ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 13, 1997 TAG: 9702130051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: COLLEGE NOTEBOOK
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
With his performance at the recent NFL Scouting Combine, Jim Druckenmiller of Virginia Tech has solidified his position as the No.1 quarterback prospect in the NFL draft.
That could change if Tennessee's Peyton Manning elects to forgo his final season of eligibility, a growing possibility now that Bill Parcells will coach the New York Jets, but Druckenmiller has emerged as an almost-certain first-round pick.
Recruiting analyst Mel Kiper, in his most recent ``Draft Talk'' newsletter, has projected the Chicago Bears will select Druckenmiller with the No.10 pick overall. Kiper also predicted Virginia outside linebackers James Farrior and Jamie Sharper would be first-round selections.
UVa running back Tiki Barber from Roanoke was 40th on Kiper's list, which would make him an early second-round choice. Tech defensive back Torrian Gray was 57th, which would make him one of the final picks in the second round.
Gray was listed by Kiper as a possible first-round selection in the same December newsletter in which Tech All-America defensive end Cornell Brown was mentioned as a possible second-round pick. UVa defensive back Joe Rowe, injured for the last month of the season, was cited as a prospect on the rise.
Barber's twin brother, Ronde, did not appear on several early projections because he did not make himself available for the draft until January. Although underclassmen cannot play in the Senior Bowl, he was invited to Mobile, Ala., in order to meet and be seen by NFL scouts.
WELSH TAKING OFFENSIVE: UVa football coach George Welsh said Tuesday he has been in regular contact with athletic director Terry Holland and compliance director Lynn Mitchell - apparently an effort to make sure there have been no improprieties in the recruiting of Phoebus High School star running back Antoine Womack.
Womack said earlier this week that he wanted to sign with Virginia until he received anonymous phone calls and letters suggesting the Cavaliers may have committed a recruiting violation. Womack, the all-time rushing leader in Group AAA, earlier had made an oral commitment to Penn State.
``I've checked a lot of things in the last week and a half and, from what I can determine, we've got no problems,'' Welsh said. ``I may have something to say on that later. I don't want to make any more comments on that right now.''
nWelsh said he may not name an offensive coordinator to replace Tom O'Brien, the new head coach at Boston College. He may hire an offensive-line coach and divide the play-calling duties. ... UVa wide receiver Derick Byrd will not be returning for a fifth season.
IN COACHING: North Carolina State has named quarterbacks coach Jimmy Kiser as the successor to Ted Cain, now the head coach at VMI, as offensive coordinator. Wolfpack head coach Mike O'Cain said he thinks the play-caller and coordinator should be the same person.
MORE RECRUITING: Many analysts felt Florida State had the nation's top football recruiting class even before Baton Rouge, La., running back Travis Minor signed with the Seminoles on Monday. Minor and FSU signee David Warren, a defensive end from Tyler, Texas, were named national offensive and defensive players of the year by USA Today.
HARTZELL FACTOR: The flap that developed at the end of the Virginia-Duke men's basketball game Tuesday night was not the first run-in the Cavaliers have had with Rick Hartzell, the lead official who said he never saw substitute Willie Dersch at the scorer's table.
Hartzell was the official who called technical fouls on UVa coach Jeff Jones and point guard Harold Deane last year in a game the Cavaliers lost 79-69 at Duke. UVa led 45-38 when Jones got his technical and the technical on Deane caused him to foul out of the game.
TOUGH TIMES: Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins is blaming himself for the demise of the Yellow Jackets, who have dropped to eighth in the ACC after winning the regular-season championship and reaching the championship game of the ACC tournament last season.
``Maybe we sat on our laurels a little bit,'' Cremins said, ``but the vacuum left by [Stephon] Marbury and [Drew] Barry was something I did not anticipate. And, I could kick myself in the butt for it. I'm paying a dear price.''
IN THE ATLANTIC 10: Jon Depina, a 5-10 guard from Boston, has announced he will sign with Massachusetts. Depina was one of two Massachusetts schoolboy stars who were rejected for admission to Boston College after making oral commitments to the Eagles.
CRUMP THRIVING: Jermare Crump from William Fleming High School in Roanoke is averaging 15.6 points for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program. Crump became eligible when he graduated from Seminole (Fla.) Junior College after the first semester.
Crump, shooting 48.8 percent (40-of-82) on 3-pointers, originally had planned to enroll at Gardner-Webb College. His success has IUP looking at Crump's ex-William Fleming teammate, Derrick Hines, a point guard who is in his second season at Gulf Coast (Fla.) Junior College.
LOCAL UPDATE: Longwood College wrestler Mark Mast, a junior from Northside High School, captured the 126-pound weight class in the Division II-III state wrestling meet this past weekend in Farmville. Mast finished third last year after transferring to Longwood from UNC Greensboro.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Druckenmiller.by CNB