THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 19, 1995 TAG: 9504190565
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Churchland High's Marvin Rodgers ended months of speculation Tuesday by announcing that he would sign today with West Virginia.
The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Rodgers said he chose the Mountaineers over Alabama despite a late recruiting push by the Crimson Tide.
Rodgers has not qualified for freshman eligibility under NCAA guidelines and cannot play as a freshman. He will have three years of eligibility if he completes 24 hours of freshman studies with a minimum 1.6 grade-point average.
Rodgers played in only 10 games this season and averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds. As a junior, he averaged 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds, and was named first-team All-Tidewater.
Rodgers sat out the first semester of his senior season after failing to achieve the minimum 1.3 grade-point average required in Portsmouth. Nonetheless, many college scouting services ranked Rodgers among the top 50 seniors in the country.
Rodgers said he took an official visit to Indian Hills Junior College and considered signing with Indian Hills. ``But I didn't want to go somewhere and then have to go somewhere else,'' he said. ``I wanted to get started somewhere where I'll be for awhile.''
Rodgers' also considered Massachusetts, Nebraska and Dayton.
West Virginia moves to the Big East Conference next season, along with Notre Dame and Rutgers, which was a key to Rodgers' decision.
``In the Big East, you face good competition every night,'' said Rodgers, who expects to play small forward for the Mountaineers. ``Even the weakest teams are tough.''
Kecoughtan's Brett Harper said he will sign today with Hagerstown Junior College.
Harper, a 6-3 guard whose 21.1 average led the Peninsula District in scoring, had considered signing with Hampton University and sitting a year to meet college eligibility requirements. He will join Granby's Shawn Hobson at Hagerstown.
Western Branch cross country standout Meredith Turnage said she will sign with North Carolina State.
Turnage was the Eastern Region champion as a junior and finished second last fall. She picked N.C. State over East Carolina, East Tennessee State and UNC Wilmington.
``I like the team and the community,'' Turnage said. ``It seems to be a conservative campus, and I liked that, too.''
Turnage, who will receive a half-scholarship, has a 3.7 grade-point average and plans to study medical technology.
N.C. State had its streak of eight consecutive ACC championships snapped last fall and has won two national titles. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/Staff file
Marvin Rodgers said he chose West Virginia over Alabama. He
averaged 14.5 points in 10 games.
Merdith Turnage plans to study medical technology at N.C. State.
by CNB