ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 2, 1996 TAG: 9601020193
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
Virginia Tech soared to No. 18 in Monday's Associated Press Top 25 poll, and the Virginia Cavaliers swooned out of the poll.
The Hokies, who gave coach Bill Foster his 500th career victory Sunday, defeated Wright State and then-No.21 Virginia in games last week and jumped up from No22.
Tech is 6-1; the Cavaliers are 5-3.
In other poll news, the Boston College Eagles joined the Top 25 at No. 24, becoming the fifth ranked Big East team. The Eagles' only losses in 10 games this season have been to the only two teams from New England having a better season - No. 1 Massachusetts and No. 7 Connecticut.
``We have gotten off to a good start and it's nice that people are recognizing the good start we've had this year,'' BC coach Jim O'Brien said Monday. ``I didn't expect it, yet I'm not surprised. We have some good wins. The two losses we have are to two of the best teams in the country ... I think we have played well enough to deserve some consideration.''
The Eagles beat Louisville when the Cardinals were ranked and won 90-74 at Vanderbilt on Saturday.
In a week when the Top 10 teams remained the same, the only major changes came in the last three spots, where Texas, BC and New Mexico made their poll debuts this season.
Texas (7-2), which beat then-No.11 North Carolina on Saturday and has lost to Utah and Louisville, and BC both were last ranked during the 1993-94 season. New Mexico (10-0), which hasn't played a ranked team this season, made its last appearance in the Top 25 at the end of the 1992-93 season.
Massachusetts (10-0) again was the runaway choice of the national media panel, receiving 62 of 65 first-place votes and 1,622 points, 94 more than Kentucky, which was No.2 for the second consecutive week.
Following the Wildcats were Memphis, Kansas, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Connecticut, Villanova, Arizona and Iowa.
Memphis (8-0), Cincinnati (8-0) and Connecticut (10-1) each received one first-place vote.
Syracuse moved up two spots to lead the second 10 and was followed by Wake Forest, Illinois, Georgia, Utah, North Carolina, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Duke and UCLA. Michigan and Clemson were ahead of the three newcomers.
In other college basketball news:
WOMEN'S POLL: The top three teams held their ground, and Texas Tech returned to the Top 10 after a victory over Stanford.
Louisiana Tech (9-0), which hasn't played since Dec.18, was a unanimous choice for No.1 by a nationwide media panel for the third consecutive week. The Lady Techsters have led the Top 25 in every poll except the preseason list.
Connecticut (10-1), which has lost only to Louisiana Tech, remained second and Vanderbilt (9-0) stayed third.
Texas Tech (9-2) jumped from 15th to 10th after running its winning streak at home to 20 games. The Lady Raiders beat Stanford 71-65 on Thursday and defeated San Francisco 72-61 on Sunday.
Stanford (7-2), which bounced back from its loss to Texas Tech to beat Texas, dropped from fourth to seventh. That enabled No.4 Tennessee, No.5 Virginia and No.6 Penn State to each move up one place. Arkansas stayed at No.8 and Georgia remained ninth.
Iowa moved up one spot to 11th. The Hawkeyes were followed in the second 10 by Oregon State, Colorado, North Carolina State, Duke, Old Dominion, Purdue, Wisconsin, Alabama and Oklahoma State. The final five were Florida, Texas A&M, Northwestern, Mississippi and Auburn.
UMBC PLAYER DIES: Police are investigating the death of a Maryland-Baltimore County player, who died Monday after being injured at a New Year's Eve party in Darnestown, Md.
Matthew Skalsky, 19, from East Lansing, Mich., was found intoxicated and unconscious with a head injury after the party at a house in Darnestown. Montgomery County Police Cpl. Courtney McFee said there were conflicting reports from witnesses as to how Skalsky was injured. Witnesses reportedly told investigators Skalsky had slipped, fallen or been knocked unconscious during a fight.
Skalsky was taken to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead Monday morning.
Skalsky played in nine of UMBC's 10 games this season, averaging 4.9 points. The Retrievers visit Radford on Jan.8.
McFee said an autopsy will be performed by the Maryland Medical Examiner today to determine the cause of death.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB