THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501220248
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
From the outside, Saturday will look like just another lost night for a William and Mary basketball program that is going through one more rebuilding year in what seems like a rebuilding millennium.
Courtside, the view was different. More intriguing.
In losing to Old Dominion, the Tribe brought to the court a brashness you don't expect to see from William and Mary.
Whether it was the technical foul center David Cully picked up for taunting a sprawling Duffy Samuels of ODU, or the two or three times the officials had to warn Tribe players to knock off the chatter, a visitor to William and Mary Hall saw a different side to the perennial bottomfeeders.
Not to overplay the trash talking by the Boyz in the Burg. The Tribe will never be mistaken for the University of Miami football team.
Even more noticeable than the woofing, which was hardly excessive by today's standards, was the grit the team exhibited. Charlie Woollum, in his first season at William and Mary, is beginning to leave his mark.
This is a team that will lose, but won't learn to like it.
``Charlie's brought an attitude here,'' said ODU coach Jeff Capel.
That attitude, along with some unexpected recent success, has people looking at William and Mary a little differently.
``I think this is the best team we've played in our league so far,'' Capel said.
Even with its 83-73 loss to ODU, the Tribe is 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. A year ago, it finished 2-12 within the conference.
What this says about the quality of the CAA may not be so good. William and Mary started the season by losing its first seven non-conference games.
Woollum's team lost to the Citadel. To UNC-Greensboro. To Navy.
Suddenly, the conference schedule starts and the Tribe becomes a contender. Wonder what kind of spin the league office will put on this?
``We expect,'' says guard Kurt Small, ``to be in the upper echelon of the conference.''
It is unlikely. But the point is, you don't expect to hear this kind of talk from representatives of the College of Colonial Williamsburg. It doesn't fit the program. It goes against a long, discouraging tradition.
``The best thing about our loss tonight,'' said Small, who finished with 15 points, ``is that we get to play them again.''
There's that 'tude again.
``Charlie Woollum's a winner,'' Small explained. ``We're not going to back down against anybody.''
Woollum a winner? He must be a hypnotist, too. How else do you explain this sort of cockiness from a team that began 0-7?
``We knew, said Cully, a junior who is the CAA's leading rebounder and shotblocker, ``that we were going to turn the corner any minute.''
And run smack into a freight train? Well, it hasn't happened yet.
``If a team is physical against us,'' said Cully, ``or dirty like they were tonight, we'll fight back.''
Woollum was looking at the world through green-and-gold-colored glasses when he questioned the technical on Cully.
``It was an emotional game,'' he said. ``There was some jawing out there, but they called it too quick. You can't take all the emotion out of the game.''
Even with its emotions turned up full blast, William and Mary couldn't match ODU's Mike Jones and Petey Sessoms.
``There's nothing wrong with getting knocked down,'' said Woollum, ``as long as you get up again.''
With an attitude. by CNB