Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 10, 1990 TAG: 9005100213
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: doug doughty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"Are we looking seriously at Roanoke? I'd have to say `no,' " ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan said Wednesday. "But are we looking at all possible sites? Yes, we are."
Corrigan said he has instructed assistant commissioners John LeCrone and Tom Mickle to come up with data such as seating capacity, locker rooms and building availability for the ACC-Big East Challenge, a series of doubleheaders to be held Dec. 3-6.
As of Tuesday, ACC officials had not heard from Roanoke, although civic center manager Bob Chapman said he would investigate the matter further.
"Last year, our focus was so narrow," Corrigan said. "We hurt ourselves because we had two doubleheaders here [in Greensboro, N.C.]. No matter what the size of the building, atmosphere is important."
The second of the doubleheaders, in which Wake Forest played Seton Hall and N.C. State met St. John's, attracted a crowd of 6,173 at 16,500-seat Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum. One night earlier, the turnout was 11,000 for Clemson-Providence and Duke-Syracuse in the same building.
"All things being equal, you'd go to the bigger building, but all things aren't always equal," Corrigan said. "Last year, [the games] didn't do as well as we would have liked. That's why we may have to take a look at campus sites."
Closer examination could take place as soon as next week, after the coaches select an order of finish for the respective conference races. The coaches will vote sometime after Sunday, which is the deadline for underclassmen to announce their eligibility for the NBA draft.
Some of the underclassmen thought to be considering the NBA are conference player of the year Dennis Scott of Georgia Tech, Rodney Monroe of N.C. State and Jerrod Mustaf of Maryland.
\ New Virginia coach Jeff Jones will be moving from Goochland County to Charlottesville. Jones said he had planned to move after being named UVa basketball coach, then discovered it was necessary.
"I live 50 minutes away [from University Hall]," Jones said. "The NCAA has a rule that says a coach can't take a recruit to his house if he lives more than 30 minutes away."
\ Maryland sophomore Walt Williams has become the fourth Terps' player to ask permission to speak with other schools about the possibility of transferring.
"I don't know what I'm going to do yet, and this doesn't mean that I'm going to do anything," Williams said.
Georgetown is one of the schools interested in Williams, a 6-foot-8 sophomore. Two Maryland players already have transferred, Teyon McCoy to Texas and Curley Young to East Carolina, and Jerrod Mustaf is considering several options, including the NBA.
Maryland is expected to sign Cougar McDonald, a 6-foot point guard from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College.
\ Guilford (N.C.) College will be the only non-Virginia school in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference after being accepted for membership Tuesday. The ODAC now has 14 members: four all-women, nine co-ed and one all-men.
ODAC commissioner Dan Wooldridge said he has received a letter from new Davidson College athletic director Terry Holland expressing interest in joining the conference in 1992, when the Wildcats' football program officially drops to Division III. ODAC bylaws were rewritten two years ago so that schools could be eligible in football only.
Davidson has applied for immediate membership to the Big South Conference in all other sports but football and could be granted its wish as soon as July, according to conference commissioner Buddy Sasser. If Davidson is admitted as expected, that will raise conference membership to eight.
\ Ferrum basketball coach Bill Pullen received his first commitment when former Laurel Park player Eric Richardson transferred from Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville. Richardson, a 6-4 forward, originally signed with Division II Winston-Salem (N.C.) State, where he was redshirted as a freshman.
\ Scott Butcher, a 6-5 forward from Southwest District champion Richlands, has committed to Emory & Henry. Earlier Wasp recruits included 6-7 Robbie Jones from Marion and 6-1 Charles Burgess from Charlottesville.
\ Roanoke College soccer coach Scott Allison has received commitments from four All-Timesland selections, including midfielder Dustin Fonder of North Cross, striker Michael Eddy of Patrick Henry, striker Brian Sauers of William Byrd and midfielder Scott Keen of Salem.
Fonder, a two time All-Timesland choice and a member of the Virginia Under-19 soccer team, also hopes to play basketball for the Maroons.
Other Roanoke soccer recruits include Nelson Vasquez, an All-District midfielder from Wakefield High in Arlington; midfielder Reed Carlson from T.C. Williams in Alexandria; and Tommy Carter, an all-state selection from Maryland out of Broadneck High in Broadneck, Md.
"This is the best class we've had since I've been here," Allison said.
\ Roanoke lacrosse coach Bill Pilat has received commitments from defenseman Sean Craig from Port Washington, N.Y., and midfielder Jason Drake from John Jay (N.Y.) High, the same school that produced current Maroons Colin McGahren and Mark Dibenedetto.
\ Mike Caravana, a former Virginia lacrosse star and assistant coach for the past three seasons, has been named head lacrosse and soccer coach at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Caravana, who has been instrumental in UVa's recruiting success, is viewed as a future successor to longtime Cavaliers coach Jim Adams.
The resignation of Duke lacrosse coach Tony Cullen represents an increased commitment by the school to the program. Cullen was a part-time coach, balancing his lacrosse duties with a computer business. Duke is said to be interested in Mike Waldvogel, coach at No. 2-ranked Yale.
\ Virginia's baseball team may be without the services of shortstop Bobby Rivell for the ACC Tournament starting Saturday in Greenville, S.C. Rivell, who suffered a dislocated shoulder against Radford in UVa's regular-season finale, is leading the team in batting average (.368), runs (58), RBI (53) and steals (21). He is second in home runs, with 11.
by CNB