Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 20, 1995

UCLA’s four-game sweep of the Arizonas must be considered among the greatest accomplishments of the 1994-95 college basketball season. . . .

Defense, balance, depth, smarts and poise got the job done. . . .

From the pregame salute to alumnus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar--a wise choice--to the final buzzer, Pauley Pavilion was rocking Sunday. . . .

Ed O’Bannon’s NBA stock is rising. . . .

In the era of the spoiled brat in the NBA, Loy Vaught is a breath of fresh air. . . .

The Clipper forward’s work ethic never was more evident than Friday night when he played all 58 minutes during a double-overtime victory over the Boston Celtics at the Sports Arena. . . .

After his 25-point, 16-rebound performance, he still had enough energy the next night to lead in minutes with 33 during a loss to the Kings at Sacramento. . . .

It used to be that Vaught didn’t get enough playing time with the Clippers, but he rarely complained. . . .

Don’t spend too much time trying to figure out the playoff implications of the deal that sent Tom Gugliotta from the Golden State Warriors to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Donyell Marshall. . . .

*

Portland Coach P.J. Carlesimo on Laker guard Eddie Jones: “He’s not playing like a good rookie, he’s playing like a good veteran.” . . .

I wonder what fights George Foreman and Harold Lederman were watching Saturday night--certainly not the same ones I, the judges or the other HBO announcers were. . . .

Foreman, who should do more schtick and less analysis, had James Toney winning every round over Montell Griffin. . . .

In reality, it was a close fight that could have gone either way and was awarded to Griffin on a majority decision. . . .

“If Montell Williams won that fight, cows lay eggs,” Foreman said afterward, confusing the television personality with the light-heavyweight. . . .

Then Lederman, the former boxing judge, inexplicably had John John Molina winning by one point over Oscar De La Hoya. . . .

De La Hoya was a clear winner on all three official cards. . . .

However, he could have made it easier on himself, as he acknowledged later, by jabbing more often and utilizing his edges in height and reach against a charging, unorthodox opponent who tried just about every trick in the book. . . .

De La Hoya’s corner was too quiet between rounds. Trainer Robert Alcazar is an excellent conditioner, but he should hire an experienced whisper man, such as Jackie McCoy, to offer advice during the breaks. . . .

*

How much weight has Mike Tyson lost in prison? In an interview shown on ESPN Sunday, his face looked almost gaunt. Reports have him as low as 182 pounds. . . .

A Foreman-Tyson fight could become the first since Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvelous Marvin Hagler to be televised primarily into arenas and theaters, rather than homes. . . .

Look for Mark Johnson, a flyweight who has won 20 in a row, to steal the show tonight at the Forum. . . .

Maybe boxing can make a successful comeback at the Grand Olympic, after all. Promoter Peter Broady’s first show Thursday drew a big house, and Yory Boy Campas made a huge hit by knocking out Cassius Clay Horne in the fourth round. Campas, the welterweight from Fernando Valenzuela’s home area of Navajoa in Mexico, will return on March 23. . . .

King fans ought to be a bit more patient with Grant Fuhr, who was trying to tend goal Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks behind a defense that was decimated by the infamous pulled-groin muscle epidemic. . . .

The fact that limited instant replay works in the NHL was demonstrated again when a Montreal Canadiens’ goal against the New York Rangers was wiped out when it was shown that the puck never completely crossed the goal line. . . .

Thumbs up to Sparky Anderson for being more concerned with principle than principal when he left the Detroit Tigers and his $1.2 million-a-year managerial job. . . .

Dale Earnhardt’s inability to win the Daytona 500 tells you something about the importance of the car compared to that of the driver. . . .

Long Beach Barracuda president Chris Gibbs says all Little League teams can use the team’s logo without charge. . . .

On ESPN’s “Sports Reporters” Sunday, Bill Conlin, whose son Pete is trying out as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies’ replacements, said, “His 15 minutes of fame will be my 15 minutes of agony.”