THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 11, 1995 TAG: 9512110109
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Depending on which recruiting analyst you believe, either Duke or Virginia came away with the ACC's best crop of new talent in the recently completed early signing period.
The Cavaliers added three players, including Willie Dersch, a Chris Mullen play-alike from Queens, N.Y.; and 6-foot-10 intimidator Melvin Whitaker, from Hargrave Military Academy. Both are considered among the nation's top-25 high school players.
Throw in 6-8 Colin Ducharme from Douglas Freeman High in Richmond, and you have an early class that analyst Brick Oettinger rates as the best in the ACC, and the fifth-best in the nation.
Tom Konchalski, a New York-based recruiting analyst, also likes Virginia's class - rating it second in the ACC. But Konchalski is more enamored with a pair of forwards signed by Duke: 6-8 Mike Chappell from Southfield, Mich., and 6-6 Chris Carrawell from St. Louis. Both are consensus top-50 players.
North Carolina may have picked up the highest-rated player of all in 6-1 Ed Cota, the latest New York City point guard phenom. For sheer quantity, N.C. State takes the prize, signing four players. Florida State signed three, the marquee catch being 6-4 Devonaire Deas, another New York point guard.
N.C. State didn't land a big-name player, but the Wolfpack did get some immediate help. Marco Harrison, a 6-8 forward from Petersburg, will be eligible Dec. 20. Harrison graduated from Petersburg High in June, but believed he was ineligible and enrolled in prep school. Harrison then discovered he was eligible, dropped out of prep school and signed with N.C. State.
Wake Forest landed the biggest player, 7-1 Loren Woods, a St. Louis native considered the eventual replacement for Tim Duncan. The Deacons also signed 6-6 Shon Coleman, considered by many to be the best player in North Carolina.
Clemson and Maryland didn't sign anyone, but there's always the spring signing period - April 10 through May 15.
A rundown of players signed by ACC schools in the early-signing period:
Clemson: No signees, 1 scholarship left.
Duke: 2 signees, 3 scholarships left. Signed: Chris Carrawell, 6-6 F, St. Louis; Mike Chappell, 6-8 F, Southfield, Mich.
Florida State: 3 signees, 1 scholarship left. Signed: Devonaire Deas, 6-4 G, New York, N.Y.; Ron Hale, 6-8 F; Largo, Fla.; Ronald Thompson, 6-8 F, Savannah, Ga.
Georgia Tech: 2 signees, 3 scholarships left. Signed: Jon Babul, 6-7 F, North Attleboro, Mass.; Pablo Machado, 6-11 C, Tipton, Ga. (via Venezuela).
Maryland: No signees, 5 scholarships left.
North Carolina: 2 signees, 2 scholarships left. Signed: Ed Cota, 6-1 G, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Mike Brooker, 6-6 F, Sandersville, Ga.
N.C. State: 4 signees, 2 scholarships left. Signed: Marco Harrison, 6-8 F, Petersburg, Va.; Andre McCollum, 6-6 F, Whiteville, N.C.; Justin Gainey, 5-11 G, Greensboro, N.C.; Tim Wells, 6-7 F, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Virginia: 3 signees, 1 scholarship left. Signed: Willie Dersch, 6-5 G, Queens, N.Y.; Colin Ducharme, 6-8 F, Richmond; Melvin Whitaker, 6-10 C, Garner, N.C.
Wake Forest: 2 signees, 1 scholarship left. Signed: Loren Woods, 7-1 C, St. Louis; Shon Coleman, 6-6 F, Statesville, N.C. by CNB