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Show uc A, Weber State Baffle in Trumey Opener 7:00 9:00 By JOE WATTS Herald SporU Editor UCLA, in quest of its sixth straight NCAA championship, takes on Weber State tonight in the first game of the Far West at 7 pjn. 7:00 9:00 at the Mariott Regional Tournament Activities Center at BYU. Long Beach State will meet San Francisco in the 9 p jn. game tonight The winners of the two games tonight will clash Saturday afternoon at 4 pjn. for the regional championship and the right to advance to the NCAA Finals in Los Angeles next weekend. Three other regional tournaments are being 7:00 9:00 Kansas State vs. Texas Mideast Regional Daytoa Marquette vs. Kentucky Minnesota vs. Ohio State Far East Regional, Morgantown klUllIM Watts Cookin' UCLA coach John Wooden said his Bruins had a good practice Wednesday. "We looked quite good considering the plane trip and final examinations this week," he sail Weber State coach Gene Visscher said, "There isnt any pressure on our players. They know they don't have to beat UCLA All they have to do is play basketball for 40 minutes." San Francisco coach Bob Gaillard said, "We're looking forward to a tight game. We think we may have the advantage on the backboards." Jerry Tarkanian, the coach of Long Beach State, said, "San Francisco is big and patient. Well have to play well to do it. If we can get the ball into our forwards we have a good chance." 95-9- over San Francisco, the WCAC champions. San Francisco was seeded directly into the tournament and has compiled a 19--7 record during the season. Ed Ratleff, Long Beach's 6 guard, was named to the UPI All America team, also, which gives the Far West Regional Tournament three of fee five first team All America players as picked by UPL There are still plenty of tickets for both sessions of the Far West Regionals, and it isn't expected to be a sellout. BYU officials have indicated that parking passes that have been good for the BYU season will also be good for this tournament. 6-- the voting. doesn't have any All Weber State and will be honored. Long Beach State reached the regionals by winning the PCAC title and then edging BYU 0 in overtime at Pocatello. The 49ers are ranked sixth in the nation and are favored 91-6- 4 South Carolina vs. North Carolina Pennsylvania vs. Villanova UCLA is the heaviest favorite in all eight games. The Bruins are undefeated this season in 28 games, have a 41 game winning streak going for them, and will face Weber State, the Big Sky champions, a team that has ported only an 1S--9 record during the year. Weber State, tinder the tutelage of first year coach Gene Visscner, pulled a major upset UIIU!W WI'IIUJI JOE WATTS last week by toppling Hawaii in the playoffs at Pocatello. Hawaii went into the game nationally ranked, but had gained that ranking on the basis of home court victories. Weber State was never counted out of that game, but the lopsided triumph certainly wasn't anticipated UCLA has two All Americans in Bill Walton and Henry Bibby, named yesterday to the UPI first team, in fact, they were one-tin 7:00 9:00 held this weekend with cones scheduled tonigt in Morgantown, W. Va., Dayton, Ohio, and Ames, Iowa. The pairings are as foDows: Far West Regional, Provo By UCLA vs. Weber State Lor,; Beach State vs. San Francisco Midwest Regional, Amu Louisville vs. Southwestern Louisiana Americans, but it has an extremely capable player in Bob Davis, and several other very aggressive players in Jon Knoble and Richard Cooper. UCLA has been beating its opponents by an average of over 32 points per game, and that seems to spell trouble for the Wildcats. Utah Stars Tip Pacers; Nets Win Av-- J Some Consolation! Coaches Praise BYU The coaches of the four teams entered in the NCAA Far West Regional Tournament gathered at a banquet in their honor last night at the Riverside Country Club. It was an informal occasion with alot of chit-chpreceding the short followed some by speeches. banquet, One of the main topics in the informal chitg Beach State, and it chats was the of one the main as carried over topics during the formal speeches. at BYU-Lon- Jerry Tarkanian, the coach of Long Beach State, said, "Our team made a tremendous comeback, and we are fortunate to be here for this tournament. Like I said after the game, 'We've lost some we should have won, but this is one we won that we should have lost." Tarkanian also praised BYU coach Stan Watts and his assistants, Glenn Potter and Pete Witbeck. "I'd like to pay a tribute to them," he said. "After the game they were the first ones to congratulate us, and their players mingled with ours and wished us luck. That's really what college basketball is all about." Tarkanian also joked a little about the win. "Our kids just followed instructions," he said. "I told them to get the lead and ?ever lose it, and we did. We got the lead in the last overtime and never lost it. The kids just did as they were told," he chuckled. Something You Strive For Weber State's coach Gene Visscher, in his first year at the helm, spoke before John Wooden on the program, and he took advantage of it with the quip, "It's nice to be ahead of John Wooden, even if it is just on the program." He said, "I'm glad to be here, but I'm scared to death. It's something you strive for. I'm not sure you look forward to it, but it's something you strive for." He also praised the BYU team and said of the g Beach game, "It was a tremendous two tremendous teams." between game BYU-Lon- The San Francisco coach, John Gaillard, also praised the Cougars. "BYU can hold its head high. They did very well in every aspect of the game." the coaches were impressed by the Marriott Activities Center. John Wooden said, "We are pleased to be here. The Mariott Activities Center is a remarkable facility. Our team is very pleased to be playing in it." Tarkanian was almost awed by it. "It's amazing to think of playing before 21,000 people, but then we've got something in common with that. We play before 2,100." All of Others on Hand for Banquet Stan Watts, BYU's athletic director and head basketball coach, greeted the group. Dean Elliot Cameron and Vice President Ben Lewis also represented BYU on the program, and Chris Apostol was master of ceremonies. Russell Grange represented the Provo City Commission on the program. Members of the press gathered from many parts of the west, and included Jeff Prugh, the President of the National Basketball Writers Association. He writes for the Los Angeles Times and has a specific assignment covering the UCLA Bruins. The Times will also send Dwight Chapin to help in covering the tournament. Athletic directors were also on hand, including UCLA's J.D. Morgan, and Weber State's Dale Gardner. Jess Hill, the athletic director at Southern Cal, was also there. USC will be hosting the national finals next week. Stan Pates, the Western Athletic Conference commissioner, and Wiles Hallock, the former WAC commissioner and now the commissioner of the PAC-8- , were also on hud for the event Page 6 THE HERALD By United Press International The New York Nets have clinched a berth in the Once one of the weakest old ABA, teams in the five-yethe Nets clinched their playoff spot when they defeated the WednesMemphis Pros, day night. The victory was their 39th of the season-o- ne fewer than the club record they set in 1970-7ar Reception Wil Q Minnesota Get? 119-11- 2, ) 1. r 43 points, including 20 of New York's 35 points in the fourth period, to spark the Nets to victory. Bill v. By GENE CADDES DAYTON, Ohio coach Bill Musselman is more worried about his team's "execution" and Florida State's "depth" than he is about what kind of reception the Gophers are going to get here tonight in the first round of the NCAA Mideast basketball Regional (upi)-Minne- -sota Melchionni added 28 for the Nets while Charlie Williams led the Pros with 28. The Nets overcame an 4 deficit after three periods and 88-8- led by seven points with seven minutes to play. They didn't clinch the win, however, until John Baum hit a jump shot with 42 seconds left. Barry had five o among his 11 field goals. hook shot Beaty's five-fowith seven seconds to play gave the Western Division champion three-pointe- rs - Zel-m- ot 8 Utah Stars a triumph ever the Indiana Pacers in the only other ABA game. Willie Wise had 28 points for the Stars, who won their season series with the Pacers, seven games to five. Roger Brown had 23 for the Pacers. 109-10- oft n 0..f?., J. Box: Utah (109) Robbins Wise Beaty Jones Jackson Combs McDonald Boone Harge Beasley Totals Indiana (108) Netolicky i o K; f 2M5 109 44 Daniels Keller Mount Lewis Hillman 4 7 2 9 McGinnis Cannon 1 4 5 12 2 2 19 12 5 22 35 5 2 2 108 1 1 41 25 26 33 25-- 30 21 32 109 25-- ,x V-- . 108 Three point goals: Keller 3, Lewis. Floridians vt.s W. 55 x Utah Indiana Dallas Denver Memphis 41 36 30 26 L. Pet. 21 33 40 45 50 .724 .554 .474 .400 .342 GB ... 13 19 24V2 29 division title Wednesday's Results New York 119 Memphis 112 Utah 109 Indiana 108 (Only games scheduled) Thursday's Games Utah vs. Floridians At Tampa Carolina at Denver (Only games scheduled) , I - ' . NAME Bill Walton, c Henry Bibby, g Keith Wilkes, f ' A V , " he scored 32 points last Saturday to helping Weber State upset Hawaii. which is usually a UCLA is the top rebounding team with a 55.2 per game average. Long Beach State 147-27- UCLA TOTALS OPPONENTS 3 124-290-189-11004-198- FT-FT- A .63 1 157-35- 0 Larry Farmer, f Greg Lee, g Larry Hollyfield, g before began. 1 664-17- 21-- the NCAA tournament "Florida State has a lot of talent," Musselman said of the Seminoles, who bring a 25-- 4 record into the game. "They've remarkable average got a lot of bench strength and that worries us." While Florida State is deep, Musselman was forced to go scoring among tourney teams with an "iron five" lineup after the suspensions of Corky Taylor with an 86.2 average. UCLA has also given up fewer and Ron Behagen. The Minnesota defensive empoints than any other team in the phasis is borne out in the tourney. team's scoring averages, which show 8 Clyde Turner to be the Pt. only Gopher in dcuble figures Ave. Reb. PCT. with an 18.4 scoring average. 21.3 15.5 .70 Florida State, meanwhile, has 15.8 3.6 .80 an 88.7 points per game scoring 13.3 8.1 .67 average to throw against 10.8 5.5 .54 defensive 56.9 Minnesota's 9.2 1.8 .84 and four players averagmark, 7.9 3.3 .65 ing in double figures. 96.1 55.2 .69 Ron King leads the Seminoles 63.8 37.7 .68 at 17.5, with Reggie Royals 6-- ) (2S-S- PCT. 210-33- Earlier, after Marquette had 0 record, star 1 center Jim Chones signed a pro contract with the ABA New York Nets, making him rolled up a 6-- sign of a winner. FG-FG- A with Ohio U. tournament "I really don't have any The Warriors lost two of their idea," Musselman said when last five games of the regular asked what he expected from season, finishing 24--2 and the predominantly Ohio fans in ranked seventh in the UPI the 13,458-sea- t University of ratings. Dayton Arena. Rupp, who may be coaching The Gophers were involved in the last games of his fabled the most widely publicized and career at Kentucky, said he controversial melee of the year was "optimistic" about the at the end of their game with Wildcats' chances against MarOhio State Jan. 25, resulting in quette, but said his team would the suspension for the rest of have to have "luck on top of the season of two Minnesota hick" for a win. players. "Marquette is a very fine ball And as one observor put it, team," the perky Rupp said. "This is Buckeye Country." "They are quicker than we are "I'm worried about our and they jump better than we execution," said Musselman, do. They're a lot like Tennesee." whose Gophers captured the They don't throw the ball away Big Ten title and posted a 17--6 very often." overall mark. "We took three Kentucky tied for the Southof four days off after our final eastern Conference championgame and we don't usually do ship with Tennessee, but got the NCAA nod by virtue of its anything like that." The Minnesota Florida State two victories over the Vols. game, which follows tonight's Leading the Kentucky scoring 1 1 first contest between Marquette is junior Jim Andrews with and Kentucky, will see a a 21.9 mark and followed by 6 contrast in coaching styles. senior Tom Parker at 18.6. The I Musselman, a strict disciple other three Wildcat starters of a tight defense, is in his first also are in double figures. The winners tonight meet year at Minnesota and led the Gophers into their first NCAA Saturday afternoon for the tournament ever. It was only Mideast Regional championship the third time they had won the and a ticket to national semiBig Ten title, the first was an finals the following Thursday in outright championship in 1919 Los Angeles. Tongith's losers and the second a tie with play a consolation game Illinois in 1937, two years Saturday. ranks second in that category. in the tourney. UCLA is the top scoring team UCLA is the best shooting team, having hit on 50 percent of in the tourney with an average of its shots, and also has held its 96.1 points per game, a opponents to the lowest shooting considering that many teams try percentage, just 38 percent. Every team in the tournament slow down tactics against the has taken more shots than its Bruins. Long Beach is second in opponents, and the NCAA reinstated the Warriors after threatening to replace them affidavit 6-- '...r...y ' UCLA 133-1- .44 97-1- .53 .46 .50 .54 .50 .38 53-7- 9 34-6- 2 50-5- 9 28-4- 3 490-70- 1 332-48- 5 Tarkanian Considered By Arizona TUCSON, Ariz. (UPI) iversity of Arizona athletic officials say there are three prime candidates for the hod basketball coaching job at Arizona. Considered as top contenders for the post recently vacated by 11 year coaching veteran Bruce Larson are University of Michigan's Fred Snowden, Northern Illinois head Tom Jorgenson and Long Beach State coach -Un- Jerry Tarkanian. Both Snowden and Jorgensen have been Li Tucson for interviews while Tarkanian is in next at 15.9, followed by 6 Provo, Utah, with hu 49ers in Roland Garrett at 13.4 and the NCAA Western Regional Lawrence McCray at 12.6. Playoffs. The Seminoles, who earned Arizona officials said they extheir regional berth with a pect to name the new coach by 1 win tougher than expected the middle of next week. over Eastern Kentucky Saturday at Knoxville, Term., were to be the first team to practice here Wednesday afternoon, but at home and got didn't arrive until late. first game pits Tonight's coach Adolph Rupp's Kentucky Wildcats, marking their 20th trip to the NCAA tourney, PHOENIX, Ariz. (UPI)-T- he against Marquette, which still wasn't sure until late Monday it American Basketball Associawas going to be allowed to tion has offered to renegotiate Charlie Scott's contract and compete. allow him to pLiy for the team Despite a convincing 73-Ohio University of his choice if he returns to win over Phoenix Suns general Saturday at Knoxville, the the ABA, Warriors were declared ineligi- manager Jerry Colangelo said ble the following day because of today. Colangelo said the offer was the questionable stews of star made to Scott's legal represenforward Bob Lackey. in a telephone call Lackey, the leading Mar- tative 15.1 mark, Tuesday from Pete Vescui, a with a scorer quette refused to sign an affidavit sportswriter for the New York verifying he had not negotiated Daily News who was acting as to turn pro. On Monday an intermediary for ABA however, Lackey signed the commissioner Jack Dolph. 6-- 6-- LONG BEACH STATE Ed Ratleff, g f-- Results r; Glance at Tourney Chuck Terry, g Nate Stephens,c Eric McWilliams, c Glen McDonald, g Leonard Gray, c LONG BEACH TOTALS OPPONENTS Collegiate I V" 6-- 31 44 .413 29V2 30 46 .395 31 24 52 .316 37 West 7 Ai V'.ji bOB DAVIS, Weber State's outstanding 7 player, will have his hands full against UCLA tonight. Davis likes challenges, however, as Three of the four teams that Fouls: Robbins 2, Wise 5, Beaty 3, Combs 4, Jackson 2, have advanced to the Far West McDonald, Boone 4, Harge 2, are Tournament Beasiey, Netolicky 5, Brown 3, Regional Daniels 6, Keller, Lewis 2, ranked among the top 20 teams Mount, Hillman 3, McGinnis 2. by United Press International, a Total fouls: Utah 24, Indiana 23 rating board comprised of coaches throughout the country. UCLA (26-0- ) is the top ranked team by a unanimous vote. Long ABA Results By United Press International Beach State (24-3- ) is ranked East is W. L. Pet. GB sixth. Weber State (18-9- ) 60 14 .811 ... ranked 19th, and San Francisco 43 33 .566 18 Virginia (19-7- ) is the only unranked team 39 37 .513 22 New York Carolina Pittsburgh V . ' 18' 23 2 2 6-- Totals Utah Indiana f " Brown Brown, v 42-21- 0 o 6 16, 1972 What Kind of American Basketball Association playoffs for the third straight season and are within one victory of setting a club single-seaso- n mark. Rick Barry scored Thursday, March . (24-- 3) 236481 49 116-14- 160-35- 45 50 52 45 47 46 40 97-1- 4 141-298-1- ,' 52-143-9- 1 916-19- . 746-18- 8 58-9- 6 77-116-2- 8 20-3- 3 497-72- 4 434-67- 1 6-- 78 81 60 67 57 60 68 64 7.8 7.7 10.8 6.0 3.3 6.7 51.6 45.0 21.7 15.4 12.5 10.1 5.3 11.5 86.2 70.2 83-8- ABA Offers fog-bou- NAIA Championship At Kansas City, Mo. (Second Round) WEBER STATE Westmont (Calit.) 71 Xavier (La.) St. Thomas (Minn.) 93 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) Augustana (III.) 76 (W.Va.) 75 Western Washington St. 74 Northeastern Oklahoma St. Stephen F. Austin (Tex.) 87 Adams St. (Colo.) Eau Claire (Wis.) 59 Belhaven (Miss.) Gardner-Web(N.C.) 91 Pittsburgh St. (Kan.) Kentucky St. 112 Glenville St. West Georgia 59 87 ot 68 77 Eastern Michigan f 49 86-2- 43 165-24- 0 42-7- 2 36 97-2105-22- 8 47 3 69 63 74 58 63 91-2- 39 67-1- 52 30-4- 2 71 757-17- 44 532-80- 9 660-15- 42 455-68- 5 65 66 SAN FRANCISCO (19-- 7) 87 83 93 Assumption Wes Van Dyke, g WEBER STATE TOTALS OPPONENTS 222-4- 51 . 43-6- 8 11.8 7.8 4.6 8.8 5.2 2.7 48,6 38.7 23.4 12.5 10.7 9.3 8.3 6.1 75.8 65.7 5.0 14.4 9.7 9.7 2.1 1.2 51.1 40 6 15.2 14.6 15.5 14.2 8.8 4.0 82.3 71.9 53 NCAA Coll Div Championship At Evansville, Ind. (Quarterfinal Round) Tennessee St. 95 Southampton (N.Y.) 55 Roanoke (Va.) 94 Missouri (St. Louis) 69 Akron (Ohio) J7 Southern Colorado Bob Davis, f Jonnie Knoble, f Brady Small, g Rich Cooper, c Riley Wimberly, f (18-- 9) 88 Phil Smith, f Byron Jones, f g-- Kevin Restani, cJohnny Burks, f Mike Quick, g JohnBoro, -f g SAN FRANCISCO TOTAL OPPONENTS 154-27- 4 0 56 47 88-1- 154-33161-34- 8 46 47-6- 4 139-33- 5 42 79-1- 37 46-6- 40 2445 91-236-9- 1 72-1- 5 854-19- 44 435-66- 746-18- 41 379-56- 1 4 60 53 73 72 71 69 66 68 St. 77 t Any Team to Charlie Scott |