Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 1, 1993 TAG: 9312010061
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By BRIAN DeVIDO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Cougars return four starters from last year's 18-8 squad that finished second in the district, but three - 6-foot-2 junior guard Eric Webb, 6-2 senior forward Jammon Payne and 6-4 junior center Jon Lilly - are still playing for the defending state champion football team.
"I think we're going to be a good ballclub again," said Cougars head coach Pat Burns, "but it's going to take us longer than everybody else, because we're so far behind. Everybody else in the league is done with football. I hope we can overcome it. We were able to last year."
That said, it's unanimous among the district's coaches that William Fleming is favored to successfully defend its district title.
But that doesn't mean Pulaski is going to let up on the Colonels.
Webb, who averaged 16.5 points and seven rebounds per game last year, and 6-4 junior guard Ty Hash (13.5 ppg) are the Cougars' leaders. Both are highly sought after by several major colleges. Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have shown interest in Webb, while Tech, Wake, California, Virginia Commonwealth and Cincinnati are interested in Hash.
Webb led the team in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, assists and steals last year. The main reason that more colleges aren't interested in him for basketball, Burns said, is that everyone thinks Webb will play football in college. Webb starts at running back and on defense for the Cougars.
When asked about Webb's basketball abilities, Burns is straightforward.
"The best definition for him is that he can play," Burns said. "We haven't seen it all from him. Or from Hash, either."
The rest of the team is solid - and big. Six players range between 185 and 210 pounds, so the Cougars, who Burns said were outrebounded only twice last year, should be even a bigger terror on the boards this year.
The team the Cougars are chasing is defending district and Northwestern Region champ WILLIAM FLEMING. The Colonels, 21-5 last year, return only two starters.
But those two are good. Very good.
Reggie Reynolds, a 6-3 senior forward, will play for Coastal Carolina next fall, and 5-8 junior guard Derrick Hines is a highly sought-after point guard. Head coach Burrall Paye wouldn't specifically name the schools interested in Hines, but he gave a general idea.
"I've heard from as many as 40 a day," he said. "I'm not kidding. Big East, ACC, you name it. People are saying he's the best junior point guard in the country."
The rest of the squad is inexperienced, but that doesn't bother Paye. He likes his team's size - four players stand in the 6-4 to 6-6 range, so the Colonels, like the Cougars, should be merciless on the boards.
"We're always there," Paye said. "We'll be up there fighting at the end of the year."
\ PATRICK HENRY is coming off a uncharacteristically shaky 4-17 season, but the Patriots should be improved from last year. Shannon Taylor, a first-team Roanoke Valley District at forward last year, returns. The 6-5 senior averaged 15.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year. Senior 6-3 center Vince McGhee and senior 6-1 guard Maurice Preston are the team's other two returning starters.
"I think we'll be a little bit better than last year," said Patriots coach Woody Deans. "But we're not gonna be world beaters by any means."
\ CAVE SPRING returns only one starter from last year's squad that finished 6-15 overall and last in the district. But seven players with experience return, so the Knights may not be as shaky as they look on paper.
Junior 5-10 guard Dusty Beakman is the sole returning starter, and head coach Rick Crotts is high on junior 6-4 forward Matt Matheny, who averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last year.
The Knights' main concern is their lack of height. Matheny is the team's tallest player, so they'll run the fast break on offense, and press on defense to make up for that shortcoming.
"This is the hardest working group I've seen here at Cave Spring in a long time," Crotts said. "They spend a lot of time in the weight room. A lot of guys have put on lot of weight and gotten stronger."
\ FRANKLIN COUNTY head coach Calvin Preston said he sees no reason why his team shouldn't do better than last year's third-place district finish. But first, his players will need some experience. Carlos Holland, a 6-2 junior who averaged 8.5 points per game last year, is the team's only returning starter, but Preston said he has faith in the players.
"I feel real good," Preston said. "Basically, we'll be a young team starting from scratch again. Experience will be one weakness. We'll just have to play as many people as possible in the early part of the season. Hopefully, when district time rolls around, we'll have the experience we need."
by CNB