THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604170550
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
ACC BASKETBALL NOTES
College basketball players in a recent survey were asked to name the coach they would like to play for if they could not play for their present coach.
The coach most players selected was Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.
Despite Coach K's popularity among current players, though, he has had little luck signing the players he most wanted for next season's freshman class.
The three prospects he invited to last September's ``Legends Weekend,'' a prime recruiting function, were forward Willie Dersch, center Jason Collier and guard Shaheen Holloway.
Dersch chose Virginia and Collier signed with Indiana during the early period.
Holloway, Duke's No. 1 target for the spring period, has scratched the Blue Devils off his list.
Recruiting experts contended all along that Holloway, of Elizabeth, N.J., would have difficulty blending in with the academic and social life on the Duke campus.
He apparently agreed.
``If I were in a room with 10 people from Cal, 10 from Seton Hall, and 10 from Duke, I would probably gravitate toward the people from Seton Hall or Cal,'' Holloway said in explaining why he had eliminated Duke.
Duke is now concentrating on Nate James, a 6-foot-6 forward also being courted by UCLA and Maryland.
TECH SIGNEE: Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins again showed his recruiting muscle by quickly signing Kevin Morris, one of the top point-guard prospects, to plug the hole left by Stephon Marbury's decision to turn pro.
The 5-10 Morris had seemed bound for Cincinnati before Marbury's announcement.
Maryland signed two recruits during the opening week: 6-7 forward Laron Cephus of Hockessin, Del., and 6-4 guard Kelly Hite of Tampa, Fla. Neither is considered a blue-chipper.
U.VA. UPDATE: Chris Hunter, a 6-10 center from Tallahassee, apparently isn't sold on the opportunity to play right away at Virginia.
Hunter, who became a U.Va. priority when early-period signee Melvin Whitaker was arrested for malicious wounding, is scheduled to visit Georgia this week.
Hunter, though, still has the Cavaliers on his list.
CLEMSON UPDATE: Clemson and Miami have emerged as leading contenders for talented 6-4 guard Oded Katash of Israel, who also is trying to decide whether to play professionally.
Katash recently was quoted as saying he would like to play in the ACC, but is not sure how he would be accepted at the rural South Carolina school.
JUST RUMORS: Virginia coach Jeff Jones found himself the subject of rumors during Final Four weekend for a second straight year.
The whispers in New York a couple of weeks ago were that Jones would leave Virginia to replace a retirement-bound Denny Crum at Louisville.
Jones says the rumor has popped up several times over the last year, but there is ``absolutely'' nothing to it.
First, he says, he knows nothing about Crum retiring. Second, he has no interest in going anywhere else.
Last year's rumor, also false, was that Jones was being forced out at Virginia because of differences with the administration.
SEEKING INSURANCE: Wake Forest coach Dave Odom has added a point guard to his wish list, and might be willing to dip into the junior-college ranks to find one.
Odom is concerned that rising junior Tony Rutland could miss next season because of knee surgery he underwent at the end of the season.
Former Deacon Randolph Childress missed a full season following similar surgery.
LINE FORMING: The guessing game already has begun about who will replace ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan when he retires next year.
The early front-runner is North Carolina director of athletics John Swofford.
Also being mentioned is Virginia athletic director Terry Holland, who recently told a reporter that he would be interested in the position. by CNB