The Kid Can't Miss

Bradley, Phang and Bean, players on an inept ninth-grade basketball team, are tired of always losing. When Heidi, the school genius, invents a remote-controlled basketball, the three friends seize the chance to alter the group's image. Phang, with a shot perfectly suited to the unit's electronic arc, becomes an overnight star, especially in the eyes of Bee Bee, a popular cheerleader. Winning games, albeit dishonestly, brings a certain confidence. Opting instead to rely on teamwork and their own unique abilities, the trio finds genuine success far more gratifying. Almon is a pseudonym for authors Bill Clevenger and David Downing, whose upbeat story is so vividly written one is right on court with the athletes, a few flaws notwithstanding--keeping track of the many intricate plays is challenging, and sexist comments abound (``You're sure you're with the men's team?''). The characters, however, are sympathetically drawn and--despite an anticlimactic ending--this otherwise briskly paced novel should score especially well among sports fans. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)