Canzano: “Why would I want to play for these idiots?”

A case study of two teams.

I’ll lead today’s column with some finger-pointing. When nine college basketball players file a $28.2 million lawsuit alleging that they were abused, harassed, and retaliated against by their coaches, it should go first.

“Why would I want to play for these idiots?”

Cali McClave, a senior on the women’s basketball team at Western Oregon last season, wrote those words on paper when coaches asked players to cast votes about whether they wanted to finish the season.

Ten players decided they couldn’t play another minute for women’s basketball coaches Jessica Peatross and D.J. Marlow. The season ended on the spot, six games early. It raised eyebrows. The players have now lawyered up, and are speaking out.

Hold that thought.

Because 239 miles away, there’s a very different kind of story going on. The Southern Oregon women’s basketball team is 19-0 this season. It’s selfless, disciplined, talented, and ranked No. 4 in the NAIA rankings.

The head coach is Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt.

Her record over four seasons: 100-19.

Nobody who has followed her coaching career is surprised. Carlotta happens to be the granddaughter of Bob Kloppenburg. He coached in the NBA for 17 seasons. Her father, Gary, is a long-time WNBA coach, who won a league championship in 2020 as the interim head coach of the Seattle Storm.

Carlotta’s coaching resume includes stops at San Jose State, Winthrop University, and Arizona State, where she was the assistant director of basketball operations. She knows her stuff because this Southern Oregon team is a joyful success on the court.

Two bookend programs down the road from each other?

One of them — a dumpster fire on top of a train wreck.

The other — a shining example of how a good hire pays dividends.

Pete Newell Jr., the son of a Hall of Fame coach himself, is the person responsible for pointing out the absurd dichotomy between these two programs. Newell Jr. knows I live in Oregon and messaged me this week: “There is a column waiting for you to write.”

I could approach this from the perspective of a father of three daughters. I’ve watched my kids play youth sports, responding to a variety of coaching styles. I’ve always made it a point to observe a practice or three, noting how the coaching staff interacts with players, responds to injuries, and handles discipline.

Wins and losses are how teams are judged by the outside world, but as Bob Knight told me once: “We get real with each other in practice.”

The reports from those Western Oregon practices sound nightmarish. The lawsuit, filed in Marion County Circuit Court, alleges the players were subjected to unreasonable workouts that resulted in vomiting, dehydration, and physical illness.

One player said coaches ran the team so hard her toes bled.

The players met with school administrators and complained. Multiple times, they asked for university intervention. Coaches allegedly retaliated by showing up to practice late and making the players participate in a brutal 3-on-3 drill with minimal rest.

The Division II drama doesn’t stop there because Peatross, the head coach, later claimed one of the players elbowed her in the chest during that 3-on-3 drill. Everyone who saw it thought it was incidental contact. The player’s head was turned the other way, looking for a pass, and witnesses say Peatross stepped onto the court in her path. The following day, the coach tried to play the victim. She called the police, who investigated and closed what sounded like a laughable case.

The Salem Statesman Journal did some terrific reporting on the lawsuit. Peatross apparently claimed in her job interview that she played basketball at Chicago State University. She also submitted a resume that included that as fact. Chicago State has no record of her being on the team, however.

Western Oregon didn’t bother to check, apparently.

“We’ll take care of your kids.”

That’s what coaches and universities tell us when we send our children off to college. The women’s basketball coaches at Western Oregon failed that mission. And the school doesn’t look like it did much to protect and serve the 10 players. Western Oregon’s biggest move was to terminate their scholarships.

For what?

Refusing to take abuse from an unqualified coaching staff?

Five of those players are still on campus, attending classes. The rest have left. The whole episode is a troubling statement about how things go sideways when a school gets an important hire wrong. This was a preventable and correctable situation. It never should have escalated to a team meeting where players were asked to vote on whether to cancel the season.

Southern Oregon, take a bow.

We need to appreciate the job that Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt is doing. Her team plays at Northwest Washington on Friday night. If you’re near Kirkland, give the team a look. You’ll see great basketball and strong leadership.

Southern Oregon hired a coach who isn’t just winning games, but running a program that has sunshine all around it. I suppose I could have led this column with the 19-0 record, and the coach busy engineering a magical run. But “Why would I want to play for these idiots?” got my attention.

I’d have been asking the same thing.

---

I appreciate all who support, subscribe, and share this independent endeavor with friends and family. If you haven’t already — please consider subscribing and gifting a subscription to someone who would enjoy it.

This is an independent reader-supported project with both free and paid subscriptions. Those who opt for the paid edition are providing vital assistance to bolster my independent coverage.