Here's who'll step to the fore to join the big three

Sporting News, The, Jan 20, 1997 by Mike DeCourcy

If you were to get all of your information from television, it would be easy to get the idea greatness is in short supply. Nearly every announcer of every game informs us that there is Kansas, Wake Forest and Kentucky, and there is everyone else.

"It doesn't matter, because when it comes down to it, I know this team is going to be there," Cincinnati guard Damon Flint says. "And then everybody's going to talk Cincinnati again."

The message from the Bearcats and several others is this: The club is not that exclusive. Cincinnati, Clemson and Minnesota belong, too. Arizona, Iowa State, Louisville and Utah are in the neighborhood. Xavier, New Mexico and Maryland have applications pending.

There are a whole lot of excellent teams that either didn't achieve the same December success as Kansas and Wake or saw their success go under appreciated. They are here to say it will not be a three-horse race to the Final Four:

Cincinnati (even): A bunch of folks have for gotten this was a popular No. 1 choice in the preseason, and they also fail to remember the Bearcats held a 16-point lead on the Jay-hawks before All-America forward Danny Fortson encountered foul trouble.

Fortson has more help inside now, with 6-8 freshman center Kenyon Martin becoming eligible in January. Cincinnati followed a 2-2 start with nine consecutive victories. Small forward Ruben Patterson is developing as a scorer (14.9) and rebounder (7.2). Flint, playing both backcourt positions, has a 3-to-1 assists-to-turnovers ratio. The Bearcats still are not shooting well enough from 3-point range (.293), but lately they're shooting less often.

"We're not close to being as good as we can be," Fortson says.

Clemson (3-1): The Tigers opened with a victory over Kentucky, and the only slip since was a loss to Minnesota. Somehow, this kept them from being discussed as one of the elite, despite depth, experience and a series of capable victims in a 10-game winning streak, including Virginia, Duke and Florida State.

The injuries that damaged the Tigers last season have not visited this year, and they're better equipped to deal with such problems anyway. Coach Rick Barnes uses 10 players regularly.

Forward Greg Buckner is shooting 54 percent, and point guard Terrell McIntyre has an assists-to-turnovers ratio of better than 3-to-1. This is not a team with a dominant inside scorer on offense, but neither was Kentucky last season.

Minnesota (5-1): The Gophers may be the nation's most intriguing team, because no one knows quite what to make of any Big Ten power after the league's tournament flops the past two seasons. Considering their victories over West Virginia, Clemson and Rhode Island, along with Big Ten opponents Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, it's possible no one has beaten more quality teams.

Minnesota depends on no one player to carry the offense, although the scoring is weighted a bit too strongly toward the perimeter game. The Gophers' physical defense ranks No. 3 in field-goal percentage, which means the other guys probably won't shoot well if the Minnesotans have an off night.

Arizona (10-1): The only losses were to New Mexico and Michigan, both on the road, and the Wildcats beat North Carolina, Texas, Utah and Stanford--all without guard Miles Simon. Upon his return from academic ineligibility, Simon tossed in 18 points to lead an eight-point victory over Arizona State. There is not the frontcourt muscle necessary to feel completely confident about a Final Four run, but if the Wildcats can avoid power teams like Minnesota, Wake and Cincinnati, they could advance several steps in the tournament.

Iowa State (12-1): Although the Cyclones did not play the strongest non-conference schedule, their defensive ability makes them a threat to any NCAA opponent. Ask Oklahoma, which shot 33 percent and scored 55 points in losing to Iowa State by 27.

Louisville (15-1): Not big enough. Not deep enough. But maybe good enough, given that the Cards have lost only to Kentucky, a game that was close until the Wildcats' depth carried them to a 2 point margin in the final five minutes. DeJuan Wheat is the nation's most dynamic point guard, Brevin Knight and Jacque Vaughn notwithstanding.

Utah (20-1): Opportunities to make the nation believe (Arizona, Wake Forest) were blown in December, but Keith Van Horn and Rick Majerus keep the Utes near the top.

The field (8-1): Along with Xavier, New Mexico and Maryland, there are several others that could emerge as serious Final Four contenders, the way Mississippi State did last season. The most likely are Boston College, Stanford and Marquette, which managed not to climb in the polls but played some decent basketball.

Chicago hopeless

If you sort through the rosters of NBA teams and examine the hometowns of the various players, you're likely to conclude no city produces more talent than Chicago. Apparently, it has all blown elsewhere.

There are six Division I teams in and around the city, and only Northeastern Illinois has cause to walk proudly through its windy streets. The Golden Eagles ended last week with a 9-3 record and are strong contenders for the Mid-Continent Conference title, having dropped a game to defending champion Valparaiso by a mere basket, 82-80.