ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, July 11, 1996 TAG: 9607110045
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: COLLEGE NOTEBOOK
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
Any Virginia Tech sports fan with an on-line computer service has heard the rumor by now: The Hokies are under consideration for the Southeastern Conference.
Tech athletic director Dave Braine, whose goal has been to align the Hokies with an all-sports conference, only wishes that were true for either the SEC, ACC or Big East.
``I don't know where it's being generated,'' said Braine of the SEC rumors. ``There's nothing concrete. I haven't talked to anybody in the last two months.''
Oh, so there were conversations earlier in the spring?
``I've talked to coach [Roy] Kramer,'' said Braine, referring to the ex-Vanderbilt basketball coach who serves as SEC commissioner. ``But, I've also talked to [ACC commissioner] Gene Corrigan and [Big East commissioner] Mike Tranghese.
``I never let a conversation go without making our intentions known. I've said all along that I think somebody is going to expand, but I don't think there's anything substantial at this time.''
Tech is a member of the Big East in football, but most of the Hokies' other teams are affiliated with the Atlantic 10 Conference.
ROBERTS OUT: Virginia Tech may turn to 6-foot-4 Shawn Tann from Southampton High School now that men's basketball signee Rolan Roberts from Potomac High School has failed to qualify for freshman eligibility.
Roberts said he would like to enroll at Tech at mid-semester, but it is more likely he will spend the year at Fork Union Military Academy. Tann, who is a qualifier, originally was thinking about playing for Hargrave Military Academy in 1996-97.
MORE RECRUITING: Wake Forest suffered a blow when two of its three signees, Shon Coleman and Joakim Blom failed to meet NCAA requirements for freshman eligibility. Look for the Deacons to continue their pursuit of both players next year.
Wake, which goes into next season with an all-senior frontcourt, will have the services of 7-1 high-school All-American Loren Woods from St.Louis. Coleman, a 6-6 forward from Statesville, N.C., may enroll at Hargrave Military Academy, while the 6-9 Blom is likely to remain in his native Sweden.
OAK HILL LOADED: Virginia is one of the schools in pursuit of William Avery, a point guard from Durham, N.C., who is rated the No.5 prospect in the country by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. Avery is expected to transfer to Oak Hill Academy, along with No.33 Jermaine Medley, a 6-1 guard from Wilmington, Del.
They would join an Oak Hill team that will have three players 6-9 or taller: senior Attila Cosby, rated No.47 by Gibbons after averaging 9.4 points and 5.4 rebounds last season; and rising juniors Kevin Lyde and Souleymane Camara. Camara is from Dakar, Senegal, and is considered more advanced than ex-Warrior Makhtar Ndiaye at the same state.
nOne of the top prospects in Virginia, 6-6 Brian Williams from James River in Midlothian, will spend his senior year at Mount Zion Academy in Durham, N.C. Williams gives Mount Zion three players ranked among Gibbons' 100 prospects in the country.
FOOTBALL, TOO: John Yura, who had 104 tackles last year for Morgantown (W.Va.) High School, has committed to West Virginia. The Mountaineers, who had not previously pushed for early commitments, reportedly have made close to 20 offers.
nWVU coach Don Nehlen, according to the Blue & Gold News, has not ruled out the possibility that Randy Moss one day could play for the Mountaineers. Moss, a former high-school All-America wide receiver from Belle, W.Va., recently was dismissed by Florida State.
Moss (6-5, 210) originally signed with Notre Dame, but was released by the Fighting Irish after he was arrested for fighting. He was granted immediate eligibility at Florida State, but violated terms of his parole when he tested positive for marijuana use.
nNorth Carolina has received a football commitment from Nathan Sutton, a defensive back from Waynesville, N.C. ... Headed to Maryland is Al Surman, a 6-4, 245-pound defensive end from Butler, Pa.
IN THE PROS: Ex-Virginia Tech wide receiver Antonio Freeman, entering his second year with the Green Bay Packers, has been rated third on a list of possible breakthrough players by NFL correspondent Bob Glauber of The Sporting News. ... Former Virginia standout Charles Way enters training camp as the New York Giants' No.1 fullback.
FLEDGLING FOOTBALL: Greensboro College, which announced plans June 2 to begin intercollegiate football in 1997, said one of the reasons was a desire to increase its enrollment of approximately 1,000 by 200-250 students.
Greensboro College currently has membership in the Dixie Conference, which does not sponsor football. Talks already are underway with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, which has six football-playing members and is considering a seventh, Catholic University.
COACHING FRATERNITY: Ryan Odom, one of the top basketball players in the ODAC last year for Hampden-Sydney, has joined the staff of new South Florida coach Seth Greenberg. Odom is the younger son of Wake Forest coach Dave Odom, who once coached at Virginia with Greenberg. Another Odom son, Lane Odom, coaches at East Carolina.
GREISINGER THE BEST: Virginia baseball pitcher Seth Greisinger (12-1) finished first in Division I in earned-run average at 1.76. Greisinger, who has a 5-0 record for the United States Olympic team, is expected to pass up his senior year after being selected by Detroit with the sixth pick of the free-agent draft.
LENGTH: Long : 102 linesby CNB