THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9504020127
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Through most of its 43 years, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament has built a national reputation as a showcase for the little-known athlete to show that he has the stuff to become a play-for-pay performer in the National Basketball Association.
Usually the bulk of the 64 senior collegiates who are invited to play come from schools that few can place on the map - Millersville, Southern, Clarion, Northwestern State, Northern Illinois, Fairfield, Centenary, Lamar, Central Arkansas, Northwest Oklahoma, Northeastern.
But the 1995 PIT, opening a four-night run in the Churchland High School gym on Wednesday, has more players from major universities than in any previous year.
There's still a sprinkling of the relatively obscure stars, those who mostly performed out of the watchful eye of the television cameras. And they are here to show they have the talent to match up with the bigger names.
There's Nate Driggers, the NAIA player of the year. He's a 6-5 swing player who averaged 29 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for Montavello in Alabama.
There's Kenny Sykes of Grambling, the Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the year. The 6-4 Sykes averaged 27 points, second best in the nation.
There's Eric Burks, a 6-3 guard from Charleston Southern who was the Big South player of the year.
There's Western Carolina's Frankie King, the third leading scorer in the country. He's a smooth-shooting 6-1 guard.
But the field this year also includes three players from Final Four teams, eight from the last eight teams in the NCAA Tournament.
It includes three from the ACC, seven from the Southeastern and four from the Big Ten. One player, 7-1 Tony Maroney, is coming from Hawaii. He's an All-Western Athletic Conference performer who averages 18 points and 10 rebounds.
This may be the most talented PIT field. Fifty-five of the players were all-conference selections. Eight were players of the year in their conferences.
Some of the name players are Arkansas' Corey Beck and Dwight Stewart, Oklahoma State's Randy Rutherford, Connecticut's Kevin Ollie and Donny Marshall, Kentucky's Andre Riddick, Virginia's Junior Burrough and Jason Williford, Duke's Eric Meek, Marquette's Tony Miller, Villanova's Jonathan Haynes and Massachusetts' Derek Kellogg.
Tossing in the state's two premier players from our own backyard, Old Dominion's Petey Sessoms (CAA player of the year) and Norfolk State's Corey Williams (CIAA player of the year), the tournament appears to have its finest gate appeal.
And the fans are buying it.
The advance ticket sale has been the largest ever.
Undoubtedly the paid-attendance record of 10,700 set two years ago will fall. Tournament chairman Mahlon Parker hopes the attendance will reach 12,000.
For the first time the PIT has secured game sponsors the first three nights. Sasser Construction will be the Wednesday night sponsor, Virginia Power will sponsor the Thursday games and Met Life will be the Friday sponsor.
Tickets still will be available at the door. They sell for $6.25.
The pro scouts also seem to recognize this tournament will be an exceptional one. Nearly 150 scouts from the NBA and other pro leagues have made reservations.
Wednesday's opening games will have the Norfolk Naval Shipyard playing K-Plus at 7 p.m. and Sales Systems Ltd. meeting Beach/Barton Ford at 9. On Thursday at 7 p.m.Hoechst Celanese meets the Portsmouth Sports Club at 7 and Bill Lewis Chevrolet faces Dolsey Ltd. at 9.
Sessoms will play for the Naval Shipyard. Williams will play for Dolsey Ltd. by CNB