Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 15, 1993 TAG: 9301150155
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
TECH IMPROVING, BUT METRO ISN'T
Cassell Coliseum was still half-empty Thursday night, but the glass finally appears half-full for Virginia Tech's men's basketball program.There's good news and bad news for the Hokies. The bad news is that they're not yet a good team, as was proven in a 65-56 loss to UNC Charlotte. The good news is that they will be, and Cassell will be as prominent a proving ground as any college arena in the next month.
While youth must be served on Bill Foster's second Tech team, the Hokies are helped by a slide in quality in the Metro Conference. That's obvious, because while Tech has last place to itself with an 0-3 start, the Hokies have at least been competitive.
After a 1991-92 season in which the league stunningly put four teams in the NCAA's field of 64 - tying a Metro best from 1986 when the Hokies last danced - there's a power shortage. In the Sagarin conference ratings published by USA Today, the Metro ranks 11th - an all-time low, behind even the hoops-hopeless Southwest.
Louisville, Tulane, UNCC and South Florida were the NCAA entrants last March. While the latter two of those should be dialing 911 this season, the only improved teams in the Metro have area codes of 703 and 804.
While Virginia Commonwealth was helped by transfers, Tech hopes to make its return to respectability with freshmen. In the Metro, it's a good year for the Foster children to learn without one of the lessons being intimidation.
Metro commissioner Ralph McFillen is a new member of the NCAA Basketball Committee, and each of those men exit the March meeting when his league's candidates are discussed. McFillen should have time for a quick trip to the restroom.
The league is almost remindful of its "Louisville and the Lilliputians" past. The Cardinals have North Carolina transfer Clifford Rozier in the post, but they lack depth. Tulane is 11-3 but has played a weak schedule; the Green Wave misses injured swingman Kim Lewis and graduated guards Greg Gary and David Whitmore more than the record shows.
UNCC's slide to a 6-6 start despite four returning starters and a weaker schedule is the Metro's greatest mystery. The book on Tech's maturity figures to be written, a chapter at a time, in the Cassell.
The 49ers' visit began a stretch of 12 straight in-state appearances by the Hokies - 10 of those at home, the others at Old Dominion and against Virginia at the Richmond Coliseum.
A return to prominence remains down the road for Tech, but the Hokies - fostered by their Basketball 101 non-conference schedule and aided by the Metro malaise - should continue turning promise into potential.
To eyes that have watched the Hokies regularly since coach Don DeVoe's last season (1975-76), Tech has its most talent since the school's last NCAA visitor, when Dell Curry, Bobby Beecher and Keith Colbert were seniors.
The Hokies' depth is undermined only by their inexperience, as Foster's first eight include four freshmen whose playing time increases with each game.
They're still a gang that can't shoot straight. Tech hasn't made more than 44 percent of its shots in a season since '86, and these Hokies' Metro-worst accuracy fell to 39.7 percent against the 49ers. However, at least they now have a clue offensively.
The defense is improved, as evidenced by Tech's .398 field-goal percentage defense, ranking in the top 10 nationally. However, foes will continue to muscle and outleap the Hokies inside. In a 4-4 start, they have a 55-rebound deficit.
Tech's shortness and frailty under the hoop are underscored by the sudden dominance of 6-foot-6, 250-pound freshman Shawn - rhymes with "brawn" - Smith, who has averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in three Metro dates.
In rookie forward Jim Jackson, the Hokies appear to have not only their best pure shooter since Curry, but also someone who will challenge the floor-burn record of former point guard Al Young. All Jackson needs to star is some salve and some screens.
Tech has two seniors. Guard Steve Hall is bench-bound. Forward Thomas Elliott's too-often passive days as the go-to guy are gone. Foster's team belongs to his juniors, but just barely.
The Hokies can't get any younger, and they may not get any bigger, but they will get better.