Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

E a *** ~ Special Basketball Issue ** Gamec * I-a Lettir USC junior guard Brian Winters takes jump shot against Creighton in Carolina victory over the Bluejays last season. Win Bruins on BY DOUG WILLIAMS Sports Editor Those who engage in choosing the Tc nation's top 20 college basketball teams have become resigned to the 1. UCLA fact that the only real national race 2. Maryl is for second place. For to ask who 3. Minne is number one is to ask an extremely 4 . ridiculous question. It is as it was 4.Fod in the beginning and for ever shall 5. Marqu be, UCLA. 6. S. W. I The last time the Bruins didn't 7. Penns capture the national title was in 8.Tne 1966 when unheard of Texas West- .Tne ern team somehow managed to 9. Lonig I dump favored Kentucky. Since 10. Brigh2 then, it has been all UCLA, and John 11. Nortl Wooden's gang seems to be prepar- 12. Mem] ing for more of the same despite the presense of top contenders from 13. San F all geographical sections of the 14. Ohio country. 15. Kans4 UCLA'S biggest asset, in the 16. North literal sense of the word, has to be 17Hos junior Bill Walton, who did every- 7 os thing but lead cheers last season 18. Mars] when the Bruins coasted to their 19. New] sixth st raight title. Joining the Wal- 20. Oral ton Gang once again will be Keith _______ ocks featui l o c k sThomas A. Price ig it fly ters teams with senior Kevin Joyce to form one of the nation's most powerful backcourt combinations. topagain Wilkes, Greg Lee and Larry Farmer. The only thing missing from 1971 p 20 is guard Henry Bibby, but he should not be too difficult to replace, as Wooden has sophomores Andre mld McCarter (20.2 average as a a freshman) and 6-5 Pete Trgovich, iota who led the frosh in scoring with t St. a 23.4 mark; Tommy Curtis and ette Larry Holly field. oUisiana If Walton's fragile knees do not /lvania hold up, Wooden can turn to Swen seNater, who could be the best big ;see man in the country were it not for leach St. walton. am Young Maryland returned last year's I Carolina St. NIT trophy to the Atlantic Coast >sSaeConference, but it appears that his tateLefty Driesell is looking to bigger rancisco and better things. All-America can State didates Tom McMillen and Len ts State Elmore both return, as does senior ern Illinois guard Howard White. on Driesell is also blessed with a pair :on of fine guards in Jap Trimble and lai Bob Bodell, though freshmen John M4exico St. Lucas and Maurice 'Mo' Howard Roberts (Please see NATIONA L, _____ _Pae 2, Col.umn 1)i e new look McGuire can't tell Carolina's ability BY STEVE PARKER Asst. Sports Editor Carolina's basketball Gamecocks open their 1972-73 sea son Saturday night at Tennessee and that encounter should answer many questions about the team, including some being asked by Coach Frank McGuire. "This is the first time in my coaching profession that I can't honestly say just how strong the team will be," said McGuire recently. "I honestly just can't tell," continued the coach, "I can't wait until the Tennessee game to find out for myself." The Gamecocks will feature a new look on the court this year, including a roster which will feature nine pe ple who have never dribbled a basketball in varsity action here at Carolina. Seven members of the 14 man squad are pure freshmen and two are sophomores, leaving just five return ing varsity members. And that fact presents many of the questions; can the frosh players be counted on as heavily as they will need to be, considering the fact that none of them have ever played before crowds of nearly the size they will be per forming before or played against opponents of the caliber that they will face this year? The returning varsity members also raise a few questions that remain to be answered: Can Danny Traylor pick up the rebounding and boardwork slack that has been created by the departure of All-America Tom Riker through gradua tion? Can Carolina shift from a forward-oriented offense that featured the agressive play of Riker and the sharp shooting of Rick Adylett to a guard-oriented attack that will utilize that strong-point of their squad. Everyone, including McGuire, will have to wait and see. (Please see USC, Page 14, Column 1) Thomas A Price Clutch performer Guard Kevin Joyce, described by some as the country's best pressure player, is a bona fide candidate for post season honors.