Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411100054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Blair, a standout for Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke and at the University of Richmond, recently was named most valuable player in the Continental Basketball League in Australia.
Blair averaged 32 points and almost seven assists for the Kilsyth Cobras, who play their home games in a suburb of Melbourne.
``I think it's the best thing I could be doing right now,'' said Blair, who has spent most of his career at shooting guard. ``I'm getting the opportunity to play point guard and for as many minutes as I want.''
Blair, who returned to Roanoke last week, plans to go back to Australia in January and either move up to the National Basketball League - the more prominent of Australia's two leagues - or play one more year in the CBL.
``I've had some interest from the NBL, which is one reason I stayed over there a little longer than planned,'' Blair said. ``It's still up in the air for next year.''
Blair originally was contacted by one of the NBL coaches, but the team already had reached its limit of two foreign players and Blair was referred to the CBL.
``I don't see myself staying over here forever,'' said Blair, who turned 24 in September, ``but the experience has been good for me.''
Blair was selected by Houston in the second round of the 1992 National Basketball Association draft and was on the Rockets' roster at the start of the 1992-93 season. However, when all of Houston's injured players returned, they had guaranteed contracts and Blair was waived.
It isn't the NBA, but Blair can't complain about life in Australia. The top players in the CBL have compensation packages worth $50,000, and last year Blair's employers provided him with a car and a house while he was in Australia.
``All I had to pay for was my food and phone,'' he said.
TOP PROSPECT COMMITS: Boston College has received a commitment from Michael Willetts, a West Potomac High School defensive lineman generally considered the No.1 football prospect in Virginia.
Willetts, a 6-foot-51/2, 262-pounder, had visited Boston College and Syracuse and canceled scheduled trips to North Carolina and Nebraska. He had Virginia on a list of schools he was considering for a fifth visit, but had eliminated Virginia Tech, where his parents went to school.
``It wasn't a surprise,'' said Dale Eaton, West Potomac's coach. ``From last spring till now, his top five kept changing, but Boston College was the one choice that remained consistent. I wasn't displeased with his choice.''
Eaton said Willetts was looking for a school that was ``pretty good academically, with an established [football] program and a pretty stable staff.'' Obviously, Dan Henning has replaced Tom Coughlin as Boston College's head coach in the past year, but Eaton said Willetts considered the Eagles ``a good fit.''
Duke has received an oral commitment from Doug Burt, a 6-4 1/2, 202-pound quarterback from Kecoughtan High School in Hampton. Burt, in his first full season as a starter, has a strong arm and has been timed in 4.7 seconds for 40 yards.
DOUBLE WHAMMY: One of the reasons for Washington and Lee's three-game winning streak is the play of sophomore quarterback Brooks Fischer, who has completed 47 of 82 passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns in that span.
Fischer, who did not throw a touchdown pass in W&L's first four games, is the younger brother of Duke quarterback Spence Fischer. From the time Brooks Fischer became W&L's starter last year, the Generals and Blue Devils had never won on the same day until Oct.22. Now, they've accomplished the feat twice.
IN THE ACC: North Carolina State wide receiver Eddie Goines, a first-team All-ACC selection in 1993, will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees Saturday during the Wolfpack's final drive in a 47-45 victory at Maryland.
Duke coach Fred Goldsmith on the firing of Bill Lewis as Georgia Tech's coach: ``As a football coach, I'm not pleased with it. As a friend of Bill Lewis, I'm less pleased with it. He doesn't break rules, he graduates [players], he teaches properly ... and the reward for that is he gets fired during the season.''
Virginia defensive end Mike Frederick has received an immune globulin shot after eating at a Roanoke restaurant where a food handler was found to have hepatitis A. ... UVa offensive tackle Chris Harrison is scheduled to appear in court Nov.22 after the latest postponement in his hearing on a charge of petty larceny.
MORE RECRUITING: Charlottesville High School center Mandisa Turner, last year's Group AA player of the year in girls' basketball, has committed to George Washington. Turner is the sister of former Oak Hill Academy guard Tarik Turner, now a freshman at St.John's, and the daughter of Rick Turner, dean of Afro American Affairs at UVa.
UVa's most prominent women's recruit is 6-4 Demya Walker, rated among the nation's top 20 prospects by Street and Smith's magazine and the Blue Star Report. Walker averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds last season at Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly, N.J., and had 19 blocked shots in a state playoff game.
Florida has signed 6-3 Mike McFarland from Oak Hill Academy. McFarland, a straight-A student, transferred to Oak Hill from Countryside High School in Clearwater, Fla., where he averaged 21 points and nine rebounds
McDONALD DELIVERS: Andy McDonald, a senior from North Cross in Roanoke, scored the tying goal with 4 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in regulation and Mary Washington went on to defeat Salisbury State 3-1 in the recent championship game of the Capital Athletic Conference men's soccer tournament. It was McDonald's 10th goal of the season.
by CNB