IS GETTING ITS DRAFT BOARD READY
SEVEN DAYS to a national championship.
March 25 to April 1, 1985
In Memphis to spend some more time with the Memphis State Tigers. The town is crazy. The basketball program seems a little shady, even to fairly naive eyes. No one knew at the time that the Tigers' appearance in the tournament would end up being vacated because the team used an ineligible player - or about the allegations of point-shaving, for that matter.
It was a classic scene: encouraging signs in every store window, desperate scramble for tickets, joyous preparations everywhere. And in the gym, coach Dana Kirk and his players were trying to sell themselves as the tournament's sentimental favorite, given that the other three teams in the Final Four - Georgetown, St. John's and Villanova - were from the big, bad, Big East.
"I think there's going to be a lot of sentimental pull for the Memphis State Tigers," Kirk said. "We're going to get the people right away that have been against the Big East all year. Some people have yelled and yelled to where they make people mad at them a little bit. Maybe we'll pull those fans over to our side."
Another day in Memphis. More people with blue tiger paws stenciled on their cheeks - like the team's radio guy, who called the regional final game that way.
In Lexington now, setting the scene. Tickets for 23,000-seat Rupp Arena are so tight that they told Adolph Rupp's family to enter the ticket lottery like everybody else. Eventually, the Rupps got some seats from the university.
Face value of the tickets was $21.50. Early in the week, scalpers were asking $300 to $400.
The Wildcats arrive in Lexington to the accompaniment of a fullcourt press from the chamber of commerce: brass band, pretty women all antebellumed up, the whole deal. "It's all really nice," said Dwayne McClain, one of the Villanova seniors. "It just shows how seriously they take their basketball in this state. But the effect of making the Final Four hasn't hit me. I'm not in awe yet . . . I'm waiting for it. I'm waiting for the door to slam in my face."
The Wildcats visited a horse farm. They walked around a mall. Meanwhile, in gift shops around town, the souvenir Final Four pennant on sale contained the names of 20 possible teams. Villanova was not among them. "They were printed up a long time ago," said the lady behind the cash register. "We haven't sold many."
