THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606150442
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 44 lines
A Joe Smith vs. Odell Hodge matchup highlights the first weekend of play in the Hampton Roads Pro-Am basketball league, which tips off today at Lake Taylor High.
Smith's team, D.J. Music and Video, is scheduled to take on Hodge's Central Fidelity squad at 7 p.m. in the second of two games Saturday. The league opens at 5 p.m. with a matchup between A&G Select Imports and Altuf Screen Printers.
The last time Smith and Hodge met - two summers ago - they combined for 104 points. They'll have a hard time matching those numbers Saturday.
After four years of 48-minute games with scores that routinely reached the 150s and occasionally climbed into the 170s, league organizers are cutting games back to 40 minutes, and hoping that less will equal more.
``We're doing it to tighten up the games,'' said Wayne Hoffler, league founder and president. ``We're also going to try to run some more set offenses this year.''
Moderation is one of the signs of maturity, and the Pro-Am turns five this year. As usual, rosters will be filled by college and ex-college players. Pros such as Golden State's Smith, New York's J.R. Reid and possible No. 1 NBA draft pick Allen Iverson will have open invitations.
Smith and Iverson stopped by often last summer, making it a breakthough season for the Pro-Am. A matchup between Smith and Iverson drew more than 4,000 fans at Hampton Coliseum. Iverson's bursts of offense - 81 points in one game, 71 in another - got the league featured in Slam! magazine.
``To me, it was our best year,'' Hoffler said.
Among the new players expected this summer are Virginia Tech's Ace Custis, Liberty center Peter Aluma and N.C. State recruit Damon Thornton. The addition of these three players plus the return of Old Dominion's Hodge, should give the league its deepest group of frontcourt players ever.
The women's Pro-Am is also expected to have a strong contingent of frontcourt players, led by Old Dominion's Clarisse Machanguana. Play in the women's league opens Sunday at 11 a.m. at Lake Taylor.
Summer League coordinator John Riddick says all players who have not paid their insurance need to be at Lake Taylor High between noon-3 p.m. Saturday. MEMO: Men's roster's, For the Record, Page C5 by CNB