European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 26, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 38 the stars and stripes sports 1 Friday nov my of 28,1993 cose is Una season Jim Luke not playing by the rules was supposed to Costa Burn a Chance at the National championship. In Stead it could be the very thing that guarantees one. And in this most unruly col lege football season that would be just heading into the weekend three teams in division 1-a were still unbeaten and a Burn was one of them. Owing to an Mcaa imposed ban on postseason play the tigers arc the Only one certain to finish that Way. We be played 11 game Sand won them All. West Vir Ginia and Nebraska have theirs but they still have to play their Lith Auburn s first year coach Terr Bowden said tuesday. And they Nave to win. Because if we wind up the Only undefeated teaming the country we not Only could be National champs he said we should be. There s nothing irrational about irrational no not without a playoff. But irritating no doubt. The idea that a team it just slapped with probation would win it All might be unsettling to the Mcaa but it is hardly unprecedented. Auburn in fact claimed a share of its first and so far Only title while on probation in 1957, going 10-0 and Topping the associated press Noil of sports writers. Coaches barred from voting for the tigers commentary that season awarded their share of the title to an 8-1ohio state team. Likewise an unbeaten 11-0 Oklahoma team topped the a poll White on probation in 1974. The other half share that season went to 9-1-1 Southern Gal. It is easy to look ahead to Jan. 2 and envision a Simi Lar scenario. West Virginia travels to play Boston col lege and Nebraska plays Host to Oklahoma they escape with records intact the two could be matched in a bowl ensuring at least one completes the season unbeaten. Anything Short of that however no matter How theother bowls turn out gives Auburn an airtight Case for at least half a championship. Would it Send the wrong message Bowde repeated. I Don t think so. It s like any situation where you have a set of rules or policies or bylaws Al ready in place. One poll prohibits people from voting for us the other does not. So whether i think it Sright or wrong morally speaking is irrelevant. But the thing that makes me feel a Little better i this the violations involved players already gone from this program. And the final Mcaa report said we gained no competitive advantage or any Edge in recruiting from what happened. And this was a team that was5-5-1 the season before. I m not trying to say it was right Bowden said finally just Why this team should do there Are other reasons. After losing their coach athletic director and University president when the Mcaa concluded some past players were paid for their time the tigers survived their Southeastern conference schedule were victories Over Florida and Tennessee two teams that will play for the Sec title As Well a archrival and defending National Champion Alabama. Indeed with a Little More Strid ency Bowden could argue Auburn should be no. 1 right now. Perhaps the reason he won t is because the team ranked jus two places ahead of his in both the a and bowl coalition polls Florida state is coached by his father Bobby Bowden. Then again should the House of cards that the National championship selection process has become collapse exactly right it s possible Florida state Willet the nod from the coaches and Auburn the nod from s two polls Bowden said. We can t be in one. I Hope he gets that one. I Hope we Metthe Otheron. Should the Breaks go some other Way the Younge Bowden is prepared to live with that too. Should a Burn reach no. 2 in the coalition poll a composite of the coaches and writers polls it would prevent anything resembling a real National championship match from being staged this season. The coalition poll was supposed to make thing different but it Only made for different arguments. Maybe it would have killed our chances this Tim around because we d be ineligible Bowden said but i still feel like we need a playoff.". Exactly. Coach of loaded Temple frets Only about his Bench by Jimo Connell a basketball write Rit s about As close to gushing As John Chancy Ever gets and he was still Quick with a qualifier. They re poised confident and ready to play and know we be got some Good ones the Temple coach said in assessing his team. The but could t be far behind. But obviously i concerned about the Bench. Chancy has All five starters Bac from the team that finished 20-11 and scared Michigan in the West regional final last year. Aaron Mckie Eddie Jones Andrick Brunson Are about the Best Trio of perimeter players in the country and 6-foot-11 William Cunningham provides a presence in the Middle. Chancy Aaron Eddie and Rick have come along to play the game with their Heads realizing what is important As far As Whalton do with the Ball and How to play the defences we want Chancy said his face As always looking like that of a Man in discomfort if not pain. William though has t shown that. We need him to rebound stay in the game by avoiding fouls and be there for us at the end of the game with free throws. Our Suc Cess will depend on him and i really Don t know if he s there led the Atlantic 10 in scoring last season at 20.6, and Jones was t far behind at 17 per game. The combined for 13 rebounds per game More than triple Cunningham s 3.8. Brunson has Learned to play the Point after a Scholas tic career As a scorer and he averaged 14 Points and 4.5 assists last season. The Bench is a legitimate concern even for a team that spends most of the game in Chaney s famous 3-2 zone. Jason Ivey was the top sub last year and hell be i again this year Chancy said. Otherwise i m not sure what Well be Atlantic 10 ended last season on its highest note Ever with four teams making the Field of 64 and All win Ning at least one game in the tournament. It should match the same number of bids this season despite a Large roster turnover for everybody but , the league Champion the last two sea sons adds freshman big Man Marcus Caraby and swing Man Donta Bright a prop 48 Sophomore. Junior Forward Lou Roe will be Given the Chance to College basketball East preview make the minutemen his team and coach John Calipari needs him to take Over. George Washington lost three starters from last sea son s team that reached the regional semifinals but the big Man is Back. Nigeria native Yinka dare led the league i rebounds 10.3 and blocked shots 2.8 last season As a freshman and the 7-1 265-Pounder can be a National Impact player if the guards can hit from the outside. West Virginia has four starters Back led by Marsali Basey who led the league at 5.5 assists per game last sea son. The big East was Down last season when none of the three Mcaa teams made it past the second round. The Odds Are better this year because Syracuse is off probation and eligible for postseason play. The orangemen won t have a whole lot of size but the backcourt of Adrian Autry and Lawrence Moten is Strong and Sophomore John Wallace leads a Small but solid frontline. Georgetown has a top notch Center and no one to shoot the bail from the outside. Haven t we seen this before Sophomore Otholla Harrington led the Hoy As to the nit championship game and his Success will depend on some body s making shots to break up collapsing defences. It s Point guard Joey Brown s last Chance to run a Well mixed offence. Boston College has All five starters Back but it seem the eagles have been in that situation for the last few years. Connecticut and St. John s will both rely on new Comers for Success. St. John s will lean heavily on 6-6 swing Man James Scott the Only two time Junior Colleg Eail american besides Larry Johnson. Connecticut needs 6-5 israeli Doron Sheffer to get Theoff Ense moving so the huskies can take advantage of for Ward Donyell Marshall. Manhattan earned its first Mcaa bid in 35 years Las season and the jaspers could make it two. Straight metro Atlantic athletic conference titles despite losing player of the year Keith Bullock. The Ivy league plays a round Robin schedule to deter mine a Champion and see who gets the right to scare a highly ranked team in the first round of the Mcaa tournament. Penn went through the league unbeaten last year and then gave Massachusetts All it could handle. The quakers have All five starters Back led by the backcourt of Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney. If for Dhara can vie for the Patriot league title it chances resting on the outside shooting of leu Transfer Dan Mascia. Eddie Jones shooting against a Khugia la "93 Mcaa tourney is out Itasca Tor owls optimism this season. The North Atlantic does t have Hartford s Vin Baker to grab National headlines anymore but Drexel is the bes team. The East coast conference took a one year hiatus Las season and it s Back with Troy state the school that broke the 200-Point Mark last season the favorite despite being in its first year in division 1
