Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 31, 1994 TAG: 9403310069
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doutie
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A call to the NCAA's marketing division revealed that the programs are published by Host Publications out of Lexington, Ky. Host distributes the programs through Asta Enterprises, a Melrose Avenue "fulfillment house" or shipping center.
The programs could not be purchased at Asta even if they were available. A Host official said the programs were printed late Tuesday in Cincinnati and rushed to Charlotte, N.C., where the men's Final Four will be held this weekend.
Orders for "souvenir" programs will be filled by Asta as they arrive.
"We've got a catalog of 475 or so products," the Host official said, "and not a lot of fulfillment houses are set up to handle the variety or volume of products that Asta does - at a reasonable rate."
Host has a contract with Asta that makes Roanoke the distribution point for everything from the men's and women's Final Four programs to season highlights for Notre Dame, Tennessee and Arkansas, among other programs.
"It is what our customer sees as Host communications," said the official, who asked not to be identified, in compliance with company policy. "How well Asta services our customers has a lot to do with their satisfaction."
\ FAMILIAR FOES: The Final Four will have a familiar look for Virginia, which defeated Mideast Regional champion Duke in the semifinals of the ACC tournament and lost to NCAA West Regional winner Arizona in the second round.
"As I look back, I definitely think we were capable of going further and competing with anybody in the [NCAA] Tournament," said UVa coach Jeff Jones, whose team lost to Arizona 71-58 in what was a two-point game with less than 15 minutes left.
"I will say I'm more impressed with [the Wildcats] after watching what they did to Louisville and Missouri," Jones said. "I felt all along that they had great guards [Khalid Reeves and Damon Stoudamire], but they're doing a lot of things I didn't give them credit for."
\ GATORS KNOW THE AREA: Brian Thompson, one of Florida's starting forwards, played on the 1992 Oak Hill Academy team that finished 34-2 and was ranked No. 3 in the country. Thompson and fellow Gators starter Dametri Hill played at the Five-Star basketball camp when it was held at Radford University.
\ FRANCHISE FATHER: Calvin Hill, a former National Football League player and the father of Duke basketball All-American Grant Hill, has resigned as vice president of the Baltimore Orioles and has expressed interest in ownership of a professional franchise.
\ OFFICIATING: Dick Paparo, one of the ACC's most recognized officials, was part of a crew including former championship game official Tim Higgins that was not advanced after it failed to use television replays to identify the principals in a fight between Arkansas and Georgetown.
Roanoke official Duke Edsall called the West Regional semifinal game between Louisville and Arizona, and former Roanoker Sam Croft was on the crew for the Southeast semifinal between Duke and Marquette. Croft and Howie Burgess of Roanoke will call the college all-star game Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.
\ RECRUITING: Virginia Tech apparently is the front-runner for 6-6 Shawn Browne, from Montreal by way of Hargrave Military Academy, where he averaged 18 points and nine rebounds this past season. Browne has visited St. Bonaventure and East Tennessee State and plans to visit Tech. Several Top 25 programs have been in contact.
Browne, who lived in the Caribbean island of St. Vincent until he was 13, is a senior in high school and is prepared to spend a postgraduate year at Hargrave, although coach Michael Byrnes expects him to meet Division I eligibility standards. If Browne were to sign with the Hokies, he would join two other Shawns, Smith and Good.
Hargrave (25-5) has four Division I prospects, including 6-9 Inus Norville of Fayetteville, N.C., who made an unsolicited commitment to Virginia before the season but now appears headed to Massachusetts whether he qualifies or not. Andre Burks, considered one of the nation's top point-guard prospects, will sign with Tulane if he qualifies.
Radford fall signee Kevin Robinson, a 6-7 forward from Monacan High School, was selected to the All-Group AAA second team. In the next week Radford plans to be host to 6-5 Marty Thomas of Ashland, Ky.; 6-3 Danny Johnson of Morganton, N.C.; and 6-5 Cory Reed of Bremen, Ind.
West Virginia has received an oral commitment from Antwain Smith, a 6-7 boys' basketball player from Ferguson High in Newport News. Smith, whose only other visit was to New Orleans, averaged 17 points and more than 10 rebounds.
New Orleans has signed 6-6 Jay Clarke of Norcom High in Portsmouth.
\ HOLMES IFFY AT UVA: Big-play wide receiver Larry Holmes is not participating in spring football practice at Virginia because of personal reasons, and his status for the fall is in question. Holmes did not start last year, and he missed two games because of injury, but he still finished with 29 receptions for 461 yards and four touchdowns. That did not include eight receptions for 95 yards in the Carquest Bowl.
\ LEMONS RECOGNIZED: Virginia track-and-field standout Pam Lemons, a senior co-captain from Floyd, earned All-America honors after finishing 13th in the 200 meters in the NCAA indoor championship. Normally, the top eight make the All-America team, but five of the top 12 were not U.S. citizens.
\ NON-REVENUE: Washington and Lee, which earlier had defeated Division III defending champion Kenyon in women's tennis, has added victories over ninth-ranked Emory and No. 18 Carleton. Generals coach Cinda Rankin has a six-year record of 101-18, including 17-0 this season.
by CNB