Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 27, 1991 TAG: 9102270121
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
This year, Louisville's a doormat and Memphis State's a bit paranoid.
Instead of booking a hotel for an NCAA Tournament regional, the Cardinals will arrive in Roanoke for next week's Metro basketball tournament just hoping to spend more than a day in the Star City. Instead of trying to fatten their perennial 20-victory total, the Tigers will spend the tournament trying to fend off a return of the mid-season team which had 1-5 and 0-4 stretches of play.
"We haven't been able to handle adversity when it comes up in a game," Louisville assistant coach Jerry Jones said.
Memphis State coach Larry Finch has had a similar problem.
"You lose one or two, the pressure gets on, and the younger players can't handle it," he said.
It's been a benchmark year for the Metro's two marquee teams, especially Denny Crum's Cardinals. Louisville (9-15 overall, 2-10 in the Metro going into Tuesday's game against Tulane) won't have a winning record for the first time since 1941-42, when Crum was four years old; that 46-year streak was an NCAA record. Louisville has clinched last place in the Metro; it hasn't finished worse than fourth in any previous year and has been first or second 13 of 14 seasons.
The Cardinals, who lost six straight earlier this year, last had a six-game losing streak in 1943-44, including two home overtime losses to Bowman Field; in that 10-10 season, the Cardinals beat New Albany (Ind.) Furnituremen and Nichols Hospital. Louisville will have fewer victories this season than any since 1944-45, when its victims included Wabash, Fort Knox, Berea and Georgetown - of Kentucky.
Barring a run through the Metro Tournament and into the NCAA or NIT playoffs, Memphis State (15-12) won't win 20 games for the first time in 10 years. And if Memphis State doesn't make a postseason tournament, it will be the first time an eligible Tigers team has missed postseason play since 1980-81. The 1986-87 Tigers were 26-8 and won the Metro Tournament but were on probation and could not participate in the NCAA Tournament.
A struggling Virginia Tech team has beaten Louisville twice for the first time in seven years; after the first of those two games, Crum said his team played like "dogs." The Hokies beat Memphis State in the Metro season opener in January, when the Tigers' sloppy play had Finch exasperated.
Jones said Louisville's season has been less frustrating to the coaches than one might think. Crum and his staff knew they might struggle when most of Crum's highly regarded freshman class failed to qualify under Proposition 48 guidelines. Too, starters Felton Spencer and Keith Williams used up their eligibility, and sixth man Jerome Harmon failed to qualify academically.
"We understand it, because we know the young people most of the time have given us big effort," Jones said. "We're caught a little short on experience and caught a little short on ability. The team and coaches are handling it a little better than the fans. Fans have a tendency to overestimate how good players really are."
Jones' description of the coaching staff's approach to the players may sound like heresy to win-spoiled Louisville fans.
"We've tried to make them realize it's not how many games you actually win or lose, but how you improve," Jones said. "Our young people have held up real well."
Last year, Finch signed a player many regarded as the nation's top high schooler, 6-foot-7 point guard Anfernee Hardaway of Memphis. But Hardaway didn't qualify under Proposition 48 and is sitting out this year. The Tigers also haven't gotten what they expected from sophomore forward Anthony Douglas, a McDonald's All-American two years ago, and classmate guard Billy Smith, two highly regarded high schoolers who were supposed to lift Finch's program.
"It's frustrating anytime you go through periods where you're not playing well and can't get a grip on it," said Finch, who after the Tech loss said his team was in the worst slump since he became head coach in 1986-87. "The big thing that happened to us - I didn't expect it as bad, but I was kind of concerned about it - was our guard play."
The Tigers have been searching for consistent backups behind star Elliot Perry and fellow starter Tony Madlock. While Louisville has remained mired in its slump, Memphis State is showing signs of breaking out. The Tigers have won four of their last five and end the season at home against Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Jones doused Louisville's chances of winning the Metro Tournament, but Finch was talking boldly early in the week.
"This is the right time of year to play good basketball," Finch said. "It's not inconceivable that we couldn't get in this next tournament [the NCAA]."
Keywords:
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by CNB