Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 5, 1993 TAG: 9301050034
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
CAVS SEEK REDEMPTION AGAINST FSU
A visit from No. 23-ranked Florida State has helped revive one of Virginia's most painful memories of the 1991-92 basketball season.The Seminoles, a surprising second in the ACC during the regular season, escaped University Hall with a 64-63 victory when UVa's Bryant Stith missed two free throws with two seconds left.
Stith, a career 80-percent free-throw shooter, was 2-of-6 for the game.
"We owe 'em one," UVa forward Junior Burrough said. "Coach [Jeff Jones] told us not really to talk about that, but we owe 'em one, plain and simple."
Of course, Stith won't have a chance for redemption Wednesday night against the Seminoles. Not only has he used up his eligibility, but he has a cast on his foot, awaiting a return to action for the Denver Nuggets.
"I just hope I'm in the same situation," Burrough said. "Or a similar situation. I don't want it to go down to the wire. I want to win the game outright."
If it comes down to free throws, Burrough is probably the player UVa (7-0) wants at the line. He has made 27 of 33 free throws since going 3-of-8 in the Cavaliers' opener at Pennsylvania.
Over the past five games Burrough is 36-of-58 (62.1 percent) from the field but he received the most attention Saturday when he was credited with his first assist of the season in a 92-68 victory over Winthrop.
The moment was lost on Burrough, who couldn't remember the assist, which apparently came on a "kickout" to Cory Alexander for a 3-point shot.
"Hey," Burrough reminded teammates and the media. "That ain't my job."
\ OOPS: Schedules printed during the summer showed Florida State with a game Monday night against Morgan State, but the game had to be dropped when it was learned the Seminoles had too many games. "We were originally told the allotment for [regular-season] games was 27 instead of 26," an athletic department representative said.
\ THE RANKINGS: Virginia's move into the Associated Press Top 25 came at the right moment to suit Jones, whose No. 25-ranked Cavaliers entered the week as one of nine unbeaten teams in Division I.
"At times I look at those things and I'm a little confused but I really don't allow myself the luxury of worrying about it," Jones said. "I'm sure there are reasons, one of which is, we haven't been on TV.
"Most of those teams have been on TV or been involved in some sort of media-hyped event such as the tournaments in Hawaii and Alaska or the preseason NIT. That's fine; [the exposure] will come and it's coming up pretty quickly."
The Florida State game will mark the Cavaliers' first TV appearance. Of their first seven games, the past six at home, only one has been against a big-name opponent, Alabama.
\ A KEEPER: Fletcher Arritt, longtime coach at Fork Union Military Academy, predicted Monday that Fork Union guard Harold Deane Jr. will start for Virginia as a sophomore.
"He's very quick; that's probably his greatest attribute," Arritt said. "He shoots well and he's very strong. What's very unusual is, if there's a game-winning shot to be taken, he comes to the ball."
In his most impressive outing to date, Deane had 31 points before fouling out with 10 minutes left in Fork Union's 121-120 double-overtime victory over Maine Central Institute. Deane plays both shooting guard and point guard for Fork Union.
\ SEASON DEBUT: Shawn Wilson, a 6-foot-11 junior, made his first appearance of the season and scored two points against Winthrop. Coaches say foot problems keep Wilson from running up and down the court more than a few times without pain.
Redshirt freshman Chris Alexander, who had played in the first six games, did not dress Saturday because of a stomach virus. Alexander has struggled, particularly on offense, and missed his first eight free throws before banking in a foul shot against Radford.
\ FOLLOW SHOTS: Virginia is 11-0 over the past two years when guard Cory Alexander has made at least 50 percent of his shots from the field. . . . Cornel Parker, with 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against Winthrop, became the fifth UVa player to record a double-double this season. . . . Sophomore forward Yuri Barnes has averaged 10 points the past five games while playing fewer than 20 minutes per game. . . . Chris Havlicek is still looking for his first 3-pointer after 10 career attempts.