Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 25, 1995 TAG: 9501260060
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``I keep reading and hearing that Tech and the A-10 are a done deal, but I don't believe that decision has been made yet,'' Yeager said Tuesday.
``In my view, it's wide open.''
So wide open that Yeager has gone to a full-court press to try and lure Tech to the CAA.
``I get paid to believe this way,'' said Yeager, ``but I think the Colonial is the best deal for Tech.
``It's a flat-out no-contest when you compare the Colonial and the Atlantic 10 in the non-revenue sports.
``The area for debate is obviously men's basketball. In the A-10, it boils down to one or two [attractive] men's basketball games a year [with Massachusetts and Temple]. And what's that going to do? Outside of those two, the middle-of-the-pack stuff I think we win.''
Yeager said Tech's eventual desire to gain full all-sports membership in the Big East Conference doesn't worry the Colonial. Currently, Tech plays only football in the Big East.
``We're comfortable with that, whether Tech gets that call in six months or six years,'' Yeager said.
Inarguably, the A-10 has the edge in basketball, offering considerable more national visibility through television and a much better shot at landing an NCAA Tournament bid.
But in the other sports, like baseball, the Colonial appears far superior. Last year, the Colonial was the nation's fifth-strongest conference in baseball compared to 20th for the A-10. Unlike the Colonial, the A-10 baseball champion doesn't get an automatic NCAA bid.
``Four of our eight [non-revenue] sports ranked in the top-five [conferences] in the country,'' Yeager said. ``Like I said, it's a no-contest there.''
Yeager said the addition of Tech and its fellow Metro Conference castoff, Virginia Commonwealth, could help take the CAA to the next level.
``If you view the situation from where the Colonial is parked right now, you're missing the boat,'' Yeager said.
``Virginia Tech and VCU could increase things from a marketing standpoint for everybody. Both programs are very wanted by the Colonial. As far as TV goes, it's hard to compare the present state to where their addition would take the whole group.''
AN OMEN?: Maybe the Milwaukee Journal knows something Tech doesn't know. In its Jan.16 editions, an advertisement for the Jan.17 Marquette-Tech men's basketball game read: ``The Golden Eagles battle the Hokies of the Atlantic 10 in this nonconference showdown.''
TOUGH CASSELL: During last week's ACC women's basketball weekly conference call, North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell paid homage to Tech's Cassell Coliseum.
``It's the toughest place to play on the road that I've seen in 20 years of coaching,'' said Hatchell, whose Tar Heels nipped Tech 57-52 in the final of the Diamond Club Classic on Dec.30.
ROUGH TRIPS HOME: David Jackson and Shawn Smith both endured tough homecomings last week.
Jackson was 1-of-5 from the field and had only two points in Tech's 57-54 win at Marquette. Jackson was playing in front of a busload of family that made the hour's drive from Janesville, Wis.
On Saturday in Greensboro, N.C., Smith, playing before family and friends from Gastonia, missed 18 of 22 shots in Tech's 87-76 loss to North Carolina.
``Not exactly the homecoming I expected,'' said Smith, who went to Dean Smith's camps as a youngster and remains a big Tar Heel fan.
TECH TIDBITS: Walk-on guard Kelly Mann has been placed on scholarship for the current second semester, Tech coach Bill Foster said. ... The 6-foot-5 Smith is a combined 7-for-35 from the floor in his past two games going against much taller competition. ... Shawn Good has been great at point guard lately. The junior has committed only one turnover in Tech's past three games, while playing 115 of a possible 120 minutes. ... Tech, rated 18th, led all Metro Conference schools in the latest RPI (Rating Percentage Index) list, which included games through Jan.20. UNC Charlotte was the next highest rated Metro member at 27th. Virginia was 31st. ... Tech's women, 4-0 in the Metro, play their next three league games on the road - at Tulane, Southern Miss and UNC Charlotte. Tech has been swept on the Tulane-Southern Miss swing the past three years.
by CNB