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Show 0liet3jailM .tyom Mirror ifTfrinj"" by Salt John Mooney a It c octioii ( 1 UUU' niHIIH 'jMt WAC Kid Vt ill Among the stipulations for membership in the Nevada-La- s Vegas was given three main schedule for to develop a Division objectives football, to build a stadium of at least 30,000 seats and to live up to NCAA and WAC rules and regulations. The Rebels cleared the last hurdle a few months ago when the NCAA gave the school a clean bill of health as it lifted the probation on the school But at the winter meeting of the Presidents Couik il of the W AC, it w as decided to postpone for no more than a year the decision on accepting or rejecting the Running Rebels. However, the gate was left open to consider the application at any regular meeting, which could be this June. Meanwhile, the WAC on the administrative level is undergoing major changes, and how this will affect the UNLV bid leaves a lot to conjecture. First off, Commissioner Stan Bates will retire July 1, and the commissioner has been a guiding factor in the Presidents Council deliberations.Wyoming has a rookie president and Colorado State has a new president these last few months. UTEP's president has said he would retire this By Dn k Rosetta Tribune Sports Writer PROVO Five weeks ago, the has Iraternity had Brigham Young University Alan Tay lor on his w ay to the pros Now, in the middle of January, Alan Taylor has himself playing one game at a time, with all that talk about the pros pushed to the bark of my mind With the change in thinking, Taylor has become an imposing pillar in the middle of a Cougar offense which has taken the club to the top of the Western Athletic Conference ) and in a position to go Friday and Saturday against Wyoming and Colorado State, respectively, at the Marriott Center. It has been a methodical trip to the top for Taylor, a senior who will leave the Prov o let campus as a four-yea- r term an. probably on the first center and as team, the second-leadinrebounder in BYU history. Taylor, a muscular, whose wintertime weight training consists of pushing around his understudy, Greg Kite, in practice, will take a Alan ,ay,or scoring average and 10 8 re- WAC into weekend the bounding average jousts Its rebounding Taylor likes to talk about most, although he could have (he podium to boast about his 59 percent shooting from the field for the year (57 H for a career). I feel as long as I'm rebounding and getting the ball out on the fastbreak, well be successful as a team, the Granada Hills, Calif., pivotman said Wednesday. Rebounding Emphasis Thats why I put so much emphasis on my rebounding. I set a goal of 15 rebounds per game because thats what 1 feel capable of getting. I was going pretty good until I had a bad weekend in the Far West Classic in Oregon, Taylor said. I think everyone has his own technique in rebounding. I always know where I want to be or go for a rebound. You watch the ball and watch your man and then react to the hall. Theres a lot of luck involved, also, Taylor said. Sometimes you have your man blocked out, have it all figured out where the ball is going to go and you dont even come close. Taylor relies a great deal on strength, using it, to a large measure, to negate his lack of quickness, a shortcoming he readily admits to. Im not the quickest player around. So, that's why I spend a lot of time lifting weights. It helps my game. It gives me a mental edge, knowing that I'm stronger than my opponent, Taylor said. The young man who has missed playing in only 5-- g - 250-pou- summer. the Bud Davis at New Mexico is under scandals, and Dr. James P. Gardner at Utah remains the No. 1 candidate for the job at USC. Even Nevada-La- s Vegas has a president relatively new on the job and the Rebels have a new athletic director as of the first of the year. New Mexico has a new athletic director and San Diego State's athletic director started only a fire in -- few months ago. ' The WAC could have a new commissioner and five new or rookie presidents to make the important decision in the months ahead. And molding a league is no job for rookies. If the majority of the old Presidents Council was against the admission of Nevada-La- s Vegas, then the change may be for the better. However, whatever success the Rebels had in selling their program may have been wasted, with new presidents on the scene. There is one thing to be said for the Rebels cause the way the colleges in the area are being investigated there wont be many left to cast the first stones at the university in Las Vegas. Somooiw Sport magazine presents the Most Valuable Player award to the star of the Super Bowl and only once has the award gone to a player on the losing team. . . . Linebacker Chuck Hawley of Dallas was the winner as a loser in 1971. . . . Page One 17, 1980 Taylor Lifts BYU Stock l)tMiid WAC, n Thursday Morning, January offs t On Decision of NVwconurs Stuff tribune Terry Bradshaw, last years winner, was the first quarterback to be named most valuable since Roger Staubach won in 1972. . . Wonder what the ghost of Avery . Brundage, in that keeper of jjurity and the Olympics, thinks when he sees an Olympic bobsled team sponsored by a beer company? But the beverage industry is busy with Coors sponsoring the Colorado Pro Ski tour at o Racquet-bal- l Aspen and Loveland Basin, the at Las Vegas, a tennis series in Omaha and three racing events, just in January. . . . Back in the early 1970s, the University of Minnesota had an basketball player named Jim Brewer and when he performed well, the fans would chant, Brew, Brew, Brew and now the Gophers have a 2 freshman named Randy Breuer, who draws the same chant. . . . Ray Meyer, the venerable basketball coach at DePaul, has been named to coach the East squad in the annual Pizza Hut Classic March 29 in Las Vegas. Mike Weathers, the new baseball coach at . . with all former Ute Utah, is holding a players Jan. 31 before the New Mexieo-Uta- h basketball game. . . . Mike Newlin, the former Ute, went from Houston to the New Jersey Nets for a mere $25,000 and a second-roun- d draft with pick. . . Newlin, who found a second-lif- e the Nets, blames his troubles at Houston on Tom Nissalke, which may be a reason the Utah Jazz wasnt interested in getting a local boy attraction. . . . Dukes senior, Mike Gminski, is the top candidate for the Wooden award, presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club in honor of the former UCLA coach. . . . BYUs Danny Ainge ranks ninth in the top 10 candidates in the preseason poll of the 50 state chairmen, and Dannys the only player in the top 10 from west of the Mississippi. .... All-Pr- 7-- . er . Olwrvution Ward Should the U.S. cancel its participation In the Olympic Games in Moscjw it might be the first time anyone dared go against the wishes of a TV network. pillar of rebound strength! A BVUs Alan Taylor stretches Golfers Eye Rainy Skies In Phoenix PHOENIX (UPI) Masters -- champion Fuzzy Zoeller doesnt know where his game is, but he is anxious to find out in the $300,000 Phoenix Open which starts Thursday under a threat of ram and cold weather. The Phoenix Open didnt get underway last year until Saturday, suffering two rain delays, and eventually w as terminated after 54 holes with Ben Crenshaw e scoring a victory over Jerry Haas. Crenshaw and Haas are back in a field that could be one of the strongest of any event played on the PGA tour this year. The only players of mile not here are PGA champ David Graham and Jack Nicklaus, One-strok- 144-ma- n both of whom will make their 1980 debuts in the Crosby in two 'weeks, and Gary Player, who has not yet indicated when he will play for the first time in the U S this year I into stratosphere for a timely rebound against Utah. high three games in his entire, four year career, spends less time worrying about his future lately, and more tune on the next game Interested in Pros 'I know people are interested in me lor the pros. But it really Withered me early in the year when I had a really good start (nearly 15 rebounds a game through six games). It was that stuff about oh, youll go high in the draft' and all that," Taylor said. "Now, I've put it in the back of my mind and play college ball one game at a time I have to play well here to even get a chance at the pros Taylor admits his priorities have changed markedly since he chose BYU after a stellar career at Kennedy High in Granada Hills in 1976. "1 guess if you look hack, you always wish you had a . maybe woiked a little harder to get better half hour here, an hour tliere. I know one thing, if 1 had the enthusiasm for my school work as a freshman that I have now, I would la better than a 3 0 student (in finance), Taylor mused "My basic problem in school is that 1 didn't make up my mind what I wanted to do until my junior season Taylor makes up his mind somewhat quicker on the basketball floor. His shooting percentage is nearly good enough to rank him in the top 20 in the country. . shots, but I think the "Basically, i shoot close-imain reason I shoot well is that I dont t ake too many bad shots. I want to be confident that n.y shot will go in before I shoot," which is certainly understandable and certainly very successful. Plays Middle Spot Taylor, who plays the middle spot in the tenacious, BYU zone defense, figures the Cougars are just starting to come into our own as a team. You know, we lost our first game and people got down on us. We re 12-- now and people still don't seem satisfied. People are upset because we arent blowing people out, but were coming together now. Trouble is, early in the season, people thought we could beat the 3 world. The big guy with the curly, sandy hair does have a goal. "Well, everybody dreams of the Final Four. The first step is to win the WAC, then win a couple of playoff games and that Final Four doesnt seem such a far-odream. I think if we continue to work hard and keep our mistakes at a minimum, well be in the thick of things. "I would like to get in a position to have another shot at Oregon State. I would like another shot at Steve Johnson (OSUs center who scored 39 against BYU in the Far West Classic), Taylor said. It has been a long haul for Taylor. He played on before last years and teams which went 20-season and a WAC title. and 240 He wants to go out a winner. At pounds, who would want to argue Hemphill Tribune Sports Writer Most of the Jazz players were beat from playing four straight games on the road. Adrian Dantley was somewhat immobile from not playing those four games. In spite of that, the Jazz mustered another gritty effort at the Salt Palace Wednesday night and shot 50 percent from the floor, but it was not enough to beat another legitimate playoff contender, the Phoenix Suns, who posted a victory. It was the fifth game in six ni ghts for the Jazz, and the Utahns lost them all, although they were blown out of only one of them. "It's the roughest stretch ever since Ive been coaching, mused Jazz Coach Tom Nissalke. Every team was over .500. Besides, weve had no practice time. And we wont practice tomorrow eitliei . You physically can't do it." Five games in six nights is draining physically and draining cmntw'llv. but I thought Utah executed well." credited Phoenix Coach John MacLeod, whose Suns won their third straight. r for the Dantley, a starting Western Conference, tried to play in this one afUr sitting out the last foui with a strained hamstring. He didnt play very well, going only 26 minutes and winding up with 14 points. My leg doesnt hurt," said Dantley afterwards, working up a sweat on a bicycle exercise machine. But my legs felt like jello at halftime. Its amazing how you can lose one week and lose all your rhythm 1 feel sorry for those other guys (the reserves) who dont play and then have to go in and do it . He didnt play well at all." said Nissalke of his leading scorer. "My 115-10- 8 all-sta- posture is he should have tested it in practice and practiced for a couple of days (the Jazz, of course, didnt have a chance to do that). But he wanted to play, and I cant fault someone who wants to play." Doing the manhandling on Dantley was former Jazz player Truck Robinson, who led all scorers with 27 points and also had 14 rebounds. Robinson had 15 of his points in the first half (and also gave Dantley two on an inadvertent tip-iat the other end), and then he finished off his night by scoring seven of the Suns last 13 points. The feisty Jazz, down by eight early in the fourth quarter, fought back, and, after Allan Bristow converted a layup off a great pass from Terry Furlow, the with the Suns Jazz was within calling time with 4: 13 to play. Tom Boswell, who had another fine game with 20 points, scored 12 of Utahs first 18 points of the fourth quarter to fire the rally, hut then Boswell was whistled for his sixth foul against Robinson with four minutes to play. Robinson got both free throws to make and the Jazz went the rest of it the way with the sub-pa- r Dantley in for the hot Boswell. A later, Truck scored on a and then, after a baikcourt foul by Bristow, sank one of three foul shots (he had only nine of 16 from the line for the night), and the Suns had a lead Furlow, working late in the game against one of the league's top defensive guards, Don Buse, hit a three-poibasket, and Ben Poquette, who had another iron-magame, scored on a short baseline jumper, and the Jazz with 2:20 to go. was back in it at The Suns got some breathing room on two foul shots each from Paul Westphal n 102-10- 12-1- 8 12-1- 5 8 Tired Jazz Bows to Phoenix By Lex . and Robinson to make it but the Jazz still wasnt dead. After two A.D. free throws made it 24 points) Furlow (a team-hig- h attempted to tie it with a three-pointbut missed with 50 seconds left. That was Utahs last gasp, and Walter Davis (only 23 minutes in this game) closed it out with four straight points. Terry Furlow can shoot the ball with you cant give him any anybody room, said MacLeod, outlining his biggest concern down the stretch and explaining why Buse was on him. The Jazz had three players foul out Boswell, Boone, and Bristow. The Suns shot 50 foul shots in the physical game, while the Jazz shot 23. As if the game wasnt rough enough, the Jazz had to in take three injury time-out- s the game, one each for Bristow, Furlow, and Boswell. (23 points) 111-10- 0 Theres No Cisco Yet 111-10- Special to The Tribune BEAR LAKE The cisco run on the east side of Bear Lake did not start Wednesday but there were signs that the tiny fish were ready to begin their annual run. Fisheries biologists on the scene, using sonar devices, determined that the schools of cisco were in about 20 feet of water. They appeared to be moving in and the consensus was that they should be running by the weekend. Weather at Bear Lake Wednesday was calm but somewhat overcast and anglers using rod and reel were taking cutthroat, white fish and even an occasional cisco in deeper water. 104-10- half-minu- 107-10- 1 n 107-10- 6 Jazz , Maravich Marriage Ends in Divorce Today By Lex Hemphill Tribune Sports Writer Pete Maravich. who was a member of the Jazz even before the team had its name, will end his six year association with the club Thursday. snags, the Barring any Marav ich will sign an agreement Thursday that will grant him his freedom from the team that has not played him since Nov. 21. It is an agreement that has lieen ironed out over the past month between attorneys for the Jazz and Maravich Is there any chance of a roadblock to the agreement? 1 wouldn't think so," said Jaz.z Larry Hatfield, who flew into Salt Lake Wednesday with fellow owner Sam Battistone. Everyone's reviewed the documents, and I dont foresee anything jumping out of the woodwork. Art Herskovitz, one of Maravieh's two Pittsburgh area attorneys, flew into Salt Lake Wednesday evening, and Beverly Hills attorney Phil Marantz, who handled the Jazz side of the negotiations, is due in Thursday morning to finalize the agreement. Maravich, whose 25 point career average is eighth best in NBA history, signed a contract with the then-NeOrleans Jazz on Aug. 10, 1977. He is r contract currently in the third year of that Hat Held said that the Jazz owes Maiavich $1 8 million for the remainder of this vear and the next last-minut- e last-minut- e five-yea- r five-yee- two years and that he will get that money. Its just a different pay-ou- t schedule, obviously longer," said Hatfield. "Our bargain is that we won't require anything for his services in exchange for a schedule." little different pay-ou- t Upon the signing of the contract settlement Thursday, the Pistol will have hts freedom only after he either clears waivers or is sold for a minimal amount to another team, the most likely being Philadelphia "The only way a guy can get his freedom is by waiver, by sale, or by retirement. said Jazz. General Manager Frank Lay den. Hatlield and Layden said that Maravich will have his choice ol either passing through waivers or accepting a sal". Layden noted that the agreement Is "contingent on him passing waivers," meaning that there is no chance of some surprise team popping up waiver period and claiming during the Maravich. He also said that he has checked with the NBA office and that a $1 sale of Maravich to an Interested team like the Sixers would 1m perfectly legal." Maravich will have his choice of exits. We'll leave it up to him," said Hatfield "Our objective is to set him free so he cun do as he booses. Philadelphia General Manager Pat Williams said last week that he couldnt think about the iossibility ol landing Maravich until the Pistols contract with the Jaz.z was settled. If Philadelphia is Maravieh's next team, he would be making a return to Utah in less than two weeks, Jan. 2K, when the Sixers come to the Salt Palace. The Pistol played in 17 games with the Jazz, this season, averaging 17 points per game and at one field goals point leading the NBA in throe-xiii- t Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Jazz acquired Terry Furlow from Atlanta. With him, Ron Boone, and Maravich, the Jazz had three shooting guards. It was at that point that Layden and Coach Tom Nissalke decided that Maravich definitely wasnt a part of their future plans anymore Maravich was first benched Nov. 27 in a home game against the Lakei s and he has not played since. Wednesday night's game with Phoenix was the 28th straight Jazz game in which Maravich has not played. Throughout the benching, the Jazz and Maraviehs representatives worked on a solution to the lingering situation 1 "I just think it's the best possible ending for both sides. said Hatfield "Obviously, he dn'sn't fit into our playing plans. If that's the case, we owe it to him to let him go earn his livelihood " The most likely candidate to fill Maravieh's spot roster is former Marquette center on Utahs second-yeaman who Jerome Whitehead, a was cut by San Diego last month when the Clippers activated Bill Walton vV- ' - Si. A) yV'v Pit jcr- mjtm Tftfown SWt Photo Utf PtI FrauflMoO r Utah's Terry Furlow hoists shot over Phoenix Paul West phal day. in Palace duel Wednes-S'ln- s took NHA vet diet |