Mulligan Is Thinking About BYU, Not His Chances for USC Job

A handful of names have been mentioned as candidates to replace Stan Morrison as the basketball coach at USC. Bill Mulligan’s is one of them.

The UC Irvine coach--once a USC assistant--has cautiously expressed interest in becoming Morrison’s successor. And what better way to get the attention of USC’s athletic administration than by beating UCLA in Pauley Pavilion?

Mulligan’s Anteaters did just that last Thursday. Their 80-74 win in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament earned them a second-round matchup with Brigham Young University at 6:30 tonight in Provo, Utah.

The win over UCLA, witnessed by an unusually large group of UCI supporters, is being regarded as the biggest in Mulligan’s six seasons at Irvine. The victory gives a measure of national attention to a team with a bit of an identity problem. It lends credibility to the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn., and, at the same time, takes a little away from the Pacific 10. And it won’t look bad on Mulligan’s resume should he be contacted by USC about changing jobs.

But Mulligan, who has three years left on his current contract at UCI, said life--and his coaching career--will go on with or without a chance at the USC job.

“Right now, my gut reaction would be not to go,” Mulligan said. “You can get to the Final Four easier at SC. There are more majors there. Those are the advantages. But I wouldn’t care if I never hear from them. I’ve got a job.”

For now, Mulligan’s job entails preparing UCI (17-12) for tonight’s game in Marriott Center. The Anteaters, who thought their season was over 12 days ago after a 66-58 loss to Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the PCAA Tournament, are two wins away from playing in Madison Square Garden, site of the NIT semifinal and championship games.

BYU (17-13) advanced to the second round with a 67-63 win over Southern Methodist last Thursday. The Cougars are 11-4 at home, including an 80-76 overtime win over nationally ranked Notre Dame Jan. 13. That upset was part of a 12-game winning streak BYU put together earlier this season.

But the Cougars, once strong contenders for the Western Athletic Conference championship, lost four of their last five regular-season games and finished fourth. Sophomore forward Jeff Chapman (17.5 points per game) is BYU’s leading scorer, but it’s the Cougars’ backcourt of junior Bob Capener (6-feet 4-inches) and senior Richie Webb (6-5) that will give UCI some familiar matchup problems at the guard positions. Capener averages 15 points per game and Webb scored a career-high 18 in the win over SMU.

BYU will have to be more successful than UCLA at containing Anteater forwards Johnny Rogers and Tod Murphy. Rogers scored a game-high 29 points against the Bruins. Murphy scored 20 and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds. Both played the entire game, something Mulligan doesn’t think he can count on tonight.

“We’re gonna have to give Johnny and Tod more of a rest with the altitude there,” Mulligan said. “We can’t let them go 40 minutes.”

UCI Notes

Mulligan celebrated St. Patrick’s Day Provo style. The Anteaters arrived there Monday afternoon and were scheduled to practice there Monday night. Tonight marks the first-ever meeting between UCI and BYU. . . . The Cougars lost twice to Utah State, their rivals to the north, this season. UCI swept its two PCAA games against Utah State. . . . Reserve guard Mike Hess overcame his reluctance to shoot in the win over UCLA. Hess, who had attempted only 12 shots in the six games before NIT play, was 5 of 7 from the field against the Bruins. He finished with 10 points and 5 assists, his best offensive showing since a 16-point performance against Nebraska in UCI’s second game of the season. . . . Rogers has played 40 minutes in each of Irvine’s last four games. . . . A win tonight would assure the Anteaters of their best-ever performance in a postseason tournament. UCI reached the second round of the NIT in 1982. With All-America center Kevin Magee sidelined with a hand injury, the Anteaters lost to Oklahoma, 80-77. . . . Irvine players will have more than BYU on their minds. This is final exams week at UCI.