Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994                   TAG: 9406280008
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Doug Doughty
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ACC COACHES GET DEFENSIVE ABOUT RASH OF TRANSFERS

``I don't think there's any doubt about it,'' said Maryland coach Gary Williams, whose eighth man, Nick Bosnic, is transferring to Duquesne. ``Other schools see these ACC players and tell people, `Johnny could play more for us.'

``We had five freshman or sophomore starters last year and Nick said he didn't see much chance for playing time. I disagreed, but the ACC's been on top for the last seven or eight years, and now people are coming after our players.''

A total of 10 ACC players have announced plans to transfer, including three from Wake Forest. Every ACC program but North Carolina State and Virginia has lost at least one player, and UVa freshman Mike Powell is looking at other schools.

``There are a few aspects of this process that are very disturbing to me as a head coach,'' said Florida State's Pat Kennedy. ``There's no doubt in my mind that other institutions have contacted players in an illegal manner.

``I can't prove it, but they're either calling a kid's high school coach or his parents or a relative. It's highly unethical, if not illegal [under NCAA rules]. This business is screwy. In the home, it's `academics, academics, academics.' But really, it's all about playing time.''

Two Florida State players have transferred, including Oklahoma State-bound Maurice Robinson, who started 22 of 27 games last season. Georgia Tech lost starter Martice Moore, who is headed to Colorado, but that apparently was a special case owing to the distractions surrounding Moore in his native Atlanta.

The transfer trend is not unique to the ACC. Richmond of the Colonial Athletic Association lost two prospective starters, and former Patrick Henry High School standout Troy Manns left George Mason for Virginia Tech.

``I picked up the newspaper one day and there were four or five transfers in one article alone,'' said Bill Foster, Virginia Tech's coach. ``Kids want to play and, with the cutback to 13 scholarships [at the NCAA Division I level], if a kid isn't totally happy, there's less of a push to keep him.''

More than a few coaches blame recruiting rules that have continued to shorten observation and contact periods.

``In the old days, the coaches made mistakes in about 5 percent of the cases, and it was the players' mistake in another 5 percent,'' said Ron Bradley, Radford University's coach. ``Now, it's more like 15 and 15.''

IN THE ODAC: Emory & Henry has added 6-foot-6 Jason Light, a first-team All-Region C selection from Floyd County, to an eight-man recruiting class that includes 6-3 Donald Childress from William Byrd. The Wasps' tallest recruit is 6-8 Christian Selck, discovered by Emory & Henry assistant coach and former Roanoker Jimmy Allen.

Emory & Henry also is considered the front-runner for 6-6 Jonas Callis, who left VMI after the first semester. Callis would have two years of eligibility starting next season.

PRESEASON NIT: National Invitation Tournament officials would like to send Old Dominion to Virginia for a first-round Preseason NIT game; however, the teams already are scheduled to meet Jan.28 in Charlottesville.

Sources say UVa would like to have the Preseason NIT game take the place of the regular-season game and use the second date for an attractive non-conference television appearance.

TECH TIES: Red Stickney, who was the head football coach at Franklin County High School and an assistant for four years at Virginia Tech, has been named coach of the semipro Tidewater Sharks.

OFF-SEASON FOOTBALL: Clemson will allow its football coach, Tommy West, to fulfill contract obligations to his former employer, Tennessee-Chattanooga, by bringing the Moccasins to Clemson for a lucrative game.

Derek Burnette, whom former Wake Forest coach Bill Dooley said would be one of the best linebackers ever to play in the ACC, is leaving Clemson for personal and academic reasons.

NON-REVENUE: Two of Washington and Lee's top men's lacrosse recruits are attackmen Paul Stanley, who set a career record for goals at Darien (Conn.) High School, and Tom Fallace, who scored 37 goals for Long Island champion Ward Melville.

Division III champion Salisbury (Md.) State, which defeated three playoff opponents 59-26, beat uninvited Roanoke College 14-13 during the regular season.