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

DATE: SATURDAY, March 11, 1995                   TAG: 9503140050
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LOUISVILLE, KY.                                LENGTH: Medium

FOSTER: SETBACK WAS REALLY COSTLY

After suffering an 82-66 blowout loss to Southern Mississippi in Friday's first round of the Metro Conference men's basketball tournament, Virginia Tech's road to postseason play appears to have shifted lanes.

So long NCAA Tournament. Hello, NIT.

``We might get lucky [and get an NCAA bid], but I'm not counting on it,'' said Bill Foster, Tech's coach.

``We've still got a third season. We'll play somewhere next week. So we need to take this into next week and try to make something positive out of it.

``Sure, it's disappointing not to go to the NCAA, but postseason play for us right now has to be the next step. We're not a position to say we don't want to do this or that. We just aren't.''

The NIT knows all about the Hokies (20-10). Tech already has talked to NIT officials about a possible bid should its NCAA hopes cave in, as is apparently the case.

Tech was snubbed by the NIT last season despite going 18-10. That won't happen this time around.

For a team that a month ago was 17-5 and appeared to be a shoo-in for the school's first NCAA bid since 1985-86, a berth to the NIT isn't exactly what the doctor ordered.

``I know the kids had their hearts set on the NCAA,'' Foster said. "I don't know. It shouldn't be that hard to sell [the NIT] to them.''

The Hokies were to return home today. The team will reassemble Sunday to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show on television in the dressing room. If the NCAA doesn't call, the NIT will, sometime late Sunday night.

``The NCAA already had sent us all the forms and stuff, and that was encouraging to receive,'' Foster said. "We filled them out and sent them in.

``Still, we can't worry about something we have no control over. I said before we got here we needed to take care of business ourselves today.''

The Hokies, overachievers all season playing with limited bodies, couldn't scale the last hill.

``We don't have any complaints at Tech,'' Foster said. "I'm proud of our guys. It has been a great year for us. If somebody had told me in December and January we'd get to this point I would have told 'em they needed to get their sanity checked.''