Ewing Has Earned That Extra Edge

Two years ago, Ralph Sampson was the No. 1 draft pick. Last year, it was Akeem Olajuwon. This year, it will be Patrick Ewing, and Coach John Thompson of Georgetown was asked to compare his 7-footer to the two others.

“Patrick is better because Patrick has won a national championship,” Thompson told Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post. “All three are exceptional basketball players, but the fact remains that Ralph went through college and Akeem went through college and neither of them won a national championship.

“I heard Ralph being interviewed after the NBA All-Star game and he was talking about how he wanted to show people all the different things he could do, like handle the ball, shoot from the perimeter, shoot off the dribble.

“I’m gonna tell you something--you look for a 7-footer to get near the hoop. You can always find people to dribble between their legs and shoot jump shots. But it’s hard as hell to find people to stay down in that hole and take that banging.”

Cozell McQueen of North Carolina State, on Chris Mullin of St. John’s: “Without Chris Mullin, there is no St. John’s. I’ve seen no other guards who play with such intelligence, such an awareness of the court. He doesn’t even need to have the ball, but when he does, he sees so much. Of all the guards I’ve played against in my four years, I’d put him second to one player--Michael Jordan.”

Trivia Time: Which of the following had the highest career-scoring average in NCAA tournament play: Tom Gola of La Salle, Bill Russell of San Francisco, Jerry Lucas of Ohio State, or Bill Walton of UCLA? (Answer below.)

From Peter May of the Hartford Courant: “Virtually no one expects Don Chaney to be the Clippers’ head coach next season as Carl Scheer wants his own man. One name being mentioned is Nets’ Coach Stan Albeck. Another is Georgetown Coach John Thompson if the Clippers win the Pat Ewing lottery.”

St. John’s Coach Lou Carnesecca told Buddy Martin of the Denver Post: “Some smart manufacturer ought to come out with a coach’s uniform. I don’t wear suits. I bet I ripped 35 of them coaching.

“Baseball coaches wear uniforms and take showers after the game. I’ve never seen a basketball coach take a shower.”

Asked if he’d like to match the flashy warmups George Raveling and his Iowa assistants wore at the Salt Lake City regionals, Carnesecca said: “Oh no, we can’t afford those at St. John’s. Those are beeeoootiful! When I saw George, I wanted to kiss him.”

The number Pete Rose is aiming at is 4,192. That’s how many career hits he needs to break Ty Cobb’s record. The way to remember the number, says New York columnist Dick Young, is to take the year 1492 and reverse the first two numbers. You remember 1492 by thinking “new record” and then “new world.”

Trivia Answer: Russell, with an average of 23.2 points a game. Others: Gola 22.9, Lucas 22.2, Walton, 21.2.

Quotebook

Clarence Verdin, slotback for the unbeaten Houston Gamblers of the USFL: “With the type of speed we have on offense, even the NFL couldn’t stop us. Our passing game sets up our running game and Jim Kelly is better than Dan Marino.”