European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday March 13, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 25 sooner think 50 percent will tie up any Loose ends by Jim Litke. Ranks for slapping High fives alone the Bench even a by Jim Litke Kansas City to. Apr one entire Corner of Kemper Arena was dripping red and roaring itself hoarse when College basketball a Crown Prince of darkness made his Entrance to the Strain of trumpets wailing the Oklahoma sooner fight song. In no particular hurry he adjusted one cuff link then the other. Checked the knot on his tie the Black pocket Square offsetting a Natty six Button Grey Glen plaid double breasted suit. Admired the Way the crease on his trousers hit the narrow cuff that Lay perfectly atop the Black Tasse led loafers. Then a and Only then a did Billy Tubbs flashing that Jack Nicholson Grin turn and acknowledge the Crimson Side. It May be important to feel marvelous but in Billy Tubbs world it is More important to look marvelous. And sunday he looked marvelous. Even if his charges did no to. Quot we  comfortable a Oklahoma a Scooter Henry said to one questioner with mock horror. A Well we knew coming in that we a Ere going to  a we get so pumped up for the kans ases and the Missouri and the in los a Smokey Mccovery said by Way of explanation a that we done to always catch fire for teams like  As it turned out no. 1 Oklahoma had enough left to Barbecue the buffaloes 92-80, claim the big eight championship and do their pos game thing with the leagues most expensive piece of hardware for the second time in the last three years. But the sorry performance came at the end of a whirlwind stretch that could be ranked As one of the Best College basketball runs in recent memory a three week run in which the sooner thumped Missouri by 17 Points Kansas by 22 a both big eight rivals were rated no. 1 at the time a and Kansas again in saturdays semifinal by 18 Points. And As such it would have left plenty of coaches wringing their hands. Most coaches after All would be unsettled to watch their High octane attack slowed to a walk and their nervy troops almost come unglued while a 16-Point Lead at the nine minute Mark melts to just three with 1 15 remaining. Most coaches would be unsettled when a team that shoots 73 percent from the line Over the final two minutes on average converts Only three of eight opportunities during the most crucial stretch in this one. And most coaches suddenly disabused of the no Uon that they were at the Helm of the team playing St basketball in the land on the eve of the Mcaa tourney might Start pulling at the Loose threads on their Coats. But not Billy a what me worry a Tubbs. He has no Loose threads a and plenty of other things to worry about. If inc Kvin a me Corners for encouraging All few k a a of Savior among impressionable kids Inch Ner a a run and gun pro game in All its Iran talking Finger posting glory into the College ranks for slapping High fives along the Bench even As opponents Are being still being slapped on the court a and if you listen to All his critics a for bringing locusts to the land and pollution to the skies. But he makes no excuses when he runs up 70-Point Victory margins against san Angelo state northeastern Illinois and the other Little Sisters of the poor schools that fill his Carly season dance card. And he Wasny to about to begin making excuses at this late Date  Law a Tubbs began a you can to stay juiced up for everybody. That a understandable. A three Day tournament is a Long time to maintain intensity especially As hard As we play. A besides a he added with a Wink a they did no to have to worry about me hollering today. 1 shot my voice screaming at them the last two  that kind of Confidence like it or not is infectious. Oklahoma May be the Only team in the country that spends More time in pre game practice working on facial expressions than free throws More time on 360-degree swoop and scoop shots than layups. How confident Are these Guys suffice it to say that the pre game drills end with a shooting contest from Hal court. And so when the sooner Learned they were headed to the Midwest regional to face Towson state most thought the manager said a Townsend  and in a Quick spin around the room not one correctly guessed Maryland As its Home. But were they worried a no Way a said Henry whose most memorable move May be his impression of to Jackson a impression of some wild West outlaw firing a pair of six guns after a score. A the coaches take care of that.  have us ready to play Townsend state. Or anybody else we have  and How much does Tubbs know about Townsend or Towson state. A not much Quot he said. But will you respect them a i know they re from the East a Tubbs offered a and they have to be Good if they re from the  this from the same Billy Tubbs who recently recommended telecasts of big East games for oklahoman who Are having trouble sleeping. And will you beat them a if we shoot 50 percent a and you can write this Down a Tubbs said. A if we shoot 50 percent for six games i Guaran Damn tee that Well win the National  but enough of the serious Side of Billy Tubbs. As he strolled Down the hallway preparing to exit Kemper coat still buttoned a television Crew rushed up and decided to test his patience with one More question. A Are you still Happy to be in Oklahoma a that was an easy one. A hell a Tubbs replied looking at Down at his Tasse led loafers. A a we re in Kansas City a but yeah a he added breaking into that Grin again. A and i like it Here  Oklahoma a Billy Tubbs issues a "guaran-Damn-tee.�?Tokla. Doing Fine on final a poll by the associated press Oklahoma univ Connecticut and Michigan state a the four top seeds in the Mcaa tournament a Are also the four top teams in the final associated press College basketball poll. Oklahoma which won the big eight tournament sunday received 57 first place votes and 1,590 Points to finish no. 1 for the second straight week. Big West Champion univ was no. 2, getting three first place votes and 1,472 Points from a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Connecticut Winner of the big East tournament was third with 1,436 Points and big ten Champion Michigan stale was fourth with three first place votes and 1,411 Points. The other first place vote went to 12th-ranked la Salle which has the Best record 29-1 in the country. Complete poll on Page 22. Rounding out the top 10 Are Kansas Syracuse Arkansas Georgetown Georgia tech and Purdue. Connecticut jumped five spots in the poll after beating Syracuse 78-75 in the big East final. Michigan state which beat Purdue 72-70 to win its first outright big ten title since 1978, moved up three places and univ Rose one notch after beating Long Beach state 92-74 in the big West final. Georgia tech 14th last week moved into the top 10 by beating Virginia 70-61 for the championship of the Atlantic coast conference tournament. Missouri dropped from no. 6 to no. 11 after getting upset by Colorado in the opening round of the big eight tournament. Senna opens i season with Phoenix runaway by Mike Harris a motor sports writer hrcths1? Van Senna Over pow a is a0tla 0ne Star Jean Alesi i Victory Sunn a ent in t0 a runaway  grand a Quot a e season opening downtown Phoenix a ugh the streets of Hinot nov i year us a Frenchman drive i drove his wisc Jamula 0ne event into the Lead in m fourth place a 170-s race tur Quot of the 72�?~ brfcta2maahead,until Senna it theft Numila one re  who won the Focas second Cai?pl0nshlp it a 1988 and if Fost of Fra when teammate Alain urea Honda Stuffy car took his my Uund the 2 36 i on the 35th map i the Are 13-turn circuit. H�netr1salflracehere�sa a a Senna my Iausly in his not i a s Mclaren Honda team mate started from the pole but got a bad Start and saw Alesi jump ahead of him. Berger fell just Over five seconds behind Alesi and was working hard to catch the Leader when he drove too hard into turn six and Slid hard into a tire Wall. He was Able to restart the car and get Back into action for a while but eventually fell out with a broken clutch. Senna who started fifth was steadily moving up and inherited second place when Berger crashed. The brazilian was 8.238 seconds behind at that Point. Alesius biggest Lead 9.293 seconds was on Lap 14. But Senna who now has 21 victories in 95 career starts sliced through traffic and was right behind the Tyrrell by Lap 25. On Lap 34, Senna out braked Alesi in turn one and took the Lead. Alesi never slowing moved inside the Mclaren and retook the top spot in turn two. The disappointing crowd estimated at Between 10,000 and 15,000, stood and cheered As Senna continued the Hunt and again passed Alesi in the first turn on Lap 35. Alesi tried again to regain the Lead but this time Senna was not caught by Surprise. The rest of the race was simply an exercise for Senna who pulled steadily away until he had a Lead of 23.501 seconds on Lap 59. The margin dwindled after that but Only because Senna slowed to preserve his tires. Senna who will turn 30 on March 21, wound up beating Alesi to the finish line by 8.685 seconds. Senna a final Lap was by far his slowest of the race As he picked his Way carefully to the finish. Alesius Best previous finish was fourth a feat he accomplished twice last season. Thierry Poulsen of Belgium was a Distant third in a Williams Renault followed by three time formula one Cham Pion Nelson Piquet of Brazil in a Benetton Ford Lefano Modena of Italy in a Brabham Judd and one Lap Down Satoru Nakajima of Japan in the other Tyrrell Ford. Pierluigi Martini of Italy who started a surprising second on the 26-car Grid in a Minardi Ford finished just out of the Points in seventh. Prost who won the inaugural Phoenix race and was making his Ferrari debut ran As High As fourth in the Early going but went out on Lap 22 with an engine failure. The other Ferrari driven by englishman Nigel Mansell worked its Way from 17th to fifth by Lap 48. But on Lap 50, As Mansell chased Down Piquet his engine went in a fiery explosion. There were several crashes during the event but no injuries were reported and the action was not interrupted. Only 14 of the 26 cars were running at the end. The next race on the 16-event formula one schedule is scheduled on March 25 in Brazil