THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 8, 1994 TAG: 9408080172
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Want answers from Allen Iverson? Depends upon the question.
Looking for answers concerning his college eligibility, his high school status and even a possible new outlook on life after a prison term? Forget it. The people around him aren't talking, and Iverson isn't given a chance to talk.
But the majority of the roughly 5,000 pro-Georgetown fans who turned out last weekend for the Kenner League basketball playoffs had another, more basic query in mind.
``So just how good is this Allen Iverson, anyway?''
For this one, no words were necessary. Had they made a movie about these summer league playoffs, an appropriate subtitle would have been ``Iverson does D.C.''
Start with his 40-point outburst on Thursday, in his first organized game in more than a year. Or how about his one-handed power jam to open Saturday's game, a shot he pulled off quicker than one could say, ``So which one's Iverson?'' Then add a generous assortment of no-look passes, 3-point bombs and ultra-slick ballhandling - the type of stuff Hampton Roads fans have seen from Iverson for years - and there should be little wonder why the Hoya faithful were positively giddy at the prospect of being able to call Iverson their own.
Iverson's team, the Tombs, won the championship final Sunday with a 72-66 victory over the House of Tropicals. The Tombs feature six Georgetown recruits, and the Hoya faithful turned out mainly to see them.
Iverson finished Sunday with a game-high 26 points. Shooting woes - he made just 8-of-22 field-goal attempts - were his lone deficiency. Otherwise, it was typical Iverson - clearly the best player on the floor.
Mostly, however, they came to see Iverson. Organizers said Kenner League games draw reasonably well during the regular season. And come playoff time, it's usually hard to find a seat. But with Iverson added to the mix, it suddenly became hard to find a place to stand. Spectators stood five-deep at each end of the court and along the balcony on the far wall.
And basketball rank carried no privileges. Former Duke star Grant Hill got a seat; former Hoya star Dikembe Mutombo stood in the back. Mutombo was still one of the lucky ones. Hundreds more were turned away at the door.
``I pay tuition here and I can't even get in the gym!'' exclaimed one frustrated student.
Each of Iverson's flashy moves were greeted with ooohs and aaahs. When he streaked up the court on a break, cries of Uh-oh! could be heard. And when he lay in a heap on the floor after turning an ankle Sunday, one fan remarked, ``I might as well go home now.''
Iverson has proven that he still has his hoops magic. But little else was cleared up by his Kenner League showcase. Both his lawyer and Georgetown officials say he has not finished high school, an obvious prerequisite for enrolling in college. And there's been no word on whether he's attained the 700 score on the SAT necessary for freshman eligibility.
Kenner League officials, not wanting to take a chance on Iverson being cornered by reporters, escorted him from the premises immediately after each game. Saturday, with the game well in hand, he was whisked away with well over a minute remaining.
But before Iverson left the building, he tantalized the throng of onlookers with his unique assortment of highlight-film material.
Georgetown fans can hardly wait, even though they may have to. MEMO: Staff writer Ed Miller contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff color photos by CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
Although his college eligibility is still in question, Allen Iverson
has sparked a flood of interest from Georgetown fans. After scoring
40, 33 and 26 points in three summer league games after a year's
absence, Iverson has shown that the hype is merited.
by CNB