The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 16

2-B The Greenville Newt Tuesday, April 4, 1978 Ga. Tech joins ACC; Foster sees challenge in the ACC, but speculation is that it is approximately $100,000. When the athletic directors of the eight schools meet in May. a major topic of conversation will be foot- ball scheduling. I Georgia Tech has scheduling commitments into the-" 1980s, and although the exective committee did not', specify its plan of action, it is expected that some games between Tech and non-conference opponents may be designated as conference games.

Clemson and Georgia Tech discontinued their 46-i game football series after last season, when Tech fused to agree to a home-and-home arrangement with Clemson. Another likelv item on the agenda is possible on the ACC tag, and it'll be tough for anyone to take a player out of Georgia. "It affects us more than any of the other conference schools because of geography," Foster explained. "It would have a similar effect on Virginia or Maryland if the expansion team had come from their end of the league. In terms of scheduling, Foster says Georgia Tech's admission will result in diminished flexibility for Clem-son.

"Two more ACC games make 14. and home-and-home games each year with South Carolina and Fur-man make 18. We've got tough Christmas tournaments scheduled from now on, along with the IPTAY Invitational and the first round of the ACC Tournament. That comes to 23 games which you know are going to be tough before the season ever starts. "I know there are obvious advantages in terms of television and media coverage, and the fact that the conference will be tied together from Washington to Atlanta," added Foster, "so I don't think it's all bad.

"But the expansion was an administrative decision rather than a decision made by the coaches." The announcement by the ACC executive commit By KERRY CAPPS Newt sport writer Georgia Tech's admission to the Atlantic Coast Conference was greeted enthusiastically Monday by almost everyone concerned. But to Clemson's Bill Foster, Tech is just another tough opponent. Foster, of course, is familiar with all the administrative advantages of Georgia Tech becoming a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. But after the ACC's executive committee voted unanimously Monday to accept Tech as the conference's eighth member beginning in 1979, he offered a coach's-eye-view of the expansion. "I think from a fan's viewpoint and an administrative viewpoint, everybody is excited about Georgia Tech coming into the league," said Foster, "but for the guy who has to whip 'em all, it's a little bit of a different thing.

"The biggest differences it will make to us in basketball is in scheduling and recruiting," he said. "Georgia Tech coming into the conference obviously is going to make it tougher for us to recruit against them in Georgia. They've already got a good basketball program and an attractive recruiting base in Atlanta. Tack tee was welcomed by Atlantic Coast Conference administrators. "There is no doubt that Georgia Tech will strengthen the conference." said Duke athletic director Tom Butters.

"First, Tech is a fine academic institution with a great athletic heritage. They will broaden the scope of the ACC to two major metropolitan areas and will open up the conference to two million more fans." North Carolina State Athletic Director Willis Casey agreed. "I'm just delighted that they're joining the conference," Casey said. "I think everbody in the conference is glad to have Georgia Tech." The conference's announcement said that Georgia Tech will be invited to the ACC's annual spring meeting at Myrtle Beach May 16 for formal induction into the league. Tech will become an active, plaving member of the ACC on July 1, 1979 in time for the 1979 football season.

The Yellow Jackets will not compete for the ACC basketball title next year, but will participate in the tournament at Greensboro. They will play a full schedule against ACC competition in 1979-80. The exective committee did not disclose how much Georgia Tech will be required to pay for membership tion of sites for the ACC basketball tournament in order to include Atlanta's Omni. "I definitely think the Omni will be in the tourna-M. ment picture," said Clemson's Foster.

"But with conference votes in North Carolina, I can't see it mov-- ing permanently to Atlanta, or even rotating every other year. 1 expect some sort of arrangement where we'd play in Greensboro two years and at Atlanta and Landover (Md.) once each during a four-year span." Carlen retains attorney 1 Tech's entry Living where we do, the announcement that Georgia Tech has been admitted to the Atlantic Coast Conference hits with a strange impact. The first reaction in this area, for most people, is probably a letdown. That's because By DAN FOSTER News sports editor University of South Carolina football coach Jim Carlen has retained an attorney to represent him in a dispute over his role as the school's athletic director. Carlen, reached by telephone Monday, would not deny to The Greenville News' that he and his lawyer, Tom Mc-Cutcheon, had met with USC President James B.

Holderman over the provisions in Carlen's contract relating to his additional role as director of athletics. Carlen said he would have "no comment" on the question. Holderman, who had expressed dissatisfaction with the USC athletic arrangement which had both Carlen and basketball coach Frank McGuire reporting to him, appointed James A. Morris vice president for athletic affairs at the university March 1. Morris role has given him control of finances and several other non-coaching functions of the athletic department which previously had been under Carlen.

Carlen, who came to South Carolina as head football coach and associate athletic director in 1975, was later named athletic director for all of the programs except basketball. Morris said here March 23 that Carlen had "not been at all happy," with the arrangement which put Morris in authority over him. He also said McGuire had accepted the new alignment. Carlen has a five-year contract which runs until Jan. 1, 1983.

According to The Tech admission seems to have snuffed out the last flickering hope that the University of South Carolina could get back into the league, certainly any time soon. Dr. James Morris, the vice president for athletic affairs at South Carolina, told The News Monday, "My own judgment is that this quite obviously makes our situation in terms of getting into the Atlantic Coast Conference that much more difficult. mq Foster A Carlen nor happy News's source it is his position lhat the rights in his contract have been violated by the actions which Holderman took in assigning Morris some of the responsibilities which ordinarily go with being athletic director. It is expected that the university's board of trustees will get an opportunity, 3U to examine Carlen contract and make recommendations before the issue might wind up in the courts.

"In the past the conference fought very much the idea of going beyond eight teams. However, this is 1978, and not only does Georgia Tech add a great deal, but adding South Carolina and Virginia Tech, who would make it 10, would make sense also. "I don't know that anybody would be interested in that, but I don't think we are automatically and forever precluded for any attempt at getting back in, if the university family decided that's what it wanted to do." Morris said the majority of sentiments expressed to him by USC people had been in favor of Carolina returning to the league it left in 1971. He plans to feel out the ACC, "to see whether they would like for us to be back in," adding he would make some move within the next three weeks toward determing what Carolina will try to do. Undoubtedly there's resentment at South Carolina not driving ahead with an applicati on a year or two ago.

The sentiments seemed to be swinging back toward rejoining when Georgia Tech made, what would be in football terms, an 6-10 Wyatt signs Clemson gran CLEMSON Horace Wyatt, a 6-10 forward who averaged 19 points and 15 rebounds this season, has signed a basketball grant in aid to attend Clemson, Tiger head coach Bill Foster announced Monday. Butler led Hartsville's Butler High School to a 26-1 record, with the only loss coming in the semifinals of the state 2-A playoffs. During his four seasons for Coach Newt -FKKhar Ross Mechanic's heaven Mechanics and drivers work on cars in the pits at Greenville- Pickens Speedway in the first night of racing at the half-mile oval track. Thomas, Wyatt averaged 15 points and 14 rebounds as Butler recorded a 91-8 record, including four conference championships. For that four year period, Wyatt hit on 53 per cent of his shots from the floor and blocked 240 shots.

Wyatt narrowed his choices to Mary-' ACC's roots land and the Tigers before making his final decision. Inconsistency hurts Crenshaw There are times when new conference alignments make sense. Tech traditionalists may find some interest (and maybe even a little irony) that in 1921 the Southern Conference was founded in Atlanta. It started with 14 schools, including Clemsnn, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Thirty-three years, and many different teams later, seven of the biggest teams in the Southern joined with Virginia to form the ACC.

And now, Tech is in the conference which was spawned by the old Southern Conference, which Tech had quit in 1932. Sn there are times when conference realignments make sense. But that doesn't mean all resignations and reaffiliations do. Nothing could mnke that plainer than the fact that before Tech sent candy and flowers to the ACC, it had been rejected for readmission to the Southeastern Conference. The aggregate result is that there's a place Tech would rather be than where it is.

The same is increasingly true for South Carolina. The whole scene is something like a cocktail party of middle-aged Hollywood couples. Maybe everybody's not with his first love nor even his favorite love, hut he's with whoever's the best available at the moment. With that, Tech, welcome to the ACC. Wimbush signs pact with USC ANDERSON Anderson College basketball standout Tom Wimbush signed a grant-in-aid Monday to attend the University of South Carolina.

Wimbush starred for Anderson, in two seasons of junior college play. The 6-6, 215-pound forward had signed with USC out of high school, but later enrolled at Anderson. An all-conference and all-region junior college selection, Wimbush averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Trojans of coach Jim Wiles. "He will be good player at USC," said Wiles. He'll fit into their program perfectly." Gamecock coach Frank McGuire, who signed Wimbush, said "Tommy will give us a taller front line for next year." Jimmy Graziano, a 6-9 center, returns, while 6-8 transfer Cedrick Hordges is eligible the entire season and 6-10 transfer Jim Strickland is scheduled to become eligible In "I really liked the Clemson people," said Wyatt after making his decision.

"They really stuck together and I liked the approach the coaches used. They were real honest throughout the entire recruiting.period." -t Wyatt also said the Clemson style of play suited his game. "Clemson uses the fast tempo attack and they press and that is just what we did at Butler. I am looking forward to playing at Clemson." "Horace will fit right into that program at Clemson," said Coach Thomas. "He comes from a well balanced team where he didn't have to carry the load.

He is a very unselfish player, one who cculd have scored a lot more if that had been his intention." Thomas called Wyatt a "very coach-able player, one who is involved with many activities on the Butler campus." In addition to his basketball talents, Wyatt was an outstanding student, a member of the student government, a manager for the football team, and the editor of the school paper. "Needless to say, we are very pleased with Horace's decision to come to Clemson," said Foster. "We have watched his progress for the past three seasons and look forward to working with him next winter. He is the kind of young man we look forward to bringing Into our "I wasted two or three years," he said. Those squandered seasons, 1974-75, followed his fantastic start, when he won the first tournament in which he appeared as a full-fledged member of the PGA Tour, the Texas Open late in 1973.

A long, painful learning experience followed." He broke through with three victories in 1976, won again last year and has become one of golf's strongest competitors. But he has yet to win one of the big He's come close twice, missing by a stroke in the 1975 U.S. Open. And last season he shared the 54-hole lead in the Masters, only to shoot 76 in the last round. "That tore a pretty big hole In me," Ben said with a pained look around the eyes.

"That really hurt." But there were positive factors in it, too. "I think I've learned from it. I think I'm a smarter, more mature player from it. If I oet In that position again, I think I'll be able to handle it better." AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Ben Crenshaw showed up in the locker room at a recent tournament wearing a bright red shirt.

Old pro Don January, who takes low-key delight in needling Ben about his wildness off the tee, immediately congratulated Crenshaw on his choice of attire. "Very nice of you, Ben." drawled January, a twinkle in his blue "Very thoughtful of you. I'm sure the TV folks will appreciate that red shirt. It'll be easier to pick you up on camera when you're in the woods." And Ben does spend some time in the woods. He kids himself about his erratic behavior off the tee.

After a recent fishing trip, a friend inquired as to his success. "Funny thing." Crenshaw replied, a puzzled look on his face. "On my first cast, 1 missed the lake." But it isn't funny. That lack of consistency is one of two factors that has kept the muscular young man from achieving the greatness that seemed his destiny. The other is Crenshaw, himself.

He admits it. i Ten years -i "WTCy Celtics are spectators Atlanta clings to NBA playoff hopes Nobody knows where the time has gone so quickly, but this is the 10th anniversary of the Great Error at the Masters. It was 19fi8, on Masters Sunday, that a likeable, balding South American named Roberto de Vlcenzo sat excitedly at the scorer's tent and examined his score-card. A matter of tragic minutes proved he was too excited. Under the 17th hole, where a birdie "3" should have been recorded for him, Tommy Aaron had mistakenly written So, instead of a sensational 65 which he really had shot for his last round, de Vicenzo had to settle for the 66 which was over his signature.

Instead of a tie with Bob Goalby for the 72-hole leadership, the error had consigned de Vicenzo to a runncrup berth. The press that waited in the interview room for the co-leaders to appear, was briefly, officially, Informed that there was no tie. Bob Goalby was the winner. They would have the green jacket ceremony, and then he would come down to make his press appearance as the new champion. De Vicenzo's quote became one of the most pathetic comments of all Masters legend.

"1 made a stupid," he said. In 41 Masters Tournaments, it stands out as the most bizarre error. And, as the saying goes, hopefully there will be no challenge to that distinction. with the next four best records in each conference. Philadelphia and San Antonio have won division championships in the Eastern Conference and so have first-round byes.

New York qualified for postseason play in its first season under coach Willis Reed as the Knicks beat the Washington Bullets 114-109 Sunday. Cleveland and Washington nave two of the remaining three spots In the East with Atlanta and New Orleans fighting it out for the final position. It's an uphill fight for New Orleans, though, since any combination of Atlanta victories or Jazz losses totaling two will give the nod to the Hawks. In the Western Conference, the defending NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers have won the Pacific Divison championship and will have a pass through the first round. Phoenix and Denver have sewn up two more positions but only 2V4 games separate four teams fighting for the final three spots Seattle, Los Angeles, Mil waukee and Golden State.

delphia to seven games in the Eastern Conference final before dropping the final game by six points. Although It was only a matter of time before the Celtics were eliminated, they were finally done In Sunday, dropping a 129-121 decision to the Indiana Pacers. With Just a week remaining In the regular season, eight of the 12 playoff spots are now filled. The four division winners qualify as well as the teams start in history, then proceeded to get worse. Fiery Coach Tom Heinsohn was dumped and replaced with Satch Sanders.

Then Charlie Scott was traded to Los Angeles for Don Chaney and Kermit Washington In an attempt to shore up the Celtics' leaky defense. Adding injury to insult, guard Jo Jo White was forced to miss the final third of the season with bone spurs in his heel. Just a year ago, Boston eliminated San Antonio from the playoffs and then forced Phila Wire reports HanginR from the rafters of ancient Boston Garden are the 13 National Basketball Association championship banners the Celtics have won the last 21 years. But this season for the first time since 1971 and only the third time since 1950 there will be no NBA playoff competition in Boston. "We Just didn't play well enough to deserve the playoffs," said John Havllcek, the Celtics' retiring captain.

Boston go-off to its worst .1.