University of South Carolina Libraries
.: : *Jim Hersh NCAA-AAU War Continues The bitter war between the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Amateur Athletic Union moved to a new front Friday when the NCAA declared that underg raduates at member institutions would not be permitted to play in the eight-game United States-Russia basketball series this spring. For the NCAA and AAU the ruling was just typical of the many such rulings that have caused a rift between the two organizations, a state of disorganization in amateur athletics in the U.S. and, more importantly, harmed the individual athletes, instead of helping them as both groups are supposed to do. The NCAA-AAU feud reached its peak in October when the NCAA withdrew completely from the United States Olympic Committee because of AAU dominance in that com mittee. The NCAA screamed for much-needed reforms in the USOC, and when the changes were not forthcoming they dropped out of the USOC. It seems as though the NCAA was wise in pulling out of the USOC until the needed changes were made, but the NCAA's decision to prohibit undergraduates from the U.S. Russia basketball series is grossly unfair to the athletes. According to the NCAA, they made the ruling because the AAU made plans for the series without consulting the International Basketball Board and sought to countermand long-existing NCAA by-laws. Solve problems at top Although the AAU may be in the wrong, the NCAA and AAU should eleviate this problem and others like it, at the top of the organization instead of using their ability to man ipulate the athletes as a power leverage. What the NCAA and AAU are now doing is manhandling their athletes for their own advantage and, consequently, cheating the athletes. Meanwhile the AAU is trying to get public opinion on its side by expressing their disappointment at the NCAA's interrupting the rematch of the controversial Olympic gold medal game. They're trying to make the NCAA seem like an unpatriotic organization that would rather have the U.S. lose to the Russians than give up a little of its power. That's probably right, but its as true of the AAU as it is of the NCAA. As long as the NCAA and AAU remain enemies the U.S. amateur athletic scene will be disorganized. This is unfor tunate, not just because it makes the U.S. teams weaker in international competition or because the Russians might make the Americans look bad in a series of basketball games, but becuase the two organizations are treating the athletes like slaves, using the athletes for their own pur poses instead of working for them. Look for Carolina to get bid Speaking of the NCAA, Carolina should be hearing from their selection committee sometime Wednesday telling them wether or not they are being invited to the NCAA basketball play-offs. The opinion here is that USC will be asked to the Regionals, along with seventh-ranked Provi dence and number 11 St. John's, who his lost three of their last four games. Last Wednesday the Regional selection committee nar rowed its list to six teams, the ones listed above plus Syra cuse, Maryland Eastern Shore and Virginia Tech. Syracuse 20-4, is probably the best team that will not get a bid. Vir ginia Tech lost all hope after recent losses to Richmond (See HERSH, Page 11) Eas T OJC1You Can Make For Menti GameockMeet With Us . .. Chare AcountWednesday 8:30 '1 0RussellHos Purpose is to organize volunteer the Mid-Carolina Mental Health Ass, to patients and the commun)ity ri I education and information. URITON SMENTAL HEALTI BRTTN Crash landing Carolina's Rick Mousa is on the way down as Dave Schneider, Athlete's AIN Action center, grabs the loose ball. AIA won the game 91-77 Saturday night for their 12th win in 26 games. Georgia captures gymnastics meet The USC Women's Gymnastics team suffered its fifth loss of the season, Saturday in a meet with the University of Georgia by a score of 70.90 to 64.25. The meet which was scheduled to be a tri-meet including Duke University, was changed when Duke's coach called and reported that due to injuries suffered by some of the members of the team, only two gymnasts could come, and he felt that it wasn't enough to make the trip to the meet worthwhile. University of Georgia won three of the four events with Jody Hitt taking first place in all four events. Jean Fioramonti of USC placed second in Vault ing, Balance Beam and Floor Excercise. The next meet will be the State. U.S.G.F. Meet and will be held at USC on March 10 with com petition starting at 10:00 A.M. Basketball USC VS. Fordh am, Wednesday A Difference 0.. 4* || Health * .** , Feb. 28 PM (Rm. 310) activities for the U.S.C. unit of >ciation that wi// provide services garding public mental health' T HE M ARINE CORPS OFFICE R SE LE A T-28 ON CAMPUS TO FLY BONi I COMMITTEE THE MARINES IN THE RUSSELL H Athletes topUSC reserves Athletes in Action added another impressive name to their list of col lege basketball teams that they have defeated when they beat Carolina 91-77 Saturday night at the Coliseum, but that was about all the Athletes defeated--a name. Not one of the first six players on the USC team entered the game as Kevin Joyce, Danny Traylor, Casey Manning, Brian Winters, Alexander English and Mike Dun leavy were just spectators from the bench. The contest does not count in either the Gamecock team stand ings or their statistics. USC did employ the use of their reserves against the Athletes, and for most of the initial period the second-stringers managed to stay.in a tight contest with the former col legiate players who comprise the Athletes in Action squad. Carolina's effort was led by freshman Mark Greiner who pro duced 21 points. Bob Mathias scored 19, Rick Mousa 11, Jimmy Walsh 10, and Tommy Cox and Jim Clements rounded out the list of Gamecocks who saw action with eight points each. The reserve's effort was strong in the early going as AIA was dead locked at 22-22 with about seven minutes in the first half, but the more experienced Athletes were able to ramble off eight straight points to widen the margin as they continued to do throughout the remainder of the game. Once in the second half, Carolina did threaten to pull within 10 points, but they were unable to do so when Walsh's field goal attempt was blocked, the Athletes broke a fast break on which Jimmy Blacklock, the high point producer for AIA with 21, was fouled and his shot was good due to goaltending on Mousa. Instead of being within 10, Carolina was back by 15. A crowd of 4,260 attended the game, however, there was little action to be viewed, with the closest thing to true excitement being a hal fcourt shot by Mike McCoy which narrowly missed at the halftime buzzer. CTION OFFICER TEAM WILL HAVE iFIDE AVIATION PROSPECTS. SEE OUSE 27 FEB. THUGHan 1 MAR.