ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 1, 1996 TAG: 9604020018
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: FINAL FOUR NOTES
DATELINE: EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J.
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
One of the nicest stories at the Final Four surrounds Syracuse forward John Wallace, who applied for the NBA draft in 1995 and then changed his mind.
Or, rather, it would have been a nice story if Wallace had not taken such offense to the suggestion that he returned for his senior year after learning he would not be chosen in the top half of the first round.
``I knew I was a top-15 pick,'' Wallace said. ``You guys didn't know. I'm not going to name teams, [but] I knew I could have been a definite top 15 from talking to certain coaches and general managers.
``I knew exactly where I was going to go. I just felt I could go even higher than that. Just because you guys don't know something doesn't mean that it wasn't going to happen.''
One of the common threads between the four teams in the Final Four was the number of seniors playing significant roles, which is odd in this era of underclassmen turning pro.
``I think it's great to see John Wallace not only get so much better on the perimeter, but get his just reward by staying in school,'' Kentucky coach Rick Pitino said. ``And, it definitely helped him.
``He made the statement, "Look, I haven't had money all my life. One year won't matter.' And, what it's done for him in the long run is make him more money because he enhanced his game.''
DUNCAN UPDATE: Wake Forest coach Dave Odom said ACC player of the year Tim Duncan stopped by the Deacons' office earlier this week to ask if he would play center or forward next year.
Presumably, Odom's answer was, "Wherever you want.'' The Deacons have recruited Duncan's eventual successor in 7-foot Loren Woods, but would be only too happy for Duncan to put off the NBA and return for his senior year.
``I know where his heart is,'' said Odom, who is certain that Duncan enjoys the college lifestyle, ``but I don't know what he's going to. It may be May 12 [the declaration deadline] before he makes up his mind.''
MUM'S THE WORD: Massachusetts junior Marcus Camby, who has won every national player-of-the-year award, said he had not given any thought to an early entry into the NBA. ``I'm just down right now,'' Camby said Saturday night after an 81-74 loss to Kentucky.
Mississippi State center Erick Dampier, who almost turned pro last year after his sophomore season, said he presently has no plans to skip his senior year and had no indication that teammate Dontae' Jones had made a decision.
KENNEDY GONE: Florida State coach Pat Kennedy, who seemingly has been in New York for three weeks, apparently is in line for the St. John's job.
Kennedy, who has had three straight losing seasons in Tallahassee, Fla., is the front-runner in a field that includes Fran Fraschilla of Manhattan, Jim Molinari of Bradley and Bob McKillop of Davidson.
The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., reported St. John's will name Kennedy as the successor to ousted Brian Mahoney following tonight's NCAA championship game, although Fraschilla met with St. John's officials Sunday.
MORE RUMORS: There has been growing speculation that Pitino, in his seventh year as Kentucky's head coach, will listen to Boston Celtics overtures if the Wildcats win the championship.
Rumors are gathering force that North Carolina State will hire Miami (Ohio) coach Herb Sendek. Miami athletic director Eric Hyman previously was an assistant AD at State.
A-10 PAYDAY: The rest of the Atlantic 10 will benefit from Massachusetts' trip to the Final Four, the first by one of the 20-year-old conference's teams, but not as much as it would with a strict revenue-sharing plan.
``We don't have football revenue, so we can't be as equal in handing out the money as those other leagues,'' said Bob Marcum, UMass' athletic director.
The Atlantic 10, which received a total payout of $50,000 in 1991, could get as much as $2 million this year with a combined six victories from UMass, Temple and Virginia Tech.
ORANGE THEIR COLOR: Two of Syracuse's starters, Otis Hill and Jason Cipolla, said they wanted to play for Virginia because of their regard for former UVa assistant Dennis Wolff, now the head coach at Boston University.
Hill, a 6-foot-8, 255-pound junior from White Plains, N.J., said he had relatives in Richmond, Va., and followed the Cavaliers, but had a reading disability that required special academic considerations.
Cipolla, a 6-7 wing, also had academic problems. He did not meet NCAA admissions standards as a senior at Christ the King High School in New York and spent 2 1/2 years at Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College.
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