ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, March 4, 1996 TAG: 9603040125
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
VMI THINKS 18 WINS and a strong second half of the season may merit an NIT bid.
The morning after a 40-point fireball named Anquell McCollum torched its hopes for a Southern Conference tournament title, VMI was hoping its chances for a bid to the National Invitation Tournament didn't go up in flames, too.
McCollum, a senior at Western Carolina and the league's player of the year, led the Catamounts to a 97-93 semifinal victory over the Keydets on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, VMI coach Bart Bellairs let his troops go their separate ways and set out himself on a recruiting trip. But while he drove up I-85 toward Richmond and VMI athletic director Davis Babb stayed in Greensboro, N.C., to watch the SC championship game, they began wondering if their team would play again this season.
``We're living for the NIT,'' Bellairs said by telephone from his Greensboro hotel room. ``Davis is going to make some calls, Wade [Branner, VMI sports information director] is going to make some stat sheets. I'm hoping and praying.''
The reasons for hope are numerous, besides the fact the Keydets finished with an 18-10 record. The NIT selection committee, made up of athletic directors from five New York City universities, begins its process by looking at a team's overall record, with weight put on such criteria as home record (13-1 for the Keydets) and road record (5-8).
The committee also looks at whether a particular squad is a ``potential Cinderella team'' (yes), if it has any injuries (no), and whether it has any outstanding performers (senior Lawrence Gullette made first-team all-Southern and Brent Conley was freshman of the year). It also wants to see a ``strong second half of the season.'' VMI was 7-6 in the first part of the schedule, 11-4 the rest of the way.
``I would think that having the second-best record in the conference, that we played tough people, that we're a good school and our kids are overachievers, we should definitely be considered,'' Bellairs said.
Having a tough schedule littered with the likes of North Carolina, Penn State and Virginia Tech could be VMI's greatest asset. Half of VMI's losses came to teams that will play in the NCAA Tournament. N.C.State, William and Mary and UT-Chattanooga are the only non-NCAA teams that VMI did not beat.
Working against the Keydets is the NIT's fascination with teams from big conferences and large arenas, and also the fact that a Southern Conference team has not won an NIT game since 1985 when UT-Chattanooga went to the final eight. Davidson was the last SC team to make the NIT field, losing a first-round game at West Virginia, 85-69, in 1994.
Western Carolina's upset win over Davidson on Sunday in the Southern Championship game didn't help, either. If Davidson is left without an at-large bid to the NCAAs, the NIT would certainly take it and its 25-4 record over the Keydets.
Bids for the 32-team NIT field go out Sunday night, March 10, after the NCAA pairings are announced. First-round games will be March 13. First-round matchups are made with regional interest in mind, so a possible opponent for VMI would be an in-state team, perhaps the Colonial Athletic Association runner-up.
Regardless of the NIT's decision, the Keydets showed great progress in 1995-96, compiling their best record since 1977-78. It was only more reassuring that their leading scorer over two days in Southern Conference tournament was Martinsville High School graduate Maurice Spencer, who will be VMI's captain next season.
``You never know, maybe the season's not over yet,'' Babb said. ``Going from five to 10 to 18 wins in three seasons is remarkable. We'll be back next year, or maybe next week.''
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart: NIT selection process. color.by CNB