The Week

MIDWEST

John Dromo, head coach of Louisville, had not watched his team perform since early January when he suffered a heart attack. Last week, though, his doctors allowed him to sit in the stands during the Cardinals' game with Drake, and mercifully it was a peaceful evening. During one six-minute period in the first half the Cards out scored the Bulldogs 22-3. They won 94-52, prompting Dromo to say, "One of the best games Louisville ever played." The following game against Wichita State might have been one of Louisville's worst. The team squandered a 12-point lead at the half, committed seven fouls in three minutes and watched Wichita sink 26 of 39 shots to send the game into overtime. Louisville finally won with 12 seconds remaining. "Coach, the medics ought to give you a clean bill of health," a shaken spectator told Dromo. "They couldn't devise a tougher test."

Less calm was Al McGuire of Marquette. His Warriors drew 14 fouls in the opening half against Air Force. After receiving a technical of his own, McGuire exploded at Jim Chones for the same sin. "He threw his shirt on the floor," McGuire said. "I don't mind if it's me with the officials, but the players have to leave them alone." The players left the Falcons for dead, 77-62.

The Big Ten remained in doubt. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 79-71 and Northwestern 84-72 to stay one game behind Michigan. The league title will be decided when the Buckeyes and Michigan meet Saturday.

1. MARQUETTE (21-0)
2. KANSAS (20-1)

EAST

"Sure it's a big crowd," said Fordham's Charlie Yelverton of the largest regular-season gathering (19,500) for college basketball in Madison Square Garden history, "but all these people came to see if we were for real. They came to see us lose to Notre Dame." Not all of them did. One Fordham student passed around mimeographed sheet music parodying the British rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. One verse read: "Charlie Y, Superstar, you'll score much more than Austin Carr." Carr outscored Yelverton 29-28, but Yelverton fouled out with almost seven minutes to go. Ram Guard Bill Mainor took up the slack, and Fordham won 94-88.

It was an uncomfortable week for Philadelphia sportswriters. "They are a bunch of clowns," said 6'10" Barry Nelson of Duquesne. "After we beat Villanova, they described us with phrases like 'you need a whip and a chair' and 'uncaged animals' and 'toss them raw meat.' " Duquesne appeared to be no more civilized on Wednesday against LaSalle, making 17 of its first 23 shots and winning 95-86. Then the Dukes relaxed against St. Peter's and barely beat the Peacocks and their lady Doc 104-98.

"You're writing about the superstars in town," admonished Penn Coach Dick Harter to those Philly writers, "but I don't know if even the two All Americas [ Villanova's Howard Porter and LaSalle's Ken Durrett] could give us what Corky does." Corky Calhoun is a defensive specialist who scored a career-high 28 points during a surprisingly easy 103-72 rout of Harvard. The next night he had his usual nine points, and Penn toyed with Dartmouth 102-75.

Syracuse, winner of six straight games and 10 of the last 11, downed St. John's of Brooklyn 78-73 and Connecticut 97-76. Holy Cross won its ninth in a row, 103-73 against Connecticut, after considerable confusion in Storrs, Conn. A bomb threat cleared the gym of 4,000 spectators and Governor Thomas Meskill. The game was finished without spectators.