Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 26, 1991 TAG: 9102260017
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"Nobody is going to go in thinking they can't win it," said South Carolina coach George Felton, whose sliding Gamecocks play at Virginia Tech on Wednesday night.
"I don't know if anyone can name the second-best team in the league right now," Florida State coach Pat Kennedy said.
"I think we have a good shot in the tournament," Tech coach Frankie Allen said. "But you can say that about anyone."
In a Monday conference phone hookup, the coaches struggled to play swami for the 16th annual Metro tournament, which will be played March 7-9 in Roanoke. There are seven games remaining this week, beginning with tonight's Southern Mississippi-Florida State and Tulane-Louisville contests.
Two losses separate second and fifth places. Only the regular-season championship and last place are assured. The other six tournament seeds will be determined this week. It could go down to Saturday night's Tech-Memphis State regular-season finale, the last MSU game in the history of Mid-South Coliseum.
Whatever happens this week, the Hokies will finish with the No. 6 or 7 seed. As the Metro's host team, Tech will play the first-round nightcap on Thursday, March 7, with tipoff about 9:30.
The only first-round tournament game paired is 14th-ranked Southern Miss (20-4), which has won its first Metro regular-season title, against last-place Louisville. That game will open next week's tournament on Thursday at 1 p.m.
Considering this week's games and recent play, it is likely that Tech will play Cincinnati or Florida State, with South Carolina also in the bracket with those teams. That would leave Tulane and Memphis State in the quarterfinal half of the bracket with Southern Miss and Louisville.
The only two Southern Miss losses in the Metro were to Cincinnati, which gives the Bearcats a tie-breaking edge in determining seeds. However, Tulane (five straight wins) and Florida State (won four of past five) are playing the best Metro basketball nine days before the tourney.
"If any coaches really could choose who they'd play, I wonder who they'd pick?" said Southern Miss coach M.K. Turk, who has the only Metro team already assured of a spot in the NCAA's 64-team field. "Some teams always match up better against some teams than others, but this has to be one of the most balanced Metro tournaments ever."
Louisville (9-15) is 2-10 in the Metro and the Cardinals have finished lower than second only once in 14 previous Metro regular seasons. However, no one is willing to say the Cardinals will suffer a first-round loss for the first time in Metro tournament history.
"Louisville can be a dangerous team," Felton said. "To be honest with you, I wouldn't want to play Louisville in the first round of that tournament."
The Cardinals have won only four of their past 18 games.
"I'm not going to try and kid you," said Louisville assistant coach Jerry Jones, who answered questions for an ill Denny Crum. "The most difficult thing for us would be to string three good games together, because we haven't been able to do that this season."
Cincinnati was challenging Southern Miss for first place 12 days ago, then lost three of four Metro games. The Bearcats' lone win in that span was over the champion Golden Eagles.
"The tournament is going to be just like league play has been," said UC's second-year coach Bob Huggins. "Anybody is capable of winning any game."
It would not be much of a surprise if Southern Miss loses both of its Metro games this week, at Florida State and Tulane. Although unlikely, there also could be a four-way tie, at 8-6, among Cincinnati, Florida State, Memphis State and Tulane.
"Southern Miss is the top seed, so I guess you have to say they're the favorite," Tulane coach Perry Clark said. "They have to play Louisville, though, and that's no picnic. None of these games will be." B6 B4 METRO Metro
by CNB