Show - - - ati5a1tfaktZtibunt S Sports Desk: -- ' s 't 4 ) til A' - ?litA:- 4 Z tA '' 11Z A p- 't ( ): 1 I A -- 11T—11 But '' 4t Co-Cham- 44 41 By Joe Baird THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE C'')-- ' Utah and Brigham Young tied for the men's Western Athletic Conference basketball championship this season But it was the Utes who cleaned up when the allWAC team was announced on - k 11 r stl Monday For the second time in three seasons forward Josh Grant was named the Conference's Player of - - t4 t 10-ma- ' Jeff Malone is expected to be replaced in Utah's starting lineup tonight Sloan Hopes To Draw a Winning Hand By Steve Luhm THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Jazz coach Jerry Sloan plans to shuffle his deck The result will be a new pair After Monday's practice at Westminster College Sloan told reporters he'll likely start David Benoit and Jay Humphries tonight against Minnesota They'll replace Tyrone Corbin and Jeff Malone Benoit has started only four games this season averaging 1212 points in the process For Humphries it will be his first start of the year "We'll just have to see what happens" said Corbin from the field only in the last three games "Things aren't going well right now so you expect some changes to be made If Im one of those guys that's all right" throughout ti)e season Malone says his mation directors State's Stew take over the Western Carolina program coach who The once said he planned to end his coaching career at Wyoming admitted Monday he had mixed feelter ings over leaving his alma "It is with a great deal of regret that I resign" Dees said in a statement issued by the university "During the past six years the university has been good to my family and me I believe at this time a change is good for myself and the university But I will always be a Cowboy" Brigham Young University assistant coach Charles Bradley a former Wyoming player and coach is considered a strong candidate to replace Dees "I really have no comment yet because I that All Stars John Stockton and Karl Malone are immovable objects in the starting lineup so "I know something like this probably comes down to Tyrone and me" "I'm not going to get down" he added "I'm going to play hard The team isn't doing well right now so a'lot of things happen But its not like I'm stinking up the place" however something is wrong somewhere The Jazz have lost seven of their last eight games a blowout Saturday night to the ''' 139-11- 8 ir ' previously- Hawks They have also lost four in a row at the Delta I t' i geOft - 1 t it 4' V change things around Hopefully we'll get better production from the start ing lineup this way and better point production off the bench "I know some people will ' 44 N ) - efr-- A0 l -4 '''''''''''''''' if:- 'sit ) 404110'- : 1 !i 'i'''''' - t 4 I - ''''"- - -- L- ''' '' t' ' C-- 2 Column j Otet - y -- - ''''''' - f it I ?'-- 2 I-- t - - N t - r : : i '‘ ?1 ' l i? the No 1 - '' ''r: itj is ::::- ' ' Is 1 ' 1 i ' '4 r 1 b it : 1 "a ''zi : I' i 0 L1' : 4 - (t - A ''' y : k 4 ! player in the WAC Teams Men School Colorado Pos G St Josh Grant Khari Jaxon Otis Jones Joe McNaull Utah New Mexico Air Force Eddie Rivera Jimmy Soto UTEP Gary Trost BYU San Diego St Utah Yr Sr F Sr F Sr G C G G C G G So Jr Sr Sr Sr Sr New Mexico Sr Utah Byron Wilson Player of the Year: Josh Grant Utah Coach of the Year: Rick Malerus Utah Freshman of the Year: Jason Hamilton San Diego St Ike Williams Women School Player Amy Burnett Debbie Dimond Scar lett Gustin M Kane-Barto- n Thais Kidd Pos Yr Wyoming F BYU C So So - i °161' ::' - F Sr BYU G So Jr Kane-Barto- - r - pi - - 7 - ' — II- 4 tc - p By - A ' ' :10 r— :i"' ' "ri : ''' By Sr n Kurt Kragthorpe Kane-Barto- n 18-3- 9 n See C-- 3 Soulhern Utah iet 80 2171oh Wee Bose State 19065 4 Denver 18590 Column 4 491 65 3 Aguste SIX 38 65 2 Ake Wagner eal 50 3 Jodi McKay Shy 38 30 4 holey Haul USU 38 20 5 Kobe chore Wpm Demme 38 (33 131419 38 ouN Ian team the is Utah forward Mikki the Player of the Year and teammate Susana Tauteoli made the team in her first two waWilson was (center) has emerged as the top women's player In WAC Andy Griffin The balance beam changed everything Monday night for Southern Utah and Utah State Three Aggies fell off the balance beam while all six SUU gymnasts maintained their balance That was the difference Monday night in the Spectrum as the Thunderbirds won MEET SUMMARY the quad meet Final Teem Booms SUU finished with a I Julie Worm BSU 9 80 910 3 Kobe Noopom DenVel C Steve GriffinThe Salt Lake Tribune be- SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE Monday Wilson was named Coach of the Year and center Debbie Dimond and guards Thais Kidd and Tomika Young made '500:4:r two-yea- Sr Jr So F THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE 4e' University 45 miles south it's tough to argue that the Utes and Cougars won't have an advantage when the tourney gets under way Wednesday So Kearney doesn't try "We use the term 'neutral floor' " the commissioner said Monday "The coaches have always wanted a neutral floor for the tournament and this is as much equity as we could get for that part of it The term 'neutral site' has a different conjecture There's no way we could call it that with two teams located in the area" Raising the hackles of coaches and media around the league is the fact that the WAC is hoping to turn its Delta connection into a permanant hub After rotating its postseason sites for the past nine years with mixed results the league has signed a r contract to hold both tournaments at the DC If all goes well Salt Lake City will host the WAC's postseason bash annually "The Delta Center is a wonderful arena and I hope the tournament is supported commensurate to what it deserves" said New Mexico coach Dave Bliss "But if that's not the case it should be dropped" And preferably moved to Albuquerque the Lobo coach didn't need to add New Mexico's largest city r tournament conlobbied hard to land the tract but was ultimately rebuffed because its only suitable arena — the Pit — is the home of the Lobos The WAC also looked at Las Vegas San Diego and Denver as possible postseason sites But there are no WAC teams in Nevada there is no college basketball interest in San Diego and there is no interest in the WAC in Denver "We talked to Denver at length" said Kearney "but McNichols Arena was booked with high school tournaments and the Nuggets They didn't want to pursue it" Given the mandate set by the conference presidents "they wanted it in WAC country and if not in one of our facilities then a state that houses one of the institutions and has a lot of basketball interest" said Kearney — Salt Lake City and the Delta Center are a good fit Not perfect but the best available option "I understand the arguments" said Utah women's coach Elaine Elliott "Everybody's interested in fairness but that has never been what conference tournaments are all about If they were fair they wouldn't do it at all The league champion would get the automatic NCAA bid" Utah figures to reap the most benefits from the new tournament site While BYU is required to stay in Salt Lake this week the Utes will get to sleep in their own beds "It's nice not to have to get on a plane" Elliott acknowledged "That's the most meaningful advan- Poised Thunderbirds Upset Aggies With Record Score After completing a remarkable turnaround in two seasons Brigham Young University coach Jeanie Wilson and three Cougar players received women's basketball honors from the WAC on ''' — 'rT::4 r C-- 3 cause most of the people up there boo us anyway" I'd just as soon said Cougar coach Roger Reid " be playing at Colorado State or Fresno State to be honest with you The advantage would be if we could stay home but we're on the road too" For Big Runaround - ':- - tour-Universit- y tage" "It's probably a bigger disadvantage for BYU Sr Wyoming Utah UTEP Monica Ramirez F Utah Susan° Tauteoli G-UTEP Shenita Waddell G Son Diego St Falisha Wright BYU G Tomika Young Utah Mikki Year: of the Player Coach of the Year: Jeanie Wilson BYU Freshman of the Year: Stool Odd° Fresno St " Kane-Barto- n ' :'i iilrz-- ill All-WA- C :IfirV r r - ": 5X I IL '- 1 MI likl r 4 - Utah's Josh Grant ' - ii l - :) - ' " - — See ' ! 141 : 151 -- —VT I' 'LlA 1 (4410 NI ' r - i ov1:4Artit: if:titi:tiivi: A 4r It Y e 4 44 tvI tick-gam- two-yea- s 'I' ii 1 ' 12 I dt 1 i ! to 'r 3 4 $' 1 I) iy11- 5'"it twi - 1 il iis Keith Bonds ' 1$ i Y''' ' - :!sk - ti :' f0 v - A 4 i ) - T:Otri '11!:tiS7- '" Not ' 'i':' 1 NA ip tr - ' ?t - AI e 1 - 4(v— gilt-- 4-- - ' - - 141 n Y Women Rewarded 4- The success of Utah and BYU during regular seae son has helped make ets to the conference nament popular items Page Utah located just up the hill and : ' ' ! - 1 - has never hosted a col- - - 1 a 41- 1 ' ' 4' ) I' Center where they haven't won since Feb 8 Said Sloan who noted that Mark Eaton will start at center against Minnesota after a experiment in Atlanta "I've been fairly patient But I'm going to one-gam- gle:VSNIttlfriW' : - THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Brigham Young --- Atlanta -struggling '4'7'1- Joe Baird By - - 1 wmMNI1104101:41" - of Dees succeeds Greg Blatt who resigned in February as the Cataremounts were falling to a cord Western Carolina is a member of the Southern Conference Dees' announcement comes just two days before Wyoming enters the first round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament He will coach the Cowboys through the tournament and take over the Western Carolina program on April 1 overall Wyoming WAC) has struggled all season at one point losing 11 of 13 games The Cowboys lost several players to poor grades and injuries (13-1- 4 v - - ilies" ld As the Best Destination lege basketball But with haven't talked to anybody" Bradley said Dees a native of Mount Vernon Ga has a farm not far from Western Carolina which is based in Cullowhee NC He said the move gives him and his wife a chance "to be closer to our fam- PRESS f C Utah Jazz Cowboy Dees Rides to Western Carolina LARAMIE Wyo — Wyoming coach Benny Dees who in six years took the Cowboys to one NCAA tournament and an NIT appearance resigned Monday to r o''' i -- - -- - 4 ' Hamilton Wyoming guard David Murray Hawaii guard Trevor Ruffin Fresno State center Travis Stel and New Mexico guard Greg Brown were named to the team WAC's ' ' WAC commissioner Joe Kearney has heard the complaints before and has no doubt he'll hear them again Namely that there is nothing at all "neutral" about the Delta Center as the site of this week's men's and women's conference basketball tournaments The 20000-sea- t CI Hot Tickets arena home of the Player track" 1 s1 - 'n - 1: 1 vis Morrill and New I Ne Jaxon Wyoming center Theo Ratliff and UTEP forward Ralph Da- Colorado THE ASSOCIATED -- WAC Books Delta Center l'T 0 0 I' team were the : - '- 15-3- 7 5 "getting the team back on Obviously ' 0 3 major concern involves He also realizes all-WA- C n t " — said Grant "There's a lot of great talent in the WAC It's an honor" Wilson and Soto each averaged a little more than 12 points per game this season and were also defensive stalwarts as the Utes limited opponents to just 40 shooting this season "I was proud and pleased to be able to coach them" said Majerus The Trost averaged 149 points and 69 rebounds in leadto a ) ing the Cougars (23-"I don't know if he can play any better" said Reid "He's scoring he's passing and he's going to the boards He's doing all the things you like to have a post guy do" Two other Cougar big men — Jared Miller and Russell Larson — earned honorable mentions as did BYU guard Nick Sanderson and Utah forward Phil Dixon Joining Grant and Wilson on earned Coach of the Year honors The Utes also placed three playteam ers on the — Grant and guards Byron Wilson and Jimmy Soto The Cougars were represented on the first team by center Gary Trost He was joined by New Mexico center Khari Jaxon and guard Paso Ike Williams Texas-E- l guard Eddie Rivera San Diego State center Joe McNaull Colorado State guard Keith Bonds and Air Force guard Otis Jones In addition to the WAC honors Majerus was named District 7 Coach of the Year by the US Basketball Writers Association Grant Trost and Weber State's Stan Rose were named to the District 7 team Grant and Wilson were also named to the league's team Aztec guard Jason Hamilton was named Freshman of the Year Majerus who won the WAC coaching award in 1991 guided Utah to a 22-- record and a WAC mark of 15-- this season He received 19 points in a vote of conference coaches and sports infor- F - great job" "I'm grateful" the Year and Rick Majerus T - Mexico's Dave Bliss tied for second with 11 points apiece while BYU's Roger Reid finished third with 6 points Grant who also took Player of the Year honors two years ago was again overpowering after sitting out last season to recover from knee surgery The senior led the conference in scoring and rebounding averaging 17 points and 111 boards per game Grant is also one of the nation's top free throw shooters this season (92) and is second on Utah's career scoring list "There's no question that Josh deserves to be Player of the Year" said Majerus "He did a ps Not Equal on WAC Men's Team fer! i dr 1 - dftl ' ' 'hes Cougs MOVIES Cl Almost C All - r it 4 All-WAN 0 i -- - COMICSTV 9 1993 e1 ilf sS t4 C 0 0 S 1 TUESDAY March 237-207- 0 t tot 2 Sloot 9 O Vonn USU Nolo MoOoh Denver Juke Wagner MU Holey Houlcherts USU tom OckosSe USU 9 SO 2 (he) Chris Becker SUU Moe Aguirre SOU Hod Neenah USU Lee Love USU 9 75 3 (be) loeMoll Boise Skew Uso Gomez SUU Lanes Bee Jew° MW DatIVOI 910 Seem t Lvnn kaiak SUU 9 85 2 Mel Summer Oveson USU 9 71 USU Chas Dealer SAL 9 X Koe AA 3 Agolue (ie) Sksce school-recor- 19180 d edging USU's 19165 Boise State took third with a 19065 and DenVver was well back at 18590 SUU coach Scott Bauman said his team exceeded his own expectations "This is singlehanUdedly the biggest win of my career" second-SOU year coach Bauman "We knew Utah miss any wouldn't State 990 9001 4m Jobe Heil Oat Holey Hotechens on floor on the final ro970 Worst tation The pressure was on But we hit beam and we hit it solid" of a point going into the Leading by needed steady beam perfinal rotation the formances to counter USU's strongest event the floor The Aggies are sixth in the nation on the event The Ags kept their part of the bargain by scoring a' See Column 4 said nom I (l0e) Jodi McKay SUU Chelsea 2 lOrn Sconce SUU 9 75 3 019) USU Nilsen toSiL L0'4111511 8$U five-tenth- s C-- 2 CAPSULE ta at the Delta Center Elway Signs Extension NBA John Elway is getting four more years to win a Super Bowl for the Denver Broncos who gave him a reported $20 million Monday to lead them to that elu- Atlanta 121 LA Clippers 113 Cleveland 122 Denver 107 Indiana 105 Seattle 99 New York 109 Orlando 107 (OT) Philadelphia 92 Minnesota 83 sive championship The deal reported by two Denver TV stations would make Elway the NFL's highest-paiplayer passing Miami's Dan Marino who last year signed a five-yea- r $22 million contract Elway has led Denver to the Super Bowl three times but the Broncos never came close to winning it In 1987 1988 or 1990 "This contract places John among the top in the NFL salary structure of quarterbacks" said Broncos owner Pat Bow len - 17 1 d Top 25 Basketball V 4 John Elway W Kentucky 72 New Orleans 63 Iowa 56 Northwestern 50 Massachusetts 76 Rhode Island 50 College Gymnastics Southern Utah 19180 Utah State 19165 Boise State 19065 Denver 18590 NHL Hartford 4 Quebec 2 In Action Tonight Hockey: Salt Lake at Cleve land 5:30 pm NBA Basketball: Jazz vs Minneso 1111 TV 7 pm Umpire's Son Dies Sports EN) 5:30 ketball (TIC ketball pm — College Bas- Champi- - 6:30 pm Texas-Ne- — College BasMexico Tour- - MC 7 pm — ming Larry Holmes vs Rocky 'epeli CUR) 7:30 pm — College Bas- ketball Northest Basketball Chain- M44"1'4-W41r404o- lt Venice Fla from adrenoleukodystrophy The illness strikes children and affects the metabolism The Hirschbecks have a younger son who also has the disease The couple has two daughters I 1 1 W04OSOlk The son of American League umpire John Hirschbeck has died at Venice Fla ' a year after being diagnosed with the disease docu mented in the film "Lorenzo's Oil" John 7 died Sunday night in 111 |