THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 24, 1995 TAG: 9503220137
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
FREDDIE SPELLMAN LEANED against a wall outside Indian River's locker room, a season of taming youthful exuberance behind him.
The Braves' second-year head coach talked in broad terms about a nucleus of players that had just taken Indian River to the state semifinals. A nucleus that could be much better next season.
He talked of commitment. And of focus. And of learning. And of off-season work habits. And of realizing goals.
The goal for the Braves next season is simple: a state championship.
``I know this team will be back next year,'' said Quintae McLean, a 6-foot-3 senior forward who will not. He pointed over his shoulder back into the locker room. ``There's a lot of kids in there who can play.''
Just so the Braves aren't surprised by it next November, they should prepare themselves for what waits. True King-of-the-Hill status comes along so rarely. The last time it did in this area, it was with the Alonzo Mourning-led Braves of 1987.
In Mourning's sophomore year, the Braves went 21-3. The next year, everyone picked them to win a state title. And they delivered, finishing 29-1.
This year, the Braves will lose McLean, 6-6 center Jamal Creecy, 6-4 forwards Morgan Jackson and Jeremy Bridges and guard Arthur Simmons.
But look at who's coming back.
The team's top four scorers return, including 6-7 freshman phenom Jason Capel, 6-6 junior point guard Terry Rouse and 5-10 sophomore guards James Boyd and David Selby.
Capel was simply marvelous down the stretch.
He had a 21-point, 21-rebound performance in a 66-51 victory over Kecoughtan in the regional finals. In the state quarterfinals, Capel had 12 points and 14 rebounds in a 60-49 win over John F. Kennedy of Richmond.
Then in the Braves' 63-58 loss in the state semifinals to Potomac, Capel had 15 points and 18 rebounds.
If the Braves can develop other interior players - 6-7 junior Edward Seward, 6-6 junior James McDaniels and 6-3 junior Ronnie Wilson are the likely candidates - then Capel will be able to expand his game and put his ball-handling abilities on display.
And who is to say some 6-7 kid who can play won't move into the area? That's what happened when Capel's family moved in.
The fear is that Capel's family will move out. His father, Old Dominion University head coach Jeff Capel, took the Monarchs to the second round of the NCAA tournament in his first year. He is a hot property and his name has already been bantered about in regard to the opening at Oregon State.
Other schools will look for a head coach too. Why would Capel turn down a lucrative offer? Because he'd like his son to play four years of high school basketball at the same school?
Money talks.
The flip side is that the Capels have so far displayed wholesome family values. Maybe the Capels are serious about establishing roots for Jason. Maybe Jeff Capel feels a need to establish a track record somewhere. Maybe he feels very good about his incoming recruiting class. And maybe he turns a deaf ear to all that money that could be thrown his way.
With Jason Capel, the Braves were intimidating.
``They eat up a lot of space,'' said Potomac coach Kendall Hayes, whose team finished the season ranked No. 1 in metropolitan D.C. by The Washington Post and No. 17 nationally by USA Today. ``You look out there and all you see are arms and legs. This was the first time we have played a team bigger than us.''
If this year's team had received a favorable break from the officials in the state semifinals - Potomac attempted 40 free throws to Indian River's nine - the outcome might have been reversed.
Indian River was whistled for 24 fouls to Potomac's 15.
Did reputation play a part in the discrepancy in fouls?
Maybe so. But next year, reputation will be on Indian River's side. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by TAMARA VONINSKI
Indian River's Jason Capel tries to outmaneuver Potomac's Mike Neal
in the state basketball tournament at Liberty University in
Lynchburg.
by CNB