Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 20, 1993 TAG: 9303200014
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ORLANDO, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
SETON HALL'S NEWEST FAN: FRANKIE ALLEN
Spinning the NCAA Tournament basketball:In a matchup of teams that combined for 53 victories this season, Seton Hall plays Western Kentucky in the second round of the Southeast Region tonight, and Tennessee State coach Frankie Allen is playing favorites.
"Seton Hall is a fine team," Allen said in the first minutes of Friday morning after the sixth-ranked Pirates had ripped Allen's Tigers 81-59 in the first round. "I hope Seton Hall goes all the way because before we were matched up with them I picked them in the office pool."
The Pirates (28-6) have a 12-game winning streak, the longest in Division I men's basketball. Seventh-seeded Western Kentucky (25-5) will try to combat the Big East Conference champion's size and strength advantage with full-court pressure and traps.
"We don't know much about Western Kentucky, but we do know they won 25, which means they're a threat to us and anyone else they play," Pirates star guard Terry Dehere said. "It's going to be different from playing in the Big East. In our league, it's pretty much a halfcourt set and pound the ball inside. Against a team like Western Kentucky, we have to take care of the ball and limit our turnovers."
The winner will meet today's Tulane-Florida State winner in the Southeast Region semifinals Thursday night at the Charlotte Coliseum.
\ RETURNABLES: Allen didn't let Tennessee State's crushing by Seton Hall diminish the accomplishment of his team's first Division I tournament appearance, which ended with a standing ovation from TSU fans.
The Tigers will have seven of their top eight players back from an Ohio Valley Conference championship team.
"I told our players that there's no reason we can't make this an annual event," Allen said.
The Roanoke College graduate and former Virginia Tech coach said he was "really touched" by messages of support he has received from staff members in the Tech athletic department. Allen mentioned balloons he had been sent Thursday by Jean Farmer, his former secretary and still the secretary in Tech's basketball office.
"A lot of other people, some of the football coaches, secretaries, other staff people have taken time to write, too," he said. "That has meant a lot."
\ FINAL FORE? Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo took a break from basketball Wednesday and went to Bay Hill Country Club to watch the practice round for the Nestle Invitational, this week's stop on the PGA Tour. Golfer and telecast analyst Peter Jacobsen challenged him to a drive off the 10th tee. Carlesimo barely topped the ball, which dribbled about 25 feet. "At least I kept it in play," Carlesimo told Jacobsen.
\ GUM OUT: Asked one thing he will never forget about Tulane coach Perry Clark, Green Wave forward Matt Greene answered: "It had to be the game this year against UNC Charlotte when Coach Clark's chewing gum flew out of his mouth onto the floor. He picked it up and kept on chewing it."
\ THE WHISTLER: Roanoke resident Duke Edsall was the referee in Western Kentucky's first-round victory over Memphis State. Edsall, who primarily works in the ACC, has another striped-shirt assignment at Orlando Arena today.
\ MOST IMPROVED: Even with Tennessee State's first-round elimination by Seton Hall, Allen had the most-improved Division I men's team. Tennessee State (19-10) had a 15-win improvement from last year's 4-24 finish. The only team that has a chance at topping that is fellow Nashville school and NCAA entrant Vanderbilt - and the Commodores would have to reach the NCAA championship game to do so.
\ PRETTY PENNY: Most observers figure Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Memphis State's All-American, played his last college game in the Tigers' first-round loss to Western Kentucky. The junior swingman is expected to go into the NBA draft, where he could be among the top three picks, depending on which other players leave school early.
\ LOTTERY PICKS: The longest lines in Orlando are not at the ticket windows of the arena. They're at locations that sell tickets for the Florida Lottery. The pot for tonight's drawing is $86 million and may go even higher.
"I'll take two wins tomorrow," said Florida State guard Sam Cassell. "Tulane and the lottery."
Officials said tickets are being sold at a rate of 300 per second across the state.