Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 25, 1994 TAG: 9403250030
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KNOXVILLE, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
McFillen, one of the NCAA Basketball Committee members overseeing the Southeast Regional at Thompson-Boling Arena, said the potential for a football conference is driving the discussion among potential members.
"People are talking," McFillen said. "Because of what has happened, I think there's a greater urgency now. The Big Eight has moved, the Big Ten isn't going to add a 12th [school]."
McFillen said Louisville's keen interest is seen as crucial. The Cardinals have been the driving force in the Metro since its early years two decades ago.
A football conference could be formed within the basketball membership if the Metro and Great Midwest merged. That would leave Metro member Virginia Tech as a hoops player only, because the Hokies are not going to leave the Big East Football Conference and its lucrative telecast future with CBS and ESPN.
McFillen said any Metro/Great Midwest movement also could include two of the leftovers from the split of the Southwest Conference, probably Houston and a school from the Dallas-Fort Worth market - SMU or Texas Christian.
Among the Metro and Great Midwest members, Louisville, Tulane, Southern Mississippi, Cincinnati and Memphis State play Division I-A football as independents. Houston could be added, and McFillen said that Tulsa also is a potential candidate, although not currently in the discussed mix.
\ SHAKE AND BAKE: It seems Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski got his formula for NCAA success from his mother's cookbook.
Krzyzewski said the Blue Devils - who have had the game's premier program in recent years - succeed with defense and consistency.
He said that consistency reminds him of his mom's chocolate chip cookies. "She puts four chocolate chips in each cookie, every time," Krzyzewski said. "Her cookies are good all the time."
Is that Devils' food for thought?
\ COACHSPEAK: It appears Marquette coach Kevin O'Neill isn't the only coach at the Southeast Regional being linked with prominent job openings. O'Neill may have competition from the Warriors' Sweet 16 foe, Duke.
It has been reported that Duke assistant Mike Brey is a candidate for the Pitt vacancy, behind O'Neill and Nebraska's Danny Nee. Ralph Willard has been mentioned, too. Willard, the Western Kentucky coach, is mentioned most prominently in connection with an opening at another Big East school, Providence - which lost Rick Barnes to Clemson this week.
Meanwhile, Tennessee-Chattanooga coach Mack McCarthy, a Virginia Tech alumnus, was interviewed for the Tennessee vacancy Tuesday. McCarthy also is on Auburn's list of candidates to succeed Tommy Joe Eagles, along with former Clemson coach Cliff Ellis, Tulane's Perry Clark and Arkansas assistant coach Mike Anderson.
The Vols also have contacted Tulsa coach Orlando "Tubby" Smith, and Xavier's Pete Gillen remains a Tennessee candidate, too - although O'Neill is the No. 1 target.
\ POINTLESS: Purdue's Glenn Robinson came into the Sweet 16 with at least 30 points in eight consecutive games. His career high was 49, on March 13 against Illinois.
That wouldn't get him the Southeast Regional scoring record. That belongs to Notre Dame's Austin Carr, who scored 61 in a 1970 victory over Ohio University when the regional was known as the Mideast. Carr had 52 in the next round, a regional semifinal loss to Kentucky.
Carr's regional record - the most scored in any of the 1,804 NCAA Tournament games played in the event's 56 years - matches the Purdue record. Rick Mount scored 61 for the Boilermakers, during the regular season in 1970.
\ STREAKING: Anyone who follows college basketball knows the kind of crazy bounces the game has taken this season. Here's another illustration: Entering Thursday night's NCAA regional semifinals, the nation's longest current winning streak belonged to Purdue - at seven games. Louisville's four was next.
\ HOMECOMING: The only Tennessee player among the four Southeast Regional participants is Purdue sophomore point guard Porter Roberts, from Chattanooga's School for the Arts & Sciences.
Yes, Roberts wanted to play for Tennessee. The Vols recruited LaMarcus Golden of Memphis instead, so Roberts' high school coach, Mark Dragoo, called a school from his home state.
Dragoo wanted Indiana to recruit the 6-foot-3 guard. The Hoosiers didn't seem too interested, so the coach called Purdue.
"Porter has learned to accept the fact that he's not a scorer all of the time but a distributor," said Gene Keady, the Boilermakers' coach. "He's much more settled than last year."
by CNB