ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997 TAG: 9703130068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: SALT LAKE CITY
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY THE ROANOKE TIMES
Two teams that saw each other in November in Hawaii get a chance to play each other in the NCAA West Regional.
When they flew home from Hawaii nearly four months ago, Virginia and Iowa were a pair of men's basketball programs headed in different directions.
Funny how they ended up in the same place.
The teams' first matchup, which could have come in the Maui Invitational, will take place tonight at approximately 10:20 at the University of Utah's Huntsman Center.
The Hawkeyes (21-9) are a one-point favorite over UVa (18-11) in what appears to be some inspired matchmaking by the NCAA Basketball Committee. Iowa is seeded eighth in the West Region, while the Cavaliers are ninth.
``When we left Maui, it was like disaster planning, trying to search out all the alternatives,'' said Dr. Tom Davis, whose Hawkeyes finished seventh in an eight-team field. ``We had a lot of untested guys.''
The outlook only became darker when All-Big Ten Conference forward Jess Settles was sidelined by an undisclosed hip injury. Settles, who missed two games in Maui with heel problems, has not played since Dec.14 and hopes to return next season via a hardship appeal.
``It was his decision,'' said Davis, the Hawkeyes' coach. ``He really didn't make it until pretty late in the season, because, if anybody had a chance to step in and help a team, it was Jess Settles. There were maybe seven or eight games left.''
Iowa was left without the two underclassmen who were instrumental in a 23-9 finish in 1995-96, Settles and fellow All-Big Ten selection Chris Kingsbury. Both applied for the NBA draft, although Settles later withdrew his application.
One of the seniors on that team, second-leading scorer and rebounder Russ Millard, was a second-round NBA draft pick. Of the six players who started 18 or more games, only two returned and one of them - Settles - has played in three games.
``Our trainer, John Streif, has been with us for a long time [25 years], and he told me he couldn't remember when they've had anything comparable to this chemistry-wise,'' Davis said.
The Hawkeyes have been led by Andre Woolridge, a 6-foot point guard who became the first player ever to lead the Big Ten in scoring (20.9) and assists (6.1) in the same season. Woolridge, a fifth-year senior, began his career at Nebraska.
``I've been very high on him since I first saw him in high school,'' Davis said. ``Obviously, if you need him to put points up, he puts points up. But, he's really brought along the younger players.''
Woolridge is joined in the starting lineup by four underclassmen, including 6-7, 215-pound junior Ryan Bowen, the team's second-leading scorer (11.6) and rebounder (8.9).
Bowen is joined in the frontcourt by 6-9 freshman Guy Rucker and 6-9 sophomore J.R. Koch. Woolridge is joined at guard by 6-2 Kent McCausland, who leads NCAA Division I in 3-point percentage at 53.2 (67-of-126).
Bowen and McCausland missed the Maui Invitational, which helped account for the Hawkeyes' poor start. Sophomore Darryl Moore, a walk-on, stepped in for McCausland and has been Iowa's sixth man.
``We knew right away that we were going to be playing at least two walk-ons in our top seven or eight guys, and that's not a healthy thing,'' Davis said. ``Yet, we've never missed a beat.''
Davis has made a career of exceeding expectations, taking the Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament eight times in 11 seasons. He has a 9-0 record in first-round games, dating to his tenure at Boston College (1977-82). Davis began his career as a Division I head coach at Lafayette, where his first team was 21-6, including a 72-71 victory over UVa in the NIT.
``At the Garden,'' Davis said Wednesday. ``Jay Mottola hit a couple of free throws at the end.''
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