Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 9, 1992 TAG: 9202090207
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL BRILL SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
EX-CAV CROTTY CERTAIN OF HAVING NBA CAREER
Even the uniforms are minor league, a garish lime green with purple piping.But, when your team has driven all night from a game in Albany, Ga., and there are only seven healthy players, that is the least of the concerns.
It is, after all, professional basketball, which is why John Crotty is smiling.
Crotty plays for the Greenville (S.C.) Spinners in the Global Basketball Association. He is not getting rich. The payroll in the GBA is restricted to $200,000 on a squad limit of 10.
However, he has hopes. The former Virginia star was a last-day cut by the Charlotte Hornets in October, and he is convinced the NBA is in his future.
In a league of wannabes and never-wases and some just plain stiffs, Crotty is a standout. Earlier in the season, when he played against the Raleigh Bullfrogs, he went head-to-head with Chris Corchiani in a renewal of a four-year ACC rivalry. Now, Corchiani draws his paycheck from the NBA's Orlando Magic.
Crotty's coach is Joe Williams, who once took Jacksonville University to the NCAA Final Four and for years was the head man at Furman.
Mention Crotty's name and Williams smiles. "John is such a class act. Plays hard every night," the coach says.
Which is to say that Crotty is playing the way UVa fans remember him.
One of Crotty's statistics is a reminder of his Virginia days. He is averaging almost 39 minutes per game. His guard running mate is John Taft, formerly of Marshall.
Numbers never dramatized Crotty's game, but he is a winner. After a loss to the Bullfrogs, Greensville is 26-15, the third-best record in the 11-team league.
And Crotty is providing offense in a manner reminiscent of Virginia's dramatic NCAA run in 1989, when the Cavs reached the regional finals.
The 6-foot-2 left-hander is averaging 20.5 points, seventh-best in the league. His 6.8 assists average is third, and he is the GBA's No. 1 marksman from 3-point range at 38.6 percent. That is from the same 23-foot line used in the NBA.
Corchiani, who still is listed in the GBA records because he has played more than half the games, was tied with Crotty in assists and trailed him in 3-point shooting and scoring.
Crotty remains confident he'll get the NBA call, just as Corchiani did.
"My agent has been in contact with people," he says. "I'm at the top of a couple of team's lists if something happens. They know I'm here."
Crotty made it through the entire Hornets camp as a free agent. "It was very good, very positive," he says. "I made it to the last day. I thought I played well enough to make the team."
However, the Hornets were going with coach Allen Bristow's passing-game offense, and they elected to pick up 5-7 Greg Grant, since released.
"Things are going OK," Crotty says. "It's been kind of a smooth transition.
"I've gotten used to the style of play. It's different from college ball, which is so much slower. The 24-second clock makes a difference. You just get one or two opportunities to shoot on each possession."
There's far more running - the Spinners are second in the league in offense - and, Crotty said, "more fast-break opportunities. It's also physical. They let you bang on each other." He never was one to steer away from combat.
"The last month to month-and-a-half, I've learned the ins and outs of the league. I've matured as a player," he says.
Crotty is just hoping for an opportunity. He understands the politics of the NBA. "Once you get in the league, you're fine. They'll always take the experienced player."
Crotty mentions Scott Skiles, the Orlando guard who kicked around for a couple of years before getting a chance to play. "Now he makes $2 million," Crotty says.
It was an injury to Skiles that allowed Corchiani to be recalled, and he stuck even after Skiles returned.
"I've done everything they've asked of me," Crotty says. "There's nothing [wrong] with my game that's glaring; I just need a break."
If it doesn't come this season, Crotty plans to play in the Los Angeles summer league. "My agent's checking around to see who needs me," he says.
Virginia clearly would be happy if Crotty had another year of eligibility. "I went to see them when they played at Clemson [51-48 loss]. It was one of the most boring games I've ever seen."