ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 1996 TAG: 9603190059
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: UVA NOTES
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Virginia running back Tiki Barber, as he was on his way to a school rushing record, never was one to get involved in the debate over the Cavaliers' quarterback for the upcoming season.
``I'm more concerned about the offensive line,'' Barber would say.
He's not the only one.
When the Cavaliers begin spring workouts Wednesday, the offensive line will join the quarterback position and the secondary as the primary areas of emphasis.
``It's a major overhaul,'' offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien said. ``There are two positions where you'd prefer to have experience -quarterback and offensive line - and we're rebuilding at both of them.''
UVa returns only one full-time starter - guard Jeremy Raley - from the offensive line that helped Barber and Mike Groh set single-season UVa rushing and passing records, respectively.
Center Dave Gathman could have returned for a fifth season of eligibility, but he has been advised to give up football because of injuries.
Tom Locklin moved from guard to start in place of Gathman last year and will bring experience to the center spot. However, UVa must replace first-team All-ACC selection Jason Augustino and second-team choice Chris Harrison at tackle, as well as three-year starter John Slocum at guard.
``Walt Derey, at tight end, probably has more experience than Locklin,'' O'Brien said. ``But, we've got three positions where we have very little experience or none at all. The good news is, we've got the talent to fill them.''
Two-year back-up Doug Karczewski is a frontrunner for one of the tackle jobs, along with little-used sophomore Robert Hunt. Hunt was pressed into service in the Peach Bowl after Harrison fell victim to dehydration.
``It should have helped [Hunt] immensely,'' O'Brien said.
O'Brien said that freshman Noel Lamontagne, who won raves for his work on the scout team last year, has moved from tackle to guard.
Head coach George Welsh, in Roanoke recently for a speaking engagement, said that linebacker Andre McNeal will get a look at safety. The Cavaliers' only safety who has played in a college game is sophomore Anthony Poindexter, who spent much of his time last year at linebacker.
EUROPEAN TRIP: Men's basketball coach Jeff Jones indicated the Cavaliers plan to take a two-week trip to Europe this summer for a series of exhibitions, although he may not have more than six scholarship players available.
Jones said that sophomore Monte Marcaccini may travel with the team but will be unable to play in games because he has not met a one-year residency requirement after transferring from Pepperdine. Only those players who were with the program this past season are eligible, including walk-ons.
Current freshmen Scott Johnson and Darryl Presley remain in school; however, their future is in question following their arrest Feb.13 on charges of petty larceny. Their court hearing is Wednesday, but they could be dismissed from school if found guilty of an honor offense.
Jones canceled a trip to Europe last summer when it appeared the Cavaliers might be short on players, but he is determined to get more experience for 7-foot-4 Chase Metheney, who is the leading candidate to start at center after the arrest of prize recruit Melvin Whitaker.
DIAMOND GEM: Scouts have been flocking to UVa baseball games to watch junior Seth Greisinger, a right-handed pitcher who has 42 strikeouts after 34 innings, compared to nine walks. Greisinger has a 3-0 record, with victories over seventh-ranked Arizona State and No.19 North Carolina State, and a 1.06 earned-run average.
Greisinger had seven strikeouts in five innings Friday, when the Cavaliers led Georgia Tech 5-0 in a game that was postponed by rain. He couldn't come back the next day, when the Yellow Jackets rallied for a 7-6 victory and handed UVa (12-9 overall, 1-5 ACC) its third one-run loss in conference play.
TORRID PACE: The men's lacrosse season is barely two weeks old and already Virginia has faced teams ranked No.1, 2, 6 and 11 in Division I. Top-ranked UVa (4-0) will play its first home night game at Klockner Stadium when it entertains No.4 Johns Hopkins at 7:30 Friday.
The Cavaliers have three returning All-Americans on attack, but sophomore midfielder Henry Oakey has scored 10 goals and also served as one of UVa's faceoff men. Oakey, the son of former Roanoker Ted Oakey, showed his promise in the 1993 Commonwealth Games in Salem.
NCAA-BOUND: Howie Miller, the ACC wrestling champion at 167 pounds, will be joined by four teammates in the NCAA Championships this week. Sophomore Jim Harshaw (167) and junior Zach Feldman (heavyweight) were ACC runners-up, and sophomore Matt Roth (126) and freshman Craig Fenstermaker (190) were given wild cards by the ACC coaches.
CONNECTIONS: Virginia freshman Kate Mooney, a 3-point specialist on the Cavaliers' women's basketball team, is the daughter of former Virginia Tech football player Dan Mooney. Dan Mooney played defensive end for the Hokies from 1965-67.
nAndre Powell, the new running backs coach for UVa's football team, is the husband of Jody Powell, an assistant women's basketball coach at Manhattan College, which visited Virginia for a first-round NCAA Tournament game.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) Barber, Jones.by CNB