Based on what I saw Friday night in the Port Arthur News/Gamble Award Game, the University of Arkansas is getting an extremely talented athlete in East Chambers’ Tramain Thomas. The 6-2 Thomas certainly justified being picked as the James Gamble Mr. Outside winner with a performance that included 19 points, 9 rebounds, four steals and four assists. Throw in the fact the kid won the Willie Ray Smith Defensive Player of the Year award in football, and he’s pulled off a feat that may never be duplicated. I’ll be surprised if Thomas doesn’t become an All Southeastern Conference cornerback for the Razorbacks, then winds up in the NFL . . . Although the Gamble team lost for the first time Friday night, you would have had to see the tall and talented team Memorial’s Terrul Henderson threw up at them to appreciate the 97-94 near miss. As one fan said at halftime, Henderson showed up with an NBA team. Going up against three upper level Division 1 prospects standing 6-9, 6-9 and 6-10, and some other impressive talent, it was amazing to watch the Gamble team hang around and almost win it at the end. What was really impressive was that they did it despite their tallest player, 6-7 Willie Jefferson, being in foul trouble all night and their best rebounder, Jamar Gulley, sitting out most of the second half with an injury. Oh, yes, Henderson’s Franchize All-Stars had already played seven games together. Gambles team had five practices. Bottom line, the man can still coach.

It was good to see that Lamar University has decided to accelerate the process for hiring a football coach and now hopes to have one on board no later than May 1. In the meantime, don’t pay much attention to some of the names floating around, like Dennis Franchione and R.C. Slocum. No way either of those guys gives Lamar a second thought. Former LU coach Larry Kennan is definitely interested, based on the school’s level of commitment. Also interested are three of Franchione’s A&M assistants — offensive coordinator Les Koenning, running backs coach Kenith Pope and offensive line coach Jim Bob Helduser. If Helduser’s name sounds familiar, it should. He played at Port Neches-Groves, was

head coach at Texas State (then Southwest Texas) from 1992-96 and was on Franchione’s staff at TCU, Alabama and A&M . . . La Marque, in response to a Texas Public Information request from the Galveston Daily News,has released the names of Nederland coach Larry Neumann’s competition for its football job. The other finalists are former Central coach David Suggs, who is currently head coach at Aldine Nimitz; Dallas Kimball head coach Darrell Jordan, Grapevine head coach Gary Mullins and Flower Mound Marcus defensive coordinator Chuck Vincent. A decision is expected at the April 10 school board meeting. Much as I’d hate to see Neumann leave, I hope he gets the job. He’s underpaid and underappreciated where heis. One of the former coaches working for the search firm that picked the finalists told me he was shocked when he saw far Neumann's salary was below top coachesfrom other parts of the state.

Lincoln ex Stephen Jackson did something few NBA players have ever done last Monday night against the Lakers in Oakland. Jackson played the full 53 minutes of a 123-119 overtime loss, scoring 29 points, collaring 7 rebounds and making 5-of-10 treys. Making his iron-man effort even more impressive is the fact he played 42 minutes the night before in a 115-110 Warriors victory over the same Lakers at the Staples Center. Jackson scored 31 points in that one, including a pair of three--pointers in the final 38 seconds . . . Rumors are swirling on the NBA grapevine that the Rockets are talking with the Boston Celtics about a deal that would send Yao Ming to Boston for Beaumonter Kendrick Perkins, veteran guard Ray Allen and two No. 1 draft choices. Surely it’s nothing more than a rumor. Yao, despite an alarming injury history, is the NBA’s most dominant center. With rookies Luis Scola and Carl Landry emerging forces, the Rockets with Yao should be one of the NBA’s top two or three teams next season. Perkins has improved, but he’s not in Yao’s league and Ray Allen is getting old. It would be a foolish trade for Houston to make . . . How much are fans into so-called March Madness? One good example is ESPN’s bracket contest which had a record total of 3.65 million entries this year. Even more amazing than the entry number is the fact that two contestants correctly picked every team to reach the Sweet 16. Nearly as impressive is that 72 players had 15 of the 16 teams that survived the first two rounds.

Speaking of March Madness, it sounds more and more like Jerry Jones is going to make a trade with Tennessee for cornerback Pacman Jones. Much as I want to see Wade Phillips win a Super Bowl in Dallas, it’s distasteful to think Jones would stoop so low as to bring in the NFL’s equivalent of pond scum. Jethro should look back to the folder Dallas had on Jones coming out of college. It was reportedly so full of negatives the Cowboys took him completely off their draft board. Since then, the rap sheet proves he’s only become more of a thug . . . Has former UT running back Cedric Benson been such a bust with the Chicago Bears it’s going to impact on Jamaal Charles? The lead story in Bear Report this week had the following headline: “Should The Bears Steer Clear of UT” The story began by saying: “The Chicago Bears thought

Cedric Benson was going to be the next Earl Campbell, but he hasn’t even been the next Ricky Williams. Now comes the news the Midway Monsters are interested in another Texas tailback, Jamaal Charles. Do they dare roll the dice with another Longhorn?” For Jamaal’s sake, here’s hoping they don’t. He doesn’t need to be stuck on a team with a second-rate quarterback . . . Cowboy QB Tony Romo, who carries a 1 handicap, will be part of a Golf Digest promotion leading into the 2008 U.S. Open. Golf Digest is in the process of selecting one golfer from among 56,347 entrants with a handicap of 10 or more to try to break 100 at Torrey Pines on the Friday before the Open starts. That golfer will be paired with Romo, Justin Timberlake and Today Show co-host Matt Lauer for golf’s version of an 18-hole reality show. An hour-long program documenting their round will air prior to NBC’s coverage of the final round of the Open on June 15.

Roy Oswalt will reach a significant milestone when he pitches his sixth consecutive season opener for the Houston Astros Monday night in San Diego. No other pitcher in franchise history has made more than five straight opening-day starts. Oswalt will move ahead of J.R. Richard (1976-80), Mike Scott (1987-91) and Shane Reynolds (1996-2000). Hopefully he’ll be sharper against the Padres than he’s been for most of spring training . . . Outside of Houston, there is little optimism regarding the Astros chances for being a contender in what is probably baseball’s weakest division — the NL Central. Most of the projections I’ve seen have them fourth behind the Cubs, Brewers and Reds and ahead of the Cardinals and Pirates. That sounds about right to me. Suspect pitching and mediocre-to-poor defense should be enough to offset what figures to be one of the most prolific hitting teams in franchise history. Like I heard somebody say the other day, the Astros have become the Texas Rangers . . . Shame on baseball for opening its regular season with two games in Tokyo between Boston and Oakland. It’s just one more sign of greed in sports, and professional teams having no loyalty to their American fan bases. But at least those were only two of 162 games on the Red Sox and A’s schedules. The NFL has taken to forcing two of its teams play one of their 16 games in London. Even worse, it’s taking a home game away from New Orleans next season. With the city desperate for big events that generate revenue, it’s downright cold blooded for the NFL to export a Saints home date to London.

Sports editor Bob West can be e-mailed at rdwest@usa.net. His Sportsrap radio show airs Mondays at 8:05 p.m. on KLVI (560-AM).