Imhoff Says Hundley's Line Isn't So 'Hot'

Imhoff Says Hundley’s Line Isn’t So ‘Hot’

By Larry Stewart

March 3, 2005 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

A Morning Briefing item Wednesday from “Hot Rod” Hundley, as told to “Wilt, 1962” author Gary Pomerantz, had defender Darrall Imhoff claiming that he gave up only 85 of the 100 points Wilt Chamberlain scored against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.

The item prompted a phone call from Imhoff, vice president of marketing for the United States Basketball Academy, which is in a secluded area about 45 miles east of Eugene, Ore.

“I only played 20 minutes in that game,” Imhoff said. “I picked up my third foul in the first 10 minutes and when I returned, Wilt had 89 points.”

Added Imhoff, who next Wednesday will be California’s inductee into the Pacific 10 Conference Hall of Fame: “After I got my third foul, I said to one of the officials, ‘Why don’t you just give him 100 points and we’ll all go home.’ ”

Trivia time: How many points did Chamberlain score two nights later against the Knicks at New York?

Ouch: The NCAA, in an effort to put the “student” back in “student-athlete,” conducted a survey of academics in college sports. The NCAA devised something called the academic progress rate, with 925 points (out of 1,000) established as the number needed to avoid sanctions.

Dave Schwartz of the Northwest Herald of Crystal Lake, Ill., noting that Fresno State scored a 611, wrote: “If 611 doesn’t mean anything to you, think of it this way: If 95% is an A, 75% is a C and 55% is an F, then Fresno State scored a J.”

One messed-up team: The ABA’s Nashville Rhythm, the team that had a female co-owner fire its female coach in the middle of a game earlier this season, decided to forgo the playoffs, despite posting a 21-10 regular-season record.

ABA Chairman Joe Newman told the Tennessean of Nashville, “From a human standpoint, ending the season is probably the nicest thing that could have happened for them.”

The original: Morgan Freeman won an Academy Award for playing a former boxer named Eddie “Scrap Iron” Dupris in “Million Dollar Baby.” And George “Scrap Iron” Johnson will pick up an award of his own as one of 10 boxers being inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame at noon Saturday at Stevens Steak and Seafood House in the City of Commerce.

Looking back: On this day in 1985, Bill Shoemaker became the first jockey to win $100 million in career purses after riding Lord at War to victory in the Santa Anita Handicap. A Santa Anita record crowd of 85,527 wagered $12,611,415, then a single-day North American record.

Trivia answer: 58. Imhoff fouled out with about 1 minute 30 seconds to play after “holding” Chamberlain to 54 points and got a standing ovation.

And finally: International Olympic Committee officials visited New York City recently to check out the city’s bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games.

“It’s going very well,” noted David Letterman. “So far, only one committee member is missing.”

Larry Stewart can be reached at [email protected].