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From: ofut@gitpyr.UUCP (Jeff Offutt)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hoops
Subject: Re: HOOPLA
Message-ID: <1398@gitpyr.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Feb-86 08:50:05 EST
Article-I.D.: gitpyr.1398
Posted: Thu Feb 13 08:50:05 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Feb-86 08:00:15 EST
References: <33500031@ISM780.UUCP>
Reply-To: ofut@gitpyr.UUCP (Jeff Offutt)
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 47

>	Price, it should be pointed out, was about 6 for 20, missed
>	a free throw that would have tied it in overtime and fouled
>	out to end the game. He's only about 6-1 and he is talked
>	about as one of the nation's best? In big games, I've seen
>	him wilt twice now. I'd sooner take Michael Jackson of
>	shooting percentage on the year?

Well, I have to put in a good word for Price.  If you're talking about
the Georgetown game last year, well, he's a great shooter and when
great shooters get off their mark, they look bad.  In the NBA, most
teams can afford an off-night for a great player.  In college ball,
particularly Georgia Tech) you don't have enough talent to afford that.

If you're talking about this year, don't forget that Price hasn't been
in one piece for several weeks.  In the Duke game here in Atlanta
on 1/21, Price played with a _very_ painful sprained ankle.  After
just spraining my ankle playing B'Ball, I can't figure how he did that.
The guy was badly limping!  In the UNC game here (2/4), probably one 
where you saw him "wilt", he was still limping from the sprain.  And in
the first half, Dawkins gave him a good knee to the thigh (a flagrant
foul which, by the way, was called a charge on Price) that would have
put anybody else out of the game.  The second half, which he played
most of, the guy was barely able to run down the court!  But, as Dick
Vitalle said "I'd rather have Mark Price with one leg than most guys
with two legs."

The foul shot?  Well, there's no excuse for missing a foul shot.  But
the expression on his face when he saw that they discounted his basket
told it all.  His "concentration" was shot.

An interesting anecdote:  A few days ago, Bobby Cremmins (our coach)
introduced Price to Larry Bird.  Price seems to have immense respect
for Bird.  Price stuck out his hand and Bird said something like "I'm
not gonna shake your hand.  You missed the free shot!"  Would you say
that to somebody you didn't respect?  Will Price make it in the NBA?

I don't know.  Maybe maybe not.  When you can toss in 3-pointers at
a better than 40% clip you don't have to be tall.  When you get 
_knocked_ down three or four times without losing the dribble (as
UNC did last year in a last second attempt for a "win-by-fouling" then
you can handle most of the physical pressure of the NBA.  But there's
a lot more to going from an NCAA all-star to an NBA rookie than that.
If he only learn to slam dunk like Spud Webb....
-- 
Jeff Offutt
School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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