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**•««■ »
The Red and Black. Thursday. November iW, 1979
Sports
Durham’s Dogs tip off against Troy State
By ANDY COOK
The 1979 version of fhe
Georgia Bulldog basketball
team tips off its season Friday
night at the Georgia Coliseum
against Troy Sate, and Bulldog
coach Hugh Durham is ready to
begin his second season in
Athens
“We're anxious to get
started." Durham said. “We've
put in six weeks of hard work
and we've |ust ah*»*o reached a
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px»int where going against each
other is not going to he the
answer.
Coming off of last sear's
14-14 record. Georgia's first
non-losing campaign since I9 7 l
7 2. the Georgia coaching staff
put together one of the nation's
finest recruiting efforts to have
optimism for Georgia basketball
at an all-time high.
Three freshmen arc in the
Bulldogs' starling line-up. 6-8
forward Terry Fair, b-7 forward
Dominique Wilkins, and b-4
guard Derrick Floyd. The
Georgia newcomers will be
joining two seniors in the
starting five, 6 10 center Lavon
Mercer, and b 1 guard Jimmv
Dauglitr\.
“This is without question the
youngest team we've ever put
on the floor." Durham stated
“We've never had a team this
young—60 percent of the guys
in the starting Itne-up have
never put on a varsity shirt.
We’re excited about the season
just to find out where we are."
Mercer will be the mainstay
of the Georgia squad again this
year The center from Metier,
Ga.. holds a career field goal
average of .599 and hit b4
percent «»t his shots from the
floor last year in leading the
Bulldogs. Mercer also holds
the Georgia record lor blocked
shots in a single season, with 88
lor the '77.78 campaign.
Backing up Mercer will he b-9
freshman Bobby Mile . a center
front Tallahassee. Fla. Miles
averaged 18 points and 1.1
rebounds during his senior year
at Macias High School, where
he led his team to the Florida
Class A siuic championship.
At the guard positions.
Georgia has both ns best depth
and its most critical area on the
irt.
'We don’t have am ex
perienced guards besides
Daughtrv." Durham noted.
“ left Thomas is a sophomore
hm did not play much Iasi year,
and w hile Fric Mai bury played
some ai guard, he's basically a
forw ard offensivelv.'
Daughtry will be starting as
Georgia's point guard and will
also be seeing time at the
number two guard slot. The
Fnignta. Ga.. native hit for 9.2
points a game last year and was
just one shot shy of the .500
mark from the field. Daughtry is
also tin Bulldog “iron man."
playing for more than .18
minutes a game during the
1978-79 season.
Floyd will he starting with
Daughtrv in the second guard
position. The freshman from
Miami. Fla. averaged 28 points
a game tor 22- 7 Northwestern
last year, and was named to
almost every all-state team in
Florida.
Sophomore Marburv will be
seeing some playing time as a
guard, although he will be
moving to forward on occasion.
I he b-2 native from Brookly n.
N.Y.. poured in 11.9 points per
game for Georgia last season
and hit a blistering 80 percent
from the free throw line.
Lamar Heard, a freshman
from Cartersvillc. Ga.. has also
been impressive at both the
guard and forward slots during
pre-season practice. At b-l.
205 pounds. Heard averaged 25
points. 14 rebounds, six assists,
and five steals per game in his
senior season while shooting bl
percent from the field for
Cartersvillc High.
At forward. Durham has an
abundance of raw talent.
"Ihis is obviously our most
inexperienced posit ion."
Durham stated. “We have
excellent talent and adequate
depth, but there's no substitute
for game experience.’*
Freshmen standouts Fair and
Wilkins lead the way as the
Bulldog starting forwards.
Fair, u native of Macon. Ga..
was the number-one ranked
player in Georgia Iasi year.
Scoring 21.1 points and 15.2
rebounds a game. Fair led
Southwest High School to a 28-0
season and a National High
School Championship last year,
and an 82-.1 record over the last
three years.
Wilkins was the number-one
prospect in North Carolina last
year. The forward front
Washington. N.C.. averaged 29
points and Ih rebounds while
leading to a state championship
in his senior year. Over the last
three years he was at
Washington High School.
Wilkins led his team to a 75-4
mark.
Another freshman. 6-7.
225-pound Mike Morris will also
he seeing time at a forward
position. The Wake Forest
native was an all-state selection
at Kolcsvillc High, where he hit
27.7 points and grabbed 16.7
rebounds a game in '78-79 and
earned the Metro Player of the
Year by the Raleigh Times
Two senior Bulldog players,
guard Joe Childers and forward
Zack Richardson, arc both down
with injuries. Childers is out
with a hack injury and
Richardson with a broken foot.
"Easy" Eddie Small will also
be seeing time at the guard and
forward positions. Small is a
sophomore transfer from
Millsaps College in Jackson.
Mississippi.
"I don't know what our
chances arc going to he this year
because I can't see how we're
going to play." Durham said.
“We'd like to have a winning
season, and we'd like to go to a
post-season tournament, those
are realistic goals."
Falcons await trades, draft
Staff pnntn Shawn Jarrett
Dominique Wilkins makes Bulldog debut Friday
Intrasquad meet opens
1979-80 track season
SfWANH . (Ul*l>-
t".uh Lccniun Bennett •..ml
Iik-vLu he u mi Id ninsulii
i nulin^ any Atlanta player,
nu lining ipnirurh.il k Sieve
Harifci.itsLi. ■•if Hie price was
r W» 11 1 thought sneli it iriuli
"I’ulil help i lie Lain ms.'
I Inn s mu sal iiiy. | unnld
aeitnilli unite smli a irade ’
s.ml Heinieii "Bin, us. | „„ u |i|
consider trading Bartkowski.
s,t. tor a couple of no. I draft
choiv cs.”
Bennett talking at his weekly
news conference, about why the
Falcons had plummeted from
Iasi year's playoff performance
to their current 4 9 status, said
change had to conic from three
directions: “In tlu draft,
through trades, and In doing a
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better job myself—not neces
sarily in that order."
Bennett said the Falcons
mainly need it* rebuild their
defense, which used it* be their
strong point.
"Wc need help in the second-
ary. at linebacker, and in the
defensive line." said Bennett.
"I haven't had a chance to
really discuss the draft yet but I
understand that the next one is
supposed it* be a good one for
lhe very people wc need. We
may he lucking out."
Bennett said he would rather
rebuild through the draft than
through trades, "hut we're
always open it* an offer. Wc
don't make many trades, few
NFL clubs dt*. hut there are
always a Ini of deals being
talked around."
Bat Bennett added that he
still feels that attitude rather
than personnel is responsible
lot the Falcons being eliminated
from this year’s playoffs.
University
Police
Crime
Prevention
Unit
542-2200
By DON WHITE
Assistant sports editor
Potentially, the Georgia track
team could have its best team in
recent memory this year. But.
then again, the Dogs could wind
up in the SEC’s second division
after the conference's indoor
meet.
"It's hard to predict where
we’ll be this year." coach Lewis
Gainey pointed out. "Wc
depended on a lot of freshmen
last year and they didn’t per
form that well in liie big meets.
We've got quite a few freshmen
on the team this year that we'll
be depending on. too."
Gainey said the SEC will be
dominated once again by
Auburn and Tennessee. He
noted that LSU will be in the
heat of the conference race
because of its outstanding in-
d**or facilities and its experi
enced returnees.
"Our goal is to finish in the
top half of the conference and
then compete with the top teams
at the conference meet."
Gainey said.
Georgia's returning per
formers and a good crop of
freshmen should give the con
ference favorites a run for their
money in the 1980 season.
World class sprinter Melvin
Lallans and Olympic hopeful
Darryl Simmons lead the Dogs
as six seniors return. Freshman
high jumper Steve M«x>rc. who
jumped 7 ‘2" in high school, will
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events.
"We’ve got u good high
jumper with Steve here but he’s
got some adjustments to make
competing on this level,"
Gainey noted.
Georgia will showcase its
1980 squad today at 3:15 in the
annual Red and Black meet.
Gainey said the 330. 880. mile,
and two mile events will be run.
as well as all field events except
for the javelin throw.
But. this year's intrasquad
meet will have a distinctively
new wrinkle. The women's track
team, in its first year at Georgia
under coach Bill Katz. will
compete in several intrasquad
events.
"The women are in a building
program this year with most of
them being walkons." Gainey
said. "They will suffer for a
while but coach Kat/ has proved
at Auburn that he can build a
strong women's program."
Gainey said no conflicts have
surfaced this year with the
women practicing alongside the
men. He added that the teams
are being dealt with as a totally
integrated program.
"The women don't hinder the
men at all. There’s no social life
at practice between the two
teams either." he said.
After the Christmas break,
the men's team will begin "the
toughest schedule we’ve had
since I've been here." Gainey
noted. The indoor season will
open Jan. 12 at the East
Tennessee State meet. Then,
the Dogs will travel to Ohio
State before facing several SEC
opponents in various indoor
meets. After the dual meets are
over, the Dogs will make a run
at the conference title March 1-2
in Baton Rouge.
Asked why Georgia has such
a difficult schedule this year.
Gainey said, "the SEC is so
lough that if we don’t run
against good competition, wc
won’t have a chance in the
conference tournament."
mpfiiE
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^portfolio
Warren Rary
Thanks and Goodbye
For more than two years I have read as writers for this
paper typed their farewell pieces and mused "Why do they
do that?" I always thought it was kind of egotistical and
wished old R«ScB staff members would just fade away. But
now I understand.
It's been a lot of fun tor a long time so you just have to try
one more lime. Writing for a newspaper docs, however,
take a special kind of ego. I mean, you get to tell a whole
bunch of people exactly what you want them to know,
preferably factually and interestingly.
Somewhere along the line one of my mentors (actually I
think I made it up) said, "the name of the game is the
byline." It is great to see your name in print, wc all agree.
There is one sensation that is even better, however. You
just can’t imagine what it’s like to stroll by the bus stop and
sec someone reading one of your articles. If you’re lucky,
you can even detect a hint of enjoyment. I’d like to thank
everyone who’s ever read just one of my words. Special
thanks to those who have said, "that was a good column.’’
Being involved with sports has been especially gratifying.
Sportswriling is something everyone would like to try at
vme lime in their lives. Witness the dozen or so sports
articles that have appeared in the RJiB and were authored
b\ persons other than sports staffers for this paper.
Your views of life become somewhat clouded by
involvement in the magical world of sports. For example, at
the Georgia-Florida game, a couple of fans strode around
the stadium displaying a sign with the bold letters: "BOMB
IRAN." Frank Malloy (deposed R&B sports editor) and 1
found no one named "Iran" on the roster of either team.
Besides, neither club had a quarterback that could toss the
ball over 40 yards anyway.
Another thing I keep hearing about is the oil shortage,
present *»r potential. I know there’s nothing to it because a
popular retail store near my home has plenty. All the oil I’ll
ever need is stacked in this real neat pyramid right in the
front window. A couple of cans a year will be fine. There's
enough for you. too.
Of course, every now and then a coach beats a player up
°r an athlete rapes somebody. It takes actions such as these
to keep sportswriters in tunc with reality.
But. in an effort to return a little closer to my original
topic, it’s a great comfort to know of the permanence of the
print media. Somebody, somewhere will retain a copy of
this. With the emergence of microfilm, I suppose this issue
will last close enough to forever that no one will know the
difference.
So. I'd like the following engraved in stone: My favorite
athletes at Georgia have been Jeff Pyburn. Rex Robinson
and Matt Morris.
The most enjoyable events I have witnessed here were the
1978 Gcorgia-Gcorgia Tech football game, the 1979
basketball victory over LSU and the dedication of Henry
Fcild Tennis Stadium when the Dogs met Southern Cal.
I imagine if I continue in this business there will be
many more encounters just as memorable but 1 vow to
always single out those three for the top of the list.
Several people deserve a mention for leaching me a great
deal of whatever it is I know about this business and using
great patience with a rookie writer. You know who you are
but former R&B sports editor Perry McIntyre merits special
mention. Thanks.
In closing. I recommend the experience of writing for the
RA:B u* anybody. I hope one thing changes for future
staffers, however. Maybe someday people will call more
frequently to thank you for writing a positive, flattering
piece about than they do to criticize the occasional negative
works this paper publishes.
Also, it would be nice If coaches and representatives of
club sports would drop a line more frequently for the
coverage you have afforded them. They will call in an
instant if you leave them out. I don't care if lacrosse ever
gets any coverage, however, although it hasn't been up to
me to decide since winter quarter.
It's been fun. Goodbye.
Soccer club stunned by FSU
The Georgia soccer club recently finished a disappointing third
in the 12-team Southeastern Soccer Tournament. After downing
I hree opponents, the Bulldogs fell to Florida State in the semifinals:
On a field described by most of the Georgia team members as
being unplayable, the Dogs defeated Kentucky 2-0. Alabama ,14),
and South Carolina 2-0 before Iheir loss to the Seminoles
Georgia dominated the first half agains. Florida Slate, keeping
the ball at the FSU end of the field most of the time, but the
Seminoles nevertheless held a 2-0 lead at intermission. When a ball
roiled inio the Bulldog goal because of a steep slope out in front, the
UGA club wax stunned and never completely recovered.
In the consolation game against Mississippi State. Georgia look a
2-1 victory. •