ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 11, 1996 TAG: 9604110034
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
Virginia Tech basketball coach Bill Foster said Wednesday he wasn't surprised by the Tuesday announcement that recruit Tony Stanley was signing with the University of Dayton.
Stanley, a high-scoring shooting guard at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, last month gave Tech a verbal commitment.
Foster said he and his staff knew Stanley was wavering the past couple of weeks.
``Bobby [Hussey, Tech assistant] could tell by talking to him,'' Foster said. ``It was just the things he was saying. We sort of got the idea that he had changed his mind.''
With Stanley gone to Dayton and ex-Radford University coach Oliver Purnell, Tech's list on Wednesday's national signing day was down from five names to four. The Hokies' haul thus far includes point guard Nathaniel Bailey from Johnson City, Tenn.; point guard Brendan Dunlap of Bronx, N.Y.; 6-foot-6 forward Rolan Roberts of Potomac High School; and 6-71/2 forward Jesus Rodriguez of Levitttown, Puerto Rico.
Foster said he would like to sign one more player - a big man who can bang inside the paint in the physical Atlantic 10 Conference - in the next couple days. Sources indicate the Hokies are close to landing 6-8 Russ Wheeler of Marietta, Ga. Wheeler visited Tech and is considering the Hokies along with Ohio State, Washington and Xavier.
Two of Tech's signees - Bailey and Roberts - still have some ground to cover academically and likely will spend the 1996-97 season at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham.
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