Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 4, 1991 TAG: 9104040083
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Official Pete Pavia cited Smith for leaving the coaching box during a substitution with 35 seconds remaining in the Tar Heels' 79-73 loss to Kansas in the semifinals.
"The rule says you're not allowed to leave the coaching box except to seek information from a timer or scorer during a timeout or intermission," Barakat said. "There is no mention of substitutions.
"To my knowledge, it's never been called in our conference. We interpret the rules realistically, not literally. I think the rule was aimed at not having the coach out of the box while the game is on."
Smith spends considerable time out of the coaching box in ACC games, but Barakat said his opinion is that the technical should not have been called.
"Understand, I was not down on the floor," he said. "I did not hear what was said. But if the incident happened exactly as described, I'd have to say, `Pass on it.' "
\ Nevada-Las Vegas finished first in the final Division I basketball computer rankings published by USA Today, and it wasn't close.
UNLV had a power rating of 101.73, followed by Duke (97.43) and North Carolina (97.03).
Virginia finished 27th, despite losing its first-round NCAA Tournament game against No. 61 Brigham Young. Virginia Tech was 126th out of 296 teams, ahead of NCAA Tournament participants Towson State and Georgia State.
Other Division I teams from the state and their ranking are Richmond, 86th; James Madison, 111th; Old Dominion, 124th; George Mason, 134th; Virginia Commonwealth, 175th; Radford, 195th; William and Mary, 199th; VMI, 247th; and Liberty, 280th.
\ Oak Hill Academy basketball star Cory Alexander, who will play in the McDonald's All-America basketball game this Saturday in Springfield, Mass., will wear a piece of tape on one of his shoes with "Junior" marked on it.
Junior is Alexander's roommate, Thomas Burrough Jr., who was not invited to play in the McDonald's Game despite being rated among the top 20 prospects in the country by most services.
"He got shafted," Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said. "Cory is hoping somebody asks him what the tape stands for."
Burrough reportedly received enough votes to make the team, but organizers were reluctant to select three players from one school, especially one that draws players from such a wide area. Oak Hill center Ben Davis will be joining Alexander in Springfield.
\ Bobby Jones, a first-team all-state guard from Ohio, has visited VMI. Bryan Woolsey, a high-scoring guard from Pineville, Ky., was in town Wednesday. . . . Tulane has received an oral commitment from 6-foot Pointer Williams of New Orleans, rated one of the top unsigned point guards in the country.
\ VMI quarterback Tony Scales from Martinsville has lost his chief competition with the move of rising senior Tony Douglas to cornerback.
Douglas originally was recruited to VMI as a cornerback and lettered at the position as a freshman. He was switched to quarterback in 1989 when football coach Jim Shuck brought the wishbone offense from Army.
"It probably weakens us in that we won't have two good wishbone quarterbacks who are experienced, but on the other hand it allows us to put our top 22 players on the field," Shuck said. "Scales is a little better passer, and he has two years left."
Scales rushed for 544 yards and six touchdowns last year and completed 39 of 93 passes for 751 yards and five touchdowns. Sophomore Darrin Evans and senior Frank Wilder, who was VMI's designated passing quarterback, are next on the quarterback depth chart behind Scales.
\ Cave Spring High and Virginia Tech product George Canale, 25, was optioned to Milwaukee's Class AAA Denver farm team Tuesday night after the Brewers signed non-roster free agents Willie Randolph, Rick Dempsey and Candy Maldonado.
Unless Canale is traded, he will begin his third straight season at Denver. Canale, who last month asked the Brewers to trade him if he wasn't going to start the season in the majors, was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
\ Tommy Zban, a reserve quarterback for Virginia Tech's football team, decided to play baseball this spring and made his first start Tuesday in the Hokies' 13-10 loss to Richmond. Zban, a right fielder, started the baseball season with four straight hits as a pinch-hitter and was batting .583 after going 2-for-5 against the Spiders.
Tech catcher Clint Creed, batting .184 after 14 games, lifted his average to .377 when he went 13-for-15 in a three-game series with Cincinnati. Creed, a senior, had nine straight hits to start the series and had nine RBI and nine runs scored. He had raised his average to .389 before Wednesday's game at Virginia.
\ Despite the loss of starters Archie Hopkins and Darwin Herdman, Virginia Tech's football staff is encouraged by young prospects Marcus McClung, Dwayne Knight and Kenny Brown at outside linebacker. McClung moved from tight end and Knight from wide receiver.
Brown, a 1990 signee, left before the start of classes in the fall but re-enrolled for the winter semester. His eligibility will not start until the fall, when he will have five years to play four.
\ Virginia Tech will hold its annual spring football clinic for high school coaches April 12-13 in Blacksburg. In addition to the Tech staff, speakers will include seven prominent prep coaches from around the state.
\ Radford has signed soccer star Graham Perkovich, considered the top player in Western Pennsylvania and one of the top players ever to come out of the area.
by CNB