THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240524
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Jeff Jones is not going to tinker with his Virginia basketball team any more. Believe him, he says. He's ready to make a commitment and stick to it in hopes of getting the Cavaliers back on track for a postseason bid to the NCAA tournament.
Jones will use his sixth different starting lineup in as many games tonight at Wake Forest (ESPN, 9 p.m.), but he vows to stay with this one.
``We want to get some continuity going,'' Jones said Tuesday. ``It can be distracting with one guy starting one game, not starting the next, and having to look over his shoulder.''
Jamal Robinson goes back to the bench after starting the last four games, replaced by freshman Courtney Alexander.
The Chase Metheney experiment is over, too. The 7-foot-4 Metheney, who started the Duke and North Carolina games, may not see any more quality minutes until next season.
``He is coming along, but he is not ready to play a lot of minutes. He still has jitters and tends to rush things,'' Jones said.
Virginia (7-7, 2-4 ACC) already has as many league losses as it did last season and is only two away from its overall nine defeats of 1994-95.
Jones said he has not reminded his players that they need to turn things around quickly or face missing the NCAA tournament.
``They already are feeling enough pressure,'' he said.
Meanwhile, things don't get easier. Following tonight's game against No. 9 Wake Forest is a visit to No. 4 Connecticut on Sunday.
WATCH THAT TIGER: Wake Forest coach Dave Odom, whose team's 14-game ACC winning streak was ended Sunday by Clemson, is the latest to be impressed by the program Tigers coach Rick Barnes is building.
``Clemson is a formidable team and one that the rest of the league had better get used to dealing with on a yearly basis,'' Odom said.
Not even their best good-luck charm, TV announcer Bob Rathbun, could save the Deacons. Rathbun had announced 22 straight Wake Forest victories before Sunday's loss.
BAD SCHEDULING: North Carolina State coach Les Robinson hasn't whimpered about the scheduling his Wolfpack has had to endure, but he admits, ``It hasn't been fun.''
For the sake of television, the Wolfpack played Thursday night games against their toughest rivals, North Carolina and Duke, before going on the road for Saturday afternoon games - close losses at Virginia and Maryland.
Both Virginia and Maryland had played at home on Wednesday night and had an extra day of rest before the weary Wolfpack visited.
NO SURE BET: TV's Dick Vitale thought he had a scoop when he reported during the Virginia-Georgia Tech game that Tech freshman Stephon Marbury told him that he was going to stay in school for at least one more year.
But Tech insiders say Marbury has not made a firm commitment and is being pressured by his family to go pro after this season.
Meanwhile, Tech is desperately seeking to recruit a point guard in case Marbury does jump.
COMING ATTRACTION: A made-for-TV movie about the life of the late N.C. State coach Jim Valvano is in production and probably will be scheduled for Final Four week. Valvano led the Wolfpack to the national championship in 1983.
ALUMNI NEWS: Former Duke star Gene Banks, who some people thought would excel in politics, is the coach of the new United States Basketball League team in Winston-Salem, N.C. Banks played in the NBA for six years and played another eight years internationally.
HOKIES FACT: Villanova on Sunday became only the third non-ACC team to beat North Carolina twice in one season. The other two were Davidson in 1931 and Virginia Tech in 1919.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Florida State freshman Randall Jackson has taken the starting center job away from Corey Louis. . . . Duke freshman Matt Christensen underwent surgery after breaking a bone in his hand in in Saturday's victory over Florida State and will be out at least a month. . . . North Carolina, which leads the ACC in field-goal percentage (49.1), has been held below 40 percent in its last two games. by CNB