THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 10, 1996 TAG: 9605080118
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
IT IRRITATES Terry Holland every time somebody says what a great college basketball player Ralph Sampson was.
Strange, huh, because Holland was Sampson's coach when the former University of Virginia star was a three-time national Player of the Year.
But Holland feels generally the statement is a put-down on Sampson's achievements as a professional.
``And Ralph Sampson was a great pro basketball player until he injured his knee,'' said Holland, now the athletic director at U.Va.
It was Holland who served as the presenter Friday night when the 7-foot-4 Sampson was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame at the annual banquet at the Holiday Inn-Portside.
``Ralph's achievements at the University of Virginia are well documented,'' said Holland. ``At University Hall during his four years Virginia won 96 percent of its games. He was a four-time All-American and a three-time Player of the Year and yet never averaged 20 points a game. He could easily have led in scoring but he was a team player. And he led the Atlantic Coast Conference in the tough categories - blocked shots and rebounds.
``Five times in his college career he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But it's crazy for people to say Ralph never accomplished anything as a pro.
``He was a first-round draft choice, a No. 1 pick. He led the Houston Rockets in most categories in that first year and he wasn't just selected as the Rookie of the Year, he was a unanimous selection.
``In his second year he was the most valuable player in the All-Star game.
``In his fourth year he was named to the All-Star team again and well on his way to a banner season when he suffered his first knee injury.
``I don't want to hear anybody say Ralph Sampson wasn't a great pro basketball player. They actually invented the lottery in the NBA because of Ralph Sampson.''
Sampson topped Houston in scoring his first two seasons and was runnerup to Akeem Olajuwon the next two years. In his initial NBA season Sampson averaged 21.0 points, grabbed 913 rebounds and blocked 197 shots. He upped his scoring average to 22.1 the second year, with 853 rebounds and 168 blocked shots while playing with Olajuwon.
Sampson later played with Golden State, Sacramento and Washington in a nine-year NBA career. He now lives in Richmond and operates Sampson Sportswear, Inc.
Also inducted at the 25th annual awards program were women's basketball star Anne Donovan, golfer Lanny Wadkins, high school coach Ralph Cummins, women's sports pioneer Dr. Caroline Sinclair and the late George Lacy, a three-sport star at the University of Richmond.
Donovan, who still holds some of the scoring and rebounding records at Old Dominion University after a brilliant career between 1980 and 1983, is now the women's head coach at East Carolina University. She was inducted into the college basketball Hall of Fame last year.
Wadkins has won 21 PGA tours, including the PGA Open and the World Series of Golf. He was Ryder Cup captain last year and has played on eight Ryder Cup teams. He has career winnings exceeding $6 million and was PGA Player of the Year in 1985.
Cummins, who retired nine years ago as athletic director at Clintwood High School, is still the all-time winningest football coach in the state with 271 victories.
Sinclair was a pioneer in women's sports at William and Mary, James Madison and Mary Washington.
Lacy never batted under .400 in his baseball career at Richmond and was a three-time all-state selection. He was captain of the Spiders' football and basketball team. He led Richmond to a 20-0 basketball record in 1934-35. ILLUSTRATION: Photos by GARY C. KNAPP
Dr. Caroline Sinclair, honored this year for opening college sports
to women at three Virginia colleges, is congratulated by George
Hughes of Norfolk, a 1983 inductee.
Golfer Lanny Wadkins, one of this year's inductees, talks with 1973
inductee Chandler Harper at the banquet.
by CNB