Vipers Notebook

HIDALGO - Winning all three games since taking over as Rio Grande Valley Vipers acting head coach seems impressive enough, but the team's ownership isn't quite ready to publicly anoint Brian Walsh as its head coach.

Vipers co-owner Yvette Ramos said Wednesday that Walsh is still the "acting" head coach and that any change in his status will not occur until after the season. The Vipers (20-29) play their final game of the season April 11 vs. Tulsa at Dodge Arena.

Ramos did say the club isn't surprised by Walsh piloting the team to its first three-game winning streak since early December, citing the fact he was a finalist for the job that eventually went to Bob Hoffman. Hoffman resigned last week to accept the head men's basketball coaching job at Mercer University.

"I think we've known all along his ability to coach because he was one of our finalists to begin with with Bob, that he is more than capable," Ramos said. "If you know his background, he was with the Colorado 14ers (last season) and he took them to a championship. We were very much aware of those things."

Walsh was actually the Director of Scouting for Colorado in 2006-07 when the 14ers advanced to the NBA Development League championship game. They lost to Dakota in overtime, and soon thereafter Walsh interviewed with the Vipers. He finished second to Hoffman, the former University of Texas-Pan American coach who was given the job over finalists Walsh and Doug Marty.

"I'm fairly positive and hopeful that it will get done. It just hasn't to this point," Walsh said. "Right now it's all that's in my mind. That's all I'm thinking about is players and doing things for next season. It means a lot to me."  

Farmer's status growing

Vipers shooting guard Desmon Farmer was named the D-League.com Player of the Week after averaging 33.8, 6.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists in leading the Vipers to a 3-1 record the week of March 24. He also became the league's all-time leading scorer and, should he not be signed by an NBA team before April 11, has a shot at being the 2007-08 D-League scoring champion.

Farmer is averaging 24.6 points per game, which is second to Utah's Morris Almond (25.0 ppg). Provided Almond, an NBA assignment player who was recently recalled by the Jazz, isn't assigned to the D-League again before the end of the season, all Farmer has to do to win the scoring crown is score 40 points against Tulsa, which he did three times in March. Farmer netted a career-best 49 points March 28 vs. Albuquerque and has a 44-point game against Tulsa.

Player of Month

Bakersfield's Mateen Cleaves was named the D-League Player of the Month for March after averaging 21.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game in 10 games. Cleaves, the former Michigan State star, also shot 56.3 percent from the field.

Farmer was co-player of the month in February, and former Vipers point guard C.J. Watson took the honor in November and December.

Todd Mavreles covers the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4451.