Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Wake Forest center Tim Duncan and Villanova guard Kerry Kittles each received 55 votes from the 64-member national media panel and were joined on the team by Connecticut guard Ray Allen, who had 49 votes, Massachusetts center Marcus Camby (32) and Oklahoma forward Ryan Minor (22).
Virginia Tech forward Ace Custis was one of 28 players who received votes.
In other college basketball:
NOLAN SIDELINED: Sophomore forward Norman Nolan will miss Virginia's exhibition game Thursday night against Court Authority after suffering a sprained left ankle.
Nolan, projected as the starter at power forward, suffered the injury Monday during practice. His status is day-to-day.
OAK HILL PLAYER CHOOSES ARIZONA: Stephen Jackson, a 6-8 forward from Oak Hill Academy in Grayson County, has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Arizona, Wildcats coach Lute Olson said.
Jackson, a member of this year's AAU national championship team, previously starred at Lincoln High School in Port Arthur, Texas. Olson said Jackson is Arizona's sixth and final recruit for the early signing period, which began Nov.8.
TARK NOMINATED FOR HALL: Jerry Tarkanian, whose record as a coach is rivaled only by his record of problems with the NCAA, has been nominated for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Women
HUSKIES ON TOP: Connecticut had to play women's basketball for 191/2 years before getting a No.1 ranking. Now, the Huskies don't want to give it up.
After leading The Associated Press' poll for the final nine weeks last season and then winning the national championship, Connecticut was voted No.1 in the 1995-96 preseason poll released Tuesday. (Poll in Scoreboard. B5)
But if the Huskies stay there for nine consecutive weeks this season, or even five or six, they will have accomplished something, because they face a difficult schedule.
There could be lot of shuffling among the top teams in the poll because many face each other early in the season.
``Our early-season schedule's so difficult we could end up being 15th in two weeks,'' said coach Debbie Ryan of No.3 Virginia.
Connecticut, 35-0 last season, was a solid choice for No.1, receiving 26 of 40 first-place votes from a nationwide media panel. Four teams split the other 14 votes for first.
No. 2 Georgia, which joined Connecticut in the 1995 Final Four and has all five starters back, received seven first-place votes. Virginia had four, No.4 Louisiana Tech got one and No.5 Vanderbilt picked up two.
RIZZOTTI TOP VOTE GETTER: Jennifer Rizzotti, whose spectacular drive to the basket helped secure Connecticut's national championship in April, found herself out front again.
Rizzotti received the most votes on The Associated Press' preseason All-America team in women's basketball. The feisty 5-foot-5 guard was named on 36 of 40 ballots cast by a nationwide media panel.
She was joined on the team by teammate Kara Wolters, Virginia's Wendy Palmer, Louisiana Tech's Vickie Johnson and DePaul's Latasha Byears.
CAVS SIGN THREE: Virginia has signed three players for the 1996-97 season. Joining the Cavaliers will be Lisa Hosac, a 6-2 forward from Littleton, Colo.; Renee Robinson, a 5-6 guard from East Palo Alto, Calif.; and Lauren Swierczek, a 5-11 guard from Wallingford, Pa.
Hosac was the 1995 Colorado Player of the Year as well as a Street and Smith's second team All-American at Heritage High School. Robinson averaged eight points and 9.5 assists per game at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep last season, while Swierczek averaged 15.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game for Strath Haven High School.
by CNB