THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 TAG: 9702190565
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 78 lines
Virginia coach Jeff Jones didn't mince words Tuesday when he talked about the importance of tonight's game against North Carolina State.
``This time of the year is important for an awful lot of teams, and we are one of them,'' said Jones, referring to the Cavaliers' shrinking chances of making the NCAA tournament.
Virginia looked like a lock until losing its last four ACC games to drop to 15-10 overall, 5-8 in the league.
N.C. State is in last place in the league, but recently has beaten a pair of top-10 teams, Clemson and Wake Forest.
``If we want to be playing in the NCAA tournament, (tonight) is where we need to focus our energies and efforts,'' Jones said. ``It is not just another game. We have to find a way to come with a `W.' It is as simple as that.''
Even if Virginia beats the Wolfpack, it faces a difficult road to get to the NCAA tournament, with games remaining against Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Maryland. Most observers feel the Cavaliers must win two more league games to have a shot at an NCAA invitatiion.
Jones expects the NCAA selection committee to take into account his team's controversial loss to Duke last week.
``How much of a factor that will be, I don't know,'' Jones said. ``I hope they would consider it, and expect them to consider it, but how much emphasis is put on it, I don't know.''
BIG GAMES: The final two weeks also are important for North Carolina, which on the stats sheet is the most improved team in the ACC. After an 0-3 league start, the Tar Heels are 7-5 (17-6 overall), have won their last five games, and have advanced to 12th in The AP poll.
But beginning tonight against No. 4 Wake Forest, the Heels play the toughest closing schedule in the league. They still have to go to Clemson and Maryland, and finish up at home against Duke.
``That is a tremendous challenge, but I feel we are playing our best basketball of the season,'' coach Dean Smith said.
Wake Forest beat the Heels 81-57 in January.
FORGET IT: Wake Forest coach Dave Odom wants Deacons fans and everyone else to drop the criticism of ACC officiating crews.
``Enough is enough,'' he says.
The Deacons lost to N.C. State Sunday on a last-second, 3-point goal that should have been a 2-pointer, and an official's goof last week helped Duke beat Virginia in the final seconds.
Still, Odom says the ACC has the best officials in college basketball and he is not angry about the last-second call on Sunday.
Odom added he is more concerned about his team, which is relying too much on All-American center Tim Duncan.
``I'm disappointed we've let our offense become so one-sided and we get 30 rebounds and I've got one guy (Duncan) getting 18 of them,'' Odom said. ``We need to have more balance than that, but right now no one is stepping up and taking their share of the responsibility.''
UNIQUE: What does Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski think about center Greg Newton's shaved head, not to mention his eye-lid ring?
Probably not much.
Asked recently if he thought Newton was ``unique'' and a ``breath of fresh air,'' Krzyzewski disagreed.
``Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Tommy Amaker were more unique,'' Krzyzewski said. ``They were more like a breath of fresh air.''
FLOORED: Parents of several Duke players have emerged victorious in a battle with the university administration to have a new floor put down in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The present floor, which the parents said was only plank and wood over a concrete slab, is being blamed for several injuries to Duke players in recent years. The administration wanted to delay installing a new floor, but now has agreed to do so over the summer.
COMING OUT: NBA scouts, who can't talk about such matters publicly, say don't be surprised if Georgia Tech junior Matt Harpring and Virginia sophomore Courtney Alexander make themselves eligible for the draft.
Despite injuries and other problems, Alexander leads Virginia in scoring with a 14.7 average.