ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 2, 1996 TAG: 9604020075
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: FINAL FOUR NOTES
DATELINE: EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J.
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Syracuse men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim, who endeared himself to the media with his self-effacing humor, used the Final Four to dispel one notion about his program. Syracuse has had 14 consecutive seasons with 20 wins or more, but none of the four former Orangemen playing in the NBA - Derrick Coleman, Rony Seikaly, Billy Owens and Sherman Douglas - is having a major impact.
``The very best talent we have is Derrick Coleman,'' Boeheim said. ``Nobody down here has very much good to say about him, but let me tell you, in college he won 113 games for us.
``He took us to the final two, the final 8 and the final 16 in his four years. He led the nation in rebounding. When people say, `You defend him because he played for you,' I say, `No, I defend him because he produced.'
``He's been stuck on one of the losingest teams [the Philadelphia 76ers] in the history of pro basketball. And, he's the guy that's taking the blame for it. I bet you anything you want to bet that he'll be one of the great players in the NBA again.''
Syracuse is better represented in the NBA than Kentucky, the team the Orangemen met Monday night for the NCAA championship. The only Kentucky players in the NBA from the seven-year Rick Pitino era are Jamal Mashburn and Rodney Dent.
The Orangemen's NBA contingent is certain to grow this year with the addition of 6-9 John Wallace, likely to be selected in the top half of the first round. Kentucky's best senior prospects are guard Tony Delk and senior Walter McCarty.
NOT SO FAST: Several sources discounted published reports Monday that North Carolina State has been given permission to talk with seven-year Wake Forest coach Dave Odom, who has enjoyed back-to-back conference championships.
Rudy Martzke, the TV-radio columnist for USA Today, quoted oddsmaker Danny Sheridan as saying that Wake Forest ``reluctantly'' had agreed to let Odom speak with N.C.State athletic director Todd Turner about the Wolfpack's vacancy.
Odom and Turner were once colleagues at Virginia, but ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan is known to be opposed to any talks. No one is sure why Wake president Thomas Hearn and athletic director Ron Wellman haven't given Odom an extension.
SHORT VACATION: Donovan McNabb, promised a chance to play two sports when he signed with Syracuse, will join the Orangemen's football team in time for practice Wednesday.
McNabb is the starting quarterback for the Orangemen, whose No. 2 quarterback, Keith Downing, has been fighting a stomach virus. McNabb, a 19-year-old freshman, was the most valuable player in the Gator Bowl.
McNabb did not join the basketball team until after the bowl game and played in only five games, hitting two of 12 shots from the field. He played at Mt.Carmel High School in Chicago, the alma mater of Kentucky freshman Antoine Walker.
GOOD LUCK! The NCAA is accepting ticket requests until April 24 for the 1997 Final Four at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. This year, the NCAA processed 91,500 requests for the 1,000 tickets that are reserved for the general public.
That was in a building, the Meadowlands Arena, that seats 18,500. The NCAA has specified that Final Fours between 1997 and 2002 will be held in facilities with a minimum capacity of 30,000.
TRANSPLANT SURVIVOR: The United States Basketball Writers Association gave its Most Courageous Award to a woman for the first time when it recognized Corinne ``Cori'' Carson from Marymount University in Arlington, Va.
Carson was nearly blind and had entered a coma when she received a new liver in November 1994. After a year-long recovery, she had 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocked shots on the first anniversary of her operation.
Carson, a 5-foot-10 junior, already has broken the Division III record for blocked shots in a career and was even charged with goaltending, a rarity for a woman. She averaged 19.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in leading her team to the NCAA Tournament.
``I haven't beaten it,'' said Carson, referring to the liver disease that caused her to go from good health to near death in two weeks. ``Stress can still cause rejection.
``At first, I used to say, `I'm going to do [it] in the future.' Now, I say, `Tomorrow, I'm going to do this.'''
LENGTH: Medium: 82 linesby CNB