Section A · Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, March 3, 1999
Big East teams struggle for NCAA berth
Upsets in conference tournament could end hopes for three schools
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The 20th Big East tournament will have a hard time matching the upsets and thrills of last year's tournament, and those coaches whose teams are still uncertain about their postseason future can't afford a repeat.
Last year's opening-round quintupleheader saw the 11th, 12th and 13th seeds all win. If that happens today at Madison Square Garden, teams such as Syracuse, Providence and Rutgers can say goodbye to their NCAA tournament hopes.
Those teams need a win, and in Rutgers' case may be two, to secure a spot in the NCAA's field of 64, along with certain locks — Connecticut (25-2), Miami (21-5) and St. John's (23-7) who have byes into tomorrow's quarterfinals.
Kevin Bannon was in his first season at Rutgers when the 12th-seeded Scarlet Knights knocked off fifth-seeded West Virginia in last year's opening round and followed that with a quarterfinal win against Georgetown before losing to Connecticut in the semifinals.
This year, the Scarlet Knights (17-11) are the sixth seed and enter today's fifth and final game against 11th-seeded Pittsburgh (14-15) on a four-game losing streak.
"The only thing we're concerned with now is getting back to playing good basketball and getting a much-needed win over Pitt," Bannon said. "The upper-classmen will remind the others of last year, and we may watch a little tape of it, but I want them to have a different attitude, go in with a little chip on our shoulder.
"I told them they have to win a game to get in the tournament, and they're fine with that. We want to go there and win a couple of games."
because of injuries.
Pittsburgh may have only six players available to play because of a season-end injury to forward Attila Cosby and the doubtful status of guard Jarrett Lockhart and forward Chris Seabrooks
Seventh-seeded Providence (16-12)
plays 10th-seeded Georgetown (14-14) in the other game of the night doubleheader
"I believe we're worthy of being looked at by the world
dle of the pack in this league, one game out of fourth and consistent all season in being in the top half," first-year Friars coach Tim Welsh said. "The elite distanced themselves, and
we're in the next group and have been all year. I think we're worthy to get a look, and we've shown we can play at a high level."
Georgetown, which won its opener against Miami last year as a 13th seed, needs the first-round win to keep its 25-year postseason streak alive because a team cannot be invited to the NIT with a sub-500 record.
replaced John Thompson following his sudden resignation during his 27th season at Georgetown. "Back in January we were fighting for our lives to play consistently. We had a good month of February, winning some games. Give an awful lot of credit if we do end up in a tournament to the players for what they went through with the change."
Fourth-seeded Syracuse (19-10) can't afford an opening-round loss to 13th-seeded Boston College (6-20), which was one of the upset teams last season, knocking off 11th-seeded Seton Hall.
"We have to guard against the fact we've had two very good games against them this year," Orangemen coach Jim Doeheim said. "Uppermost in my mind is, guarding against that."
Today's opener will have eighth-seeded Notre Dame (14-15) against ninth-seeded Seton Hall (14-13), and the other first-round match-up has fifth-seeded Villanova (20-9) against 12th-seamed West Virginia (10-18).
"Last year we were the fifth seed and lost to the 12th." Mountaineers coach Gale Catlett said. "With the season we've had, we can only hope for another tournament like last year's."
NCAA rulings settle eligibility of two'Huskers
The Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska football team picked up one player and lost another in recent NCAA rulings.
Quarterback Jeff Perino, who had been on medical exempt status for the last two years, was granted one year of eligibility after his recovery from three knee surgeries.
Wingback Shevin Wiggins was not granted his request for another year of football eligibility. He had asked the NCAA to extend his college career beyond the five-year limit.
"We applied to get an extension, and it was denied based of the fact that you have to have documentation to show that it was not possible to attend school during that five-year period," said Al Papik, Nebraska's senior associate athletic director in charge of compliance.
Wiggins, who played at Manatee High School in Palmetto, Fla., with former Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier, was recruited in 1994 but sat out while gaining academic eligibility.
He was redshirted in 1995 and played the last three years.
Wiggins is best known for being the player who kicked the ball that was caught in the end zone as time expired during Nebraska's come-from-behind win at Missouri in 1997.
According to a recent court ruling, the NCAA can allow students with disabilities — Wiggins has a reading disability — to regain the year of eligibility they missed.
With the purchase, food can be
backer Eric Johnson gained an
extra year of eligibility that was granted in Janu-
ary.
Perino's ruling also was expected, Papik said. A quarterback from Durango, Colo., Perino was one of the Huskers' two quarterback recruits in 1995 — the other was Frankie London.
Since Wiggins sat out as a redshirt, he missed one year of opportunity to play, and there was no surprise in the NCAA decision, Papik said.
Knee surgery shortened Perino's final high school season, and he had more knee surgery in 1995 and 1996 and missed both seasons. He was declared medically exempt — keeping his scholarship but ineligible to ever play again.
However, his most recent surgery a year ago was successful, and the rehabilitation allowed him to start running and lifting again. He is participating in winter conditioning and applied for a waiver to the medical exempt status.
If he passes a physical examination before spring football, Perino will be eligible to participate this spring and next fall. He has extensive knowledge of the Nebraska offense after working as an undergraduate assistant during the last two years.
Nebraska had to make the special application so that Perino's reinstatement would not count against the 85-scholarship limit for the years he was out.
Pete Rose gets son a tryout
Pete Jr. aims to play for Dodgers this year
The Associated Press
VERO BEACH, Fla. — Pete Rose kept a low profile, sitting quietly in the stands at Dodgertown, watching his son play in an intrasquad game. He hopes to be watching Pete Jr. playing in Los Angeles one of these days.
"I think I've got what it takes," Pete Jr. said yesterday. "I plan on making the team. I don't plan on playing in (Triple-A) Albuquerque."
And Pete Jr, says it's going to happen, later if not sooner.
And if manager Davey Johnson sends him down?
"I'll bust my tail," Pete Jr. said.
"I'm going to be in LA at some time.
I'm a guy who's got some pop. Left-handed pop looks to be a little scarce around here. I think Davey Johnson likes tough guys. I come to play."
The elder Rose, the career hits leader who agreed to a lifetime ban for gambling, called Dodgers general manager Kevin Malone during the winter to request a favor.
"Pete asked me to give his son a chance," Malone recalled. "I've known both of them for years. They both have huge hearts. I figured it was a win-win situation. I told Pete it would be tough for (Junior) to make the team. He said, 'No special treatment, all we ask is a chance.'"
And that's the deal. The younger Rose, a 29-year-old whose only
major league experience was a brief spell with Cincinnati Reds 18 months ago, signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
"Nobody can tell me to stop chasing my dream," he said.
Rose referred to the change his son went through between the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Essentially, Pete Jr., went from a clone of his father to a power hitter, bulking up in the gym from 200 pounds to around 230.
"He knows how to play. He's not going to give up," the elder Rose said. "He's just now figuring out his m.o."
And here he is, giving it his best shot.
"I'm bigger than he is," the younger Rose said. "It took me longer to figure things out. I had to make a change, and I did. Basically, I've been at this for only a few years."
"It is a plus when you have the hit-king on your side," he said. "He's just unbelievable, a great person, a great dad, a great coach."
He recently spent a week with his father, and it helped as he entered spring training.
And, obviously, a big fan of his son.
The younger Rose had his best season by far in 1997, hitting .308 with 25 homers and 98 RBI in 112 games for Double-A Chattanooga. He was called up by the Reds and made his only big-league start on Labor Day, going 1-for-3.
The crowd in Cincinnati, where Rose's father played most of his career and later managed, was 31,920. The majority of those tickets
were sold after it was announced Rose was playing.
"The Reds didn't give him a chance," dad said. "They used him to make some money. I know it wasn't (owner) Marge (Schott). Marge likes Pete. If nothing else, he paid to go to spring training the next year."
It didn't happen that way, and after the younger Rose was asked to go to Double-A in 1998, he refused and asked for his release. He wound up the year playing for the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Northeast League.
The younger Rose remains somewhat bitter.
"Playing in Cincinnati was special, unbelievable," he said. "There will only be one thing better — when I go there as a visitor and get the job done. And it's going to happen.
("The Dodgers) go to Cincinnati in May. I've already had dreams about playing against them, coming up in a big situation and getting a key hit."
Despite what happened, the elder Rose said he still pulled for the Reds.
"They play on Pete Rose Way, man," he said. "I just don't like the way certain people treated him. I'm a Dodger fan now. I just don't want to make those flights to Albuquerque."
As Rose spoke, his son, a left-handed hitter wearing No.74, came to the plate to face Onan Masaoka, a left-handed pitcher.
"I'll let you know if he's my son after he hits," Rose said to a fan. "If he gets a hit, he's my son. If he doesn't, he's your son."
Cardinals to start Mercker in opener
The Associated Press
And he's ready.
JUPITER. Fla. — Left-hander Kent Mercker, who led the St. Louis Cardinals in both wins and losses last season, gets the start Friday in the exhibition opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach, Fla.
"So far, everything has gone as planned," Mercker said yesterday. "I'm just hoping to build on the way it went at the end of last season."
He will be opposed by the Dodgers' Ismael Valdes, who was 11-10 with a 3.98 earned run average in 27 starts.
It was a streaky season for Mercker, one in which he won and lost games in bunches. He finished strong, winning all three of his starts in September for a 2.70 ERA.
Merker had an 11-11 record last season with 29 starts in 30 games. But he had a high ERA — 5.07 in 161.2 innings.
"I was able to work out some mechanical things late last season." Mercker said, "And I've also been
working on the mental part, trying to control myself out there."
Manager Tony La Russia said Mercker had shown that he deserved to be in the starting rotation.
"He might have had a couple of more wins, a couple of fewer losses last season," La Russa said. "But overall, he pitched durably, and he pitched well."
Pitching a maximum of three innings. Mercker will be followed by Garrett Stephenson, Rick Heiserman, Rick Croushore and Lance Painter.
For the Dodgers, Dave Milicki, Chris Haney, Doug Bochtler, Pedro Borbon and Alan Mills will follow Valdes.
In the spring home opener Saturday against Montreal, Darren Oliver will start against Mike Thurman. On Sunday, it will be the Cardinals' Donovan Osborne against the Expos' Jeremy Powell.
The Cardinals will play two intrasquad games today, each lasting about 90 minutes, or until each player has at least two at bats. The two winning teams will play on the stadium field tomorrow, while a consolation game also is scheduled. Coaches will pitch in all the intrasquad games.
George Washington, Xavier Temple expected to get spots
The Associated Press
Fewer A-10 teams to play in postseason
PHILADELPHIA - For an encore, the Atlantic 10 Conference will settle for three teams in the NCAA tournament.
Coming off a year when five Atlantic-10 teams made the field of 64, the conference had four teams in the preseason Top 25 — No. 7 Temple, No. 17 Xavier, No. 23 Rhode Island and No. 24 Massachusetts. Hopes were high for the League's best season ever.
maintain that success year after year."
But when the conference tournament opens today, only four teams have winning records, and none are ranked in the Top 25.
"I's the league down?" asked Fordham coach Nick Macarchuk. "I guess you're going to have to say that if we had five teams going to the NCAAs last year, it's hard to
George Washington (19-7), Temple (19-9) and Xavier (20-9) appear headed to the NCAA tour.
nament, while Rhode Island (17-12) needs to do well in the league tournament to stand a chance of getting in.
At this point in the season, though, George Washington coach Tom Penders isn't about to quibble with rankings. He just wants a chance to keep playing.
"It's the time of year when coaches don't want to be expected to do well," Penders said.
George Washington, with 5-foot-4 point guard Shawna Rogers (20.7 points and 6.9 assists per game) leading the way, is one of the favorites to gain an automatic NCAA berth by winning the Atlantic-10 tournament.
"Rogers is unbelievable." Penders said. "He's one of the best college basketball players in the country in my mind, and without him we stink."
Temple coach John Chaney, who recently gained his 600th victory, saw his Owls lose their regular season finale to UMass.
"We've gotten to a point where we're beating up on ourselves," said Chaney, whose Owls received a first-round bye after winning the Atlantic 10 East Division.
Temple also received bad news as sixth man Quincy Wadley (9.6 points per game)
will miss at least a week because of a bruised bone in his left hand. The injury thins out a backcourt already depleted after a season-ending injury to sharpshooter Lynn Greer.
George Washington, along with Xavier (20-9) and Rhode Island (17-12), also received first-round byes, which prevent a team from having to win four games in four days.
In its season finale, George Washington beat Xavier despite 28 points from James Posey. The forward has stepped up in the last five games, averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"Posey has been a very, very good player for us," Xavier coach Skip Presser said. "But we're a team that doesn't have a large marvel for error."
Jim Harrick's second season at Rhode Island hasn't been as magical as his first, when his Rams came within 30 seconds of going to the 1988 Final Four.
Rhode Island ended the season with losses to St. Bonaventure and Fordham. The team is recuperating from a bout with the flu that sidelined star Lamar Odom for the Fordham game, and forward Luther Clay has been hampered by pulled muscles in his stomach and calf.
"We're kind of on the low side of the bubble now," Harrick said about his team's NCAA chances. "Sometimes you play better like that, sometimes you play yourself out of the tournament."
At least the Rams will have an extra day of rest, while the eight other Atlantic-10 teams hit the court today.
The first-round match-ups are Virginia Tech (12-14) vs. Fordham (12-14); UMass (13-15) vs. Duquesne (5-22); St. Bonaventure (14-14) vs. Dayton (10-16); and La Salle (12-14) vs. St. Joseph's (12-17).
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