Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 16, 1995 TAG: 9503160065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
If you've never heard of Nandua, welcome to a group that includes just about everyone in the state.
But Nandua, the state's best-kept secret, has the best record among the the four teams playing for the Group A boys' basketball title at the Vines Center on the Liberty University campus in Lynchburg.
The Warriors are 27-1, which is the best record for any boys' team in any classification of the state. Yet, Nandua never was ranked in the Associated Press top 10, nor was it ever mentioned as a team ``also getting votes.''
The person who knows Nandua best is Glenvar coach Art Lawrence, whose team plays the Warriors in the state semifinals tonight at 7 p.m. He scouted Nandua last weekend when the Warriors wiped out once-beaten Clarke County, the state's fourth-ranked team, 86-68.
In tonight's other Group A semifinal, Parry McCluer battles William Monroe at 8:45 in a rematch of last year's Group A championship game. Tonight's winners meet Saturday at 1 p.m. for the title.
Timesland's other two boys' entries, Liberty and Northside, won't play in the Group AA state semifinals until Friday. Liberty will meet Nansemond River at 1 p.m., and Northside, which is in its fourth state final four in five years, will battle Caroline at 2:45.
Lawrence realizes the Highlanders (19-8) have to play their best game to win. It was that way 20 years ago when the Highlanders, then a lightly regarded team, crept into the Group AA tournament and won the championship.
``Nandua has a lot of good athletes and their two leading scorers are their guards,'' said Lawrence. Loyal Grimes averages 22 points and Mike Lee averages 20 a game.
``They like to get it up and down the floor and shoot quickly. They'll be hard to slow down. If we can keep them off the boards, they're not a great shooting team,'' Lawrence said.
Nandua an Eastern Shore team that doesn't get recognition because there is no daily paper in its area. Consequently, when the Associated Press asked for nominations for voting on the rankings, no one nominated the Warriors.
Coach Dennis Custis wasn't upset with the slight by the voters. He didn't call the AP to inform them of the ommission.
``Ratings have nothing to do with making the state tournament. It didn't bother me,'' said Custis. ``I really didn't have an interest in the rankings at all. It was a matter of whether we were playing good at the end of the year.''
Lawrence has more than simple respect for Nandua. ``I was surprised at how good a club they are,'' he said. ``They're the best team I've seen for talent in Group A. We knew Twin Springs' strength was their guards and we set up a defense to take away that strength. But this team has a solid inside and outside game.''
If the Highlanders survive, they'll have to get another solid game out of point guard Nick Varney. He's stepped up his play in the second half of the season and has been the guiding force for the Highlanders to make the state tournament.
Glenvar, which has won eight of its past nine games, is led in scoring by 6-foot-1 Corey Willis (13.6 ppg) and 6-4 James Williams (12.6 ppg).
Nandua has 6-5 Walter West at center along with forward 6-1 Nathaniel Bunting and 6-0 Tyrell Wise. Grimes is a 6-3 guard who will give Glenvar some match-up problems. He is shooting 56 percent from the field, 85 percent from the line, and averaging six rebounds and three assists a game. He was also the Region A Player of the Year.
Custis knows little about Glenvar. ``We haven't scouted an opponent all year. We do what we do and worry about that,'' he said.
by CNB