Happy to Be Heading Into the Tigers’ Den

Louisiana State University, home to Dr. Brown’s Profound Mound of Rebound, Shaquille (The Unreal) O’Neal, has braced itself for a Saturday night visit by No. 2-ranked Arizona. But first, the Tigers get tossed an hors d’oeuvre tonight.

Panther pate , served up by the friendly caterers at Chapman College.

How in the name of Cal State Fullerton do these things happen? Chapman at LSU. Not Rex Chapman. Not Tracy Chapman. Orange County’s very own, very small, very beatable Chapman--the little school that couldn’t win at Cal State Hayward or UC Davis but is going to give it a shot in Baton Rouge, or at least try to make one.

Last season, LSU had more talent than Minnesota or Miami--NBA or NCAA, it didn’t matter--and down in the bayou, they’re still trying to figure out how the Tigers didn’t make it to Denver. Chris Jackson, the scintillating point guard, did, jumping after his sophomore season to the run-and-lose Nuggets. Seven-footer Stanley Roberts also bailed out early, leaving for Europe and leaving O’Neal behind, a twinless peak.

“So,” says Chapman Coach Bob Boyd, pouncing on the punch line, “we got ‘em while they’re down.”

As for Chapman, Boyd’s not quite sure yet, although down would be tough after last season. The Chapmen went 11-15 and 3-11 in the CCAA. That was also good for last place.

Surely Boyd could have thought of a better way to spend a December weekend.

Like, maybe, practicing for Cal State Stanislaus.

Boyd, however, has a different way of looking at it. Boyd has a different way of looking at a lot of things, which partially explains why, at age 59, he traded a life of greens and chlorine in Palm Springs for twice-weekly headaches every winter in Orange.

Boyd says tonight’s presentation would have never been possible without his “long-standing friendship with Dale Brown.” He says Brown agreed to schedule Chapman out of the kindness of his heart, to “do us a favor.”

Good thing Boyd hasn’t invited Jerry Tarkanian out to the house lately.

“Last year, L.A. State played LSU, mainly because their coach is from Baton Rouge, and Dale knew him,” Boyd says. “Dale played them as a favor to L.A. State, and he’s doing the same in our case. There aren’t many Division I schools that will play Division II teams anymore. With the importance of power ratings and what that might mean for a postseason berth, they can’t afford to.

“Dale’s schedule is strong enough to allow a Division II opponent without hurting his power rating. LSU plays an 18-game schedule in the SEC, plays Arizona and has already played Villanova. They don’t mind playing one or two Division II teams.

“But that’s why we don’t play the Big Sky. The Big Sky can’t afford to play us. They only send one team to the tournament each year, and their schedules are not that strong to begin with.”

That still doesn’t explain where the favor comes in.

“The guarantee we’re going to get for playing these two games (about a combined $25,000 from LSU and McNeese State) is going to pay for our trip and leave a few dollars left over,” Boyd says. “It’s a very profitable trip for us, other than the effects of the loss. This allows us to get out on the road, see what Division I is like and get some good experience.”

It will be an experience. But good? Boyd should talk to Gene Murphy. Murphy’s Cal State Fullerton football team went 1-11 after his athletic director sold him out for early-season pay days, and pastings, at Auburn and Mississippi State.

“I don’t like that story line,” Boyd says. “I don’t like that comparison at all. I don’t think, down the line, it’s going to hurt us to do it. Cal State Fullerton did their thing with Auburn, and I don’t think it helped them. I don’t think they’ll do it again.

“Relatively speaking, we’re in a little better shape. We’ve improved considerably over last year, and we plan to do this every year. Next year, we’ve scheduled Hawaii, Utah and (Texas) El Paso. Maybe later we can get a school in the Big Ten, too.”

There is one difference between playing Auburn in football and LSU in basketball: At LSU, you probably won’t need a stretcher to make player substitutions.

Still, the final score is going to hurt. And how does Boyd plan a defense for O’Neal, the 7-foot-1 thunderclap who broke rims and blew minds during last summer’s Olympic Festival, who averages 26 points and 15 rebounds, who might be the best collegiate big man since Mr. Robinson joined the Navy?

“I told Frantz Reyes to shut him down,” Boyd says, grinning.

Frantz Reyes is a junior forward at Chapman. He stands 6-6, weighs 215. There is no truth to the rumor that Reyes drew the assignment when Boyd asked for volunteers, and every other Panther took a step backward.

“It would be nice,” Boyd muses, “if we could make O’Neal at least shoot.” Of course. That would solve the problem.

Boyd asks for time. He wants to append a footnote.

“Most of the time, he just dunks,” Boyd says. “When he catches that thing with his back to the goal, he ball-fakes, spins and gets that big ol’ body inside and slams it in. We’d like to make him work a little harder.”

Boyd says he isn’t asking for much. “We just don’t want to go back there and play a complete farce,” he says.

Realistically, though, he knows his best asset is his 20-year relationship with Brown. Before LSU is counting in the triple digits, Boyd is counting on Dale to have mercy.

Isn’t that what friends are for?