Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 7, 1991 TAG: 9103070097
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In the first evening game, ACC-bound Florida State faces Southeastern Conference-bound South Carolina. In the last first-round game, Metro loyalist Virginia Tech plays Cincinnati, already packed for the Great Midwest Conference.
Afternoon participant Memphis State also is headed to the Great Midwest. The four teams' exit has done more than force the remaining Metro schools - Tech, Louisville, Tulane and Southern Mississippi - to search for new members. It has thrown the schedule-makers at the eight current Metro schools into flux.
Much has been made of the undercurrent of enmity among some Metro schools because the flurry of departures left the league scrambling to retain its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which it won't have next year despite its plans to add UNC Charlotte and South Florida. However, Tulane coach Perry Clark said any scheduling clashes won't come from the sidelines.
"Whether we play or don't play, it won't be because of any animosity among the coaches," said Clark, whose sentiments were echoed recently by Memphis State coach Larry Finch.
Tech athletic director Dave Braine said the Hokies, seeded sixth in the tournament, have no plans to continue playing any of the four departing schools.
Although Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins didn't rule out playing Tech - or any of the third-seeded Bearcats' former conference mates - at some point, the series will end after its 30th game tonight. In that game, Tech will try to continue a recent warm streak, and Cincinnati will try to overcome a late-season slump.
South Carolina coach George Felton said the Gamecocks, about to enter the 14-team SEC, probably won't have room on their schedule for former Metro brothers. Felton, whose seventh-seeded Gamecocks are trying to reverse a late-season slide, said he's having geographical thoughts about South Carolina's future schedules.
The Gamecocks will be playing in SEC states such as Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Kentucky, all of which are home to current Metro teams. So . . .
"I don't think it benefits us to go into the state of Mississippi three times in one year," Felton said. "Maybe the correct word [for our scheduling philosophy] would be `specialized.' I'm from New York City; I might want to go play in the Meadowlands."
Seminoles coach Pat Kennedy, who brings one of the hotter teams into the tournament, has a dollars-and-sense approach to scheduling former Metro schools.
"It'll be based probably solely on TV," Kennedy said just before second-seeded Florida State's afternoon practice Wednesday at the civic center. "If any of the games could warrant TV, we'll have an interest in them."
Television should clamor to show Memphis State-Louisville, a series that has reached 67 games and has become the Metro's signature game because of the traditional success of each program. But that game might never be played again - unless Louisville and Memphis win today's afternoon games, which means they will play Friday in the semifinals.
"Memphis State would certainly like to continue playing [Louisville]; we think it's one of the great rivalries in college basketball," Tigers athletic director Charlie Cavagnaro said.
However . . .
"It's not going to be one of our highest priorities to worry about. They're making the decision to leave," Louisville athletic director Bill Olsen said. "We have to do what's best for us in the future. If it's play them, we'll play them. If it's not, we won't."
Olsen said Louisville, ever conscious of scheduling weekend national TV games, probably will not play the other departing Metro teams, either, although the six-team Metro will have a 10-game conference schedule instead of 14 games next year. Consequently, the 65-year series against Ohio River rival Cincinnati likely will end.
"It just depends on national TV opportunities," Olsen said. "With NBC and ABC and networks cutting back some, I don't think anyone's going to get as much TV as you used to."
Southern Mississippi may be the only Metro school with former Metro mates already on its schedule for next year. Golden Eagles coach M.K. Turk said Southern Miss will play Memphis State twice and Cincinnati twice next year.
"I really don't have a problem playing anybody," Huggins said.
by CNB