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Show Chronicle - Page Fourteen Thursday, December 1, 1988 PORT mi FmDD Greg McGavin- Home sweet home after loss last week to-- Home sweet home. That thought may very well be running through the head of Utah basketball coach Lynn Archibald. The Utes, you see, are coming off their first road trip of the season- -a three-gam- e stint in Anchorage, Alaska's Great Alaska Shootout. Utah didn't fare well in the last frontier, finishing sixth out of the eight-teafield. The Utes did garner a convincing victory over Iona in the second round, but that was the extent of Utah's success. Tonight, at 7:35 in the friendly confines of the Huntsman Center, the Runnin' Utes will play host to Fullerton State. For the Titans the Utah matchup represents their first game of the new season. For the Utes the game represents an opportunity to even the score. Last year Fullerton State spanked the Utes 67-4According to Archibald, however, evening the score may not be an easy task. "They have three really good players in (Cedric) Ceballos, (Derek) Jones and (Wayne) Williams," 4cv tfi . . 3. . v ''J:- - i :r. . - The Power Station The body is controlled by the mind. The true mark of achampion is not how flashy or their mental stamispectacular they appear-i-t's na. While some folks melt in the heat, others feel right at home. Tommy Connor made it clear last year, "When the game's on the line, I want the ball." Keith Chapman casually walked into a heated environment and landed a couple of three-poibombs to deaden the favored BYU squad last year in the Huntsman Center. Pressure has an interesting effect. It can be turned into aggression and inspire complete unknowns, with nothing to lose, to take on feats of greatness. The effect can also be detrimental. Experienced souls, who've been exposed to the heat, may have earned the title of "pressure master." Being "the best" leaves room for just one direction, down. Even Larry Bird, Boston's supreme pressure master, couldn't hit the side of a bam with an during last year's Detroit series. Any avid sports fan will recall at least a few instances where teams went through the regular season destroying eveiything in their paths. A Cinderella squad then emerges from nowhere and startles them with an upset. Of course, this is the exception more often than the rule, but look at the Utes of 1983. They came off of an average season to hit the sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. And then there was the mutilation of BYU two weeks nt m&r-- y Archibald said. "Ceballos and Jones were JC and Williams was an point guard in California. "They're a quick team but they're also very patient," Archibald continued. "And their half-coupressure could also give us some problems." Other Titan players who should play a prominent role this year are guards Mark Hill and Marlow Vaughn, and centers John Sykes and David Moody. For the Utes, their starting line-u- p will be the same one that started last Sunday against Florida. Mitch Smith, Jimmy Madison and Keith Chapman will make up the bulk of Utah's frontcourt while guards Van Gray and Mark Lenoir will be busy running the Utah show. But Utah's biggest asset-t- he strength of its bench-w- ill lots see of again play and Archibald will be jugns te . rt gling players in and. out as usual. "Our bench is doing a great job for us this year," the Utah coach explained. "The kids coming off the bench are shooting over 50 percent from the field and four of our top six scorers are new to our program this year." The new players Archibald is referring to are Gray (15.7 points per game), Grant (11 ppg), Lenoir (8.3 ppg) and Bill Perkins (6.7 ppg). Other newcomers making contributions for the Utes this year have been Walter Watts and freshman walk-o- n Kurt Christensen. Utah, which will be on the road for its next two games, will be hoping to make the most of its home bout with Fullerton State. Saturday the Utes will visit Santa Clara and next Tuesday they will test Colorado ' in Boulder. For the time being, however, Utah must first get by the Titans. "Against Fullerton we're going to try to work on our inside game," Archibald said. "We also need to do a much better job defensively. We've always been a good defensive team and this year we're not even close to what we have been in the past. "I think part of the team's defensive troubles are a result of having so many new players and our chem-istr- y isn't right just yet," Archibald continued. Utah Coach Lynn Archibald will watch his young team battle Fullerton State tonight in the Huntsman Center. The Utes are 2 on the season. Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on. Some feel the heat and decide that they can't go on. Some Uke it hot but you don't know how hot 'til you try. Some like it hot so let's turn up the heat 'til we fiy m All-America- i True mark of champion exists in mental stamina By Kent Condon Chronicle sports editor all-sta- -, H-bo- ., ago in football. Need I say more? Even when the heavy favorites win it, the intensity level of the underdog is often elevated in response, to the heat of competition. Sports are purely psychological. There are no mental midgets. The "dumb jock" image is simply a stereotype. Many, sports are so complex they're like a giant chess game. Athletes' intrigue for the game can often consume them. Everyday aggressions and frustrations are acted out and intensified in a public spotlight. Although basketball's a team effort, it seems that individuals may control the outcome. . Perhaps the limelight of pressure belongs to the foul line. Here the participant enjoys center stage with no obstacles or obstructions. It's just him, the basket, thousands of fans and no excuses. The hopes and trust of his helpless -- . - , teammates rest upon his shoulders as he tries to represent them. I remember a Utah-BYgame about five Provo. It in to triple overtime. went years ago could move make or break it. Just when Every things looked ugly, the, Cougars passedto Greg Kite who was fouled immediately. And right-- : fully so. He missed, missed, missed, and lost. A few years later I turned on my TV to catch the last two minutes of an NTT game between Utah and Boise State. Again, it went to the wire.. This time the Utes were down by one point with seconds left. After moving the ball down the floor, Albert Springs was fouled with no time remaining. We could win, lose, or go to overtime, v depending on the outcome of his struggle on the charity stripe. , You could practically hear the sweat drizzle down Springs' forehead. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and heaved two bricks. You have now survived a crash course in psychological warfare and seen both extremes of the pressure facet. With a great year ahead, only time will tell if the Utes can use this postseason's heat as a destroying angel or an U . 1-- , Gina Butters, Utah's senior guard, was named the k High Country Athletic Conference for her play in Utah's 0 victory over California last weekend. Butters tied a Lady Ute record in shooting from three-poirange. The Ogden native also tied her career high with 24 points, while adding .' ; 14 assists and eight rebounds. Eric Jacobsen, Rick Eccles and Steve Sigloch have been named to the GTE Academic football team selected by the College Sports Information, Directors of America. Jacobsen, a senior free safety, led the Utes with 141 tackles, while adding three sacks and seven pass breakups. Jacobsen was honored as an second team selection earlier in the week. Eccles, a senior center, was an anchor on the Ute offensive line, while Sigloch, a junior, will be back next year at his . running back position. Player-of-the-Wee- 91-6- five-for-fi- ve nt All-Distri- ct All-WA- C - - The University of Utah Raquetball Team Tryouts will be held today through Saturday in the HPER building. The purpose of the tryouts is to formally put together a raquetball team which will play intercollegiate teams as well as earn spots in the Utah. State Raquetball , , Tournament. In the past, raquetball coachcaptain Bob Rankin has put the team together for the intercollegiate tourna-- ' ments. This year, Rankin has decided to hold tryouts in order to form the best U. student raquetball team . possible. . 1 ally. ' |