BASKETBALL'S WEEK
EAST
"When George lost his head everybody turned against us. It seemed to change the complexion of the game. George said he didn't feel like the same person after that." George was Guard George Bucci of Manhattan and the analysis was by his coach, Jack Powers, after the Jaspers were upset 85-77 by red-hot Rutgers. Powers was referring to a vigorous shove Bucci gave Rutgers' Ed Jordan. At the time, the Jaspers led 29-25, but Bucci's roughness turned the Madison Square Garden crowd against them and ignited the Scarlet Knights. Bucci, who had made seven of his first 10 shots, missed eight of nine thereafter. Phil Sellers popped in 22 points for Rutgers, then added 26 more as the Knights returned to the same court two days later and defeated St. John's 85-74. He led a sweep by New Jersey schools of New York teams at the Garden. Seton Hall downed St. Bonaventure 75-69 and St. Peter's clipped Manhattan 78-75.
In much the same way that a shove helped push Rutgers to victory, a sharp whack aided Penn in its 90-80 conquest of Villanova. Forward Ron Haigler, irked because there was no whistle when he was hit, poured in 13 straight points in the next five minutes and wound up with a total of 25 to go along with his 16 rebounds. Earlier, Penn toppled Gettysburg 99-80.
Disappointed with 6'9" Tommy Boswell's total of 21 points and 16 rebounds in South Carolina's first two games, Coach Frank McGuire shifted him from center to wing against St. Joseph's. Boswell, who McGuire said had been "buried in there" at center, came back to life with 26 points and 13 rebounds as the Gamecocks crowed 89-54.
"It was almost like a work of art," boasted Coach Lefty Driesell about Maryland's 55-22 first-half margin over previously unbeaten Georgetown. At the end the score was 104-71. It was art of a different sort—perhaps out of the pages of Mad—two days later as the Terps frolicked past DePauw 113-49.
Oregon State outrebounded North Carolina State 42-33, but with Mo Rivers scoring 26 points and David Thompson getting 28, the Wolfpack won 86-73.
Boston College beat Rhode Island 88-67.
1. N.C. STATE (5-0)
2. PENN (5-0)
WEST
USC Coach Bob Boyd has two rules for his players when they have the ball: shooters must not fire from beyond 15 feet and dribblers must not take more than three bounces. Aware of those restrictions, Nevada-Reno Coach Jim Padgett took a gamble—what else?—by using a 2-3 zone that was designed to clog the middle and invite the Trojans to shoot from the wide-open perimeter. Trying to work the ball inside, USC committed 22 turnovers, missed easy shots and did not look sharp in the early going. Then Earl Evans and Clint Chapman came off the bench to combine for 25 points and the Trojans outgamboled Reno 97-84.
"We went to the boards because we were at war," said Washington State Coach George Raveling after surprising DePaul 83-69. Leading warrior for the Cougars was 6'11", 240-pound Steve Puidokas, who had 26 points and helped State to a 58-36 rebounding edge by latching on to 17 missed shots. DePaul topped Gonzaga 80-73 and Purdue got by San Diego State 91-87.
It was called the Fiesta Classic, but really it was no more than a pair of doubleheaders played 120 miles apart on successive nights in Tempe and Tucson, Ariz. All four teams started out unbeaten, but only the hosts remained that way. Arizona State ran its record to 7-0 by defeating Kansas State 80-69 and Illinois 91-69, and Arizona was 6-0 after stopping the Illini 78-66 and K-State 67-65. In an earlier game in which the lead changed hands 14 times, Arizona held off Nevada-Las Vegas 85-80.
1. UCLA (4-0)
2. USC (4-0)
MIDWEST
MEMPHIS STATE HAS THE ELEVATOR, FLORIDA STATE GETS THE SHAFT said a sign concocted by Tiger fans. Although Marion (Elevator) Hillard had 25 rebounds and 17 points, it was the Tigers who were nearly taken for a ride. They were called for goaltending seven times and trailed by five points with 1:28 to go. Pulling them through for a 70-69 verdict was John Tunstall, who sank two baskets in the last 51 seconds. The Tigers had less difficulty defeating Murray State 102-77 and East Texas State 100-89. Forward Bill Cook scored 71 points in the three wins.
Before the Jayhawk Classic in Lawrence, Kans., Washington Coach Marv Harshman made light of his team's 3-0 record by saying, "My wife and boys could have beaten some of the teams we've played." The Harsh-man clan might have been hard pressed against Temple, which lost to the Huskies 54-46, and against host Kansas, which Washington knocked off 74-64 to win the tournament.
Louisville defeated Florida State 84-75. Arizona State won twice—72-70 over Wichita State and 84-70 over St. Louis.
1. LOUISVILLE (3-0)
2. MEMPHIS ST. (5-0)
MIDEAST
Throwing up a spirited press that forced 24 turnovers and getting 31 points from Adrian Dantley, Notre Dame upset Kansas 75-59. But two nights later Indiana refused to be rattled by the Irish press or by Dantley's 32 points. The Hoosiers' 94-84 win prompted Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps to plug them as the nation's No. 1 team. "I've got UCLA next week and I'm going to tell Coach Johnny Wooden, 'They'll kick your fanny anytime, anywhere," " said Phelps. Also impressed by the Hoosiers was Kentucky Colonel scout Ralph Beard. "I think they play the best D of any college team I've seen in a long, long time," he said after seeing Indiana provoke 32 turnovers and come up with 21 steals while walloping Texas A&M 90-55.
Purdue's Soul Patrol second unit accounted for 47 points as the Boilermakers riveted Western Kentucky 114-91. One member of that group, Walter Jordan, had 10 rebounds and 20 points in 21 minutes. Dick Satterfield, the lone white and only upperclassman on the Soul Patrol, had eight points, but insists he won't say much about his performance in the book he is writing on Purdue's season. Satterfield says he will avoid exposés and sensationalism to focus on "the human things that happen in basketball" as seen by "a guy who sits on the bench 30 to 35 minutes a game." Purdue also stymied West Virginia 94-83. In the two games John Garrett had 55 points and 22 rebounds, Bruce Parkinson 26 points and 19 assists.
Kentucky fell behind North Carolina 31-16, but led by the return of Guard Jimmy Dan Conner, the Wildcats outscored the Tar Heels 22-3 to lead 38-34 at the half. Conner finished with 35 points and Kentucky with a 90-78 upset victory. Also taken down a peg was Detroit, a 90-76 loser to Dayton. Marquette narrowly avoided being upended by Toledo, pulling out a 64-61 decision.
In the midst of a 91-76 loss to Alabama, Georgia Tech Coach Dwane Morrison paid a sarcastic tribute to his Crimson Tide counterpart, C. M. Newton. Morrison, who alleges that Newton tutors referees from the bench, objected to a foul by shaking hands with the Tide coach and saying, "Great call." Freshman high-post man Bernard King had 59 points as Tennessee took its own Volunteer Classic by bopping Navy 86-59 and Harvard 84-69. Vanderbilt kept up its hot shooting, hitting 61.1% of its field-goal tries in beating Texas Tech 95-86. That raised the Commodores' four-game average to 57.5%.
DePaul stopped St. Bonaventure 89-72.
1. INDIANA (5-0)
2. ALABAMA (3-0)