Carolina is back on its heels for reasons big and small

Sporting News, The, Jan 31, 2000 by Mike DeCourcy

1989

* Tom Abatemarco. After getting an NCAA title ring at NC State with Jim Valvano, Abatemarco led Lamar to 20 wins in 1988 and then spent two seasons at Drake. But he returned to assistant coaching (Colorado, Rutgers) before taking over one of the worst programs in Division I--Sacramento State. He won just one game two seasons ago, but the team started 8-7 this season.

* Rick Barnes. Barnes took Providence to the NCAA tourney three times between 1989-94 and then took Clemson to the tournament three straight seasons before leading a stunning turnaround at Texas last season.

* P.J. Carlesimo. He led Seton Hall to its first winning record in Big East play and the NCAA championship game in '89. He left for the Portland Trail Blazers in 1994. After the choking incident and 2 1/2 seasons at Golden State, he was recently made available to return to the college ranks.

* Lon Kruger. He left Kansas State in 1990 for Florida and has been at Illinois since 1996. Like Barnes, he is one of only a handful of active Division I coaches to have taken three different teams to the NCAA Tournament.

* Pete Gillen. In his second season at Virginia, Gillen enjoyed one of his bigger wins just last week when .his Cavaliers upset North Carolina. Before that, he collected 274 wins in 13 seasons at Xavier and Providence.

1990

* Randy Ayers. The NCAA coach of the year in 1992 after leading Ohio State to a 27-4 record, Ayers lost his job in 1997 and now serves as a Philadelphia 76ers assistant.

* John Calipari. A 76ers assistant with Ayers, Calipari took Massachusetts to the Final Four in 1996 and earned national coach of the year honors. In June 1997, he began a brief stint as the Nets G.M. and head coach. He may return to the college game next season.

* Auburn's Tommy Joe Eagles. After an 11-17 finish in 1994, Eagles left to take over at New Orleans but died in the offseason of a heart problem.

* Tim Floyd. Between 1991 and 1997, Floyd took New Orleans and Iowa State to five NCAA tourney titles. Now he's hoping for a 20-win season--with the Bulls.

* Bob Huggins. After a stint at Akron, Huggins has collected 264 wins in 10-plus seasons at Cincinnati and is looking for his top-ranked Bearcats to take him to his second Final Four.

* Mike Jarvis. After 152 wins in eight seasons at George Washington, Jarvis made a seamless transition to St. John's last season, getting the team within a game of the Final Four.

* Brian Mahoney. Mahoney, an assistant to Lou Carnesecca, did not fare well at the helm of St. John's, losing his job in 1996 after four seasons in which he failed to get much out of his recruits. He was rehired by St. John's as a fund-raiser for the office of development and alumni affairs.

Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for the Cincinnati Enquirer. E-mail him at decourcy@sportingnews.com.