Iowa City Press-Citizen from Iowa City, Iowa • Page 3

Connie Hawkins Finds a Niche in Basketball at Last By MARTY RALBOVSKY NEA Sports Writer CLEVELAND (NEA) On the night of May 24, 1961, the story broke across the country: (Connie) Hawkins, standout freshman basketball player at the University of Iowa, was named as an intermediary in a basketball fix case against Joseph Hacken of New York City by a New York Grand Jury today." Connie Hawkins left school, 1 returned to his tenement home in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant, and spent a whole summer shooting baskets on playground courts while wondering what to do with his life. No charges were ever filed against him, but the implications were damaging enough. None of 250 colleges which dangled scholarships in front of him the year before bothered to call and offer him a second chance. And worse, the NBA where Connie Hawkins ulti- mately hoped to earn his livelihood had closed its doors to him. There simply was no place to go.

Survival itself, says i Hawkins, was a frustrating experience. There was a year-and-a-half in the American Basketb a 11 League, which folded. (Connie was leading scorer and MVP at the time). There were four years of hop-scotching the world with the Harlem Globetrotters. (Connie mangled the ring finger of his right hand in Europe; it never healed properly, and still plagues him today.) And, of course, there was bitterness over being unbale to test his skills against the showcase players of the NBA.

"During those years," says Hawkins, "I hated the NBA I knew I was good enough to play with any team in that league because I played against many of its stars in playground games and in exhibitions. But he league wouldn't give me a chance. My insides would burn every time I thought about it. I was haunted by it." Now, Connie Hawkins said he doesn't care about playing in the NBA. He says he has finally found a niche of his own; that the years have mellowed his bitterness, and that life as the American Basketball Association's first superstar is just fine.

"For the first time since 1961, I feel as if the fix incident is being forgotten. Oh, I still hear some cracks from the stands now and then, but nothing big. I never cared much about what people said anyway; I alway wanted to be judged on my ability as a basketball player." That ability, many feel, is surpassed by only a handful of players in the entire game. "Connie," says Ait Heyman, 'ormer NBA player now a teammate of Hawkins' on the ABA Minnesota Pipers, "is the fourth best basketball player in the world. I'd rate him right behind Chamberlain, Russell and Robertson.

's that good." Alex Hannum, who won an NBA title with the 76ers, and is on his way to an ABA title with the Oakland Oaks, says, 'Hawkins is devastating. His presence on the floor is intimidating. He's one of the rare players who can turn a losing team into a winning one. I'll take him any day." Although curently sidelined by an injury, Hawkins is earning $30,000 a year; enough, he says, to comfortably furnish his two- story frame bungalow in suburban Pittsburgh, where he lives with his wife, Nancy, and two toddlers. During the off-season, he runs basketball programs for ghetto kids in the city's Hill District.

I'm happy with the way things have worked out," he says. "The ABA will get even better in future years when some of the top college talent starts coming our way. The league has improved already in one season. Of course, the addition of Rick Barry was like a shot of adrenalin." The only remaining link be- twen Hawkins and the past is a $6 million law suit he has filed against the NBA. He says he will never play in the NBA regardless of how the legal decision turns out, but is pressing the issue for one reason.

"For once and for all," says, Connie Hawkins, grimly, "my name must be cleared" PRESS-CITIZEN Thursday, January City Press-Citizen-- New Mexico Puts New Mexico St. Out of Unbeaten CONNIE HAWKINS City Women's Bowling Meet Set To Open A record number of entries features the City Women's Bowling Tournament, which begins Saturday morning at Plamor Lanes and continues through Feb. 14. The doubles and singles Mill be rolled this weekend and next at Plamor with the team event to be rolled on the week nights of Feb. 10 through 14.

One shift Here's How the Quarterbacks Rated NEW YORK (AP) Tapping a quarterback at the pro toot- er. ball draft very often turns out to se like buying an expensive Mece of China--you wind up Hitting it on the shelf. But the crop tapped this year, including top-rated Greg Cook of Cincinnati and two more Negro candidates, appears to have a far better chance of seeing ac- ion than the 1968 group. Twenty quarterbacks were drafted last year, including highly touted Gary Beban, but just four saw considerable Landry at Detroit, Dewey Warren at Cincinnati, Dan Darragh at Buffalo and Marlin Briscoe at Denver. But Cook and his cohorts drafted over the two days of the selection meeting that ended Wednesday after 21 hours and 15 minutes of drafting, appear to be in better shape to break in than their predecessors.

First, let's take a look at how the Top Ten were picked, with name, college, selecting team, round, and over-all number selected among the 442 players picked: 1. Greg Cook, Cincinnati, by Cincinnati, round 1, 5th player, 2. Marty Domres, Columbia by San Diego, round 1, 9th play- 3. Terry Hanratty, Notre Dame, by Pittsburgh, round 2, 30th player. 4.

Bob Douglass, Kansas, by Ihicago, round 2, 41st player. 5. Al Woodall, Duke, by New York Jets, round 2, 52nd player. 6. Onree Jackson, Alabama AM, by Boston, round 5, 110th player.

7. Jimmy Harris, Grambling, by Buffalo, round 8, 192nd player. 8. Sara Havrilak, Bucknell, by Baltimore, round 8, 207th play- r. 9.

Larry Good, Georgia Tech, by Baltimore, round 9, 232nd player. 10. Sonny Wade, Emory Henry, by Philadelphia, round 10, 236th player. Of that group, Cook, Hanratty and the two Negro candidates. Jackson and Harris, seem to have the best opportunity to break through while Domres, Douglass and Woodall stand somewhat as surprising selections.

Cook will be competing for the job with tl.2 Bengals against veteran John Stofa and two holdover rookies, Warren and Sam Wyche--none of whom vere significantly impressive during Cincinnati's first season the American Football Hanratty, although he didn't go until the second round, would seem to have a shot at playing at Pittsburgh, where only Dick Shiner and Kent Nix block the door. At the same time, the door also appears to be ajar for Jackson and Hatris. Jackson was rated as the second best college quarterback in country by the Patriots, who ast year were disappointed in the efforts of Mike Taliaferro and Tom Sherman. Harris, who las been highly regarded during his Grambling career, will be up against somewhat stiffer competition in returning Jack Kemp, out last season with injuries; Darragh, and Kay Stephenson. Briscoe became the first Negro in the history of pro football to play regularly when he took over at Denver last year because of injuries.

But it is expected he will be shifted back to a defensive back spot this year since his greatest potential lies there. There is one other Negro can didate on the scene, Eldridgi Dickey ol the Oakland Raiders, ho was schooled at the position during the entire 1968 season iut did not play. He is, however, ready to make his debut. "Jackson could be the Willie Mays of pro football," said Rommie Loudd, the Patriots' jlayer personnel director. And larvey Johnson, the Bills' top scout, was just as enthusiastic about Hams, who "has a great arm and can throw long and short." Domres a surprise because Ivy Leaguers have been snubbed in recent years.

Doug- ass fit into that category because left-handers are frowned on. And Woodall stepped in to qualify because the Jets do have Joe Namath. Besides Havrilak, Good and Wade--the other members of the Top Ten--the other quarterbacks selected before the draft wound up were Bob Naponic of Illinois by Houston, Alan Pastrana of Maryland by Denver, Brian Dowling of Yale by Minnesota, Tun Carr of C.W. Post by Los Angeles, Ed Roseborough of Arizona State by St. Louis, Edd Hargett of Texa: AM by New Orleans, and Buster O'Brien of Richmond by Den ver.

By HERSCHEL NISSENSON Associated Press Sports Writer Big Greg Howard is back in good standing at New Mexico but he's public enemy No. 1 at New Mexico State. Starting for the first time since a six-game disciplinary suspension earlier in the season, the 6-foot-9 Howard poured in 35 points as the unranked Lobos shot the eighth-ranked Aggies from the unbeaten ranks Wednesday night 86-66. The lanky junior from Pittsburgh connected on 16 of 18 floor shots and three of six at the foul line and pulled clown 14 rebounds, twice as many as any Aggie. New Mexico State had won its first 16 games and trailed only 38-35 at halftime before the Lobos, now 12-6, pulled away.

"They just beat us in all aspects of the game," conceded Coach Lou Henson of the losers. 'This was the win we needed," said Howard. "We have eight games left and we can win them all now." Included is a return engagement with the Ag- gies Saturday on the Lobos' court in Albuquerque. During Howard's suspension, le Lobos lost twice and he did ot start in three more setbacks ince his return. The outcome Wednesday night eft top-ranked UCLA and No.

3 Santa Clara as the nation's only major unbeaten teams. New Mexico State was the only member of The Associated Press' Top Twenty teams to see action Wednesday. Elsewhere, Ohio University whipped Western Michigan 78-68 and moved into second place in Mid-American Conference Wright Tops EIH With 26.1 Figure West Libert Ken Wright tops the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye Conference scoring statistics again this week, and despite the fact that the Comets have won only twice in ten league games, is also listed first in field goal percentage, third in rebounding and ninth in free throw percentage. Wright is scoring at a 26.1 clip after appearing in eight games and has amassed 209 points, the most the loop. U-High's Roger Hoyt and Mitch Kaelber are in third and fourth places, respectively, behind Solon's Jerry Doyle.

Doyle holds an average of 22.2, Hoyt 20.6 and Kaelber 20.3. Kaelber leads in free throw shooting with 63 of 85 for a 74.1 average from the line. Mount Vernon's Steve Maaske is second with 70.9. Hoyt continues to dominate the rebounding statistics with 206. The slender 6-2 jumping jack grabbed 16 in his last outing, and lost ground to Dan Olsen of West Branch who collected 23 last week, but still remains a distant second with a total of 138.

Wilton Junction leads league standings with an 8-2 record with Mid-Praine next at 7-2 and U-High third with a 7-3 loop mark. U-High's sophomore flash Tom Peffer is listed all four categories, ranking 10th in scoring, free throw shooting and filed goal percentage and ninth in rebounding. Peffer has 134 points league play on 47 of 102 attempts from the field for 46 per cent, 40 of 61 gratis tosses for 656 per cent and has grabbed off 101 rebounds in 10 games. Pros Draft Al Bream; 3 From Drake of teams will also bowl Feb. 7 and four more on Sunday, Feb.

9. There are 92 learns entered, tying last year's record number. Also entered are 118 dou- b'es teams (the previous high 100), 236 singles (200 last 13 ear) and 214 all-events, an 'optional entry category for prize money which hist jeai drew 183 competitors Prize money be a i through 59 places in singles, 29 in doubles, 23 teams and 53 )laces in all-events. All champ- are based on handicap totals except the a scratch title. Last year's team champion, the Wednesday Wonders No.

1 from Colonial Lanes, will be back to defend its 1968 title. Members of that team, who posted a 2799 handicap series a year ago, are Irene Klmzman, Pat Westcott, Nan Bums, Barb NEW players YORK (AP) from I a Six colleges Bowles and Dee Selzer. Mrs. Bruce (Karen) Reilly of Lone Tree, who last year won the singles title with a 659 and the all-events, both handicap (1852) and scratch (1645) was seriously injured an auto ac cident near Lone Tree last sum mer and will be unable to defend her titles. Rita Simpson, one-half of last year's title-winning doubles team, be back to defend her title, this time bowling with Dons Barnes as her partner Last year, Simpson and Ruth Wissink captured the doubles with a total of 1208, while Dons Barnes teamed with Connie Organ to finish second at 1201.

Low scores in the prize money in last year's tournament were 2637 in team event, 1092 doubles, 558 in singles and in all-events Plamor also host this year the singles and doubles of the City Men's Tournament, on 1he weekends of Feb. 15-16, 22-23 and March 1-2. The team event of the men's tournament will be rolled at Coral Lanes on the week nights of Feb. 10 through 14. The team events of the men's and women's tournaments run were among the chosen ones picked by the joint National American football leagues draft which ended Wednesday.

Drake University placed the most lowans on the professional football teams. The University of Iowa contributed two players, and Iowa State University one. Top draft choice in the state was Iowa's running back Ed Podolak, who was selected in the second round of the 17- round draft by the American football League Kansas City Podolak's Iowa teammate, offensive end Al Bream, will also see service with the Chiefs next season. Bream was picked by Kansas City club in the 14th round of the draft. The top choice from Drake in the fifth round was defensive tackle Ben Mayes.

Mayes will play alongside the nation's No. 1 draft choice Heisman Trophy winner 0. J. Simpson-for the Buffalo BiUs in the AFL, The other two Drake player? chosen will both play for National Football League teams. Drake linebacker John Lynch was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 13th round of the draft, and flanker Dick Hewins went to the Green Bay Packers in the 16th round.

Iowa State's lone contribution was defensive end Sam Campbell, an llth round choice of the NFL Chicago Bears. Iowa Track Season Opens; Prospects Not Outstanding Top Golfers Tee Off at San Diego SAN DIEGO (AP) Eighteen of the top 20 money winners in professional golf in 1968, and the winners of the three major toui- naments in this infant jear were on hand today for the initial round of the $150,000 Andv Williams-San Diego Open. Leading the charge for the fat $30,000 winner's purse was San Diego's own Billy Casper, who bagged most of the last year--and a man who has read the tournament course like a book. The setting is the Torrey Pines Municipal course, which has par 3G-36--72. It will play about 6,800 yards when the PGA tournament officials get through recasting the third hole, which ordinarily is a par-3 158-yard est.

as Gerald McKee McDivitt scored and Greg 20 points Iowa's track team opens its indoor season Saturday as the Hawkeyes meet Wisconsin and Purdue at Madison. Coach Francis Cretzmeyer, starting his 21st season here, not optimistic about the outlook for Iowa in the opener, or 'or the entire season, indoors and out, for that matter. Not only does the 1969 team depth, it must also absorb loss of its two standouts of recent seasons, Mike Mondane and Larry Wieczorek, All- Americans as middle distance and long distance men, respec- Injury problems also are bothering the squad at the moment. Top pole vaulters Don Utsmger and Rich Gershenson are hurt and won't compete in opener. The Hawkejes lost 15 men from the squad that placed only sixth in the Big Ten outdoor and eighth in the conference indoor meets last season.

Major losses, besides Mondane and Wieczorek, are distance men Ron Griffith and Steve Szabo, sprinters Dale Teberg and Randy Haines, hurdler Fred Stater and John Hendricks and Bill Smith On the plus side, 11 lettermen return, headed by middle distance ace Carl Frazier. The team's captain, Frazier was third in the Big Ten outdoor meet in the 660 last year and a member of Iowa's winning mile relay team. Other help should come from high jumper Larry Wilson of Iowa City, who set the Iowa outdoor record of 6-7 last in the middle distance races and hurdles," says Cretzmeyer, "but we'll be down in the sprints and distance races. We could have a good mile relay learn, since two of our starters return, Jerry Stevens and Frazier Girls' Cage League Cwmts 5 2 1 1 6 0 Pet 1000! i.ooo i II, concurrently so that regular league bowling at those establishments i have lo be sas- ipcnded only for one week. Natl.

Hockey League By The AtMKMtM New York 1, Dttrtit St 1 Amem i Central Matmen Rap Mount Vernon 42-18 Central Junior High's seventh and eighth grade wrestling team concluded its dual meet season a 42-13 rout over Mount Vernon here Tuesday Central won 10 of the 15 individual matches, including four by falls. Ben Savage, Mark Jones, Greg Kupka and Mike Dohrer scored pins over their opponents with three coming the first period. The scoring summary. 75 Jim Enqel (C) boo! Merle Clorfc Ben Sovoqe (C) pinned Joe Wolf I 59. 8S Dave Gerard (C) beat Tim Ely 13 i 90.

Mark Jones (C) pinned Cal Woods I 1-43 9A Greq Kupka (C) pinned i John Pflastner 45 102 Mark Race (C) beat Scott Bys 8-2 103 Bob, Diltz (C) beat Preston Browler 11-2 114 Bob Broolik (MV) pinned Don jq 130 Mike Dohrer (C) pinned Fnw'er J-23. 127 Dove Kcndi (C) beat Mites Meyers 11 0 133 Mike Clark (MV) boat Phil Barnes 4-0 138 Steve WV won by forfeit US Dot Moses (MV) beat fred McNral 6 0 157 Trt SoWnwn (C) drew with Keitfi Conrad 3 3 Hwt Jerry Vono C) wflfl DV tor ft 11 Burlington Ninth in Jr. College Rankings DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) -Burlington, Iowa, has dropped to ninth place in the National Junior College Athletic Association's latest basketball ratings. Burlington, with a 14-4 record for the season, will get a chance to improve its national standing it hosts No.

3 Vmcennes, Saturday night. Burlington beat Vmcennes 87 84 earlier in the season. Burlington was rated eighth in the junior college poll last week, but it dropped a game to Moberly, Monday. spring: Utsmger, co-holder of the Iowa record of 15-6 in the pole vault; Rollie Kitt, who won the steeplechase in the 1067 Big Ten outdoor here; and Curt LaBond. a strong distance runner.

Sophomore help should come from Bruce Presley of Dodge and Jay Pedelty of Mason City in the hurdles, Phil Wertman of Villisca in the pole vault and Eave Eastland of Iowa City the distance events. Senior Garry Phelps could help the long jump. The Iowa football team also is lending its assistance, for the indoor season at least. Defensive backs Ray Cavole and Ray Churchill will run the sprints and the tnple and long jump events, while Layne McDowell Tom Wallace and Jon Meskimen will add depth in the shot put and discus events. "We'll be pretty good the high jump and pole vault, anc Potential Iowa winners at Madison would appear to be Fra- icr the 600, Wilson in the high jump, Stevens in the 440 and Phelps in the long jump.

Wisconsin will be heavily favored to win the three-way meet, for the Badgers probably are ihe class of Big Ten track again after winning the indoor meet three tunes in the last 'our years. Because of the installation of new and larger bleachers at the west end of the Iowa basketball court, which are not portable, Iowa has shifted its only sched uled indcor home meet with Minnesota to Minneapolis. If the basketoal" bleachers are dismantled in time after the fina home game March 1, the Hawk- eyes will host an Iowa Federation meet here March 8. Hazards, hurdles and a general lack of space now make it difficult for the Hawkeye runners to work indoors, for whal they now have (running around the new bleachers is a 243 yard track. Along the way, one is apt to run into, or over, most anytliing from dogs to chairs to visiting lecturers.

Hopefully, by next winter Cretzmeyer and his trackmen will have plenty of room to both practice and compete in the new recreation building now unde: construction northwest of the stadium. apiece. Toledo, which had been second, dropped to fourth by losing to Kent State 72-69 as the winners made 17 of 27 shots in the second half. Justus Thigpen, playing with broken hand, fired 28 points and Willie Sojourner grabbed 20 rebounds to lead Weber State past West Texas State 92-76. Thigpen sat out the first 10 minutes while a bandage on his hand was changed.

Bob Lamer, St. Bonaventure's i-11 junior center, dropped 33 xiints, eight above his average, as the Bonnies walloped Canis- us 79-61 in their upstate York rivalry A crucial technical ioul Syracuse Coach Roy The only ones missing from he elite top 20 money guys are Tom We'skopf and Arnold Palmer. Weiskopf is in the Army, and Arnie just decided to skip it. Casper isn't one of the 1969 tour winners yet. But to tee off were Charlie Sifford, who won $20,000 in a playofi with South Africa's Harold Henning in the Angeles Open, and Miller Barber, who collected $13,500 in the rain-abbreviated Kaiser International at Napa, Calif And the third winner js George Archer, the hero of the rain-beset Bing Crosby clambake at Pebble Beach.

The victory was worth substantial sum compared to the $29 he carried away in finishing far down the line the Williams-Kan Diego Tournament a year ago Danforth helped Penn State to a 4-58 triumph. Manhattan came rom 10 points behind in the sec- md half to turn back Seton Hall 8-52. Dennis Chapman's 22 points and Pete Gayeska's 20 rebounds ed Massachusetts over Fordham 73-60. In other major games, South- Mississippi downed Centenary 81-70, Miami, eat Stetson 98-90, Boston College opped Northeastern 80-69 and Gettysburg turned back Navy 80-71 overtime. Gaeta Gets Tryout For Steve Hindahl Charlie Gaeta of Iowa City a scout for the past nine years For the St.

Louis Crrdmals baseball organization, reports that he has obtained a tryout with the Cardinals for Steve Hindahl, former Muscatme High School i pitcher. Hindahl recently charged from the service after a tour of duty Vietnam anc' will report to the Cardinals' instructional camp in Florida this spring Gaeta also helped the Cardinals in obtaining Uvo of then- current minor leaguers, infickl- er-catcher Dale Hill of Hills, now service, and pitcher Dick McVay of Norway Hawkeye Fencers Travel to Notre Dame Iowa's fencing team tc improve its 2-1 record at South Bend, Saturday when the Efawkeyes meet Notre Dame, Chicago Circle and the Tn-State fencers. Coach Dick Gibson's team has been idle since Jan. 11 and has been completing semester exams this week. The Hawkeycs enter a 12-man squad, headed by John Schweppe, 7-2 in the epee: Nile Falk, 7-1 in the sabre: Roy mann, 7-1 in the and Barry Chapman, (i-2 in the i EWERS Men's Store 21 S.

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