Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 5, 1991 TAG: 9103050070
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
Jones informed the team Monday that Oliver will start at shooting guard Friday when the Cavaliers face Wake Forest at 9:20 p.m. in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
Oliver has not started since Jan. 21, when he suffered a broken right hand in the Cavaliers' 71-47 victory over Davidson.
Oliver, who missed nine games following the injury, returned to action Feb. 16 but has not been the same player since his return.
At the time of his injury, Oliver was the only UVa player shooting over 50 percent from the field. In five games after the injury, Oliver is 11-of-28 (39.3 percent).
"I said when he was injured that Anthony would return to the starting lineup when he was 100 percent," Jones said. "I don't know when he'll be 100 percent in terms of playing the way he's capable of playing, but he's 100 percent physically."
Jones said part of Oliver's problem may have resulted from confusion over his role. Oliver had started 47 of 48 games at the time of his injury.
Oliver's frustration was never more evident than during the second half of the Cavaliers' 78-74 overtime loss to Maryland on Saturday, when sophomore Doug Smith was inserted into the game and John Crotty moved to shooting guard.
Oliver, a junior, got up from his seat next to the coaches and moved to the end of the bench, wedging between two players who did not have a seat between them.
Assistant Dennis Wolff followed Oliver and, after a short chat, Oliver returned to his original spot. Head coach Jeff Jones instructed Oliver to stay ready and, indeed, he re-entered the game not long thereafter.
"I don't think he was mad at me for coming out of the game," Jones said. "I may have hurt his feelings by some things I said. Some of the guys are trying to do things they aren't capable of doing, and there's nothing that upsets me more."
Freshman Cornel Parker has started since Oliver was injured, scoring 16 points against Virginia Tech and 15 at North Carolina, but his offense has taken a vacation. Parker has scored 18 points in the last seven games, going 3-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Neither Oliver nor Parker started against Maryland, when Jones elected to start his five seniors. Walk-on Bernie Floriani joined Crotty in the backcourt.
Oliver no longer plays or practices with the wrap that once covered his right palm, but his shooting touch has not returned. He has made only one of eight 3-pointers after going 14-for-33 last year.
"That doesn't bother me," Jones said. "I'd rather have him shoot a high percentage on the shots he's capable of making."
\ Senior center Matt Blundin, never known for his offense, has gone 3-for-17 from the field in UVa's last seven ACC games. Blundin made his two free throws Saturday against Maryland to nudge over 50 percent from the line for the year.
\ UVa sophomore center Ted Jeffries had one of his better outings Saturday, recording a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds in only 17 minutes. Jeffries has scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
\ After losing its sixth game in the last nine, Virginia dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time this season. The Cavaliers were 18th in the preseason and had been ranked for 14 straight weeks.
\ The Parkhill brothers, Bruce and Barry, must be wondering about their relationship with former employer Jim Copeland, who was the athletic director at William and Mary when Bruce Parkhill was the head coach and Barry the assistant.
Copeland did not seriously consider Bruce Parkhill, now the coach at Penn State, when the UVa job came open last year. Recently, Barry Parkhill, a former star player for the Cavaliers, was passed over for the position of executive director of the Virginia Student Aid Foundation.
\ WAHOO WATCH: When Maryland came back to beat Virginia after trailing 39-27 at the half, it marked the third-largest deficit the Terrapins have overcome for victory in school history. Maryland came from 19 back at the half to beat South Florida earlier this season, 87-81. . . . Floriani, who has played a total of 16 minutes in seven games, has not missed a shot all year. He's 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from the line. . . . Smith has 11 assists and two turnovers over the last 41 minutes and has relegated freshman Derrick Johnson to the bench. Johnson has not played in the last five games and nine of the last 11. . . . Rob Metcalf, who transferred from Virginia to Minnesota midway through his sophomore, was ejected for fighting in Minnesota's 88-70 victory over Northwestern. . . . Rap Curry, recruited by UVa last year until the Cavs signed Johnson, hit the game-winning 3-pointer as St. Joseph's upset top-seeded Rutgers in the Atlantic 10 tournament. Curry finished with 25 points.
by CNB