
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 5, 1990                   TAG: 9003052317
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GATHERS IS MOURNED

The death of Hank Gathers, respected for his work ethic and intensity, put basketball in perspective for all who knew him as a friend or opponent.

"When everything is said and done, Hank Gathers epitomizes so much of what life is all about," Temple coach John Chaney said Sunday night after his team defeated Duquesne.

"This basketball game meant nothing. To hear that news just devastates me," he said, tears streaming down his face.

The 23-year-old Gathers, one of the top college players in the country, died after collapsing during Loyola Marymount's West Coast Conference tournament game against Portland in Los Angeles.

Two of his closest friends - Lionel Simmons and Doug Overton, both veterans of Philadelphia high school ball - learned of the death as their team, LaSalle, defeated Siena to advance to tonight's final of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

"We'll play, but Lionel may not play; Doug may not play, and Randy [Woods] and Bobby [Johnson] may not play, and I can't blame them if they don't want to play," LaSalle coach Speedy Morris said.

"He would have been an easy first-round draft choice," Johnson said of Gathers after the Los Angeles Lakers' game Sunday night. "I personally worked out with him a lot last summer. Everybody here knew him real well."

The Lakers often practice at Gersten Pavilion, where Gathers collapsed.

Gathers passed up a chance to turn pro following last season, opting instead to complete his college career. Several NBA scouts were on hand each time he played.

Gathers scored eight points in his final game and was trying to become the most valuable player in the WCC tournament for the third straight year.

"His mom was in town and he was looking forward to winning the [WCC] tournament MVP," said Minnesota Timberwolves guard Pooh Richardson, a rookie from UCLA who also played high school ball in Philadelphia. "I just talked to him two days ago, and he said he felt great."

"His work ethic was outstanding," said Rich Yankowitz, Gathers' high school coach at Dobbins Tech. "He always strived to do better; he was never happy with his performance.

"If there can be any good in this, at least he died doing the thing he loved best."

by CNB