Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 15, 1992 TAG: 9203160136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty, Assistant Sports Editor
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N. C. LENGTH: Medium
Lynch, a 6-foot-7 junior from Roanoke, Va., is second on the team in scoring with a 14.2 average and first in rebounding at 8.9.
"In the eyes of the public, maybe more was expected," said Lynch after scoring a team-high 20 points Friday night in the Tar Heels' 80-65 victory over Wake Forest. "I'd like to score a little bit more but, within the system, I think I'm doing a good job.
"There's been games where I've scored about six points and we've still won. Basically, I've tried to play an all-around game, play good defense, rebound for the team, hit the open man."
Lynch is second on the team in assists with 75, but frets over his 60 turnovers. He has been plagued by foul trouble throughout his career, fouling out of five games this year and committing four fouls in nine others.
Lynch ranked sixth in the ACC this week in field-goal percentage and was named third-team All-ACC, his most notable postseason honor.
"I'd love to make first-team, but the other guys have greater numbers," Lynch said. "Third team is something I've got to keep in the back of my head and come back next year and play harder.
"I think every one of those coaches would love to have me on their team, but we play as a team at North Carolina. If Hubert Davis is scoring all the points and we're winning, then so be it."
\ Active officials play it safe
The officials were especially active during Friday's games, calling four technical fouls - one each on Florida State coach Pat Kennedy and player Doug Edwards, Maryland coach Gary Williams and Wake Forest player Anthony Tucker.
Supervisor of officials Fred Barakat said none of the technicals was a mistake according to the rulebook, but that the officials "could have used more latitude" in the calls against Edwards and Tucker, neither of whom used profanity.
"When you see what happened in the Southeastern Conference, you realize it's better to be safe," said Barakat, referring to the fight between LSU and Tennessee.
\ $8,000 more? That's steep
Basketball boosters at the University of North Carolina are not eligible to buy two ACC Tournament tickets unless they have contributed $48,000 to the Rams Club over their lifetime.
The cutoff at North Carolina was $40,000 until this year, when Florida State joined the conference and reduced the number of tickets each school received from 2,750 to 2,444.
\ A question of eligiblity
There seems to be some question about whether second-team All-ACC guard Sam Cassell from Florida State will be eligible after this season.
Reporters who cover the Seminoles say Cassell had one passing grade during the fall semester and needs to pass a full load during summer school to be eligible next season.
Cassell has a checkered academic past. He failed to meet Proposition 48 guidelines at Dunbar High in Baltimore and again after one year at Maine Central Institute, which he followed with a two-year stint in junior college.
\ This and that...
Never in the 39-year history of the ACC have the top three teams had as few first-team All-ACC selections as they did this year - one. The only player from front-runners Duke, Florida State and North Carolina to make the team was the Blue Devils' Christian Laettner.
Laettner said he has not been pleased with all aspects of his play, particularly his rebounding. Laettner ranks ninth in the ACC in rebounding with 7.1 per game, down from 8.7 in 1990-91.
Clemson was the first ACC team since 1966 to finish last and still have four regular-season victories. That could be interpreted as a sign of parity in the conference, although teams played an extra two games with the addition of Florida State.
North Carolina's third-place finish in the regular season marked only the second time since 1966 that the Tar Heels have not been first or second.
Georgia Tech's Fred Vinson, who had made one of his previous 19 3-point shots before the tournament, made three against Virginia and Duke.
Three teams had their season-low shooting percentage in the tournament this week: Maryland (29.6 percent), Virginia (24.7) and Duke (43.2). Maryland became the first team since 1971 to shoot under 30 percent and win.
Wake Forest's 80-65 loss to North Carolina, its 11th of the season, was the ninth in which the Deacons led in the second half.
Maryland walk-on Mike Thibeault, who made a brief appearance in the Thursday play-in game, has a "Terps" tattoo on his right ankle.
by CNB