Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 26, 1996

Isn’t there a better way to discipline a player, such as UCLA’s Charles O’Bannon, than to bench him for the first half of a game? . . .

That penalizes his teammates too, by reducing their chances of winning. . . .

Whatever, UCLA needs an earlier wakeup call. . . .

The Bruins were able to overcome slow starts against Arizona at Pauley Pavilion and USC at the Sports Arena, but it was another matter against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday and so might be NCAA tournament games on neutral courts. . . .

Among the Bruin weaknesses is their three-point shot defense. . . .

Normally, I say give the No. 1 rating to the team that has won the head-to-head meeting, but Kentucky now seems better than Massachusetts. . . .

Gene Keady of Purdue gets my vote for coach of the year. . . .

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Among the most predictable results in the NBA on Sunday was the Bulls’ victory over the Orlando Magic at Chicago. . . .

The Bulls are unbeaten at home. . . .

The Magic has a losing record on the road. . . .

The scary thing is that a visiting team is going to have to win a game at the United Center during the playoffs to even stand a chance to keep the Bulls from winning the NBA championship. . . .

NBC commentator Matt Guokas said this was a battle between the two best teams in the league. He should tell that to the Seattle SuperSonics, who have a better record than the Magic. . . .

During one stretch of the third quarter, the Bulls and Magic missed 16 of 17 field-goal attempts, bringing back memories of the recent struggle involving the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. . . .

The biggest difference between Chicago and Orlando might be at coach, Phil Jackson over Brian Hill. . . .

You have to wonder about Magic Johnson’s recuperative powers after his 4 1/2 seasons away from the NBA. . . .

It’s hard to see the Houston Rockets making any kind of a run at a third consecutive title unless Clyde Drexler makes a quick recovery from knee surgery. . . .

This season, Cleveland Cavalier forward Danny Ferry is more than doubling his previous NBA scoring average of 6.8 points. . . .

There was a flurry of activity on the trade deadline day, but the one player who definitely should have been dealt, Rod Strickland of Portland, wasn’t. . . .

Russell Maryland and Larry Brown are solid performers, but shouldn’t the Oakland Raiders have gotten more for their money? . . .

Another couple of important free-agent signings and the New York Jets might be better, on paper at least, than the Giants. . . .

I guess it is too much to expect Craig Stadler’s victory in the Nissan Open to rub off on his favorite hockey team, the Kings. . . .

It hasn’t taken Teemu Selanne long to strengthen the belief that Anaheim’s trade with Winnipeg was a steal for the Mighty Ducks. . . .

The New York Rangers, who shut out the Panthers in Florida, don’t look as though they need to make a deal. . . .

Built For Pleasure, the Fountain of Youth winner who paid $288.20 at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, paid $345.60 at Santa Anita. . . .

The all-time Santa Anita pari-mutuel record is the $673.40 that a $2 win ticket on Playmay brought in 1938. . . .

The injury to Cigar probably will cost Santa Anita as many as 10,000 fans next Saturday even though the Big ‘Cap will be a much better wagering race without him in the lineup. . . .

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Dale Earnhardt beat Dale Jarrett a week too late. . . .

Oscar De La Hoya’s favorite singer, Mariah Carey, will sing the U.S. national anthem June 7 before his fight against Julio Cesar Chavez at Caesars Palace. . . .

Chavez partisans say the name of the hotel will be changed to Cesars Palace on June 8. . . .

Football Coach Barry Alvarez will speak at the University of Wisconsin Founders Day dinner Wednesday at the Long Beach Hyatt Regency. . . .

Penn State, which faces USC in the Kickoff Classic July 25 at Giants Stadium, will return 14 starters, including nine on defense. . . .

In today’s market, the Dodgers got a bargain when they signed Hideo Nomo to a three-year contract for about $4.275 million. . . .

The major league rules committee didn’t go far enough. A lot of pitchers I’ve seen the past couple of years need the strike zone both lowered to beneath the kneecap and raised to the shoulders.