Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 12, 1995 TAG: 9507130066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM AND M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Long
The two ACC coaches only disagree about when the league will start.
Hatchell says that following next year's Olympics is a good time for the women's pro league to open play. Freeman feels it still might be eight or nine years away.
What the two agree on is that visibility fueled by more television coverage of women's basketball will be the impetus to making a pro league successful. Currently, outstanding women players must travel to foreign lands to play professionally.
"I'm not a fan of the NBA, but I still follow the ACC players," said Freeman, who joined Hatchell as speakers at the Virginia High School Coaches' Association Clinic being held here this week.
"The women don't have identification. Grant Hill [the ACC men's Player of the Year in 1993-94] walks through the airport and everyone knows who he is. The ACC women's Player of the Year could go through the airport and no one would know her."
Freeman says television is the key to getting this changed. "So it's an evolution thing. It's eight or nine years away for the pro league."
Hatchell says sports that have received exposure on television have progressed. This year, women's basketball will be one of those sports. ESPN will carry early round games of the NCAA women's tournament in addition to the regional semifinal and championship games.
Hatchell's team, which won the 1994 NCAA title, will meet Georgia and ex-Virginia high school Player of the Year L'Keshia Frett on an ABC television doubleheader Feb.4 that includes North Carolina State possibly playing the USA women's national team.
"Look at some of the other sports. Whenever television got involved, they skyrocketed," said Hatchell
"ESPN is making a big commitment. They're going to have a women's game on ESPN2 every Friday night. Because of all this, I'm hoping to get the pro league started after the Olympics."
Both coaches maintain women's basketball is catching on. According to the NCAA, attendance was up for the 14th consecutive year. NCAA varsity teams attracted 4,961,946 spectators, a gain of 404,880 from the previous winter. Division I attendance accounts for 3.97 million spectators.
"There is a financial commitment to pay players on the Team USA squad. The corporate sponsorship is up. So the timing for a pro league is after the Olympics," said Hatchell.
Freeman said the Air Swoopes shoe, named for former NCAA Player of the Year Cheryl Swoopes of Texas Tech, will help.
"Now they recognize Rebecca Lobo [from the University of Connecticut Division I championship squad]. Is it because she's so big?" asked Freeman.
"Still, she has a lot of TV time, she's bright and very articulate, and she has stature.
"Women's basketball is on the verge of exploding. What helps a pro league get off the ground is if the national team tour does a good job and generates interest."
The women are also moving their games into the the big civic coliseums much the same way the men do.
CANFIELD COACHES AGAIN: Former Washington and Lee men's basketball coach Verne Canfield didn't take long to get back into basketball.
Canfield, who was forced to resign by W&L after a long and successful career, will coach the Fort Defiance girls' team this fall.
Canfield, who spoke on defensive situations and motivation for girls' basketball, has said since his ouster, "I'll be teaching and coaching somewhere. I don't care what gender or what level."
Canfield is on a year's sabbatical as a tenured professor at W&L. He returns next year and remains hopeful that something can be worked out to permit him to continue as the coach at Fort Defiance in addition to his teaching duties at W&L.
"This will be the first winter I've been out of basketball," said Canfield, referring to the fact that Fort Defiance, as a Group AA-sized school, plays girls' basketball in the fall. "I might take it off completely to see how it is to watch games.''
WEST WINS IN VOLLEYBALL: The West squad rallied in the final set to top the East 15-11, 11-15, 15-7, 5-15, 15-12 Tuesday at Holland Hall on the Hampton University campus.
West MVP Erika Kuhn of Jefferson Forest served the last three points as the West snapped a 12-all tie. That capped the comeback from a 9-2 deficit.
Kuhn finished with seven kills, while Kari Hall of C.D. Hylton had a team-high 13 kills.
Mary Clements of Jefferson Forest keyed the attack with 40 sets and 16 assists. The East squad was led by MVP Juanita Venabel of R.E. Lee who had a match-high 14 kills and setter Kimberly Housh of Stuarts Draft who had 60 sets and 15 assists.
Among Timesland players on the victorious West squad, Cathy Galko of Northside had nine kills. Franklin County's Susan Wilson and George Wythe's Amy Blizzard had two kills each.
EAST HOOPSTERS WIN: The East ran off 20 straight points late in the second half en route to 93-80 win over the West in the boys' basketball game Monday night at the Hampton Coliseum.
Percy White of William Monroe, the Group A Player of the Year, scored seven of his team-high 14 points in the run. East MVP Brett Harper of Kecoughtan added five points, including two thunderous dunks. Harper finished with 10 points.
Shawnte Hobson of Granby also scored 14 for the East.
West MVP Michael Martin of Martinsville had 14 in a losing effort. He had nine points in the second half as the West held the lead or trailed by just a few points until the last six minutes.
Laurel Park's Warwick Scott added 13 for the West.
Early production by Scott (nine), Derrick Hines of William Fleming (all seven of his points) and Parry McCluer's Michael McElroy (six of his 10) helped the West lead by as many as 18 points in the first half.
Among other Timesland players, Nick Varney of Glenvar and Dana Gibson of Northside each scored four.
by CNB