The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 15

THE COURIER-JOURNAL SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1996 EDITOR: HARRY BRYAN PHONE: 582-4361 FAX: 582-7186 SPORTS UK's Delk, Ole Miss' Carter both on rolls 1 Opponents Pts. FG 3-PT FT Louisville 30 10-17 4-3 6-6 Rider 24 10-16 3-5 1-1 lona 29 9-12 6-7 5-5 South Carolina 28 11-20 6-13 0-0 Avg.Pct 27.8 .615 .576 1.000 Buckner out of his league, glad of it The proof that Quinn Buckner was not the problem with the Dallas Mavericks can be found on the fourth page of this section every morning. The team that gave 110 percent toward one goal staining Buckner's reputation as a guy who wants basketball played the right way is 8-22. Only two National Basketball Association teams have played worse. The proof that the Mavericks were the problem with Buckner's happiness Delk's great play is much less of a surprise, but his current hot streak is unprecedented.

Believe it or not, he never had even three straight 20-point games at UK, much less four. But the 6-foot-l senior has scored no fewer than 24 points over his past four games and is averaging 27.8 points since burning Louisville for 30 on Dec. 23. In that stretch, Delk has shot 61.5 percent from the field, 57.6 percent from three-point range and 100 percent from the foul line. Said Delk's backup, Jeff Sheppard: "Sometimes I'll be on the bench and think, 'Uh oh! Tony's so hot tonight I might not get In his first three seasons, Delk was primarily a jump shooter who routinely blew hot and cold.

But he has put his chiseled 193-pound body to good use as a senior driving the lane, posting up weaker foes and pounding the offensive boards. "It's not a question of his being on or off from the perimeter now, because he can score in so many ways," UK coach Rick Pitino said. "He has realized how much is at stake for this team and how much is at stake for him personally." Pitino said Delk has emerged as a See DELK Page 2, col. 1, this section By MARK COOMES Staff Writer LEXINGTON, Ky. Tony Delk is a basketball star at the University of Kentucky, where even junior varsity players (take a bow, Cameron Mills) get glowing write-ups in The New York Times.

Over the past few months, Delk's gap-toothed visage has graced more magazine covers than Princess Di. Keith Carter, on the other hand, couldn't get his face on the back of a milk carton. Carter is a freshman guard at Mississippi, where "pub" often is just a place to drink beer. But tonight the Rebels' leading scorer and rebounder ground: will make his first visit to Rupp Are- iU na, where He will share some of Both Plaving better Delk's spotlight and a bit of common one imagined. can be round by talking with the Flying high, Cards go to DePaul former Indiana University star.

Nearly 20 months have passed since he was fired at the end of his one and only 13-69 season as the Mays' coach. Among the analysts CBS Sports will use on its college RICK BOZICH SPORTS COLUMNIST r3 fS (' By DAVE KOERNER Staff Writer The winter coats are on and the portable compact-disc players in hand, and there probably will be something else in the baggage this morning as the University of Louisville basketball team heads to Chicago for tomorrow night's Conference USA game at DePaul. New-found confidence. "It's always good to win on the road, but especially a conference game against an opponent with an excellent home record," assistant coach Jerry Jones said of Wednesday night's 67-63 league-opening victory at Saint Louis, which had won, 14 consecutive home games. Not only that, the win was of L's first in four road games this season, following losses at Boston College, Georgia Tech and Kentucky by an average margin of 16 points.

"It's got to give the kids confidence," Jones said. "We played the game the way it's supposed to be played in a tough environment." Or more precisely, the way of did not play in Boston, Atlanta and Lexington. "We played well early and we answered their runs, and that's something we haven't been doing," guard Tick Rogers said. "We played good defense and con-See CARDS Page 2, col. 1, this section PHOTO BY STAN DENNY Columbus' Scott Bell, left, and Louisville's Travis Tucker engaged In a fight that cost the Frogs defender eight stitches under his left eye.

Frogs ice Chill 2-0 for 7th win in row INSIDE Round two The NFL playoffs resume with two divisional games today: Buffalo at Pittsburgh and Green Bay at San Francisco. B6 6-on-5 attack in the final minute. Miller wrapped it up with a last-second, long blast into the empty net. "It was one of our best defensive games of the season all around," Morissette said. "I wasn't even thinking shutout, just a win, and he (Lembke) didn't give me any breaks.

But it (the tight battle) keeps me in the game all the time." The match was easing along in classic fashion midway through the See FROGS Page 5, col. 1, this section Frogs defender Travis Tucker said. "We don't want to be looking at the standings and chasing teams for points, and we don't want to be looking back in March and saying, 'Gee, if we'd won this one or that one Morissette saved 28 shots but almost was matched by Columbus backup goalie Jeff Lembke, who turned aside all but one. Miller scored with 5:46 left in the first period on an unassisted 15-foot drive from the right wing, but Lembke was impenetrable from then until he was pulled for a desperation bent Arena. "We're taking these one by one, but we have to make a statement to these other teams now," center An-gelo Ricci said.

Louisville, which moved into sole possession of third place in the East Coast Hockey League's North Division with 46 points to the Chill's 44, will meet second-place Wheeling tonight at 7:05 at Broadbent. The Chill will return to Broadbent on Tuesday, followed by division leader Toledo next Saturday. "This was fairly important because it was basically a four-point game," By JIM TERHUNE Staff Writer Thanks to Andrew Miller and goalkeeper Alain Morissette and despite a volatile midgame eruption between two teams that had shown no such inclination, the Louisville RiverFrogs took care of phase one of an important two-week hockey adventure last night. Morissette got his second shutout of the season, Miller his eighth and ninth goals and the Frogs their seventh straight victory, 2-0 over the Columbus Chill before 5,026 at Broad- INDEX basketball telecasts this season, only Billy Packer ranks ahead of Buckner. You can hear him on Cleveland Cavaliers satellite telecasts, too.

And the no-baloney guy that Jimmy Jackson, Jamal Mashburn and the other Mavs sabotaged with all of their baloney is about to take a job with an international management firm. His assignment: corporate head-hunter for sports managerial positions. Buckner is the guy you will call if you're looking for an athletic director, a general manager or maybe even a coach. "Life is good," he said. "Everybody in my family is healthy, and I'm still living on the right side of the grass.

What could be better?" He knows what could be worse: coaching in the NBA, a league in which he played for 10 seasons. It's th strangest thing. If anybody figured to succeed as an NBA coach, it was Quinn Buckner. The man has championship rings from every level of the game from junior high to the Olympics. He was the playmaker of the 1975-76 IU team that remains the last undefeated NCAA champion.

Buckner was a dependable pro who learned the game from Bob Knight, Dean Smith, Don Nelson and K. C. Jones. He was a selfless teammate who gave the ball to Scott May, Junior Bridgeman, Sidney Moncrief and Larry Bird. He played to win, not to make SportsCenter.

There was not a hole in his resume. Except one: an inability to accept the immaturity and selfishness epidemic in young athletes today. "It's not the same as when I played," said Buckner. You're not talking to great-grandpa here. Buckner is 41, only 10 years removed from his playing days.

"I knew I was in trouble the first time I got on the bus after a tough loss," he said. "On the teams I played on (IU, the Bucks and the Celtics), if you lost a tough game, it was totally quiet on the bus. It bothered you. You were thinking how you could have made a play here or there to win the game." And today? "The truth?" he asked. Nothing but, please.

"You get on the bus after a tough loss, and four guys pull out their cellular phones and start making calls and laughing," he said. "Championships aren't what young players are interested in. A loss doesn't faze them at all. They make so much money, it doesn't matter. "All basketball is is a tool for them to market themselves and a product.

That's more important than winning. And what's frightening now is you see that down at the college and even high school levels. "Most of the young players, when it comes to picking a college, even look at that decision as a marketing tool. It is strictly a marketing tool so they can get to the NBA. And once they get in the NBA, they want commercials.

That's why you have all the mugging and taunting and slam-dunking. "The game has become, well, not superfluous, but close. And you've got a lot of guys who really don't understand how to play." So Quinn Buckner is probably finished with pro basketball unless he is sitting behind a microphone or putting a team together as a general manager. He continues to live near Dallas with his wife, two sons and two daughters. Make a note to check the Texas recruiting lists in a few years.

Buckner has a 13-year-old son who scored 22 touchdowns in eight football games last fall. The kid figures to dominate in basketball, too as soon as his dad lets him return to the gym. Seems the report card did not look the way Dad believed it should look, so Dad cut back on sports activities until he sees improvement. Said Buckner, "You've got to remember to do things the right way." College Basketball 2 High School Basketball 3 Pro Basketball 4 Horse Racing 5 Shula steps down; Johnson up next? Frey's three pulls Rocks out of the fire "I don't have any thoughts on Jimmy different than anyone else," Huizenga said. "We're going to compile a list and go after the person we think is the best person.

"But I haven't talked to Jimmy." Johnson has been keeping a low profile since reports surfaced Thursday night that Shula would resign. "This is a sensitive issue. I have no comment. I have had no By RICK WEBER Gannett News Service DAVIE, Fla. A potentially treacherous path has been cleared for Jimmy Johnson to take over as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

That was the most compelling development yesterday, as an ebullient but red-eyed Don Shula officially announced his resignation. contact," he told the Dallas Morning News. Huizenga said there is no timetable for replacing the National Football League's all-time winnin-gest coach, who had a record of 347-173-6 in 33 years but endured his most frustrating season as the Dolphins went 9-7 and then flamed out in the first Owner H. Wayne Hui-zenga said Shula will remain part owner and partner and most importantly will become vice chairman of the board of directors. "I'll be available for how much or how little he would like me to contribute," said Shula, who emphasized repeatedly that Huizenga had not forced By BOB WHITE Staff Writer Trinity saw an 11-point lead disappear before Kevin Frey rescued his team and led the unbeaten Shamrocks to a 70-63 victory over visiting Atherton last night.

Frey, a 6-foot-4 senior averaging 22.6 points entering the game between the 26th District rivals, scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Trinity improved to 9-0. The Rocks can tie the school record of 10 victories to open a season by beating visiting Iroquois at 7:30 tonight. The 1975-76 and 1984-85 teams won their first 10. "This is amazing and a dream come true," the elated Frey said. "This is my senior year and we've set all these goals, and we're achieving them." Was one of the goals to go unbeaten? "I don't think that can be achieved," he said.

"I know we're going to lose sometime, but we'll ride this as long as we can." Atherton (5-5) had a chance to rain (or snow) on Trinity's parade when the Rebels wiped out deficits of 52-41 and 60-52 to take leads of 61-60 and 63-62. Stephon Harris, a thick-chested, 6-foot, 210-pound center, paced Atherton with 23 points. He hit 1 of 2 free throws to start a 9-0 run that pushed the Rebels ahead 61-60. Glenn Mitchell and Maurice Tolley hit three-pointers and Levar Tolley added a layup after a steal to complete the run. See TRINITY Page 3, col.

5, this section Shula round of the playoffs with a 37-22 loss to the Buffalo Bills. "Obviously, we have to move as quickly as possible," Huizenga said. "We just have to go through that process, whatever it is three, four, five weeks." The process likely will include immediate negotiations with Johnson, 52, who took over for Tom Landry in similar circumstances after the 1988 season and coached the Cowboys to Super Bowl victories in 1992 and 1993, then feuded with owner Jerry See SHULA Page 6, col. 5, this section him out. Shula will not, however, be a part of the front office or make any day-today decisions, nor will he have a key role in selecting the next coach.

In terms of Johnson's availability, that news was critical. Johnson, who coached the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl titles and now is a television analyst for Fox and HBO, turned down a $4 million-a-year offer from the Philadelphia Eagles last year and has made no secret of his interest in the Dolphins. But he also has stated in the past that his next job must allow him total control of personnel and decision-making. STAFF PHOTO BY PAT McDONOGH Atherton's Glen Mitchell blocked a driving shot by Kurt Brown 6f Trinity, which prevailed 70-63 for a 9-0 start. r.

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