Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 21, 1994 TAG: 9401210155
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Not that he won't or can't put the ball in the basket. But his contribution usually comes at the other end of the floor.
"I get more glory out of stopping somebody than scoring on somebody," he said. "I like to see them frustrated."
The frustration level of the opposition was high last week as Blacksburg rebounded from an 0-4 start to win two of three. Perdue figured prominently as a stopper in victories over both Graham and Radford, shadowing the G-Men's Jay Gray and the Bobcats' Casey Underwood.
Perdue would have liked to have had a shot at Northside's high-scoring Nathan Hungate, but Perdue became mixed up in a school disciplinary matter as a result of an unauthorized snowball battle and had to sit out the Jan. 11 game.
Northside won 84-62 with Hungate scoring 30.
"I don't think he would have had that if I were guarding him," Perdue said.
Perdue's work on Underwood was instructive. Underwood finished with 17 points, but he was shut out as were the rest of his teammates as Blacksburg produced a 24-0 second quarter, the turning point in a 61-43 victory.
The big second quarter coincided with the 6-foot senior's entrance into the game.
"He hustles all the time," Blacksburg coach Bob Trear said. "We had been telling them to pick up the defense at halfcourt, but when Todd went in there, they started picking it up farther on down the floor without our telling them to. It was just what we needed."
Blacksburg had trailed 16-10 after one quarter.
"We needed something to happen," Perdue said. "We were losing to Radford and I didn't think that should be happening. What I was trying to do was pick up Casey down the floor and deny him the ball. They'd been throwing the ball into him and letting him bring it up the floor."
Perdue began the season as a starter but after the Indians began poorly, he asked to have his role changed.
"We were 0-5 and we needed to change some things around so we could get something going," he said. "I suggested that they start Tony Wheeler and let me come in off the bench and stir some things up and get things going."
Which was pretty much his job description a year ago.
"I'm more comfortable with that role," he said. "I get to start out on the bench so I can see how things are going and see what mistakes we're making."
The delayed start also lets him examine the other team's big scorer and how best to put the clamps on him.
Perdue says he can also help out with scoring.
"I've been working on my 3-point shot a lot and if I think we need it, I'll jack it," he said. "But most of the time, it isn't necessary for me to score. We have others who can do that."
by CNB