Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 17, 1994 TAG: 9403170066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The executive director of the National Invitation Tournament said Wednesday that politics - specifically Eastern-school attitudes toward one-time Big East Conference basketball hopeful Virginia Tech - had nothing to do with Tech's exclusion from the 32-team field despite the Hokies' 18-10 record and strong finish.
Television markets - another popular scapegoat for Tech problems - didn't matter, either, Powers claimed, even though he said the NIT committee's decision came down to North Carolina-Charlotte or Tech from the Metro.
Power ratings mattered, Powers said. UNCC's rating was higher than Tech's rating, in part because UNCC's schedule was rated tougher. Head-to-head competition was reviewed, "and Charlotte beat Tech what . . . ?" Powers said before being reminded that the Hokies swept UNCC.
The NIT didn't feel it could take four teams from the Metro at the expense of other schools from major leagues.
"You just don't knock out those big schools with the power ratings they have," Powers said.
Powers was aware that many Hokies fans believed the presence and opinion of St. John's athletic director John Kaiser - whose league last week rejected Tech's efforts to join for all sports - influenced the committee to leave Tech out of the NIT.
Neither Kaiser nor selection committee members Dan Quilty of New York University, Bob Byrnes of Manhattan and Bob Hameline of Wagner returned phone messages left at their offices.
Powers defended Kaiser.
"[He] would never let that influence his vote or his decision in any way," Powers said. "That had nothing to do with it."
\ COACH WATCH: Tech assistant Bobby Hussey said during the Metro tournament he hadn't been contacted officially by William and Mary, but would check out the situation if the Colonial Athletic Association school did call him in its search to replace Chuck Swenson, who was fired recently.
Hussey, a longtime friend of Hokies head coach Bill Foster, arrived at Tech with Foster in 1991. A former head coach at Davidson, Hussey has a reputation as an excellent strategist, but he also is credited by many Tech players with helping them improve their individual skills.
\ FORMER HOKIE: One-time Tech assistant coach Jim Baker has been named head coach at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. Baker was on Frankie Allen's staff at Tech from 1989-91 and spent the following two seasons as a VMI assistant before joining Sam Moir's staff at Catawba last season. Baker, 37, played at Catawba under Moir, who will retire in May. Moir, who won 546 games in 34 years at Catawba, is a brother of former Tech head coach Charlie Moir.
Baker will work under former Tech assistant athletic director Tom Fletcher, who became Catawba's athletic director in January.
In a release issued by the school, Baker was called a "tremendous gain" for Catawba by Hussey; a "tireless worker" by VMI head coach Joe Cantafio; and "a good man . . . one of the best" by Allen.
by CNB