Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 2, 1990 TAG: 9003022864
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Setting Craft screens, blocking out, fighting for rebounds - it's all part of the game-to-game grind of being an undersized center.
The 6-foot-7 senior wouldn't have it any other way.
"I think somebody on every team has to take that role of getting down low and doing the dirty work," said Craft, from Knoxville, Tenn. "It's something I enjoy. That's my type of game. Everybody likes to do a few flashy things, but setting screens and going to the boards are what I like to do most."
When the fourth-seeded Keydets (13-14) play Tennessee-Chattanooga (13-12) in the opening game of the Southern Conference Tournament at noon today in Asheville, N.C., Craft hopes he can help VMI extend its season by at least another game.
"In years past, people might have overlooked us," Craft said. "It's going to be a little different this time. We won't sneak up on anybody. I think we have a good enough team where we can go in with the attitude that we can win."
With twin guards Damon and Ramon Williams averaging 20.3 and 18.4 points, respectively, it's no secret where VMI gets most of its offense. Still, Craft is third on the team in scoring, with a 9.5-point average.
In the past five games, he is averaging 14.8. Craft has scored in double figures 14 times this season, including a career-high 23 against Brown and Furman.
"I do different things in different games," Craft said. "When the twins are shooting well, they don't leave much room for improvement. I'm not going to be asked to score much in those games. Other times, when the outside shooting isn't going well, then I have to look to score more. I look to do what the game calls for."
That usually means crashing the boards, and nobody in the Southern Conference does it better.
Although his overall rebounding average of 8.6 doesn't lead the league, Craft grabs 9.9 rebounds per game against Southern Conference opposition - best in the league.
Craft's 632 career rebounds rank ninth on VMI's all-time list. If he gets nine more before the season ends, he'll move past Gay Elmore into eighth place. Craft has 22 career games of 10 or more rebounds and 16 in which he has reached double figures in scoring and rebounding.
In his final home game, Feb. 19 against Furman, Craft set a Cameron Hall record by grabbing 18 missed shots. He also matched his career high with 23 points.
So, how does Craft do it against guys who usually are several inches taller?
"More than anything, it's just positioning and footwork," Craft said. "A lot of my rebounds I don't even leave the floor to get.
"I don't try to harass people by throwing cheap shots or anything like that, but I like to make contact. I've got to use my strength to my advantage."
As Craft prepares for another game of war on the boards, he is content in the knowledge that, even if he doesn't get the headlines, his performance will go a long way toward determing whether the Keydets call it a season or not.
"When I came here, I realized I wasn't going to set any kind of scoring records or anything like that," he said. "I just wanted to have a chance to play and help the team. I knew I could contribute some rebounding."
\ SOUTHERN NOTES: Today will be the fourth meeting between VMI and Tennessee-Chattanooga in Southern Conference tournament play. The Moccasins hold a 2-1 advantage, including a 75-61 victory in the 1988 championship game. The teams split regular-season meetings. The Keydets won 75-72 at Cameron Hall on Jan. 24, and the Moccasins won 78-63 at home two weeks ago. . . . In the last meeting, VMI had its worst shooting game of the season, hitting only 24 of 74 field-goal attempts. The Williamses combined for 54 points in the first game, but were held to 34 on 12-of-37 shooting in the second.
by CNB