Notes on a Scorecard - March 13, 1991

March Madness is:

UCLA Coach Jim Harrick saying, “The NCAA tournament is the greatest show on earth. I was the most excited guy in the world when I went to the tournament with Pepperdine for the first time in 1982. I think every team in the country should have the opportunity.” . . .

Jerry Tarkanian complaining about Nevada Las Vegas’ draw when he should be happy he doesn’t have to open against the Boston Celtics. . . .

Five championship games being decided by a total of 11 points before UNLV’s 30-point blitz of Duke. . . .

Houston going to the little show, the NIT, and people finally realizing that Guy Lewis wasn’t such a bad coach. . . .

The Magic Johnson-Larry Bird game, Michigan State vs. Indiana State, in 1979 drawing the highest college basketball TV rating, a record that still stands. . . .

Speculation that sophomores Shaquille O’Neal of Louisiana State and Kenny Anderson of Georgia Tech and junior Billy Owens of Syracuse will be playing in their last college tournament. . . .

USC trying not to look past Florida State and ahead to Coastal Carolina. . . .

UCLA winning seven consecutive championships from 1967 to 1973 and then nobody repeating even once. . . .

Coaches who spend the other 51 weeks of the year stabbing each other in the back acting like long-lost friends in the lobby at the Final Four site. . . .

Bill Walton giving the greatest individual performance in a championship game, making 21 of 22 shots in UCLA’s 87-66 victory over Memphis State in 1973. . . .

The semifinals being a hotter ticket than the final because the losers leave town. . . .

Riding to the wrestling matches at the Ocean Park Arena and listening on the car radio to Bill Russell and USF beating Iowa for its second championship in a row in 1956. . . .

The state of Kentucky being shut out this season because Louisville isn’t good enough and Kentucky isn’t eligible enough. . . .

Princeton driving somebody crazy. . . .

Midseason for the NBA. . . .

Pepperdine drawing the toughest opponent of the three Southern California entries, Seton Hall. . . .

Eddie Sutton bringing his fourth school--Oklahoma State--to the tournament after trips with Creighton, Arkansas and Kentucky. . . .

Austin Carr of Notre Dame scoring 61 points against Ohio University in 1970 and Nate Thurmond of Bowling Green getting 31 rebounds against Mississippi State in 1963. . . .

Elvin Hayes of Houston being the all-time tournament scoring leader, followed by Danny Manning of Kansas, Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati, Glen Rice of Michigan and Lew Alcindor of UCLA. . . .

Bo Kimble sinking a free throw left-handed against New Mexico State in tribute to his fallen teammate Hank Gathers, and Loyola Marymount setting a tournament scoring record of 149 while eliminating defending champion Michigan. . . .

North Carolina chopping down Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas in triple overtime in 1957. . . .

UCLA players, who are on the quarter system, taking finals in hotel rooms at the Meadowlands if they reach the East Regional semifinals. . . .

Mississippi State defying state orders and flying to East Lansing, Mich., to play a team that had black players, Loyola of Chicago, in the second round in 1963. . . .

Shaquille O’Neal preparing to play two weeks after suffering a hairline fracture in his leg. . . .

Bob Steiner, then University of California sports information director, stapling together a few sheets that served as the media guide for the Final Four in 1960 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. . . .

Fred Brown of Georgetown mistakenly throwing the ball to James Worthy of North Carolina to kill the Hoyas’ hopes in 1982 and then getting a hug from Coach John Thompson. . . .

USC’s theme this week being, “Advance to Charlotte.” . . .

Danny Ainge driving the length of the court and beating Notre Dame with a layup in the 1981 regional semifinals, 51-50. . . .

North Carolina State Coach Jim Valvano looking for somebody to hug after Lorenzo Charles’ basket at the buzzer beat Houston in 1983. . . .

The championship game being played in April, not March.