Columnist Steve Carp: Some teams getting key players back just in time

Steve Carp

Friday, Dec. 18, 1998 | 9:23 a.m.

Steve Carp's college basketball notebook appears Friday. Reach him at carp@lasvegassun.com or 259-4087.

For a handful of players, either there's still time to give thanks or Christmas has come early.

After sitting out the first 5-6 weeks of the season for a variety of transgressions, Saturday marks the debut for Arizona State's Mike Batiste, LaSalle's Rasual Butler and New Mexico's Kenny Thomas.

For the players and their coaches, it's like Opening Day, Part 2.

Some players, like SMU's Renaldo Bratton, had to sit out a year after transferring from another Division I school. Others, like Brigham Young's Mekeli Wesley, were sidelined for violations of school policy. Thomas had cut a deal with the NCAA to settle his freshman eligibility case from three years ago while Batiste was academically ineligible.

But regardless of the story, the players are excited to be back on the floor. So are their coaches.

"It's like starting over," Cincinnati forward Jermaine Tate said after rejoining the Bearcats Monday. "We're winning games and I want to be part of that."

Tate had to wait after transferring from Ohio State. He makes Cincinnati, the fourth-ranked team in the country which plays UNLV Saturday in the Las Vegas Shootout, an even more imposing squad.

Other teams aren't as deep as Bob Huggins' squad. So an infusion of talent is huge. LaSalle has been struggling badly at 1-4. But when Butler joins the team Saturday, the Explorers figure to get better quickly. Anthony Grundy will provide a shot in the arm for North Carolina State and Jimmie Hunter figures to help Memphis.

At Fresno State, the timing of Willie Farley's return couldn't have been better for Jerry Tarkanian. Guard Chris Herren is out the next two weeks with a severe ankle sprain and Farley, who quit the team last year over a lack of playing time, figures to get more minutes the second time around. Or at least while Herren is on the shelf.

Wesley's return also comes at an important time for BYU. Bret Jepsen's been out for a couple of weeks and Silester Rivers is at 50 percent after two knee operations.

"We may not see immediate effects because he'll need a few games to get his conditioning in, but his presence inside will be huge for us," BYU's Steve Cleveland said. "He gives us a scoring presence in the post and we desperately need that."

Arizona State will welcome back Batiste, its leading returning scorer, with open arms. Having the 6-8 Batiste on the floor takes the pressure off forward Bobby Lazor and guard Eddie House, who have tried to hold things together for first-year coach Rob Evans.

"We're a completely different team with Mike in there," Evans said.

Of course, whenever you bring new players in there's a period of adjustment, no matter how good he may be. And it also means someone will have to sit. That can hurt team chemistry.

SMU's Mike Dement has to figure out what to do now that he has Stephen Woods back at the point and Jeryl Sasser back at the shooting guard. He has been getting big-time production from Chad Elsey, the team's leading scorer at 18.2 per game. Now, he has to fit the talented Bratton into the lineup.

But that's a problem most coaches wouldn't mind dealing with. It beats asking a manager to suit up or trying to convince a football player to put on a pair of shorts.

Pass the Kleenex

If you're looking for a Christmas present for Iona coach Jeff Ruland and his players, here's a suggestion -- a hanky or a box of tissue.

Ruland, who took over for Tim Welsh at the small private Catholic school just north of New York City, is having a rough go of it. The Gaels, who nearly upset Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last March, are finding the going a lot tougher this year.

The latest setback for 3-5 Iona came at the hands of St. Francis, 82-68. The Terriers, coached by former UNLV assistant Ron Ganulin, were picked to win the Northeast Conference title before the season and this was a nice win.

Iona's Jason Young said, "We got beat by Fordham, Hofstra and St. Francis. I don't know if you can get any lower than that."

Ruland, who at 6-foot-10 remains an imposing figure, all but accused some of his veterans of quitting on the season. He is threatening to clean house if Iona, which was favored to win the Metro Atlantic, doesn't turn it around quickly.

"It's only eight games," Ruland said. "But how low can you go?"

The RPI blues

It's amazing what a loss can do to a program. A week ago, Ohio University sat atop the Ratings Percentage Index chart, ahead of heavyweights such as Duke, Connecticut and Maryland.

Then the Bobcats lost to Cleveland State. This week, Ohio is ranked No. 88 in the RPI.

Maryland has claimed the top spot despite its loss at Kentucky. Kansas is second followed by Stanford, Indiana and Purdue. Remember, the RPI factors in the strength of schedule, opponents' strength of schedule and does not count wins over non-Division I opponents.

The Big Ten has the top conference ranking. The WAC still hasn't cracked the top 10. It sits at No. 11. UNLV is No. 122 in this week's RPI poll.

The Fraud Five

Please give a hearty welcome back to Tennessee, which according to some fans, should never have left the Fraud Five. And while you're at it, a round of applause for 5-4 Utah, which also returns after a week's hiatus and a loss to Texas.

1. Xavier (5-4) -- X-Men are No. 2 in the 'Nati but No. 1 Frauds.

2. Massachusetts (2-5) -- Beating Boston College doesn't get UMass off hook.

3. Tennessee (6-3) -- Nice tank job vs. St. Joe's.

4. Utah (5-4) -- Is it too late for Britton Johnsen to call of his mission?

5. Auburn (10-0) -- Two more cupcakes and Cliff Ellis has a dozen.

Hoop du jour

The Big 12 has been involved in a bunch of nail-biters so far this season. Of the 33 losses the conference had suffered heading into this week's play, 21 had been decided by nine points or less and 17 of those were by five or less. Three of Texas' five losses have been by five or fewer points. ... Valparaiso is out to prove last year wasn't a fluke as the Crusaders are sporting an 8-3 record and are off to a 2-0 start in Mid-Continent Conference play. ... If you're looking for a sleeper team in the East, keep an eye on Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are playing very good basketball and are 7-1 heading into Saturday's game with Temple. Second-year coach Kevin Bannon is doing a nice job in bringing some excitement back to the Louis Brown Athletic Center, more affectionately known by locals as "The RAC." ... Tulsa closed out a successful run at the Convention Center Arena last week when the Golden Hurricane beat Oral Roberts. The team moves into its new digs, the 8,310-seat Reynolds Center, Dec. 29 against Cleveland State. Tulsa played 315 games downtown and won 80 percent of them, sporting a 252-63 record. ... Must-see TV -- Tuesday's Jimmy V Classic at the Meadowlands -- South Carolina vs. Purdue and Duke-Kentucky, both on ESPN, which will be followed by Oklahoma State-UNLV as part of a tripleheader.