The purpose of the gathering ostensibly was to evaluate four fringe NBA prospects who might or might not be available to the 76ers with the 50th pick in the June 26 draft.

But yesterday's appearance at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine by Drexel's Robert Battle, Detroit Mercy's Willie Green, Indiana's Jeff Newton and Salem International's Wykeen Kelly merely served as subplot to a larger drama. The key figures at the 50-minute workout were two older men whose competition is of far greater interest to the public than the one the would-be rookies were engaged in for a possible seat at the end of the Sixers' bench.

You couldn't blame Sixers assistants Randy Ayers and Mike Woodson, both of whom are in the running to succeed Larry Brown, if they were checking out each other as much as they were checking out the players on the court. When it comes to head-coaching positions in as exclusive a fraternity as the NBA, no silver medals are handed out for finishing second.

"I think they're both great candidates," said another Sixers assistant, Bob Bender, who ran the workout and is likely to remain on staff, particularly if Ayers or Woodson is selected by team president Billy King. "It's a tough decision to be made, no doubt about it.