Basketball's Week
THE SOUTHWEST
1. HOUSTON (14-1)
2. TEXAS WESTERN (11-2)
3. SMU (9-4)
Things were normal in the Southwest Conference. SMU, the favorite, was upset by TEXAS 82-73 in Austin, and now TCU, which had lost eight of its first 10 games, is in first place. The way to beat SMU, reasoned Texas Coach Hal Bradley, was to hold down Charlie Beasley. So, while Noel Stout, playing Beasley nose to nose, kept him outside—and relatively harmless—Billy Arnold pitched in 11 field goals, Stout himself scored 17 points, and that did it. TCU, meanwhile, came from behind to beat Texas A&M 67-64. "It's been nine years since this old man won a close one like that," said Coach Buster Brannon happily. SMU recovered to beat Rice 84-76 for a second-place tie with Texas, a 70-68 winner over Texas Tech.
What kind of a week was it for poor West Texas State? Well, the Buffaloes were leading TEXAS WESTERN 63-60 with 9:15 to go when little Willie Worsley, who drove and shot for 34 points, led the Miners on a 15-point tear to win 85-73. West Texas' next experience was even more shattering. Houston's Elvin (Hayes), Melvin (Bell) and the Duck (Don Chaney) were at their intimidating best against the Buffs. They smothered them on the boards—Hayes had 24 points, Bell 19 and Chaney 16—and the Cougars won 102-72.
THE WEST
1. UCLA (12-0)
2. SEATTLE(11-2)
3. PACIFIC (12-3)
The legend is building on the West Coast. Lew Alcindor is even better than anyone thought, but he is not all there is to UCLA. Lucius Allen, with his quick moves and drives, has been tremendous and if you give Mike Warren and Lynn Shackleford an inch they will shoot you out of sight. Washington fouled Alcindor out of the game (after he scored 28 points), but Shackleford got 16, Allen 14, Warren 12 and the Bruins won 83-68. California tried to muscle Alcindor ("They were very physical inside," he said later), and for a while it worked. UCLA led only 45-42 at half time. Then Lewie got mad. In less than a minute he jammed in seven points—he got 26 in all—and Cal went down 96-78. The next night the Bruins buried Stanford 116-78. Allen scored 24 points, and Alcindor made 37 in 28 minutes. "That man just makes you nervous," complained Stanford's Howie Dallmar.
New Mexico had won six straight going into Laramie, and the Lobos never dreamed that WYOMING, which had dropped five in a row, would even give them a game. But sophomore Ken Collins, a 6'6" stringbean, screened New Mexico's 6'9" Mel Daniels away from the basket, Bob Wilson scored 24 points, and the Cowboys won 86-76. That was not the end of New Mexico's troubles, either. DENVER stopped them with a frustrating zone, and Harry Hollines threw in 28 points to win for the Pioneers 71-66.
Arizona got a standoff with its Utah visitors, losing to BRIGHAM YOUNG 77-64 and beating Utah 74-70, but Arizona State had worse luck. UTAH took the Devils 84-71 and then BYU, with 6'11" Craig Raymond sweeping the boards, beat them 78-74 in overtime. "My boys played a fine game," said ASU's Ned Wulk. "Trouble is they were up against men."
Pacific was off to an early lead in the WCAC. The Tigers outlasted San Francisco 70-69 and routed Santa Clara 102-82. UTAH STATE outran Creighton 124-96, while SEATTLE pounded Portland 92-71. But COLORADO STATE, after a 56-52 win over Denver, lost to WYOMING 75-72 in overtime.
THE EAST
1. PRINCETON (13-1)
2. BOSTON COLLEGE (10-1)
3. ST. JOHN'S (11-1)
Almost anything is likely to happen when ST. JOHN'S and St. Joseph's get together. Last week in Philadelphia's noisy Palestra, some St. John's partisans were thrown out for fighting, two overexuberant Hawks were ejected for "flagrant, deliberate" fouls, and St. Joe's rooters showed their dissatisfaction by tossing debris on the court. But the Red-men never lost their cool. They broke the Hawks' press and Sonny Dove and Rudy Bogad scattered their multiple zone defenses with 24 and 19 points, respectively. Cliff Anderson got 32 for St. Joe's, but St. John's won easily 98-85. Then came the final taunt from St. John's fans: "The Hawk is bush!"
Three nights later St. John's—and especially the stringy Dove, who scored 35 points—looked even more impressive while whipping St. Francis (N.Y.) 95-71, but ST. JOSEPH'S, even with Anderson getting 33, had to struggle to take Seton Hall 85-81.
Boston College, faced with a slowdown by little Northeastern, outlasted the stubborn Huskies 54-47. The Eagles, with sophomores Terry Driscoll and Billy Evans leading the way, got back to running and gunning in a 93-66 victory over Duquesne. PROVIDENCE'S Jimmy Walker (page 18) was merely superb, scoring 22 and 19 points as the Friars beat Oglethorpe 74-57 and Duquesne 54-47. SYRACUSE, after edging Cornell 66-65 on Rick Dean's late basket, really rolled against La Salle. Dean scored 34, and the Orange won 102-81.
Canisius, riding on a cloud after beating Niagara 90-76 in the first game between the two teams in 10 years, was brought up short by tiny FAIRFIELD 80-77. Temple and Georgetown were surprised, too. VILLANOVA outhustled the Owls 69-64, while MANHATTAN broke Georgetown's six-game streak, 76-70. The biggest shocker, though, was AMERICAN U.'S 94-90 win over La Salle.
Princeton was just too much for its fellow Ivy Leaguers. The smooth Tigers walloped Harvard 90-46 and then set two records—for scoring and rebounds (90)—while bombing Dartmouth 116-42.
THE MIDWEST
1. LOUISVILLE (14-1)
2. KANSAS (11-2)
3. CINCINNATI (11-2)
Unbeaten Louisville might have guessed it would be in for trouble in Carbondale. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, the nation's No. 1 small-college team, had beaten Texas Western and carried the Cards into double overtime before losing in Louisville last month. Sure enough, the disciplined Salukis shut off Louisville's fast break with a deliberate game. Sophomore Dick Garrett scored 18 points, but it was Walt Frazier's five foul shots in the final moments that resulted in the Cards' first loss, 53-50. LOUISVILLE, however, hung onto the Missouri Valley lead when sophomore Butch Beard threw in 41 points in a 103-74 whomping of Bradley.
But the MVC had a race. CINCINNATI, after licking independent Dayton 62-49, defeated St. Louis 72-58 and was tied for second with Wichita State and Tulsa. There was even some glory for NORTH TEXAS STATE after 20 straight conference losses. The big Eagles shocked Wichita State 80-68 before losing to TULSA 65-59. "That's a tough ball club," said Tulsa's Joe Swank admiringly. "They zoned us and sagged those big bulls of theirs all over us."
Michigan State's John Benington changed strategy when Lee Lafayette, his fine sophomore forward, kept missing shots against Iowa. He moved Lafayette to center and Lee promptly led the rally that gave the Spartans a 79-70 victory and a tie with NORTHWESTERN for first in the Big Ten. The Wildcats had outrun Illinois 104-96 earlier in the week. KANSAS, with Jo Jo White harassing Missouri's Ron Coleman, tumbled the Tigers 70-60 to take the Big Eight lead. KANSAS STATE got back in the running by beating Missouri 75-65 and Iowa State 73-72 in overtime. COLORADO beat Iowa State 64-52 but then lost to NEBRASKA 84-80.
While unbeaten Toledo (9-0) took an exam break, WESTERN MICHIGAN and MIAMI of Ohio gained ground in the Mid-American. Western downed independent Loyola of Chicago 73-68, then clubbed Kent State 100-71, while Miami handed Bowling Green its third league loss, 70-62. Among the independents, DAYTON routed Detroit 94-75, and MARQUETTE rolled over Xavier 87-69.
THE SOUTH
1. NORTH CAROLINA (12-1)
2. FLORIDA (11-1)
3. VANDERBILT (12-2)
A rhubarb a week seems to be the style in the ACC these days, NORTH CAROLINA, down by as much as eight points in the second half, had just beaten North Carolina State 79-78 on 25 points by Bob Lewis and 20 by Rusty Clark when all hell broke loose in Chapel Hill. Players traded punches and spectators came out of the stands swinging. Carolina's Dean Smith was appalled by it all, but he also was shaken by his team's third straight close call. Smith welcomed a 16-day break for exams. "Maybe now we can collect our wits," he said hopefully.
Duke, with all its playboys back in Coach Vic Bubas' good graces, was looking better. The Blue Devils routed Clemson 85-61 and then surged from behind to edge Maryland 72-69 in overtime when Bob Verga hit two quick baskets, fed Mike Lewis for another, and Ron Wendelin threw in three free throws. Insisted Bubas, "We're strong enough to win the title again."
Kentucky superiority was rapidly becoming just a memory in the SEC. FLORIDA, after a neat 78-63 win over Mississippi, blitzed the helpless Wildcats with a scrambling zone, overpowered them off the boards and won 89-72 as 6'9" Gary Keller and David Miller each shot in 23 points. The win gave the tall Gators first place, but VANDERBILT and MISSISSIPPI STATE were only half a game behind. Vandy penetrated Tennessee's 1-3-1 zone with some slick ball-handling in a 65-59 victory. Then the Commodores took Mississippi 78-70 in double overtime. Mississippi State, however, had a couple of squeakers. The Bulldogs edged Auburn 59-55 in overtime and barely beat Delta State 68-65.
Davidson ended The Citadel's short reign as the Southern Conference leader, beating the Bulldogs 76-72, and then FURMAN bumped them again 85-68. But Davidson lost to VIRGINIA TECH 74-68, while West Virginia, back in first place, was upset by MARYLAND 82-81 in a nonleague game.
Western Kentucky worried past East Tennessee 63-61, but the Hilltoppers drubbed Eastern Kentucky 116-71 as the Smith Brothers, Greg and Dwight, scored 43 points. LOYOLA of New Orleans outscored Oklahoma City 83-76, while MEMPHIS STATE defeated Southern Mississippi 65-52 but lost to TULSA 54-43.