ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 5, 1996 TAG: 9601050044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
As his team continues to struggle offensively and in the win-loss column, the last thing Virginia men's basketball coach Jeff Jones needs is any finger-pointing.
Jones said Thursday he intended to address some negative comments made by his players Wednesday night after a 69-64 loss to Florida State.
``I think frustration is our biggest enemy right now,'' said Jones, whose team will take a 5-4 record in its home game Saturday with North Carolina State. ``We've got to guard against anything that will divide us in any way.''
Jones said he had seen film of a television interview in which sophomore guard Curtis Staples was critical of his teammates for not getting him the ball in the closing minutes.
``It all comes under internal matters,'' Jones said. ``You try to deal with it individually, but, if there's a way to address it in general terms, you can get your point across to the entire team.''
After missing his first 10 field-goal attempts against FSU, Staples hit three in a row, including a 3-pointer with 3:25 remaining that enabled UVa to cut a nine-point deficit to 63-60.
``I didn't touch the ball again until [there was] under a minute left,'' Staples said. ``There were three consecutive times down the floor after that that I was completely open. There was nobody within 10 feet of me.
``My man got lost under the basket. I was wide open, coach [Jones] was screaming, `Look up, look up,' and people didn't find me. When someone's got a hot hand, you've got to find 'em, no matter who it is. It's mandatory.''
On the next possession after Staples' basket, the Cavaliers stopped Florida State and had a two-on-one fast break. Courtney Alexander looked as if he might throw an alley-oop pass to Jamal Robinson, as he had earlier in the game, but, instead, pulled up and shot a jumper.
``When you don't get the layup, you don't want to take a guarded jump shot - particularly if you've got the guy with a hot hand trailing,'' Jones said.
Staples, a sophomore from Roanoke finished 3-of-14 from the field and is 9-of-37 in his past three games. He is shooting 32.3 percent from the field for the season, including 25.3 percent on 3-pointers.
``I'm just missing,'' said Staples, who shot 41.6 percent last season, including 42.2 from 3-point range. ``I wasn't taking any bad shots [Wednesday]. I was just off. But, I can't shy away. I've been trying to do that, and it's not my role. It's not how I became the player I am.
``If we were winning, the problem could be solved a little easier. Right now the problem is that we're losing at the same time. I'm worried. I'm wondering when we're going to come around.
``Just look at the stats: Our percentages are terrible. Every time we've played against a team that's pretty good, we've lost. I feel like we've only beat one good team this year, VCU.''
Harold Deane shared Staples' sentiments, although he wasn't the player who wanted the ball and didn't get it.
``I've been concerned all year,'' said Deane, the Cavaliers' junior point guard. ``We haven't done anything. We haven't beaten the quality teams. We haven't learned from our mistakes.
``We've done it over and over again. We've started out the game slow. We haven't rebounded when we've supposed to. We haven't taken the right shots when the game's on the line.''
Deane is shooting only 29.7 percent from the field, down from 39.2 last season, and is 12-of-60 on 3-pointers.
``I think everybody in the country automatically thought that Harold Deane and Curtis Staples would go wild,'' Florida State coach Pat Kennedy said. ``But, last year, Virginia had Junior [Burrough] and Cory [Alexander] at times, and I think both those guys are just terrific players.
``I think there's an awful lot of pressure on those two youngsters [Deane and Staples]. I think everybody is setting their game plan to chase Curtis and contain Harold. That was our No.1 defensive key to winning the game.''
LENGTH: Medium: 73 linesby CNB