Newspaper Page Text
Friday, April 2.1982
The Ki d and Black
Page 7
Wilkins leans toward early entry into NBA
Dominique to make decision known early next week
Dominique Wilkins not hurrying to make announcement
By JACKIE CROSBY
Krd and Hlark Sports Kditor
Dominique Wilkins will not
announce his decision to play
professionally until early
next week and until then it is
a wait and see situation for
the junior's coaches and
friends.
One coach said Monday he
doesn't expect Wilkins to be
around at the start of next
season.
"I haven't talked to
Wilkins,” said assistant
Coach Beasley early this
week, “but it's this man’s
opinion that he is leaving.”
Other coaches say they
will not write him off until
Wilkins makes his intentions
public.
“Until he announces his
decision, until he makes a
statement, we're acting like
he’s going to stay because he
still has another year of
eligibility," said Mike Kin
ney, volunteer assistant
coach.
Georgia Coach Hugh
Durham was in Florida
recruiting and was
unavailable for comment.
Wilkins told The Red and
Black he expects to make his
announcement in a news
conference "on Monday or
sometime early next week."
"There’s no sense in hur
rying this," he said.
But friends of Wilkins are
also drawing their own con
clusions and waiting for him
to make an announcement
Tuesday, Wilkins discussed
the pros and cons of giving
up his senior season with
James Banks and roommate
Lamar Heard.
“It seemed like he was
Netters host Ga. Southern
ing more and more towards
turning pro,” Banks, one of
Wilkins’ closest friends on
the team, told United Press
International.
"He didn't really tell us
'yes' or 'no,' but 1 think he
was leaning in that direc
tion."
Wilkins did say if he
entered the draft, he would
expect to be in the top five
picks, "maybe in the top
three,' he said a lot would
depend on other
underclassmen who decide
to forsake the rest of their
college careers, including
Virginia’s Ralph Sampson
and North Carolina's James
Worthy.
"There is always a chance
that some of those guys
might go," he said.
The 6-foot-7 junior, who
averaged 21.3 points and 8.1
rebounds this year and was a
second team All-America
said he decided last Satur
day while on spring break
from classes after talks with
Durham and his mother
“I did go off by myself for
a while," he said. "The thing
I had to do was to decide
whether I wanted to remain
in school and have fun for
another year or go pro
That’s what I had to decide
at this time.”
Wilkins, 22, was faced with
the same decision last year,
but finally decided to reject
a $1.6 million offer from the
Deti oit Pistons.
“1 didn’t regret making
that choice at all,” Wilkins
said “I got another year’s
experience I had a good
year all around. I had my
heart on staying in school
another year."
Lady Dogs face Fla., S.C.
ByCHARLESODUM
Red and Mack Sialf Writer
With a five-match win streak providing the momentum,
and the home court providing an added edge, the Georgia
women's tennis team will face two of the strongest teams in
the nation this weekend when they host No. 3 Florida on
Saturday at 11 a m. and No. 7 South Carolina Sunday at 2
p.m.
The Lady Bulldogs enter the Florida match with a 9-2
record following the win over Alabama Monday. Coach Lee
Myers has the singles and doubles playing efficiently, after a
two-game slump earlier in the season when the doubles
teams collapsed.
"We were real happy with the Alabama match," Myers
said. “We especially needed to win at this point of the season,
because we needed to get things going for Florida and South
Carolina. They are both going to be real tough. South
Carolina beat Texas Christian, who beat us, and Florida beat
South Carolina 8-1."
Myers is confident about her team’s chance against the
Lady Gators. Lisa Spain, Georgia’s No. 1 singles player,
defeated Florida All-America Cissy Donnigan last year, and
is playing well again this season. Donnigan, however, is no
longer playing in the No. 1 slot for Florida. Freshman June
Ferenstein has taken the top position, while Donnigan has
dropped to No. 2.
Florida has another All-America competing in the No. 3
spot in senior Eileen Friedland. Other top netters for Florida
include Betty Newfield and Jane Clingan, playing in the No. 4
and 5 spots
Although South Carolina was no match for Florida, Myers
has no illusions about the quality of the Lady Gamecocks.
"When they lost to Florida 8-1, it was not a sign of South
Carolina being weak," Myers said, "it just shows how strong
Florida is."
South Carolina will lead with Laura Bernstein in the No. 1
slot. Donna Chaffin, Dawn Otto, Ellen Oxreider, Susan
Smith and Carol Rennes round out the rest of the singles
competitors for South Carolina.
Spain leads Georgia into tough weekend matches
The tough competition for the Georgia women will not quit
with the South Carolina match, Clemson comes to Athens on
Thursday, April 8, "The girls really want to beat Clemson,
especially after the men beat Clemson last week," Myers
said.
By CHARLES AARON
Red and Blach Stall Wrlttr
The revelry has subsided;
the stadium is quiet; and the
only reminder of Tuesday's
raucous victory over sixth-
ranked Clemson is the
lingering aroma of beer in
the bleachers behind Court
One.
But the 14-2 Georgia men's
tennis team will try and
regain some of that
emotional high today as it
faces Georgia Southern at 2
p.m. at Henry Feild
Stadium
Bulldog Coach Dan Magill
was pleased with the victory,
but he's also aware his team
may suffer a decline in
performance. “Clemson was
a wonderful win for us,"
Magill said. "There may be
a letdown because Georgia
Southern is not rated
highly."
The Eagles enter the
match with a 7-11 record,
and the squad has been
riddled with injuries and
players quitting. They
reportedly are having
trouble just fielding a full
team to challenge Georgia.
The first three singles
spots remain stable,
however, and Georgia
Southern will be com
petitive. West German Uli
Wilms plays No. 1 singles
and has posted a 12-6 record
this season. John Gompert
from California plays No. 2
and is 11-7, while Senior
Richard Tazmino of
Ecuador plays No. 3 and is 8-
7. Aside from that, the
situation is very unsteady.
"Georgia Southern has
been very strong in the
past," Magill said “They've
had the second best team in
the state, although they're
not as tough as Clemson or
the other ranked teams
Tracksters meet
Florida, FSU
The Georgia men's track team will travel to Gainesville,
Fla., this weekend to participate in a tri-meet that features
both Florida and Florida State.
It is the final year of the meet between the three schools
and the host team has been victorious every year of the
event. Two years ago, Florida State won in Tallahassee, last
year the Dogs won the event in Athens; and this year Georgia
Coach Lewis Gainey says Florida is the favorite.
But Gainey said the meet will be a close one with all three
teams having the same strengths and weaknesses
"In our case, in areas where we are strong it looks like both
Florida and Florida State are strong too," Gainey said
It is the Dogs first scoring meet of the season and the
team's second outdoor meet.
we've played."
Magill can empathize with
the position Georgia
Southern is in. The Bulldogs
have also encountered injury
troubles lately, which were
only compounded Wed
nesday. Gerald Kleis, who
stepped in at No. 2 doubles to
replace the injured Peter
Lloyd, went down himself,
pulling a muscle in his right
arm.
Kleis will be unable to play
Friday and will be replaced
by Lane Curlee. “He (Kleis)
won't play, but we hope he'll
be ready for South Carolina.
We just don't know," Magill
said.
Lloyd was also hoping to
be healthy for the South
Carolina match, but Magill
said it is very doubtful at this
point. "We’ve been hard hit
by injuries and we're very
fortunate to have a strong
bench."
Looking toward a possible
NCAA tournament bid, the
match with Georgia
Southern is not that crucial,
but upcoming matches
against Tennessee, South
Carolina and Florida cer
tainly are going to be im
portant to the Dogs’ hopes.
"We can afford to lose
maybe one or two more
games and still be in the
running for the NCAA,"
Magill said. "But we'd like
not to lose any. South
Carolina and Clemson are
very strong teams in Region
II, Tennessee is reinforced
and Florida is definitely
capable of beating us.”
The University Union
CM®
Contemporary Concerts Division
is currently seeking new membership.
Applications will be available in room
207, Memorial Hall, beginning Monday
April 5th.
Application deadline is
5:00 p.M., Wednesday April 7th.
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