
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 9, 1995                   TAG: 9506090087
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

STAPLES HAS BIG PLANS FOR SUMMER

Virginia basketball player Curtis Staples, an ACC All-Freshman selection from Roanoke, has been named to the South team that will play July 26-29 at the U.S. Olympic Festival in Denver.

Staples, who set UVa records for 3-point field goals in a game and a season, leaves today for Colorado Springs, Colo., site of the USA Men's Junior World Championship team trials.

``I knew, once the season was over, that I'd have some opportunities,'' Staples said Thursday. ``Coach [Jeff] Jones told me these were the best two. I'm hoping to get a jump-start heading into next season.''

Tennessee State coach Frankie Allen will be Staples' head coach at the Olympic Festival. Allen, a standout at Roanoke College, was the head coach at Virginia Tech before going to Tennessee State.

``I didn't know he was coaching'' at the Festival, Staples said. ``That makes me want to go even more. We've been tight since I was a little kid and he brought me to my first basketball camp.''

Staples will be joined on the South team by ACC rivals Ishua Benjamin of North Carolina State, Greg Buckner of Clemson, LaMarr Greer or Florida State and Matt Harpring of Georgia Tech.

St. John's Tarik Turner, who played in the backcourt with Staples at Oak Hill Academy in Grayson County, is on the East team.

by CNB