boys basketball coach Alonzo Samaniego probably doesn't even dream to be in quite the position that Russ Gilmore is as the head boys coach at powerful Hobbs, N.M.

But Gilmore hopes he did everything in his power Saturday during the West Texas Basketball Clinic to help Samaniego along in his career.

Samaniego made the roughly 150-mile drive up to Odessa, mostly because he saw Gilmore and Amarillo Palo Duro boys coach Jeff Evans on the docket of speakers.

"I was really excited about the coach from Hobbs and the coach from Amarillo talking about the fast break and zone press and man press," Samaniego said. "I'm looking to incorporate that with my team. I was telling (Gilmore) about the Marfa track team having three really good relays at the regional meet. We have the horses to run, and that's what I plan to do next year."

However, Samaniego didn't just get to soak in what Gilmore had to say during his hour-long speaking session.

Gilmore and Samaniego then chatted for about 15 minutes after his session, drawing up plays and exchanging contact information all along.

"That's what this is all about," said Gilmore, who won his fifth New Mexico state title in a 10-year stint with Hobbs this season. "I was fortunate when I was a young coach that I had some guys that had been around for a while that would stop and visit with me. Then, I had some others that would run out on me, and I'd remember those guys.

"I said if I ever hang around this business long enough and am fortunate enough to go and speak at these things, I will never do that. It means a lot. Basketball's a sharing game, and that's what makes this game so great."

>> IMPRESSIVE GROUP: Though there were just six speakers for the West Texas Basketball Clinic, they sure packed a punch.

Howard College women's coach Earl Diddle, whose career highlights include a NCAA Division II Sweet 16 showing in 1993 with Eastern New Mexico, kicked off the day.

He was followed up by Odessa College men's coach Dennis Helms, who has had 10 players in the NBA and led the Wranglers to the Region V semifinals this season.

Up next was Krista Gerlich, who has won more than 50 games in just two seasons with the West Texas A&M women's team. Amarillo Palo Duro boys coach Jeff Evans, whose team made the Class 4A state semifinals in 2006 and was in the Region I-4A final this season, followed Gerlich.

Midland College women's coach Ron Jones, who led the Lady Chaps to the NJCAA National Tournament this season, then spoke before Russ Gilmore of Hobbs closed out the day.

"The other five speakers, there wasn't one where I didn't get something of value," Helms said. "Both high school coaches are great coaches, and Ron Jones and Earl Diddle, they just did a great job. Then, Krista from West Texas A&M, she totally had me fired up.

"They were great and really, when you take them as a whole, they probably deserved a lot bigger crowd of people."

Even though Midland College's Jones had to speak on the floor of the Odessa College Sports Center, he said he hopes to be back again and again.

"It's always good to pick up things from other coaches," Jones said. "It's enjoyable, and I hope they keep doing it and it keeps growing. It's beneficial for all of us."

>> SO FAR, SO GOOD: The West Texas Basketball Clinic was the brainchild of Odessa High boys head coach James Johnson, who seemed happy with the inaugural product.

Of course, he hopes to tweak a few things for the future, but he was quite pleased to see coaches from El Paso, Haltom, Killeen, Marfa, Kermit, Lenorah and Lubbock - along with Permian boys coach Danny Wright and Midland Lee girls coach Bryan Baty - among those in attendance.

"I had hoped for a few more, but all in all for the first time, I think we had a good group and the speakers have been great," Johnson said. "My goal is to get a good mix of boys coaches and girls coaches and if we can do it and pull it off, we will."