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SIXR18.htm
The Philadelphia Inquirer Sports
Wednesday, June 18, 1997
Sixers audition 2 who could fill Coleman's spot
[INLINE]
By Stephen A. Smith
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
If the 76ers are truly looking to replace power forward Derrick
Coleman, their real search started yesterday.
After entertaining Villanova small forward Tim Thomas last week, the
Sixers held their second interview and workout session yesterday,
bringing power forwards Tony Battie and Adonal Foyle to their
Springfield Healthplex practice facility.
Preparing to use their No. 2-overall pick, the Sixers wanted to see
whether either big man had the skills to contribute immediately to
their struggling franchise. At least one person hopes he's erased any
doubts.
``I'm a competitor,'' said Battie, an honorable mention all-American
who averaged 18.8 points in his junior, and final, season at Texas
Tech. ``My dream is to be in the NBA. If it was up to me, I'd love to
play here with the Sixers.
``They have a young group of guys, a new coaching staff, and I truly
do think Allen Iverson is the premier guard in the league. I'd love to
play with him, along with Jerry Stackhouse, and be a part of this
franchise.''
Coleman, the petulant former all-star who has said he wants out of
Philadelphia, was the key ingredient to yesterday's visits.
Bruised calves and a hurt pinky -- injuries Coleman suffered from last
season -- won't set well with coach Larry Brown, despite Coleman's
averages of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Brown has made it clear that he
wants players who want to play as if their very lives depended on it.
Battie and Foyle, seemingly, fit the bill.
After two years in the background, playing behind Jason Sasser and
Darvin Ham, Battie responded to the spotlight last season, averaging
11.8 rebounds (fourth in the nation) and was the only player in the
Big Twelve ranked among the top five in scoring, rebounding,
field-goal percentage and blocked shots (2.5).
Statistically, Foyle was much better.
The third-team all-American was the nation's third-leading scorer
(24.4), its second-leading rebounder (13.1) and its top shot-blocker
(6.42). He also won his conference's player of the year award twice.
But the accolades stop there.
``I was in the Patriot League,'' said Foyle, a native of Canovan in
the British West Indies, who also left college after his junior year.
``That's a much weaker league. It reached a point where I knew that I
couldn't improve in the Patriot League. Staying another year would
have been a total academic decision, which was also an issue.
``Because I chose Colgate coming out of high school, people still see
me as a student and try to use me as an example of how everyone should
be in a certain respect. I think what got lost in it all is that I've
always been very interested in becoming a professional basketball
player. Staying another year at Colgate would have frustrated me.
There's nothing else to prove. There's a lot to prove on this level.''
One would be Foyle's offensive repertoire, which is limited -- at best
-- by NBA standards. Known as a defensive, bruising force coming out
of Hamilton (N.Y.) High School, offense has always been the question
mark surrounding his game.
Battie doesn't have that problem. A 6-foot-7, 185-pound forward at
South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, he harnessed his perimeter
skills by facing the basket. Once he arrived at Tech and rose to 6-11,
he played with his back to it.
The result was 57.9 percent field-goal shooting and a resume that's
pushed him from a virtual unknown into a surefire top-five lottery
selection.
``The kid is a ballplayer,'' Brown has said repeatedly.
Which puts the Sixers in good position, because that's exactly what
they'll need if they hope to replace Coleman anytime soon.
_________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Online -- The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sports -- Copyright
Wednesday, June 18, 1997