THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 17, 1996 TAG: 9605170664
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 196 lines
Virginia Commonwealth had the best team in the Colonial Athletic Association last season.
The Rams were the best conference team in the recently completed recruiting season as well.
That's according to basketball recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons, who publishes the All Star Sports newsletter out of Lenoir, N.C. Gibbons said VCU - with five incoming junior college players, one high school player and a transfer from Ohio State who will be eligible second semester - had the CAA's classiest class.
It was almost better. Adrian Jones, rated a top-100 high school senior by Gibbons, reportedly told VCU coaches at one point he was leaning toward becoming a Ram. Instead, he chose Georgia.
``They have so many excellent junior college players,'' Gibbons said of VCU. ``The big challenge is how they are all going to fit together.''
Ten of the Rams' 13 scholarship players next season will be juniors or seniors.
Gibbons said it's a tossup whether East Carolina or James Madison had the second-best class. He said American, with six signees, jumped up to No. 4 and Old Dominion's class rated fifth. UNC-Wilmington and George Mason had the CAA's weakest recruiting classes.
``We got what we needed,'' Old Dominion coach Jeff Capel said. ``I'm not going to compare horses, but we got the horses we needed to run the race.''
The Monarchs' class is backcourt-intensive. ODU signed high school guards Freddie Bryant and Michael Williams, another backcourt player out of junior college in Chris Haskin and gave a scholarship to walk-on guard/forward Brandon Jones.
``We didn't even look at big men,'' Capel said. ``We got a great young class of big players last year. We wanted to shore up our backcourt. We've got three kids coming in we feel can help us immediately on both ends of the floor.''
Gibbons said the 6-foot-1 Williams will be rated among his top 100 high school seniors and is a potential starter next season. Williams, however, is still attempting to meet the standardized test score required to become eligible as a college freshman. Williams' high school coach has said he likely will attend prep school if he is unable to qualify.
The only other top 100 player coming into the CAA is in the same predicament. East Carolina on Wednesday signed Randy Barnes, a 6-6, 220-pound forward who took official visits to Maryland and Louisville. Barnes was the crown jewel in a good class for the Pirates.
``That's really an excellent class, one of the best they've had at East Carolina,'' Gibbons said. ``They got a lot of size.''
ECU has four incoming front line players - including a 6-8, 300 pounder in Dink Peters - plus a transfer from Tennessee in point guard Alico Dunk. The one that got away was Rico Hines, who chose UCLA over ECU. But the next day the Pirates landed Barnes, who Gibbons said is better than Hines.
``If he's eligible, he'll be a very good player in that league,'' Gibbons said.
The Pirates appear poised to join the CAA's upper echelon with their returnees and incoming recruits.
``We helped ourselves,'' Pirates coach Joe Dooley said. ``We feel we shored up our front line for the next couple years.''
James Madison had a lot to shore up after going 10-20 last season, the worst in coach Lefty Driesell's career. But the Dukes landed some building blocks for the future.
Most notable is 6-9 center Rob Strickland, who Driesell called the best high school recruit he's signed in eight seasons in Harrisonburg. Gibbons rated Strickland in his top 100 seniors before the season, but said he did not have a good senior year.
``He's got a long ways to go and a lot to learn, but you can't teach height and strength,'' Driesell said. ``To have an outstanding ballclub you've got to have an outstanding center. He's strictly a low-post player, and that's what we need.'' MEMO: CAA RECRUITING AT A GLANCE
AMERICAN Signees: Jarion Childs, 6-1 G, Gratton, Conn.; Rafael
Baidanshin, 6-10 C, Worcester Academy; Stephen Clayton, 6-8 F, Wheaton,
Md.; Alex Harris, 6-9 F, Fairfax; Jason Crowe, 6-4 G, Los Angeles Tech;
Charles Rooths, 6-5 F, Moberly Junior College.
Transferring out/leaving early: None
Transferring in: None
Key returnees: Nathan Smith, Thomas Treadwell.
Last season: 12-15 (CAA 8-8, tied for 4th place). Lost in first round
of CAA tournament.
Comment: Eagles got much-needed size, question is can those players
produce? American's top three players from a year ago are departed, so
some of the newcomers will have to step in. Rooths and Crowe could help
right away.
EAST CAROLINA Signees: Randy Barnes, 6-6 F, Oak Hill Academy; Neil
Punt, 6-9 C, Chanhassen, Minn.; Alphons van Ierland, 7-0 C, Tilberg,
Netherlands; Dink Peters, 6-8 F/C, San Jacinto Junior College.
Transferring out/leaving early: Chuck Jones, Deron Rippey.
Transferring in: Alico Dunk, 6-0 G, from Tennessee
Key returnees: Tim Basham, Othello Meadows, Jonathan Kerner, Tony
Parham.
Last season: 17-11 (CAA 8-8, tied for 4th place). Lost in semifinals
of CAA tournament.
Comment: Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons has called this one of the
best recruiting classes he can remember for the Pirates. Barnes is rated
a top 100 player, and Peters is the most prominent of a trio of players
who will fill an immediate need for inside help.
GEORGE MASON Signees: Lee Brown, 6-1 G, Kiswaukee Junior College;
Avery Carey, 6-5 G/F, Hagerstown Junior College.
Transferring out/leaving early: None
Transferring in: None
Key returnees: Nate Langley, Curtis McCants, Jason Williams.
Last season: 11-16 (CAA 6-10, tied for 6th place). Lost in CAA
tournament play-in game.
Comment: Langley and Kevin Ward return after missing most of last
season, and Demetrius Somerville will be back after missing all of last
season. Patriots didn't get much help, but have 10 returning players,
including six seniors, and still have a scholarship to give.
JAMES MADISON Signees: Kevan Johnson, 6-5 F, Preston, Md.; Ossie
Jones, 6-4 G, Hargrave Military Academy; Mate Milisa, 6-10 F, Zagreb,
Croatia; Jamar Perry, 6-4 G, Pleasantville, N.J.; Rob Strickland, 6-9 C,
Pleasantville, N.J.; Chatney Howard, 6-4 F, Allegany Community College
Transferring out/leaving early: Dwayne Edwards, Chuck Gilbert.
Transferring in: None
Key returnees: Charles Lott, Eugene Atkinson, Ned Felton.
Last season: 10-20 (CAA 6-10, tied for 6th place). Lost in first
round of CAA tournament.
Comment: The once-mighty Dukes fell far and fast, but could be
heading back in the right direction with this recruiting class, which is
regarded by Bob Gibbons as among the best in the CAA. Coach Lefty
Driesell calls Strickland the best high school recruit he's signed in
eight seasons in Harrisonburg.
UNC-WILMINGTON Signees: Victor Ebong, 6-5 F, Omaha, Neb.; Keith
Spencer, 6-6 F, Tallahassee Community College.
Transferring out/leaving early: Hastings Pucket.
Transferring in: None
Key returnees: Mark Byington, Billy Donlon, Bill Mayew.
Last season: 13-16 (CAA 9-7, 3rd place). Lost in final of CAA
tournament.
Comment: Seahawks struggled during recruiting season, and still have
two scholarships available. After years of being inside-oriented behind
departed Preston McGriff and Darren Moore, UNC-Wilmington failed to fill
a dire need for a big man. Right now the tallest player on the team is
6-foot-8 Michael Gibbs, a deep reserve last year.
OLD DOMINION Signees: Freddie Bryant, 6-3 G, Watson, La.; Michael
Williams, 6-1 G, Thomasville, Ga.; Chris Haskin, 6-2 G, Pensacola Junior
College; Brandon Jones, 6-4 G, Newport News.
Transferring out/leaving early: None
Transferring in: None
Key returnees: Joe Bunn, Odell Hodge, Mike Byers, Mark Poag.
Last season: 18-13 (CAA 12-4, 2nd place). Lost in semifinals of CAA
tournament.
Comment: The Monarchs filled their need for backcourt help as Bryant,
Haskin and Williams are all good scorers. Gibbons rates Williams among
the nation's top 100 seniors. ODU doesn't lose much, as all five
starters return from last season.
RICHMOND Signees: Marseilles Brown, 5-10 G, Hampton; Shawn Rymer, 6-8
F, Calhoun Junior College.
Transferring out/leaving early: None
Transferring in: None
Key returnees: Kevin Connor, Jarod Stevenson, Eric Poole, Daryl
Oliver.
Last season: 8-20 (CAA 3-13, 9th place). Lost in first round of CAA
tournament.
Comment: Finally, coach Bill Dooley may have some stability after a
couple of seasons of turmoil. The top nine scorers from last season will
be back, notably co-captain Connor, who was reinstated upon dismissal of
his midseason assault conviction. Brown averaged more than 30 points a
game, but Spiders still lack a quality post man.
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH Signees: Simon Moore, 6-6 F, Gadsden, S.C.;
Torrance Archie, 6-7 F, Daytona Beach Community College; Mylo Brooks,
6-9 F/C, Hagerstown Junior College; Melvin Drake, 6-7 F, Okaloosa-Walton
Community College; Roderick Griggs, 6-10 F, Lawson State College; Kevin
Miles, 6-8 F, Belleville Area College.
Transferring out/leaving early: None
Transferring in: Robert Shelton, 6-4 G, from Ohio State.
Key returnees: Sherman Hamilton, George Byrd, Patrick Lee.
Last season: 24-9 (CAA 14-2, 1st place). Won CAA tournament; lost in
first round of NCAA tournament to Mississippi State.
Comment: With seven newcomers, VCU has a notable class in sheer bulk
alone. It's also a good one, and with all the JC players the Rams will
have good experience. Drake, who initially signed with Georgia out of
high school before going the JC route, is an athlete who can play point
guard to small forward. Griggs began his college career at Houston. Rams
will be tough to dethrone in the CAA.
WILLIAM AND MARY Signees: Brian Brown, 6-5 G/F, St. Louis, Mo.;
Scotty Scott, 5-11 G, Charleston, S.C.
Transferring out/leaving early: None
Transferring in: None
Key returnees: Randy Bracy, Bobby Fitzgibbons.
Last season: 10-16 (CAA 6-10, tied for 6th place). Lost in first
round of CAA tournament.
Comment: Tribe signed a scorer in Scott - who purportedly has a
44-inch vertical leap - but failed to get any help inside. The Tribe
only has one player on next year's roster taller than 6-8. William and
Mary has one scholarship remaining.
Compiled by Steve Carlson by CNB