Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9411180077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FERRUM LENGTH: Medium
While Ferrum was going 13-13, Travis experienced his own on-court troubles during his senior year at Bethel High School in Hampton.
As a junior, Travis was the third guard on a junior-dominated team that won the Group AAA title. The top two guards on that team were Allen Iverson (Georgetown) and Tony Rutland (Wake Forest), who are projected as impact players this season at Division I programs.
Bethel was supposed to defend its title, but Iverson, the state's 1993 player of the year, was sidelined because of his involvement in a Valentine's Day brawl during the championship run. Despite Travis and Rutland's best efforts, Bethel was ousted in the first round of the Peninsula District tournament and did not make the Eastern Region playoffs.
The 6-foot-2 guard can't do anything about the disappointment of his senior year, but he will be counted on to help Ferrum rebound from last season's .500 finish and prove the preseason forecasters were wrong when they picked the Panthers to finish fourth in the Dixie Conference. He's one of 10 freshmen on the 17-man roster.
``He's going to be a good one,'' said Bill Pullen, Ferrum's coach. ``He's missed some practice time - three days with a pulled groin and three times with the flu. It's hard for a freshman to miss six days of practice when he's still trying to catch up. He can shoot the 3-[pointer], handle the ball, play defense and drive - he can do it all. He figures to be a very good player here.''
Travis acknowledges he is slightly ``out of shape`` because of the missed practice time, but he's going ``to do what I've got to do`` to be ready to contribute. He and Ferrum are a perfect fit, Travis said, because the Panthers' up-tempo offense and pressure defense are what he was used to at Bethel.
``If we play together as a team, that'll help alleviate some pressure on the veterans,'' Travis said. ``I'm going to make my contributions to the team and play within my ability. The main goal is to win the Roanoke tournament right away.''
When Ferrum opens play Saturday in Roanoke College's Salem Bank & Trust Tip-off Tournament, Pullen will welcome back four players led by 6-6 center Albert Hobbs and 6-3 forward John Breedlove. But it's the freshmen who may determine the Panthers' success or failure.
``What we've got to do is find several freshmen who can step up and play early,'' Pullen said.
``We'll play 10, even 11, possibly,'' the coach said. ``We play a lot of up-tempo, pressure basketball. We will have to have some freshmen who can contribute.''
Other freshmen expected to see significant playing time include guards Terrence Gilliam and Marcus Toney (Magna Vista) and forwards Kenton Worthington and Nathan Baker (Parry McCluer).
The projected starters are Hobbs at center, Breedlove at power forward, John Ellis at small forward, Kevin Keatts at shooting guard and Paul Rivera at the point. Rivera replaces three-year starter Quincy Quick, and Keatts also moves into the starting lineup for the first time.
Junior Stevie Reynolds, a soccer standout, will provide experience off the bench. The Franklin County High School alumnus was named to the All-Virginia Intercollegiate Soccer Association team this year.
Big things are expected of seniors Hobbs, an All-Dixie Conference Tournament selection last season, and Breedlove, a second-team All-Dixie pick, but even they say the bench, made up mostly of freshmen, is the key.
``The returning nucleus is used to playing together,'' Hobbs said of the three seniors and two juniors who will start. ``Last year, Louis Westbrook [junior forward] and Paul Rivera had never played going into the season and Chuck Ellis was inexperienced, too. Our bench is going to be an important factor. It's too early to tell, but a lot will depend on how our freshmen develop.''
There are no true sophomores on the roster, a point Hobbs was quick to make.
``We didn't do a lot of recruiting last year for whatever reasons - grades, financial aid, a mixture of things,'' the senior said. ``I thought 13-13 was pretty good considering what we had.''
Breedlove is looking for a big season. He wants it all.
``We [seniors] lead, they [underclassmen] follow,'' Breedlove said. ``That's the way I see it. The defensive pressure that we play is the key; we've got to be ready to play defense every day. We can score in the 80s and 90s and win or play in the 60s and 70s. I don't see why we can't go undefeated - win every game that we play.''
Ferrum might not go undefeated, but if it's to get over the .500 hump, its freshman-dominated bench must play well.
by CNB