A Talented Puppy In The Husky Kennel -- Freshman Guard Caviezel Just Beginning To Realize Potential

Tip-off was only minutes away and the visiting Washington Huskies were impatient.

They had to stop at the edge of the Gill Coliseum floor because the publicity-starved Oregon State men's and women's soccer teams were being introduced.

Some Huskies exchanged ``get-'em-off-the-floor'' looks and others shuffled like nervous horses in a starting gate before the announcer finally said, ``Let's have a big hand for your Beaver soccer teams!''

Tim Caviezel clapped.

The other Huskies didn't.

The freshman may have moved to the big city to play college basketball but there's a lot of Skagit County neighborliness left in him. He is a talented puppy in the Husky kennel.

``I think he's still a Timmy,'' said UW Coach Lynn Nance a few weeks ago. ``I don't think he's a Tim yet. It takes some time for that.''

The 6-foot-7, 192-pound guard from Mount Vernon is one of the most intriguing factors in the Huskies' future.

``He makes some things happen that not very many players can make happen,'' Nance said. ``He creates some things that take special ability to do.''

The product and store are far from complete. Caviezel has the team's lowest shooting percentage (.311) and the poorest assist-to-turnover ratio (30 to 53). Any metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly is just beginning.

Yet, here is a freshman with height, quickness and a willingness to penetrate. He has good court vision, keeps improving against full-court pressure and has excellent shooting mechanics.

So far, the shots aren't dropping. Caviezel has yet to score in double figures against a Pac-10 Conference opponent despite playing 22 minutes or more in four of the past five games.

``I don't think he's really gone out and looked for the shot,'' Nance said. ``Until you do that, you don't know what a guy can do.''

Nance has a special term for a lot of Caviezel's shots: ``Afterthoughts.''

Those who have watched him play in high school or at practice don't classify him as a pure shooter, but a streak shooter. Either way, he eventually can help the Huskies, the poorest-shooting team in the league.

Caviezel, who has a good chance of making the Pac-10 all-freshman team, already has picked up a nickname on opponents' courts: ``Weasel.''

Oregon students chanted ``Wee-zul! Wee-zul!'' in sing-song fashion whenever he touched the ball during the Feb. 17 game in Eugene. He made only three of 13 shots.

Caviezel's ultimate Husky position is unknown. He can play point guard, shooting guard or, given the right matchup or improved strength, small forward.

``After this year of practicing and Coach (Nance) helping me out, playing like I did against UCLA was no big deal,'' said Caviezel of his eight-point, 22-minute outing in the Huskies' 86-68 upset over the Bruins last Sunday. ``I wasn't scared in any way, shape or form against those guys. I was confident.''

The confidence gets tested again tonight when the Huskies (5-11, 14-12) play at USC (8-8, 17-9).

Nance compliments Caviezel in public but doesn't hesitate to light a fire under him at practice. On two recent occasions, he chewed out Caviezel and sent him to an early shower.

Nance is determined to get the most out of his prized freshman.

``I think he needs to be pushed,'' he said. ``He's got a lot of talent. The thing Tim has to change right now is his day-to-day work habits. He has to become more consistently intense.''

Nance said it is typical of freshmen, whose games can be thrown out of sync by the pace and energy of major-college basketball.

``They are playing at a pace they don't feel comfortable at, and they want to slow back down and go at the pace they feel comfortable at,'' Nance said. ``They have to push through that and get to that next level or they never will be very good players. It's effort on their part and it usually takes coaches to get them out of it and make them do what they don't want to do.''

Caviezel comes from a basketball family that wears out backboards on its concrete court.

The father, Jim, a chiropractor, played on the 1959 Sumner High School team that finished third in the state. He earned a UCLA scholarship but knee injuries his sophomore and junior seasons ended his career.

Former UCLA Coach John Wooden said this week that if it hadn't been for the injuries, ``I think Jim probably would have developed into a pretty good player.''

Jim and Maggie Caviezel have three daughters and two sons. Jim, 22, was something of a basketball gypsy as a high-school player.

Jim transferred from Mount Vernon High School to O'Dea for his junior year and to Kennedy his senior year. He lived with a Seattle family and commuted home on weekends.

Jim recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He already has landed a role in a commercial and is trying out for a basketball film titled, according to Tim, ``White Boys Can't Jump.''

Tim never left Mount Vernon High because he and Coach Mac Fraser arrived the same year. ``I wanted to play for him,'' Tim said.

Amy and Ann played at Skagit Valley Community College. Erin was a starter for Mount Vernon this season as a freshman.

Tim was Mr. Everything in basketball for Mount Vernon. He was all-state two seasons and averaged 23 points last season on the Bulldog team that finished second in the Class AA state tournament.

He chose Washington over USC, California, Minnesota and Connecticut.

Nance was well aware of Caviezel when he became UW coach. Caviezel also he got an unsolicited endorsement from ex-Husky Detlef Schrempf, now an Indiana Pacer. Schrempf had played some one-on-one with Caviezel at a summer camp and told Nance, ``This kid is someone you better take a look at.''

Nance signed Caviezel and now is pushing him, apparently with some success.

Proof?

When Caviezel came to Washington, his sports idol was Rex Chapman of the Charlotte Hornets. These days, the player Caviezel most admires is Magic Johnson.

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HUSKY MEN'S PREVIEW

WASHINGTON AT USC

TONIGHT'S GAME

-- TIME, PLACE: 7:30 p.m., Sports Arena, Los Angeles.

-- RADIO, TV: KOMO radio (1000 AM). No TV.

-- RECORDS: Washington is 5-11, 14-12 and in last place in the Pac-10; USC is 8-8, 17-9 and tied for third place.

-- STREAKS: Washington has a two-game winning streak after beating USC last Thursday 82-65 and UCLA 86-68 Sunday to end a seven-game losing streak. USC has a one-game winning streak after beating Washington State 80-62. The Trojans have won four of their past five games.

-- SERIES: USC holds a 47-46 lead over the Huskies, who have won five of the past seven in Los Angeles and 13 of the past 16 overall.

-- COACHES: Lynn Nance is 25-29 in his second season at Washington and 244-155 overall in 13 years as a head coach at Iowa State, Central Missouri State, St. Mary's and the UW. USC's George Raveling is 55-87 in his fifth season at USC and 276-261 in 19 years as a head coach at WSU, Iowa and USC.

NOTES

-- The Huskies can keep their slim National Invitational Tournament hopes alive with a victory. USC needs a win to help its NCAA Tournament chances.

-- Husky starters Dion Brown and Doug Meekins played together at L.A.'s Crenshaw High School.

-- The Huskies have shot better than 50 percent from the field in the past three games after shooting worse than 50 percent for 18 games.

UP NEXT

-- Washington at UCLA, Sunday, 3 p.m.