BIG TEN TRI-CHAMPIONS RETURN WITH THINNED RANKS: The Michigan Daily-Friday, November 30, 1979-Page 11 Lester leads Iowa on T By MARK MIHANOVIC "Our team will be built around the talents of Ronnie Lester with the ball." Rarely does a major college basketball coach ad- nzit to such reliance on one individual, but Iowa's Lute Olson believes in being honest about is team and about his senior All-American guard. Lester averaged 18.7 points per game last year and was second in the Big Ten with an average of 5.9 assists in leading the Hawkeyes to a surprising con- ference tri-championship. :Lester has led Iowa in scoring the past three years and enters the season only 100 points shy of Don Nelson's team career scoring mark. The Big Ten: Basketball Battleground Last season he was named to both the AP and UPI All-American teams, and he has been All-Big Ten in each of the past two campaigns. And there are no indications of a letdown. "'As outstanding as he has been the previous three years, we think he will be even better this year," Olson enthused at last Sunday's Big Ten luncheon. "We've got a better shooting team than we've had in the past, and hopefully this will allow Ronnie to go out and have a couple people guarding him instead of three, as he's had to put up with in the past." Lester's forte is his quick penetrating ability, which allows him to break defenses up the middle and dump off to the open man for a short jumper. He is the kind of star who makes everyone around him bet- ter, rather than the kind who isolates himself and his talents. It's amazing that Olson was the only Big Ten coach to recruit this all-state prep cager out of Chicago. However, Lester, even improved, probably won't be enough for Iowa to repeat atop the nation's toughest conference. The loss to graduation of guards Dick Peth and Tom Norman (who combined for 14.4 ppg) leaves a big hole to fill in the backcourt. Lester, for one, will miss them. - "Tommy and Dick generated a lot of enthusiasm among everybody, and they were ready to play every time out," he said. "They took a lot of pressure off me as far as playing defense because they would usually guard the Kelvin Ransey's And players like that." Sophomore guard Kenny Arnold (6-2) is the current starter alongside Lester after a strong finish last season and is considered a key figure if the squad is going to make a run at another title. Sophomore forward Kevin Boyle is solid at the small forward spot. He had a fine freshman year with an 11.9 scoring average and 6.7 rebounds per game and is cautiously optimistic about Iowa's chances. "You always like to think that you're the best in the Big -Ten," Boyle said. "There's some teams that you're wary of, like Ohio State and Indiana, but I think we can compete with any team in the Big Ten, and we're capable of winning it." Juniors Steve Krafcisin (6-10) and Steve Waite (6- 10) shared the pivot duties last season, but Olson has installed both as starters for '79-80 to obtaint board strength, a necessary ingredient in the Big Ten. "We got our tail kicked pretty consistently on the boards a year ago, so we're trying to shore it up," Olson explained. "Now I think we can rebound with most people. Even hough the . Hawkeyes still demonstrated itle qest rebounding problems against the huge Soviet team in an exhibition defeat, Lester isn't overly concerned. The Russian game was our first time playing together, and I don't think we handled that situation too well," he acknowledged. "But I think we're a pretty good team." Lester's words aren't going to make the Hawkeyes competitive in the conference, however. He's going to have to drop a lot of basketballs through the hoop. By DREW SHARP Special to the Daily PONTIAC-The Pistons flirted with a comeback, but once again were only pretenders as they lost to a streaking Kansas City Kings team, 105-95, at the Silvedome last night. It was the eighth win in 10 games for the Kings and the Pistons' fourth straight setback. Detroit pulled within two points early in the fourth quarter, 81-79, when Earl Evans connected on an easy layup after a beautiful pass by Bob MacAdoo. That was as close as the Pistons came. THE LOSS spoiled a great per- formance by MacAdoo, who had his finest game as a Piston. He scored a game-high 32 points, added 15 rebounds and also had three assists. Rookie Greg Kelser was injured in the fourth quarter and was forced to leave the game due to a severely sprained right ankle. He was going to be thoroughly diagnosed and X-rayed later in the evening. Head coach Rich Advbato talking after the game, sounded as though he was blaming his team's loss on his coaching inexperience. "I MADE THE mistake of not leaving my rookies, who were KC 'KO 's Pistons playing well at the time, in the game during the fourth quarter when we started to make a comeback," said Adubato. It was the Pistons' third game in three days and it showed with the sloppy defense that the team displayed most of the night. The contest was tight through the first period as the Pistons came away with a 28-27 lead at the end of the period. THE KINGS took the lead early in the secona quarter and never relinquished it. They had as much as a 14 point lead- during the game, but the Pistons began to whittle away at the lead with MacAdoo connecting on the inside and outside. It was all for nothing, however, as the Pistons played true to form by shooting poorly and committing far too many turnovers. The distressing fact was that Kansas City did not play a graceful game either. "It wasn't artistic at all," said Kings' coach Cotton Fitzsimmons. "We didn't shoot well. We shot 40 per cent in the first half, but were still up by nine. Detroit played a tough game. They seemed to be looking for answers all at once. What they need is time and patience." Scott Weber led the Kings' scoring with 22 points. Bill Robinzine got 20. Ronnie Lester [An interesting note: Four of Iowa's starters (Lester, Boyle, Krafcisin, and Arnold) hail from the Windy City of Chicago. Where was Illinoi§ coach Lou Henson?] This is the third in a series of inpfiles "I( lichigan t nine Big Ten oppotunts. ,thici harp been wtritten ,- staff writers S"'tars BItdburv . Alan, b'anger. ant/ Mark Milm~ovi. Tulnarrn: ic~higtan State SPORTS OF THE DAILY Corso to remain Hoosier coach SCORES College Basketball Ohio State 74, AlA 7:3 NBA Kansas City 105, Detroit 95 Cleveland 117, New York 115 NiH Buffalo 2, NY Rangers 1 Montreal 3, St. Louis 2 Philadelphia 6, Minnesota 4 at CANTERBURY LOFT A NEW MUSICAL PLAY BY TOM SIMONDS THE WINEDRINKER A Celebration of Homosexuality Against the Brotherhood December 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14,and 15 8 p.m. at CANTERBURY LOFT 332 S. State Street-second floor general admission $2.50 at the door binning at 7:30 p.m. on performance nights By The Associated Press BLOOMINGTON - Football Coach Lee Corso says he plans to stay at In- diana University, ending speculation that he might succeed Charlie McClen- don at Louisiana State. "I hope to continue at Indiana and make IU proud of its program," said Corso, who this year coached the Hoosiers to their first winning football season in more than a decade. I'm happy and hope to sign a new long-term contract soon." Corso, who has been mentioned as a possible successor to McClendon, still has two years to go on his current con- fract.