THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 16, 1996 TAG: 9610160573
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: 56 lines
He's been the talk of Virginia's preseason.
Who's that? A re-dedicated Harold Deane? A bulked-up Norman Nolan? New captain Jamal Robinson?
No, it's Colin Ducharme, a 6-foot-8 freshman from Richmond who was perhaps the least-heralded of Virginia's recruits.
The least-heralded, that is, until Virginia's basketball media day when it seemed everyone was gushing over Ducharme.
``You're going to be surprised by Ducharme,'' Robinson said.
``We've never really had anybody like him on the team before,'' junior guard Curtis Staples said.
``We've already gotten a positive contribution out of Colin, and I expect that to continue,'' coach Jeff Jones said.
Ducharme was labled a ``project'' when he signed with Virginia last November. Jones told him he would be redshirted. Instead, the 243-pound weight-room warrior has infused Virginia's frontcourt with a much-needed shot of enthusiasm.
``We've done some pretty grueling conditioning drills,'' Jones said. ``One day we were running sprints for quite a while, and there was Colin, leading his group, and saying, out loud so everybody could hear him, `It's a great day to run sprints!'
``That attitude makes some of the other guys laugh and chuckle,'' Jones said. ``I think he's a little bit goofy, maybe. But it also adds enthusiasm.''
Virginia's frontcourt needs it. The Cavaliers got little inside scoring and not much production on the defensive boards last year. They were ``beat up and pushed around'' at times, Jones said.
Enter Ducharme, and 6-10, 246-pound freshman Craig McAndrew, who have impressed teammates with physical play in preseason pickup games.
``They beat the heck out of me,'' Nolan said.
Ducharme comes by his aggressiveness naturally. An all-state basketball player, he was also an All-Metro tight end and second-team All-Metro defensive end at Douglas Freeman High.
Ducharme said he may have trouble adjusting to the speed of the college game, but not to the physical play.
``I lifted weights all through high school,'' he said. ``I found that my strength was adequate.''
STORMIN' NORMAN: Nolan, who started at power forward last year, has added almost 10 pounds to his 6-8 frame, although people tell him he looks thinner.
``That's because it's all muscle,'' he said.
Nolan led the team in scoring during a six-game European tour in August, averaging 16.8 points.
``That was clearly the best he's played since coming to Virginia,'' Jones said.
TALL TIMBER: The addition of Ducharme, McAndrew, and Kris Hunter gives the Cavaliers six players 6-8 or taller. They had five players 6-8 or better last year, but that included 6-9 Scott Johnson, who was more of a perimeter player. by CNB