Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 18, 1992 TAG: 9202180078
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
JONES SAYS SCHEDULE PART OF TEAM'S PROBLEM
Virginia basketball coach Jeff Jones holds himself at least partly to blame for a schedule that includes fewer home games than any other ACC team."In retrospect, I wonder if I shouldn't have been more of a jerk and broken contracts or found some other way to get out of games," Jones said.
"From now on, it won't be my name on the contracts, but I'll have a lot more say."
Jones said the Cavaliers' 1992-93 schedule contains 15 home games, which is the average for the rest of the ACC. This year, Virginia had 12.
"I think it's the No. 1 reason we're in the situation we are," said Jones, whose team has virtually played itself out of NCAA Tournament contention at 11-10. "Two more wins early in the season and I think people would be looking at us in a different light."
Jones said only two of this year's nonconference games, against William and Mary and Pennsylvania, were scheduled after he became coach.
Associate athletic director Jim West took over scheduling from the time former coach Terry Holland resigned in 1989 until Jones was hired in 1990. However, West said road games this year with Alabama, New Orleans and Stanford were scheduled before Holland resigned.
"We played in the Times-Dispatch Tournament [in Richmond], which took away two games we could have played at home," West observed.
Craig Littlepage, a former assistant under Holland, has been in charge of scheduling since being named assistant athletic director in the spring of 1990.
"There was a period, due to the lame-duck status of the coaching staff, when Craig wasn't involved," Jones said. "I have no idea when certain contracts were signed."
\ Jason Williford, a freshman guard, played as many minutes Saturday in the Cavaliers' 69-60 loss to Wake Forest as he had in UVa's first 20 games of the season.
Williford, who had played a total of 13 minutes in five previous games, made an appearance before halftime Saturday and at one point was one of four UVa freshmen on the court - with Cory Alexander, Junior Burrough and Yuri Barnes.
"It wasn't by design," Jones said. "We put in Yuri for Junior and then Ted [Jeffries] told us he was tired. I wasn't aware we were playing four freshmen till I saw them out there."
Williford, who is 6 feet 5, received increased practice time with the first team when Cornel Parker left the team for a short time. Indeed, Jones intended to use Williford - but didn't - to spell Bryant Stith against Virginia Tech.
"I definitely expect to use him in games from here on out," Jones said. "How many minutes he plays will be affected by matchups."
Williford, who had scored 11 points in 13 minutes before Saturday, did not take a shot against the Deacs until he launched a desperation 3-pointer with seconds left.
\ Jones said Parker, who has played in two games since returning to uniform, has not indicated he will transfer after the season. Jones made it clear to Parker, a sophomore, that he should not return to the team if did not plan to remain at UVa past this season.
\ Stith has taken over second-place on UVa's all-time scoring list with 2,250 points - 67 behind leader Jeff Lamp with at least six games remaining. Stith also has moved into third place on the Cavaliers' career rebound list with 764 - 35 behind No. 2 Steve Castellan, but more than 700 behind leader Ralph Sampson.