Thursday, April 29,1993 The Battalion Page 9 Popular, controversial, Jim Valvano dead at 47 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH, N.C. - Jim Val vano died Wednesday, a year long battle with bone cancer final ly stilling the flash and sass of a gifted college basketball coach who led his team to a miracle championship and left it after a messy scandal. With his family by his side, the 47-year-old former North Caroli na State coach died at Duke Uni versity Medical Center in Durham, according to his attorney Woody Webb. Valvano pulled off one of the great upsets in college basketball history in 1983 when the Wolf- pack beat favored Houston in the NCAA tournament final on Lorenzo Charles' buzzer-beating dunk. Seven years later, Valvano was forced out after an NCAA in vestigation determined that his players violated rules by selling their sneakers and complimentary game tickets. It wasn't long after leaving the Wolfpack that Valvano returned to the college basketball scene as an analyst for ABC and ESPN. Earlier this year, he won an award from the cable television industry for his work. Coaching was Valvano's first love, and he expressed that affec tion in a 10th anniversary celebra tion Feb. 21 that marked the first time he had been on North Caroli na State's home court since he left the job in 1990. "Nobody had more fun than I did in the 10 years that I was for tunate enough to stand in that corner right before every game and thank God for the opportuni ty to coach at North Carolina State University," Valvano said. Standing at center court, he told a cheering crowd of more than 12,000 that his championship team taught him a lesson he car ried through his illness: "Number one, hope — hope that things can get better in spite of adversity. The '83 team taught us that. "That team taught me persis tence, the idea of never, ever quit ting. Don't ever give up. Don't ever stop fighting," Valvano shouted. During a March 4 speech at the American Sports Awards telecast on ESPN, Valvano said: "Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul." Valvano succeeded Norm Sloan as N.C. State's 15th head coach on March 27,1980. Valvano's first Wolfpack team struggled to a 14-13 record, but followed with a 22-10 season and an NCAA tournament berth in the 1981- 82 season. The Wolfpack finished the 1982- 83 regular-season with a 17- 10 record, then went on a tear that began with the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. North Carolina State defeated North Carolina in the semifinals, then knocked off Virginia and Ralph Sampson to take the ACC title. Six more victories followed, most of them nail-biters in the NCAA West Regional. The Wolf pack had taken its second national championship, 54-52, defeating the high-flying Phi Slamma Jam- ma Houston team led by Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon. Valvano worked for all three major television networks during his coaching career and afterward. In addition to his ABC and ESPN work, he was a college basketball specialist for CBS and a color ana lyst for NBC in the midst of the 1984-85 season. Valvano was born March 10, 1946, in New York City. He was a three-sport star at Seaford High School on Long Island and the son of a high school basketball coach, Rocco Valvano. He earned 10 let ters and was the first athlete in the school's history to gain all-league honors in three sports. He attended Rutgers and was the school's senior athlete of the year in 1967, leading the Scarlet Knights to a third-place finish in the National Invitation Tourna ment. Valvano finished his career with 1,122 points, 21st on the school's all-time list. He began coaching in 1969 with a 10-9 mark at Johns Hop kins, the school's first winning record in 24 seasons. In 1973, Val vano moved to Bucknell and man aged a winning season in the last of his three years there. He coached at Iona from 1975 through 1980, taking it to the NCAA tournament in his final two seasons. Valvano, who lived in Cary, is survived by his wife, Pam, and three daughters, Jamie, Nicole and Lee Ann. Rangers get by Tigers in 11, 6-5 McCray Continued from Page 8 with these skills and it is up to me to take advantage of them," said McCray. "Talent is given to some, but hard work makes talent bet ter. It is up to me to use that tal ent." Coach Nelson knows he has a em in McCray and makes no ones about it. Nelson even com- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HOUSTON- Greg Swindell won his fourth straight start and the first-place Houston Astros won for the 12th time in their last 16 games, taking a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Swindell (4-1) pitched eight in nings, giving up seven hits, strik ing out two and walking none. Thfe Astros scored four runs in the second inning off Chicago starter Jose Guzman (4-2). Ken Caminiti lined a one-out home run to right, his second pares the young freshman to for mer Aggie and World Record holder Curtis Mills, who held the record in the 440 yard dash (com parable to the modern day 400 meter dash) in 1969. "He has got a lot of talent, es pecially in the 400," said Nelson. "Danny has as much talent, if not more than him (Mills)." The young star looks to contin ue shining as the SWC Champi onships (May 19-21) and the NCAA Championships (June 2-5 in New Orleans, LA.) lie ahead. homer in as many nights, to make it 1-0. Andujar Cedeno followed with a two-out single, his sixth consecutive hit, and scored on Ed die Taubensee's triple. Swindell singled home Taubensee, moved to second on a walk and scored on a throwing er ror by first baseman Mark Grace. Houston increased its lead to 6- 0 in the fourth. Craig Biggio start ed things off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Luis Gonzalez. Both runners ad vanced on a wild pitch by Guz man before Jeff Bagwell singled in Biggio. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARLINGTON- Julio Franco doubled home the winning run in the 11th inning Wednesday night as the Texas Rangers rallied from a four-run deficit and beat the Detroit Tigers 6-5. Rafael Palmeiro led off the 11th with a pop-fly single off Mike Munoz (0-1). Franco took two strikes attempting to bunt, then delivered his game-winning hit. Tom Henke went three innings for the first time since Sept. 9, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN ANTONIO - Texas se nior Jenny Turner shot a one-un der-par 71 Wednesday to win the 11th annual Southwest Confer ence Women's Golf Champi onship, while the Lady Long horns claimed the team title by a record 54 strokes. Turner, a Round Rock resi dent, tied the tournament record 1989, and gained his first victory for Texas. Henke (1-0) struck out four in three perfect innings. Texas, trailing 5-1 in the eighth, tied the game on Ivan Ro driguez's three-run homer off David Haas, and consecutive sin- les by Manuel Lee and pinch- itters Doug Strange and Gary Redus. Detroit starter Mike Moore al lowed one run and five hits in seven innings, walked four and struck out one. Texas starter Kevin Brown gave up five runs — two earned — and nine hits in seven innings. for low round since the event was moved to The Club at Sonterra in San Antonio. Jamie Fischer of Texas and Barbara Blackwell of Southern Methodist also shot 71's during the three-day tournament. Turner, who had never fin ished higher than eighth at the SWC Championship, recorded four birdies and three bogeys in the final round. Astros club Cubs, 6-1 UT wins womens golf title VMA Information Systems ^IMPACT One-Call Information Hotline 774*1222 Time and Temperature 1555 Real Estate 8001 Sports 3000 Financial 6001 Horoscopes 4000 Entertainment 9001 Medical/Dental 2000 Simplicity! 1. Dial Number 2. Enter 4-digit Code 3. Become Informed! On Routine Cleaning, X-Rays and Exam " (Regularly $76, With Coupon $44) Payment must be made at time of service. | I BRYAN COLLEGE STATION I Jim Arcnts, DDS Dan Lawson, DDS ' I Karen Arcnts, DDS Paul Haines, DDS 1103 Villa Maria Roxane Mlcak, DDS ■ 268-1407 Texas Ave. at SW Pkwy I I ' ■ I CarePlus-^tft DENTAL CENTERS L —■ _ EXP. 05-15-93 _ _J TEXAS HALL OF FAME Your #1 Live Country Night Spot! Thurs. Night - $3 cover. l i • n > u Call 778-WINE for reservations & information. Presenting N Harrison Continued from Page 8 fortysomething Moon when the Oilers need a proven contributor at left tackle for their waning chances at reaching the Super Bowl? The NFL's offensive lineman have been the main beneficiaries since Judge David Doty rubber- stamped the NFL's new, im proved - but still constitutionally unsound - Plan C free agency. Why not get the free agent ex perience already out there on the line, and pick up a quality first round impact receiver/return man like Kevin Williams? Alright, so Hopkins did pro tect the running-and-shooting Illinois quarterback Jason Ver- duzco from the left tackle spot and is graded as one of the best athletes in the draft. Exactly why am I not singing in the rain? Because past experi ence shows the Oilers rarely get it right on draft day. In 1960, the first year of the Houston Oilers franchise, the Oilers drafted Billy Cannon, who did lead the team in rushing for two years. In 1961, Houston selected Mike Ditka, the first tight end to be elected into the NFL Hall of Fame - as a Chicago Bear. In 1976, a slow, little-known fourth-round wide receiver from Tulsa was drafted and cast off. Seattle picked up the Oilers' trash and, surprise, found Steve Largent, the man with arguably the best hands ever in the league, who logged in 14 solid years as a future Hall of Earner in the NFL. The best move the Oilers have ever made was beg and plead away the first overall pick of 1978 from Tampa Bay for the rights to Earl Campbell, and then the Oilers never could build a team around Earl to compete with their indomitable, division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. This year, the Oilers were in the same shoes as the talented Kansas City Chiefs, who needed a few key acquisitions to put them into Super Bowl contention. While the Chiefs shelled out for quarterback Joe Montana, the Oilers created a problem letting Maggs go, and missed their chance in the first round to land desperately needed receiver and a return speed threat. It's not the end of the world to get a talented offensive lineman in Hopkins, and the Oilers des perately needed a linebacker with the coverage and big play potential of second rounder Michael Barrow from Miami. In Barrow, the Oilers get the speed that was lacking in "The NFL's Most Embarrassing Play off Losses" to Buffalo and, most notably, Denver when the Bron cos' John Elway beat Houston by running circles around Hous ton's linebacker "spies." But, the only receivers drafted were five-foot seven, 4.37-in-the- 40 burner Travis Hannah in the fourth round, who looks like a fast, but inexperienced Tony Jones clone, and five-foot seven. 4.5 marginal return prospect Pat Robinson in the seventh. The Oilers haven't had a good return man since Carl Roaches departed in the mid-80s, and last year Houston fumbled away promising Corey Harris, via a waiver wire gaffe to Green Bay. But instead, don't laugh, Houston did sign a comerback in the eighth round who runs a - Hoo-RAY! - 4.6 in the forty, only .05 faster than Barrow runs as a linebacker. It will be strictly special teams for him - if he can even make the expanded 53-man cut. Hopefully, the Oilers will con tinue to deal and land some im pact players such as the Wilber Marshall deal and a fast receiv er/return man, or the last of 37- year old Warren Moon's Super Bowl hopes will almost assured ly end this year. Otherwise, Houston will have to rebuild again if the club opts to starve as they stubbornly watch other teams feed in the free agent frenzy. Sore Throat? j We are looking for individuals 18 years of age or older with sore throats to participate in a 2 hour research study involving an oral rinse or spray for the relief of sore throat. Patients who complete the study successfully will be compensated $40. 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