Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 3, 1993 TAG: 9302030029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
W&M CENTER'S STATEMENT MADE ON THE BOARDS
When Todd Cauthorn chose to attend William and Mary on a basketball scholarship, his decision was greeted with raised eyebrows in Alleghany County.The notion, Cauthorn recalled Monday before the Tribe lost at Virginia Tech, was that he would be getting a good education but maybe not much playing time. Well, it seems Cauthorn has become a big man on the Williamsburg campus, and not just because he's 6 feet 7.
The Covington native is the leading rebounder among players at the state's 11 Division I schools. After two years as the Tribe's first big man off the bench, he now is W&M's undersized starting center, averaging 12.5 points and 9.1 rebounds. He ranks second in the state in steals, too. He has eight double-doubles this season.
"I thought I had good numbers my senior year at Alleghany, but it wasn't like I had to trim down a big list," said Cauthorn, who averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds as a high school senior. "I thought I was a pretty good player, but my development didn't come until I put on some weight after I got to college."
From about 200 pounds as a senior for the Mountaineers, Cauthorn has added 30 pounds. His offensive game is based on his aggressiveness inside, and his increased production has been crucial in W&M's 10-8 start entering tonight's visit to VMI, where Cauthorn's "homecoming" cheering section could be considerable.
"It's a different world out there now," said Cauthorn, 21. "It's amazing how much difference that added weight can make. Playing center, that weight is a must. The bulk is what I needed. Playing with my back to the basket was never a big transition for me."
Cauthorn certainly isn't smug about his numbers this season. Like some others, he's surprised, too.
"I'm really happy about what's happened this season," said the dark-haired W&M center. "The way I've played has given me a lot of confidence in my ability. I knew I'd be starting going into the season, but I didn't think I'd be doing as well as this. I had always been kind of an average player."
That isn't to say Cauthorn's college days have been average until now. An economics major, he visited only VMI, Radford and W&M before choosing the Williamsburg school "because of its academic reputation."
"The degree from a school like ours makes a statement," he said.
He's a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity, has served on several on-campus committees and likes Williamsburg so much that he's spent the past two summers in the colonial capital. He's encouraged his younger sister, Kristin, to attend W&M starting this fall.
OK, so not everything has been great. He lifted boxes at the Williamsburg Pottery one summer, but the golf-course work he wanted at Kingsmill didn't pan out. What he wants now, even before that set of golf clubs his parents have promised as a graduation gift, is a winning season. The Tribe hasn't finished above .500 since 1984-85.
"Consistency is what I wanted," Cauthorn said. "I wanted to do a solid job, so people could depend on me. My frame of mind now is that I try to get every single rebound."
He hasn't done that yet, but Cauthorn's strong performance on the boards is no longer just a reference to his SAT score.