Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410140090
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Standout guard Cory Alexander, who has made no secret of his desire to play in the NBA, confirmed he plans to turn pro after the 1994-95 season.
``It's sort of like the Herman Moore situation, where there really wasn't much for Herman to gain by coming back to school for another year,'' said Alexander, referring to the former All-America wide receiver who went to the NFL after the 1990 season.
``He was in a situation where he was going to be a very high NFL pick and that's what they're projecting for me [in the NBA]. I think I've made my mark in Virginia basketball and, hopefully, I can add the last chapter this year.''
Alexander said he will be nine hours short of graduation after the fall semester and is on schedule to receive his degree in May. However, he can use a fifth season of eligibility after suffering a broken ankle in the first game of last season.
``Of course, I do have that insurance policy that says I can come back if I have the worst year of my career or get hurt again,'' Alexander said. ``Other than that, it's pretty much a done deal.''
The NBA adopted a policy last year that gives underclassmen 30 days to regain their college eligibility if they are unhappy with their draft position.
``I am an underclassman, which sometimes can make [the NBA] more glamourous, but I'm not like some 18-year-old kid,'' Alexander said. ``I'm 21 years old and it's time to make my own decisions. I don't think there's any way I can go wrong entering my name after the season.
``I think, after today, I'm not going to sit there and have to deal with, `Are you going or are you staying? It's not going to be an issue anymore this year. Everybody's going to look at it like I'm going.''
Jeff Jones, Virginia's coach, said he and Alexander will discuss the NBA one more time - when the ACC holds its Operation Basketball on Oct.30.
``After that, if the subject is brought up to me or Cory in an interview situation, the discussion essentially will be over,'' Jones said at a news conference called in conjunction with the start of preseason practice Saturday.
``We've got seven scholarships available to us. We're not going to use them all; we might not use three of them. If something really strange were to happen, Cory would not be forced out, but we don't forsee that happening.''
Alexander is one of five seniors for the Cavaliers, who finished 18-13 last season and have been ranked in the top 10 in the country in four preseason magazines.
``Cory is going through this season with the same mentality that [fellow senior] Junior Burrough would have, that `this is my last go-round and I want to make the most of it,''' Jones said. ``I'm going to do everything I can to make it a special year for him.''
Alexander took 12 hours in summer schools and re-dedicated himself academically because he ``didn't want to be in a position where I could be here four years and not get a degree,'' he said.
``There are no guarantees that I will be a great basketball player. The only guarantee is that I will get this education.''
Alexander was able to practice with the team during workouts for the NCAA Tournament and thinks his injured ankle is stronger than it was a year ago.
``I'm sure it's better than it was pre-injury, because, pre-injury, it was actually broken,'' he said. ``We just didn't know it. All it took was the final snap.''
One theory was that Alexander had suffered a stress fracture while playing for the victorious U.S. team in the Under-22 World Basketball Championship.
``There are some negative things that came out of the broken ankle, but one of the positive things to come out of it was, I had an entire season to rest,'' said Alexander, who decided early not to try out for any traveling teams during the summer.
Teammates report Alexander has been better than ever in pickup games and he never has been in better condition. A 6-foot-1, 183-pounder, he recently bench-pressed 275 pounds.
``I feel nothing [in the ankle],'' he said. ``The X-rays show it's perfectly clean. I'm not hesitant on it at all.
``I'm trying not to explode right now. I probably should wait till Nov.16 [UVa's regular-season opener against Old Dominion], but I've never been so ready for anything in my life.''
by CNB