THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503120431
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
One rule of thumb on Selection Sunday is the higher you go, the farther you can go in the NCAA tournament.
Old Dominion coaches, players and fans will gather before a television at Uncle Louie's Restaurant at Wards Corner for the announcement of the NCAA tournament pairings today (6 p.m., WTKR). The Monarchs guaranteed themselves a spot in the 64-team field by winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament title Monday.
Today, they find out where they are going, which of the 16 seeds they will be assigned and who they play in the tournament, which begins with first-round games Thursday and Friday.
``I think with all the upsets and stuff that has happened, we could maybe get a 13 or 14 seed at worst,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said. ``If you can stay away from that 15 or 16 seed, your chances are better. I don't know how much better, but they're probably a little bit better.''
In the 10 years the field has included 64 teams, 16 seeds are 0-40 and 15 seeds are 2-40, with both wins coming in the first round.
Thirteen and 14 seeds, meanwhile, both are 8-32 in first-round games and 1-7 in the second round. At No. 12, the odds improve dramatically. Twelfth seeds are 11-29 in the first round, 8-3 in the second round. The 12's .727 second-round winning percentage is better than any seed except No. 1.
The Monarchs (20-11) are not likely to claim a 12. USA Today on Friday projected ODU as a No. 14.
James Madison, last year's CAA champ, was 20-9 heading into the NCAA tournament and received a 14 seed. In the last six seasons, the CAA has been assigned a 14 through 16 seed, and the season before that was a 13.
``We don't expect to be higher than a 14 or lower than a 12,'' ODU guard Mike Jones said. ``We're looking at a second- or third-place team in the ACC, maybe a Big East team or a Big Ten team.''
Whoever the Monarchs draw, they will not be in awe. ODU played six teams rated among the top 45 in the current RPI Report - which simulates the Ratings Percentage Index rankings used by the tournament selection committee - although it lost to all six. After a tough nonconference schedule, the Monarchs finished strong, winning 15 of their last 18.
As far as where the Monarchs will play, chances are good it will be in this time zone.
The CAA and its precursor, the ECAC South, have sent 13 teams to the tournament the past 12 years. Eleven of them have played in the East Regional, one in the Southeast and one in the West. The East sites are Baltimore and Albany, N.Y.
``Baltimore would be close to home, and my mother would be able to come see me,'' said guard Brion Dunlap, who is from Woodbridge, Va.
``No Baltimore,'' Jones hollered as he overheard Dunlap. Jones is from Largo, Md., and said playing 45 minutes from home would be a distraction with people calling to ask for tickets. He would prefer to go to the Southeast Regional, with sites in Tallahassee, Fla., or Memphis, Tenn.
There won't be many tickets to be had. Participating schools are allotted just 350, and some of those will be eaten up by ODU's pep band and official traveling party. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
FILE
ODU guard Mike Jones dances around a George Mason player as he looks
for a shot earlier this season.
by CNB