THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 14, 1994 TAG: 9412140577
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
With four starters gone, it's understandable that some people expected the Virginia Union Panthers to slip a couple notches.
But it's been business as usual in Richmond.
Three weeks into the season, the Panthers are 5-0, the only unbeaten team in the conference. They're holding opponents to 34 percent shooting and outscoring them by 28 points a game.
``It's still too early to really grade 'em,'' Union coach Dave Robbins said. ``We've had some big wins, with some big scores, but we really haven't played what I'd consider the big boys in the North yet.''
The Panthers beat Virginia State, 94-52, early this month. Last week, they beat Livingstone by 20 and Johnson C. Smith by 15.
Robbins said during the preseason that he thought his team might struggle early. Instead, the Panthers appear to have jelled early.
Part of the reason is the play of 6-foot-8 center Ben Wallace, arguably the conference's top newcomer. Wallace, a transfer from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, is evoking comparisons to Union alum Charles Oakley with his physical play.
``He's a player,'' Robbins said. ``He's a great shot blocker, excellent rebounder. He's not a great scorer, but he gets his points.''
Wallace is averaging 15.4 points, 9 rebounds and 3.8 blocks. Against Livingstone, the 235-pound junior had 23 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and seven dunks.
Complementing Wallace has been junior guard Thomas Meredith, who is averaging 18.8 points on 51 percent shooting. James Marshall, a forward, is averaging 15.6 points and 8.8 rebounds, and point guard Jay Butler is among the conference leaders in steals and assists.
The Panthers are not as deep as last season, and they're definitely not as big. That's resulted in a change in style: pressure defense, something seldom seen at Union over the past four years.
``When you're not big, you've got to do something to compensate,'' Robbins said. ``We're smaller, so we better be quicker.''
What it all means is that the Northern Division race should be more interesting than expected. CIAA fans can circle two dates on their calendars: Jan. 19, when Union is at Norfolk State; and Feb. 4, when the Spartans travel to Richmond.
SELF-CONFIDENCE DEPT.: After scoring 17 points in an 89-87 victory over Norfolk State on Saturday night, Virginia State's Kelvin Kinney was feeling pretty good about his post-up game. ``I'm so strong, I can use either hand and go either way. I don't think anybody can stop me,'' he said.
Kinney, 6-8 and a rock-solid 240 pounds, certainly looked good against the Spartans. On three consecutive possessions midway through the second half, he caught the ball on the left block and powered it into the basket.
PRO UPDATE: Two of last year's All-CIAA picks, Nate Higgs and Derrick Johnson, have landed in the Continental Basketball Association.
Higgs, a 6-7 forward from Elizabeth City State, has started nine of 12 games for the Omaha Racers and is averaging 8.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. Johnson, a 6-9 forward from Virginia Union, is coming off the bench for the Tri-City Chinook and is averaging 3.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and two blocked shots.
Former Norfolk State star and CBA veteran Jerome Coles is also with Omaha. Coles, coming off shoulder surgery, is on injured reserve and has not played this year.
BIG WIN FOR BOWIE: Bowie State's women have the distinction of being the only conference team to beat a Division I foe this year.
The Lady Bulldogs knocked off Navy, 53-51, on Dec. 3 on two free throws by sophomore Kelly Evans.
``I don't know if this is the biggest win the program's had,'' Bowie State coach Edward Davis said. ``This is certainly my greatest win.''
TIDBITS: The unbeaten Norfolk State Spartanettes head to Marietta, Ga., this weekend to play in the Kennesaw State Invitational. Kennesaw State features last year's Tidewater Player of the Year, Angela Carter of Oscar Smith. Carter, a backup point guard, is averaging 1.8 points and 4.5 assists in four games. . . . The Spartanettes, ranked No. 10 in Division II, are averaging 92.7 points per game - best of any team, men or women. by CNB