Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 14, 1990 TAG: 9007140078
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL BRILL EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Bryant Stith was smiling after the basketball game, content with his role, believing in himself.
"I've been playing great," said Virginia's junior-to-be, following Team USA's 117-106 victory over a Duke alumni squad that featured all the starters from the 1986 NCAA runner-up team.
You couldn't prove that by Stith's modest contributions in a unique circumstance, where, for the only time until Team USA plays in the world championships in Argentina, the other side got most of the applause.
But it is impossible to utilize 16 players in a game and, apparently, the coaching staff headed by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski knows what Stith can do.
Coach K and assistants Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), P.J. Carlesimo (Seton Hall) and Joe Harrington (Colorado) will cut the squad to 14, maybe 13, by Monday in preparation for the Goodwill Games later this month in Seattle.
Although 15 players are permitted on each team in the Goodwill Games, only a dozen are allowed for the world championships, in which the United States is the defending champ, having won in '86.
The exhibition against the Duke team, led by NBA pros Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie and the non-related Hendersons, David and Phil, was the U.S. coaches' last chance to see the players before trimming the squad to a more workable number.
"Stith will make the team," Harrington said afterward.
This game was a chance for the coaches to see several of the small forwards against good competition. A reasonable guess is that Arizona's Chris Mills and Minnesota's Kevin Lynch will be cut. Others seemingly on the bubble include center Chris Gatling of Old Dominion and guard Henry Williams of North Carolina-Charlotte.
Stith is a good soldier. He knows his role. "I'm supposed to come in for the starters and make something happen," he said.
One writer who has seen the team drill often believes Stith will be included in what eventually will be an eight-man rotation.
Stith enjoys playing for Coach K. "He's a straightforward guy," said the Virginia forward. "He tells you exactly what's expected of you and then he lets you do it."
Playing with some other superior talents, Stith said, can only help him. "We've got some great players on this team, and I'm enjoying working with them," he said. "It's helped me a lot."
A couple of them you would recognize by name only.
Georgetown's Alonzo Mourning and Duke's Christian Laettner clearly have spent recent hours in the weight room. "Check the chart," Stith said. "They're huge."
The daily weigh-in list showed that 6-foot-10 Mourning is 246 well-muscled pounds, while 6-11 Laettner has beefed up to 243.
They started Thursday along with 6-10 Doug Smith of Missouri, while Syracuse's multitalented 6-9 Billy Owens was at big guard. Only point guard Kenny Anderson is a typical size for his position, but the 6-2 Georgia Tech wizard demonstrated with a 360-degree spinning layup that he still is the most exciting player in college basketball.
Whether Stith eventually starts or plays with the second unit, he has done little to hinder his growing reputation as UVa's next superstar.
What Krzyzewski wants is scorers to counteract the international game in which even the big men shoot 3-pointers. Stith, perhaps most effective as an offensive rebounder, can shoot from beyond the stripe, but he is not alone.
Mourning even tried, and made, a 3-pointer, something that doubtless would make Hoyas coach John Thompson cringe. The learning experience for Alonzo also includes man-to-man defense, since Georgetown plays zone almost exclusively.
The setting for the send-off to Seattle was perfect. Hot or not, ancient Cameron still is one of the great places for basketball, and there was a surprising turn-away crowd to see the old and current Dookies.
"I love playing here," Stith said. "It's a great atmosphere. We didn't know what to expect, but it was a good learning experience."
This isn't the Olympics, but Krzyzewski, the Americans' highly charged coach, is determined to help the United States regain whatever worldwide respect it lost when Thompson's '88 Olympians were beaten in a semifinal game. Presumably, Stith will be a part of that game plan.
by CNB