Charleston to Rehearse for Dance
Some fraternities make their pledges swallow goldfish or run naked at midnight through the school quad.
The NCAA’s initiation process is more psychological.
The NCAA makes you wait. And wait. And wait.
The College of Charleston was granted NCAA Division I basketball status in 1990-91 but has been prohibited until this season from vying for its conference’s automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Never mind that Charleston was one of the great NAIA teams ever, posting a 268-59 record in the 1980s, or that it began this season with a 110-30 record since upgrading to Division I.
Dumb rules are dumb rules.
“It’s an NCAA penance,” Coach John Kresse said. “I think it’s illogical and unfair that all the teams can’t vie for the automatic bid.”
Did Kresse mention embarrassing?
In 1995, Charleston won the Trans America Athletic Conference regular-season title and stood on the sideline as Florida International, a school with a losing record, claimed the automatic NCAA bid by winning the conference tournament.
Same story last year. Charleston finished the regular season 24-3 but had to watch Central Florida enter the NCAA tournament with a losing record.
Tonight, the NCAA shackles come off, as Charleston (25-2) makes its debut in the conference tournament with a first-round game against Centenary. Charleston is hosting the event at John Kresse Arena.
That’s right, Kresse Arena. Kresse’s legend is such in Charleston the building already has been named after him. He is 53 and very much alive.
“When that happens, you should probably never leave a place,” he said.
Kresse, wrapping up his 18th season, is 436-111 since arriving at the South Carolina campus in 1979-80. He was an outsider, a Yankee from Manhattan’s West Side, and still talks like a New Yawker. He played for Joe Lapchick at St. John’s and was later an assistant under Lou Carnesecca. When he took the Charleston job, friends took his temperature.
“A lot of people said it wasn’t the most calculated move, but it really worked for me,” Kresse said. “And I’m loving every minute of it, and I’ll coach out all my days right here in Charleston.”
Charleston begins the tournament with Kresse’s best team. The Cougars are ranked No. 20 in this week’s Associated Press poll and have the nation’s longest winning streak at 19 games.
“In my wildest imagination, I would have never thought a team with our budget, with our facilities, on our level could reach the status of a top-25 ballclub,” Kresse said.
The Cougars, led by NBA prospect Thaddeous Delaney, known as “Shaq of the TAAC,” have beaten Stanford and Arizona State.
The team is led by four seniors, three of whom are fifth-year players. Guard Anthony Johnson is a former Charleston ballboy averaging seven assists a game. Kresse says Johnson outplayed Stanford’s Brevin Knight when the teams played in the Alaska Shootout.
Charleston is an overwhelming favorite to win its first TAAC tournament--the Cougars have won 25 consecutive games on their home court--but probably are deserving an NCAA bid regardless.
Charleston, founded before the Revolutionary War, made the NCAA in 1993-94 as an at-large selection after beating Alabama, Penn State and UNC Charlotte in the regular season.
Win or lose, one thing is clear:
Kresse isn’t going anywhere.
“I saw the bright lights of Broadway, it was all very exciting, but I just found a special home and a place that I love.”
WHO’S HOT, NOT AND ON THE SPOT
Five teams streaking toward the NCAA tournament:
UCLA (17-7): A month ago, the Bruins weren’t even a lock to make the tournament. Suddenly, they’ve won five in a row and look like the top-five team they were projected to be.
North Carolina (20-6): Call off the death watch. Shaking off that 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference start, the Tar Heels have won eight in a row after defeating Clemson. Coach Dean Smith needs six wins to break Adolph Rupp’s victory total of 876. Smith could do it in the NCAA tournament. Maybe against Kentucky?
Vanderbilt (17-10): The Commodores had won six in a row before last weekend’s three-point loss to Kentucky, a game in which they blew a 22-point lead at home. Could use: A strong showing in the Southeastern Conference tournament.
UNC Charlotte (18-7): Has won 10 of its last 13 games and leads No. 15 Louisville in Conference USA’s White Division. Downside: Lacks quality nonconference victories and national visibility.
South Carolina (22-6): The Gamecocks beat Kentucky when the Wildcats had Derek Anderson and have the best guard troika in the country in Larry Davis, BJ McKie and Melvin Watson.
Others: Duke (22-6), has won seven of last eight; Georgetown (18-8) has won seven of last eight.
Five teams that are fading:
Stanford (16-7): The Washington loss was a killer. The Cardinal might have to win three of its last four games, all at home, to get a bid. Caught a break when California’s star Ed Gray broke his leg. Stanford hosts Cal on Saturday.
Miami (15-10): The Hurricanes seemed poised for first tournament bid since 1960 before their recent four-game losing streak. Now, downgrade them to longshot.
Maryland (20-7): The Terrapins’ NCAA berth is assured, but they have lost five of their last eight and have dropped from fifth to No. 16 in the Associated Press poll. Could end up with double-digit losses.
Michigan (17-10): Biggest waste of talent in the country. The Wolverines are 7-8 in Big Ten after loss to Minnesota on Wednesday.
Virginia (16-11): Talk of the ACC getting six or seven teams got quieter with the Cavaliers losing five of their last six. Strength of conference helps but, at 6-9, Virginia desperately needs a few good victories.
Tulane (19-9): Dropped off the AP map after a two-week stay in early February. The Green Wave is 3-4 after an 11-game winning streak.
Five on the bubble:
Massachusetts (17-12): The Minutemen made a remarkable comeback after a 3-6 start, are 11-3 in the last 14 games, but have hurt their chances with consecutive losses to Dayton and St. Joseph’s.
Temple (17-8): John Chaney’s teams are the quintessential bubble-sitters. The Owls were swept by Rhode Island but defeated St Joseph’s twice and beat up on Conference USA powers with wins over against Cincinnati, Louisville and Tulane.
Purdue (16-10): Recovered from nonconference blowout losses to Oklahoma (24 points) and Texas Christian (28 points) to post big Big Ten wins over Indiana (twice), Michigan, Illinois and Northwestern.
Syracuse (18-10): Closing fast after a horrible start, the Orangemen still have to explain a home loss to Eastern Michigan and that 34-point defeat to Kentucky. A strong showing in the Big East tournament gets them in.
Oklahoma (16-9): It really could have used an upset of No. 1 Kansas. The Sooners will have to show well in Big 12 tournament to offset suspect nonconference schedule.
HONEY, THEY SHRANK THE RIM
Fresno State is 18-10 and on the NCAA tournament fence because the Bulldogs can’t shoot. Jerry Tarkanian built this year’s offense around guards Dominick Young and Kendrick Brooks, which turned out to be a construction mistake.
Last year, the tandem led the nation with 216 three-point baskets, Young setting a Western Athletic Conference record with 120 while shooting 38%. He won four games with last-second three-pointers.
Brooks made nearly 40% of his three-point shots.
This season, Young and Brooks are the Clank Brothers.
Young has launched an incredible 290 three-point shots and made 90 (30.8%); Brooks’ three-point percentage has dipped from 40% in 1995-96 to its current 33%.
A sampling of Young’s three-point performances: Louisiana State (two for 13), Southwest Missouri State (three for 14), Air Force (four for 17), Nevada Las Vegas (two games: four for 22).
“I thought Dominick was the best shooter I’d ever coached last year,” Tarkanian said recently. “I thought he was a better shooter than Anderson Hunt or anybody I ever had. I cannot believe it.”
Is there light at the end of the net?
After tournament-damaging losses to Air Force and UNLV, Fresno State has rebounded with wins against Wyoming and Colorado State.
Against the Rams, Young made six of 19 three-pointers; Brooks was four for seven.
The Bulldogs have to move fast to make the NCAA tournament, starting tonight with a crucial Pacific Division showdown at Hawaii (19-5, 11-3).
Fresno State is 13-0 at home this season, 5-10 away from Selland Arena.
Aloha.
LOOSE ENDS
Mississippi has clinched the SEC’s Western Division title, the school’s first regular-season title since starting play in 1908-09.
At 18-7 after Wednesday’s victory over LSU, Ole Miss has all but secured its second NCAA berth. The SEC West may be down, but the Rebels are 4-2 against the more powerful East, with victories over Kentucky, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. “We’re doing everything that should be done to secure an NCAA berth,” Coach Rob Evans says.
Word is Duke assistant Tommy Amaker wanted the Northwestern job but the school wasn’t interested because he snubbed the Wildcats a few years back.
Kansas can be seeded No. 1 in the Midwest Regional, but it cannot play first- and second-round games at Kemper Arena, because the school is hosting the sub-regional. If Kansas stays in the Midwest, it would have to open at Auburn Hills, Mich. The school is lobbying for the No. 1 seeding in the Southeast with first-round games at the Pyramid in Memphis.
Believe it or not: Indiana Coach Bob Knight’s ejection from last weekend’s win against Northwestern was his first this season.
