Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 15, 1993 TAG: 9303150041
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Long
JACKETS SHOCK TAR HEELS
GEORGIA TECH finished sixth in the ACC's regular-season standings, but the Yellow Jackets exceeded even their coach's expectations by winning the conference tournament against the No. 1-ranked team in the land.\ In a basketball season in which little made sense for Georgia Tech, not even Bobby Cremins dared come into the ACC Tournament thinking championship.
"I've been through two ACC championships and, truthfully, I didn't expect a third," said Cremins, who coached ACC champions at Georgia Tech in 1985 and '90.
"I thought we had talent, but if you had been coaching this team all year, I don't think you would have come up here full of confidence."
The Yellow Jackets' confidence grew with every victory, however, and they never buckled Sunday in defeating No. 1-ranked North Carolina 77-75 at the Charlotte Coliseum.
Carolina was without point guard Derrick Phelps - the winners made a greater issue of that than the losers - but there was no downplaying what the Yellow Jackets accomplished.
Unranked Georgia Tech (19-10) knocked off reigning two-time national champion Duke 69-66 in the first round before beating upstart Clemson 69-61 en route to becoming the fourth sixth-seeded team in 40 years to win the championship.
"They didn't look like a sixth-place team to me," North Carolina coach Dean Smith said. "People around the country have been saying, `That's a sixth-place team?' Must be a pretty good league."
Nevertheless, the Yellow Jackets lost seven of 10 games after a 9-1 start and, by most estimates, needed to win their final regular-season game at Clemson to feel confident of an NCAA Tournament bid.
"I'm just kinda shocked," said Cremins, who for the past several weeks has been the object of rumors linking him with the coaching vacancy at his alma mater, South Carolina. "Maybe I ought to consider another job every year."
Smith was gracious - almost light-hearted - after losing in the championship game for the second straight year and fifth time since 1985.
The Tar Heels (28-4) were victimized by Georgia Tech sophomore James Forrest, the 19th-leading vote-getter in All-ACC voting, who was a unanimous selection for the Everett Case Award as tournament MVP.
"I'm going to change my [thinking] on voting for players off the first two teams," said Smith, referring to the All-ACC selections. "If he's going to get mad about it, tell him I'll vote for him next year."
Forrest was joined on the all-tournament first team by Georgia Tech freshman Drew Barry; Eric Montross and Brian Reese of North Carolina; and sophomore Cory Alexander from semifinal loser Virginia.
Forrest scored 90 points in the tournament, including a game-high 27 in the championship game, and became the first player since Virginia's Wally Walker to post three consecutive games of 20 points or more.
"I came out with a vengeance," Forrest said. "I'm only a sophomore, and I'm not saying I should have made any of the teams, but I wanted to prove some things to people."
Carolina was led by Reese with 24 points, 18 in the second half, and Montross had 19 points and 17 rebounds. First-team All-ACC choice George Lynch was held to eight points, although he made the all-tournament second team.
Phelps was injured late in UNC's 74-56 victory over Virginia in the semifinals, when he bruised his tailbone after being pushed by Jason Williford on a layup attempt.
"He said he didn't see how he could go [Saturday night] when we met at 11:30," Smith said, "and nothing miraculous happened over the evening. He couldn't walk without pain and he couldn't jump."
Smith and referee Dick Paparo had been feuding all afternoon until Paparo stopped play with 12:39 remaining and called a technical on the Carolina bench for claiming Forrest pushed off on a rebound.
"I wish Dick Paparo would enlighten me," Smith said. "He couldn't name [the offense]. He couldn't name the players. I generally like to know. We know who's the boss in this game."
Fred Barakat, who supervises ACC officials, said he was told the technical was on Carolina reserves Ed Geth and Larry Davis.
Carolina led 50-49 at the time of the technical, but Travis Best made only one of two free throws and then the Yellow Jackets had a turnover on the inbounds play.
The Tar Heels regained the lead and stretched it to 58-55 before Georgia Tech pulled ahead 62-58 on a 3-pointer by senior Bryan Hill with 8:10 left.
Uncharacteristically, Carolina was let down by its free-throw shooting. After making 13 of their first 14 free throws Saturday and 40 of 46 over a two-day period, they were 1-of-6 over the final 5:44.
Henrik Rodl, subbing for Phelps at the point, had six assists, but he missed two free throws with 2:59 left and Carolina trailing 68-64. Phelps likely will be available Thursday, when the Tar Heels meet East Carolina in Winston-Salem, N.C., in the NCAA Tournament.
"We played pretty well after losing in the [ACC] finals, and Duke did pretty well after losing to us the year before," Smith said. "That eases some of the pressure of not winning the tournament."
Nobody knows what to expect from Georgia Tech, which lost at home by 17 points to College of Charleston but twice beat the No. 1 team in the country, including Duke in early January.
"Don't be misled by the sixth-place finish," Smith said. "This team, Georgia Tech, can win the national championship." \
see microfilm for box score