ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 18, 1997 TAG: 9702180087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: UVA NOTES
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
One of the threads running through Virginia's four-game losing streak is the success of previously nondescript opposing big men, such as Clemson's Harold Jamison and Tom Wideman.
Jamison had scored in double figures once in 10 games before scoring 14 on Saturday in a 71-65 victory over the Cavaliers. Wideman had 12 points, only the second time he had been in double figures all season.
Barely a week earlier, Georgia Tech's Eddie Elisma had matched his career high with 23 points in a 66-53 Yellow Jackets victory that launched Virginia on its swoon.
UVa's post men not only haven't stopped their ACC counterparts, they also haven't been able to avoid fouling at an alarming rate:
* Freshman center Colin Ducharme, who otherwise has done some good things, has not had fewer than four fouls in UVa's past five games and has fouled out of two of them.
* Junior forward Norman Nolan, who had scored in double figures in four consecutive games, picked up his third foul early in the second half Saturday and played only eight minutes after intermission
* Chase Metheney, a 7-foot-4 sophomore, has played a total of 27 minutes during the losing streak and committed 10 fouls while failing to block a shot.
* Freshman Craig McAndrew has been totally ineffective, committing seven fouls in 26 minutes and missing all three of his free throws during the losing streak.
UVa's fifth post man, 6-10 freshman Kris Hunter, had two points, two rebounds and two blocks in an 81-57 loss to North Carolina, but has not played in the past two games.
Jones has indicated Hunter can't keep track of his assignments, an explanation that hasn't satisfied some fans. When the first caller to Jones' radio show Sunday blasted him for playing McAndrew over Hunter, host Chuck Noe asked Jones if he wanted to comment.
``Not really,'' Jones said.
After the second caller raised similar questions about UVa's lineup, Jones praised 6-5 Monte Marcaccini, who has received increased playing time in the post, and said freshman Willie Dersch's minutes would increase.
``We're big boys here,'' Noe said. ``The coach has responded to your questions.''
A subsequent caller suggested Jones hadn't responded to the questions, although the tone eventually changed and Jones provided some interesting insight into the Ducharme situation.
Ducharme is 7-for-8 from the field and has scored 15 points, with 12 rebounds and seven blocked shots, in the past two games. However, foul trouble limited him to a total of 37 minutes.
``Colin Ducharme, if you're looking at how he's playing, is really coming along,'' Jones said. ``He's giving us a lot of toughness, [but] we need an opportunity to have him out on the floor a little longer.''
One caller asked why the Cavaliers didn't play more zone defense, but Jones is a man-to-man advocate and used a 2-3 zone only briefly Saturday when Metheney was in the game.
``What we've found out is that we don't rebound well out of a zone,'' Jones said.
ODDS 'N' ENDS: Nolan has 23 rebounds in UVa's four-game losing streak, only nine at the defensive end. ... Team captain Jamal Robinson, after contributing eight rebounds in 13 minutes against Duke, played five minutes Saturday and did not get on the floor after halftime.
nVirginia, in losses to the nation's Nos.6 and 7 teams this past week, had 35 turnovers to the opposition's 21. ... One reason Jones wants to use Dersch more at the end of games: He's shooting 87.5 percent (21-of-24 ) from the free-throw line.
ON WOMACK: The mother of Antoine Womack, an All-America running back from Phoebus High
School in Hampton, left the impression Virginia is in good shape with her son, although there is no indication an announcement is imminent.
``He may be leaning that way,'' said Ella Womack, who said she would sign the letter of intent with whichever school her son chooses, Penn State or UVa.
Antoine Womack committed to Penn State on Jan.17, but subsequently changed his mind and said he was close to signing with Virginia. However, he admittedly became concerned upon hearing anonymous reports UVa may have committed an NCAA recruiting violation.
According to one of the rumors on the Internet, Virginia offered Womack a new car and offered his mother a new job.
``No, no, no, no,'' Womack's mother said Sunday night. ``I also heard it was printed on the [Internet] that I worked at a fish market. I do not work at a fish market; I've had the same job for 10 years. No one's offered me a job and no one's bought my son a car.''
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