DUNCAN GIVES IT THE OLD COLLEGE TRY.

Byline: Jim Litke Associated Press 

Tim Duncan wears a gray T-shirt and a scowl. The T-shirt says Wake Forest. The scowl says a 6-foot-11 frame does not fit comfortably inside a fishbowl.

A decade ago, it was still news when someone with Duncan's talent skipped out after a season or two of college ball to turn pro. Now the man-bites-dog aspect of the story has turned 180 degrees. Now Duncan is regarded as something of a freak, because he put off collecting the millions waiting for him in the NBA to play four years at Wake Forest.

At every stop, since the start of last season, somebody else wants to know why. Tuesday night in Chicago was no different. A half-hour after Duncan led the No. 2-ranked Demon Deacons in a 74-43 rout of Mississippi State in the Great Eight tournament, the question came from the back of the room.

``Why did you stay in school?''

Duncan has answered it poignantly: His father made a promise to his dying mother that her son would get his degree. He has answered it practically: His game needs work. He has even answered it prophetically: He sees himself in the Final Four.

Duncan has answered it so many times in so many ways that there are days when he absolutely refuses to do it even once more.

He will graduate with a degree in psychology next spring, but he is not interested in being portrayed as the poster boy for virtue, patience, higher education or anything else. He will be certainly be a more complete pro than many of the kids who left school early, but he does not want to be compared to them or anyone else.

Duncan has learned everybody has his own agenda. Nothing says he has to help them out. So most days, when the subject comes up, he scowls.

``I stayed,'' Duncan said, finally, ``because I like school.''

Even with that being true, some days are clearly better than others. Duncan's performance - 19 points, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots - would be a good week for plenty of the big men in college basketball. But it was only so-so for him.

In return for Duncan's commitment, Wake Forest coach Dave Odom promised to school Duncan on some very specific basketball techniques, with an eye toward earning his living in the NBA. The most important of these is to extend Duncan's effective range as both a scorer and defender from close-in to the basket out to the perimeter.

Unfortunately, they didn't get the chance to work on anything Tuesday night. One moment the score was 9-9, then the Demon Deacons stoned Mississippi State on 12 straight possessions and reeled off 19 consecutive points of their own. The competitive portion of the program was effectively over.

``Even when we executed things right,'' Mississippi State coach Richard Williams groaned, ``Tim just blocked the shots. There's nothing you can do about that. It's talent.''

Williams had two similarly talented kids last season, named Erick Dampier and Dontae' Jones. Both were underclassmen, and both were good enough to become first-round NBA picks last summer. Both left. Williams said any other decision would have been silly - for them.

``I don't know Tim's background,'' he said, ``but I know where our two youngsters came from. For them to have the chance to make that kind of money, leaving was the right choice.''

Of course, that didn't stop Williams from wondering what might have been.

``Sure I would have liked to play Wake with Erick and Dontae' in the lineup,'' he said. ``Absolutely.''

Instead, in their place, Williams was forced to start players he recruited as their backups. A 6-10 freshman named Quentin Smith drew the unenviable task of playing Duncan straight up to start the game. Duncan destroys experienced players in most double-teaming situations. By the time enough help arrived to contain Duncan, Smith had already been sacrificed.

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Photo

Photo: Wake Forest center Tim Duncan is an oddity because he will graduate before going pro.

Associated Press