Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 22, 1990

Campus Confidential: The University of Miami is interested in Cal State Long Beach basketball Coach Joe Harrington as the successor to Bill Foster, and Virginia has been given permission to talk with California Coach Lou Campanelli about replacing Terry Holland. . . .

Maryland Congressman Tom McMillen, a former NBA forward, plans to sponsor a bill that would require athletes at NCAA schools to maintain a C average to be eligible to compete. . . .

Only thing wrong with that is the difference between a C average at Harvard and, say, Clemson. . . .

If vastly improved Iowa center Les Jepsen makes it next season, he will become part of the only entire recruiting class in history to play in the NBA. B.J. Armstrong (Chicago), Ed Horton (Washington), Roy Marble (Atlanta), Kevin Gamble (Boston) and fifth-year senior Jepsen all were recruited by then-Hawkeye Coach George Raveling in 1985. . . .

UCLA has the same record as last year, 16-7. . . .

Ed O’Bannon, the prep All-American forward from Artesia, must pass his college boards to enroll at either USC or Arizona State. USC won’t accept any Proposition 48 casualty and Arizona State doesn’t accept any from out-of-state. . . .

Tom Abatemarco, who quit under pressure at Drake, could be reunited with Jim Valvano as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets next season. . . .

UCLA and Oregon will be battling for a probable NCAA tournament berth this week--the women’s teams, that is, at Pauley Pavilion Friday night. . . .

How prolific a scorer was Pete Maravich at Louisiana State? He set an NCAA scoring record in three seasons. So far, nobody playing four seasons has threatened it. . . .

The Colorado-Tennessee matchup in the first Disneyland Pigskin Classic will be the most attractive college football game ever at Anaheim Stadium. . . .

It’s a shame more golfers don’t have the same reverence for Riviera that Ben Crenshaw does. The second-largest city in the country deserves a better field for its annual tournament. . . .

The start of spring training would have been missed a lot more three or four decades ago when college and pro basketball didn’t hold nearly the same grip on sports fans that they do now. . . .

My vote for the Sullivan Award--presented annually to the nation’s outstanding amateur athlete--went to John Smith, the first American to win three consecutive world wrestling championships. . . .

It’s scary to think how good David Robinson can become. . . .

Sophomore Jinx: The first-year NBA expansion teams, Minnesota and Orlando, have better records than the second-year teams, Charlotte and Miami. . . .

The ejection of a Portland sportswriter from the press table at the Forum by Bruce Alexander last week brought to mind the night the Indiana Pacers’ official scorer was thrown out of the building in Indianapolis for heckling a referee. . . .

When a player is scratched from the starting lineup because of illness--as Clipper center Benoit Benjamin was Monday at the Sports Arena--the public address announcer should notify the crowd. . . .

Ascot Park, which will be shut down after the Grand Prix midget race Thanksgiving night, ranks with old Wrigley Field, Hollywood Legion Stadium and the Olympic Auditorium among Southern California sporting venues with the most charisma. . . .

Wayne Gretzky will be presented the “Steamer” award, named in honor of veteran radio talk show host and sports editor Bud Furillo, March 8 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel. Proceeds will benefit the City of Hope. . . .

Besides Tank Younger, another former Ram who belongs in the Hall of Fame is Les Richter. As a linebacker from 1954-62, he made All-Pro seven times. . . .

News item: Thomas Hearns says he would like to fight Mike Tyson. Reaction: Make the weight 160 pounds and Hearns would be a cinch. . . .

HBO’s attractive boxing lineup includes Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor March 17, Michael Nunn-Marlon Starling April 14, Azumah Nelson-Pernell Whitaker in May and perhaps Mike Tyson’s first comeback fight in June against Greg Page or the Michael Dokes-Razor Ruddock winner. . . .

Bob Arum, who blasted Steve Wynn after the Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran fight, now is aligned with Wynn in trying to bring Buster Douglas-Evander Holyfield to the Mirage in Las Vegas. . . .

Suggested title for a movie about the life of King Coach Tom Webster: “My Left Ear.”