Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 3, 1995 TAG: 9502030067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
For one thing, Jones, Virginia's basketball coach, can't draw - at least with his drawing hand.
Jones, fuming over a perceived lack of intensity late in the Cavaliers' 71-62 loss at Maryland, broke his right hand Wednesday night when he punched a blackboard.
``In Houston, I put a hole through a blackboard,'' Jones said, ``so, the technique is pretty good. The solid surface [at Maryland] was just stronger than my hand.''
The incident took place in the UVa locker room after the game.
``It was a silly thing to do, but it wasn't planned,'' he said. ``It wasn't something where I told somebody to put [the blackboard] in position.
``It wasn't something where I told myself to hit it with the back of my hand or to smack it so it wouldn't hurt. It was the frustration from being outhustled for rebounds, of being outworked for rebounds and them doing what I expected us to do.''
Jones said he wasn't unhappy with the Cavaliers' play in the first half, when they trailed by nine points but came back to force a 34-34 tie.
``We were up four [in the second half], and Maryland came out of a timeout and clearly said, `Let's turn it up,''' Jones said. ``They did that, and we did not respond. From that point, we were hanging on.''
Maryland sophomore Joe Smith turned it up with 29 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, including eight at the offensive end. UVa center Chris Alexander had one rebound against the Terrapins and has 23 in his last nine games.
``Tom [Perrin] made the point during the game that it's one thing not to get the rebound, but not getting the rebound and having Joe Smith get the rebound compounds the problem,'' Jones said.
``Out of Chris Alexander, Yuri Barnes and Norman Nolan ... if one of those guys said, `I'm going to come up with the basketball come hell or high water,' that person would start seeing a lot of minutes.''
Jones said he expected to catch a lot of flak for breaking his hand, but he did not arrive at his office until noon after an appointment with team orthopedist Dr. Frank McCue. Jones will be in a cast for three to four weeks.
``I was actually thrilled that he didn't need to do surgery to insert a pin,'' Jones said. ``Even this morning, it was hard to adjust to having limited use of my right hand.''
Jones said he was almost certain he had broken his hand, but players Harold Deane and Curtis Staples said they weren't sure because there was no sign of pain.
``It's something that might come up at another time,'' Staples said, ``but I'm not messing with him right now.''
by CNB