The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 18

2 THE COIRIERJOIRXAL, TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1976 ooden, the king, gives 'way to Knight, the wonderkid By BOB OATES L.A. Times-Washington Post Service BLOOMINGTON, Ind. If the recent history of college basketball belonged to UCLA, it might be said that the immed yf iudiii wsrt-pv'ns ifw if ir (if im'viiiiai'rinriiiiiwiij iiMiawiWa(ifgyir inmiirii ni 1 1 inn nir iiinmi rliuiiinmiiii mi iiimiiii i-i ilnmn mrniMwiMi in -oiniiiii. iinnn. rwn irmiinm TiUM-anrBii nnmi-uir immiumf iate future belongs to Indiana.

In other words, maybe, the king is dead, long live the king. Since the retirement of John Wooden, 64, his heir has seemed to be the Indiana University wonderkid, Bobby Knight, 35. Perhaps nobody today, in any case, compares with Knight, whose Indiana Hoosiers have won more regularseason games consecutively (57) than any other basketball team in the history of the Big Ten. This is the Big Ten's 78th season. It is Knight's fifth at this university.

And he has now coached four straight conference champions. After a long drought in which IU won only 34 of its last 84 conference starts before Knight, they're living it up here again in the heartland of American basketball. The No. 1 attraction On game days, for example, the legislature adjourns early to make the first tipoff, day or night. Indianapolis clubs, men's and women's alike, meet only on Knight's nights off.

Movie theaters are all but deserted when the Hoosiers play. Home games are televised live by at least one Indiana station and sometimes six or seven. And the next day, old friends greet each other not with "Good morning," but Associated Prtst in basketball depends on games won, and there was little that was rabid about those who followed the Hoosiers during the slump that lasted from the 1950s through the 60s and into the 70s. The Knight era, accordingly, is two things. It is a fusion of old Hoosier basketball interest nationally recognized, but lately dormant with that provided by a gifted new coach.

It is like Notre Dame football in the day of Frank Leahy. Notre Dame's fans, always a bit crazy, became largely unmanageable with a coach who won all the time. At a recent Hoosier basketball game in Bloomington, where the issue was never in doubt, the cheerleaders went wild, along with the crowd, after every free throw. By the last play of the game, when Indiana beat Iowa with its final layup 101-81, everybody was limp. The 17,691 spectators, 1,023 over capacity, had erupted with a dozen standing ovations.

The Indiana coach, who doesn't drink or smoke and who kicks reporters out of his office if they light up, agrees with Byron that he is "never less alone than when alone." "I enjoy being by myself," said Knight, whose hobbies are those of the classic introvert, fishing and reading. "I don't get any pleasure out of being around a bunch of people I don't know. Cocktail parties are impossible for me to take, especially the inane chatter of so many women." Not long removed from his boyhood, Knight said his idols have been Thomas Edison, George Washington, Ted Williams, Woody Hayes, Pete Rose and John Havlicek. "I like their dedication," he said. "Williams' ambition was to have people say as he walked down the street: 'There goes the greatest hitter who ever Havlicek's ambition is to play in more games than anyone who ever lived, and I bet he gets there." On Knight's office wall, two framed mottoes develop his philosophy.

One quotes Gen. George S. Patton: "You have to be single-minded. Drive only for one thing on which you have decided." What has Knight decided? "I don't have a specific goal," he said, "except to reach my full potential, whatever that is." The other sign over his desk, anonymous, commands: "By your own soul learn to live. And if any man thwart you, pay no heed.

If man hate you, have no care. Sing your Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight relaxes at home in Bloomington Second-place Michigan truly first class "We're No. 1." During their long run at the top of the wire-service polls, Knight's undefeated Hoosiers, who were 31-1 last season, have created an impossible spectator demand at their new arena in the building called Assembly Hall, which seats 16,668. Student season tickets were good for every other game. When 18,000 undergraduates bought season books this year, the university decided it could accommodate only half of them at a time and cut the ticket price in half.

Total attendance at IU basketball games has been the largest in the nation for two years, with crowds averaging nearly 17,000. The team's constituency, including those who tune in to the Hoosiers' 48-station radio network, runs into the millions. In Bloomington, to be sure, interest in basketball has always been considerable. Although it isn't true that the sport was invented in Indiana, it took root here early and has always seemed the best way to spend the winter. But here as elsewhere, rabid interest assists (117), and the others accepted him and respected his ability.

He just fit right in with the team." Hubbard adapted quickly and is the team's second leading scorer (15.2) and leading rebounder (10.2). His one problem has been fouls. He leads the team with 113 and has fouled out of nine games. After losing to Indiana, Michigan went on to clinch second in the Big Ten before losing to Minnesota by two points in the next-to-last game of the regular season. Apparently, the heartbreaking defeat in the rough game at Bloomington had no ill effects.

"We bounced back and played well, which really was kind of a surprise," Orr said. "We'd led the entire game and then to lose, well, I didn't know what to expect. But it didn't have any adverse effect at all. If anything, it was an incentive to have another chance at them. But we're not looking ahead, either." but there's no reason why some second-place teams shouldn't go instead of all those independents," coach Johnny On-said by phone from Ann Arbor yesterday.

Michigan brings a 22-6 record into the regional semifinal, and that very easily could be 23-5. It dropped an overtime game to No. 1 Indiana at Bloomington after leading the Hoosiers until the closing seconds. It also could be home watching the action on television. It took a basket by Rickey Green in the closing seconds for Michigan to beat Wichita 74-73 in a first-round NCAA game last Saturday.

"When you get this far, about any team can win," said Orr, whose club nearly upset eventual champion UCLA last year before losing a first-round game in overtime. "All you need is to play a good game and get a break in officiating or any kind of break." There are those who are beginning to believe that if Michigan gets any kind of break, it will face Indiana in Philadelphia for the national championship. "I don't see how they can pick us over Notre Dame," Orr said. "We've never been ranked ahead of them. But I notice some of the fellows are picking us, and that's fine with me." Michigan is not a big team.

The center, freshman Phil Hubbard, is 6 feet 7. At one forward, John Robinson is 6-6, and at the other Wayman Britt is 6-2. Guards Green and Steve Grote are both 6-2. But Michigan is quick, so quick a speeding bullet doesn't have a chance against it. "That might be exaggerating a little," said Orr.

"We do have some quickness. All our players are good athletes. Green is very, very quick and Britt, for his position, is quick. Grote has just average quickness. Hubbard is quicker than most centers, but he's also smaller than most.

And Robinson is the same. We've been decent in rebounding. We've won 22 games, so we must be doing something right." Green, a junior-college transfer from Vincennes (Ind.) University, leads the team in scoring, averaging 20 points a game. "What a surprise he has been," said Orr. "What makes it so surprising is how he worked in with the team so quickly.

The big thing was his unselfishness. He moved the ball around and got a lot of By PAUL BORDEN Courier-Journal Times Staff Writer Question: What Big Ten team didn't win the conference title but went on to win the national championship? Answer: Indiana, in 1940 (Purdue won the Big Ten but refused an NCAA bid). Question: What team could duplicate the feat this season? Answer: Michigan. No team has taken advantage of the expansion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament field like Michigan. Second to Indiana the last two years, Michigan twice has received at-large bids to the 32-team event which is now open to selected conference runners-up, or third- and fourth-place teams, for that matter.

Michigan is one of only five teams to appear in the last three NCAA tourneys. The others are UCLA, Syracuse, Marquette and Notre Dame, which is Michigan's foe Thursday night in the second game of the Midwest Regional. Texas Tech and Missouri open play in Freedom Hall at 7 o'clock. Though second place, Michigan is far from second class. "The new rule has definitely helped us, Sellout here or waiver by NCAA preclude area telecast of IU game song, jjream your aream.

rray your prayer. By your own soul learn to live." Newell, Bee closest friends Knight: "This (basketball) is a business in which you can get a lot of help-but it's important to determine your best course yourself. So I keep that thought on the wall." Some of his help, he said, comes from five basketball coaches, Pete Newell, Clair Bee, Fred Taylor, Red Auerbach and Harold Andreas and three football coaches with whom he talks occasionally Bud Wilkinson, George Allen and Red Blaik. His closest friends, with whom he takes counsel each week, are Newell and Bee. Their framed photos are on the wall.

NCAA Midwest team records Michigan Record Irish star Adrian Dantley is bad news in sneakers Michigan State At Purdue At Illinois Iowa .63 .80 .76 .95 86 "Right now, we're in a holding pattern," said Art Metzler, community relations director for WAVE. "We may not know anything definite until Wednesday morning. It's a heckuva long time to wait, but this is really a problem." Wisconsin Vanderbilt 63 66 81 At Tennessee 82 84 91 South Carolina .82 75 106 Dayton 80 104 Michigan Invitational 107 74 Southern Illinois 49 67 90 Miami 90 Las Vegas Classic 81 86 La Salle 71 94 94 Vegas ..108 92 90 82 At Northwestern ..72 88 95 Minnesota 72 79 106 At Wisconsin 81 80 74 Indiana ..80 84 Ohio State 81 74 At Indiana (OT) 72 At Ohio State 66 At Michigan State 64 Eastern Michisan .76 Purdue 81 Illinois 75 At Iowa 74 At Minnesota 81 Northwestern i 77 NCAA first round Wichita State 73 Continued from Page 1 State and of beats Providence tonight. Also, NIT officials decided yesterday that a UK-U of game would be played at 7 o'clock Thursday night, which would mean a conflict. WAVE-Channel 3 is committed to televising UK and of as long as they're alive in the NIT.

WAVE also has first shot at the Mideast Regional. So if either UK or of plays at 7 Thursday night, one of the other three Louisville TV stations would have the option of picking up the IU telecast. "I don't want to see the game not carried here," said Dick Sweeney, program director for WHAS-TV. "I think it has to be. But, at this stage, nobody knows how." Or, for that matter, if the NCAA will allow it.

By PAUL BORDEN Courier-Journal Times Staff Writer Digger Phelps says his Notre Dame team has "improved a lot" and "had a great season" considering the schedule played. But when you think of Notre Dame, you think of Adrian Dantley, not those other four guys out there trying to shake down the thunder from the skies. And for good reason. Dantley is the second leading scorer in Notre Dame history. Austin Carr, who shot more times than any other Irish player, is No.

1 with 2,560 points. Dantley has 1,394. Dantley averaged 28.5 points per game this season, two points off his total of last year. He was the leading scorer in all but two of Notre Dame's 28 games, the leading rebounder in 16. Howard Garfinkel, who runs what some consider the No.

1 basketball scouting service in the country, says Dantley "has more moves than Flipper." 4 Although it probably won't happen today in time to help IU fans, the Midwest Regional at Freedom Hall could still be a sellout. "I look for a big sale Wednesday morning, depending on what UK and of do Tuesday night," said Belcher. "I think a lot of people are waiting to see if UK and of will be playing on TV Thursday." Midwest Regional tickets are $15 for both sessions (the final is Saturday at noon) and are on sale at the of ticket office. Notre Dame Record 90 Kent State 61 63 Maryland 69 117 Valparaiso 83 108 At La Salle 89 88 Texas Tech 63 117 Davidson 74 72 At Kansas 64 95 St. Bonaventure ...80 60 At Indiana 63 84 Villanova 57 102 St.

Francis (Pa.) .73 97 West Virginia 77 77 Ky. (at Lou.) ...79 92 At Butler 79 70 At ULLA 86 At Fordham 78 88 Manhattan 71 90 At South Carolina .83 77 At Pittsburgh 66 85 At Dayton 79 119 Ball State 78 75 Marquette ....81 90 At Xavier 79 95 West. Mich. (OT) .88 97 St. Joe (Ind.) 60 NCAA first round 95 UCLA 8S 79 Cincinnati 78 89 DePaul 68 'vs 1 1 King 3 Edward PANETELA DELUXE sports beat Call 5824871 for major results The Sports Department has a special number to call for major sports results.

The number is 582-4871. All scores cannot be put on the recording device, and the Sports Department cannot give out scores on its regular number. If you have a sports question, please do not call the Sports Department. Instead, write to Readers' Service, The Courier Journal and Times, Louisville, Ky. 40202 and enclose a stamped, self-addressed Arlene's Sunday drive irks the men LOUISVILLE DOWNS OFlAR LEVEL ROAD AT WATTERSON EXPRESSWAY Others, too, have kind words for the burly 6-foot-5 forward: DePaul coach Ray Meyer: "He takes the ball to the basket as well as any college player I've seen.

I look at a player and see if he's shooting a lot of free throws. That tells me he's doing something." St. John's coach Lou Carnesecca: "Dantley is like a Sherman tank. He keeps coming at you. You have to hope the day he plays you he doesn't feel good." Marquette coach Al McGuire: "Dantley is like a great fighter.

You can't get to him mentally. He keeps coming at you." Northwestern guard Billy McKinney: "Adrian Dantley is bad news in tennis shoes." Phelps called his star the leading candidate for Player of the That honor went to Indiana's Scott May, but there's no question A.D. is the man at Notre Dame. "I look at myself as the leader," Dantley said earlier this season. "I can give the others confidence.

That's what they expect of me this year." A three-year starter, Dantley, though only a junior, is close to being the "old man" of this young Notre Dame team. The only seniors are Roger Anderson and Myron Schuckman, two little-used centers. Starting center Dave Batton is a sophomore. Juniors Ray Martin and Bill Pa-terno are the guards and freshman Bruce Flowers joins Dantley up front. Duck Williams, the second leading scorer (12 a game), is a sophomore.

Until he became academically ineligible, freshman Bill Laimbeer was one of the top reserves, averaging eight points a game through the first part of the season. "The loss of Laimbeer hurt our depth and rebounding," Phelps says. "But the other kids adjusted very well. Some of our players have been more mentally involved." One of those players who was "involved" in Saturday's first-round NCAA game was Toby Knight, who tipped in the winning basket with two seconds left against Cincinnati. Knight, who did not play against Kentucky when the Irish played UK in Freedom Hall in December, is the second leading rebounder on the team at 6.9 per game.

Knight's tip-in gave Notre Dame its 14th victory in NCAA play. Notre Dame has lost 15 games in 13 NCAA appearances, including one to Michigan two years ago in the Mideast Regional. They meet again at Freedom Hall in Thursday night's second gams. Texas Tech and Missouri open play at 7 o'clock; in the Midwest Regional semifinals. CONVOY SALE C.B.

RADIO WINNER Compiled by STAN SUTTON From Associated Press Dispatches There was a lot of hissing going on yesterday in Phoenix, most of it directed at the first woman to drive in an Indianapolis-type automobile race, Arlene Hiss. Issued a conditional license for the Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix Sunday and for a United States Auto Club race April 25 at Trenton, N.J., Hiss' racing career may have ended after one race. Dick King, USAC executive director, said he was reviewing Hiss' license and will make a statement later this week. Phoenix winner Bobby Unser called Hiss' license "idiotic" and blamed the press for her appearance. "She would have never been allowed to run, but the press made a big deal out of it so USAC let her go," Unser said.

Another driver added, "USAC bent over backward to give her every chance. Now they're going to look like the bad guys if they pull her license. "Somebody's going to get killed if they don't." Hiss drove on the most treacherous parts of the track some 15 to 20 miles per hour slower than the other drivers. One official said she nearly hit a fireman at the scene of an accident. Second-place finisher Paucho Carter, who like other drivers frequently motioned angrily to officials during the race to get Hiss off the track, said: "A man wouldn't have been allowed to keep going that slow, driving that bad." "She failed, plain and simple," said another driver who asked not to be identified.

"Her mistakes put our lives on the line. I've talked to some of the others, and we'll refuse to drive at Trenton if she's going to be there." FOOTBALL Stolz resignation asked? Michigan State coach Denny Stolz and former athletic director Burt Smith have been asked to resign from the athletic department, a Detroit radio station reported. Station WJR said the request was made last weekend by school president Citftnn Wharton Jr. The report comes in the wake of a three-year probation slammed on the Michigan State football program on Jan. 25 after the school was found guilty of 34 recruiting violations.

Smith resigned as athletic director last October and has been coordinator of special projects. BOXING Ali-Dunn bout confirmed Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali will fight Richard Dunn of England the morning of May 25 in Munich, U.S. promoter Bob Arum confirmed. The bout will be seen on American home television the night of May 24. Ali also is scheduled to fight Jimmy Young April 30 in Landover, with home TV also scheduled.

HORSE RACING Magnolia weight 9 assigned Answer, Alvarada and Rough Girl have been assigned top weight of 121 pounds each for the Magnolia Stakes Wednesday at Oaklawn Park. Nine 3-year-old fillies are entered in the pace at Hot Springs, which is a major prep for the Fantasy Stakes March 27. Answer has won only one of four starts this year but captured four of nine events as a 2-year-old, including the Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita. She has earned $123,702. Alvarada won an allowance race in her last start March 10, beating Rough Girl by a nose in the six-furlong event.

Rough Girl was unbeaten in five starts until losing to Alvarada, to whom she spotted three pounds. SWIMMING Lakeside group sets record Chris Burckle, John Barnett, Bob Fowler and Kevin Davis, representing Lakeside of Louisville, set a new state record in the 400-yard freestyle relay Sunday in the Region 6 Senior Swimming Championships at Canton, Ohio. Their time was 3:13.172. Rosemary Boone of Plantation Country Club edged teammate Bobbin Wright to win the 200 backstroke in 2:10.10. Plantation qualified two 400 freestyle relay teams for the nationals with one-two finish at Canton.

The winning team was made up of Me-linda Lyverse, Lynn Shiffler, Marcia Shearer and Robbin Wright. The other team had Chan-ccllor Dugan, Fraud Vandersluis, Rosemary Boone and Mary Lou Street. Benson and Douglas downplaying matchup Continued From Page 1 points and nine rebounds. However, he has hit 58.2 per cent from the field to Douglas' 49. In IU's straight man-to-man defense, Benson will be almost solely responsible for guarding Douglas, a situation the Alabama center will undoubtedly be happy to see.

For a change, Leon will be guarded by just one man instead of two or three. "People have played a lot of crazy defenses against me," he said. "Geez, I've seen so many. Some people have used zones with four men in the middle. Even when I can get the ball, I can't do too much with it.

It's frustrating, really." Douglas said the fact that Benson beat him out for the first-team All-America spot will have nothing to do with his performance Thursday night. "I don't let things like that bother me," he said. "People thought he had done a good enough job to vote him that way. I figure if 1 make it, fine, and if I don't, fine. I'm just interested in going out and winning." To do that, Douglas figures Alabama will have to play strong defense.

"We've been playing good defense all season and we'll have to continue," he said. "I think we'll be able to score against Indiana. We like to run, but if they take the fast break away from us, we can set it up, too. We've played both ways." Alabama, the Southeastern Conference champion, has a 23-4 record and has won 10 of its last 11 games, the only loss being inflicted by Kentucky at Lexington 90-85. PHILLIP ALGER 4111 CRESTVIEW DRIVE BUD CMC end KENWORTH 4330 Poplar Level Road at Watterson Expressway 459-1200 Ttfm an iw fti ffii ftn iitr fftii iti1 vrrii j-J--JfcnffHi.