DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711140962

SECTION: SPECIAL                 PAGE: Z6   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: 1997-98 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

                                            LENGTH:   74 lines

SAYING TECH'S REBUILDING ISN'T THE HALF OF IT THE HOKIES MOVE ON WITH A NEW COACH AND EIGHT NEW PLAYERS.

Asked this preseason where he thought he'd be picked to finish in the Atlantic 10 Conference, first-year Virginia Tech head coach Bobby Hussey replied: ``Dead last.''

``There are not many Division I programs in the country that have lost as many quality players in two years as we have,'' said Hussey, who will have eight new players in his mix. ``We know it's going to be difficult for us early.''

Not only did the Hokies lose talent on the court, they lost it off the court as well when 532-game winner Bill Foster retired after 30 years of college head coaching.

In steps Hussey, who was head coach at Belmont Abbey in the 1970s and at Davidson in the '80s.

Hussey was Foster's right-hand man at Tech. Now the Hokies, who struggled to finish 15-16 last season, hope he's the right man for the rebuilding process that awaits.

How will the Hokies approach this season?

``Instead of setting an overall goal, we will have mini-goals,'' Hussey said. ``We will use a step-ladder approach, setting a mini-goal first for the month of December, and then we will shoot for new goals every two or three weeks.''

And what does December hold? A world of early challenges.

After three games against mid-to-low Division I programs to open the season, the Hokies play South Carolina and North Carolina on back-to-back nights in the Harris Teeter/Pepsi Challenge in Charlotte, N.C.

What will hold the Hokies together in a pinch?

Tech's two most experienced returners, as well as Tech's most valued freshman, happen to be at point guard. Sophomore Brendan Dunlop started the last seven games a year ago and turned in one of his best performances late in February when he scored 15 points against Duquesne. With solid work in the weight room in the off-season, the 6-foot-2 Dunlop has increased his weight from 160 to 180 pounds.

Senior Myron Guillory is also at the point. But the mover and shaker could be Jenis Grindstaff, North Carolina's 4-A player of the year last season and a player the Hokies are very high on. Grindstaff averaged 27 points a game last season for McDowell High in Spruce Pine, N.C.

Can anybody replace Ace Custis?

No.

The player who could make the most Custis-like noise along the front line looks nothing like the sinewy Custis.

Freshman Roland Roberts, who comes from Potomac High by way of Hargrave Military Academy, is a 6-6, 240-pound barrel of athleticism. Hussey compares Roberts more to Shawn Smith, who was a cog in Tech's 1995 NIT championship unit.

It'll be hard for Hussey to keep Roberts off the court. Big, agile bodies like his don't come along often.

Where else can the Hokies turn for points?

How about Eddie Lucas? The 6-6 junior transferred from Navy, where he averaged 12.6 points as a starter.

Returning centers Alvaro Tor (2.6 ppg) and Russ Wheeler (3.1 ppg), as well as forwards Andre Ray (2.6 ppg) and Shawn Browne (3.4 ppg), did not prove last season to be scorers of great consequence. In fact, Dunlop (4.6 ppg) and Guillory (4.3 ppg) are the team's leading returning scorers.

Grindstaff might be the answer and may be played at off-guard to allow more of a scoring presence.

``He can penetrate and score,'' Hussey said. ``He might be more physically mature than most guys coming out of high school. We want to have the basketball in his hands.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bobby Hussey, left, who last was a head coach at Davidson in the

'80s, has taken over at Tech following the retirement of Bill

Foster, right. KEYWORDS: SPECIAL SECTION SUPPLEMENT BASKETBALL

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