Notes on a Scorecard - March 17, 1994

Matching an $11-million, four-year, no-trade contract offer to Tim Brown is what I would call a commitment to excellence. . . .

What Big Dance? Students at Liberty, a.k.a. Jerry Falwell U., are not allowed to dance, but, nonetheless, the Flames will play North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday. . . .

Fifth in a poll for tournament sleeper was Missouri, which happens to be seeded No. 1 in the West Regional. . . .

Wisconsin, which had the home-field advantage in the Rose Bowl, could have the home-court advantage in the West next week at the Sports Arena. . . .

Jim Harrick-coached UCLA teams are 4-1 in first-round games. The only loss was 74-69 to Penn State in 1991. . . .

It is “in” to pick Michigan to win the championship, but maybe the Wolverines should be leery of Pepperdine. They have had problems with Southland schools in the tournament. Michigan had to rally to defeat UCLA in overtime, 86-84, last year and was crushed by Loyola Marymount, 149-115, in 1990. . . .

Arizona was the Pacific 10 Conference’s only team to shoot at least 70% from the free-throw line. . . .

No wonder Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer dislikes USC Coach Cheryl Miller so much. Miller is tougher to beat than Marianne Stanley was during her tenure with the Trojans. . . .

Most college scouts believe that Jerod Ward, not Felipe Lopez, is the nation’s best high school prospect. Ward, a 6-foot-8 forward from Clinton, Miss., has not signed a letter of intent. He visited UCLA recently. . . .

The Clippers, with Dominique Wilkins, are a lot more exciting to watch than they were with Danny Manning. . . .

How about the Clippers replacing Ron Harper with Harold Miner next season? . . .

Don’t be surprised if Larry Bird replaces Dave Gavitt as general manager of the Boston Celtics. . . .

Two national champions from last weekend’s NCAA indoor track and field meet--junior shot- putter John Godina and freshman high jumper Amy Acuff--will lead the UCLA men and women against California and Texas on Saturday at Drake Stadium.

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It might be a good idea to keep an eye on the runner-up in Sunday’s $200,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. Winners have gone to win the Kentucky Derby three times, but second-place San Felipe finishers have won four. . . .

The favorite Sunday will be Brocco, who, according to jockey Gary Stevens, “is as good right now as he was before the Breeders’ Cup.” . . .

Two-time winner Eddie Delahoussaye hasn’t ridden in the Kentucky Derby since 1988, but thinks enough of Argolid to ride the California-based 3-year-old gelding in the $300,000 Louisiana Derby on Saturday. . . .

The United States is ranked 21st in the latest FIFA world soccer poll. The top five: Germany, Brazil, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland. . . .

Leading junior-lightweight contender Gabriel Ruelas is scheduled to headline the next card at the Olympic on April 16 against an opponent to be named. . . .

Last year, Long Beach State and Wichita State nearly met in the College World Series final. Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., the fourth-ranked 49ers and eighth-ranked Shockers will play at Blair Field. . . .

Ron Gant would be a great pickup for almost any team. Where else can you get a player who had 36 home runs and 117 runs batted in last season without giving up a player or draft choice? . . .

Makato Suzuki, Seattle Mariner rookie, is wearing No. 96 because his fastball was timed at 96 m.p.h. Another pitcher, Bill Voiselle, wore No. 96 in the 1940s because he was from Ninety-Six, S.C. . . .

Jaret Wright--Katella High right-handed pitcher and son of Clyde Wright, a left-hander who once pitched a no-hitter for the Angels--is ranked among the nation’s 25 best high school prospects. . . .

The Dodgers ought to deal Carlos Hernandez, a promising catcher who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, for a left-handed relief pitcher. . . .

News item: Angels discuss a trade that would send first baseman J.T. Snow to the New York Mets for pitcher Anthony Young. Reaction: Great. Just what the Angels need, a guy who always finds a way to lose.