ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 8, 1994                   TAG: 9401090032
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium


TCU'S IBA CONTINUES TRADITION

Between them, Virginia Tech's Bill Foster and Texas Christian's Moe Iba bring 696 basketball coaching victories to the floor when their teams meet at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas.

There are another 767 victories lurking, though. They belong to Henry Iba, a coaching legend and Moe's father. Henry Iba, who died last year at age 88, won two NCAA championships, in 1945 and '46 with Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State); he coached three U.S. Olympic teams, including the 1972 squad that lost to the Soviet Union in a disputed finish; and his son isn't the only college coach who carries some of Henry's philosophies.

"I really think he probably influenced 80 percent of the coaches in this country, particularly on the defensive end of the floor," Foster said, counting Texas-El Paso's Don Haskins, Oklahoma State's Eddie Sutton and former Kansas State coach Jack Hartman among Henry Iba's disciples. "He's the guy that created man-to-man defense with all the help-side principles. It makes your man[-to-man] look like a zone. You can play the ball side of the floor tough, while creating a zone look on the other side of the floor. Before, if your guy went out to take a whiz, you might go with him."

Moe Iba's successes include six postseason trips (one to the NCAA Tournament with Nebraska in 1985-86) and guiding TCU from 9-19 in 1987-88, his first year, to 23-11 and the NIT in 1991-92. The Horned Frogs, however, followed that season by going 6-22 and are 3-7 this season.

In times like these, Iba remembers his father's perseverance.

"The one thing he gave me was a philosophy of basketball," Iba said. "A lot of times when you go bad, you start jumping around and doing different things.

"You've just got to stay with the philosophy you have."

\ COACHES' SHOW: Jim DeSchepper, WSLS-TV's general manager, said Friday the station has been paid by the company that syndicates Tech's basketball coach's show, and the show will air Sunday as scheduled. DeSchepper had threatened to drop the show if the American Network Group didn't pay the station a "couple thousand" dollars it was owed to keep the account current. DeSchepper said the syndicator chose to pay off its entire account balance, including a larger amount owed for Tech's football highlights show.

\ CARRUTH STATUS: Tech center Jimmy Carruth, who has a stress fracture in his right foot, has been fitted with an orthotic device that should allow him to play. Carruth was in uniform for the Tulane game Thursday but didn't play. Foster said he's hoping to use Carruth today - especially because Carruth is a native of Port Arthur, Texas, and will have friends and family at the game.

With or without Carruth, Tech might have trouble with TCU's 6-foot-9 Kurt Thomas, who averages 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and had 38 and 10, respectively, against Indiana.

Foster said Thomas is a versatile player who could go outside against Carruth or inside against 6-6 Shawn Smith. Thomas, however, isn't unstoppable; he got into foul trouble against Oral Roberts on Thursday and had five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes of a 76-73 loss.

\ ON PURCELL: Tulane coach Perry Clark said he respected Jay Purcell's outside shooting ability before Thursday's game because of Purcell's performances against Tulane.

"I think [South Florida's] Chucky Atkins and Jay Purcell . . . are two of the top guards in our league," Clark said Thursday after the Hokies' 68-58 victory. "I've got tremendous respect for Jay. He could play for me."

However, Purcell's 18-point outing Thursday was by far his best offensive game in eight tries against the Green Wave. Before that, Purcell had made 16 of 44 field-goal attempts against Tulane and never had more than two 3-pointers (he had four Thursday). He had scored in double figures once.

\ CLEMSON JOB: Foster left Clemson in 1984 as the school's winningest coach, a mark since bettered by Cliff Ellis, who Friday announced he is resigning at the end of the season. Foster was asked if he'd be interested in returning to the ACC school. "No," he said. "I said when I came here this would be my last stop, and nothing's changed my mind."



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