ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 25, 1997 TAG: 9703250055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: UVA NOTES
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY THE ROANOKE TIMES
Stanford's size hurt the Virginia women's basketball team in the West Regional. The Cavaliers hope to be bigger and deeper next year.
It is reasonable to look at the Virginia women's basketball team and say the Cavaliers are maybe one good player removed from the top programs in the country.
Call it Konecka's Curse.
UVa coach Debbie Ryan felt she had one of her best recruiting classes in 1993-94, when her signees included point guard Tora Suber and 5-foot-11 forward Konecka Drakeford, rated the No. 2 prospect in the country.
Suber became a two-time All-ACC selection but Drakeford played only six games for the Cavaliers before she was arrested for unauthorized use of an automatic-teller machine and left school. At the time of her departure, she was UVa's second-leading scorer.
Virginia's continued No. 3 and 4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament reflect its status as one of the nation's top-15 women's programs, but a lack of quality depth was apparent Saturday in a 91-69 loss to Stanford, the top-seeded team in the West Region.
There was a big dropoff after sophomore DeMya Walker picked up two fouls in the first 2:13. Stanford, with four regulars over 6 feet, showed Virginia that you can never have too many post players.
``At least not in their case,'' said Ryan, who was also without top backcourt reserve Tiffany Bower. ``I thought [Walker's foul trouble] was the key to the game. If she's not in there, we can't compete at that level.''
Lisa Hosac, a 6-2 freshman, showed progress during the postseason and the Cavaliers signed two post players in the fall, Deanna Mitchelson and Chalois Lias.
``Potentially, there could be a third, although I'm not sure who that would be right now,'' said Ryan, who also signed point guard Erin Stovall and is pursuing one of the nation's top unsigned prospects, Nikki Teasley from St. John's Prospect Hall in Frederick, Md.
``I'd say we'll be better equipped next year. We'll be deeper. We'll have to replace Tora's scoring and Jackie Glessner's leadership, but I think this is a team that has a shot to be very good next year.''
ALEXANDER ON RISE: Cory Alexander has lived an NBA journeyman's dream in the past two weeks, moving into the starting lineup for the San Antonio Spurs and averaging 20.3 points and 9.3 assists over the last six games.
Alexander replaced an injured Avery Johnson at point guard and played 47, 48, 48, 47 and 49 minutes in a five-game stretch. He dropped to 41 minutes Sunday night, when he had 16 points and 10 assists for his fourth double-double as a starter.
The extended playing time is a good indicator that Alexander, a 6-foot-1 point guard, has recovered from the injury problems that doomed his final two seasons at UVa. Alexander broke his right ankle in 1994 and '95.
Alexander played in only 60 of 82 games last year but has seen increased playing time since Gregg Popovich replaced Bob Hill as coach Dec.10. Popovich was general manager when San Antonio used its first-round pick to draft Alexander in 1995.
Johnson underwent surgery two weeks to remove an abcess from his throat and is to be examined this week before it is decided when he will return to the lineup. He had played in 378 consecutive games - the fifth-longest streak in the NBA - before his injury.
WOMACK UPDATE: Bill Dee, coach at Phoebus High School, said he believes star running back Antoine Womack will make a decision this week, although he refused comment on rumors that the pendulum may have swung in Penn State's favor.
Womack, rated the No.1 prospect in the state by The Roanoke Times, committed to the Nittany Lions in January but had a change of heart and almost signed with Virginia on Feb. 5. However, he has delayed his decision while awaiting the result of an NCAA review of his recruiting.
NEW FACULTY REP: Education professor Carolyn Callahan lists gender equity and academic integrity as her main priorities as she begins a five-year term as Virginia's faculty representative for athletics.
Callahan, chairman of UVa's Athletic Advisory Committee for the past four years, succeeds D. Alan Williams. Williams, who is retiring, has been the school's ``faculty rep'' since 1969 and served nine years as chairman of the NCAA committee on infractions.
COMING CLOSER: A sign that No. 2 Virginia is getting closer to top-ranked Maryland in women's lacrosse was the teams' meeting last week in Charlottesville. The Terrapins, winners of 41 straight games and back-to-back NCAA championships, won 6-5 after trailing 4-3 at the half.
NOT FADING AWAY: In baseball, Virginia has a better record after 27 games (18-9) than it did last year, when the Cavaliers had their best season in school history, winning the ACC Tournament and finishing 14th in the final Baseball America poll.
Maybe the biggest surprise on the team has been sophomore Javier Lopez, exclusively a pitcher in 1996. Lopez, the Cavaliers' starting first baseman when he isn't pitching, is batting .362 and has five home runs and 25 runs batted in - second on the team in all three categories.
On the mound, Lopez has three victories, tied for the team lead with a pair of freshmen, starter Kevin Shrout (3-0, 1.78 ERA) and reliever Tim Lavigne (3.0, 3.24). Shrout is joined in the rotation by a third freshman, Casey Kennedy.
Expected ace Pat Daneker, rated the No. 37 prospect in the country by Baseball America, was off to a slow start before a 6-1 complete-game victory Friday over North Carolina State. Daneker is 2-2, with a 6.05 ERA, and has allowed 50 hits in 38 2/3 innings.
ODDS 'N' ENDS: Casey Crawford, expected to start at tight end for Virginia's football team, played in six games as a reserve first baseman and designated hitter and is expected to rejoin the baseball team after spring practice. .... All seven of the swimmers UVa sent to the women's NCAA championships were women, including Emily Carrig, winner of two individual events at the recent ACC meet.
LENGTH: Long : 110 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS. Virginia women's basketball coachby CNBDebbie Ryan (right) hopes to replace Tora Suber's scoring with bench
depth next season. color.