still questionable
By KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
Assistant Sports Editor
Troy Murphy let loose a pent-up flurry of speculation about his future at Notre Dame Tuesday night.
As Murphy accepted the honor of Big East Player of the Year, he referred to next year, opening a can of worms on a topic kept on the hush-hush since head coach Matt Doherty's request earlier in the season.
"I'd like to take also a special time to say thank you to Coach Doherty," said Murphy, just a sophomore. "You've helped me so much this year, and it's really meant a lot to me to play for you. I just look forward to next year."
After St. John's coach Mike Jarvis predicted back in January that this would be Murphy's last year at the collegiate level, Doherty asked that the subject be kept quiet until after the season.
Murphy brought the subject back to the forefront with his off-the-cuff comment last night. He insisted that the comment was not meant as a declaration that he would return for another year at Notre Dame, but rather a statement of appreciation in an unprepared speech.
"I was just trying to express to Coach Doherty how grateful I was for what he's done this year, and how happy I am that I have the opportunity to play for him," Murphy said. "I haven't really decided. It's something I have to sit down and talk to Coach Doherty about."
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he realized just what he had done.
"I opened up something by saying that," Murphy said. "I should have written something down."
Doherty didn't take the remark too seriously.
"I don't read into it," Doherty said. "I think that he may have just had a slip. It may have been, `Heck, I'm looking forward to next year.' I just think that we're going to do what we originally planned to do and after the season sit down and talk about what he wants to do. It's up to him."
The marquis player and his mentor share a close bond, one that will make Murphy's decision difficult.
"He's a huge reason [that I would stay]," Murphy said. "He's going to be a great influence on my decision because he's been in the position before about talking to people about this kind of stuff."
Murphy's parents and his AAU coach will be key parts of the discussion.
Another factor will be Murphy's realization of how life will change if he opts to leave for the NBA after this year. He's having fun where he's at, enjoying life with his teammates and as a college student.
"The fact that I won't be able to have a good time with the guys on the team in the dorm," Murphy said. "I'll be with guys that are older than me and have families and stuff like that. A lot of people say it is a job and that college basketball's a lot more fun. It's just a decision that you have to make and it's something that I'll do after the season's over."
Murphy has developed rapidly since high school. In two years, he's gone from playing at Delbarton in front of 50 people and eating cheese sandwiches after the game to leading the blue and gold in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd.
But is he ready for the rigor of a physically demanding 82-game NBA schedule?
Murphy's body already takes a bruising in the Big East. But in the NBA, he'll be going up against guys who are much more muscular and more physically imposing than those at the college level.
Another year or two of building up his frame and adding muscle would leave Murphy much better prepared to take on the hard knocks on the road. Staying at Notre Dame would also allow Murphy to improve his defensive skills, the one area in which he may be lacking.
"I think he's gotten better," Doherty said. "But I think he could be really a good defender. I don't think he's where I want him to be or where he wants to be defensively."
It is a tough choice for a 20-year-old: stay in school in hopes of improving your game and draft status or drop out to answer the call of a possible multi-million dollar contract.
Murphy seems better equipped to make the judgment than most guys his age. He has a strong support crew to sound off on in Doherty, his parents and his teammates. And he's not one to jump to quick decisions, balancing the pros and cons of each possibility instead.
"Coach told me it was nice to have this kind of problem," he said, "and it is."
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Observer.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, March 8, 2000
