The Decatur Daily Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 8

THE DECATUR REVIEW PAGE EIGHT Decatur, Illinois, Wednesday, November 23, 1977 i I iiwuinnm mmm OO 0 Congress' NCAA Probe Potential Time Bomb Sports In Review With Forrest R. Henson Thinks lllini Will Figure in Big 10 Cage Race volved in infractions investigations since 1970. Constituents and institutions in the states served by the very congressmen doing the investigating stand to be embarrassed. Many times NCAA schools, upon learning they are under investigation, cooperate fully. To a great extent, their cooperation has been extended with the comforting knowledge that the NCAA staff always, without fail, has maintained strict confidentiality.

But the NCAA can no longer promise confidentiality. The efforts at curbing recruiting abuse will surely be compromised. The essence of athletic competition is fairness. Fairness is the reason for the existence of the NCAA's enforcement department. The rules are legislated by majority vote of the NCAA schools themselves, not by some Czarist group of willful men in Kansas City.

The NCAA's enforcement staff was created by the member schools to protect themselves from each other. The job has never been easy. It looks like it's about to become a lot tougher. released. you should be aware that the Subcommittee may always authorize disclosure of evidence it deems to be in the public interest, consistent with our valid legislative purpose, and which is relevant to our investigation," Moss wrote.

In other words, only that information relevant to the investigation will be made public and the conductors of the investigation will decide what is relevant. The situation is rife with irony. Moss has repeatedly insisted the investigation is aimed at the NCAA staff, an effort, in effect, to protect the NCAA membership from the organization itself. But the confidential information in the subpoenaed files seems unlikely to contain anything that could indict the staff. The welfare of the membership, ostensibly the concern of the subcommittee, can only suffer if the confidentialities are broken.

Schools in Oklahoma, California, Minnesota, Michigan, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, Hawaii, Nevada to name only a few have been in NCAA Agrees to Give Records to Committee University of Illinois' sports interest is turning quickly from a disappointing football season to what could be the best basketball season in the last four years. Lou Henson is starting his third year as head man after 14-13 and 14-16 records in his first two seasons. He's confident the lllini can be in the thick of the Big Ten battle although right off the bat an injury could hurt their chances. Steve Lanter, the Mascou-tah guard who was the most impressive of last year's frosh, has an injured knee a "slightly" torn cartilage which might need surgery. Presumably the lllini will learn this week if Lanter will be lost for the year.

"In trying to take a realistic approach to this season, if we don't have any more injuries, we're going to be a better ball club than we were last Henson said earlier this week at a news conference. "On certain nights we will be quite a bit better. It may not be reflected in the won and lost column, because of our tough non-conference schedule, and you know how tough the Big fen is." Henson calls the strength of Big Ten basketball "unbelievable." "We have great players in the Big Ten. The talent is unbelievable. "I think we had a fine recruiting year, maybe one of the best Illinois has had in five or six years.

It's hard to judge. But-I'll guarantee you 1 think there are some teams which had better recruiting years then we did. "I'm not knocking our talent. That's not the intent, but only to point out the strength of The Big Ten. I think it's the No.

1 league in the country right now." Henson will turn the lllini loose night against the University of North Carolina-Charlotte the team which went to the semifinals of last year's NCAA championship tournament. "Cornbread" Maxwell has gone on to the pros but three regulars are back and Henson is surprised the team hasn't been listed higher in pre-season ratings. "We will have to play very well to win," he says. Henson allowed his starting lineup Friday night most likely would include Kich Adams at center, Levi Cobb and Neil Bresnahan at for-wards, Audie Mathews and either Rob Judson or Keno Gray at guards. "Adams has had a very good fall," said Henson.

"We think when he is playing good, consistent ball we are in very good shape. Eisenhower's Mike Sain passes off Spartans Also Out Eisenhower Upended In Turkey Tournament By Doug Tucker Of The Associated Press Kansas City, Mo. A' time bomb packing enough firepower to damage the reputations of hundreds of respected, important men throughout the United States began ticking Tuesday morning. History suggests it will explode gradually. Bits of information will leak out here, a name will be joined to an old scandal there.

Eventually, a congressional investigation into the enforcement polices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association could even lose sight of itself. At 11 a.m. CDT Tuesday an official of the National Collegiate Athletic Association accepted a subpoena directing the organization to surrender confidential files of 100 infractions cases to the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Walter Byers, NCAA executive director, said, with reluctance, the subpoena would be obeyed. The files cover the period Jan.

1, 1970 to the present. They name names and detail the misdeeds of persons heretofore protected by the NCAA's unyielding promise of discretion. Behind the headlines of virtually every infractions case lies a hidden element people with no official connection to the athletic program but whose money or influence was used in the unethical recruitment of a star athlete. Bank presidents are there. So are corporation heads, professional men, civic leaders and even politicians.

Men of success and good standing who, for whatever reasons, helped break the rules that the NCAA membership lav-down and expect the NCAA staff to enforce. These people are guilty of no criminal misconduct. But the potential for embarrassment is vast. The subpoenaed files literally thousands of pieces of paper are being duplicated, packaged and readied for delivery to the subcommittee by Nov. 28.

It is a development entirely unprecedented in the administration of collegiate athletics. John E. Moss. subcommittee chairman, has assured the NCAA the confidentiality of the sensitive documents will be rigidly respected. But Washington is famous for committee leaks.

Moreover, the Associated Press has obtained a copy of a letter in which Moss indicates that his subcommittee will be the final judge of. what information is Former Cardinal Hon Willis Dies Memphis, Tenn. (AP) Former professional baseball pitcher Ron Willis has died of cancer at age 34. Willis, who died Monday night at a Memphis hospital, began his major league career ith the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966 and pitched six games in relief in the 1967 and 1968 World Series.

NTF Picks Cleveland Cleveland (AP) The National Tennis Foundation has chosen Cleveland as the permanent home of its new United States Amateur Hard Court tennis Mission, Kan. (AP) The National Collegiate Athletic Association will comply with a subpoena and turn over to a congressional investigating committee confidential records of 100 infractions investigations dating- to Jan. 1, 1970, an NCAA spokesman said Tuesday. "The records ill be in the committee's hands by Nov. 28.

as stipulated," said an NCAA official. John E. Moss, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, ordered the subpoena served at NCAA headquarters Tuesday in connection with a probe into the organization's enforcement department. The probe was initiated at the request of Decatur Daily Review Sports Kyle "Cobb is improving, playing good defense, working the boards tough and handling the bail real well. "Audie has improved shooting the ball and is playing good, steady defense." Judson was out much of last year with a knee injury.

Henson says he's healthy, has picked up some weight and is playing well. Reno Gray is a junior college player from Lake Land. "He's the quickest, fastest player we have," says Henson, "and does as good a job of handling the fast break as any player I've seen for a while." Among the highly-regarded freshmen Henson says Mike Jones of Joliet Central is "adjusting pretty well. He's playing with more self-discipline so we're hoping we can use him because he's a fine athlete. He can help us tremendously as soon as he becomes acclimated to major college games.

"Mark Smith (from Peoria Riehwoods) is doing a fine job and another forward, Ed-die Johnson (Chicago West-inghouse) is a tremendous shooter, is adjusting defensively and goes to the boards real well." Sophomore Bresnahan, surprisingly, has been graded the No. 1 player by his teammates. "About two weeks ago we had the players grade each other on handling the ball, rebounding, playing defense, team play, good shot selection and Neil rated out as No. 1." Last year the 6-foot-6 Uak Park 200-pounder averaged 7.4 points a game and 4.9 rebounds in a "sixth man'' role. The chief backup man at both pivot and forward is junior Ken Ferdinand, year's No.

4 scorer who has heard about defense but hasn't struck up an intimate acquaintance with it. "Our depth is comprised of young players," said Henson. "We don know how long it will take us to develop depth but we have some good young players. "1 think we'll be sound offensively. We'll shoot the ball pretty well." The lllini have been scoring exceedingly well in practice games; too well to suit Henson.

who sees a lack ot defense in the scoring rather than expertise at getting the ball in the hoop. "But our program is on the upswing and I think we're going to have one of the good ball clubs in the conference. In another year or two we'll be one of the top Warns in the Big Ten. It you are, then you're one of the top teams in the country." Dawson Winner Andre Dawson prize considering the time he spent with the Mets." Henderson joined the Mets from Cincinnati in the celebrated Tom Seaver deal last June 15. He didn't begin playing regularly until late that month, but finished the season with a .297 batting average, 12 home runs, 65 RBI and six stolen bases.

Henderson became the second Mets player to finish second by one point in the roc voting, pitcher Jerry Koos-man losing the 1968 election to catcher Johnny Bencn of the Cincinnati Reds by that margin. i i Yankees' Gossage, Dent Recall Lean Old Days disappointed' Declares Witt New York (AP) On the day he signed a six-year, multimillion dollar contract ith the New York Yankees, relief pitcher Rich Gossage thought back to the days in the rookie leagues when he, Bucky Dent and Terry Forster slept on the floor of their one-bedroom apartment in Appleton, is. "We slept in front of the air conditioner, catching our death of cold," he recalled. Those were the days in the rookie leagues, "Way down at rock bottom," according to Dent, when the trio only had one mattress to share and an "old green '55 Chevy we used to drive around in." Now Dent is the Yankees' shortstop and making considerably more than the $500 per month he and Gossage used to get in the rookie leagues. And for the next six years, if all goes well.

Dent will be watching Gossage 5 would miss Williams that much, but we did." Witt said Williams would probably be out until sometime around Christmas and is hopeful the senior forward will be ready by holiday tournament time. Coach Don alker as also "disappointed" his Spartans hadn't been up to pulling olf the upset of the night, but considering Wayne Dunning is the lone starter returning from last year's squad, the overall elfort was a good one. Lakeview trailed by only two points with about 30 seconds remaining to play and Dunning's shot at the horn wasn't very far off target. "We didn't penetrate very well at all," said Walker. "Offensively Champaign did ith us just what it wanted to do.

We couldn't get inside at all, but I think we can correct that with a few games under our belts." "The weak side errors hurt us," said Walker. "Champaign was able to get four or five easy layups on us and in a low scoring game you just can't give those up. "I felt our aggressiveness was a plus and kept us 'in contention," added Walker. "What we need most now is to play a few more ball games. If we can learn to get the ball inside 1 think we're going to be okay." Seat sports editor of the Kansas City Star.

"We either have to affirm our faith in Al or make a change. hatever the decision, we will make it as quickly as possible." Schooling's support was a major reason Onofrio survived a concerted effort to oust him following the 1976 season. But the chancellor is retiring at the end of the current academic year. Saturday's 24-22 loss to Kansas dipped Onofrio's seven-year head coaching mark 40. N.L.

's Top Rookie Rep. Jim Santini, a committee member who contends the NCAA abused its power in the handling of a case which resulted in a twoyear probation for the basketball program of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Walter Byers, NCAA executive director, said Moss had assured him in writing that the subcommittee would respect the confidentiality of the sensitive material, which could prove embarrassing to persons involved in NCAA investigations. The NCAA, citing respon-sbilities to its member institutions, had said it would surrender the confidential files only under court order. Byers was not available for comment Tuesday.

pitch in relief for New York. That's because the right-handed Gossage sold his services to the Yankees, who also own a certain left-handed reliever named Sparky Lyle the American League's Cy Young Award inner for the 1977 season. "I told Rich I thought he'd really enjoy playing here," said Dent, who was his teammate at Appleton, later with the Chicago White Sox, and now ith the defending World Champions. Gossage feels the same way. "I'm very proud.

It's a very big privilege for me. My family and I have followed the Yankees for a long time," he said. Now, courtesy of the free agent sweepstakes, he brings to New York a brilliant season with an 11-9 record, 26 saves and a 1.62 earned run average in 72 appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates. new uniform By Hex Spires Anyone who had seen only the opening quarters of the first two games of the Decatur Thanksgiving Classic basketball tournament at Milli-kin's 1 Center Tuesday night would have figured Eisenhower High and Champaign Central as runaway winners. Eisenhower, however, frittered away a lo-pomt lead and wound up being defeated by Springfield 60-56.

In the second game Champaign had to rely on Kevin Cross' basket with seconds left to hold off Lakeview for a 47-43 ictory. Tonight, MacArthur takes on Cerro Gordo at 7 o'clock, followed by Stephen Decatur vs. Springfield Southeast. Springfield and Champaign advance to a winners bracket game at 7 p.m. Friday.

Eisenhower and La keview collide in a loser bracket game at 1 p.m. Friday. After Cross' basket gave Champaign a lead, Lakeview Jonas Bond drilled a shot from the corner with five seceonds left to make it 47-45. Lakeview got the ball on a turnover with two seconds left but Wavne Dunning shot at the horn bounded olf the rim. Trailing 31-27 going into the final period, Lakeview gained a 35-35 tie with 4:22 to go on four straight free throws by Terry Hill, but four straight points by Bill Keaton restored Champaign's lead and it managed to hold on from there.

Eisenhower played the best quarter of the night in the opening period, jumping off to a 22-12 lead, but Springfield pecked away during the middle two quarters to draw within one point at 45-44 going into the last period. Triggered by Robert Bol-den's three baskets, Springfield spurted to a 57-50 lead with 58 seconds left. Mizzou Wolves Onofrio Kansas City (AP) Al Onofrio once again is battling to keep his job as Missouri football coach. A 4-7 season and, most significantly, a third straight upset loss to border rival Kansas has ignited familiar rumblings from alumni groups and booster clubs. "Right now, I don't know which way the wind will said a member of the school's lntercollegite Athletic Committee.

"I've gotten calls from several Quar By Mac McGee Decatur prep basketball fans have had better opening nights in past Thanksgiving Classics. The Eisenhower Panthers couldn't do anything right the second half Tuesday night at Milhkin University and lost to the Springfield Senators. Lakeview played surprisingly well, but couldn't quite pull off an upset of Champaign Central. "I'm very disappointed," said Eisenhower coach Bob Witt. "We quit working the ball the second half and didn't go inside at all.

All our shooting was coming from the perimeter and the corners. "We waited too long to put the pressure on," said Witt. "We also missed Bob Williams who is out for an undetermined time with mononucleosis. "Actually, we played pretty well the first half. Then Bill Elliott sprained his ankle and didn't see much play the second quarter and we started going downhill.

Bill's ankle is swollen but I don't believe it's a bad sprain." Eisenhower had a decided height advantage, especially with Elliott in the lineup, but never took advantage of it. "We just didn't do anything on the boards," agreed Witt. "I really didn't think we Howling on Hot terback Clubs and booster groups already asking me where and who to write to demand a coaching change. It will be touch and go." One clear indication that Onofrio might be in serious jeopardy came Tuesday when Dr. Herbert W.

Schooling, Missouri chancellor and a longtime Onofrio backer, hedged on an endorsement. "We have to determine if Al is the proper man to continue to direct our program," Schooling told Joe McGuf Expos' 1-Vote By Frank Brown Of The Associated Press New York Centerfielder Andre Dawson today became the second player in the nine-year history of the Montreal Expos to win the National League's Rookie of the Year Award, beating Steve Henderson of the New York Mets by one vote. "I'm very happy, regardless of how many votes I won by," Dawson said by telephone from his Florida home. The 23-year-old Dawson, who hit .282 with 19 home runs, 65 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases, received 10 votes in balloting by a 24-man committee of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Henderson, a leftfielder, got nine votes, while first ba-semanoutfielder Gene Richards of the San Diego Padres received four votes and pitcher Floyd Bannister of the Houston Astros got the other vote.

Pitcher Carl Morton, who won in 1970, was the other Montreal player to take the prize. "I was a bit surprised that it was as close as it was," said Dawson. "I'm not taking anything away from Steve Henderson. He's a fine ballplayer and had a super year Willie OIL i i Ljf )a- 11 -1 I 1 Bucky Dent, left, helps Rich Gossage try on.