ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 18, 1996 TAG: 9602190135
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: BOB RYAN
Marcus Camby set the agenda for Saturday afternoon's convocation of the Basketball Zealots of America on the very first Massachusetts possession.
Shawn Smith had just canned a free-throw line jumper for Virginia Tech to open the scoring. Camby posted up Travis Jackson on the left block, spun, laid it in, drew a foul, converted same and thus began a demonstration of basketball expertise that, having been properly showcased on ESPN, should settle the best player matter.
``I was in the ACC for nine years,'' said Virginia Tech mentor Bill Foster, a one-time Clemson coach. ``I saw the best Carolina teams with [Michael] Jordan, [Sam] Perkins and [James] Worthy. I saw Buck Williams. [Camby's] play today measured up with any performance I've seen - and it made the difference.''
Let's see ... 31 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, innumerable intimidations, a pair of assists and an overall presence that almost made the 74-58 UMass victory in this ballyhooed confrontation with the No.10 Hokies a subplot in his highlight film.
The early Virginia Tech coverage of Camby was suicidal. Foster assigned the task of stopping Camby to Jackson, a 6-foot-8 skinhead senior who is neither big enough nor quick enough to distract the gifted Camby. By the time Foster sent over some double- or triple-team help, Camby was in his shooting rhythm.
Camby had 13 of the first 15 UMass points and 16 of the first 25. Donta Bright was quiet for awhile, and then he got rolling. Camby (31) and Bright (19) had 50 of the first 61 UMass points. Virginia Tech had no obvious answer for Bright's combination of slashing moves to the hoop and pull-up jumpers, but with Camby the helplessness was so deep that the Hokies looked as if they weren't sure of the question, let alone the answer.
The Minutemen were surprised to the point of amusement when they realized Virginia Tech was going to guard Camby with just one normal human being. ``I was surprised,'' Bright admitted. ``He is the best player in the country. He has so much agility. He can do a lot of things a guard can do. Nobody can stop him one-on-one.''
That wasn't always true, as Bryant ``Big Country'' Reeves demonstrated last year in the NCAA Tournament. It turns out that Big Country did Camby a monumental favor by scaring him back to school and away from the 1995 NBA draft. For this is the New & Improved Marcus Camby, who has figured out additional ways to beat you during his junior year in college.
Camby posted up low. Camby posted up medium. Camby sank pull-up jumpers in transition. Camby scored on tip-ins. Camby faced up and beat his man with a crossover dribble. Camby scored 14 field goals, and he didn't even need his complete arsenal, which includes a jump hook. He also lost two more baskets on a travel and a whistle that said he'd been fouled before the shot. It wasn't some big man dunkathon (two jams); rather, it was a breathtaking display of offensive artistry.
Left unsaid is the fact that there are junk defenses available, and that if and when these two meet a few weeks hence in the Atlantic 10 tournament Foster will try one or two or 10 of them. He simply can't afford to play Camby the same way again.
``I can play a whole lot better,'' Camby said.
What if he's telling the truth?
Bob Ryan is a columnist for the Boston Globe.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB