Cavs' Rookies Start Today

by Bill Nichols

John Johnson and Dave Sorenson, the top two picks in the college draft, embark on their professional careers today when the embryonic Cleveland Cavaliers lace up their sneakers for the very first time.

For 20 other rookies, today may be the beginning of the end.

Coach Bill Fitch will greet 22 pro yearlings at 9:30 this morning at Baldwin-Wallace's Ursprung Gym to begin a week of rookie camp for the first-year entry in the National Basketball Association. Rookie camp will end with home-and-home games with the Buffalo Braves rookies Friday and Saturday. Friday's contest will be at B-W, beginning at 8 p.m.

JOHNSON and Sorenson, All-Big Ten selections from Iowa and Ohio State, respectively, are good bets to be in the Cavs' starting line-up when the season begins in October. The club's third choice, Surry Oliver, from Stephen F. Austin College, and its fourth pick, Glenn Vidnovic of Iowas are two others who'll probably survive this week's festivities.

Johnson, Sorenson, Oliver, Vidnovic and seventh round draft selection Narvis Anderson are the only rookies in camp under contract. In addition to this quintet there are two others, Walter Robertson of Loyola and Kent State's Tom Lagodich, who were picked in the college draft. Completing the rookie roster are four players selected in the supplementary draft and 11 free agents.

AMONG THE free agents are Billy Hann, who starred at Rhodes High and later at the University of Tennessee, and Don Yates, from the University of Minnesota. Yates was a teammate of NBA standouts Lou Hudson of Atlanta and Archie Clark of Philadelphia, but he has been out of basketball for several years.

"Yates is worth a look," said Fitch. "If he shows he hasn't lost much since college he should surprise a lot of people."

One player who was invited to attend camp, but decided against it is RickWanamaker, who won the NCAA decathlon title over the weekend.

Wanamaker, 6-9 basketball center from Drake, said yesterday he would go to Lake Tahoe, Calif. this week and try out for the United States track team and later he wants a shot at the national AAU squad.

"I LEARNED at the last minute that even attending the basketball camp and taking expense money was enough to make me a professional and keep me out of amateur track and field events for life," Wanamaker said last night.

"This will be a scouting week," said Fitch. "We'll watch and evaluate. We want to find out what we've got -- a can of worms or not. I expect the best and prepare for the worst."

Fitch said he'll hold two sessions daily with morning and afternoon sessions today and tomorrow followed by morning and evening practices on Wednesday and Thursday.

"We'll probably work on some drills in the mornings and scrimmage in the second session each day," explained the coach.

"AND THEY had better be in shape or we'll have a mass funeral.

"If a kid comes to camp and is not in condition we figure he doesn't want to play professional basketball. They will do a lot of running under game conditions."

Fitch also pointed out that he'll work on two plays, one for the offense and one for the defense.

"It's an out of bounds play," Fitch quipped. "The offense will work on putting the ball in play and the defense will try to keep it out of play."

The Cavaliers will open regular training camp on Sept. 7 when surviving rookies will battle 11 pro veterans picked up in the expansion draft and Skip Harlicka, a guard purchased from Atlanta. And from this will come the final 12-man roster -- that is, if there aren't any trades.