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Show J Inside Business Weather EDITOR: DICK HARMON mcTJT SPORTS B4 B6 B7 BIO Preps Scoreboard Ti L Today new SATURDAY, mmv wsm The Daily Herald When it comes to college basketball powerhouses, South Alabama isn't the first name that comes to mind. The Jaguars ) compete in the Sun, Belt Conference, and PROVO (8-4- Sam Smith more concerned with Southeastern Conference schools Alabama and Auburn. This season, however, South Alabama has made a few dents in the traditional hardwood establishment. The Jaguars definitely won't be overwhelmed when they face BYU (8-- CHICAGO We want Jamal! We want Jamal! OK, OK, it wasn't exactly the chant in the United Center Thursday night when the Bulls played their best game of the season and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-10- 4 without rookie Jamal Crawford leaving the bench. Actually the fans were chanting and hooting and it wasn't, "We're just one game behind the lousy Washington Wizards now." No, it's me who wants Jamal, just to see if he can play, to see if there is a future. Because despite 4) AP Sports Writer About 30 games into the season, ers. But if a team won't play them, what is the solution. Perhaps it is to trade some of those picks, but the Bulls made a curious decision in acquiring Bryce Drew. As a result of trading a future conditional No. 1 draft pick to Houston, the Bulls' No. 1 picks for the next five years are encumbered. This means they cannot be included in deals because Houston has claim to them, even if in the end the Rockets probably will not get one. It further limits the Bulls in trying to make a deal because their players are not exactly items around the NBA at this time. But that was before Thursday, right? I still would like to see Jamal. ty Sam Smith is a sports columnist son are Auburn, Louisville and Marquette. South Alabama went on the road to beat Marand Auburn, quette, It took care of Louisville at 67-5- ter. The game won't be televised. "They are as good as anybody in our conference," BYU coach Steve Cleveland said. "If they were in our conference, they 68-6- 4, 6. home, The Jaguars also had a near miss at Indiana, falling to the Hoosiers That record is worthy of respect, but it's not like the Cougars needed any reminders. BYU lost to South Alabama last season in Mobile. The Cougars led almost the entire way before surrendering the lead late in the game. Mekeli to Wesley hit a leaning with put BYU back on top 72-6- 5. 70-6- 2. 64-6- 3 3 tonight at 7 in the Marriott Cen- 3D. 2(KX) would be a contender. South Alabama doesn't exactly give you the name, but they've beaten the names." The most impressive names on the Jaguars' hit list this sea- - 63-6- 2 See BYU, B3 LTD By GREG BEACIIAM the Bulls already are 10 games out loser? Oops. Chris Webber, Michael Finley, Allan Houston, Antonio Davis, Dikembe Mutombo. Forget it. So comes Plan B: The draft. Of course the problem here is a new one as well. The NBA draft has become Sesame Street without a true Big Bird. More like a lot of Oscars who aren't quite ready. Where once the NBA draft was filled with players who were in the early 20s and went to college for three or four years and developed and matured, now it looks like a college athletic admissions office at a basketball factory. It's becoming something like the Major League Baseball draft, but with no minor leagues for the play- in R Warriors finally beat Jazz a playoff spot. of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. So for what exactly is Crawford being saved? Here's a kid who's and appears to have athletic talent, even if he looks a bit at times like he's starving himself for a modeling career. And he's a point guard. It's not like the Bulls have a lot of players with those qualities. The Bulls can't afford to get to next summer and not know whether Crawford can play, or be a part of the New Tradition. You " know: The Kids Don't Play, But to fault coach Tim Floyd for what has gone on with the Bulls is like saying there weren't enough billiards tables on the Titanic. There are bigger problems, such as a franchise sinking. Floyd's players seem motivated, rarely complain and play as hard as they seem capable. Thursday night's victory was an example of that and that is the best measure of coaching. How capable they are remains the problem. It goes back to the draft and the young players. We know Plan A. That was saving money, clearing the decks and thus becoming an inviting location for free agents. That was much like Custer's apparent Little Big Horn plan. It made sense to everyone at the time. But things just didn't workout. The new realization was that free agents won't come to a franchise far down in the standings. If the money was the same with the salary cap ceiling, why go to a last season 3 Mobile, Ala. g Thursday night's impressive victory over a legitimate championship contender, and the Bulls' first triumph over a Western Conference team this season after 12 losses, this team isn't exactly fighting for 1-- 0 MEETING: South Alabama 64-6- m The BYU women's team will take on SMU prior to the men's game. That contest will start at 4 p.m. With a win, Steve Cleveland can once again even his mark at BYU. Currently he is 51-5He with a win over reached 50-5- 0 Boise State in Hawaii, but then saw his team drop its next two. TV: None RADIO: KSL 1160 AM SERIES HISTORY: South Alaba- ma leads, err AT A GLANCE: (22,700) TIPOFF:7p.m. they aren't even the main LAST attraction in their hometown of Mobile, Ala. People there are won Bulls' problems won't go away for a long time high-priori- WHEN: Tonight SITE: Marriott Center DK't MM mm i By SCOTT BELL Bl Chicago Bulls. B3 THE DAILY HERALD (www.HarkTheHerald.com) 7 for the Chicago Tribune. Latrell Sprewell paced the New York Knicks to a blowout win over the OAKLAND, Calif. -- The streak had to end eventually. Jerry Sloan just didn't expect the Utah Jazz to surrender it the way they did. Larry Hughes had 20 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as the Golden State Warriors snapped a losing streak againBt the Jazz with a 100-8victory on Friday night. The Warriors' string of losses to Utah was the longest between any two teams in the NBA. Golden State, a perennial Western Conference doormat, hadn't beaten the Jazz, a perennial power,, since i - " ' 32-poi- nt 17-ga- 9 : "I just thought the game would have a lot more importance for us," Sloan said. "We didn't come out like it had a lot of importance. They worked harder than us, and they had more energy than us." Mookie Blaylock and Marc Jackson also had 20 points apiece for Golden State, which shot 53 percent but wasn't spectacular until a fourth quarter. The Warriors won for the third time in five games their best stretch of the season. ' The Jazz lost their third straight by playing one of their worst games of the r season, starting with a effort from Karl . v: 1 I , sub-pa- Mal-on- s4 e. X t Malone managed just 12 shooting. points on April 14, 1996. '' Bryon Russell scored 19 points for the Jazz, who fell into a tie with Dallas for the Midwest Division lead. '4 "If we have to rely on just (John) Stockton and Malone every night at this sin''? BOB GALBKA1TH The Associated Press stage of their careers, we're Is Two one: a loose ball in front Utah John better than to chases be in Starks, guard foreground, trouble," going Sloan said. of Jazz center Olden Polynice, middle, and Golden State's Marc Jackson on Friday night. Sloan typically castigates his team after any loss, but the Utah coach's words carried an unusual bite after the Jazz shot poorly, defended poorly and couldn't make a late comeback against the consecond-worference's team. v (20-1- st Freebies aid in "v s -- Saints' dream: mitate Rams . f Timpview victory ? i i H f quarterback Aaron said. "But that Brooks AP Sports Writer doesn't mean anything. That's based on other NEW ORLEANS The than what we've New Orleans Saints know things done this year." all about the St. Louis the Rams This Rams' magical rise last have hadyear their share of year. They've recited the problems, going after , phrase "worst to first" like opening the season with a mantra. six straight victories. Now they want to live it. St. Louis squeaked into "Everybody in the NFL the playoffs after beating watched the way their sea the Saints on Sun son went last year day thanks to Paul and said, 'If it can Edinger's field goal with two happen to them, it Cfii can happen to us,' " it liiiniaAiifc.i seconds left that defensive lineman 0 gave Chicago a Joe Johnson said. victory over "We believe in ourDetroit and knocked the Lions selves, that's what matters." out. But oddsmakers like lhe aamts are among the few believers. They are the Rams despite quarterunderdogs to the back Kurt Warner's still Rams in today's NFC wild- being sensitive to light card game, despite an after a concussion suffered turnaround in last week's game. After astounding from last year's record all, he commands an to a 10-- mark and the offense that scored 526 NFC West title. points and led the NFL. Running back Marshall The Saints beat the in their Faulk, the league MVP, Rams, also 10-first game this season but just capped another 2,000-yar- d season with 261 lost to them last week. "I was surprised last yards and three touchweek when we were home downs against the Saints. When it comes to expec-- . and we were still a three-poieven underdog See SAINTS, B3 though we beat them earli- er," By MARY FOSTER r 'i By DEVON BLACK Herald Correspondent ,4-- 6 PROVO Anyone who has ever played, watched or, especially, coached basketball will stress the importance of making free throws, particularly near the end of a game. Fortunately for Timpview coach Ray Scott, his team has learned that les- i f 26-2- 1 54-ya- rd Wh son well. Scott's team hit 14 free throws, including attempts in the final 30 seconds, to beat Pleasant 5 Grove Friday night 71-6- at Timpview. six-poi- nt "I just told them to calm down," said Scott of Splitting the gap: Timpview's Mindy Bramble passes his team's between Pleasant Grove's Heidi Terry, left, and Amber shooting. "That's someHilton, right, during a Region 6 game Friday night.. thing we're working on." Midway through the following two free throws possessions. fourth quarter, however, it by Miriam Palkki. Unable On Timpview's ensuing appeared as if free throws to find any other means of possession, Amber Hilton might actually cost Timcutting into the lead, was fouled but she missed Pleasant Grove started both free throws, keeping pview the game. After leading for nearly fouling and drawing fouls. P.G. alive. the entire game, TimP.G.'s Michelle Bishop was fouled Bishop pview held a comfortable started the trend by hitagain moments later, and advantage with ting two free throws to under two minutes to play bring her team within two See TIMPVIEW, B4 DAN LLM) free-thro- w . 66-5- 8 j I he Duly Herald 3 6 6, nt 23-2- |