Basketball
Harters 'problem19 hoopers, 7 must go
By CARL STEWARD
Of the Emerald
EDITOR S NOTE: Because basketball season gets
underway so early (Nov. 18 is the first intrasquad game)
and because of keen student interest in the sport, the
Emerald has included a basketball preview in the orien
tation issue. Other winter sports will be examined in
detail later in the term.
There is a strange calm in Dick Harter s office these
days Aside from the fact that there is none of the usual
hustle and bustle, the electricity is off
Harter, however, remains undaunted He continues
to talk to Bob Boyd, the USC coach, on the phone First
things first, he commits Boyd to a summer camp next year
and then slips into the proverbial exchanges over the
state of the basketball world
This is Dick Harter, a man who eats, drinks and
sleeps basketball 365 days a year. Even during the lazy
summer, he is talking to other coaches, thinking about
recruits for next year and traveling about the country.
As Harter has often said, it is a necessary obligation
here at Oregon if one expects to get a jump on metropoli
tan schools.
This is precisely what he has done in his previous
four years as head coach, and that is why Oregon has
such a bright basketball future, not only for next year, but
years to come
Basketball practice begins October 15, amidst the
construction of four balconies in McArthur Court, made
possible by uncanny demand for seats
Practices will be especially interesting during the
1975-76 season Harter has 18 players on scholarships
plus Mike Greig, who fought his way from Willamette High
to a walk-on starting position with the junior varsity last
year,
Harter s problem, if you can call it that, revolves
around the mere number of players on the roster. He can
only suit up 12 players for home games and 12 for road
trips Before a ruling which overturned the NCAA restric
tion of 10 players on road trips, the situation was even
more precarious.
"It'll be competitive, said Harter, “but I don t see too
much different from last year. Everyone will have to prove
himself all over again.
Harter's primary job will be to establish a new fixture
at center to replace Gerald Willett. He has four candi
dates, and three of them are freshmen.
“I don't think we can possibly expect the same kind of
defense at center, but hopefully by mid-season we will
have as much offensive potency at center and possibly
more, he said.
Harter will be giving close inspection to Geoff Nelson,
the 6-10 senior, Dan Hartshorne, 6-9 freshman from Los
Angeles, Gary Nelson, a 6-10 freshman from Anacortes,
Wash, and Kelvin Small, a 6-8 leaping freshman from
South Chicago Heights, the same high school which pro
duced Mark Barwig.
At forward, the Ducks will be as deep as the
Marianas Trench. The inside track belongs to junior
Greg Ballard, who came into his own last season as one
of the Pac-8 s top forwards; and Stu Jackson, the 6-51/2
junior who gained more playing time last year after de
veloping a consistent outside shot.
Attempting to unseat that duo will be 6-8 senior Bruce
Coldrun; 6-5 Deryl Banks, a junior; 6-7 sophomore Randy
McCoy; 6-7 Frank Rourke, also a sophomore; 6-51/2 Tad
Mancini, another sophomore; 6-6 Danny Mack, a fresh
man from Zion, III; and 6-8V2 Joe Moreck, another fresh
man from Akron, Ohio.
At guard, Ronnie Lee, of course will be playing his
last year. The 6-4 All-American has done virtually every
thing to be done in his first three years except win a Pac-8
title, and that's what he wants most.
Behind Lee is junior Ernie Kent, who successfully
recovered from knee surgery and is a prime candidate to
play opposite Lee. But there are others, starting with Mark
Barwig, the senior back-up man, Mike Drummond, the 5-8
sophomore who moved up from the junior varsity last
season and became a spot starter, and Greg Graham, the
6-2 junior who will be vying for more playing time this
season.
Newcomers include Rob Closs, a sophomore up
from the junior varsity, and Greig, also up from the JVs
after an impressive showing last season.
Photo by Carl Steward
It's a ho-hum shot for Ronnie Lee
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Section VI Page 11