THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 5, 1995 TAG: 9512050396
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
The entertainment options are limited in Mike Byers' hometown of Ruckersville and in Stanardsville, where his high school is located.
``Blink your eyes, you go right through them,'' said Randy Michie, Byers' coach at William Monroe High. ``We don't have a stoplight at all in Stanardsville, got a couple in Ruckersville.''
The two burgs do have Charlottesville just down U.S. Route 29, and Byers went there frequently during high school - playing pickup games with the likes of Virginia players Harold Deane, Cory Alexander and Junior Burrough.
``Instead of going around with friends to parties, that's where he went,'' Michie said. ``He had a good relationship with those guys, and he knew from playing against them that physically he wasn't ready for college yet coming out of high school.''
Anyone who has seen Old Dominion play knows that Byers is ready now after a year of prep school. He has made the biggest impact of the six freshmen in the Monarchs' heralded recruiting class.
Byers has started every game at shooting guard and has played more minutes and scored more points than every Monarch but forward Joe Bunn going into tonight's 7:35 game at Scope against South Florida.
Byers is averaging 15.4 points on 48 percent shooting from the field, 42 percent from 3-point range. He is the Monarchs' best penetrating guard since Darrin McDonald, whose ODU career ended in 1990.
Byers' team-high 16 points in the season opener against Duke made him the first ODU newcomer to lead the team in his debut since the Monarchs joined Division I in 1976-77. Two nights later, Byers attempted a 3-pointer at the buzzer in a 90-89 double-overtime loss to Ohio. The shot bounced off, but coach Jeff Capel praised the freshman for having the guts to take it.
``He plays with no fear,'' Capel said. ``What makes him so good is he can shoot the ball. People have to respect that and come out on him, and then he can drive on you. He's not afraid to meet the defense at the rim and challenge you.''
Byers went to the iron in a different sense to prepare for his freshman season.
Michie said the 6-foot-2 Byers was 160 pounds ``if he was lucky'' his senior year at William Monroe. Byers was first-team all-state and led his team to a 28-1 record and the Group A state title. But Michie isn't sure Byers knew where the weight room was at the high school.
He found it at Hargrave Military Academy, where Byers went to beef up his college entrance test scores as well as his body. ODU lists him at 180 pounds, and now when Byers is home, Michie said he's asking for the keys to the weight room.
``He says, `I can't miss a workout,' '' said Michie, a 1970 Western Branch graduate. ``He went from one extreme to the other.''
Capel said Byers' offensive production has been excellent. Although he has not yet, Capel said Byers may play point guard some this season. But typical of most freshmen, his defense needs work.
``He struggles on the defensive end at times, especially when he gets tired,'' Capel said.
Coming out of Hargrave, Byers received recruiting overtures from the likes of Seton Hall, Clemson, Dayton, Wisconsin, Virginia Commonwealth and Virginia Tech, among others. Byers' decision came down to ODU or James Madison. He wanted to be close enough that his parents could come see him play, which they did Saturday when he scored 17 in a loss to Southern Illinois.
Byers said Capel was the final determining factor in making his college choice, both because of the kind of person he was and what he said.
``When coach recruited me he said `I believe in seniority, but if you can play, you'll play for me right away,' '' Byers said. ``I'm happy about that. A lot of freshmen come in and don't have a chance to play right away.''
Byers has not only played, but played well. He credited the year at Hargrave with helping ease the transition into college ball. The prep school travels considerably and plays against some small college-teams and major-college junior-varsity games.
``Even in prep school, the tempo of the game is a little faster than in high school,'' Byers said. ``So I feel I came in with just a little bit of an edge.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Mike Byers has made the biggest impact of ODU's six freshmen. ``He
plays with no fear,'' coach Jeff Capel says.
BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
ODU's Mike Byers says a stint at Hargrave Military Academy helped
prepare him for the pace of Division I basketball.
by CNB