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Show Page Sixty uts' The Daily Utah Chronicle Openings 1978 Do img by DAVE HOSICK and JULIE HEATH Chronicle staff hp oi 69-3loss to the Missouri club, 86-7Only a fighting Irish of Notre Dame (on St. Patrick's Day, no less) sent the Utes home from the Mid-WeRegionals in Lawrence. Kan. The stalwarts of that club, Jelf Judkins and Busier Matheney. will be noticeably absent from the Ute lineup this season. The two were the top scoring pair in Utah history during their four years in crimson and w hite. Judkins w as an Seven selection the past two years, and led the team in scoring with an 1 8.5 average. He also led the WAC in WAC scoring in 1976 and 1977, and was a three-yea- r last the in two Seven also years, was Matheney, the team's second leading scorer and rebounder, with 1 8.5 and 7.1 averages, respectively. Graduation also claimed point guard Michael Grey, who led the team in assists with 117, forcing Pimm to fill the position for the second straight year. The L'tes will also miss Mike Dunn, who sparked the Utah offense as Pimm's dependable "sixth man." d fans should not be ready However, Pimm and his considerable to abandon ship; hope gleams on the horion, in of Vranes, Williams and the eight other the capable hands returning Utes. The key to success will clearly be Pimm s ability to find the proper mixture of youth and experience. "There's no set formula to winning; we just have to find the right combination. Above all, you need great desire." The 79 Utes seem long on desire and on the talent needed to make it heart-breakin- g 9. 6 st It is March 26, 1979, and the Special Events Center is bursting at the seams with people; the National Collegiate Basketball Championship is about to get underway. The learn announcements begin..."And wearing white, the host team for the tournament finals, the University of Utah Runnin Utes!" The above scenario has occupied the dreams of all rabidly loyal Ute fans from the moment the NCAA announced this year's final tournament site back in 1976. Jerry Pimm would clearly love to see those dreams come true, but he can only be guardedly optimistic. "Right now, I'd say we'd have to be rated as a long shot." However, that "long shot" status cleaily can't be extended to Pimm's hopes for another highly successful basketball season. With returning starters Earl Williams and Danny Wanes providing vital experience, and such recruiting coups as Curt Clawson and Dan Larson filling in needed freshness and depth, the 78-7- 9 Utes should again be top contenders, in both the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) race and the national title chase. They have a tough act to follow. The 1978 edition of Utah basketball posted a 23-- 6 mark, the best record since 1962, which earned die Utes their second straight NCAA tournament bid. The team finished second in the WAC with a 12-- 2 e record that surpassed its 11-- 3 showing of the double-overtim- e scored a Utah previous year. thrilling victory in the first NCAA round, defeating a M Alii mti jifi . first-plac- late-chargi- University Basketball Coach Jerry Pimm All-Distri- ct all-sta- r. All-Distri- ct die-har- reality. The top returning talent must be considered sophomore Vranes. Last year's top rebounder (7.2) and third leading scorer (12.2) will anchor the front line as well as spearheading the Ute offensive attack. Vranes, one of a nationwide crop of outstanding freshmen in 1978, was third team Seven, selected second team and joined Basketball Weekly's elite Freshman squad. Considered one of the best jumpers in the country, honors for the Utes, and, Vranes should again handle tip-owith 18 steals and 16 blocked shots his rookie season could also prove a defensive plus for the squad. Leading this year's defense will be returning backcourt starter Williams, considered one of the top defensive guards in the country. His 33 steals in 1978 were second only to Judkins' total,. 44, and he also blocked four shots from the guard line. A pure shooter who placed an indelible mark in Utah basketball history with his Kentucky Classic-winnin- g Williams bucket in 1977, the 1 13 assists last season and can also dished out help the Utes' offensive punch. He will be entering his thiid season as a Utah starter. forward Greg Deane, Joining this pair will be e starter last year. Deane a starter two years ago and a part-timlast was the team's fourth leading scorer year. He is a rugged inside player who shot 53 percent from the field last season. Beisdes Williams and Deane, the other Ute senior will Bobby Roots, a transfer last season whocould bca fac this tor year. big With the successive departures of Jeff Jonas and Gtey, Pimm must again replace his point guard. Likely candidates seem to be sophomore Scott Martin who saw action in 2j games last season, lettennan Donnie Rice and incoming freshmen Leonard Johnson and Jim Feenev. Front-linTorn help is going to come from Chambers, who. with the exception of Dannv Wanes, saw more ac tion as a fn shman than any f irst-- eat player in let ent ot All-Distri- All-WA- ch ct All-Ameri- Ml ML ff last-secon- d, ot ot I 1 e ot y years. 1 Junior Coin Leavitt, sophomore Kail Bankowski and sophomoie Jav Judkins are three returning lettermen who will add needed bench strength to the l'tes. l ie But to completely bolster the graduation-depletea bannei needed ranks, Pimm and his coaching staff recruiting year. They succeeded. After logging thousands of air miles and knocking on tens of doors, the Ute coaches signed four top freshmen who can help Utah's foi tunes for years to tome. The best inside prospect seems to be high school Dan Larson, from Ventura, Calif. The Larson averaged 15.2 points per game and 14.2 rebounds per game during his senior year. He is a complete player with a tremendous attitude to improve. Last season Street and Smith Magazine called him "the best big man in California in an up year for talent." To bolster the point-guar- d position, the Utes signed Leonard Johnson, a guard from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. Last season he was selected Los Angeles player of the year. He led his team to the L.A. city championship, averaging 14 points and 12 assists per game. He has tremendous quickness and excellent leadership qualities. He plays defense well and is a good outside shooter. The Utes needed more than one good outside shooter to crack open zone defenses, which plagued the Utes early last season. The coaching staff signed an outstanding scorer in Curt Clawson. The Clawson led Indiana in scoring in 1978 with a 31.5 average. He shot 54 percent from the field and 85 percent from the foul line. He was also the leding scorer in the Akron All-StClassic, averaging 30 points per game. Clawson is also an excellent student with a 3.4 high school d Mi ot ot &mm ...i 5 :liSl pii 9 AV.V.V.vV.W. ot ch ar X GPA. As added insurance, the Utes have Jim Feeney, a guard from Colorado who will be eligible beginning Jan. 1, 1979. Feeney is an excellent passer and floor general and will be a candidate for the point-guar- d slot. A teammate of Tom Chambers at Fairview High in Boulder, Colo., Feeney averaged 15 points and 12 assists during his high school red-shi- rt SCHUTZ MALT LIQUOR. NOW IN A CLASSIC NEW BOTTLE. S 1978 Jos. Schhiz Brewing Co., Milwaukee and other great cities.: Gateway Company of Salt Lake 486-377- 9 career. But perhaps the Utes' best hope for another WAC title, and the NCAA crown which looms beyond, lies in Pimm himself. After just four years at the Utah helm, he has established himself as the "winningest" coach in conference history, with better than a 70 percent winning average. His 0 record is one of the best four-yea- r marks in the nation. Jwice the District Seven Coach of the Year, Pimm placed third in balloting for the national honors in 1977. His teams have averaged 20 wins a season, making the elite final 16 at the NCAA tournament the last two years in a row. His 81-3- continued on page 61 |
