The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 22, 1978, Page Page 8, Image 8
Owens
By Rick Mohn
Gamccock Staff! Wrttw
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1978 USC basketball season just a
week away, Carolina fans are
dreaming of a return to the glory
days of 1969-1974, the peak years of
Frank McGuire's era in Columbia.
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Tom Owens goes to the bat
famous 1970-71 team against
former Gamecocks Brian V
Tom Boswell is a standout i
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in the success of those
Carolina powerhouse teams, Tom
Owens and Brian Winters, are now
enjoying a success of their own in
the National Basketball
Association, NBA.
Owens made the most famous
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iket as a member of USC's
; Duke. Owens, along with
Vinters, Alex English and
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layup in Carolina history. With
three seconds left in the 1971 ACC
championship game, he received a
miracle tap off a jump ball from
Kevin Joyce, then wheeled to make
the basket and beat North Carolina
for the conference crown, 52-51.
The skinny kid from New York was
always somewhat in the shadow of
his friend John Roche while he
played at USC, 1969-1971. And at
Portland the shadow was even
deeper: he played behind Bill
Walton. Now, with Walton gone,
Owens has stepped into the
limelight.
"I'm having the best year of my
pro career so far," the 6-10 center
said last week from his hotel room
in New York City. "I've started
every game this year, and I'm
averaging about twenty points and
(An rphonnris a cnmp "
Owens' team is not doing too
badly either, all things considered.
Two weeks ago the Blazers were 96
in the Pacific Division, one of the
NBA's toughest, despite the fact
that "injuries have really held us
back," Owens said. "Maurice
Lucas just rejoined the team after
injuring his hand. He missed all of
our first eleven games. Lloyd Neal
and Bobby Gross have been hurt,
too, and neither of them is playing
now. So we've been hurting pretty
bad."
Most observers would say the
departure of the NBA's best center
must affect the team, too. But
uwens aoesn i agree. "We really
haven't made much mention of
Bill. I mean, he's gone and there's
nothing we can do now but play
without him," he said.
And if any team can do that, it is
the Blazers. With Owens in the
middle, Lucas at forward along.
with rookie sensation Mychal
Thompson, Portland's front line
may best be described as
awesome.
Owens also expressed optimism
for his alma mater's team this
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year. "I played with some of the
players this summer, and Frank
definitely has some talent there.
Plus, his schedule is a little easier,
so that should help. I hope they do
well," he said.
Winters, who played at USC from
1972-1974, has never had problems
adjusting to pro basketball. After a
successful rookie year with the
Lakers, he went to Milwaukee in
the Abdul-Jabbar trade. Since then
he has been the leader of a bevy of
young stars for the Bucks. He has
already played in an All-Star
game, and teamed with Marques
Johnson to carry Milwaukee to the
Western Conference finals last
year. This season he is playing the
same, but the Bucks aren't.
"I'm averaging in the low
twenties (points per game), but I'd
trade that for winning more
games," the accurate shooter said
from his Milwaukee apartment, i
"Our main problems in this poor
start (6-13 two weeks ago) are road
games and a big injury. Dave
Meyers, who usually starts at one
rorwara, nas a disc problem in his
back, and they don't know when or ,
even if he'll play again. Also, i
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fourteen of our games so far this
season have been on the road,
where it's hard to win."
The Meyers injury has worse
implications because of the absence
of another former
Gamecock. "Alex English was our
third forward last year. With him
gone to Indiana, our depth has
really suffered," Winters said. "I
wish we had him back. But we're
not panicking. A bad start does not
iicvcssoiii) mean wc wuii i inane
the playoffs. We'll get it together."
Like Owens, he sees good times
for roundball fans at Carolina.
"USC has more talent this year,
along with a lot more height. I'll
expect them to win twenty
games," he said.
The careers of these two men
spanned the six greatest seasons in
USC basketball history. Now they
are doing what so many others
taught by McGuire have done:
made good in the pros. And they
think their former coach and his
program are both definitely back
near the top.
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