Hooties's Revenge

Hootie evolved like this: Bryan and Felber both grew up in Gaithersburg, Md., and played in the same high school band, called Missing in Action. Bryan heard Charleston native Rucker singing in the shower at USC. Both Bryan and Rucker were studying broadcast journalism (Rucker still hopes to work for ESPN someday). They formed a duo and began performing at a college hangout called Pappy's, mostly playing R.E.M. covers. They eventually persuaded Felber, who was a finance major, to join, adding Chicago-native Sonefeld, who came to USC on a soccer scholarship, in 1989. (None of them, surprisingly, was a member of a fraternity.) The name Hootie & the Blowfish came from the nicknames Rucker gave to two of his friends, one of whom wore owlish glasses (Hootie) and one of whom was jowly (Blowfish).

Harmon signed on in 1990. Working out of his apartment, he began booking the bands in clubs in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Raleigh, N.C., and Greensboro, N.C., and instituting what he calls Hootie's tradition of ''doing business with a smile and a handshake.'' Says Harmon, ''We've never expected to be treated like anything except a band from South Carolina. We're exactly the same today.''

With a few welcome exceptions. They are richer, which means they no longer have to subsist on noodle soups for days at a time. And they are savvier, which means that they have come to understand the foolishness of relying only on a smile and a handshake; a disastrous record deal with a small indie in California cured them of that. After promising to put out Hootie's first album, the company went bankrupt.

At the urging of Felber, they had formed their own corporation, Fishco, to protect themselves financially. They also came up with enough money to put out their own EP in 1992, Kootchypop, which came to the attention of Atlantic talent scout Tim Sommer after it had sold an amazing 50,000 copies. ''We live in the age of mope rock,'' says Sommer. ''In the '80s and early '90s, bands used grunge and nihilism as a pose. They wore it like '70s rockers wore hairspray. But I knew there was a niche out there for a band with a great attitude.''

It's an attitude that pays off on stage and off. The band remains intensely close after nearly a decade together and has successfully deflected barbs about Rucker's being the sole African-American with three white guys. Says Sonefeld, ''It can be a sensitive issue. But if someone's a racist, we believe absolutely in ignoring them and moving on. And the great thing about our band is that most people meet us and a few minutes later forget that one of us is black.'' Sonefeld says he and his bandmates feel protective of Rucker, who still grieves for his mother. The inspiration for his song ''I'm Goin' Home,'' Carolyn Rucker died of a heart attack at 51 in 1992. ''She was my best friend, and not a day goes by that I don't think of her,'' says Rucker, one of six kids whose father was largely absent. ''I wish she was here to see all our success.'' Says Sonefeld, ''Darius seems like the extrovert, but he can be pretty troubled, too. He needs us as his friends.''

All four continue to live in Columbia, and Rucker and Felber still share a $750-per-month apartment, not far from Bryan and Sonefeld. ''I don't know what I'd do without Dean,'' says Rucker. ''He's my best friend, my brother. I love him.''

It's close to 3 p.m., and the video shoot is over. But the NBA players are offering to go one-on-one with Hootie & the Blowfish and give them a 20-point lead. First team to get to 26 by 2 points wins. Less than a half hour later, the boys from South Carolina, drenched with sweat, lose the game 27-25. ''As ballplayers, they make pretty good singers,'' chuckles Walt Williams, towering over the band.

But for Hootie & the Blowfish, it's a hoop dream. ''That right there,'' says Bryan, his face flushed dark red, ''was one of the coolest moments of my life.'' Watching from the sidelines, Rusty Harmon smiles. ''It's what every guy wants,'' he says. ''Play ball with the pros, play golf with the pros, go on the road, play guitar, drink beer. It's the dream, and they're living it.''