THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 2, 1996 TAG: 9608020650
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 59 lines
Cory Alexander left `em hanging Wednesday afternoon. On the rim. After missing a final, reverse dunk attempt in front of 200 delighted basketball campers at Cape Henry Collegiate School.
``That's it for me,'' he said, after touching down.
Alexander had gotten the signal to wrap it up, but he looked like he could have stayed all afternoon. For 45 minutes he had the campers hanging on his every word, begging for his handshake, or a chance to go one-on-one against him.
``A great time,'' he said. ``Look at the kids. It means something to them. It definitely means something to me.''
For Alexander, the former Virginia star now with the San Antonio Spurs, the trip to the Paul Webb Converse All-Star Basketball Camp was more than a perfunctory stop for a quick paycheck.
Alexander began working Webb's camps four years ago, when he was a freshman at Virginia. The money he earned helped him buy his first car. The NCAA changed its rules after that, preventing college basketball players from earning more than other camp employees.
But Alexander kept coming, making the three-hour drive from Charlottesville, the same trip he made Wednesday.
``Coach Webb was good to me,'' he said. ``One thing I learned early was to return favors to people who were good to me.''
Alexander certainly doesn't need the money, after being picked in the first round by the Spurs in 1995. These days, his biggest concern is increasing his playing time.
The 6-foot-1 Alexander averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 assists in 60 games for the Spurs last year, playing behind veterans Avery Johnson, Vinny Del Negro and Doc Rivers. The team didn't have any draft choices, but Rivers retired, and the Spurs are expected to sign a free agent guard.
That means Alexander will again have to fight for playing time. Still, he said he doesn't regret leaving Virginia, where he had a year of eligibility remaining.
``A lot of people talked about the money I could have made (by staying another year at Virginia),'' he said. ``But after two ankle breaks, it was time to move on.''
Alexander missed the entire 1993-94 season with a broken right ankle. He played 20 games the following year before breaking it again. The emergence of Harold Deane at point guard made it easier for him to leave Virginia, and coach Jeff Jones gave Alexander his blessing.
The ever-confident Alexander expected to step in and help the Spurs immediately, but he found a backcourt loaded with veterans.
``My biggest thing was not playing,'' he said. ``Just going there and not being The Man. Having to sit and watch was difficult.''
But at least the ankle held up.
``I'm expecting a lot more playing time,'' he said. ``I'm just going to go back there and be myself.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON, The Virginian-Pilot
More than 200 youngsters reached out for Cory Alexander Thursday at
a camp run by former ODU coach Paul Webb. by CNB