Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 26, 1990 TAG: 9004260046
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Moore will be a redshirt junior in 1990, although he is on schedule to graduate in the summer of 1991. His academic status will play at least some part in determining whether he forsakes his final season of eligibility.
"Now that I'm going into my fourth year, it's decision time," he said. "The NFL has a lot of advantages, but you could get hurt, so it also has a lot of disadvantages, especially if you don't graduate. I'd have to find out what my worth would be."
Moore, who is 6 feet 5 and 197 pounds, was considered something of a novelty as a redshirt freshman, when many of his receptions came on alley-oop patterns. In 1989, he was more of an all-purpose threat, catching 36 passes for 848 yards.
Moore won the high jump at the ACC indoor and outdoor track championships and has a personal best of 7-3, but he also has improved his speed during winter workouts with the track team. Moore twice was timed by the track coaches in 4.45 seconds for 40 yards.
"My freshman and sophomore years, I was concentrating more on trying to be competitive at the college level," he said. "Professional football wasn't anything I had in my mind at all."
\ Virginia running back Marcus Wilson, selected in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Raiders, was in the minority among underclassmen. Only 18 of 38 players who renounced their eligibility were drafted.
"If you're going to come out, you need to take the attitude that `I'm going to make it no matter what,' " said Wilson, a fourth-year junior. "You can't expect to be drafted because [the teams] won't have much film on you.
"It's too bad for the guys who weren't drafted. They lose their scholarship. They lose their eligibility. That's something you have to keep in mind when you decide to go."
Wilson will get his degree in May, so the scholarship wasn't a factor in his case.
"I have mixed feelings," Wilson said. "A guy like [Alabama linebacker Keith] McCants will make enough money that he can go back to school. The university isn't going anywhere. Someone else might not make that kind of money, and who's going to pay if he wants to go back?"
Why were so few juniors drafted? Wilson isn't sure.
"Maybe things will be different next year," he said. "Maybe it turned out like this on purpose. Maybe the owners decided to draft [juniors] late or not at all in order to discourage them from coming out in the future. I've heard that, but I'm not sure I believe it."
\ Wilson on the idea of joining a team with Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen among its running backs:
"It's a good situation," he said. "Marcus is planning to retire soon, and Bo is only there half a season. I was the first running back they picked. The door is open for me."
\ Duke wide receiver Clarkston Hines set the ACC record for receptions in a career, and Blue Devils offensive tackle Chris Port (6-7, 290) started for four years in a pro-style offense, yet they were picked in the ninth and 12th round, respectively.
"There's obviously a strong emphasis on height, weight, speed and body structure," said Barry Wilson, the former Duke assistant who was promoted to head coach when Steve Spurrier took the Florida job. "What I'm concerned about with Clarkston was that productivity obviously didn't mean a lot, and, why,I don't know. It's a puzzle."
\ Virginia is waiting to announce the signing of basketball recruit Cornel Parker until it receives a letter-of-intent mailed Monday night by Parker's mother in Norfolk. Parker signed the letter April 18 in Fluvanna County, where he attends Fork Union Military Academy.
\ Jon Barry, one of the sons of basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry, announced Wednesday that he has signed a letter-of-intent with Georgia Tech. The 6-4 guard, who began his college career at Pacific, averaged 17.1 points during the 1989-90 season for Paris (Texas) Junior College.
The Yellow Jackets earlier had signed 6-4 Bryan Hill from Chowan Junior College in Murfreesboro, N.C. Hill, who has three years of Division I eligibility, played at W.T. Woodson High in Fairfax.
Georgia Tech also could be the destination of Maryland star Jerrod Mustaf, who may transfer as a result of the Terrapins' two-year NCAA probation. Mustaf's talented sophomore classmate, guard Walt Williams, may transfer to Georgetown.
\ Kenny Blakeney, a 6-3 guard from DeMatha High in Hyattsville, Md., has signed with Duke. Blakeney, who averaged 20 points, made 61 percent of his shots from 3-point range.
\ Radford's basketball staff has received commitments from Cobie Morgan, a 6-1 guard from Columbia, Md., and Jose Ortiz, a 6-7 forward from St. Anthony's in Jersey City, N.J.
To date, Radford has signed only one player, Marcus Owens, a 6-2 guard from York, Pa., by way of Fishburne Military School. Radford also has received oral commitments from Dragan Skoko, a 6-9 Yugoslav, and 6-7 swingman Don Burgess from Harrisonburg.
\ Roanoke College's basketball staff has received a commitment, its second, from 6-3 Michael Thornton of Fauquier High in Warrenton. Thornton, who averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game, scored more than 1,100 on his Scholastic Aptitude Test.
\ Emory & Henry has received commitments from 6-7 Robbie Jones, who averaged 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds for Marion last season, and 6-1 Charles Burgess, who averaged 23 points and seven assists at the Miller School near Charlottesville.
\ Patrinda Toney and Karen Bowles of Radford University were voted to the American Women's Sports Federation Fast Break All-America basketball team. Virginia basketball coach Debbie Ryan was selected national coach of the year. . . . Radford men's and women's soccer coach Don Staley is a candidate for the women's coaching job at Notre Dame and the men's job at Boca Raton (Fla.) College, an NAIA school.
by CNB