Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 28, 1991 TAG: 9103280050
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Judging from the Jayhawks' appearance in the Final Four, apparently he can do both.
Although Williams spent 10 years on the staff at North Carolina, he did not become a full-time assistant until the last two years. Only full-time assistants are allowed to recruit off campus.
"Too much is made of the role of assistants," recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons said, "but he was at least relatively unproven [as a recruiter]. It was like Mike Krzyzewski before he went to Duke."
Carolina signed only three players in Williams' two years as a full-time assistant - King Rice and Rick Fox in 1986-87, and Hubert Davis in 1987-88. The second year, players who considered the Tar Heels before going elsewhere included Billy Owens (Syracuse), Christian Laettner (Duke), Adam Keefe (Stanford), Matt Steigenga (Michigan State) and Walt Williams (Maryland).
"If they hadn't made such a commitment to Kenny Williams [a non-qualifier], I think they might have gotten some of the other players," Gibbons said. "There were recruiting disappointments during those two seasons, but the job of the assistants was to get Carolina involved with the top players. At Carolina, the head coach is the closer."
Williams has been able to build a solid talent base at Kansas despite NCAA probation that cost the Jayhawks oral commitments from Thomas Hill, who signed with Duke, and Harold Miner, who has become a star at Southern Cal.
"I think [Williams] has proved beyond a shadow of doubt that he can recruit," Gibbons said. "Up till what Michigan pulled off over the weekend, Kansas had the top recruiting class and it's still going to be between them and Virginia, if [UVa] gets Cory Alexander, for No. 2."
\ Another coach who was considered unproven as a recruiter, Michigan's Steve Fisher, hit the jackpot over the weekend when he received commitments from 6-foot-10 Chris Webber and 6-7 Jalen Rose from Detroit, both rated among the top 10 prospects in the country. Reports persist that Rose's coach at Southwestern High will join the Michigan staff.
\ Jerry Green, mentioned prominently in connection with the coaching vacancy at Virginia Tech, is technically the part-time assistant at Kansas this year after spending two years as a full-time assistant.
The change in Green's title results from an effort to give former part-time assistant Kevin Stallings some off-campus recruiting experience. The Jayhawks' other assistant, Steve Robinson, was considered a part-time coach in 1988-89 before changing to full-time status the past two years.
"I think Jerry likes [to recruit], but Kevin Stallings was chomping at the bit," said Gibbons, who operates out of Lenoir, N.C., not far from Green's previous coaching home at UNC-Asheville. "Jerry's the inside guy, the x's and o's man."
\ One-time James Madison standout William Davis, the Colonial Athletic Association rookie of the year in 1987-88, has returned to Harrisonburg and may be rejoining the Dukes' basketball team next season. Davis transferred to New Orleans after a mediocre 1988-89 season and never played for the Privateers.
There is much question whether Chancellor Nichols will return for his final year at JMU. Nicholls, a transfer from Mississippi State, was the Dukes' second-leading scorer and leading rebounder this past season but was in and out of coach Lefty Driesell's doghouse.
\ ACC basketball official and Roanoke Valley product Sam Croft officiated the Mideast Region championship game between Kansas and Arkansas, which is as far as Croft has gone in the postseason. Duke Edsall from Roanoke called first-round East Region games in College Park, Md., and was a standby for the second round.
\ Victor Newman, voted Mr. Basketball in Alabama, has made an oral commitment to North Carolina State. Newman, who is 6-foot-6, averaged 29.7 points in leading Houston Academy of Dothan, Ala., to the Class A state championship. Newman, who played six years on the varsity, set the state record for career rebounds with 1,168.
\ Ferrum College has received an oral commitment from 6-foot-4 Jeremy Blackstock of Cave Spring High in Roanoke. Blackstock played center for the Knights, scoring 17 points per game.
\ Virginia's baseball team, which had a 5-16-1 record after 22 games last year, was 11-9-2 at the same stage this season, with three victories over top 20-ranked teams. The Cavaliers' pitching staff had a 4.68 team ERA, down from 7.42 last year.
\ Carroll County graduate Rebecca Russell, a junior at North Carolina, received All-America honors for the fourth time when the Tar Heels' 3,200 relay team finished second at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
\ Mary Washington senior Kim Cosgriff from Christiansburg fell on the first lap but still set a school record with a time of 16:52.82 in the 5,000 meters at the Division III meet. Cosgriff, who finished four seconds behind the winner, became Mary Washington's first three-time All-American.
by CNB