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

DATE: SATURDAY, July 31, 1993                   TAG: 9307310005
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

S.C. BIG MAN EYES OAK HILL

Kevin Garnett, considered by many to be the No. 1 college basketball prospect in his class, is expected to transfer to Oak Hill Academy for his junior year.

"We have received his application and his transcript and other necessary materials," said Steve Smith, coach at the school in Mouth of Wilson. "Usually the parents won't go to that kind of trouble if they aren't serious."

Garnett's mother, Shirley Irby, said there is a distinct possibility her son will leave Mauldin, S.C., to attend Oak Hill.

"Indications are that's where he's leaning," she said.

"I heard it's a definite," said Dave Krider, who rates the nation's top teams for USA Today.

Garnett, a 6-foot-9 center/forward, was rated one of the top six rising juniors in the country by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons before the Nike camp in Indianapolis. Many observers at the Nike camp said they felt Garnett was the best player there, including the seniors.

At Oak Hill, Garnett would join another of the nation's top six juniors, 7-foot Mark Blount, originally from Summerville, S.C. Blount is one of three key players returning from last season's Warriors team, joining 6-7 Alex Sanders and 6-5 Tavares Johnson.

In addition, Oak Hill has added a pair of guards from St. John's at Prospect Hall in Frederick, Md. They are 6-2 Curtis Staples from Roanoke and 6-5 Tarik Turner from Charlottesville.

Sanders, Staples and Johnson are rated among the top 50 seniors in the country.

"With or without Garnett, they will be a strong contender for the No. 1 ranking [in USA Today]," Krider said.

Inquiries have been made to Smith on behalf of guard Allen Iverson, the Group AAA Player of the Year who led Bethel High School of Hampton to the state championship. However, Iverson recently was convicted on three felony counts and his chances of winding up at Oak Hill are slim.

"None, none, none," Smith said. "We had a player [Wilfred Kirkaldy] who was thrown out of school and that was after he got arrested, not convicted. Besides, I have made a pledge to [Staples and Turner] that we will not bring in another guard who will play ahead of them."

by CNB