Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 22, 1994 TAG: 9403220077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And, make no mistake, the Cavaliers weren't congratulating each other Sunday after a 71-58 loss to Arizona in an NCAA second-round game, but coach Jeff Jones can't remember another of his teams coming closer to its potential.
Virginia failed to win 20 games for the first time in Jones' four-year tenure, but he did maintain his 20-victory average (80-48) despite the absence of his best player, Cory Alexander, who broke his right ankle in the first game.
UVa posted the lowest field-goal percentage (38.7) by an ACC team since 1961-62, yet the Cavaliers reached the ACC championship game and won five games in March. Remarkably, their 31.1-percent effort against Arizona was only their seventh-worst of the season.
The Cavaliers whittled a 13-point deficit to two and were still in the game at 52-46 before experiencing a 7 1/2-minute, 0-for-14 shooting drought that effectively killed their chances. No one in the UVa locker room felt the Wildcats were unbeatable.
"I don't want to put down their other players," Jones said, "but if you stop one [of the Wildcats' guards], you can beat Arizona. I'm not sure their other guys can score enough to offset one of those guys having an off night."
The game was billed as a showdown between the Wildcats' high-scoring Khalid Reeves and UVa's defensive specialist, Cornel Parker. Reeves clearly had the edge, collecting 21 points in the second half and 30 for the game.
On closer examination, all four of Reeves first-half field goals came against other UVa defenders and he hit five of six free throws in the final 2 minutes, 25 seconds, when the Cavaliers had little recourse but to foul.
Parker was in foul trouble for most of the game and, while the Cavaliers lamented a 25-6 differential in free throws, that was the continuation of a late-season trend. In UVa's last three losses, opponents attempted 82 free throws to the Cavaliers' 28.
A lack of height causes Virginia to compensate with physical play on defense and UVa became increasingly perimeter-oriented on offense, although 6-foot-8, 248-pound Junior Burrough remained the first option.
It is popular to knock Burrough, whose field-goal percentage dropped to a career-low 40.5, but few players have his combination of size, ball-handling ability, moves and - yes - range. Is it his fault that UVa hasn't been able to recruit a quality center?
Burrough had his way with Arizona's 6-9 1/2, 256-pound Joseph Blair until the Wildcats started double- and triple-teaming him in the second half. "That should have created opportunities for our other post players," Jones said. "We didn't capitalize."
Jones went back to the lineup that started 25 of the first 26 games, inserting 6-8, 231-pound Yuri Barnes for freshman Jamal Robinson, a wing player. Barnes was 1-for-9, with his only field goal coming on a left-handed half hook (he's right-handed).
After a sensational ACC tournament, Robinson struggled in two NCAA games and Sunday had as many fouls (five) as he did points, rebounds and assists. Anybody who projects him as a starter in 1994-95 had better use pencil.
It appears that three starters are set: Burrough, Alexander and freshman guard Harold Deane, who was as responsible as anybody for UVa's success. The others will come from Barnes, Robinson and Jason Williford, who had 14 points Sunday and is valuable as a ball-handler and rebounder.
On the surface, there is no obvious successor to Parker as the Cavaliers' stopper, a player who would go out night after night and shut down the opposition's top perimeter player. UVa has had few like him.
"With Cornel leaving, we'll miss his defense a great deal," Jones said, "but, somehow or another, we'll find a way to shore that up. Defense is not our problem."
The UVa teams coached by Jones have posted four of the 11 lowest field-goal percentages in the ACC in the past 25 years, but Jones believes help is on the way in the form of Alexander and three recruits.
The Cavaliers rarely set screens and have not emphasized the 3-point shot, but that could change with the return of Alexander, Deane and Williford and the arrival of Curtis Staples, who hit 164 3-pointers at Oak Hill Academy.
Clearly, some question marks remain. The Cavaliers trailed in the second half of 20 games and were outscored by 50 points for the season. It's not stretching things to see how 18-13 could have been 13-18.
"I can definitely see the possibilities for next year if the players learn from this year and work hard [during the off-season]," Jones said. "Potentially, this could be a special team."
by CNB