10—The Daily Collegian Friday, June 10,1977
Flanker Jimmy Cefalo, warding off blockers in this answers Penn State coach Joe Paterno is looking for be
spring’s Blue-White game,'could provide some of the fore his team returns to action in the fall.
Blazer's team strategy potent
snuffing Philadelphia's opening spark
Philosophies of team basketball advocates, rather than
those of individual superstar fanatics, looked most impressive
Sunday when the Portland Trail Blazers whipped ,the star
studded Philadelphia 76ers to capture the best-of-seven.
National Basketball Association championship series, four
games to two.
When the 76ers signed Julius Erving at the beginning of this
season, most basketball experts figured them to be a shoe-in
for the league title. In combining the offensive wizardry of
Doctor J with all-star power forward George McGinnis and
backcourt sensation Doug Collins, many felt Philadelphia
would waltz to its first NBA crown in ten years.
But the underdog Blazers, led by coach Jack Ramsay, used
their team conceptized strategies precise play execution,
steady offensive movement, unselfishness and a tough defense
Neil
Rude!
to upend the frustrated Sixers, whose offensive one-on-one
antics appeared as futile as their fast break did devastating.
While the 76ers relied on their big three to carry the bulk of
the scoring, Portland posted five and six men in double figures
consistently. McGinnis found himself in the worst slump of his
career. Collins started the final series shooting extremely well
but tailed off considerably during games five and six. This left
a lot of pressure on Erving, who responded to the challenge
game after game with superhuman efforts. However, his 40
point outburst in game six wasn’t enough to force a seventh
game back in Philadelphia, to give some indication of the
Sixers’ lack of balance.
The magnificent play of ex-UCLA All-American Bill Walton
keyed Portland. The mountain man controlled the boards,
triggered the Blazer’s blazing fast break and more than
assumed his role as team captain. In the playoff clincher,
Walton scored 20 points, grabbed 23 rebounds, blocked eight
shots and handed out seven assists. CBS commentator Brent
Mussberger called it vegetable power (since Walton is a
vegetarian).
Walton, the series MVP, had a better supporting cast than
Erving. Most of the Blazers came into the series underrated,
even unheard of. But after six games of the national television
exposure, they’ll now be household names among NBA fans:
silky smooth shooters Bob Gross and Lionel Hollins;
ferocious forward Maurice Lucas; who in game two, squared
off with the Sixers’ Baby Gorilla, 6’11”, 250 poind Darryl
fuel in
Summer skull session begins
Paterno staff tackles puzzles
By JOYCE TOMANA
Collegian Sports Editor
It’s chalk time for the Nittany
Lions.
The players are off to enjoy the
summer sun before the drudgery of
August football camp, the grass is
left to replenish itself before cleats
rip it apart again in the fall, and
fans are left to scramble for season
tickets and tuck them away with
their flasks until the party uncorks
again in the grandstand.
But the biggest task is left to
coach Joe Paterno and his staff.
They are scrawling on their chalk
boards to find the most successful
geometric design of X’s and O’s,
running and.rerunning every inch of
film on Penn State and its opponents
that they can get their hands on, and
shuffling the talent to get the best
man, in the best slot when the
competition begins in September.
The puzzle is far from solved after
20 days on the gridiron this spring.
Injuries took a high toll on the Lions.
“We had hoped to develop an
offensive line, but fouf of the five
players we considered as possible
starters were injured and didn’t get
the work they needed,” Paterno
said. “We had the same injury
problem in the defensive secondary,
losing three people we wanted to see
back there.”
Those three players are Bill
Crummy, Brian Kistler, and Rich
Milot, who all underwent surgery
this spring. Their injuries put a big
question mark in the development of
any kind of depth in the defensive
secondary.
Dawkins, and Speedy Johnny Davis and gutsy Dave Tward
zick. They all played significant roles in Portland’s first title
after seven years of losing seasons.
Ramsay, who came from the Buffalo Braves, was perhaps
the biggest factor. When the Sixers exploded to victories in the
first two games, he regrouped his club and instilled a con
fidence so strong that the Blazers bounced back to become the
only team in league history to win four straight after dropping
the opening pair.
He kneeled at courtside on one knee constantly—motioning
defenses, instructing plays, calling signals while virtually
coaching his counterpart, Gene Shue, right under the press
table.
The Portland crowd also had its part in the victory. It was
frantic. When the Blazers won the pivotal fifth game in
Philadelphia, the initial road win of the series for either team,
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On the five-man interior offensive
line, center Keith Dorney is the only
returning starter of last year’s 7-5
Lion squad. He was switched to
tackle this spring and had a good
showing in that spot. But the other
four positions are up for grabs.
“Chuck Correal, Tony Williot,
Eric Cunningham and Paul Renaud
are all possible starters on the of
fensive line,” Paterno notes, “but
they were all injured and didn’t get
the work they needed this spring.”
The search is also on for a running
game.
“We have to find a running
game,” he says. “That means
developing an offensive line and
having the backs to carry the ball.
We have a lot of good backs, but we
need one of them to put it all
together to be great.”
Good spring performances were
put in by fullbacks Bob Torrey and
Matt Suhey, who was the leading
rusher in the Blue-White game with
65 yards in 11 carries.
Injuries, however, hampered the
performance of tailbacks Steve
Geise, Mike Guman, Ed Guthrie and
Duane Taylor.
The passing game showed more
strength this spring. Chuck Fusina
will be joined by two sophomores,
Tony Cappozzoli and Dayle Tate, in
the quarterback slot.
Defensively, Penn State ex
perimented with - a five-man line
most of the spring, but may return
to its familiar 4-4-3 alignment in the
fall.
“I don’t know what we are going
they returned home at 4:30 a.m., the same night, and were
welcomed by 4,500 raging fans who brought “Blazermania” to
the Northwest.
The stunning Portland upset resembles the Boston Celtics
days when they had Bill Russell and time and again would use
their team oriented tradition to best the Wilt Chamberlain-led
teams for the league title. But I doubt if Portland is in the
midst of building a Boston-like dynasty. The NBA is too
balanced and strong to permit a team to dominate like the
Celts did in past years. *
In this, the first season following the long awaited merger
with the former American Basketball Association, all the
talent is now under one roof. The NBA is a league that is herb
to stay and can only get more competitive. But after seeing
this year’s playoffs, one has to wonder how much more intense
the action can become. '
to do yet,” Paterno said. “We had a
number of people we wanted to get a
look at playing the down position
and the five-two gave us a chance
to play people where we could get
the best look at them.”
Nine of the 11 defensive starters
are expected to. return in Sep
tember. Joe Lally could join Bill
Banks as defensive ends. Randy
Sidler and Tony Petruccio return at
defensive tackle, but Sidler missed
all of spring practice with the
baseball team and Petruccio was'
injured. - Converted linebackers
Bruce Clark and Matt Millen
showed promise at defensive tackle
this spring.
Tom DePaso, Joe Diange, Rick
Donaldson, Ron Hostetler and Paul
Suhey are experienced linebackers;
and Crummy, Neil Hutton and Gary
Petercuskie will return to the
secondary.
The kicking tasks will be handled 1
by place-kickers Capozzoli and Matt
Bahr and punters Capozzoli and
Pete Harris.
A lot of questions remain unan
swered before Penn State opens the
season Sept. 2 against Rutgers.
“We just didn’t get as much ac
complished as we had hoped. We are
a young team that will have to make
quick progress in the fall,” Paterno
said. “Last year,' I didn’t think we
were strong enough physically. We
should be stronger this year. Our big
problem is experience. ’ ’
“We have potential, but that’s all I
have seen potential,” he said, “I
want to see some production.”
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