Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 13, 1993 TAG: 9303130159
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
BURROUGH A BIG STAR AFTER GAME
Virginia sophomore Junior Burrough can thank his teammate and buddy, Cory Alexander, for the new nickname he will take home from the ACC Tournament."Of course, `Mr. Interview' and myself wanted to be up here talking with you," said Alexander, asked to address the media Friday after the Cavaliers' 61-57 victory over Wake Forest.
Alexander scored a game-high 20 points and Burrough was UVa's only other double-figure scorer, although there was some question whether he was invited to the interview area.
"I actually asked for Cory and Jason Williford to be here," UVa coach Jeff Jones said, "but somewhere along the way, Junior must have knocked [Williford] out of the way."
Nobody seems to enjoy the ACC Tournament more than Burrough, who is from Charlotte and played here before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., before his senior year.
Burrough regaled the media Thursday, when there was much discussion of a Greensboro Daily News-Record readers' poll that rated UVa's Jeff Jones the sexiest coach in the ACC.
"If they had players on that list, I definitely would have been at the top," Burrough said.
Later, several Virginia players were asked what site they would prefer as a possible NCAA Tournament destination. Alexander said Arizona.
"I definitely don't want to be in the same bracket as [North] Carolina," Burrough said. "Start us out in Alaska and let us work our way back down - as far from Carolina as we can."
That was before the Cavaliers knew they would be playing the Tar Heels in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament.
\ TRASH TALKERS: When asked to name an ACC trash-talking team, Burrough refused to name himself. His choices: Alexander, Sam Cassell of Florida State, Trelonnie Owens of Wake Forest, Thomas Hill of Duke and Derrick Phelps of North Carolina.
"He says I'm a trash-talker because I talk trash to him," Alexander said. "There's no comparison between me and Sam [Cassell]. He's on the all-talk team, period."
Cassell obviously didn't disagree. When asked to pick his all-trash-talking team, he responded: "Probably myself, myself again and three more of me."
\ NO. 1 ON HER LIST: When informed that he was named sexiest ACC coach in the Greensboro readers' poll, Jones said he wasn't sure if his wife would have voted for him.
"Oh, yes, I would have," said Lisa Jones, who was shooting pictures from courtside Friday.
Jeff Jones, who had 310 votes, said he was pleased to know he finished 31 votes ahead of North Carolina coach Dean Smith in any competition. Cliff Ellis, whose days at Clemson might be numbered, was last with eight votes.
"I don't know how many people in Greensboro could name the Clemson coach," a Tigers' official said.
\ LYNCH LIKES TOURNAMENT: North Carolina senior George Lynch, named first-team All-ACC for the first time earlier this week, showed no letup Friday with 22 points and 15 rebounds in the Tar Heels' 102-66 romp over Maryland.
"Recognition has been slow," Lynch said, "but you have to realize, in the Carolina system, there's never a lot of credit that goes to the individual. But the way things have gone in the past, the top team usually gets two or three selections."
Lynch, from Roanoke, was an all-tournament choice last year.
\ A LITTLE LATE: North Carolina center Eric Montross didn't start against Maryland, reportedly because he was stuck in an elevator and was late for a team meeting. One day earlier, UVa's Alexander overslept and had to be awakened by Burrough before the Cavaliers left for the arena.
\ DECISIONS, DECISIONS: A rumor swept the Charlotte Coliseum that Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins was prepared to accept $600,000-per-year to coach at South Carolina, but Cremins certainly wasn't the source.
"All my thoughts - all my thoughts - have been on this team," Cremins said Thursday. "For all you know, South Carolina might name a new coach tomorrow. They might have 25 candidates lined up and, if they do, `Congratulations.' If I think about another situation, I'll do it at the appropriate time and I'll do it in private. But maybe the distraction has been good for us, so nobody can talk about my bad coaching."
\ RECRUITING: Virginia assistant coach Dennis Wolff returned this week from a trip to Europe, where he looked at a few big men. . . . Keith Booth, a 6-6 high-school All-American, committed to Maryland on Friday.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL