THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 10, 1996 TAG: 9604100509
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
The pressure will be on Virginia coach Jeff Jones when the NCAA's spring basketball signing period begins today.
Jones and his assistants will be scrambling to plug holes and prop up a program that only five months ago seemed to be one of the most solid in the ACC.
That was before the Cavaliers nose-dived from first place in the league to seventh and had the school's first losing record (12-14) in eight years.
It also was before off-court problems left Jones and his assistants big holes to fill during the spring signing period.
At the top of Jones' shopping list is 6-foot-10 center Kris Hunter of Tallahassee, Fla., who is being promised the opportunity to start as a freshman.
Jones had thought his six-year search for a strong and talented center had ended last December when he signed 6-10 blue-chipper Melvin Whitaker of Garner, N.C., for the second time.
But Whitaker, who failed to qualify academically the first time he signed with the Cavaliers, was charged with malicious wounding of a Virginia football player in March and is awaiting trial.
Also, two members of last season's freshmen class, Scott Johnson and Darryl Presley, were arrested and charged with petty larceny during the winter.
It is doubtful that any of the three will play for Virginia next season.
Whitaker was one of two blue-chip recruits that Jones signed during the early period.
The other was 6-5 guard Willie Dersch, but the Cavaliers already have a wealth of talented perimeter players.
They desperately need help inside, and Jones may have to dip into the junior college ranks even if he signs Hunter, who is also being wooed by Florida State and Auburn.
With an 86-inch wingspan, Hunter is compared in some recruiting publications to UMass All-American Marcus Camby.
Despite getting a late start, Jones got a home visit with Hunter and persuaded him to make one of his five allotted campus visits to Charlottesville.
While Jones may be under the most pressure during the signing period, which ends May 15, every other ACC coach will be active in the recruiting wars.
Georgia Tech's Bobby Cremins is making an all-out effort to sign a replacement for point guard Stephon Marbury, who is leaving for the NBA after only one year at Tech.
Cremins reportedly has given up on signing Shaheen Holloway, regarded as the best point guard available, and is pursuing Kevin Morris of Martin Luther King High School in Manhattan.
Ironically, Cremins' toughest competition for Morris is Cincinnati, which beat Tech in the NCAA Southeast Regional final.
Duke is hopeful of signing Holloway, who received a warm welcome from Blue Devils fans in Cameron Indoor Stadium during a February visit.
Several Blue Devil students removed their shirts, showing the letters H-O-L-L-O-W-A-Y painted in blue on their bodies.
Holloway said he enjoyed the atmosphere in Cameron and said coach Mike Krzyzewski told him ``you could really light this place up.''
Some recruiting experts, though, have questioned whether Holloway has the academics for Duke.
``If he went there, he'd have to work so hard to stay eligible that I don't think he would have fun,'' says Tom Konchalski, editor of the New York-based HSBI Report.
The Blue Devils also are in the running for Nate James, a 6-6 forward who is attending St. John's Prospect Hall in Frederick, Md.
Duke's strongest competition for James could come from ACC rival Maryland, which failed to sign anyone in the early period.
Terps coach Gary Williams also is making a major effort to sign 6-10 blue-chipper Jermaine O'Neal of Columbia, S.C.
While O'Neal is being pressured by his family to attend the University of South Carolina, Maryland may have the best chance of any ``outsider'' to sign him.
North Carolina, which signed highly regarded point guard Ed Cota during the early period, is in the running for Kobe Bryant, a 6-6 guard considered the No. 1 prep prospect by several recruiting services.
Bryant, also being recruited by Kentucky and Duke, could decide to go directly to the NBA, even though his has the grades for college.
Another McDonald's All-American on the Tar Heels' list is 6-9 Vassil Evtimov, a native Bulgarian who is attending Long Island's Lutheran High School.
He is also considering Big East schools Pitt, UConn and Villanova.
Wake Forest, which already has signed McDonald's All-American 7-1 center Loren Woods, is hopeful of adding 6-10 Joakim Blom from Sweden.
Clemson is the front-runner for Woni Mohamed, a 6-9 Nigerian presently attending St. John's Prospect Hall.
Mohamed is a strong rebounder and shot blocker who has outstanding speed.
North Carolina State will be at a disadvantage entering the signing period since it has not named a replacement for coach Les Robinson. by CNB