Page 10
The NBA: at a glance
by Michael A. Cifelli
Collegia* Stair Writer
Eastern Conference
Atlaatic Division:
Ist Boston Celtics • Don't count out old Celtic
magic. Larry Bird and company are aging, but they'll
be back strong. Young Reggie Lewis and Brad
Lohaus are bright spots on an inexperienced bench.
Rookie Brian Shaw of U.C.-Santa Barbara will
provide first year coach Jimmy Rodgers with the
ability to run the point, and add much needed speed on
the floor.
2nd New York Knickerbockers - With a little more
maturity, the Knkks will be a hit on Broadway.
Patrick Ewing looks ready for that big season
(finally), and hell have big help underneath with the
acquisition of board-crashing Charles Oakley. The
talented backcourt duo of Gerald Wilkins and
playmaking wizard Mark Jackson are the perfect
supporting cast to an attack that should bring the
Knkks great reviews and a play-off spot
3rd Philadelphia 76ers - Except for Charles
Barkley, the Sixers are a team with little identity.
Maurice Cheeks is their consistent floor leader who
must now score as well as assist. He will have an
ideal running mate in rookie Hersey Hawkins.
Hawkins should prove to be the complete off-guard
and help Barkley and Cheeks bring Fltilly back into
the play-offs.
4th Washington Bullets - It is up to Jeff Malone
and Bernard King to run the show. They'll get help
underneath with no. 12 pick Harvey Grant of
Oklahoma, but it won't be enough.
sth New Jersey Nets - Star forward Buck Williams
can't do it alone. Rookie Chris Morris of Auburn
should add some punch to the Nets game but, overall,
the Nets are looking at a frustrating season.
6th Charlotte Hornets - Don't expect the
expansion Hornets to win much. Owner George
Shinn will go with vets like Kurt Rambis, Robert
Reid and Dell Curry along with tiny point man
Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues. He also added former
Kentucky standout Rex Chapman to form a squad that
will attempt to win over a basketball - crazed city.
Central division:
Ist Detroit Pistons - Here is the most complete
roster in the league. Chuck Daly's bullies can run,
pass, sene and rebound - and do it very well. Isiah
Thomas, Joe Dumars, John Salley, etc. Watch out for
rookie guard Michael Williams as well. The Pistons
Let them
throw toast
(CPS)--Students at University
of Pennsylvania football games
have won the right to throw toast,
but not bagels, from the stands.
Security officials infuriated
some Penn fans by confiscating
toast from them at the Sept 24
game at Franklin Field against
Bucknell University. Penn students
have been throwing toast from their
seats onto the field when Penn's
band gets to a certain point of the
song "Drink A Highball."
The toast throwing began at a
1984 game, when the students
decided to respond literally to a line
in the song worded, "So here's a
toast to dear old Penn," explained
Steve Hurlbut, Penn’s sports
information director.
"Like fans at the Rocky Horror
Picture Show, the students decided
to throw a piece of toast instead of
raising their hands as if they held a
glass," Hurlbut said.
After security officers took toast
from some fans, students began
writing protest letters, circulating a
petition even threatening to pelt
Penn President Sheldon Hackney
with toast at future games.
In response to William Epstein,
Hackney's assistant, finally
announced in late October there had
been a "communications failure.
We have no intent to try to stop the
toast tradition. We intended to stop
people from bringing frozen
bagels.”
Bagels, he said, are heavier and
could hurt people.
Hurlbut agreed, but added the
ban should extend beyond bagels to
large packages of bread.
"We don't want anyone getting
whacked with a whole loaf,” he
sad.
Epstein said Penn would let
security officers at the games
confiscate large and/or frozen bread
products "at their own discretion” if
they thought they might pose a
safety hazard.
Skateway
Roller
Rink
4646 Buffalo Road
899-6100
are a prime contender for the N.B.A. title, and they
have a starting five and a bench to do it
2nd Atlanta Hawks - This team is difficult to
figure out. Despite all their talent they still find a
way to falter in the play-offs. Dunkmaster Dominique
Wilkins will guide the Hawks, and do it in a big way.
Doc Rivera and Kevin Willis are also key pieces to
the Atlanta puzzle. The addition of Moses Malone and
Reggie Theus probably won't be the final piece
needed to propel the Hawks past the Pistons, but it
should be close.
3rd Cleveland Cavaliers - A young team on the
rise, the Cavaliers balance will make them a
contender in the East Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty,
"Hot Rod” Williams and rookie Randolph Keys will
provide effective scoring, shot blocking, and
rebounding under the boards. Marie Price has turned
into a solid point guard and scorer. The explosive
Ron Harper has Jordan-like moves and is a future star.
Beware of the Cavs.
4th Chicago Bulls - Trading rebound master
Charles Oakley was a mistake. Air Jordan will
dominate as usual, but must also carry the Bulls as
usual. Second-year players Scottie Pippen and Horace
Grant will need to mature quickly, and they both have
the talent Heaven forbid should Michael ever get
injured.
sth Milwaukee Bucks - Don't write off the Bucks.
They have a strong lineup in veterans Sidney
Moncrief, Jack Sikma, Paul Pressey, Terry
Cummings and Ricky Pierce. In addition, former
lowa State star and Olympian Jeff Grayer has joined
the team. The Bucks will continue their play-off
tradition with a tenth straight appearance.
6th Indiana Pacers - The Pacers have regressed.
They have plenty of talent, but are a mystery in
Indianapolis. If Chuck Person, Vem Fleming and
Wayman Tisdale can get their act together, who
knows?
Midwest Division:
Ist Dallas Mavericks - The Mavericks have the
weapons to go far. The key is super-sixth-man Roy
Tarpley. His play is essential to this club's success.
The question is Mark Aguirre, will his attitude
continue to be a problem? Sam Perkins. Rolando
Blackman and Derek Harper will also help to make
the Mavs a tough team to beat
2nd Denver Nuggets - Doug Moe's motion offense
is the key to this team. Newly acquired Walter Davis
will fit in well and rookie Jerome Lane of Pitt can
provide much needed muscle. Alex English will
Sports Retort
Dear Editor,
We are writing this letter in response to the N.H.L. Preview in the
October Collegian. We feel some of the opinions pertaining to the
Pittsburgh Penguins need to be corrected or updated.
First, the division standings may have been valid assumptions
before the start of the season, but currently they are not so valid. Being
six weeks into the season, the Penguins are presently in first place in
the Patrick division, and they have demonstrated the ability to keep a
firm reign on this position.
Next, we recognize Lemieux's superior offense talents; however, we
also feel the need to recognize the rest of the team. As that is what the
Penguins emphasize: team players, team spirit, team hockey. In the
October 22 game, the Pens scored 7 goals, 2 of which were scored by
Lemieux. In the October 25 game, the Pens scored 6 goals, once again,
2 by Lemieux. We feel credit should also be given to scorers Quinn,
Cunneyworth, Borque, and Brown. Also to Johnson, Zalapski, and
Coffey - the defensemen who also scored in these games. So, yes,
Lemieux can enable the Pens to win when the defense fails; however,
he has not yet been called upon in this capacity as the defense has not
yet failed.
Lastly, we feel the goalies are young, but extremely capable of
executing the essential elements of goaltending. In the October 25
game, Steve Guenelfe not only blocked 44 shots on goal by the flames,
but also won "Player of the Game”. This doesn't demonstrate
questionable goaltending on the Penguins part. Back up goalies Young
and Tabaracci are extremely young, but have already demonstrated
exceptional potential or they would still be in the minors.
In the future, when rating the Penguins, you're going to have to
recognize the abilities of the team as a whole. At the present time, that
is as Number 1!
Dear Carla and Becky,
What you have written about the Pens is all very true, but you
seemed to have missed the scope of our recently, printed N.H.L.
preview. The idea was to give an unbiased look at the entire league. To
have used the article to over-emphasize the writers favorite team would
have been unethical.
You have to realize that what we (the Collegian staff) are trying
desperately to produce here is a newspaper, and the job of a newspaper
is to give the public the unbiased truth. What you suggested we publish
could only be found in the Pittsburgh Penguins media guide.
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Western Conference
Richard G. Cain - Sports Editor
November 10,1988
Carla Lagattuta - senior
Becky Neil - sophomore
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score; Fat Lever will score and rebound; and Michael
Adams will fire up three-pointers. The Nuggets may
strike gold.
3rd Utah Jazz - Jazz fans will be singing again.
Last year’s Cinderella team has become stronger. A
big reason is Kail Malone, one of the game's
premiere players. He is complimented by John
Stockton, the human assist. Thurl Bailey will
continue to emerge as a big league forward, and the
comeback of Darrell Griffith is promising. The lack
of a bench is Utah's only setback.
4th Houston Rockets - Akeem Olajuwon finally
jias some assistance underneath with the acquisition
of Otis Thorpe from Sacremento. Thorpe will provide
plenty of scoring and strength to compliment the best
center in the league. The Rockets will almost be
complete with Sleepy Floyd running the point, but
still lack a shooting guard. New coach Don Chaney
should help to pull together a once-divided team.
sth San Antonio Spurs - Sorry, Navy man David
Robinson will be out at sea for one more year.
However, new coach Larry Brown has arrived to run
the show. The Spurs are beginning to jangle with a
talented backcourt of Alvin Robertson and Johnny
Dawkins. Olympian Willie Anderspn of Georgia will
be the perfect compliment to these quick and crafty
guards. The Spurs are strong up front with Greg
Anderson. This young squad has the right coach, now
they just need their center. When Robinson arrives,
look out
6th Miami Heat - The Heat will definitely be
hotter than their expansion counterpart, Charlotte.
Their success will depend partly on the progress of
Rony Seikaly at center. Pearl Washington was
acquired to run the point and former Louisville star
Billy Thomposon will get a chance to show his stuff
after sitting on the Lakers bench for two seasons.
Watch 20th pick Kevin Edwards of DePaul, he will
be impressive in the Miami backcourt With this
blend of "veteran" youth and rookies, the Heat will be
on in a few seasons.
Pacific Division:
Ist Los Angeles Lakers - Can they make it three
in a row? Maybe as a farewell present for Kareem
Abdul-Jabaar, who is playing his last season. James
Worthy will demonstrate why he belongs among the
league's elite, and Byron Scott will continue to
dominate at the shooting guard position. Of course.
Magic Johnson will run this beautifully orchestrated
offense in superb fashion. Look for ex-Notre Dame
star David Rivers to fit in well with the Lakers'
running style. Pat Riley's crew will be tough to de
throne.
2nd Seattle Supersonics - The Sonics will make a
serious challenge for West supremacy. They acquired
rebound king Michael Cage from the Clippers to
team up with the intimidating Xavier McDaniel.
They al»> possess a high-scoring guard in Dale Ellis,
and an unselfish point-man in Nate McMillan. There
Paterno, Nittany Lions Looking
at Losing Season
by Todd J. Irwin
Collegian Staff Writer
In Joe Patemo's 23 seasons as
head coach, Penn State has not had
a losing football season. In fact,
Penn State has not experienced a
losing football season since 1938.
However, with their present record
at 5-4 with only two tough games
remaining, Patemo and the Nittany
Lions undoubtedly have the thought
of a losing season lurking in their
minds.
It's not surprising that, with the
Lions' luck this season, those two
games are cross-state rival Pitt and
number one rated Notre Dame. As
all Penn State fans know, anything
can happen when Pitt and Penn
State meet in the annual
Pennsylvania Bowl. On top of that,
the Nittany Lions must face the
number one ranked Irish at Notre
Dame. Talk about chances being
slim to none!
You may be asking yourself,
"How did this turn of events come
about?” Well, it hasn't been pretty.
Everything started off fine as Penn
State beat Virginia and Boston
College. Then the shocker came as
the Lions were upset by Rutgers.
The team got back on track with
victories against Temple and
Cincinnati, but completely
crumbled as they dropped three
games in a row for only the third
time with Patemo at the helm. The
three losses were dealt by Syracuse,
Alabama, and (resounding thud!)
West Virginia. The Mountaineers
buried the Lions' 51-30 and put the
most points on the board against a
is depth at center with Alton Lister and Olden
Polynice, versatility with Derrick McKey and
leadership with coach Bemie Bickentaff. For all these
reasons, look for the Supersonics in the Western
Final.
3rd Portland Trail Blazers - The Blazers have
retimed as a league power. They have a center in
overnight sensation Kevin Duckworth; one of the top
point guards in the league with Terry Porter, plenty
of scoring in Jerome Kersey and the remarkable Clyde
"The Glide" Drexler. With this strong of a nucleus,
the Trail Blazers could be a sleeper in the play-offs.
4th Phoenix Suns - The Suns are this season's
most improved team. They will look to Tom
Chambers, acquired from Seattle, to lead them to the
play-offs. Young point guard Kevin Johnson, Mark
West and three-point threat Craig Hodges are key
players. They have solid rookies in Dan Majerle of
Central Michigan and Tim Perry of Temple.
Ultimately, their success will depend on second-year
star Armon Gilliam. If Gilliam has a big season, the
Suns will rise.
sth Los Angeles Clippers - Showtime II will
finally break 20 wins this season. It would be nice if
Danny Manning would come down off his pedestal
and play ball, but the Clippers still have a wealth of
rookie talent. Charles Smith of Pitt and Gary Grant
of Michigan will' both make the all-rookie squad.
With so much inexperience, the Clippers will need
consistent play from center Benoit Benjamin and a
spark from former Georgetown star Reggie Williams
who had a disappointing rookie season. Veteran point
guard Norm Nixon will be their faithful leader.
6th Golden State Warriors - Seven-foot stick
figures Ralph Sampson and Manute 80l won't do the
job. The most impressive part of this team is the
backcourt, Winston Garland and Otis Smith will
continue to improve. The Warriors also gained the
best athlete in the draft with Olympian Mitch
Richmond of Kansas State. Richmond will shine, but
the Warriors' season won't.
7th Sacremento Kings - Kenny Smith is a future
star at the point, but he needs help, and there isn't
much to wdrk with. The Kings got a shooter in
Randy Wittman via Atlanta, and ex-Villanova stand
out Ed Pinckney has the potential, once they find the
right spot for him. To make matters worse, the Kings
have moved from the Midwest Division to the
Pacific, which puts them in a deeper basement.
Post Season Picks:
Eastern Conference Final:
Hawks in 6 games
Western Conference Final: Lakers over
Supersonics in 7 games
N.B.A. Final:
toss-up!
Patemo coached team than anyone
ever has. This past weekend, Penn
State did show signs of life with a
17-10 victory over Maryland. This
brings the Lions to their present 5-
4 status.
The number one reason for the
Nittany Lions' dire straights is their
lack of offense. Freshman
quarterback Tony Sacca is very
talented and has been working hard,
but is just too inexperienced to lead
Penn State. The Lions just can't
generate points. There are bright
spots, though. As usual, Patemo
has sculpted one of the nation's top
defenses. (Wait, why are you
laughing? I see, you saw the West
Virginia game.) Also, most young,
inexperienced quarterbacks with the
raw talent that Sacca possesses
usually turn into well-seasoned
team leaders.
35 Latin
ACROSS
conjunction
30 Danish maasura
37 Quids
39 Channsis
42 Organs of
hearing
43 Rlvar Islands
44 Fruit
43 Middle East
1 Opontng
4 B)umb«r
9 Botomn promts*
12 Ventilate
13 Kind of boor
14 Rotkomont-plan
kilts.
16 Delaying
17 BpsnWi pots
19 Doom
20 Bad
21 Twkt
23 Russian tas
paninsula
40 Flying Insact
51 Bum up
52 Small bottles
54 Bom
55 Danoestep
50 Roman official
67 Female: ooDoq
urns
27 Liquid maasura
29 Bamaas
30 Italy: afabr.
31 Abstract being
32 Cboto# part
34 Raaort
1 Aeriform fluid
2 Ba HI
3 Gains
Pistons over
Pistons
Lakers rematch. A
What it all boils down to is
this, the Nittany Lions must either
beat Pitt or upset Notre Dame to
keep from having their first losing
season in 50 years. However, if
they do lose both games, what does
it really matter? Penn State fans
should realize that Joe Patemo and
his Nittany Lions work in cycles.
Each year that Penn State wins the
National Title, it follows that there
will be a few years of mediocrity
and rebuilding until another serious
run is made at title. So take heart
P.S.U. fans, 1990 should, once
again, be the year of the Lion.
Puzzle Solution
on page 9
Weekly
Crossword
Puzzle
8 Incite* to anger
r °P #nln B g Pretentious
« uraTon rural residence
7 College degree: 10 Anglo-Saxon
•bbf. maim
11 Existed
16 Diminish
18 Animated
20 Bend forth
21 Slumber
22 One of
Columbus’s
ships
24 Piece In Hne
25 More mature
28 Asterisks
28 Pertinent
33 Limbs
34 Scorching
38 A continent
38 Athletic group
40 Bmoothee
41 Short period
45 Geode
48 Weaken
47 Mountain on
Crete
48 Biameee natlvi
48 Beverage
50 Lamprey
53 Cyprtnoid fish
The