Vin Baker wants to be a Celtic! From today's Boston Globe

[STRAUSS@WCUVAX1.WCU.EDU]

   Boston GlobeGlobe Sports
Celtics Notebook: Baker may be cooking up plans to return here

   By Michael Holley, Globe Staff, 03/18/97
   
   Vin Baker talks for a while about lots of things. Old friends from the
   University of Hartford. Growing up in Connecticut. The disappointing
   season of the Bucks. And then the 6-foot-11-inch forward says, "I'll
   be a free agent soon. I like Milwaukee and everything, but if I got
   the chance to play here, it would be nice."
   
   The Celtics like to speak of clearing salary-cap room for 1998.
   Perhaps they should concentrate on 1999. Baker wants to be here. It
   was always a dream to play here. He said the same thing two years ago
   and has not wavered.
   
   ``Oh, I don't even think about their record,'' he said of the 13-54
   Celtics. ``This is a big-time organization. To me, they're like the
   Lakers. They've been down, but they won't stay down long.''
   
   Baker often teases his friend Todd Day that he will come to Boston and
   play with him. Day probably won't be here after this season. But if he
   can promise to recruit and deliver the All-Star forward, well, maybe
   he'll have a future with the Celtics, too.
   
   ``I love this city,'' Baker said. ``I love this area. You never know
   what can happen.''
   
   Buck doesn't stop
   
   Word in Milwaukee is that Chris Ford is not being blamed for the
   Bucks' struggles. The coach says the team's problems are defensive.
   Baker agrees and adds that the loss of Andrew Lang (Achilles'
   tendinitis) hurt more than anyone imagined. Lang is expected to be
   back late this month. Armon Gilliam, not known for his defense, is
   Lang's replacement ... Gilliam, by the way, got into an exchange with
   Ford in the third quarter. He fouled David Wesley hard and was called
   for a flagrant. Ford told him that all he needed to do was ``wrap the
   guy up.'' It appeared that Gilliam didn't like the criticism and told
   the coach so. With a profanity. He sat out the entire fourth quarter.
   ``It was no big deal,'' Gilliam said afterward. ``It was just a little
   discussion, certainly nothing to write about.'' But wasn't that the
   reason you didn't play the fourth quarter? ``Some nights you play a
   lot, sometimes you don't,'' he replied. ``It just depends.'' Gilliam's
   flagrant was enough to push him into suspension territory. He will
   miss the next game, Thursday vs. the Blazers.
   
   The old college try
   
   There continues to be spirited commentary in the Celtics' locker room
   about the NCAA tournament. Greg Minor (Louisville) was all smiles
   yesterday. He got solid competition from Rick Fox (North Carolina) and
   Williams (Providence) ... Eric Williams has gotten to the free throw
   line at an astounding rate in his short career. Last night he played
   28 minutes and had 14 attempts. More important, he made 13 ... Ford
   was disgusted with his team's defense, calling it some of the worst
   he's ever seen. But he wasn't so disgusted to put Acie Earl in the
   game ... Ray Allen, who had several friends and relatives in the
   crowd, had a quiet 21 points. He did make the most spectacular play,
   though, when he caught an errant alley-oop pass and put it in the hoop
   as he was fading away from it ... Dee Brown, bothered by a sore right
   big toe, played six minutes. He took two shots and missed both ...
   Keith Lockhart, sporting a Celtics jersey, and the Boston Pops
   performed the national anthem.
   
   This story ran on page e6 of the Boston Globe on 03/18/97.