Banner Graphic, Volume 5, Number 330, Greencastle, Putnam County, 31 March 1975 — Page 7
Who will (can) replace the Wizard of Westwood ?
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Basketball’s No. 1 coaching question today: Who succeeds the wizard and how do you do it? John Wooden, 64, steps down after 27 years at the helm of the UCLA Bruins after they meet Kentucky for the NCAA championship tonight. His records may never be equalled. “Picking my successor is Mr. J.D. Morgan’s job,” he said, referring to the UCLA athletic director. But the man known as “the Wizard of Westwood” did add: “We have discussed and evaluated some people.” The Los Angeles Times reported that UCLA officials picked the man last January who they want to succeed Wooden. The Times’ source said the name of the man probably will be revealed this week and “will probably surprise a lot of people.” The source added, “He’s a well known head coach who will be familiar to players on the West Coast.” Whoever succeeds him inherits a tradition including nine national titles, seven of them in a row, and a record string of 88 straight victories.
Bucks almost out of it
Super Sonics clinch playoff berth
By HOWARD SMITH AP Sports Writer The old order continues to change in the National Basketball Association with the Seattle Super Sonics, of all people, clinching a playoff berth and the Milwaukee Bucks, of all people, virtually out of it. The Sonics made it into the playoffs for the first time in their eight-year history Sunday with a 98-88 victory over Portland, and Coach Bill Russell was all smiles. “This is my most enjoyable year in basketball,” said Russell. “I was pretty sure after training camp that this team was a playoff contender. Our
Colonels still frying with sixth win in seven games
By The Associated Press As the American Basketball Association season winds down, it becomes a numbers game ... and right now, Kentucky’s doing all the counting. “This is our sixth win in seven games and I think that’s one hell of a feat,” Coach Hubie Brown said Sunday after Artis Gilmore’s 32 points and Louis Dampier’s 27 eight in overtime gave the Colonels a 113109 victory over Memphis. The victory kept the Colonels half a game back of the New York Nets in the struggle for first place in the East Division. The Nets routed San Antonio 130-104. In the ABA’s two other games, Indiana beat Denver 128-121 and St. Louis defeated San Diego 116-112. All were afternoon games. Colonels 113, Sounds 109 “People counted us out of first place about two weeks ago,
For the fun and profit of it
By The Associated Press The Cleveland Crusaders are definitely in the World Hockey Association playoffs and the Chicago Cougars are definitely out. So now they’re playing for fun and profit. “Now that we’ve clinched the playoffs, we’re just playing very loose,” said Cleveland forward Richie Leduc after the Crusaders shaded Chicago 7-6 Sunday night. “We still want to win but it’s nice to be relaxed. “We went through a month of a lot of tension.” “You usually expect highscoring games when a playoff spot is not at stake.” said Cougars’ bench coach Jacques Demers, “because players forget about defense and they go for the bonus money with the goals.” Leduc, Gary Jarrett and Steve Cardwell were the most successful businessmen for the Crusaders, scoring two goals apiece. Elsewhere in the WHA, Van-
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mistakes were made up for by enthusiasm. “I have a bunch of kids anyone would like to have live next door to them.” The Bucks, perennial playoff participants, moved to the brink of elimination with a 11199 loss to New York. The Knicks’ backcourt tandem of Earl Monroe, 24 points, and Walt Frazier, 18 points and 14 assists, proved too much for Milwaukee. The Bucks are last in the Midwest Division, 3Vfe games in back of third-place Detroit in the race for the Western Conference wild-card playoff spot. One Piston victory or one Milwaukee loss will eliminate the Bucks.
but I told the guys that in pro sports you just answer the bell and do your best,” Brown said. “The team refused to count itself out.” George Carter led a frenzied Memphis rally by scoring 12 points in the last quarter as the Sounds closed a 13-point third quarter gap to tie the game 101101 at the buzzer when Stew Johnson grabbed a Memphis rebound and stuck it back in with 13 seconds left. Nets 130, Spurs 104 Julius Erving was the big gun for the Nets against San Antonio, pouring in 40 points, 10 in each period. The Nets, who broke the game wide open by outscoring the Spurs 42-19 in the second quarter, snapped a four-game losing streak. George Gervin scored 25 and Rich Jones 24 for San Antonio.
couver edged Baltimore 4-3, Minnesota beat Indianapolis 53, New England shaded Toronto 43, Quebec got by Phoenix 6-5 in overtime and the San DiegoEdmonton game was postponed due to bad ice at Edmonton. Leduc put Cleveland on top in the first period and Tom Edur made it 2-0 early in the second. Chicago’s Brian Coates and Cleveland’s Jarrett exchanged goals 14 seconds apart before the Cougars tied it 3-3 on tallies by Rick Morris and Don Gordon. But Leduc netted his second goal of the night and 34th of the season and Cardwell added another to put the Crusaders ahead for good. Cardwell and Jarrett connected for Cleveland and Bryan Baltimore, Francois Rochon and Rosa ire Paiement hit for Chicago in the final 20 minutes. Blazers 4, Blades 3 Goals by Larry Israelson and Rob Walton less than four minutes apart in the third period
The evaluation might have become more difficult with the decision of Wooden’s chief assistant, Gary Cunningham, to go into athletic or educational administration when the opportunity presents itself. Names mentioned for the job are Dave Gavitt of Providence, whose teams have averaged 18 victories a year the past seven seasons, and Denny Crum of Louisville. Crum, a former UCLA player, left as Wooden’s chief aide three years ago to take the Louisville job and saw his team fall 75-74 to UCLA in overtime Saturday in the NCAA semifinals. Wooden was asked if many well-wishers called him Saturday night following his retirement announcement. “No,” replied the coach in his usual quiet manner. “I took the phone off the hook.” His senior players knew of his decision in advance, his underclassmen were generally surprised and fellow coaches heaped praise on Wooden, whose team goes after its 10th national crown, facing muscular Kentucky.
Elsewhere in the NBA, Washington trimmed Chicago 94-92, New Orleans downed Atlanta 108-105 and Los Angeles beat Phoenix 104-90. Seattle’s Spencer Haywood pumped in 40 points to help officially eliminate Portland from the playoffs. His bucket with 42 seconds left clinched the game for Seattle and Fred Brown added four more insurance points. John Johnson was the high man for Portland with 24 points. In New York, Kareem AbdulJabbar scored 32 points for Milwaukee but managed only two of them in the final quarter. The victory left New York in a virtual tie with Cleveland in
Pacers 128, Nuggets 121 Billy Knight hit 32 points and George McGinnis added 30 in the Pacers’ triumph over Denver. McGinnis open the tight game near the end of the third quarter with four consecutive field goals that helped Indiana build an 11-point lead going into the final period. Bobby Jones topped the Nuggets with 32 points. Spirits 116, Q’s 112 Freddie Lewis’ 29 points and Marvin Barnes’ 27 enabled the Spirits to withstand a 37-point flurry by guard Bo Lamar to beat San Diego. The Q’s took a 24-23 lead in the first quarter on Lamar’s shooting but they turned cold and St. Louis jumped in front 43-30 midway in the second period and held 10-point leads at the half and three-quarter mark.
gave Vancouver the victory. Walton’s game-winner, a slap shot from the blue line, came with just over five minutes to play. Saints 5, Racers 3 Mike Walton, Kevin O’Shea and Rick Smith scored goals in a three-minute span of the second period for Minnesota. Walton’s goal was his 47th of the campaign. Whalers 4, Toros 3 Don Blackburn scored two first-period goals for New England and Toronto never caught up. Ron Climie’s second-period goal proved the game-winner for the Whalers. Nordiques 6, Roadrunners 5, OT Renald Leclerc’s disputed goal at 3:34 of the extra period enabled Quebec to snap a sev-en-game losing streak and take sole possession of first place in the Canadian Division. Phoenix claimed Leclerc’s shot never crossed the goal line but referee Bob Sloan ruled otherwise.
UCLA vs. Kentucky for title
SAN DIEGO (AP) - For the coach who has just about everything, there is only one more thing that the UCLA Bruins can give John Wooden: another national basketball championship. And they hope to do that tonight in the drama-filled final of the NCAA playoffs. The fabulous Bruins, gunning for their 10th national title in 12 years, face Kentucky’s Thoroughbreds at the San Diego Sports Arena in a game that truly befits the occasion. Not only are UCLA and Kentucky ranked 1-2 in the nation, and not only are these among the most tradition-laden basketball schools in America, but an element of Hollywood drama has been added to the scenario. Wooden, the guiding light at UCLA for 27 years and the most successful college basketball coach who ever lived, has announced his retirement from the game and the team he loves. This motivational factor could be all the formidable Bruins need to put them over the top, although Wooden insists that he didn’t make his retirement announcement today in order to “hype the players.” If Wooden didn’t mean it that way, the psychological ingredient nevertheless is there.
their battle for the Eastern Conference wild card berth. Bullets 94, Bulls 92 Elvin Hayes turned in one of his better efforts for Washington in the nationally-televised contest, contributing 37 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and four blocked shots. Hayes had 17 points in the third quarter when the Bullets broke it open. Washington now has a 56-21 record and leads Boston by five percentage points in the battle for best record in the NBA and
With second win in row
Nicklaus reasserts golfing authority
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Jack’s back! He’d been overshadowed in recent months by the gaudy exploits of Johnny Miller. His long-time role as the game’s greatest player had again been challenged. There were hints that his era had passed its peak, that he was on the downgrade. But Jack Nicklaus suddenly and authoritatively has reasserted his superiority in the game he's dominated for a dec-
It's pressure week in bunched NHL
By FRANK BROWN AP Sports Writer Pressure week started Sunday in the National Hockey League. In Division I, five points separate the three teams trying for the two remaining playoff spots. In Division 2, two points separate the first three teams. In another important category, the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens lead the Buffalo Sabres by one point in the battle for the league’s best record. That distinction carries with it the guarantee of a home-ice advantange in very round of the playoffs. Each team is handling the pressure differently. Some are coping with it, some aren’t. “We were so tight,” said Flames goalie Dan Bouchard after Atlanta had tied the New York Islanders 2-2 on Tom Lysiak’s goal with less than five minutes left. The deadlock kept alive the Flames’ hopes of a playoff berth. “We’ll have to go for broke,” said Bouchard of the next game, which pits the same teams again Tuesday night and could mean the Atlanta’s elimination from playoff contention. The Rangers, losers to the Islanders Saturday, moved back into a second-place tie with their local rivals on an 8-2 stampede of Kansas City. After holding a pre-game team meeting to “clear the air,” the Rangers took 59 shots on goalie Pete McDuffe and got four goals from Steve Vickers to scalp the Scouts. Elsewhere in the NHL, the
It certainly crossed the mind of Kentucky Coach Joe Hall. “There’s no way we can come up with something with the impact of a resignation,” said Hall. Other intangibles are apparent: pride, tradition and momentum. Both teams have all three. •When the teams take the court for the 6:10 p.m. PDT starting time before an expected sellout crowd of more than 15,000 and a national television audience of millions, they’ll carry a composite total of 13 national championships with them. Wooden has won nine for the Bruins, including seven straight at one point, and Kentucky boasts four crowns, all in the fabled era of Adolph Rupp. And both teams are red hot. UCLA sports a 27-3 record and Kentucky is 26-4. Aside from intangibles, UCLA may have some very real problems to face. Kentucky has an inexhaustable supply of brawny players. It’s this shuttle system that eventually wore down powerful Indiana in the regional playoffs and could pose a giant problem for the Bruins. Some oddsmakers give a slight edge to UCLA, but Kentucky clearly has the edge in
the SBO,OOO bonus that goes with it. Hawks 108, Jazz 105 Nate Williams came off the bench to score 10 points in the final quarter, including a pair of clutch lay-ups, for New Orleans. Williams finished with 18 points while Herm Gilliam had 22 for Atlanta. Lakers 104, Suns 90 Gail Goodrich fired in 28 points and Elmore Smith added 16 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots for Los Angeles.
ade. He’s won his last two times out and Miller was in the field each time. And his last victory in the pretigious Heritage Classic Sunday came over an elite invitational field that included almost all of the Masters hopefuls. Among them were Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, Bruce Crampton, Hale Irwin and most of the young stars. And Miller.
Boston Bruins and Canadiens tied 2-2, the Philadelphia Flyers stopped the Chicago Black Hawks 4-1, the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Sabres 5-4, the Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Minnesota North Stars 4-1, and the Detroit Red Wings topped the Washington Capitals 8-5. Canadiens 2, Bruins 2 Guy Lafleur’s 51st goal of the season, a club record, helped Montreal clinch at least a tie for the Division 3 title. Jacques Lemaire had the other Montreal goal. Flyers 4, Black Hawks 1 Reggie Leach scored his 44th goal, a Flyer record, as Philadelphia extended its unbeaten streak to 11 games and trimmed Chicago for the second time in two nights. The loss kept the Black Hawks tied with the second-place St. Louis Blues and two points behind first-place Vancouver in Division 2. The Flyers already have clinched Division 1. Rangers 8, Scouts 2 Derek Sanderson added two goals, including one with a teammate in the penalty box, to the four by Vickers. Left wing Rod Gilbert had five assists for New York. Maple Leafs 5, Sabres 4 George Ferguson scored two goals to help Toronto hand Buffalo its third straight loss. Penguins 4, North Stars 1 Goals by Pierre Larouche and Bob Kelly gave Pittsburgh its eighth straight home victory.
depth. “I’m extremely impressed with Kentucky, it’s size and it’s strength,” said the 64-year-old Wooden. “I don’t know when I’ve looked at a more awesome, physical group of basketball players. Obviously, they are a lot more physical and a lot stronger than we are.” Also, the Bruins might have injury problems. Dave Meyers, their All-American forward, aggravated an injured leg while UCLA was beating Louisville 75-74 in overtime Saturday. “We don’t know how the leg will react,” said Wooden.
Tough spring training for Detroit's Lolich
By HERSCHEL NISSENSON AP Sports Writer “You can say what you want about me, but don’t say anything about my players,” Manager Ralph Houk of the Detroit Tigers snapped at newsmen last Wednesday. “Don’t write bad things now, not in spring training.” Okay, Ralph, but your pitching staff is making it difficult. Mickey Lolich, the Detroit ace, pitched a scoreless first inning Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. The second inning was not quite as scoreless, the Reds amassing a mere eight runs and nine hits, including threerun homers by Joe Morgan and Bill Plummer. In six exhibition starts, the 34-year-old Lolich has pitched 26 innings and allowed 44 hits, including seven homers, and 25 runs. His earned run average is 8.65 and his record is 0-4. It would be 0-5, but Cincinnati’s Clay Kirby, Clay Carroll and Pedro Borbon couldn’t hold the 8-0 lead and the Tigers rallied Sunday to win a wild 34-hit, sixhomer slugfest 13-12 on a tworun single in the bottom of the ninth by Bill Freehan, who homered earlier.
He stunned them with a fantastic 63 in Friday’s round, gave them life with a 74 Saturday and put them all away with a solid 68 Sunday that completed a tournament record total of 271, 13-under-par. More important, he now goes to Augusta, Ga. and the upcoming Masters at the top of his game, perhaps playing as well as he has in the past 10 years. “My swing pattern is very good, better than it has been in two or three years,” said Nicklaus, who annually makes the Masters his first big goal of the season. “Obviously, I’m very very pleased.” In his last three tournaments he’s had a 63 on one of the world’s toughest golf courses a pair of 66s a 67, a couple of
Michigan loop gym champ
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Newt Loken became the winningest coach in Big Ten gymnastics history Saturday when Michigan took its 12th conference championship in the last 15 years. Michigan ran up a team total of 419.8 points in two days of competition, making Loken the
Portage takes state girls gymnastics title
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Portage, one of four teams to advance from the regional gymnastics competition, has claimed the 1.975 Indiana High School Athletic Association girls’ gymnastics title. Jimtown’s Kathy Rice won four of the five optional events Saturday, but Portage used team depth to pile up 83.5 points and edge Indianapolis Howe which scored 81.4. Evansville Harrison was third at 79 and Fort Wayne Snider finished at 73.8. Miss Rice won the free exercise, balance beam, uneven bars and all-around events. Portage’s Toni Yudt finished first in the other optional event vaulting - with Miss Rice coming in second.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, are healthy. They literally bowled their way into the final by roughing up Syracuse 95-79 in Saturday’s semifinals. Wooden has gotten some idea of the mountainous task ahead of him from this reflection by Syracuse Coach Roy Danforth: “It’s hard to be quick when you’ve got a 210-pound guy hanging on your arm.” Kentucky, likened by some to a professional team because of its size, will probably start a front line of 6-foot-10 Rick Robey, 6-9 Bob Guyette and 6-5 Kevin Grevey. The Wildcats have
Another veteran southpaw, Baltimore’s Mike Cuellar, took a six-inning pounding in the Orioles’ 11-1 loss to the Texas Rangers. Cuellar was shelled for all 11 runs and 15 of the Rangers’ 16 hits. Jeff Burroughs, the American League’s Most Valuable Player in 1974, had two homers his third and fourth of the spring a double and single and drove in six runs. Tom Grieve also homered. Meanwhile, another Texas squad made up mostly of rookies scored eight unearned runs and beat the New York Yankees 11-8. Jose Cruz, a Houston rookie, outdid Burroughs, driving in six runs with three homers two off Steve Rogers to lead the Astros past the Montreal Expos 12-7. Home run king Hank Aaron singled, doubled and walked twice to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Jim Slaton and Pat Osburn blanked Cleveland on six hits. Bill Buckner doubled twice and Andy Messersmith hurled six strong innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-2.
68s, three 69s and an unofficial 64 while playing in a foursome with President Ford. But there’s no danger that his game may have peaked too soon. “Not going into Augusta,” he said. “If anything, it works the other way. If I’d lost, maybe I’d feel that my game had peaked too soon. There’s no such thing as playing too good going into Augusta.” He appeared to play just as well as need be in the dull, dreary weather that marked the final round over the treacherous, 6,655-yard Harbour Town Golf Links. He birdied the 11th after a seven-iron shot to within six or seven feet and Weiskopf bogeyed the 12th, missing the
first to coach teams to a dozen Big Ten gymnastics titles. He also has coached 200 dual meet victories, another collegiate first. “This is just a super team effort,” Loken said afterward. “T,e fact that all 12 of our men qualified for the individual finals is a tremendous accom-
The IHSAA mental attitude award went to Julia Hudson of Evansville Harrison, who finished third in the vaulting event. There were no repeat individual champions. Harrison’s Marcella VanStone won three of the five beginning events with Marcia Lough of North Montgomery capturing the balance beam and Merrillville’s Claudia Pawl winning the uneven bars. In the intermediate class, Harrison’s Kim Knapp took the balance beams and all-around. Cheryl Kish of Munster won free exercise, Stuart Babb of West Lafayett took vaulting and Debbie Henrich of Merrillville won the uneven bars.
THE PUTNAM COUNTY lANNEP-GRAPHIC, MARCH 31/1/1975
pro-size guards in 6-4 Jimmy Dan Conner and 6-3 Mike Flynn. Hall also has two 6-10 players in reserve, Mike Phillips and Dan Hall, and a few others in the 6-4 to 6-7 range. UCLA’s front line is not to be dismissed, with the 6-8 Meyers, 6-6 Marques Johnson and 6-9 Richard Washington, plus 7-1 Ralph Drollinger in reserve. The Bruins backcourt is in the . extremely capable hands of - Pete Trgovich and Andre. McCarter. But their bench hasn’t the sock or stock of _ Hall’s Kentucky babes. , (
Vida Blue, Lew Krausse and Paul Lindblad combined for a two-hitter as the Oakland A’s blanked the Chicago Cubs 5-0. Larry Hisle drove in three runs, with a single and double to leacL' the Minnesota Twins to a 12-4-rout of the Atlanta Braves. * Dave Parker stroked a threerun homer and Duffy Dyer hit a solo homer off Steve Mingori in a five-run eighth inning that enabled the Pittsburgh Pirates to defeat the Kansas City Roy- i als 8-6. > t’.-* Bill Robinson’s sacrifice fly drove in an unearned run off Chicago relief ace Terry Forster in the seventh inning and the Philadelphia Phillies .edged the White Sox 3-2. Run-scoring * singles by Rich Billings and I Ken Rudolph in the ninth inning ■ rallied the St. Louis Cardinals, past the New York Mets 5-4. Chris Speier drove in three runs with a homer and single and the San Francisco Giants scored six runs in the last two innings off Luis Quintana to beat the California Angels 9-5. John Grubb’s run-scoring pinch single in the seventh inning gave the San Diego Padres a 3-2 victory over their Hawaii farm dub.
green. That gave Jack a twostroke margßn and it was just a matter of finishing. “I’m disappointed at not winning,” Weiskopf said, “but at least I’m glad I could make a golf tournament out of it.” Tom Weiskopf closed with a par 71 and was second at 274.! They were the only two in the chase. Charles Coody came on with a brilliant 65 and took third at 279, eight shots back. Irwin, a two-time winner here, was well back with a 75 284. Trevino and Player, making his first start in this country this year, tied at 285. Trevino had a closing 71, Player 74. Palmer had a 68, his best round of the tournament, and 288. Miller failed to make the cut for the final two rounds.
plishment in itself, but then to have so many on top of the awards stand at the end was just fantastic. “This is one of the greatest teams I’ve ever had.” The Wolverines were led by freshman Harley Danner of Ann Arbor who became the first freshman in league history tq win the all-around title. He did it without winning a single event but by scoring consistently in all six events. 1; His total of 101.25 points was.' enough to edge lowa’s Bill Mat-’ son, who finished second witjy 100.8. Minnesota’s Jeff LaFleuf was third at 98.9 followed by Michigan’s Pierre Le Clerc at 98.65 and. Michigan’s Bruce Keeshin at 97.35. Following Michigan in tfce team standings were Minnesota with 397.9; defending champion lowa with 388.3; Illinois wfth 375.3; Indiana, 359.5; Wisconsin, 351.95; Michigan State, 344.3, and Ohio State, 335.15*: Purdue and Northwestern jjb not compete in gymnastics. ‘ *<# ' The victory qualified Michigan as one of eight finalists Jh next week’s National Collegiate Athletic Association champidhships at Indiana State.
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