Page 14-The Michigan Daily- S turddy',May 14, 1983
SPOR TS OF THE DAILY
Houston to lose Drexier;
Olajuwon is stillupin air
HOUSTON (AP) - Forward Clyde
Drexler, a member of the University of
Houston's Phi Slama Jama dunking
fraternity, announced yesterday that
he would make himself available for
the National Basketball Association
draft.
Drexler, a junior, and 7-0 center
Akeem Olajuwon, a sophomore, have
been under pressure to make a decision
since the Cougars were beaten in the
NCAA championship final by North
Carolina State last month.
OLAJUWON announced Tuesday
that he would remain in school, but
Thursday said he still was undecided.
The deadline for declaring for the NBA
draft is midnight Saturday.
Drexler said he quit listening to ad-
vice from others and decided what he
wanted to do and now the decision is
final.
"It took me so long to come to a
decision. I don't think I'll change,"
Drexler said. "Leaving college was
something that was very hard to do,
especially with the organization like
Houston."
THE COUGARS advanced to the
NCAA Final Four two straight years
with Drexler and Olajuwon as the
backbone of the team that specialized
in dazzling dunk shots.
Drexler and Olajuwon failed to attend
a news conference they called at the
school's athletic officie Thursday after
an hour-long discussion with the team's
assistant coaches.
Drexler was prepared to make an an-
nouncement but decided to wait when
he learned that Olajuwon would do
whatever Drexler decided.
"I KNEW MY decision would involve
Akeem to some degree so I had to have
a separate conference," Drexler said.
"Akeem said it wouldn't but I know
Akeem. Akeem was in the middle. He
was very indecisive. Anything I would
have said would have made him make
up his mind. But now he can make up
his own mind."
Olajuwon led the Cougars with 67
dunks and was among the nation's
leading rebounders with an 11.2
average last season. Drexler was a
second team Associated Press All-
American and was the team's No. 2
scorer with a 16.3 average. The Cougars
will lose forward Larry Micheaux, the
only senior starter last season.
Denver is site of
USFL Championship
DENVER (AP)-United States Foot-
ball League Commissioner Chet Sim-
mons made it official yesterday after-
noon. Denver will be the site of the new
league's inaugural championship
game.
"This was not a well kept secret,"
Simmons joked in announcing the title
game to a crowd of reporters, and city
and state officials gathered at the
Brown Palace Hotel for the news con-
ference. Word of the selection had been
leaked to both of Denver's daily
newspapers the night before. The game
will be played at Mile High Stadium,
home of the USFL's Denver Gold, on
July 17 and telecast nationally by ABC
TV, while being carried on national
radio by the ABC network.
Denver won out over four other cities
officially bidding for the USFL Cham-
pionship Game, as it will be called, in-
cluding Los Angeles and New Orleans.
Simmons said the Gold's high atten-
dance record, never falling below 41,000
fans at Mile High Stadium, was a "very
important consideration" in choosing
Denver as a site for the inaugural
championship game.
THE SPORTING VIEWS
Big Ten tosses out three-pointers ...
... a step toward uniformity
By JEFF FAYE
THE BIG TEN screwed up again.
In 1973 it sent the Buckeyes of Ohio State to the Rose Bowl to "better"
represent the conference.
In 1980 it declared Dave Wilson of Illinois ineligible.
Now it has done something worse, going beyond hurting one player or one
squad - it has completely removed one facet of Big Ten Basketball. As of
May 11, 1983, it was official. The three-point shot no longer exists in league
play.
Last season, many of the conferences across the country adopted a three-
point rule for experimental purposes. The idea was to raise scores, boost at-
tendance and make the game more exciting.
Under NCAA guidelines, the trial rule changes were to go under review.
this year and the conferences had the option of using the three-point shot, a
45-second shot clock or neither. The Big Ten coaches voted 7-2 against both.
The only abstention was reported to be Bill Frieder.
The two coaches who voted against throwing out the shot were Jud Heath-
cote (MSU) and Gene Keady (Purdue). They both felt the shot was good for
Big Ten Basketball and for themselves. Keady had two reasons why he voted
for the shot.
"Curt Clawson and Steve Reid." However, he added that "obviously they
are not the whole reason. I felt that the rule was successful. All the fans I've
talked to liked it. the conference needed it. It helped move away from our
physical style of play."
Heathcote concurred. The shot did help shove away from the hard play we
have had for years. Not only that, but with the players in the Big Ten their
size tends to congest the area under the hoop and the results are set, laid-
back defenses and cautious offenses. The shot gave another dimension to
scoring and the guys on "D" had to move out there."
Why the shot fell short
Perhaps Keady's response best explains the reason for the failure of the
shot. If his vote for the rule was influenced by the shooting ability of two of
his players, the graduation of some of the gunners of the Big Ten could show
why so many coaches changed their votes. Here are the teams in the league
that voted no:
" Indiana: The loss of Ted Kitchel and Randy Wittman is enough to make
Bobby Knight change his mind about the three-pointer. No one else can hit it
for him.
* Illinois: Derek Harper fled to the NBA's greener pastures.
" Iowa: No real threat from outside unless Bob Hansen or Mark Gannon got
hot, but they've graduated, and Steve Carfino is erratic at best.
" Minnesota: Jim Dutcher said goodbye to Trent Tucker and Darryl Mitchell
two years ago and hasn't had anything since. With nobody to hit from outside
the shot are he couldn't support three-pointers.
" Northestern: Rich Falk no longer has Jim Stack. He was everything he had
from the outside. What will he do without him. Easy - shoot inside.
" Ohio State: Larry Huggins was supposed to be the glue that held together
Eldon Miller's squad. Ron Stokes only does well against Michigan. Good
enough reason there.
" Wisconsin: All Steve Yoder had was Ricky Olson. Why give an advantage
to his hapless Badgers' opponents? Of course he said no.
To say that these players leaving their respective teams was the only in-
fluence on the votes cast by seven of the Big Ten coaches would be im-
prudent, but certainly it has to be considered as a strong possibility. At any
rate, it is a sad circumstance for basketball.
In the last 20 years or so, taller men have taken over the game within the
lane. Smaller players tend not to go inside for fear of having their shots han-
ded back to them for lunch. The three point shot gave the little guys an op-
portunity to play despite their size. Sure you can go inside to a Randy
Breuer, but Trent Tucker, Randy Wittman or Eric Turner can hit from 23 or
24 feet.for the extra point. Equality was brought about by the three-pointer.
Almost anyone who is 6'7" or over and in decent shape can score on a dunk,
but how many can hit a 25-footer? At any rate, the removal of the shot arc
was a step backward.
"These rule changes are indicative of a move toward uniformity in
basketball. In the next five to 10 years we should see the same rules on all
levels except the NBA," predicted Falk.
"Uniformity means international, but not by the NBA's rules."
"I'd like to see that," said Heathcote. "It would make adjustments from
one level to another less difficult. Also, with all the international play going
on, the quality would improve immensely."
What all three coaches suggested for major international rule changes are
a 45-second shot clock to be turned off with four minutes to go and 19 to 21 foot
three point shot. According to Keady, the NBA should use those rules as well.
"Twenty-four seconds is too short. It should be at 45," he said.
With rule changes every year and (hopefully) a movement by all the con-
ferences toward uniformity, the Big Ten is just closing the door on itself.
Maybe if they are left out in the cold like an old maid the coaches will learn a
lesson about the over-protection of their teams. Even so, at this point in time,
the conference has repeated itself. Well, add one more to the list. The Big
Ten blew it again.
PHOTOFINISHING FOR YOUR
FAMILY AND YOUR BUSINESS
HOUR
Color Print
and Slide
Processing
At 3120 Packard
*@@@O@O@O@@O@O@@e O OO @@@@@@@.@
4Hour 619S. Maple
Service 3
A t 1315 S. University