ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 1997 TAG: 9703110096
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY THE ROANOKE TIMES
Criticism of the selection process by Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim didn't dampen UVa's happiness over a bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Virginia men's basketball coach Jeff Jones was so uptight about the NCAA Tournament selections Sunday that he skipped the North Carolina-North Carolina State telecast and went to the movies.
``I took my kids to see Jungle 2 Jungle, which, in my opinion, was not some of Tim Allen's best work,'' Jones said.
Jones was reasonably certain that the NCAA Basketball Committee would take six ACC teams, but seven teams would have been another story. If N.C. State had beaten Carolina, the Wolfpack would have received an automatic bid as the ACC champion.
``I don't think [a State victory] would have ruled us out completely,'' Jones said. ``It certainly would have decreased our margin of error.''
As it was, not all the reaction was positive when the Cavaliers (18-12) were awarded the eighth seed in the West Region, where they will play ninth-seeded Iowa (21-9) at aproximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday in Salt Lake City.
``If we can't get in with 19 wins and Virginia can get in ... they didn't beat anybody,'' Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. ``They just played in a league and got beat a lot.''
Jones mentioned Boeheim only once by name Monday, but it was clear the comments were not appreciated.
``Did I complain a couple of years ago?'' Jones asked. ``No. Not publicly. I thought we deserved to be invited [in 1992], but I certainly did not single out any other team or degrade them.
``There's no need to put anything on the bulletin board. The players all read the papers. We feel we belong and don't have anything to prove to Jim Boeheim or anyone.''
Seven teams that received at-large bids were seeded lower than Virginia, so UVa was not among the last teams to make the field.
Junior guard Curtis Staples said he thought Boeheim picked on the Cavaliers because UVa athletic director Terry Holland is chairman of the selection committee.
``I've probably said more already than I want,'' Jones said. ``The fact is, we're in and we've got more important things to worry about, specifically an excellent Iowa team. If that's not enough motivation for our basketball team, then something's wrong.''
Jones watched the selection show Sunday with members of his staff and several players, but the team did not meet as a group until 8 p.m.
``We had a formal get-together in '92 and it was extremely uncomfortable, not to mention disappointing,'' Jones said. ``The uncertainty kept us from doing that again.
``We felt like we were going to be in, but, by the time they got to the West bracket [Sunday], there were very few spots left. Different folks had different guesses on where we were going and I was just sitting at the back of my room, holding my breath.''
When the team gathered, Jones went over the schedule for Monday and Tuesday: a press conference, drug tests, practice, departure times and tickets.
``After we were all done, Colin [Ducharme] walked up to me and said, `Coach, who are we playing?''' Jones related. ``I said, `Didn't you watch?' He said, `No, I had other things to do.' I guess the pressure of big-time basketball hasn't gotten to Colin just yet.''
The pressure clearly had its effect on Jones, whose 1995-96 team went 12-15.
``There was a great sense of happiness and a sense of relief,'' Jones said. ``Last year, it just hurt. There was was actual physical pain that accompanied the emotional pain.
``I went to Richmond, which was one of the first-round sites last year, and I was there for 30 minutes before I became physically ill and had to leave. I just tried to avoid it as much as possible, not that I wasn't interested.''
The Cavaliers had not gone two years without making the NCAA field since 1979-80.
``I've often soft-pedalled making the NCAA Tournament a goal because that limits you in some ways,'' Jones said, ``but if I ever did before, never again do I want to take an invitation to the tournament for granted.''
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS. After going 12-15 last season, Jeffby CNBJones is happy to be back in postseason play. color.