ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 17, 1996 TAG: 9611180108
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
Coming off a golden 20th anniversary season in which it produced the country's top player and coach, its first Final Four team and an unprecedented four NCAA Tournament entries, the Atlantic 10 Conference faces a tough encore in 1996-97.
Nonetheless, don't pity the A-10 too much. Not yet anyway.
While the power at its national flagship program, Massachusetts, has been reduced significantly, the league as a whole could be operating on higher voltage.
``I don't think there will be anybody as good at the top, but from top to bottom, I think the league will be better,'' said Virginia Tech coach Bill Foster.
Obviously, the biggest adjustments will have to be made at UMass, the program that's helped ensure the A-10 a spot on the national map the past few seasons.
After a 35-2 season in which they were ranked No. 1 most of the way and advanced to their first Final Four, the Minutemen sustained some huge damage.
First, national player of the year Marcus Camby left school after his junior season and was the second player taken in April's NBA draft. Then, the national coach of the year, John Calipari, defected for the fortunes of the NBA, accepting a multimillion-dollar deal with the New Jersey Nets in June.
Still, UMass hardly can be considered UMess.
One can't simply ignore a program that has owned the A-10 recently, winning the regular season and tournament titles an NCAA record-tying five consecutive years. Only one other school, North Carolina (1947-51 in the Southern Conference) has ever done that.
UMass' new coach, James ``Bruiser'' Flint, elevated to the post after spending seven years as a Calipari assistant, vows the Minutemen won't relinquish their grip on the A-10 without a struggle.
``I'm sure the others, for the first time in a while, feel we're somewhat vulnerable,'' Flint said. ``Well, not a lot is going to change here. We want to keep that `refuse to lose' mentality.
``Oh, there will be a few small differences. We put in a dress code. When we go to the airport now, we won't be looking like a mob squad.''
Without Camby and graduated - not to mention underrated - front-liners Donte Bright and Dana Dingle, the Minutemen also won't look quite as imposing to the rest of the A-10.
Said Foster: ``UMass can't be as good. No way. Unless they've got somebody I haven't heard about.''
Supremacy in the A-10 East Division figures to be a toss-up between UMass and ever-present Temple, which is coming off a 20-13 season and another NCAA Tournament bid. Fast-rising Rhode Island also figures to mount a serious challenge.
In the West, George Washington is the overwhelming preseason pick. Xavier, which has everybody back from last season's pesky 13-15 outfit, and Tech, which must replace four starters, are expected to jockey for second place.
Following is a team-by-team look at the Atlantic 10, in the order they were picked in the coaches' preseason poll. Virginia Tech will covered in greater depth in a story Nov. 25.
West Division
GEORGE WASHINGTON: Things remain hot in Mike Jarvis' aptly named melting pot of hoops that includes ingredients from the United States, Canada, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belarus.
The Colonials, who tied Tech at 13-3 but lost the West on a tie-breaker last season will be led by the Mutt & Jeff combination of 7-foot-1 junior center Alexander Koul and 5-3 sophomore point guard Shawnta Rogers.
``One's a giant and the other's a midget,'' Foster said.
GW, which finished 21-8 in its most successful campaign in 41 seasons, will miss departed swingmen Kwame Evans (18.7 points per game) and Vaughn Jones (12.5 ppg). J.J. Brade and promising Yegor Mesheriakov are being counted on to pick up the scoring slack.
XAVIER: Watch out for the X factor. Skip Prosser has virtually everybody back, not to mention a recruiting class that filled the Musketeers' most glaring weakness - size.
In the backcourt, Xavier welcomes back three of the A-10's top four freshman scorers from last season in Lenny Brown, Gary Lumpkin and Darnell Williams.
Up front, 6-7 T.J. Johnson leads a group that has added 6-7 James Posey, academically ineligible last season as a freshman, and 6-8 junior college standout Torraye Braggs.
``They should be the most improved team in the league,'' Foster said.
VIRGINIA TECH: Foster, in his 30th and final season on a college bench, must find a new hand to play with his Ace.
The Hokies have Ace Custis, likely the A-10's most complete player, but will be without four starters who contributed mightily to 66 victories the past three seasons.
Despite all the lost points, Foster has bigger worries than who's going to score. He's concerned about rebounding and defense.
The Hokies are banking on big seasons from 6-8 senior Keefe Matthews - a huge question mark considering Matthews' history of injuries - and junior guard Myron Guillory, who has emerged as the squad's top outside shooting threat.
``We really need Keefe to come up big for us,'' said Foster. ``And right now, everybody will tell you that Myron is our best shooter.''
The Hokies, who along with UMass and St.Joseph's are the A-10 members considered weaker than a season ago, do have some experience. Besides Custis and Matthews, there are three more seniors - Roanoker Troy Manns and the Jackson twins, Jim and David.
``I think this can be a good club,'' Foster said. ``I'm encouraged so far. Let's see how I feel in a couple months or so, though.''
DUQUESNE: The Dukes would have been strong in horseshoes last season. Coach Scott Edgar's club came close often, losing nine games by eight points or less, including a two-point loss to Georgetown and a four-point setback to UMass.
Duquesne has five starters back, four of whom averaged double figures in scoring.
Mike James (14.2 ppg) and Tom Pipkins (14.1 ppg) give Edgar one of the most talented backcourts in the league. But like so many A-10 clubs, Duquesne's holes are up front, where 6-7 Kevin Price (14.7 ppg) and Nick Bosnic (11.3 ppg) will require some help.
DAYTON: Coach Oliver Purnell's club took a quantum leap in 1995-96, winning eight more games than the previous season and finishing 15-14, the program's first winning season in six years.
All this despite the tragic midseason death of center Chris Daniels, who suffered heart failure in January.
The Flyers will be led by 6-7 junior forward Ryan Perryman, who came close to averaging a double-double last season at 13.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Dayton's biggest question is in the paint, where a pair of freshmen, 6-9 Mark Ashman and 6-10 Matt Cooper, are battling for playing time.
Purnell did one of the league's best recruiting jobs. His biggest coup was landing 6-4 Tony Stanley of Arlington, a top shooting guard who shunned Tech late to sign with Dayton.
LA SALLE: Speedy Morris lost Philadelphia phenom Kobe Bryant, the son of Explorers assistant coach Joe Bryant, to the NBA, but he did hook 6-4 Donnie Carr, the Philadelphia Daily News' high school player of the year last season.
Morris predicted Carr will put up Lionel Simmons-like numbers before he's done and help the Explorers find their way back to respectability.
There's a ways to go. La Salle was 6-24 this past season. But 19 of the losses were by single digits, which leads Morris to believe this team has a shot at .500.
East Division
MASSACHUSETTS: The good news for Flint is he has one of the top backcourt tandems in the nation back in Edgar Padilla and Caremlo Travieso. The bad news is the front line of Camby, Bright and Dingle is history.
UMass' season may be determined by the play of 6-10 sophomore Lari Ketner, who sat out last season after failing to qualify for freshman eligibility under NCAA academic guidelines.
``Their kids told our kids that [Ketner] is another Camby,'' Foster said.
Freshmen Mike Babul, Winston Smith and Chris Kirkland will compete for the small forward's spot opposite Tyrone Weeks.
``We've got enough good recruits to keep this ship running smoothly,'' Flint said.
TEMPLE: Wise Owl John Chaney may be 64 years old, but he's not slowing any. Chaney's incoming recruiting class of nine players was not only his largest in 15 years at Temple, but one of his best in terms of talent.
Five of the new faces are guards, a position at which Chaney needs immediate help with junior Johnny Miller transferring to Clemson.
Despite not being able to shoot - Temple hit 38.9 percent from the floor this past season - the Owls rode their usual tough defense and the broad shoulders of 6-10 forward Marc Jackson (15.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg) to another NCAA trip. Ditto this season.
RHODE ISLAND: The Rhodies are excited. And they should be.
After going 7-20 two seasons ago, the Rams went 20-14 and have their sights set higher this time around.
Coach Al Skinner has every starter back, including point guard Tyson Wheeler (16.6 ppg), one of the A-10's most entertaining performers.
Sophomore Antonio Reynolds, last year's A-10 freshman of the year, is no bore, either. The rugged 6-8 power forward was unstoppable at times, averaging 12.1 points and a team-high 8.7 rebounds.
Seven-footer Michael Andersen of Denmark does more than take up space in the middle.
ST. JOSEPH'S: The Hawks came on strong late and made it all the way to the NIT title game, in which they lost to Nebraska.
They'd better savor it. After its winningest season in a decade (19-13), St.Joe's figures to take a step backward after losing its top two scorers - Reggie Townsend and Mark Bass - and the league's best rebounder in Will Johnson.
Coach Phil Martelli has some guards in Rashid Bey and Terrell Myers (11.5 ppg), but with nobody to help in close the Hawks definitely are a long shot.
ST.BONAVENTURE: The Bonnies were ravaged by injuries this past season en route to a 10-18 record. Four players counted on heavily by coach Jim Baron missed most or all of the season as Bonaventure went backward after winning 18 games in 1994-95.
Led by point guard Shandue McNeill (11.3 ppg) and 6-5 small forward Rashaan Palmer (16.1 ppg), plus a healthy supporting cast, the Bonnies appear certain to make what's already the A-10's toughest trip even tougher this winter.
FORDHAM: The New York Yankees worked magic in the Bronx in October. Don't expect anything similar from this bunch, however.
Face it, it's going to take several recruiting classes for coach Nick Macarchuk before the Rams can even think about being competitive in the A-10.
Fordham finished 4-23 in its first A-10 season with players who had been recruited to compete in the non-scholarship Patriot League.
Macarchuk needs somebody who can score; no Ram averaged nine points a year ago. He brought in four players, including 6-8 forward Maurice Curtis, a a transfer from West Virginia who will be eligible in the second semester. He is the younger brother of Mountaineers linebacker Canute Curtis, a Butkus Award finalist.
LENGTH: Long : 199 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. ALAN KIM STAFF Tech's Bill Foster will retire afterby CNBhis 30th season on the bench.
2. ALAN KIM STAFF Marcus Camby (shooting) left Massachusetts after
his junior year and went to the Toronto Raptors as the second pick
in this year's NBA draft.