Show Ti IM i m rvw v 1!m i i rrr i t Vn m' i’r f i i r ' H tVk ' V ' ’ K- - ' -- r' s vA i £& V :v’' WMii lilt V v ' V A A’'- V1' l' tv ii ! : ' ’ ft ':? lofej X t R & Bt j " ' '- ‘ : - i V J- 1 V ''fvV M 4 i ' ' 1 The HerakJ Journal Logan Utah Thursday March 261998- v - Pages for Co Sports snapshot or W me W- There wasn't a more stimulating sight for the Aggies this season than that of By Jeff Hunter 8£ortowrtter NommterbowweUbeperfdnhsatthe Tenth Annual Crdlege Slam Dunk and Three-PoiShooting Championihips tonight die rest of die nation won’t see Kevm Rice at his best : forward is Although the impressive in the open court the senior — who actually comes in at under 2 — is at his most spectacular nt high-flyi- APpnoio Cesar 8ampato of Brad Ml la by teammate Akialr after Sampaio scored the first goal in BrazITa 2--1 exhibition aoooer win over ng 6-- underneath the basket in heavy traffic Rice vaulting above much taller players in the paint to slam home a teammate’s missedattempL But unleu he borrows Su Antonio Spurs big men David Robinson and Tim Dqncan Rice will have to settle for some good okl fashioned creativity and his own showmanship : The event which will be delayed for broadcast on ESPN beginning at 7:30 pm MST will take place at the Free man Coliseum in San Antonio Texu Rice will compete in the slam dunk portion of the championships against St John's Fdipe Lopez Oklahoma's Corey Brewer Cincinnati’s Ruben Patterson Duquesne’s Mike James Portland State’s Jamaal Sanford Tbwsbh’s Ralph Biggs and Centenary's Herbert Lang ' A native of San Antonio Rice played at East Central High and wu a first team all-ciand selection a senior He wu also named his conference’s most valuable player after averag ty u all-regi- and three ing 23 points eight rebounds " i assists per game Rice played at Midlands '(Texas) Junior College before transferring to Utah State During his senior season Rice led the Aggies in steals (55) and was second on the team in scoring (153) field goal percentage (531) -- Sports brlofs Owners instant replay straight year instant replay wu would have allowed coaches two challenges a game to disputed decisions got 21 votes one more than last year out two short of the 23 needed for enact The liven teams that have voted regularly against replay did so again — the New York Giants Arizona Buffalo Cincinnati Kansas City Chicago and Tampa Bay They were joined by San Penders out at Texas? AP photo a wealthy The Utah men's baskatbal team praparae for its flight to San Antonio sigN of the Final Four Jon Huntsman Industrialist loaned his private Gulfstraam jet to the Utes tor Wednesday's trip NBAV run buried and half the crowd hu headed to the pandng lot j Zac Dalton of Boise Idaho add Rnm--i But walk-on-s don Slugs of Salt City played key roles inprepar-- 1 ing Utah far its 76-5- 1 upset over Arizona on Satorday in the West Regional Dalton and Sluga burned die Utes’ triangleHBnidfwo' defense in practice before the Arizona game They were so successrul that Andre Miller Michael Doleac and the rest of Utah’s regulars wondered whether coach Rick Majerus wu joking when he ordered the Utes into that defense against the Wildcats “I thought (Arizona point guard Mike: Bibby) might score 100 points against i£” Miller aid “Wie coukfai’t even stop our walk-on-s with it in practice 'But Dalton and Sluga proved to be far more effective than die Wildcats who shot 28 percent while suffering their worst lou in 15 years The Utes including Dalton and Shua arrived in Sinl Antonio on Wednesday night for their first Final Four since 1966 Ten basketball — LPGA Golf Nabisco Dinah ESPN — College basketball NIT Tour- nament championship game Minnesota vs Penn State at New York E8PN2 — Major League Soccer Miami at Tampa Bay 7 pan F8R — NHL Hockey New Jersey at Colorado lOdOjun ESPN — Tennis Upton Championships women's semifinals (delayed tape) ' Friday bariiers-Minnesot- ESPN — PGA Golf The Players round part I at Ponte Cham-ionshiseco- a coach Clem Haskins thinks you’re out ofline Critics of the conference say it’s overrated arguing the league’s hoop teams aren’t as talented or tough as those in the ACC SEC or Big East And while die league has no representation in that other Final Four in San Antonio it will have the NTT championship all to itself tonight when Fran State (19-1and Minnesota (19-1- at-lar- ge ed NCAA champion since Michigan in 1989 but with an all-B-ig Tm final this year die league is assured of its third NTT titlist in six years Fresno State and Georgia meet in the consolation game before the championship “I’m happy Penn State is in die find because it means we will have a Big Ten champion regardless” Haskins said ' The third Minnesota-Pen- n State play for the tournament’s 61st champi- - matchup this season — they split their two rcgularceason games — will also be die first NTT championship between Big Ten takes its licks as not being a competitive conference” Haskins said “But but year we made the Final Four and if we hadn’t lost Eric Harris we would have been 1979 when Indiana defeated Purdue in another all-B-ig Ta final Minnesota which won the NIT in 1993 earned a spot in die find with a 91-8- 9 win over Fresno State After fin- 2) 1 ESPN — Exhibition cottage basketball slam dunk and three point championships at 8an Antonio ESPN2 —Tennis Upton Championatype ' men's quarterfinals (same-da- y tape) 5) national champions This year we hove two teams in die NTT find It's time to give some credit to the Big Ten” The conference hasn’t produced an teams from the same league since ishing third in 1990 and '95 Penn State which beat Georgia 66-6- 0 in die semis will be seeking its first men’s basketball championship of any kind V'lA-S'- Aasi'1 SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Kentucky and North Carolina regularly reach the Find Four Stanford and Utah haven’t been here for decades All four teams however have something in i common: have S ' the Alamodome Kentucky meets Stanford in the other semifinal The winners play' e Monday night for-th- They head coach leading a team into the Find Four Tubby Smith who took1! over as Wildcats coach this " season after Rick Pitinq left for the first time "For me it’s probably opportunity” Utah coach ' Rick Majerus said “I’m so thrilled for our players and our university die city of Salt Lake and the state of Utah” The Utes (293) defeated defending 1 champion Arizona 76-5- 1 Upton Championships men’s semifinals at Key Biscayne Fla pm 4 ESPN — PGA Golf The Players Championship second round part II at Ponte VedraFla ESPN2 — NASCAR Auto Racing quaR- WInston Cup Food City 600 at ggjfor WGN --rPraesaabn Major balCiicagoWhileSox vsTSan for the Boston Critics reached the Final Four when Kentucky overcame a secood-hal- nt - - Today's quote wu a walk-o-n I love walk-on- s fim have can They can be inspira They tional the student body always identifies with them ThereY only one downside to walk-oand that’s ifaUdis a jerk— if “I ' ns a j-- a v e r Chicago dumps Orlando Sonics rip Bullets By The Associated Prase Sunday to beat Duke 8684 ' It’s the third straight year Kentucky j (33-hu made the Find Four Seyen " 4) nia f Jordan vriio a magwipc article diis week in which he defiantly stated he won't back off his threat to retire had 17 points eight assists seven rebounds and five steals Wednesday night to lead die Chicago Bulls to a 85-7- 0 victory over the Orlando Magic “The question is who’s going to take a step back Who’s going to flinch?" Jordan wrote in ESPN magazine "Not me” Nor is his team ed The Bulls won their seventh in a row and lead over Seattle for the best record in the league with an 0 road victory over the Orlando Magic maintained a half-gam-e 85-7- Rick MqfemtoUTht Salt LakiTHbunt re e re ' See FOUR on Paige 10 ' to reach the - V trip “This is a club that knows exactly what they’re doing" Magic coach Chuck Daly said 1’ltl ' court They know we’re one of the imim that are in contention to face diem in die playoffs and they want to make sure you remember how they (day They came out and really took it to ‘I i us Pippen scored 11 of Chicago's first 15 points and the Bulls qpened a double-dig- it lead during nm and were never seri- a 160 opening-quarte- r ously threatened after that "We may have to fees this team again down the road" Jordan said referring to a possible I '1 ii "They’re playing fat best record and home Scottie Pippen scored 23 points Jordan had I i 17 and Dennis Rodman grabbed 18 rebounds as die Bulls won die opener of a three-gam- e road Michael Jordan isn’t flinching on the court 3 Oja ' ESPN2 f-- LpOAGolf Nabisco Dinah Shori second roun- d- deficit r f Bulls retain best record dthet' -- j ' 'f Find Four for the first time since 1966 Utah feces North Carolina on Saturday in f’ ajn ESPN — Tennis - ' i NEW YORK (AP) — Back off Big ’ TdOpun u NTT finale is all Big Ten M0 pun ’ i u Store lint round at Palm Springs Calf AT : i: os tolovlslon :mjjwvregaa-- r hr th - u IHL 1 (fa J red-fac- San Antonio 4 Quebec 3 Milwaukee 3 Grand Rapids 2 SO Long Beach 5 Michigan 0 11 w Pirlf Jfa vifiiils invioTiib lib r K jlq w'i4 in I TrfVWW 4flW?P dm kscs ptfw ::ifed dMhlft seftft'Dtewi season --weavuy'frvared toaddWAC After beating 'Jpeduil gjpg be a walk-bh-” UNLV the before in crown ment Hansen the said in North with Carolina quar-being upset by losing 'They nave to have the best attitude im4' Athletic Conference tour- - terfinals to UNLV on the Rebels’ (34-which is making its 13th our guys this year nave done a tremendous job”" home floor Utah wu outplayed and trip to the Final Four does not Everywhere he has coached Majerus has pieced much outhustled as an undersized UNLV scare Doleac and his teammates But it wu drat kiss together a squad of walk-on- s “We're not looking at Them as “I was a walk-on- ” any of the Utes’ wins dud prepared team outrebounded the Utes 54-5- 1 Mqeros told The Salt Lake Tribune Utah for its run through leNCAA North Carolina at all They’re just a UI love walk-on-s an Entering the NCAAs They can have fen They can be jnspi tournament to its first Final Four in selection die Utes team we have to play’ Doleac jadonal die student body alums identifies wife dCJi'-- : ' ' " 32 years said “Now that we’ve proven we on San beat Francisco to went “There’si only ooe downside to walk-oand that’s if $ tourArkansu and West Virginia before ' could be there let’s go out and win ‘a kid is a jerk— if he stsrts worrying about plqrhfcBu Losing the WAC conference nament “probably helped a little bit routing defending champion Ariit not just be there” I try veryliaid to make sure our walk-on-s aren’t jerks” Utes guard Drew Hansen echoed i Dabon ! to addreu some of the things we zona 76-5- 1 to earn their first trip to gusrd reminds everyone wilhng to weren't doing well” Utes center the championship round since that' sentiment: “We just beat a ten that he leads die Utes in fiddgod percentage tC Michael Doleac said he prepared He is 1966 when they finished fourth really good team and we can play v “It helped get us focused” said with anyone in die nation” for Saturday’s matchup in San Irvine” Dalton said laughing ‘Tve ?”I had one against ' Antonio against North Carolina Doleac who has averaged 21 AvX V 'T 10 ihad rolled through the regular points a game in die tournament to See LOSS oo Page See WALK on Plage 10 s -- r t u NHL - : 3) Ottawa 3 NY Rangers 2 OT Montreal 2 Tampa Bay 1 OT Auhislm 3 Cttago 2 Edmonton 4 Washington! tpni ESPN2 in hi th k" top-rank- ed Mtaml105 Boston 91 ' Houston 86 Indana 81 New Jersey 91 Philadelphia 86 Detroit 103 8an Antonio 94 Chicago 85 Orlando 70 Deltas 106 Denver 94 Minnesota 99 Phoenix 97 Seattle 133 Washington 109 New York 77 LA dippers 78 LAJjjceral 14 Sacramento 91 Oin Rebs mm ViodnoscfayV scotch : £ ca H B thi 1 Diego and Oakland W ah SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — During a game the Irole of a team’s walk-o- n players usually consists of a couple of minutes on die court after a mismatched opponent is ment IB tb 'r s 1 This year’s replay version which AUSTIN Texas (AP) — Tom Penders who led Texas to the NCAA tournament in eight of his 10 seasons is out as Longhorns coach the AP learned Penders under fire since last week’s release of a player’s grades to a radio station is considering a job outside of cmriwng nr bring uMaugiv-- at Tmt source close the basketball procam said The source spoke on die condition that he not he identified- - Bi partin ev-en- th killed by NFL owners Ming two votes Short Thei proposal called for a modified system from the one used from 1986-9- - ons 'J ORLANDO Fla (AP) — For the Su assists (71) and blocks (21) Utah State finished the season with a school record 25 wins and won the Big West Tournament to advance to the NCAA fbumar " ment for the first time in a decade Germany kill chi ’ See NBA onPnge 11 w - yi & r ' 'I ' -- v Michael drives around Jordan Bulla the Orlando (23) guard Chicago Magtfs Charfss Outlaw on Ns way to the baskot In the Aral quarter of fee BuHsT 85-7- 0 victory Wednesday night 1 I ' I |