THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 26, 1996 TAG: 9604260645
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
Some deep soul-searching is going on these days along Tobacco Road, where ACC rivals Duke and North Carolina are competing for Kobe Bryant, the country's No. 1 high school basketball prospect.
The sweating began for fans of both schools when rumors spread that Bryant had narrowed his college choices to those two.
Of course, the front-runner for the services of the 17-year-old Pennsylvanian is still believed to be the NBA.
His father, Joe, a former pro player and current assistant coach at LaSalle, has spent the last few weeks talking to NBA agents, shoe companies and trading-card executives to see what kind of deals they are offering.
If the money adds up, the 6-foot-6 Bryant is expected to take it.
But, if the pro marketplace is too crowded with guards - and it may be with undergrads Stephon Marbury of Georgia Tech, Ray Allen of UConn, and possibly Georgetown's Allen Iverson coming out early - Bryant will go off to college to work on his game and await next year's auction.
The possibility that his playground for nine months will be Duke or North Carolina is exciting to some fans, disgusting to others.
The controversy crackles on campus and on the Internet, where recruiting junkies swap rumors and opinions. An excited Duke fan wrote he would be willing to bow down daily at ``the altar of St. Kobe'' if Bryant becomes a Blue Devil.
But not every Dookie is thrilled that Bryant might stop by Cameron Indoor Stadium on his way to a rich pro contract. One disgusted Duke fan is urging students to stage public demonstrations and demand the resignation of coach Mike Krzyzewski unless he stops recruiting Bryant.
Someone else claims by recruiting Bryant that Duke has turned itself into ``another basketball factory without even the pretense of fulfilling its educational directive.''
North Carolina fans are not as critical of their school pursuing Bryant, even if he wants to stick around for only a year.
The reason could be that they are accustomed to early goodbyes. Although no Tar Heel has skipped out after his freshman year, several have left for the pros before completing their eligibility.
Michael Jordan, James Worthy and J.R. Reid departed after their junior seasons. Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace left after their sophomore seasons last year.
The Blue Devils haven't had a player leave early, something that fans say separates them from ``that factory'' in Chapel Hill.
``If we sign Bryant, knowing he is going to be here only a year, we will be putting ourselves on the same level as Carolina,'' one fan contends.
Assistant coach Tommy Amaker recently was quoted as saying no pressure would be put on Bryant to stay four years if he chose Duke. Amaker explained that in the ``current recruiting climate'' top prospects couldn't be expected to stay in school for four years.
That ``current recruiting climate'' is a result of tougher entrance requirements and the lure of big money from the pros. It has prompted both schools to soften their policies on accepting transfers, too.
Krzyzewski last year accepted his first transfer, Roshown McLeod from St. John's, and North Carolina's Dean Smith broke his rule of not accepting transfers by taking Makhtar Ndiaye from Michigan.
ACC schools and other major programs have had to expand their recruiting efforts internationally to meet their needs.
Wake Forest, which already has players from the Caribbean and Spain, this week signed 6-foot-10 Joakim Blom of Sweden.
North Carolina will have at least three foreign players next year, and hopes to add a fourth. Bulgarian Vassil Evtimov is expected to decide between the Tar Heels and Villanova today.
While UNC needs the inside strength the 6-9 Evtimov offers, Bryant would be a pleasant luxury.
The Heels already have signed Ed Cota, one of the top point-guard prospects, and senior starter Jeff McInnis is returning at the position.
The Blue Devils, though, are in desperate need of an athletic playmaker after being spurned by New Jersey's Shaheen Holloway, one of their other top targets this spring.
Signing Bryant could salvage the recruiting season for the Blue Devils. Even so, it won't please all Duke fans. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Kobe Bryant, 17, will choose Duke, North Carolina or the NBA as his
next address.
by CNB