Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Nation will be contesting the veteran back court. Up for their first varsity play are talented sophs Owen Brown, Tom Roy and Varick Cutler, which means Dreisell not only has it on the court, but on the bench as well. About the only thing Minnesota is remembered for these days is the fight that occurred with Ohio State last season. Culprits Ron Behagen and Corky Taylor are back, as is Olympic standout Jim Brewer. Last year's top scorer Clyde Turner (18.6) is also returning. Bill Musselman said he was going for the conference title in his first year, and fought every second to win it. And with the likes of Brewer, Behagen, Taylor, Turner, floor general Bob Nix and Keith Young all coming back, it looks as if the Gophers are going to give Mus selman a similar award in his sec ond year. If a surprise team of 1971 had to be picked, Florida State would get the nod. The Seminoles vaulted out of obscurity to knock off highly rated North Carolina before finally falling to UCLA in an exciting title game. Four starters return: 6-11 Lawrence McCray6-10 Reggie Roy als, Ron King and Otto Petty. The fifth spot will be up for grabs among a hot group of junior college trans fers that Hugh Durham picked up when FSU was riding the crest of national publicity. Jim Chones is gone. So is Bob Lac key. So how is Marquette supposed to stay in the race for national hon ors? Well, first there's Larry McNeill back at center, Allie McGuire and Marcus Washington back at guard and sophomore Maurice Lucas ("a young Wes Unseld,," according to Al McGuire). Then there's freshman guard Wil liam Earl Tatum, perhaps the best player to come out of the East last year. That's an awful lot. Southwestern Louisiana's first year as a major college basketball team might be termed a success ...but that would be a grave under statement, considering a 25-4 mark. Dwight Lamar, the nation's leading scorer (36.3 ppg) is back, as is big man Roy Ebron (23 ppg, 14.2 rebounds). Guards Jerry Bisbana and 6-7 forward Fred Saunders return from last season's starting five, while sophs Fred McDonald and James Clark will see plenty of action. With many other teams returning their top'players, it may seem that Pennsylvania would fall into mediocrity with the loss of Bob Morse and Corky Calhoun. Yet the Quakers return Phil Hankinson, a pre-season All America choice, 6-7 John Jablonski and 6-6 Craig Lit tlepage. Add to this impressive list ~dr I UTHSQA a Prev a crop of fine sophomores headed by 6-6 Larry Lewis, 6-7 Bob Bigelow and 6-8 Ron Haigler, and it's no won der Penn fans are aching for a shot atUCLA. Tennessee has all the makings of being one of the top teams in the country. Seven-foot Len Kosmalski, last year's SEC Soph of the Year, and 6-3 conference Player of the Year Mike Edwards return to Ray Mears' squad, as do leading reboun der Larry Robinson, late-bloomer John Snow and captain Lloyd Richardson. Mears also grabbed another 7-0 giant from The Nether lands in Kees Akerboom, who wrote he was 6-9. It was later discovered he couldn't translate centimeters to inches. It doesn't matter, just so long as he puts the points in. If Long Beach State wasn't located in California, quite a few people would hear more about Jerry Tarkanian's wildmen. Of course, everyone knows about Ed Ratleff, who was named to all 12 All America first teams last season. There are a batch of transfers including Leonard Gray (Kansas) and 6-7 Phil Hicks (averaged 19.9 rebounds with the Loyola of the South frosh). Though State lost key players in Chuck Terry and Eric McWilliams, Ratleff will be back. And that's really all anybody needs. Brigham Young lost guard Bernie Fryer (18.2 ppg) and three-year starter Phil Tollestrup. Coach Stann Watts is also gone. But Kresimir Cosic is back, though just for league play, and this factor alone is the big gest plys for new coach Glenn Pot ter. Cosic averaged 22.3 ppg last year and will be joined by returning starters Doug Richards (10.7 ppg), Belmont Anderson and Brian Ambrozich. Potter also has a 7-0 backup man for Cosic in Randy Scott, who can double at forward. Even though North Carolina State is inelibible for post-season activ ity, the Wolfpack can boast perhaps the nation's best guard in super soph David Thompson, who can do it all. He averaged 35.6 ppg as a freshman and is a better than-average rebounder. Tom Burleson, all 7-4 of him, also returns to give State one of the country's most powerful offensive attacks. Seven players are back from the Across fram USC ROUNDHOUSE OUt 10 K1 1 'lew Memphis State team that beat Louisville twice in regular season play last year, including Missouri Valley Player of the Year Larry Finch. Then there are Jim Liss and Shannon Kennedy, who averaged 50 points per game between them as freshmen; three Juco transfers and seven incoming freshmen with a combined scoring average of 24.1 ppg. That is how national powers are made, and Gene Bartow's squad should make a repeat performance by Louisville extremely difficult. San Francisco only lost one star ter from 1971 and starters Snake Jones (6-9), Kevin Restani (6-10) Phil Smith and Mike Quick return to give the Dons the type of power that seemingly died with the graduation of Bill Russell and K. C. Jones. Ohio State's marvelous sopho mores of two years ago are now seniors, more experienced and more mature. The inside play of Luke Witte comgined with Alan Hor nyak's outside game and the return of starters Wardell Jackson and Dan Gerhard make OSU a series contender for the Big Ten title they relinquished last season. What can one say when a team that went 19-9 returns all five star dw Authorize( Ii___ Ir Warrant) OUR SALI Metrotec rLA SYPN C1C A AI K E NARPEnL QENJAMINV LYMNIC ~1oss From Page 1 ters? Kansas State's Big Eight oppo nents may run out of superlatives early in the season as Jack Har tman's crew, paced by 6-10 center Bill Mitchell, ought to leave Mis souri so far back in the pack it won't even be funny. When a sophomore averages 23 points, 16 rebounds and heaven only knows how many blocked shots, his team can't help but produce. And Northern Illinois, behind the power ful play of Jim Bradley, will be doing just that. Bradley can start the fast break, score the points, make the plays. He has capable sup port. So Northern Illinois can't help but produce. Only one of Guy Lewis' D boys is back this year, but Houston should still roll to another 20-game season. Dwight Jones returns at center, while starters Steve New some, Jerry Bonney and Donnell Hayes are also back. Marshall, New Mexico State and Oral Roberts round out the nation's elite. The Thundering Heard lost big Russell Lee and his 24-point scoring average, but Mike D'Antoni (16.8), Tyrone Collins (15.1) and Randy Noll (16.8) are all back to give Marshall a potent offensive attack. Factory 20 years ... audio specialisl Service DISCOUNTS ON ALI. FS ONLY AUDIO COMPONENTS AND AUDI (EXCEPT C.F.T. ITEM: I i 4, John Williamson (27.1) returns with New Mexico State to give the Aggies one of the nation's top individual scorers. Truman Ward and 7-0 Roland Grant anchor a front line that could include promising soph Jim Bostic, who averaged 24.1 ppg and 17.4 rebounds as a freshman. Mention Oral Roberts and one name comes to mind: Richard Fuqua. Fuqua averaged 35.9 ppg to rate second nationally. One of col lege basketball's highest scoring teams, Oral Roberts also has seven foot sophomore David Vaughn, who averaged 32 ppg and 23 rebounds as a freshman. Those two alone could make opponents pray for their salvation. Across from USC ROUNDHOUSE s ... for your choice of the choice o SYSTEMS 11,01MMkardonJ Wollensak 3m fltfntosh 'IONER Nqk NIKKO , - BLLr,rD1} EL[L * PICKERING REVOX