*A tremendously successful spring sports season wrapped up last week when the St. Joseph baseball team capped an improbable run to its third WIAA State title in the last five seasons.

Bradford (soccer, softball), Wilmot (baseball), St. Joseph (golf, baseball) and Tremper (tennis) all had a chance at the ultimate team prize.

When the local teams succeed, it makes our jobs a lot more interesting. Sure, it’s more work and more intense work, but bringing the readers who can’t make it to the State venues in-depth coverage of the event is our bread-and-butter.

The central component of that coverage is the relaying of facts — both good and bad.

A player makes a critical error. Or a team makes four of them. A player receives a suspension that opens the door for a different player. A rally is killed by an untimely double-play grounder. A penalty kick sails wide.

There’s a misperception among some of the consuming public that in doing our jobs we’re “being too negative” or “rooting against” the local team.

It may be hard for non-journalists to believe, but there is no cheering in the pressbox ... just giving witness to the facts.

Sometimes, the facts are unfortunate.

*Bucks make the right move: In February, right before the NBA trade deadline, I wrote in this space that the Bucks should should move Richard Jefferson and use the money saved on free agents-to-be Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions.

On Tuesday, the first shoe of that request dropped when the Bucks sent Jefferson to San Antonio in a three-team trade for the matching salaries of veterans Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and the Pistons’ Amir Johnson.

The deal might not have cleared enough space to match the offers Villanueva and Sessions, both restricted free agents, should get on the open market, but it certainly should allow Milwaukee to bring one of them back.

However, it appears the Bucks are preparing for the worst — losing both players.

The acquisition of the 22-year-old Johnson, a 6-10 shot blocker, and Thomas adds depth to the power forward position already manned by last year’s top pick Joe Alexander.

It could be buoyed even further by the possible return from Europe of Ersan Ilyasova, whose NBA rights still belong to the Bucks.

What tonight’s NBA draft lacks in superstar potential, it makes up for in depth at one position — point guard.

Milwaukee worked all of them out and could draft a cheaper alternative to Sessions at No. 10 to share the point duties with Luke Ridnour.

*Book it (17-12): The Cubs didn’t finish above .500 — going 4-5 (after the Atlanta make-up on Monday) from the nine-game trip earlier this month. However, the Los Angeles Lakers did indeed win the NBA Championship in less than six games giving me a split in the two weeks preceding last week’s bye.

The Bucks will select a point guard with their first selection in tonight’s NBA draft.

Mike Larsen is a sports writer for the News. E-mail him at mlarsen@kenoshanews.com