Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 6, 1994 TAG: 9401060039
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"I watched a lot of tape," Bradley said, "and I told the guys I felt we could play with [the Tigers]. I didn't feel like they would give us big problems defensively. And, they didn't have a Shaquille O'Neal or Geert Hammink who could dominate us inside."
Bradley didn't come out and predict a victory, however, especially when LSU freshman Ronnie Henderson hit a 3-point basket with 9.2 seconds left to erase a two-point Highlanders lead.
"I guess the thought went through my head, `We came all this way and almost had it,' " Bradley said.
That was before Don Burgess hit a jumper with 2.8 seconds left to give Radford the lead and the eventual victory, 73-72.
"I don't know how many people were there - the box score said more than 11,000 - but it was awfully loud when he [Henderson] made that 3-pointer," Bradley said. "Then, it got really quiet pretty quick. They called time out; then we called time out. A million thoughts must have gone through my head in those 2.8 seconds."
Rick Rogers and Mike Ashley of the Radford sports information office have placed the LSU victory atop a hastily compiled list of the Highlanders' five biggest men's basketball victories. It supplants a 72-71 victory over Virginia Commonwealth on Doug Day's last-minute 3-pointer in 1992.
Rounding out the top five were Radford victories at George Mason in 1981; at James Madison in 1986; and at home over the University of the District of Columbia in 1982, the year UDC won the NCAA Division II championship.
"I'm not much for history, but this is probably the biggest win I've been associated with," said Bradley, who is in his fourth season at Radford - three as head coach - but also served as an assistant coach at Maryland for eight years.
The victory over LSU not only gave the Highlanders some national exposure, but it was accompanied by a $25,000 guarantee. While some perennial powers might shy away from Radford, Bradley has North Carolina State and Georgia Tech on his next two schedules.
"It's fairly easy to get those teams to play, just so you don't expect them to come to your place," Bradley said.
\ CAVS' HOKIE HOST: Mike Ballweg, public relations director and business manager for the Carquest Bowl, realized before most people that his postseason football game might have a spot open for Virginia.
"That was before Louisiana State upset Alabama, so it was pretty doubtful that a fifth Southeastern Conference team would be available," Ballweg said. "I looked at the possibilities and thought, `Uh, oh.' I was afraid to tell my father."
Understand, Ballweg is a 1975 Tech graduate and his father, John, has been a sociology professor at the school for 20 years.
"When you grow up with Virginia Tech, you have a natural dislike for the school's rivals," Mike Ballweg said. "If you work for a bowl, people think you have power and influence, so I was waiting for [Tech athletic director] Dave Braine to ask for my Hokie Club card back."
Ballweg, a former sports information director at Virginia Commonwealth, said Virginia's presence in the bowl enabled him to renew old acquaintances in the Virginia media but that Boston College's 31-13 victory ensured he would receive his Christmas presents.
The game drew the smallest crowd since it began in 1990 as the Blockbuster Bowl, but Ballweg said it might have been the most successful year financially since 74,021 watched Florida State and Penn State play in the first game.
It appears likely that Carquest will remain the game's sponsor at least through next year, when the Football Bowl Coalition will be in its last year. After that, it would not be surprising if Blockbuster chairman Wayne Huizenga increased his commitment in hopes of landing at least a Tier Two matchup if the coalition continues in its current form.
\ UVA COMMITMENT: Sources say Virginia has received an oral commitment from 5-foot-9, 172-pound Terrence Wilkins, who rushed for 1,617 yards and more than 11 yards per carry for Bishop O'Connell in Arlington.
Coach Jim Hayes says Wilkins compares favorably to O'Connell great Eric Metcalf, who played at Texas before going to the Cleveland Browns, but without Metcalf's track background. "He's a two-run player," Hayes said. "Coaches see him run twice and turn off the projector."
Wilkins is the first player among the Roanoke Times & World-News Top 25 to commit to Virginia. Other Top 25 commitments are from Kecoughtan linebacker Morocco Brown to N.C. State and Menchville running back Malcolm Williams to Boston College.
\ COACHING CAROUSEL: Wally Burnham, previously the linebackers coach at Florida State, has joined the staff of new South Carolina coach Brad Scott as defensive coordinator. Scott, who was the offensive coordinator at Florida State, hired Mark Salva, a Seminoles graduate assistant, as a line coach.
South Carolina defensive coordinator Miles Aldridge has assumed the same position at Clemson, where he coached the linebackers from 1985-89. Additions to the Clemson staff include Clyde Christensen, quarterbacks coach for the past two years at Maryland.
Maryland turned to Syracuse defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle after firing its coordinator, Larry Slade, and two other assistants. . . . George O'Leary has returned to Georgia Tech as defensive coordinator after a stint with the San Diego Chargers. . . . Cary Godette, one of the victims of the Georgia Tech purge, has surfaced at N.C. State.
\ JAMMIN' GENERALS: Washington and Lee, picked to finish ninth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in men's basketball, has overcome a pair of 40-point losses and a 1-5 start to carry a three-game winning streak into Saturday night's meeting with Roanoke at the Warner Center.
Cam Dyer, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, is the only scorer averaging double figures (13.8 points per game) for the Generals. But they have six players scoring 6.7 to 8.9 points per game. W & L needs one victory to match last season's total of five.
by CNB