Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 28, 1995 TAG: 9511280147
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
If Robinson keeps playing 28 minutes, as he did in the Cavaliers' 87-58 victory over William and Mary, he might be able to live with the arrangement.
``There might be a point where I would ask him about it,'' said Robinson, credited by Jones with giving Virginia a needed early lift. ``What that point might be, I can't say.''
Robinson, a 6-foot-7 junior, made his first appearance after less than five minutes Monday night and played almost the entire first half in relief of Courtney Alexander.
Jones said last week that he was not tied to one starting lineup, but he gave no indication that Robinson would get the nod Wednesday night, when the Cavaliers meet Kansas in the Great Eight Invitational in Auburn Hills, Mich.
``Is this going to be our quarterback controversy?'' Jones asked. ``We're not necessarily going to start the guy who plays the best. We don't want to make this a competition between two players.
``I want them to complement one another. If we're playing better with one guy coming off the bench and the other guy in the starting lineup, that's fine with me. I'm not hung up on who's going to start.''
Alexander scored UVa's only basket in the first 6 1/2 minutes, but quickly found himself on the bench after failing to box out William and Mary forward Shaka Arnold on back-to-back follow shots.
``That's initially why he came out,'' Jones said, ``but I'd rather look at is Jamal staying in than Courtney staying out. I would say this was as good a performance - if not the best - that we've seen from Jamal in quite a while.''
Robinson finished with nine points, six rebounds, three assists and no turnovers. Alexander took an early seat in the second half and slammed a towel to the floor in disgust, but still contributed 11 points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes.
Alexander originally was recruited as a point guard but, with Harold Deane manning that spot, he has received much of his playing time at small forward. At 6-6, he is nearly as tall as Robinson, who started 17 of 34 games last season.
``I didn't deserve [to start] because I wasn't playing without much excitement,'' said Robinson, a 6-7 junior. ``Now, I deserve it. I'm going to keep working till I get it back.''
William and Mary, disappointing in losing its opener to Loyola of Maryland at home, jumped on Virginia early and led 9-2. The Cavaliers had something to do with that, however, making one of their first 11 shots from the field.
UVa was only 2-of-15 and trailing 11-5 before Chase Metheney, a 7-4 redshirt freshman, entered the game for the Cavaliers. Metheney quickly blocked two shots and hit a follow shot as Virginia outscored the Tribe 12-5 over a 2-minute, 34-second span.
Metheney played only 5:34 in the first half, but the Cavaliers outscored William and Mary 22-7 while he was in the game. He finished with six points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots.
``There's no question he's going to be a factor,'' William and Mary coach Charlie Woollum said. ``He doesn't run the floor, but you've got to contend with him. He's going to get better and he's probably going to play [professionally] after he gets out of here.''
Nevertheless, Woollum thought the difference in the game was UVa's Deane. He had 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds, and even contributed a pair of blocks.
``It wasn't just the shots he made,'' Woollum said. ``It is the chaos he creates. He just took over the game.''
Matt Verkey made five 3-point baskets and finished with 19 points - the only William and Mary player with more than 10.
Curtis Staples of Roanoke had 16 points for Virginia and Norman Nolan contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds - his second straight double-double.
``We're not where I'd hoped we'd be at this point,'' Jones said, ``but the important thing is, we're getting better. Whether we're ready or not for Kansas, we'll find out Wednesday night.''
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
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by CNB