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

DATE: SATURDAY, March 14, 1992                   TAG: 9203160133
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Doug Doughty, Assistant Sports Editor
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

GEORGIA TECH'S GEIGER HAS REASON FOR INSPIRED PLAY

Geiger tied a school record with seven blocked shots and hit all of his field-goal attempts Friday in Georgia Tech's 68-56 victory over Virginia in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

Geiger, a 7-foot-1 senior, is 14-of-14 from the field over the past two games and 28-of-34 over the past six. He would be leading the ACC in field-goal percentage (61.7 percent) if he had enough attempts to qualify.

Geiger, who played his first two seasons at Auburn, had not exactly distinguished himself for the Yellow Jackets before he learned Jan. 26 that his twin brother, Mark, had Hodgkin's disease, a form of cancer.

"It hits you like a ton of bricks," said Geiger, who proceeded to research the subject. "[But] I never think about it being fatal anymore. He's going to make it. He's a young, strong kid."

Geiger's brother is shorter (6 feet 7) and does not play basketball, but the two were inseparable while growing up. In the first game after learning of his brother's infirmity, Geiger was 3-of-10 against Charleston Southern.

Coach Bobby Cremins allowed Geiger to return home to Clearwater, Fla., where Mark lives with their parents and works in the family's land-development business. Since then, Geiger has been perfect from the field in four of nine games.

"The better I play, the better Mark's going to feel," Geiger said. "A lot of things can happen to you in school and basketball, and it all seems so important.

"I sit there and think times are really tough. Then, I watch the news and hear about people dying, and I think, `At least Mark's alive.' "

\ Clemson coach's status a bit shaky

Clemson coach Cliff Ellis, who took the Tigers to the regular-season ACC title in 1990, could be on shaky ground after eight seasons.

Although the Tigers finished last for the second season in a row, Ellis' record might not be as much an issue as the eligibility problems of Wayne Buckingham, docked a year by the NCAA after it was learned his transcript had been changed in high school.

\ UVa's Stith joins elite ACC company

Virginia senior Bryant Stith is the 18th player to make first-team All-ACC in three straight seasons and the first since Georgia Tech's Mark Price from 1984-86.

Only two players have made first-team All-ACC in their sophomore and junior years and not as seniors: North Carolina State's Tom Burleson and Maryland's Tom McMillen in 1974.

\ Blue Devils get early commitment

Duke has received an oral commitment from one of the top juniors in the world, 6-foot-10 wing forward Greg Newton from Niagara Falls, Ontario, who has been compared to Tom Chambers of the Phoenix Suns.

Newton has decided to play in high school for another year, even though he already has qualified for admission to Duke. Duke's challenge now is to convince 6-10 Parade All-American Joey Beard from Reston, Va., that he will not play the same position as Newton.

Virginia has made no secret of Beard's importance to its program. Coach Jeff Jones was at Beard's school, South Lakes, on the first day of the fall contact period.

\ Jones defends '92-93 schedule

Jones, reacting to comments about UVa's proposed 1992-93 schedule, said all contracts have not been signed and that the Cavaliers may not play Delaware State, ranked 291st out of 300 teams in the USA Today Sagarin computer rankings.

"This year, our schedule was too hard," said Jones, who has scheduled 15 home games, up from 12 this year. "Next year, people will say it's too easy, but I want home games."

In order to get the extra two home games, Jones canceled a trip to the Sun Bowl Tournament in El Paso, Texas. He said it is unlikely UVa will participate in holiday tournaments in the near future.

"We aren't going to make everyone happy," Jones said. "But, after the schedule we played this year, there's no way anybody can make me feel bad about next year's schedule."

\ This and that

Maryland senior Walt Williams, who scored 25 points in the Terrapins' 94-87 loss to Duke, set an ACC Tournament record by making 57 field-goal attempts in two games. He sank 20.

Commentator Dan Bonner, who played at Virginia from 1972-75, couldn't let UVa's performance against Georgia Tech pass without a critique.

"People are always asking me if I could have played in today's game," said Bonner, a 6-7 forward with marginal athletic skills. "I could have played in today's game."