Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 20, 1994                   TAG: 9403200117
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By JACK BOGACZYK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LANDOVER, MD.                                LENGTH: Medium

INDIANA'S BOB KNIGHT MAKES LIGHT OF SORE SUBJECT - HIS BACK

"We don't know what it is yet," the Indiana basketball coach said Saturday as he again stood through a 20-minute session with the media on the eve of an NCAA Tournament East Regional second-round doubleheader at USAir Arena.

"I played three sports and I've never been hurt," Knight said. "I was thrown from a horse during a fishing trip at Yellowstone [Park] about 18 months ago. My back was pretty banged up then. Whether it was from that, we don't know."

Knight has been walking tentatively in his three days here.

"The only problem is if I try to sit down," he said. "I'm not a bit uncomfortable standing, but I don't like to stand and coach. I prefer to sit."

At least Knight didn't blame the media, often a pain in the you-know-what to the Hoosiers' coach. One writer asked Knight if he'd considered coaching while lying on the sideline, a tack some players - including Larry Bird - have tried to alleviate back pain.

"No way," Knight said. "I'm not sure what some of you guys would turn that into. With the cheerleaders over there, I'd probably come out as a voyeur.

"I give you guys enough good openings as it is already."

\ THE WHO: The four head coaches in the doubleheader here today are Knight, John Chaney, Dean Smith and . . .

"I guess if you put the four coaches up on the screen and say which one of these doesn't fit, I guess it would be appropriate," said Jim O'Brien, Boston College's coach. "It's not going to make that much difference to me."

North Carolina's Smith, Indiana's Knight and Temple's Chaney have combined for 1,942 victories and 52 NCAA Tournament bids in Division I. O'Brien, in his eighth BC season after four years at St. Bonaventure, made his NCAA debut in Friday's victory over Washington State. He has a 163-167 career record.

"Trying to compare with those coaches doesn't bother me," O'Brien said. "When I got into the [Big East] Conference eight years ago, it had John Thompson, Jim Boeheim, Lou Carnesecca, Rollie Massimino and Rick Pitino, so I don't know if this is that much bigger than those guys."

\ TOP HEAVY: This is the 10th NCAA Tournament with a 64-team field. It marks the first time, however, that the top 16 seeds - four in each region - have survived first-round play.

That would seem to be somewhat of a surprise, considering the parity of play during the season. Only three of the top 24 seeds - No. 5 UCLA in the Midwest Regional, No. 5 California in the West and No. 6 Nebraska in the East - were gone when second-round play began Saturday.

"I think there's more parity among the better conferences," O'Brien said when told the Big Ten, ACC, Big East and Southeastern conferences were 19-3 in the first round, with those losses coming against one another. "The gap between those teams and the ones that you'd usually think have no chance has narrowed, too."

\ TRIVIA TEST: Who has 160 defeats? (Read on for answer.)

\ COACHSPEAK: The word here is that Marquette coach Kevin O'Neill will be at Pitt or Tennessee next season. He's apparently the man each school wants.

If O'Neill picks the Vols, then Texas' Tom Penders or Western Kentucky's Ralph Willard has a shot at the Pitt job. Willard also is being mentioned in connection with the Providence job if Friars coach Rick Barnes - who turned down Virginia four years ago - goes to Clemson as expected.

The Tennessee selection committee has recommended that the Vols, turned down by Kansas' Roy Williams, go after a Cincinnati coach - Cincinnati's Bob Huggins or Xavier's Pete Gillen. Xavier's move into the Atlantic 10 after next season could help the Musketeers persuade Gillen to stay.

The Miami job vacated by Virginia Tech coach Bill Foster a few years back is likely to be open again after next season. The Hurricanes, the hosts for next week's East semifinals and final, want more than the 7-20 finish - including 0-19 in the Big East - delivered this season by Leonard Hamilton.

\ WHO'S 65TH? Which team came the closest but failed to reach the 64-team field?

It's been said that two years ago, it was UVa, which won the National Invitation Tournament. Last year it was Minnesota, which won the NIT. Those who know say this year it was Brigham Young.

The Cougars are in the NIT.

\ TRIVIA ANSWER: The teams in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll have 160 losses.