USC’s Boyd Enjoyed Delayed Reaction

Here are some coaching records for new USC basketball Coach Rick Majerus to shoot for: Sam Barry was 129-67 in two stints in the 1930s and ‘40s, Forrest Twogood was 111-104 from 1951 to 1966, and Bob Boyd was 107-79 from 1967 to 1979.

Boyd’s 1970-71 team went 24-2. But Boyd said his greatest accomplishment at USC was a 46-44 victory over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in 1969, when Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was a senior. It was UCLA’s first loss in Pauley Pavilion history.

“The first two times we faced Alcindor, when he was a sophomore, UCLA scored more than 100 points,” Boyd said from his home in La Quinta. “We learned we had to keep the ball out of Alcindor’s hands.”

So USC began using a stall offense against UCLA, back when there was not a shot clock in college basketball.

“I was criticized for that, but at the time I thought it was pretty smart,” Boyd said.

Trivia time: Who were the four main stars on Boyd’s 1970-71 team, which, despite its record, did not qualify for the NCAA tournament?

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More USC-UCLA history: Boyd said the Bruins and Trojans played on consecutive nights in 1969. The first of the two-game set was played March 7 at the Sports Arena.

UCLA’s Lynn Shackelford made a long, looping shot to send that game into overtime, which the Bruins ended up winning, 61-55, in two overtimes.

“No one gave us a chance the next night,” Boyd said. “I think that’s why that win was so gratifying.”

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More Shackelford: During his years as Chick Hearn’s Laker broadcast sidekick, Shackelford’s wit was often lost among the Chickisms. Reader J.M Hernandez Jr. recalls Shackelford’s line regarding Bob Lanier’s shoes: “He doesn’t polish them, he sends them to a car wash.”

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Oldies but goodies: USC’s Rose Bowl championship teams of 1943 and ’44 will hold a reunion Dec. 28 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

“Hey, you bumbling, stumbling former gridiron gladiators,” quarterback Jim Hardy said in a letter to the 20 known living members of those teams.

“Drop your canes, get rid of your crutches and prepare to kick the gong around once more.”

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Heady advice: Dan Marino, on HBO’s “Inside the NFL,” said his advice to New York Giant rookie quarterback Eli Manning would be: “Keep your head up.”

Said colleague Cris Carter: “Keep your head up? What do you mean? Keep your head down. Duck. With that offensive line, they’re coming after you.”

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Looking back: On this date in 1991, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat, 148-80, in the most lopsided game in NBA history.

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Trivia answer: Paul Westphal, Joe Mackey, Ron Riley and Dennis Layton.

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And finally: When it was first rumored that Pedro Martinez was headed to the New York Mets, David Letterman said, “It’s a pretty good deal, when you think about it, because, with the Mets, he’ll get October off.”

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Larry Stewart can be reached at [email protected].