THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 8, 1995 TAG: 9503080653
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Despite playing a strong role in Virginia's 92-67 win over Maryland on Sunday, senior center Yuri Barnes won't start the Cavaliers' tournament opener against Georgia Tech.
``Yuri started Sunday because he was a senior, but Chris Alexander has earned that starting spot, and we will go back to that rotation for the tournament,'' coach Jeff Jones said.
``But if Yuri continues to play like he did Sunday, he certainly will get more playing time.''
Jones said point guard Harold Deane has some swelling in his left wrist as the result of a hard fall he took late in the Maryland game.
``It is not broken, and I expect him to be close to 100 percent by game time,'' Jones said.
HEELS TO JAIL: While other ACC teams work out at the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday in preparation for the tournament, North Carolina is going to jail.
Coach Dean Smith, who normally does not practice at the tournament site, said the Tar Heels will practice, give a clinic and sign autographs at a Raleigh prison.
Smith said the Heels have done similar community projects for the last 30 years.
But why work out at a prison instead of the tourney site?
``The baskets are still 10 feet high,'' Smith said, ``but you don't get involved in all the hoopla.''
NO PUSHOVER: North Carolina's opening round foe, Clemson, was delighted to hear Smith say the Tigers ``are a team no one particularly wants to play.''
Clemson's first-year coach Rick Barnes said one of his top priorities was to develop that kind of respect.
``I don't want anyone looking forward to playing us,'' Barnes explained, ``because that's like telling you that you are not very good.''
Neither Smith nor Barnes would comment on claims by some North Carolina players that the Tigers ``play dirty.''
VOTE CHANGE: Early in the season, after Clemson beat Duke in Durham, Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins nominated Barnes for coach of the year.
Even though the Tigers upset Tech in their second regular-season game, Cremins has changed his vote.
``I have to go with Dave Odom at Wake Forest now,'' Cremins said. ``Barnes would be close, though, along with Virginia's Jeff Jones.''
Meanwhile, Cremins believes the Yellow Jackets (18-11, 8-8) will be in the NCAA tournament regardless of how they fare against Virginia in their opening tournament game.
``If this league can't get five teams in the playoffs, we need to take a serious look at the selection process,'' Cremins said.
``The key factor for us was winning two of last three games to finish at
HOW'S THAT: The RPI listing, which supposedly simulates the process the NCAA uses to select the tournament field, seems as unreliable as the polls that rank Maryland over Virginia.
The RPI listing ranks Duke ahead of both Clemson and North Carolina State - teams that swept the Blue Devils during regular-season.
THE NEW WEST: ACC teams headed for the tournament seldom have objected to being dispatched to the West Region, where competition often is softer than in the East.
That might not be true this year, though.
ACC teams were 0-5 against Pac-10 teams in the regular-season. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
Yuri Barnes, left, guards Joe Smith. ``If Yuri continues to play
like he did Sunday, he . . . will get more playing time,'' Jeff
Jones said.
by CNB