THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 8, 1995 TAG: 9502080649
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
For CIAA men's basketball teams, the road to the Division II Elite Eight will once again run through Fayetteville, N.C.
For the fifth year in a row, the NCAA South Atlantic Regional Tournament has been awarded to the Cumberland County Civic Center in Fayetteville, March 10-11. Four teams will be invited, with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight in Louisville.
``The fact that we've done it before probably gave us an edge,'' said Fayetteville State's J.D. Marshall, who prepared the bid for the NCAA.
So did the fact that no other site bid for the tournament, according to the NCAA. The fact is, hosting a regional tournament at the Division II level can be a thankless task, especially in the South Atlantic Region, where many fans seem to believe the season ends with the CIAA tournament.
Consider that last season, Norfolk State's semifinal game against Hampton in the CIAA tournament in Winston-Salem drew 12,328 spectators. The CIAA tournament final between Hampton and Virginia Union drew 14,638.
Exactly two weeks later, Norfolk State and Union met again in the South Atlantic Regional championship in Fayetteville. That game attracted a crowd of 1,292.
The NCAA provides teams with a per diem for food and travel. Marshall says his goal is to prevent the teams from having to spend much of it.
``We give each coach a car, each team a van while they're in town,'' he said. ``In the past, the hotels the teams have stayed in have not charged the teams for breakfast, or for dinner.
``It's just a way of trying to save a dollar or two. If you can prevent them from spending about 15 dollars per day per man, that doesn't sound like much, but it can add up to $200 or $300 a day just feeding people.''
Marshall, a former chair of the Division II basketball committee, says he dreams of a day when Division II tournaments can be money-makers for the schools involved.
``The problem that I've had is that Division II sports never do enough to make enough money for our teams,'' he said. ``We tend to lean on the Division I people, instead of doing much ourselves.''
FREE THROW WOES: Coaches looking for a way to beat Virginia Union should consider the following: Put the Panthers on the free throw line.
After Saturday's game with Norfolk State - in which the Panthers were 12 of 30 from the line - Union was shooting a woeful 58 percent on the season.
Union's two leading scorers, Thomas Meredith and Ben Wallace, are shooting 59 and 44 percent, respectively. Wallace, a 6-8 junior, was 1 for 5 against Norfolk State, with two airballs.
``Everybody's giving him advice, telling him what to do,'' Union coach Dave Robbins said. ``It's been my experience that when a player is going bad, it's best to leave them alone.''
Most coaches are loathe to break down a player's shooting mechanics in the middle of the season, fearing it will do more harm than good. Union's free-throw shooting is something to keep an eye on, however, as the Panthers move into postseason play.
NORFOLK CONNECTION: St. Paul's, which plays at Norfolk State tonight, has three Norfolk natives on its roster in Greg Johnson, Jabbar Doss and Brian Brickhouse.
Doss and Brickhouse have been occasional starters, but it was Johnson who had the hot hand Saturday night, in a 75-73 loss to Hampton.
The 5-foot-11 guard from Maury High was five for five from three-point range, for a career-high 15 points.
Johnson, who had been slowed by the flu, played 17 minutes, the most since St. Paul's hosted Norfolk State on Jan. 14.
It was also his first game at shooting guard.
``Coach wanted some more outside shooting, and I really couldn't get off my shot at the point, so he moved me to the wing,'' Johnson said.
Johnson played with Doss at Concorde College in West Virginia last season, but transferred because he wanted to be closer to home, and to play in the CIAA.
``I grew up following Norfolk State,'' he said. ``I should have a lot of friends and family at the game.''
So should Doss, who played at Booker T., and Brickhouse, who played at Granby. Doss averages 5.6 points, while Brickhouse is at 5.2. by CNB