THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 17, 1996 TAG: 9603170191
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MILWAUKEE LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Wake Forest's Tony Rutland, Rusty LaRue and coach Dave Odom met the media at the Midwest Regional Saturday sporting the ``cheesehead'' hats that are worn by fans in this state.
``Somebody said to us in the hotel if we wear these, all the Wisconsin natives who come to the game would pull for us,'' said Odom, referred to as ``the big cheese'' by the press conference moderator.
The Demon Deacons may need any help they can get today against Texas at the Bradley Center. Like the cheese that adorned their heads, Wake has a few holes.
The Deacons are a second seed in the Midwest, but a delicately balanced one, as its two best players saw only limited action in a 62-50 first-round win against Northeast Louisiana.
Point guard Rutland is nursing a sprained knee, and All-American center Tim Duncan is battling stomach flu that caused him to miss practice again Saturday.
For all of Wake's strengths - nationally ranked defense, excellent 3-point shooting and NCAA tournament savvy with two Sweet 16 appearances in the last three years - the ACC tournament champions only go seven deep.
``That's a major problem when you take those two guys out of our lineup,'' Odom said. ``You give me those two players back, it's not a problem at all.
``We don't play back-to-back from here on out, and one day is enough to recover. Depth is only a problem when you have injury, illness or foul trouble. If you have seven healthy bodies who are accustomed to playing as a veritable unit, seven is enough.''
But will Wake have seven healthy bodies?
Rutland - who is 0 for 13 shooting and scoreless in four career NCAA tournament games - practiced full speed Saturday for the first time since spraining his right knee Sunday in the ACC tournament final win over Georgia Tech. Odom had told Rutland Friday night after Wake's first-round win over Northeast Louisiana he would not play Sunday if he couldn't go full speed.
``Coach said I've got to get it out of my head and just go out there and play,'' said Rutland, who is trying to adjust to wearing a knee brace. ``Coach told me to push myself, so I pushed myself. He was right.
``He told me if I go out there thinking I'm hurt, I'm going to get hurt.''
Rutland came off the bench to play 11 minutes Friday. Odom said he will start the sophomore from Hampton today against Texas. Wake does not need Rutland's scoring (12.6 points per game) as much as it needs him to handle the ball against the Longhorns' pressure defense.
``There's no question he's hurt,'' Odom said. ``But Tony, by his very nature, is not the toughest guy I've ever been around. He doesn't have a feel for playing through the pain right now.''
Duncan, meanwhile, is just not feeling well.
Odom said his star center - who he called the best shot-blocker, rebounder and interior defender in college basketball - has lost 10 pounds in four days and looks thin and frail.
``He's had nothing solid to eat until last night and he's weak, very weak,'' Odom said. ``I can't imagine him playing well (today) on the one side. But on the other side, knowing him, if it's humanly possible he'll get it done.''
Texas coach Tom Penders was jokingly unsympathetic to Duncan's plight.
``I just sent some potato salad to his room,'' Penders said. ``They gave it to me the first night I was here and I've left it in my room setting out on a table.''
The effectiveness of Duncan and Rutland and the tempo will be the determining factors of the game.
The 10th-seeded Longhorns (21-9) like to run and press, and Odom referred to them as a high-volume offense because they attempt an average of 70 shots a game.
Wake (24-5), meanwhile, prefers a halfcourt game. The Deacons average 51 shots a contest and 69.5 points, while limiting opponents to 60.7 points and 39.1 percent shooting.
Wake ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense and ninth in field-goal percentage defense coming into the tournament. Texas was 16th in scoring offense (82.4).
Odom acknowledged Wake is not as good as it was last week at the ACC tournament.
``We have to try to impose our style on them, and they'll try to impose their style on us,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dave Odom hoped for contributions from Tony Rutland and Tim Duncan
and curried favor with Wisconsin fans at a press conference
Saturday.
by CNB