THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 23, 1995 TAG: 9503230706
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LOUISVILLE, KY. LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
There's an Elite Four at the Elite Eight, four players considered to have a chance of making the quantum leap from Division II to the NBA.
Heading the list is Norfolk State's own Corey Williams, a 6-foot-8 senior who needs no introduction to NBA scouts. At least half a dozen have been to Norfolk State games this year, and more will watch Williams at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
Williams, 25, was runner-up for Division II player of the year. The player who won the award, Stan Gouard of Southern Indiana, is also considered a prospect.
Like Williams, Gouard, 24, has more miles on his odometer than the average college player. The 6-5 forward was cut from one junior college team and left another juco before landing at John A. Logan Junior College.
Gouard came to Southern Indiana last season and was named MVP of the Elite Eight. This year, he averaged 19 points and nine rebounds.
``We were lucky to get him,'' Southern Indiana coach Bruce Pearl said. Gouard is the only junior among the four standouts. The others are guards Tyrone Latimer of Central Missouri and Rob Paternastro of New Hampshire.
Latimer, 26, is another reclamation project. The 6-1 guard worked for several years before attending college. He averaged nearly 26 points this year and had 30 in Central Missouri's first-round loss Wednesday.
Paternastro, a 5-9 guard, had 44 points and 15 assists in New Hampshire's regional championship win over St. Rose.
The odds of any of them making the NBA are long. There are just 10 Division II alumni in the NBA.
HOOP COUNTRY: The Elite Eight is scheduled to be in Louisville through 1997. But the NCAA is looking for a permanent home, and if things go well here, this city on the Ohio River could be it.
About 1,000 people showed up for Wednesday's opening game, traditionally the lowest draw of the tournament. Last year in Springfield, Mass., there weren't more than a couple hundred for the opening game.
Tom Jacobs, assistant director of championships for the NCAA, said there were two main reasons for moving the tournament to Louisville: location and tradition.
``Louisville is situated so that fans in six of our eight regions, at least, can get in their cars and drive here,'' Jacobs said.
Jacobs also is hoping to attract locals, something the event wasn't able to do in Springfield.
``When you think of Kentucky, you think of college basketball,'' Jacobs said. ``We're trying to educate people as to what Division II basketball is all about. Once they see it, we think they'll be hooked.'' by CNB