THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210516
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament has lost the services of Duke's Chris Collins but has received confirmations from 11 players whose teams are still seeking the NCAA tournament championship.
Collins called PIT officials to inform them he would be undergoing surgery and cannot participate in the April 3-6 tournament at the Churchland High School gym.
But three members of No. 1-ranked Massachusetts have accepted invitations - Dana Dingle, Donta Bright and Shawn Smith. Dingle carried a 10-point scoring average with 7.6 rebounds per game in the Minutemen's 31-1 regular season. Bright averaged 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Three players also are coming from Georgia, a surprise qualifier among the final 16 teams in the NCAA tourney - Shandon Anderson, Carlos Strong and Katu Davis. Davis, with a 16-point average, is Georgia's leading scorer.
Others coming from teams still alive in the NCAA tournament are Wake Forest's Rusty LaRue, Cincinnati's Art Long, Texas Tech's Jason Sasser, a third-team All-American, Kentucky's Mark Pope and Mississippi State's Daryl Wilson.
Norfolk State's Derrick Bryant is among six state players who will participate. Others are Virginia Tech's Damon Watlington, James Madison's Darren McLinton, Virginia Commonwealth's Bernard Hopkins, Virginia Union's Ben Wallace and Hampton's Jafonde Williams.
``(Wednesday) we received notice from Cal-Irvine's Ramon Mielinieks that he will play,'' said PIT director Rudolph Freeman. ``He's the Player of the Year in the Big West.''
The 64-player field will be completed and teams will be drawn up on March 29.
Tickets for the 44th annual tournament are on sale at Ticketmaster outlets. by CNB