Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170100
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Page Moir has brushed away the substratum, revealing what he will have to work with in his sixth season as coach of the Maroons, and he likes what he sees.
There's talent, depth and size. But what there isn't is Hilliary Scott, the two-time All-American who has been the mainstay of Roanoke hoops the past four seasons.
So, how does Moir - who also lost five other seniors - plan to cope with the post-Hilliary Scott era?
``Hilliary Scott is a great all-around player,'' Moir said. "He's the kind of guy that you're not going to replace with just one person, but with two or three people stepping their games up.
``And I think we've got the guys that can do that.''
Now taking center stage is Bryant Lee, who many coaches thought was the best player in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference last year.
The 6-foot-5 senior forward, who averaged 15.8 points and nine rebounds per game last season, hopes to be more of a threat from the outside this year. He worked on his shooting skills during the summer in a Norfolk pro-am league against stiff competition like Joe Smith of Maryland.
``It was a very sobering experience ... ,'' said Lee, touted as a preseason All-America candidate.
``I started out playing power forward and after a couple of games of going against guys like Smith, I had to move to small forward. I thought I was going to be outquicked, but my quickness improved.''
Moir said he would still rely on Lee mostly inside, where his athletic moves often leave defenders wondering what hit them.
``He still needs to get half of his points inside because he's such a force inside,'' Moir said. ``He's hard to guard. He's quick. He can jump over people and he's got real good post moves.''
Also helping in the middle will be Steve Camara and Tim Braun, both 6-6 centers, and forwards Derrick Boykin, Darnell Norman and Joe Schrantz.
Schrantz, a senior, has played power forward off the bench in every game for the Maroons the past two seasons. He will likely move into the starting lineup, along with Jason Bishop, Roanoke's sixth man last season.
Bishop, a 6-1 sophomore guard, was impressive at times last year when he averaged 5.6 points and 2.2 assists while playing 13 minutes per game. He will attempt to fill the position vacated by defensive fixture Dustin Fonder, Roanoke's all-time assist leader.
``Jason, offensively, is awesome,'' Moir said. ``He can pass. He's unselfish, but he can score whenever he feels like it. And he's got the quickness to be a really good defensive player and he's done it at times in preseason practice, but he hasn't done it consistently.''
Also able to step up and score points for the Maroons this season is junior Akil Stewart, who was sporadic last season in limited playing time. Senior Mark Genthner, who saw extensive playing time his first two seasons but was sidelined by a foot injury last year, will give the Maroons an added defensive presence.
Among Roanoke's top newcomers is freshman guard Nathan Hungate, a former standout at Northside High School. Moir said Hungate had been inconsistent in the preseason, but could see his playing time gradually increase throughout the season.
Moir said A.J. Hamlin, a freshman guard from Manchester High School in Richmond, had also been impressive offensively and could be one of the first players off the bench.
``Each year it has gotten progressively tougher to make decisions on who's in our top 10 in the rotation,'' Moir said. `` ... I don't think we have a weak player on our team.''
The Maroons open the season Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Augsburg (Minn.) in the Salem Bank & Trust Tip-off Tournament. In the other game, Ferrum meets Rose-Hulman at 5:30 p.m.
SCOUTING REPORT
COACH: Page Moir, 89-44 in five seasons at Roanoke. Coach of the year in the ODAC in 1993-94.
LAST SEASON: 26-2. Finished first in the ODAC (17-1) regular-season standings and won the ODAC tournament. Lost in the second round of the Division III national tournament to Hampden-Sydney.
RETURNING STARTER: Bryant Lee, 6-foot-5, Sr. (15.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg in 1993-94).
TOP NEWCOMERS: A.J. Hamlin, 6-3, Fr.; Nathan Hungate, 6-1, Fr.; Brian Lightner, 6-2, Fr.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jason Bishop (6-1, So.) developed into the Maroons' sixth man last year as a freshman and has the potential to emerge offensively this season at guard.
STRENGTHS: Roanoke has talent, size and depth despite losing four starters from last season. Lee has worked on his shooting skills and could be a threat from the outside, also.
WEAKNESSES: With the loss of six seniors, the Maroons lack experience and the toughness that helped them win 22 straight games last season. Finding ways to replace the overall potency of two-time All-American Hilliary Scott - now playing professionally in Ireland - will be difficult.
OUTLOOK: Roanoke was picked to finish second in the ODAC behind Hampden-Sydney, which returns four starters. The Maroons have the overall talent to compete at that level and will improve as the season goes on, putting them in position to defend their ODAC regular-season and tournament titles. With the Division III tournament expanding to 64 teams this year, a 15th national bid appears likely for Roanoke.
by CNB