Fans Want More Top
Twenty Match Ups
The St. Andrews basketball team qualified for a third
consecutive trip to the NCAAs’. During the regular
season the squad did an ample amount of traveling to
such states as Florida, New York and Georgia.
However, the Knights didn’t get a sampling of any
competition which they would meet in the NCAA tour
nament. The only team which the Knights played from
the Division Three Top Twenty was North Carolina
Wesleyan.
Personally, I would have liked to see a matchup bet
ween the South’s two top teams, St. Andrews versus
Roanoke College. Also I would have liked to see Head
Coach Doug Riley schedule a team from the rugged
Ohio Valley Conference, the Division Three version of
the Big Ten, which includes perennial power Wittenburg
and last season’s South Regional champion Capital.
North Carolina State Head Coach Jim Valvano
perhaps had the adequate philosophy on how a team
should prepare for NCAA post-season play. Valvano
believes that during the regular season a team should
play in three distinct environments: friendly, hostile and
neutral.
Dwayne
Snowden
A friendly environment is an environment in which
the hostility is directed towards opposing players. A
hostile environment is an environment in which
the hostility is directed towards you unless you’re play
ing against the Cleveland Cavaliers and continually have
to watch the scoreboard because you think you are the
home team.
A neutral environment is one in which everyone from
players to the team doctor are counted on to generate
enough applause to fill an auditoirum because the fans
are confused by thinking they’re in church.
More NCAA notes: The National Invitation Tourna
ment may soon fade into obscurity especially if the
NCAA Tournament is expanded to include all major
colleges and universities.
This move is being talked up by the coaches who want
to see an equal distribution of funds (NCAA- ap
pearance, media, etc.) to all Division One schools.
However, the college game has achieved parity with
each team having an equal number of scholarships and
there is enough of a change in college standings from
year to year that more teams are gaining entry into the
NCAA tournament.
Post-Season Honors
Will Petersen closed a successful collegiate carer by
being selected to the DIAC All-Conference team again.
Petersen finished the season ranked among the nation’s
top scorers.
Marchell Henry was selected to the DIAC Second
Team, although he should have been on the first team as
he averaged double figures in points and rebounds.
Chris Whittington received DIAC Honorable Men
tion status and against North Carolina Wesleyan he
showed why he is one of the top shooters in the con
ference and should qualify among national leaders next
year.
The Dillon sophomore connected on nine of ten shots
from the floor, finished with 20 points and was named
to the DIAC All-Tournament team.
As players play more they gain more maturity. The
same could be said for coaches as they coach in more
games. Doug Riley was named DIAC Coach of the Year
as the Knights achieved an unprecedented third straight
regular season and tournament championship.
The ironic and intricate element of this achievement
in that they 'did it on the runners-up homecourts for
three straight years.
On the women’s side, Eva Pittman gained All Con
ference First Team honors and lead the resurgence of
the Lady Knights who finished 14-11.
Elaine Kelly, the slick ballhandling guard, received
Honorable Mention ranking and showed maturity as the
season progressed.
The Knights in action...
Knights Conclude A
Successful Season MUtorM
By JAY GATZ
Listening to radio
coverage of the St. Andrews-
LeMoyne Owen champion
ship contest in the NCAA
Southern Regional was an
agonizing experience,
because 1 wasn’t able to
taunt the officials or extort
the Knights in presence.
The outcome, a 90-88
overtime loss, left St. An
drews players and fans
deprived of the National Ti
tle for another season and
the “what if” syndrome oc
curred as a means to try to
forget the bitter loss.
What if Marchell Henry
•hadn’t been injured? What if
the Southern Regional had
been held in Laurinburg?
What if sharpshooting
reserve Craig Brehon had
been available to add outside
scoring punch?
Despite the loss Head
Coach Doug Riley and his
players must be credited with
their fine performance under
such adverse conditions.
First, by defeating the host
team in the opening round
and secondly, by not being
totally intimidated by the
much taller LeMoyne-Owen
team.
Will Petersen proved again
why he was All-Everything in
Division Three basketball.
The senior guard scored 39
points in the championship
contest and 28 in the opening
game and couldn’t be denied
his place as the Tourment’s
Most Valuable Player.
For his efforts, Petersen
should be named First Team
All-American and it will be
interesting to see which NBA
squad drafts him. It will also
be interesting to see him give
the United States’ guards fits
during the Pan Am games
this summer.
J.R. Sutton, described by
Head Coach Doug Riley as
the “glue” of the team was
selected to the All Tourna
ment Team for the second
consecutive year. The ver
satile guard is often
overlooked by the media and
the fans, but he is very ex
plosive offensively and will
surface as the team leader
next season.
The Knights will be a good
team despite the graduation
loss of Petersen. Riley has a
knack of recruiting talented
personnel. Also, the in
dividuals remaining for the
1983-84 season have
beeninstilled with a winning
tradition on the collegiate
level (77-14 the past three
seasons) and the . NCAA
Tournament appearances
have made them that much
tougher.
Next season, the Knights
should again be ranked in the
pre-season Top Five and
should be odds-on-favorite
to win a fourth consecutive
.Dixie crown.
....in the NCAA South Regional Tournament
Intramural Activities Announced
By RICK HANNA
Participation in intramural
sports allows the students to
go out and have some fun
while exercising at the same
time, as studying can make a
person truly yearn for some
type of escape for their
frustrations.
The intramural season at
St. Andrews is gearing up to
give students that needed
escape. The intramural ping
pong tournament was won
by Andre Webb who
defeated A1 Gibbs in four
games.
Basketball is slated to start
durijjg the^ second week in
March. This-year the men’s
A and B leagues will be merg
ed and there will also be a
women’s open league.
Games will be played every
Tuesday and Thursday night.
A one day bowhng tourna
ment is also scheduled for
March. Pour member teams
will compete against one
another for the crown.
After the courts cool from
the basketball competition,
volleyball will come to Harris
■Courts. Volleyball compeU-
tion is coed and schedule
for April.
So if you’re seeking ^
much deserved break fro®
the rigors of academia
sure and check the i”
tramural schedule.