Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 27, 1995 TAG: 9510270127
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium
But the Highlanders' man of mystery is having a hard time keeping a poker face when he discusses this season's team. He'll give you the usual stuff, as he did Thursday at the annual Big South Conference basketball media day:
``I still think this is a very young team,'' he said.
Then, cracks in the mask appear.
On 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Kevin Robinson: ``He's young, but he does have some good experience from last year. He has really improved.''
On junior college transfer Marquiz Williamson, a 6-1 guard from Hagerstown, Md.: ``A very pleasant surprise for us. He's had to learn a new system, but he's got a real good knowledge of the game.''
On Leslie Ballard, a 6-1 freshman from Washington, D.C., who can play either guard position: ``He is going to be a very good player in this league.''
On Jermaine Williams, a 6-9 center and another JUCO transfer: ``He'll challenge for a lot of playing time and maybe start.''
On Mike Petin, the 6-7 junior from North Carolina-Wilmington who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules: ``We had to play him at the post a lot in practice last year because of the injury to Eric Parker. Now we're working him at small forward and he's adjusted very well.''
And that was before Bradley started trumpeting the virtues of his two most experienced players, guards Anthony Walker and Jason Lansdown. Actually, he didn't have to sing their praises. One of his fellow coaches beat him to it.
``Radford has a great backcourt,'' said Jeff Meyer, Liberty's coach. ``And I am not using the term `great' lightly.''
You have to think Bradley likes his chances this season after welcoming back eight of his top 10 players from a team that went 16-12 overall and 9-7 in the league a season ago.
So do the conference coaches and sports information directors who conduct separate preseason polls. The coaches had Radford third and the publicists picked the Highlanders second.
North Carolina-Greensboro, which has all five starters and all but one of 12 players back from last season's 23-6 conference championship team, is projected to repeat as Big South champion.
WORKING THE ROOM: Lubomyr Lichonczak, the Radford women's coach, declined to make a big deal of replacing departed starters Jenny Goode, Sara Larsen and Nicole Gardiner - the heart of Radford's 1994-95 NCAA Tournament team: ``It seems like every year I've been here has been a rebuilding year.''
by CNB