Independents Have Trouble Taking Plunge
WKU Administration Got What It Deserved
Conversation about a new conference involving major midwest independents Marquette, Dayton and DePaul heated up again recently. Supposedly, Billy Packer, representing Jefferson Pilot Teleproductions, a Charlotte-based syndicator in both college football and basketball, was trying to put together those three schools along with Louisville. Notre Dame and either Detroit or Cleveland State in a made-for-television league like the Big East.
Put that group together, see, and you are talking about nearly 20 percent of the nation's television sets. But many obstacles remain.
	
	Larry Donald Cats' Pause Columnist
	
For Marquette, Dayton and DePaul, talk of conference affiliation is nothing new. These three have flirted with some existing conferences and talked about making one of their own for some time now. The results, obviously, haven't been impressive. Frankly, the three remind me of three little boys standing beside a swimming pool. They agree a swim would be desirable, but all are worried about the water being cold. So what happens is a chorus of. "I'll go. but you go first."
One thing the three agree upon is they'd all jump in if Notre Dame made a commitment. But that probably won't happen. The Irish can probably survive nicely as an independent, although there's been private conversation that lack of a conference affiliation has hurt recruiting even here. . .As for the others mentioned, I can see
Remember how the junior colleges got all excited with the advent of Proposition 48, some predicting the best college basketball in America would be played in their ranks? Well, that doesn't seem to be the case. In fact, major college coaches are more than
Jackson Quietly Becoming USA's Top PG
interest from Cleveland State, Detroit and maybe others like St. | Louis. Bradley or Creighton. It is hard to imagine, though, why Louisville would be interested. The Cardinals have things pretty much their way in the Metro with the lone complaint being that the league's independent football powers. Florida State, South Carolina and Southern Mississippi, won't play home-and-home with them. But moving into a group with Marquette, DePaul, Dayton, etc., certainly isn't going to remedy the Cards' football situation. . .
You may feel sorry for Western Kentucky which took television's money to play Louisville and then didn't, or couldn't reschedule the game against Central Michigan (which they lost) the following night. I think the Toppers got exactly what their administration deserved. . .When Jack Dolan, president of McNeese State University, says he believes the vice president for academic affairs should make more than the basketball coach it tells me how out of touch he is with the realities of big-time athletics. In fact, sad to say, I've yet to hear any university president utter something really insightful about the world of college athletics. . .
Skiles Now Having Trouble ON The Court
willing to take a chance on a marginal athlete, perhaps even moreso than in days past. It will be most interesting to see if any of these non-predictors actually fails to make grades during their freshman
year. The new system's being beaten. . .
Well, we've come through December and I've yet to hear anyong unconditionally endorse the three-point shot. I think it has a place in the college game, but obviously the line's much too close. The suggestion by Dr. Ed Steitz. executive secretary of the NCAA Rules Committee, that the shot had been thoroughly researched rings a bit hollow doesn't it?. . .
A quietly emerging program is Akron. Coach Bob Huggins has the Zips playing well and that certainly won't hurt the school's efforts to join the Mid-American Conference. . .Mentioning that league. I wonder how the brain trust at Northern Illinois feels these days now that the season is a few weeks old and their basketball team has nothing to play for. no conference title and no NCAA or NIT bid. . .In 1986, there was no dumber move than that one. . .
Chants of "Dukiet, Dukiet" were headed toward the rafters in Milwaukee Arena after Marquette won its fourth straight game by beating Tennessee. Bob Dukiet. late of St. Peter's, has the Warriors playing a tenacious defense and seems to have blown some fresh life into this program. But MU doesn't have enough horses this year and whether or not the program can shake hands with college basketball's giants as it did in the Al McGuire era will depend on Dukiet's recruiting skills. . .My pal Dick Vitale makes a great case for underclassmen staying in school by pointing at last year's Big Five. John Williams. Walter Berry. Chris Washburn and William Bedford are finding the going tough in the NBA. . .
Another recent college standout who has started slowly is Scott Skiles with the Milwaukee Bucks. Basketball Times' Player of the Year has been hampered by a nagging back injury which has kept him inactive for long stretches. "The most frustrating thing is that I've been missing my shots," he said. "My shot has always been there before regardless, but now my timing's way off." Well, at least he doesn't have to listen to the booing anymore. . .
On the 25th anniversary of making a record 13 straight shots from the field while playing for the Syracuse Nats, Larry Costello watched his outmanned Utica College team get blown out by Boston College. The only consolation for Costynot many gray hairs in those 25 years. . .
St. John's Mark Jackson is moving up the charts among the nation's point guards and the recognition has come grudgingly. Some pro scouts think he might be at the head of the class before it's all finished. . .LSU was stripped of two scholarships following a long NCAA probe and coach Dale Brown said he was relieved. "It felt like an anvil had been removed from my neck." Earlier, Brown hinted he might step out of coaching to work for one of the networks as a color analyst. Do you suppose anyone told Dale those three jobs are already taken?
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	PACIFtC-10	
Ariz S). . .	5 0 1186 88	9 0 1 340 118
South Cal	5 2 0 147 110	7 2 0 1 95 1 40
UCLA ....	4 2 1 220112	6 3 1 309 187
Washngtn	4 2 1 188118	7 2 1 328 146
Arizona .	4 2 0 166 103	7 2 0 264 137
Stanford ..	4 2 0 142 83	7 2 0 218 123
Wash. St. .	2 5 1 151 234	3 6 1 198 268
Oregon .	2 5 0 119218	4 6 0 186 310
Oregon St.	1 5 0   59 153	3 7 0 115 221
California .	1 7 0   99 258	1 9 0 128314
	PCAA	
San Jos St	7 0 0 281 149	9 2 0 360 225
Fresno St	5 1 0 159 107	8 2 0 288 143
Lg Bch St.	3 2 0 108 93	5 4 0 204 208
Utah St. ..	3 3 0   94 110	3 7 0 127 229
Nev -		
LsVgs ...	2 4 0 1 46 1 52	5 5 0 255 233
Pacific U .	2 4 0 1 34 136	4 6 0 250 231
Filrton St. .	2 5 0 180 210	3 9 0 260 355
NMex St	1 6 0 11 7 262	1 100 189 416
	SOUTHERN	
Applchian	6 0 1 173 92	8 1 1 270 139
W Carolina	5 2 0 176 112	6 4 0 240 236
Furman	3 2 1 136 84	6 2 2 291 139
Marshall . .	3 3 0 1 38 146	6 4 1 287 1 99
E Term. St.	3 3 0 127 156	5 5 0 234 246
Tn.-Chnga	2 4 0 138 114	3 7 0 202 225
VMI......	14 0   65 133	1 9 0 118 339
Citadel ...	0 5 0   68 1 84	3 7 0 141 286
Davidson	0 6 0   57 304	0 9 0 109 406
	SOUTHLAND	
Ark. St .	4 0 0 142 59	8 1 1 278 110
NE La. ...	3 10   99 72	5 5 0 210 179
N.Tex. St.	3 2 0 113 106	6 4 0 222 204
La. Tech .	3 2 0 107 86	5 4 1 183 209
Lamar ....	0 4 0   61 150	2 8 0 187 301
McNse St	0 4 0   60 109	1 9 0 190 277
	SOUTHWEST	
Texas AAM	5 1 0 189 104	7 2 0 270 174
Baylor ...	5 2 0 203 133	7 3 0 286 185
SMU	5 2 0 1 85 121	6 4 0 245 241
Arkansas .	5 2 0 1 65114	8 2 0 262 1 42
Texas ....	4 2 0 154 108	5 4 0 213211
Texas Tech	4 3,0 154 166	6 4 0 220 241
TCU	1 6 0 146 225	3 7 0 249 302
Fiice	1 6 0 116255	2 7 0 1 50 300
Houston . .	0 6 0   60 146	1 8 0 1 05 219
SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC		
Jackson St	6 0 0 162 82	8 2 0 255174
Alcorn St.	5 1 0 142 115	5 4 0 196196
Southern U	. 4 2 0 141 89	5 4 1 212 158
Miss Val.	3 3 1 122 139	4 4 1 178180
Gr ambling	3 3 0 127 107	6 4 0 219 192
Ala St.	2 5 0 111 157	3 7 0 163 201
Tex Southn	1 5 1 193268	2 8 1 313 405
Prairie Vw	1 6 0 152 193	3 8 0 262 335
WESTERN ATHLETIC
Sn Oieg St
Air Force Brig. Yng Wyoming Colo. St. Hawaii . . Mew Mex Utah .... Tx-EIPaso
158 146
155 113 132 92 198 153 168 158 118 109 197 228 173 228 99 171
209 232 209 171
239 171 280 237 247 216 188 154 297 325 213 354 233 328
YANKEE
Delaware .  5 1 0 195 108 8 2 0 301 194
Mass.   .  .   5 1 0 163 148 8 2 0 234 238
Conn.....          4 2 0 1 35 1 39 7 3 0 229 212
New Hamp  4 3 0 1 80 1 63 7 3-0 290 212
Flichmond    3 4 0 195 140 4 6 0 258 194
Maine ....   3 4 0 1 60 1 56 7 4 0 297 213
Boston U     2 4 0   99 163 3 7 0 154 269
Fthode IsW   0 7 0   93 203 1 9 0 148 283
MAJOR INDEPENDENTS ................ W   i. T PU OP
Miami.Fla.........10    0 0 384 126
Penn St...........                10    0 0 292 109
Vir. Tech .........                  8    2 1 261 184
Boston Col........              7    3 0 255 183
Florida St.........                6    3 1 353   1 88
Tulsa ............                      7    4 0 293 186
SW La ...........                     6     4 0 231 181
Pittsburgh ........                5    4 1 239   1 75
Rutgers ..........                 5    4 1 199 160
Temple...........                   5    5 0 279 249
Army ............                     5    5 0 249 285
S.Miss............                     5    5 0 167 236
Cincinnati ........                5    6 0 270 345
NotreOame .......              4    5 0 242 161
Tulane ...........                    4    6 0 248 297
Syracuse .........                 4    6 0 207 243
W Virginia ........                4    6 0 187 252
S Carolina ........               3    6 1 292 265
Navy.............                       3    7 0 231 279
Louisville .........                 3    7 0 163 272
Wichita St.........                3    8 0 209 324
E Carolina ........               2    8 0 177 331
N Illinois..........                  2    9 0 144 308
Memph.St.........                1     9 0 91 272
INDEPENDENTS
TennSt...........                   9    0 1 231 84
GaSouthn ........               8    2 0 388 264
Wm&Mary ........               8    2 0 314 232
Jms Madsn .......              5    5 0 292 171
E.Wash...........                    5     5 0 287 276
W Ky............                      4     5 1 211 237
Fla A&M .........                 4    6 0 180 242
Northestn                3    6 0 200 223