ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 11, 1990                   TAG: 9004120626
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Scott Blanchard/sportswriter
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


SEVEN-FOOTER TO JOIN HOKIES

Virginia Tech's basketball staff, searching for a big man who can score, today signed 7-foot, 210-pound Erik Wilson of Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College to a letter-of-intent.

Jerry Kershaw, director of endowment for Hutchinson and the team's radio announcer for the past 26 years, said Wilson signed early this morning, the first day basketball recruits can sigh letters of intent. Kershaw said Tech coach Frankie Allen anad assistant Tic Price were headed to Detroit, Wilson's hometown, to get the signature of Wilson's mother on the letter.

Neither Allen nor Wilson could be reached for comment.

Wilson said Tuesday night that his decision came down to Tech and Middle Tennessee State. Wilson, who visited Tech, MTSU and Toledo, also had scheduled visits to Washington State and Texas A&M. Wilson signed with Minnesota out of high school but was redshirted as a freshman so he could gain weight. He transferred to Hutchinson and played one year, averaging 5.6 points, and four rebounds per game for a 29-5 team.

Tech went 13-18 last season and needed an inside player who could score. The Hokies did not have a double-figures scorer other than former U.S. Olympian Bimbo Coles, and the team's second-leading scorer, Dirk Williams, is a 6-4 forward. The Hokies' starting frontcourt combined to score about 21 points per game.

Although Wilson's statistics were meager, he made 57 percent of his shots from the field and is reported to be skilled offensively.

"I think it's most important to be needed," Wilson said of Tech's inside weakness. "It gives you added incentive to want to go to a school."

Kershaw said Wilson backed up 6-10, 240-pound center David Johanning, whom Kershaw said is leaning toward signing with Kansas. Kershaw said two other Hutchinson players signed with Division I schools today: 6-2 guard Corey Floyd with Porvidence and 6-8 forward Chris Albright with Southwest Missouri State.

"Erik can go out on the wing and baseline and hit that little jump shot," Kershaw said.

It's unlikely Wilson will wind up playing center. Wilson said when he left high school, he weighed 185 pounds. In the past three years, he has added 25 pounds, which has given him a physique similar to that of former Hokie Roy Brow, who was the same height and weight.



 by CNB