Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 4, 1995 TAG: 9505040047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
It's not going to happen, or so Odom has been told.
``All I know is, he's doing everything that a returning student does,'' said Odom before a speech last week at the Hotel Roanoke. ``He's choosing housing, picking out classes, sending in his application to play in the University Games.
``If he's going to leave, I don't know why he's doing all that.''
Duncan, a 6-foot-10, 238-pounder, did not turn 19 until after the season and, as a sophomore, was the youngest player on the Deacons' roster
``Sometime around the end of January, when we began to play well and Tim began to play extremely well, I called him in and told him, `I'm getting these calls and I need to know, are you thinking about [leaving]?''' Odom said.
``He put his head down, like he always does, and said, `Coach, I've never thought about it. I've never talked to anybody about it. I'm not interested in it. I'm planning to stay here.'''
That was fine with Odom until the Monday after the Deacons' season-ending loss to Oklahoma State, when Odom was besieged with calls - some from friends - who informed him Duncan definitely was leaving.
``I called him again,'' Odom said. ``I had the whole staff sitting there and I said, `Timmy, look me in the eye. If you're leaving, tell us now. We can't find another one of you, but we have to have somebody.'
```You've never asked me what I thought - and I've never told you - but, if you ask me to, I will.' He said, `Coach, I have not talked to anybody. I am not leaving.' I promised him I would not ask him again.
``It's almost like he looked me in the eye and said, `Hey, I told you back in February that I was not leaving. Didn't you believe me?' At least that's the way it came across. And, I'm not going to ask him again. I'm not.''
BARNES VISITS: On the same night Odom spoke to the Wake Forest group, Clemson basketball coach Rick Barnes was at Hidden Valley Country Club in Salem to address a group of Tigers backers.
Barnes took a Clemson team that was an overwhelming preseason choice for last place in the ACC and guided it to a 15-13 record and an NIT appearance, yet he may be remembered above all for two confrontations with North Carolina coach Dean Smith.
``It keeps coming up,'' Barnes said, ``[but] as far as I'm concerned, it's a dead issue. I told the team after we lost to Virginia Tech [in the NIT], `I'm not sure we realize yet what we accomplished.' That's what I want to remember.''
BOUND FOR BOISE: Tommy Edwards, the Timesland offensive player of the year at Radford High School, has decided to transfer from Virginia Tech to Boise State, which finished 13-2 last year and reached the NCAA Division I-AA championship football game.
Edwards rushed for more than 700 yards for Tech in two seasons as mostly a backup tailback and fullback. He set a Hokies freshman record with 10 touchdowns in 1993.
Edwards, son of former Tech running back Kenny Edwards, carried the ball once in the Gator Bowl and did not see much opportunity for increased playing time. He will be eligible next season at Boise State.
RADFORD SIGNEES: Radford basketball coach Ron Bradley, whose first four recruiting classes had a total of one junior college transfer, has added 6-9 Jermaine ``Kojak'' Williams from Sullivan College in Louisville, Ky., and 6-1 Marquiz Williamson from Hagerstown, Md., Junior College.
Williams averaged 3.1 points and 4.3 rebounds as the top frontcourt reserve for Sullivan, which was ranked as high as third in the junior college poll. Williamson averaged 6.8 points and 2.6 assists for Hagerstown, which finished 27-6.
Bradley hopes Williams can help ease the loss of team most valuable player Antoine Dalton and that Williamson can share point-guard duties with redshirt Damian Ingram. Radford's other newcomer is 6-7 Mike Petin, a transfer from North Carolina-Wilmington.
CAREER SAVED?: Former UVa baseball player Brian Buchanan, the first-round pick of the New York Yankees last season, suffered a compound fracture of his lower leg Saturday night and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Paramedics at a Greensboro (N.C.) Bats game were credited with saving Buchanan's foot after an injury that was described as more grotesque than the broken leg that ended the career of former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theisman.
THAT TIME AGAIN: How do you spell ``bubble?'' When it comes to the eight-team NCAA Division III men's lacrosse tournament, it's R-o-a-n-o-k-e.
The Maroons, bidding for their first NCAA berth since 1992 and second since 1988, dropped from sixth to eighth in the Division III poll without playing a game.
``I talked to a few people to see if I was biased,''said Roanoke College coach Bill Pilat. ``Some said we were in; some said we were on the bubble. At least nobody said we were out.''
Pilat's hope is that the Maroons get in the field as the No.6 or 7 seed and avoid a first-round matchup with defending champion Salisbury State, which hammered Roanoke 30-8 in the regular season.
PILAT ON FALLON: Gary Fallon was the football coach at Washington and Lee, the Maroons' biggest lacrosse rival, but Pilat was happy whenever Fallon officiated one of his games.
``He worked more of our games than anybody,'' said Pilat of Fallon, who died Saturday. ``I told [supervisor] Bob Sandell that I wanted him. I don't like many officials, but he was a great one.''
LYNCH RETURNING: George Lynch, whose steal and basket lifted the Los Angeles Lakers over Seattle in Game 3 of the NBA's Western Conference playoffs, has been playing with a stress fracture that will require surgery after the season.
Lynch, a former Patrick Henry High School and University of North Carolina standout, will have a screw in one of his feet, but still plans to hold his annual camp July 10-14 at William Byrd High School.
by CNB