THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 29, 1994 TAG: 9411290380
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
If Allen Iverson thinks the Arkansas guards were hard on him, he should hear what Billy Packer has to say.
``Based on the performance I saw,'' said Packer, ``he has no comprehension how to be a basketball player.''
If Iverson were a Broadway play, a review like that would shut him down. There's always another game, though. When the Georgetown freshman returns to the boards, he'll be better for the experience.
``I saw Sweetpea Whitaker fight when he was a teenager,'' Packer continued. ``He obviously had all the raw skills. He took those skills and refined them, and now he's pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world.
``Where Allen is, he's got all these skills, but now he has to learn how to be a basketball player.
``That's not to say he won't get some incredible stats. But that doesn't mean he's an accomplished basketball player.''
The Pack is back for another season and he's got something to say about over-publicized players, preposterous polls, the balance of power and changes in the way the game is officiated.
Before speaking to the Norfolk Sports Club Monday, Packer mentioned the new rule against hand-checking. It's an early Christmas present for college guards blessed with quickness off the dribble.
``It's going to be even more difficult to guard some of these guys one-on-one,'' Packer said. ``It will be interesting to see if teams go to more combination defenses and even zones.''
New rules he can get used to. What bugs Packer is the mentality that rules the media covering the sport.
He would not want to be known as an Iverson basher. But as CBS's star analyst and a power broker in the game, Packer does oppose going overboard on a player or team until there is sufficient evidence to support the praise. This is a curious position for someone who works in a business where hype is the lifeblood.
``I'm one that's very much opposed to preseason hype and preseason picks,'' he said. ``But now that we've seen some teams, now is when you can start giving people credit for doing things.''
The top of this week's basketball poll features the usual suspects. Packer has no complaint with Massachusetts at No. 1. After that, he'd like to see changes.
``Ohio,'' he said, ``based on its performance in the preseason NIT, they've got to be in the top five.
``And what about Minnesota? Didn't they just beat Arizona, Villanova and BYU in Alaska? They deserve to be the second team in the poll.''
Arizona State, said Packer, ``has got to be third. They beat Michigan, Maryland and Utah in Maui. C'mon, give them some credit.''
Consider it done.
``What bothers me,'' Packer said, ``is that too many times these teams are evaluated on the basis of no observation by the people doing the voting.''
Reputations, he noted, are not worth as much as they used to be.
``There's a very fine line,'' he said, ``between being a top-15 team and a top-60 team.''
That line moves around when some of the best players leave early for the NBA.
``Look at the players we're talking about,'' said Packer, ticking off the names of athletes who still could be seniors. ``Shawn Bradley, Chris Webber, Glenn Robinson, Jason Kidd, Juwan Howard, Penny Hardaway. There's your All-American team. Imagine how the balance would be affected if they were still in college.''
Nobody has time to imagine. The bold, brash college game moves too quickly for most of us. But not for Packer, who is out in front, leading the fastbreak. by CNB