He’ll Remember Duke This Time

Robbie Valentine of Louisville was talking about the thrill of being in the NCAA final against Duke tonight at Dallas.

“Everybody dreams just to be here,” he said. “I feel great about it. The first one I remember is 1978 when Kentucky won. I forget who they played, but I know Jack Givens scored 41 points.”

They played Duke.

Trivia Time: Bob Bender, Duke assistant basketball coach, is the answer to what trivia question? (Answer below.)

For What It’s Worth: Former National League batting champion Dick Groat still holds the Duke record for most points scored in a game at 48. He set the mark in 1951-52. He later credited a Duke assistant coach with teaching him many of his moves. The coach was Red Auerbach.

Here’s how Kentucky Coach Eddie Sutton sees tonight’s game: “Louisville. They’ve got the most guns, the most soldiers.”

Eddie Bird, 6-6 senior at Springs Valley High School in French Lick, Ind., where he broke brother Larry’s scoring records, joined his brother at a Boston Celtics practice last week and showed he can make a dunk.

He was wearing Air Jordans.

Phil Bradley of the Seattle Mariners batted .300 and hit 26 homers last season, but he still has an identity problem.

“It’s funny,” he said. “I had one guy tell me I had the same name as a Big Eight quarterback from Missouri in the late 1970’s. That’s when I had to tell him that quarterback was me.”

Bradley, 27, still holds the Big Eight career total offense record of 6,459 yards.

It-had-to-happen dept.: Said CBS commentator Steve Melnyk after Larry Mize, with a three-stroke lead, hit a perfect drive on No. 15 Sunday: “Mize has the perfect blend of talent and technique.” Mize proceeded to dump an iron into a bunker and the wheels came off.

John Mahaffey won by a stroke.

Philadelphia Eagle Coach Buddy Ryan told Jack Sheppard of the Dallas Times Herald he’s not interested in Gary Hogeboom.

“I can’t stand him,” Ryan said. “I don’t think he’s a very good quarterback.”

Ryan, on Eagle running back Michael Haddix: “He looks like a reject guard from the USFL, he’s so damn fat.”

Peter May of the Hartford Courant asked agent Ron Grinker if Derek Smith wants to stay with the Clippers.

“Would you?” asked Grinker. “Derek wants to play for a winner. We’ll find out what he’s worth, and I don’t think we’ll have any problem getting a good offer sheet. And anyone who wants to check his medical records can do so.”

Trivia Answer: He’s the only player to play in two NCAA finals for two different teams. He played for Indiana, the champion, in 1975-76, and for Duke, the runner-up, in 1977-78. Indiana beat Michigan, 86-68. Duke lost to Kentucky, 94-88.

Note: In the 1975-76 Mideast Regional, Indiana beat Marquette, 65-56. In the second half, Marquette Coach Al McGuire was assessed two technical fouls. After the first one, he kicked the scorer’s table. That earned him No. 2.

Quotebook

Al McGuire, asked what sort of basketball player Billy Packer was at Wake Forest: “He had a great outside shot, but he forgot that basketball is played indoors.”