Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 13, 1990 TAG: 9003133449
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Fighting Irish played only 13 home games during the regular season, down from 16 in 1988-89.
"We knew we had everybody coming back from a 21-9 team," Phelps said. "We beat Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAAs and then took Georgetown to the wire. We said, `Let's just play a lot of people on the road.'
"It was important for us to play the most powerful schedule we could play. We were on the road for three straight weeks in January and then three straight weekends in February."
Phelps said he had no regrets, although the Fighting Irish finished the season at 16-12, with four losses in the last six games. Notre Dame's strength of schedule no doubt contributed mightily to its invitation.
"When we beat Syracuse at Syracuse, took Georgia Tech into overtime, then beat Missouri, I think it opened a lot of people's eyes," Phelps said.
Although some outrage was expressed at Notre Dame's invitation, the Fighting Irish made the field comfortably with a No. 10 seed. Notre Dame will meet seventh-seeded Virginia (19-10) at 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Richmond Coliseum in the first round of the Southeast Regional.
"I don't think it's going to be any problem," Phelps said of the site. "We've played LSU in the Superdome, Indiana in Bloomington [Ind.] and Syracuse in Syracuse. If we're not conditioned by now, we never will be. We're not going to let [the crowd] be part of the game.
"Playing before 33,000 at Syracuse put us in the right frame of mind. It was almost frightening the way we played against Missouri [in a 98-67 victory]. I particularly liked the idea of having a game late in the season with Missouri on a Saturday and then coming back Monday to play Kentucky."
Both those games were at home, however, where Notre Dame was 11-2. The Irish's only road victory of consequence came at the Carrier Dome, where Elmer Bennett's desperation 3-pointer ended Syracuse's 37-game home winning streak, 66-65.
Notre Dame is coming off a 64-59 loss to DePaul at the Rosemont (Ill.) Horizon. But the Irish played that game without senior guard Joe Fredrick, who has a sprained ankle. Phelps said Fredrick's availability for the Virginia game is day-to-day.
Fredrick is the Irish's top 3-point shooter and third-leading scorer behind 6-foot-9 senior Keith Robinson and 6-9 sophomore LaPhonso Ellis. Robinson is averaging 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds, with Ellis contributing 14.3 points and 12.8 rebounds.
Notre Dame was 4-3 when Ellis joined the team after being declared academically ineligible for the first semester.
"I'm pleased with what we've accomplished with as much adversity as has surrounded the team," said Phelps, 48, who is in his 19th season in South Bend, Ind. "When we've had problems, I just think we've gotten a little lax, a little complacent."
Most of the adversity has involved Ellis, an East St. Louis, Ill., product who is one of the central figures in the NCAA's investigation of the Illinois basketball program.
"I think there were a lot of distractions from the media," Phelps said. "LaPhonso is a sensitive person, and I think it continued to bother him through the Syracuse game [Feb. 17]."
Robinson has started 27 of 28 games and Ellis 20 of 21, but it's anybody's guess as to the other three starters. Phelps has started 11 players, including 6-5 sophomore Kevin Ellery, 6-1 sophomore Bennett and 6-5 sophomore Daimon Sweet against DePaul.
"Who starts means nothing to me," Phelps said. "The key is who's got the minutes played."
Team leaders in that category include Monte Williams, a 6-6 freshman, and Tim Singleton, a 6-1 junior.
The Irish shoot 51.1 percent from the field and have enjoyed an advantage of nearly nine rebounds per game. Virginia is shooting barely 43 percent and has 38 rebounds more than the opposition after 30 games.
"It's a very, very good perimeter-shooting team," said Phelps, apparently unaware that the Cavaliers have shot less than 35 percent in four of their last eight games. "Their shooting percentage is deceptive because they've hit key shots at key times.
"A lot of those guys were on the [Virginia] team that made the final eight last year and they can smell it again. For a guy 6-5 or 6-6, Bryant Stith is as good as any post player we've seen with his back to the basket."
Phelps said he watched the ACC Tournament championship game, in which Georgia Tech beat Virginia 70-61 Sunday, but never thought the Irish might be playing either team. He has seen Virginia several times while watching tapes of common opponents Georgia Tech, Duke, Houston and Marquette.
"I watched about six games Sunday and, realistically, we could have been playing most of those teams," Phelps said. "I was just worried whether we would make it or not."
by CNB