THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 5, 1997 TAG: 9702050687
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: ACC REPORT
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 63 lines
Jeff Jones is not making a big fuss about his Virginia Cavaliers not getting the national respect they deserve, but he doesn't want the neglect to continue much longer.
``I don't want the perception that is out there to affect the bids that are handed out for the NCAA tournament,'' Jones said during Tuesday's ACC teleconference.
In the latest AP poll, the Cavaliers received fewer votes than both North Carolina and Florida State - teams that they have beaten.
Virginia also has a better ACC record (5-4) and overall record (15-6) than Carolina (3-5, 13-6) and FSU (3-6, 12-6).
According to the RPI ratings, Virginia plays the 18th-toughest schedule in the nation, too, and Florida State the 66th. Carolina's is eighth.
Despite all of that, Jones is keeping quiet now for a good reason.
``It (lack of respect) serves as a motivating factor and can be used to our advantage for now,'' Jones explained.
The Cavaliers are at Georgia Tech on Thursday and at North Carolina on Saturday.
Perhaps if they get their first victory ever in the Dean Dome against the Heels the voters will take notice.
ONE GOOD LEG: As much as the Cavaliers have improved since an 0-2 league start, they have constant reason for concern because of Harold Deane's painful shin injury that isn't likely to get well until after the season.
``It is a painful thing and a lesser competitor would have a hard time dealing with it,'' Jones said.
On the positive side, leading scorer Courtney Alexander is returning to full speed after his second ankle injury.
NEW LOOKS: Duke and Wake Forest will present different looks when they meet for the second time this season tonight in Winston-Salem.
``Duke's three best players now - Jeff Capel, Roshown McLeod, and Tragan Langdon - weren't their three best when we played them before,'' noted Wake Forest coach Dave Odom.
The Deacons have changed, too. Loren Woods, a 7-foot-1 freshman who never got off the bench during the Deacons' 81-69 victory in Durham on Jan. 11, is a starter now.
Duke backup center Taymon Domzalski, out since December, will be available.
Wake Forest has won its last nine games against Duke.
RUMORS, RUMORS: West Coast sources say Clemson's Rick Barnes is on a short list of coaches being considered as potential candidates to become UCLA's permanent coach.
SERIOUSLY, FOLKS: A recent column in the Chicago Tribune, written by respected NBA writer Sam Smith, suggested that North Carolina's Dean Smith could be the Bulls' next coach if Phil Jackson leaves.
The Bulls allegedly are interested because they think Michael Jordan would stick around a few extra years to play for his former college coach. But don't they know Smith is the only coach who can hold Jordan to under 20 points?
ANGRY HEEL: North Carolina's Makhtar Ndiaye verbally attacked and allegedly threatened bodily harm to Raleigh News & Observer writer Steve Elling for the Heels' loss to Duke.
Ndiaye's profane outburst came in front of other representatives of the media, players, and their families in a public area. The 6-foot-9 Ndiaye also tore into a Daily Tar Heel writer who had dared to write a critical column about Carolina's play earlier in the season.