Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 20, 1993 TAG: 9306200043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD and DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
However, the William Byrd High School graduate doubts she'll be completely unadmired as a Virginia Tech freshman this winter. Hokies coach Carol Alfano wants to let Banks work her way into more playing time as the season progresses.
"I have a lot of work to do. It's a totally different skill level," said Banks, a first-team All-Group AA selection. "If I'm able to [play right away], I would love to. If she [Alfano] doesn't want to do that, that's fine. I know I have other things to work on, but I have strong points, too."
That's why Alfano and others recruited her. Banks, a 5-foot-7 guard, averaged 20.7 points, five rebounds and three assists and shot 53 percent from the field as the Terriers reached the Group AA state championship game. She was the Timesland girls' player of the year - the second in as many years to sign with Tech, following Pulaski County's Terri Garland.
Banks is one of two Hokies newcomers. The other is Tech's tallest-ever player, 6-6 Stacy Brown of Warrenton, N.C. Brown (20 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks per game as a senior) fills the frontcourt vacancy left by 6-3 center Lisa Griffith, who completed her eligibility.
Tech has plenty of prominent guards - Garland, Lisa Leftwich, Sue Logsdon and Christi Osborne. Alfano, however, will find a spot for Banks.
"There are minutes to be had," Alfano said. "It depends on how she makes that transition from high school to college."
Banks wants to work on her strength, using her left hand, dribbling and her jump shot. She'll spend six weeks at Tech this summer, taking an English course and a math course to get a head start academically. She also can use Tech's weight room and other facilities.
"She has a lot of weapons offensively," Alfano said. "Her great foot speed enables her to do things penetration-wise. Basically, we're stand-up shooters."
Banks is part of an infusion of Southwest Virginia talent into the Tech program, joining Garland and Martinsville High School graduate Cynthia Lee, both of whom will be sophomores.
Here's a look at some of the other recruiting classes around the state:
\ VIRGINIA: It says something for UVa's class that coach Debbie Ryan mentions it in the same breath as Dawn Staley, Tammi Reiss and Co., who made the Final Four their last three seasons.
There was a big disappointment in the loss of national player of the year La'Keshia Frett from Hampton, who picked Georgia over the Cavaliers. However, Virginia added a pair of Parade All-Americans in small forward Konecka Drakeford from Charlotte, N.C., and guard Tora Suber from Downington, Pa.
Junior college transfer Shaunice Warr from Salem is joined by 6-4 Tammy Gardner and 6-2 Jackie Glessner from Philadelphia. Gardner and Glessner add to Ryan's collection of post players and give her the kind of "sleepers" she likes to add to her program annually.
"I like that idea," Ryan said. "It helps with team balance. You've got to bring in some players who are willing to develop and not just have players who expect to start from Day 1."
\ RADFORD: It's unlikely that any program in the country - men's or women's, Division I, II or III - has signed players from New Zealand in back-to-back seasons, but that's what Highlanders coach Lubomyr Lichonczak has done with Samantha Gilbert and Nicole Gardner.
"Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to go over there," Lichonczak said, "but when I was at Idaho [as an assistant] I played in pick-up games with a guy named Angelo Hill who was an incoming freshman at Washington State."
Hill later played professionally in New Zealand and recommended several players to Casper (Wyoming) Junior College and to Lichonczak. Gilbert's positive experience at Radford this year helped the Highlanders land Gardner, and Lichonczak has his eyes on another New Zealander who will be a sophomore at Casper in the fall.
Lichonczak was looking for size and athletic ability and thinks he found it in 6-3 Pooh Bridges from Atlanta, 6-1 Eve Kendall from Wytheville and Gardner.
"I think a lot of people missed out on Eve," he said. "There aren't many 6-1 women in the country who can run 400 meters in 58 seconds."
\ ROANOKE: Maroons coach Susan Dunagan doesn't mind leaving the state to recruit. "But I haven't needed to lately," she said. "I mean, `Why should I?' "
A look at the 13 players Dunagan expects for tryouts next year shows that 12 are from Virginia, 10 from Timesland - including recruits Suzanne Moore from Blacksburg, Amy Athey from Cave Spring in Roanoke and Ashley McCallum from William Byrd in Vinton.
Dunagan's fourth recruit, Laura Jacobsen, comes all the way from Buffalo Gap near Staunton. All four were such standout students that they were invited by the admissions department to compete for scholarships and Moore received Roanoke's highest academic grant.
\ FERRUM: Although the Panthers did not make the semifinals of the Dixie Conference tournament, coach Donna Doonan was on hand for a coaches meeting, which gave her a chance to scout Volinda Witcher from Salem High School in Virginia Beach.
Doonan usually doesn't range that far from home in her recruiting, but the addition of Witcher will bring strength to the Panthers' backcourt. Forward Glossary Smith from George Washington-Danville impressed Doonan with her athletic ability.
by CNB