THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994 TAG: 9406260227
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940626 LENGTH: Long
Price, the former Old Dominion basketball assistant who was a finalist for the Monarchs head coaching position this spring, has landed at New Orleans as an assistant coach. The Privateers' new head coach is Tommy Joe Eagles, Price's boss last season at Auburn before Eagles was forced to resign.
{REST} After Price learned he did not get the Old Dominion position, he accepted an offer to join new Creighton coach Dana Altman's staff. But the day before Price was to fly to Creighton to begin work, he got a call from Eagles.
``He said `Don't get on the plane, I got the job at New Orleans and I need you here,' '' Price said. ``Creighton could have been a great situation, too, but I felt more comfortable at UNO. This place has got so much potential, it reminds me of Cincinnati or Memphis State. We could be a sleeping giant.''
Price began working at New Orleans Monday with the title of associate head coach. It's his third address in less than 10 months. Price left Old Dominion for Auburn last August.
BIG EAST'S ANGRY BEAST: The Big East Conference met last week for the first time since its controversial and - for Virginia Tech and Temple - appalling membership vote in March. In an item titled ``Motivation on a platter,'' The Sporting News points out that Virginia Tech is a contender to win the league's football championship.
The Hokies have extra motivation this season after they were snubbed for full conference membership along with Temple. Former football-only members West Virginia and Rutgers were embraced as full members.
``I think there are some ruffled feathers,'' Commissioner Mike Tranghese is quoted as saying in the magazine. ``I've tried to assure them the decision was not based on kicking them out because, `We don't like that program.' It was based on we couldn't get the votes to expand to 14 members. I know I'm splitting hairs.''
MAGAZINE RACK: The July issue of College Sports magazine contains an interesting list of what it calls the ``50 most wanted'' college players by NBA types. Norfolk Maury High graduate and college freshman of the year Joe Smith of Maryland is ranked ninth on the list.
Rated below Smith are the likes of Temple's Aaron McKie (12th), North Carolina's Eric Montross (14th), Clemson's Sharone Wright (15th), Arizona's Khalid Reeves (22nd) and Louisville's Clifford Rozier (26th).
The magazine says ``Smith is miles ahead of ... most everyone else in his class. Smith is a top 10 pick right now and will move steadily up the ladder as he gets stronger and refines his game.''
Smith isn't the only freshman in the top 10. North Carolina's Rasheed Wallace is rated third and Jerry Stackhouse is eighth. In order, topping the list is Purdue's Glenn Robinson, Duke's Grant Hill, Wallace, California's Jason Kidd, Arkansas's Corliss Williamson, Michigan's Juwan Howard, Connecticut's Donyell Marshall, Stackhouse, Smith and California's Lamond Murray.
In the same issue, the magazine lists former Old Dominion coach Oliver Purnell, now at Dayton, fourth under the heading ``The next wave - the new hot coaches.''
SUMMER FUN: Smith is expected to be scarce in the Hampton Roads area this summer. According to Chuck Walsh in Maryland's sports information office, all the Terrapin players are attending summer school and playing in the highly competitive Urban Coalition Summer League in Washington. He will, however, work at least one session of the Paul Webb Basketball Camp, run by Webb, the former ODU head coach.
TRANSFER TALK: North Carolina A&T's Joe Bunn, reportedly bound for Old Dominion since the day Jeff Capel took the Monarchs' coaching job, said Friday he's still undecided about his future.
``I'm having some problems with A&T,'' Bunn said. ``They're not exactly being cooperative. I still have to take care of some things with them.''
Bunn said he's meeting with A&T's new coach, Roy Thomas, and athletic director Monday. Bunn has never said publicly he intends to transfer to ODU.
Bunn said his decision is not as cut-and-dried in his mind as it once appeared to be. He has not asked to be released from his A&T scholarship.
``(Thomas) is just trying to persuade me to stay there,'' said Bunn, a power forward who was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rookie of the year last season. ``It's just taking a little while longer than I anticipated. He seems to be a nice guy and I'm at least going to talk to him and see what he has to say.''
ODU SCHEDULE: The Monarchs' 1994-95 non-conference basketball schedule is essentially set. It's not official yet, but ODU has received strong indications it will open against Virginia in the Preseason NIT Nov. 16 or 17.
The rest of the schedule: Nov. 26 Towson State; Nov. 28 South Carolina; Dec. 3 at Southern Illinois; Dec. 5 at Tulane; Dec. 8 New Hampshire; Dec. 10 Wyoming; Dec. 16-17 at Hawaii-Nike Festival; Dec. 22 at Washington; Dec. 29 North Carolina; Jan. 4 at St. Joseph's; Jan. 7 at Arizona State. A date hasn't been set for a game with Virginia Commonwealth at Hampton Coliseum.
All road games except Arizona State will offer return games. Also, ODU is owed home games from UNC Charlotte and South Florida. The Monarchs also are apparently bound for the Great Alaska Shootout in 1995-96, and are working on a two-for-one deal with Duke, which would allow Capel to coach against his son's team.
SHORT SUBJECTS: Old Dominion outfielder Kevin Gibbs, a rising junior, will play on a 24-man USA baseball squad in August that will travel to Idaho, Oregon, Alaska, Japan and Nicaragua. He's the fifth Monarch to play for team USA and first since Jeff Ware in 1991. ... ODU forward Mario Mullen, plagued all basketball season by pain and a lack of conditioning following back surgery, had 39 points and 13 rebounds in his opening game last weekend in the Hampton Roads Pro-Am Basketball League. ... ODU athletic director Jim Jarrett said the search for a new baseball coach is ``progressing'' and a new coach could be named within 10 days. He would not identify the candidates. ... Damon Bacote, a guard from Hampton High who left Richmond after one year in the Spiders' basketball program, has transferred to Alabama. He will have to sit out next season and then will have three years of eligibility remaining. Bacote had also considered Dayton and Clemson. ... Capel's ODU office wall is adorned with a picture of Michael Jordan with his arms around Capel's son, Jason. The picture was taken in 1984 when Jason was 4 years old and Jordan was fresh out of college. by CNB