Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 12, 1993 TAG: 9306120113
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"The peanut butter is for protein," said Alexander, who was named to the basketball team that will represent the United States at the Under-22 world championships.
The cuts were made a few hours before the team left for Rosario, Argentina, where qualifying play begins Monday. The top three teams advance to the finals July 22-31 in Spain.
Alexander and UVa teammate Junior Burrough originally were named finalists for the team that will represent the United States at the World University Games in Buffalo; however, Alexander subsequently was switched to the Under-22 team.
"They told us at the tryouts [in Chicago] that they were trying to make the two teams even," said Alexander, a 6-foot-1 point guard who led the Cavaliers in scoring last season as a sophomore.
In the end, officials with USA Basketball decided to send their more seasoned players out of the country.
"With some of the experiences I've had out of the country, I had to think twice about it," said Alexander, who played on all-star teams last year that toured Spain and Cuba. "I've never been to South America, though.
"When some of the members of my family see what I get to do, they can't believe that I wouldn't want to go. Besides, not every place is like Cuba."
Alexander said his biggest disappointment came with the announcement of the U.S. Select Team that is playing various national teams in Europe. There were no tryouts for the select team, which included ACC players Eric Montross of North Carolina, Grant Hill of Duke and James Forest and Travis Best of Georgia Tech.
"I didn't want to dwell on it," Alexander said, "but when you feel you're as good or better than another player and you're not picked, it makes you want to prove people wrong."
Alexander and Joey Brown of Georgetown are the only point guards on the Under-22 team, although Stevin Smith of Arizona State can play both guard spots. Duke center Cherokee Parks is the only other ACC player on the team.
\ PETROVIC REMEMBERED: UVa basketball players Yuri Barnes and Jason Williford have returned from the People to People Tour, where they played in Europe against Drazen Petrovic. The NBA star, a native of Croatia, was killed Monday in an auto accident just after the tournament concluded.
"It's kind of eerie, because the players brought back newspapers with them in the same picture with Drazen Petrovic," said UVa coach Jeff Jones, noting that Barnes was a starter for the U.S. team.
Barnes, the Cavaliers' top frontcourt reserve, played almost 30 minutes per game. Jones said Williford was unhappy early on the tour when he did not start, although his playing time subsequently increased.
\ FUTURE CONSIDERATION: Al Clark, a Washington, D.C., all-metro quarterback who announced on signing day that he had committed to Virginia, was believed to be headed to Fork Union Military Academy until he scored over 700 on the Scholastic Assessment Test in May.
It is possible that other schools will try to recruit Clark; however, it is unlikely that UVa will offer him a grant at this point. The Cavaliers have lost two scholarships for each of the next two seasons as a result of NCAA sanctions.
\ UVA CONNECTION: Three former UVa soccer players - goalie Tony Meola and midfielders John Harkes and Jeff Agoos - have started for the United States in U.S. Cup '93. Harkes, who plays for Sheffield Wednesday of England's Premier League, is considered the best player on the U.S. team.
\ CFA CITATION: Virginia was one of 19 schools named to the College Football Association honor roll, which recognizes schools that graduate more than 70 percent of their players during a five-year period. Duke, which graduated 100 percent, won its fifth CFA Academic Achievement Award and joined UVa, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest on the honor roll.
\ ODDS AND ENDS: Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams, in a speech to the Norfolk sports club, picked Virginia fourth in the ACC next season, behind North Carolina, Duke and Georgia Tech. . . . Larry Holmes, who missed the 1992 football season while on academic probation, will have no trouble getting back his No. 20. Petey Allen, who wore that number last season, has his eyes on No. 2, vacated by senior Terrence Tomlin. . . . Michelle Collins, a sophomore pitcher on UVa's softball team, finished fifth in Division I with 284 strikeouts in 212 innings (9.3 per seven innings). Collins, who sat out the 1992 season for academic reasons, finished 23-7.
Keywords:
SOCCER
by CNB