THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 8, 1995 TAG: 9504080358
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
It's a safe bet Ray Jackson and Jimmy King are the only players at this week's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament who have had a book written about them.
Chances are they are the only ones here to play college ball with a trio of spotlight-dwelling NBA first-round draft picks.
And there's no denying they were part of the most celebrated recruiting class in history.
They are the Leftover Two of the Fab Five, that awesome compilation of talent Michigan put together a few years ago. They could also be referred to as the Overshadowed Two, for the basketball talent, egos and brashness of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard always seemed to be a notch or two above Jackson and King.
``We've always been the quiet ones,'' King said earlier this week. He barely looked up from his breakfast while speaking to a reporter, a species he acknowledged he is not fond of.
``The other guys were more outspoken,'' King said. ``We always were in the background. Me personally, I shied away from the hype.''
He might have shied away from it, but he couldn't get away from it.
The Fab Five were already famous when they arrived on campus in Ann Arbor. When they made it to the national championship game as five freshmen starters, the legend grew and Michigan soared to the top of the college merchandising charts.
There was no title that freshman year, when Michigan lost to Duke, nor the next season when the Wolverines stumbled to North Carolina in the 1993 championship game, thanks to Webber's infamous timeout call when Michigan had none in the waning seconds.
A book about the Fab Five came out after that sophomore season, then Webber turned pro. Rose and Howard opted for NBA millions after last season when the Wolverines made the elite eight before losing to Arkansas in the Midwest Regional final.
``In a couple years, when people talk about the era of the early 1990s, everyone's going to mention Michigan and the things we did,'' King said.
True, collectively they were great talents, and five freshmen starting in a national championship game may never happen again.
But greatness is often defined by championships. The Fab Five era at Michigan ended with nary a one.
``We wanted to win Big Ten championships and national championships, and we didn't,'' Jackson said. ``That hurts. In a way, we didn't accomplish anything.''
Just making the NCAA tournament was an accomplishment this season, when Michigan went 17-13 during the regular season and was bounced in the first round by Western Kentucky. With 60 percent of the Fab Five departed, it was Jackson and King's chance to emerge.
They did . . . at times.
``They've played under a lot of self-imposed pressure,'' Wolverines coach Steve Fisher said last month. ``They've wanted to prove they were genuinely part of the Fab Five, and not just two guys tagging along.''
Jackson, a 6-foot-6 forward, led the team in points (15.8 per game), rebounds (5.3) and assists (3.0) most of the season before finishing second in rebounding. He was named second-team All-Big Ten.
King's senior season concluded with third-team all-conference honors according to the coaches, honorable mention by the media. He averaged 14.7 points, 5 rebounds and 2.9 assists. The Wolverines' 6-5 shooting guard made just 26 percent of his 3-point tries.
King may forever be remembered as a Fab Fiver who wasn't as fabulous as billed. One scouting service rated him the 12th-best prospect coming out of high school his senior season. But he and Jackson paled in comparison to their fellow Fab Fives.
``We had to sacrifice and wait our turns,'' Jackson said. ``You had to find your role and not take as many shots.''
Jackson and King are much longer shots at making the NBA than the other three who preceded them.
``They're good examples of guys who might come to a format like (the PIT) and emerge and help themselves,'' Philadelphia 76ers director of player personnel Gene Shue said earlier this week.
``Both are generally thought of as being draftable players,'' Minnesota Timberwolves general manager Jack McCloskey said.
Draftable perhaps, but not the first pick in the draft like Webber in 1993, or the fifth like Howard or 13th like Rose last year. Draftable perhaps, the same label that could stick with most of the guys here this week.
Fab Five was a nicer label to lug around.
``It was fun to be part of a history-making team,'' King said. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Ray Jackson, left, and Jimmy King were part of one of the most
storied recruiting classes in college basketball history.
PIT AT A GLANCE
What: 43rd annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
Where: Churchland High School gym
When: 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with consolation championship game
at 1:30 p.m.
Admission: $6.25 with tickets on sale at gym at 4:30 p.m.
Admission by donation for consolation game.
by CNB