Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 7, 1993 TAG: 9310070094
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Tech has four scholarships available for next season, but coach Bill Foster may sign only two players, preferably a post player and a guard.
At 6-foot-1, Williams played point guard for DuPont High School, which finished 19-3 last season. He averaged 17.2 points, "but scoring is not what he does best," coach Jim Fout said.
"He's an outstanding point guard and an extremely flashy ball-handler. One of the Virginia coaches said Jason reminded him of a young Pete Maravich. He's a good 3-point shooter, with good speed and quickness, who can dunk with both hands."
Fout expects Williams to meet NCAA academic requirements without much difficulty; however, he did not score 700 when he took the Scholastic Assessment Test as a junior and may not accept any paid campus visits until he does.
Williams will visit Virginia Tech at his own expense, then drive to St. John's and Providence during the same weekend.
"It's a problem [getting a qualifying SAT score], but it isn't a problem because he was very close last spring," said Fout, who expects Williams to sign in November.
Among post prospects who might sign early, Tech is recruiting 6-10 Ryan Stack from Cheatham County High School in Ashland City, Tenn., and 6-7 Terrance Payne from Lake Clifton High School in Baltimore.
Another target is 6-8, 240-pound DeMarco Johnson from Charlotte, N.C., and Fork Union Military Academy. Johnson, the most valuable player at the AAU 19-and-under national championship, will take the SAT this weekend.
Foster is reluctant to use all four scholarships because the Hokies will not lose any players after the 1994-95 season. Also, there is a possibility that walk-on David Jackson, a transfer from North Carolina-Asheville, might prove worthy of a scholarship.
\ DECISION TIME NEARS: Mark Byington, a basketball standout at Salem High School, has agreed to campus visits to four Colonial Athletic Association schools, all of which have offered scholarships. They are Richmond, George Mason, East Carolina and North Carolina-Wilmington.
Byington said he is holding a visit for Virginia Tech in case the Hokies have a scholarship available. "They've been pretty up front about telling me I'm behind another guard on their list," he said. "Otherwise, I probably would have set up a visit there already."
Byington said he has not ruled out Radford, although the Highlanders are not now in his top four. If he returns from his other visits and does not have a clear choice, he will take a closer look at Radford.
Coastal Carolina appears to have an edge with 6-3 Reggie Reynolds from William Fleming. Reynolds has set up visits to Coastal and VMI and is planning trips to Winthrop and Army. Also involved are William and Mary and Rider.
Virginia is considered the leader for 6-2 Curtis Staples heading into his visit to Wake Forest this weekend. Staples, a former Patrick Henry star now attending Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, was at UVa during the weekend and tentatively is scheduled to go to Ohio State from Oct. 14-16. Villanova is another possibility.
\ MORE RECRUITING: Norman Nolan, who also visited Virginia during the weekend, is said to be looking closely at developments with Staples. An earlier visitor to UVa was 6-9 Jacky Kaba from Liberia and St. John's High School in Washington, D.C. . . . The Cavaliers are in the top four with Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Arizona for 6-9 Bob Lazor from Norwich, N.Y.
Maryland looks like the team to beat for 6-4 Robert Shelton, an All-Group AA guard from Louisa High School. Shelton's other visits are to Clemson, East Tennessee State, UNC Charlotte and Texas A & M. . . . Tony Rutland, a guard for 1993 Group AAA champion Bethel, plans visits to Wake Forest, Richmond, George Mason, Providence and Auburn.
\ WOMEN'S HOOPS: Monick Foote, a 5-foot-10 forward from Wilmington, Del., has committed to UVa. Foote, whom some consider the No. 1 prospect in the country, averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds as a junior at The Sanford School. She picked the Cavaliers over Iowa, Penn State and San Diego State.
\ COACHING MOVES: Bill Pullen, the Ferrum men's basketball coach, has filled an opening on his staff by hiring May graduate James Johnson, who ranks in Ferrum's top 10 in seven statistical categories, including games played.
\ IN THE ACC: North Carolina State defensive tackle John Akins, a preseason All-ACC selection in several publications, informed coach Mike O'Cain on Tuesday that he is giving up football because of an injured right shoulder.
O'Cain said quarterback Geoff Bender has recovered from a condition that caused him to vomit during the Wolfpack's final drive in a 20-14 loss Saturday at Clemson. "He got hit early in the drive," O'Cain said, "but it wasn't till later that I had to take him out. I've never seen anything like it."
Clemson wide receiver Terry Smith had played in 100 consecutive games, dating to junior high school, until a bruised knee kept him out against N.C. State.
\ AROUND THE STATE: Robert Thompson, a junior fullback from Natural Bridge, has rushed for more yards (364) in Hampden-Sydney's first four games than he did in his first two seasons combined (203). . . . Sophomore defensive tackle Robert Hull from Lexington had four sacks for Washington and Lee in the Generals' 35-14 loss to Randolph-Macon and assumed the team lead in tackles with 34 in three games.
\ IN THE NATION: Idaho's 28-17 victory over Utah on Saturday was only the second for a Division I-AA team against Division I-A opposition this season. An overall mark of 2-32 is down from last year's 10-35 record, which included victories by The Citadel over Arkansas and Army.
by CNB