Notes on a Scorecard - March 27, 1995

UCLA should be way too quick for Oklahoma State Saturday at Seattle. . . .

Arkansas ought to beat North Carolina by at least two points in double overtime. . . .

We’ll stick with our pre-tournament prediction of UCLA over Arkansas for the championship. . . .

Why did CBS commentator Al McGuire believe it necessary to say that UCLA wasn’t “afraid” to run with Connecticut? . . .

It turned out to be Secretariat vs. Sham. . . .

McGuire also didn’t seem to be aware that the Bruins are a superbly conditioned team that often wears down opponents who substitute more. . . .

Tyus Edney’s moves remind me of Barry Sanders’. . . .

The three-point basket by Edney at the buzzer ending the first half was the most important play Saturday at Oakland. . . .

I can’t remember a college team executing the alley-oop with more precision than UCLA. . . .

An unsung Bruin hero was guard Cameron Dollar, who didn’t commit a turnover in 23 minutes of a fast-paced game against Connecticut. . . .

If UCLA hadn’t been upset by Tulsa, it would have played Oklahoma State last year in the second round. Tulsa beat Oklahoma State, 82-80. . . .

Nolan Richardson says Corey Beck is the heart and soul of the Arkansas team, but what does that make Corliss Williamson? . . .

Williamson, the raging bull of a forward, could become the first person to be voted most outstanding player in the NCAA tournament twice in a row since UCLA center Bill Walton in 1972-73. . . .

The only three-time MVP was UCLA center Lew Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in 1967-69. . . .

Those waiting for the defending champion Razorbacks to win convincingly in the tournament got their wish against Virginia, and the scary part is that they can play better. . . .

Kentucky lived by the three-point shot most of the season and then died with it. . . .

Is it my imagination or have a lot of teams gone three-point crazy? . . .

This is the eighth consecutive year that at least one school from the state of North Carolina has reached the Final Four. . . .

One of the best things that ever happened to North Carolina was the shot clock, which pretty much took away the four corners stall offense. . . .

UCLA substitute center omm’A Givens from Aberdeen, Wash., will be returning in uniform to Seattle, but Connecticut forward Donny Marshall from Federal Way, Wash., and Kentucky center Mark Pope, a University of Washington transfer from Bellevue, Wash., won’t. . . .

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If the Clippers get the No. 1 pick in the draft and these three Atlantic Coast Conference centers decide to leave school early, should they pick North Carolina’s Rasheed Wallace, Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan or Maryland’s Joe Smith? . . .

I would take Duncan over Wallace because of maturity and over Smith because of size. . . .

USC Coach Charlie Parker says it will be show time for the Trojans from now on, but his first priority should be to make it winning time. . . .

The Trojans, who found a way to lose last season when they dropped 14 Pacific 10 Conference games in a row, need to find a way to win. . . .

It might not be easy, but Parker has got to do a selling job to Southern California high school stars. . . .

“Hoop Dreams” isn’t up for an Academy Award as either best documentary or best picture tonight, but its co-star, William Gates, will be the sixth man for Marquette in the NIT semifinals against Penn State at Madison Square Garden. . . .

Orlando Magic guard Dennis Scott outscored the Golden State Warriors, 18-17, in the second quarter Sunday. . . .

Look-alikes: Peter O’Malley and Mississippi State Coach Richard Williams. . . .

Play of the week was Phil Mickelson’s crazy hole-in-one in the Players Championship. . . .

The Philadelphia Flyers’ most valuable player candidate, hard-hitting and high-scoring Eric Lindros, might be the next Gordie Howe. . . .

Tiger Woods of defending NCAA champion Stanford heads the field in the Southwest Intercollegiate golf tournament today and Tuesday at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village. Sixteen teams will be competing; admission is free. . . .

The thing I want to know most about Mike Tyson, who looks small, is his weight. . . .

At the start of a TV commercial, Nolan Ryan unwittingly speaks on behalf of former teammates and rivals when he says, “I’ve stopped playing baseball now.”