THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010584
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
As could be expected, Virginia coaches have studied closely the videotape of last Saturday's game between Duke and Maryland.
The Cavaliers play fifth-ranked Maryland tonight in College Park, Md., and would dearly love to have the same defensive success against the Terps' Joe Smith as did the Blue Devils.
Maryland went to the buzzer against Duke for a 74-72 victory with Smith having his worst offensive performance as a collegian.
Smith, who entered the game averaging 20.3 points and 61.2 field goal percentage, made only two of 10 shots against Duke for six points.
How did the Blue Devils do it?
``They were physical with him and forced him to shoot over one of their bigger guys,'' said Virginia coach Jeff Jones.
``They got help with him, and made him feel like he was in a crowd. You have got to do that. You can't allow him to move freely in the low post and have time or space to put the ball on the floor.''
Virginia, no doubt, will get physical with Maryland's 6-foot-10 sophomore from Norfolk. But the Cavaliers do not have anyone the size of Duke's 6-foot-11 Cherokee Parks or 6-foot-10 Eric Meek.
Two other ACC centers, North Carolina's Rasheed Wallace and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, had big games in Virginia's two league losses.
POSITIVE SPIN: Despite the scare, the Terps showed how much progress they have made by winning without Smith's normal scoring night.
``There was a time we had to have Joe scoring to have a chance to win,'' says coach Gary Williams, ``and no player needs that kind of pressure.''
Smith's previous low was eight points in a loss to Clemson last season.
The Terps may have the most balanced and effective offense in the league this year.
They lead the ACC in field goal shooting (52.3 percent) with all five starters averaging double figures.
``We were limited last year while trying to learn the offense and not doing a good job of finding second and third options,'' says Williams.
``We are doing a better job of finding the open man, and that accounts for our high field goal percentage.''
STOCK SOARS: UNC's Wallace and the Terps' Smith no longer are considered the class of the ACC big men.
Wake Forest sophomore Duncan, who had a spectacular duel against Wallace on Sunday, now is getting equal billing.
``He is right there with both of them,'' said Phoenix Suns scout Al Bianchi, the former Virginia Squires coach, who was at the North Carolina game.
North Carolina coach Dean Smith said ACC members have known how good Duncan is.
``Now the secret is out everywhere after the game he had against us on national television,'' Smith said.
GEORGIA TECH UPDATE: The Yellow Jackets' James Forrest, who broke a bone in his left hand in an auto accident last week, is back at practice but won't play again for at least three weeks.
``He has a cast on his hand, and can't play until it is removed, which should be in about three weeks,'' coach Bobby Cremins said.
Forrest is Georgia Tech's leading scorer with a 19.9 average.
STILL BIG: Games against North Carolina are always big for Duke, but the one Thursday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium will have a different meaning than all others in the 192-game series.
It is the first time North Carolina has ever played a Duke team with a 0-7 league record and fighting to avoid going winless in its first swing through the league.
Other than that, North Carolina coach Dean Smith believes it will be business as usual.
``I hope the environment in Cameron is the same,'' Smith said. ``It fires up our players.''
WHO'S BEST? Wake Forest coach Dave Odom gives his vote for the league's best overall player to North Carolina sophomore guard Jerry Stackhouse.
``He is the best there is, inside and outside,'' Odom said. ``And the scary thing is he is going to get even better.''
Meanwhile, Tech's Cremins is promoting Clemson's Rick Barnes for national coach-of-the year.
``By winning at Duke and North Carolina State, he's got my vote right now,'' Cremins said.
TIGHT RACE: This could be the hottest scoring race in ACC history.
Duke's Parks and Florida State's Bob Sura currently are tied for the lead with 20.4 points-per-game averages and Stackhouse is right behind them at 20.3. by CNB