USD Football 1993

TOUCHDOWN ILLUSTRATED Basketball Preview

Progress by 6-9 Deon Thomas and 6-5 Richard Keene, a freshman, had a lot to do with last season's 19-13 overall record and a share of third place with Iowa in the final Big Ten standings. Thomas, probably the conference's number-one inside threat offensively in '93, has 1,581 career points and is within striking distance of the school mark of 1,692 held by Eddie Johnson. Henson is loaded with talent this sea- son . Returning players include Thomas, Keene, 6-6 Robert Bennett, 6-4 T.J. Wheeler, 6-0 Rennie Clemons and 6-9 redshirt Chris Candy. They'll be buttressed by one of the nation's top recruiting classes: 6-2 Kiwane Carris, 6-6 Jerry Hester, 6-9 Shelly Clark and 7-4 Thomas Hamilton. Indiana. T here was no denying it. The No. 1- ranked Hoosiers weren't the same without 6-9 Alan Henderson playing on a sound right knee. His injury, a torn ligament suffered in practice on Feb. 19, further thinned a roster that was already strained to the limit. The Indiana depth deficiencies were never more apparent than against Kansas in the NCAA Midwest Regional champi- onship game. Indiana's gutsy group of 10 players held the fort for as long as possible, but shrewd substituting by Kansas coach Roy Williams wore down the Hoosiers 83-77. Henderson, his knee encased in a red brace, played briefly against Wright State, Xavier (OH), Louisville and Kansas in t h e tournament, but hi s limited mobility became an increasing prob- lem. His injury cost Indiana 11.9 points and 8.6 rebounds a game. Brian Evans, a left-handed shooter, played against Kansas with a broken right thumb. When Indiana coach Bob Knight packed the basketballs into storage, he did so awash with optimism about this season. Though he'll be without Calbert Cheaney, the

1993 Player of the Year, he has Henderson, 6-9 Evans, 6-3 Damon Bailey, 6-5 Pat Graham, 6-3 Todd Leary and 6-6 Pat Knight, his son, who dunked against Wright State, thereby establishing a fami ly NCAA tournament record. His father never experienced the euphoria of a slam when he was at Ohio State. Todd Lindeman, a 7-0 redshirt, is available, joining Knight's incoming freshmen: 6-10 Robb ie Eggers, 6-4 Robert Foster, 6-2 Steve Hart, 7-0 Richard Mandeville, 6-5 Monte Marcaccini and 6-4 Sherron Wilkerson. Kentucky. B asketball isn't bigger than life in the bluegrass state, it's more than that. Example: Of the 16,000 season tickets for games at Rupp Arena, 24 were not claimed last season. A draw- ing for the 24 produced 7,000 requests. UK represents one corner of a triangle in which hoops interest may be unprecedented nationally.

The schools sitting at the other points are Indiana and Louisville. More than 8,000 spectators showed up to watch Kentucky's practice at Louisville's Freedom Hall on the eve of the Wi ldcats' game with the Cardinals in December. Rick Pitino has raised the Wildcats from the ashes of NCAA probation. In four sea- sons they have gone 14-14, 22-6, 29-7 and 30-4. Kentucky shredded Rider, Utah, Wake Forest and Florida State in the NCAA Southeast Regional by an average of 31 points en route to the Final Four in New Orleans, where the 'Cats were stopped in an 81-78 overtime loss to Michigan. Last sea- son Kentucky was as subtle as a steamroller. Pitino played as many as 11 in a game, usually wearing down the opposition. The Cats were easy to scout but not easy to play. Ten players averaged at least 10 minutes on the floor during the season. Depth was but one of Kentucky's weapons. Pitino lives and dies by the three- pointer. During his stay in Lexington, the 'Cats have outscored their foes in 127 games from three-point distance by an average of 15.4 points. Last sea- son, Kentucky made more treys than their opponents in 32 of 34 games. Jamal Mashburn, number four on the school's all-time list of leading scor- ers, left early for the NBA draft, but Pitino's bench remains deep, with 5-9 Travis Ford (101 of 191 threes last season), 6-6 Rodrick Rhodes, 6-10 Rodney Dent, 6-8 Cimel Martinez, 6- 9 Jared Prickett, 6-1 Tony Delk, 6-9 Aminu Timberlake, 6-5 Jeff Brassow and 6-9 Andre Riddick. Minnesota. "This makes up for the snub," said Gophers coach Clem Haskins after his team held off Georgetown 62-61 for the school's first National Invitation Tournament championship in 97 years. Minnesota players and

Georgeto111n's Othella Harri11gto11 is the neiv beast in the East, and the Hoyas' latest center ofattention.