Show yrv p rT r By Jim p ppppp r"p r r r i The Herald Journal Logan Utah Tuesday March 14 2000 — Pag® 7 I leads AP p p team All-Americ- an O'Conner more than Murphy who was on 27 ballots Mihm a junior averaged 179 points 106 rebounds and 24 blocks1 APBasketbal Writer first-tea- m ot Cincinnati center Kenyon Martin whose season was ended just before the NCAA tournament by a broken leg was still the leading on the Associated Press ' basketball team Jowa State forward Marcus Fizer was4bcond in' me balloting Monday’ and he and Martin were joined on the tint team by Indian guard AJfr Guy- ton Texas center Chris Mihm and Node Dame forward Troy Muiphy Martin just one vote shy of being a unanimous selection was the Confer-ence USA player of the year after averaging 189 points' 97 rebounds and 34 Mocked shots The senior Moke his leg three minutes into the Bearcats' tournament quarterfinal matchup with Saint Louis The loss caused Cincinnati ranked No 1 at die time to be selected as a second seed for die NCAA tournament “I'm very happy to receive this vote-gett- while shooting S3 percent for thq Longhorns He is Texas' first AH American since the AP began selecting ' a team in 1948 In 1935 Jack Gray was a consensus selection “We had a lpt of gods as a team and a lot of individual goals this sea- - er AH-Amer-ica honor” said Martin a three-tim- ica son and this was one of them” ! Kenyon Martin - Marcus Fizer i ‘ e defensive player of the year in the conference “It's one that I have to share with my coaches and team- mates They've done so much for me Chris Mihm Guyton Troy Murphy ca f and my career and they have been so ' supportive with my injury' Martin was selected to die first team ' on all but one of the ballots from the national merfia panel and had 336 paints in the system ‘He's very deserving He is unquestionably die best player in the country” Cincinnati coach Bob Hug-gisaid of the Bearcats’ first 5-3- -1 ns All-Amer- selection since Danny Fortson in 1997 "Aside from the obvious in terms of his contribution he brings more intangibles to the floor than anybody in college basketball As great a player as Kenyon is he is even a greater person” Fizer the Big 12 player of the year and the conference’s leading scorer the last two seasons led the Cyclones to their first league title since 194S and is their first since 1957 in Gary Thompson The 6-- junior averaged 232 paints and 75 rebounds while shooting 57 an 8 percent from die field including 43 percent from range He received 57 first-teavotes and 313 points m “I have never been more excited for a player” Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy said “He certainly deserves to be a I happen to think he’s the best player in the country It’s an excellent first-tea- m All-Amer- example of what buying into coaching can do He deserves all the credit for where he finds himself’’ Guyton the Big Ten player of the scorer in year and the Indiana history with 2097 points was on 33 ballots and had 226 points fourth-leadi- first-tea- The 6-- ng m senior averaged 203 1 Mihm said "It feels great to achieve that I was mentioned as a preseason and that’s nice and all but it redly doesn’t count until the season's over and you’ve done it” this Mihm hid 19 season giving Mm 35 in Ms last 52 games He had 11 in his previous 42 “Learning how to a hard worker and continuing to develop Ms wok ethic” Longhorns coach Rick Barnes said in expldning Mihm's develop- ment the last two seasons “Thai what it takes to be one of those guys who separates himself from everyone else It was an early struggle for him but now he gets a double-doubas easy as any guy I've been around" points this season while shooting 42 percent from range He is Indiana’s career leader with 280 and was the first Hoosier to be on the team since Calbert Cheaney in 1993 Mihm received just 17 first-teavotes but his 200 points were one int All-Ameri- ca double-doubl- es le m See TEAM on Page 8 t begin in Nuggets fail to end this streak By The Associated ' Press last six games “I’ve been shooting them pretty well I just want to get my percentage up going into the playoffs Everybody knows I step my game up come playoff time” The playoffs can’t come soon enough for the Lakers whose winning streak is the Phil Jackson had seen this' script before The rewrite turned out better In 1996 he led the Chicago Bulls into Denver with an winning streak — at the time the longest in the NBA in 24 yean and the Nuggets shocked the eventual league champions 18-ga- Milwaukee Bucks for the streak The 1971-7- Danny Nee Reggie Minton and Tom Abatemarco are out So are Marcos Rodriguez anqT Eddie Payne second- -longest 2 Lakers hold the league record of 33 rtraighL “This is nice but I don’t think they pass out anything for teams that win' 19 in a -roW: BM i Harder said "You 18-ga- me 18-ga- ck only think abounndving on”'Tie Nuggets who have lost six in a row made things interesting with NBA commissioner David Stem in the audience Denver trailed by 11 with 4:05 remaining but scored the next 2 six points to dose to with2:331efL O’Neal responded with two - 8 the Lakers yon for their 19th straight victory 118-10- “We just didn’t have the energy for the game (in 1996) They had the energy to push on through” Shaquille O’Neal playing with a sore right hamstring provided inspiration and production for the Lakers with 40 "It's been a busy couple of With a victory Thursday night in Washington Los Angeles will tie the 1970-7- 1 returned to Denver on Monday night with his team riding an run ' I reminded than that once "I we had an winning streak and Denver surprised us after a similar situation" Jackson said after " The Associated Press days on the college basketball1 coacMqg front third best in NBA history Now coaching the Los Angeles Lakers Jackson back-to-ba- By ' AP photo i Los Angeles Lakers center ShaquMe O’Neal right goes up for Jones defends in the first quarter Monday a shot aa Denver Nuggets center Popeye 107-10- don’t think he can get any hater unless he Mts all his free throws and starts shooting 3s He’s one of the league’s best players if not the best” Kobe Bryant coming off a career-hig- h 40 points in Sun- guard Nick Van Exel finished Pistons in a half since April with 17 points and 15 assists 1991 k In are Jim Wooldridge and i John Calipari Just' hours after the confer-- i ence tournaments and regular-'- ’ season ’games ended th4 college basketball hiring and firing season began in earnest On Monday Nee was fired’ as Nebraska’s coach aftefhlS’ ‘team’s worst finish In 10 Air Force said Minton’s con-- ’ react won’t be renewed Abatemarco resigned as coach: of Sacramento State as did ' Rodriguez at Florida Internal tional Those moves came not long after Oregon State fired Eddied Payne on Sunday Nee was Nebraska's 9 coach with a y Paul Pierce led Boston with 38 points and a career-hig- h called Antonio was nine and rebounds McDyess points record in 14 seasons the Antoine Walker sewed 30 for an offensive foul O’Neal seven assists in 44 minutes 113 Grizzlies 103 Sonks longest career of any active He also hit 12 of 16 free made two more free throws and 40 q Big 12 coach But die Huskers throws including his last seven points Gary Payton's prompting a fan to say lost every conference 11 assists helped Seattle deal three-poiover win work no more" don't The day’s performance host Vancouver its ninth road game tMs season then Denver never got within Sacramento scored 22 and was a stark turnaround from a lost to Baylor in the first round Glen Rice1 added 20 for Los points and Lindsey Hunter straight loss debacle in Los Ange- eight the rest of the way vis1 25 added Seattle overcame Grizzlies of the conference tournament as Detroit ended "He’s just a bully ‘Hut’s all Angeles which last lost Feb les’ ton to Denver in four-ga“At Nebraska we like to winBoston’s center Antonio San at November it is” Denver forward Chris Bryant Reeves’ season-hig-h iting national championships” win Mt Reeves 31 his lead 23 streak to had O’NeaL said "He of said remember points Gaffing points ning that” “I Gatling Detroit led 7 at half- first 11 shots of the game but athletic director Bill Byrne O’Neal who has shot 623 just bullies his way in there six Denver playen in double figsaid “I think it’s not unreaafter halftime percent from the line ova his and who’s going to stop him? 1 ures Former Los Angeles point time the most points for the was just sonable for us to be a team that can compete year in and year out I would tike us to be in the NCAA tournament on a regu- lar basis and I'd like us to do Transwell in it” and translast Methodist the won’t the Noel — of be he road To Sean the day off Monday after a SAN ANTONIO (AP) Specialty trip hopes Nee’s termination is effec- “We’re kind Elliott practiced jump shots and ran plant recipient to return to pro sports Elliott his coach and his kidney transgratified plant Hospital March 31 and the univrty tive watch tMs wheb 20 are like look back of "You at the drills four Elliott's with doctors to return your you you yean may Spurs players playing plant sity will pay about $400000 to for the San Antonio Spurs tonight is Alamodomein his final hard practice from now and it'll be no Mg deal” he kids do something good” Elliott expects to (day about 10 min- buy out the remaining threes said “Obviously somebody has to go before playing again more than a basketball comeback utes first” It’s a story of hard work determinaElliott who underwent a kidney per game at first as he rebuilds Ms years on Ms contract Abatemarco resigned in a He began practicing with the demonstamina feat Elliott’s Doctors make 16 to a tion ind resuming his life despite hope planned transplant Aug on Sacramento State’s in letter can team strates setback early medical February following again recipients kidney transplant history by playing tonight against nftjw letterhead Abatemarco wrote "I have a chance to make a state- Atlanta in the Alamodome No other resume their usual life after surgery months of working out on Ms own ifessional athlete in a major sport and that it raises awareness about the ment to myself and also a lot of people Only weeks after the Spurs won the that “due to personal reasons NBA and comsuccess of level of returned to the same that have gone through what I went championship Elliott announced I will be unable to continue as organ transplantation head basketball coach and amv last need for donation the after a the eve Elliott said July that he needed a kidney transorgan kidney transplant petition Monday through” "I’m happy for him” said Elliott's plant because he suffered from focal therefore resigning effective The forward who of his return to the NBA I immediately” WMle most of his teammates took received a kidney from Ms older brother transplant surgeon Dr Francis Wright glomerulosclerosis free throws and Denver’s “Hack-a-Sha- fiee-thro- w nt “Right now we are not a match for this team” Nuggets coach Dan Issel said’ “This team is probably the best team in the NBA” Pistons 124 Celtics 115 Jerry Stackhouse sewed 36 ! win-ninge- st 254-18- (11-19) U-foi- 72-4- a - E Miami’s Marino steps out of the spotlight DAVIE Fla (AP) — Fw more than an hour Dan Marino answered queer turns about his retirement his carta and his future Then he stepped off a stage at the front of the room and out of the spotlight Friends and family were waiting and forma teammate Mark Clayton greeted him with a hug "Welcome to retirement” Clayton said “It’s not bad is it?” asked Marino's wifeClaire Marino didn't respond He probably won't know the answer for a while ' With both relief and reluctance Marino announced his retirement Monday at age 38 confirming a decision he made last Thursday During an emotional news conference Marino struggled successfully to keep Ms composure but the perception that the Dolphins pushed Marino into retirement made the occasion awkward Former coach Jimmy Johnson' whose feud with Marino turned last season into a soap opera didn’t attend foe news conference New coach Dave Wannstedt was there but didn’t speak Marino described the weeks leading up to retirement as the toughest of his life "Boy I really struggled with titis decision" he said Marino rejected an offer last week to play for the Minnesota Vikings and said he decided to quit mostly because of the toll 17 NFL seasons took on his body not because of the way the Dolphins treated him "The Dotohinf could have done things better” said Ms agent Marvin Demoff “But I don't think it would have changed his derision There are some hurts but with Dan I don’t think they’ll be hard to hesL He’s a forgiving person” Team owner Wayne Huizenga took immediate steps to mend fences He announced that toe Dolphins will retire Na 13 erect a statue to Marino and name S street after him near their stadium Dolphins officials spent three days preparing the team meeting room for 20 TV cameras 150 members of the media and guests of Marino Among those on hand were his mother and father his five children and Don Shula his cioadi for 13 years Marino’s final season ended disastrously in January with a 62--7 playoff ' loss at Jacksonville and Johnson quit the next day Marino said he went into the off&ason thinking he would probably retire too but he wavered when Vikings coach Dennis Green promised a starting job Marino said his family wanted him to keep playing But he kept thinking about the six knee operations that left Mm immobile and a neck injury last year that left him temporarily unable to throw "It became so clear to him physically that he shouldn’t be out there getting hit by people" Demoff said Marino said he hated to give up trying for a championship He never came close to a ring after 1984 when he and the DolpMns lost to San Fran6 cisco in foe Super Bowl 38-1- mLmu rfimsflrflrn 4 Jt V Shula disclosed for the first time Monday that he retired four years ago in part because Marino hadn't won a title — :: “That helped lead to my decision that maybe somebody else could come in here and get enough people around him to grt hun back to have an oppor- tunity to win that Supa Bowl ring” Shula said "That was Ms frustration and my frustration — that we only went to the one Supa Bowl with Dan "But that doesn't diminish from Ms carea" Others might disagree Marino holds and most of the major NFL carea passing records but Ms failure to win a championship is sure to surface forevermore in debates about die game's great quarterbacks Marino said his future will include lots of golf and family time He might be interested in a job as a network TV analyst and down the road he might consider becoming an NFL or working in the front office He ruled out coaching one-seas- part-own- I ffcflt -- er AP phots Former Miami Dolphins quarter back Dan Marino pauses as he announces his retirement Monday at the Miami Dolphins training camp Marinp spent his entire 17u year NFL career with the Dolphins! : |