Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 23, 1990 TAG: 9003232941
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: staff, Associated Press and Cox News Service
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It was the Spartans' defense against the Yellow Jackets' offense. It's Michigan State stopper Ken Redfield against Tech shooting star Dennis Scott.
Leave it to Michigan State coach Jud Heathcote - who often has tongue in cheek - to find another battle within this Superdome battle.
"I'm a little disappointed no one has brought up the coaches," Heathcote said of himself and Tech coach Bobby Cremins. "It's two gray-haired coaches, one ugly and one handsome, who will be vying against one another - and I'm the handsome one."
Cremins was told of the remark by the 62-year-old Heathcote, who combs his hair forward from the back of his head to cover his bald spot.
"All I know," Cremins said, "is I'd like to try and pick up girls any day of the week and have Jud Heathcote as my competition."
Cremins angry at agents\ Cremins says agents who want to represent players Scott and Brian Oliver as pros have been pestering them on campus - even in the dressing room.
"If I catch those SOBs, I'm going to physically run them out of here myself," Cremins said.
Oliver, a senior, is projected as a possible late first-round pick. Scott, a 6-foot-8 junior who leads the Yellow Jackets in scoring, could become a "lottery" pick if he decides to give up his final season of eligibility and enter the NBA draft.
"I've had agents in my locker room and didn't know they were agents," Cremins said.
They've called the dormitory rooms of Oliver and Scott, who rooms with star freshman guard Kenny Anderson, also an attractive target.
"That's one of the reasons we changed our phone number and had it unlisted," Oliver said.
Cremins is unaware of any enticements agents have tried. Agent calls are not against NCAA rules.
"I don't mind them hustling. I don't even mind them going behind my back [to do that]. But when they try to buy a kid a meal, take him out to dinner and start taking care of them . . . . Any agent who signs a kid early should be put in jail, because the kid gets punished and the school gets punished."
Scott receives honor The Sporting News, a weekly magazine, has selected Scott its college player of the year.
Scott is joined on the publication's 1989-90 All-America first team by Larry Johnson, Nevada-Las Vegas; Derrick Coleman, Syracuse; Gary Payton, Oregon State; and Steve Smith, Michigan State.
How 'bout that Ball State? If David Letterman isn't busy tonight, he's got a ticket to the NCAA Tournament waiting for him, courtesy of Ball State.
"Heck, he's got a bench pass," said coach Dick Hunsaker, whose team faces UNLV in an NCAA West Regional semifinal at Oakland, Calif. "He can sit right next to me."
Letterman is a 1970 graduate of the Muncie, Ind., school.
There was no word from Letterman on the offer. But, through an NBC spokesman, he called Ball State "the finest athletic force in the history of human competition."
Letterman mentioned the Cardinals on his show Wednesday.
"How 'bout that Ball State? I have $100,000 riding on that game, but that's how much confidence I have in that team," he said.
45,000 empty seats The Louisiana Superdome is expected to have 45,000 empty seats for the Southeast Regional tonight.
Officials said they had hoped to set a regional attendance record, but Louisiana State's second-round loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday at Knoxville, Tenn., eliminated that possibility.
The NCAA regionals attendance record is 37,444 for last year's Midwest Regional at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis.
by CNB