ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 22, 1996 TAG: 9601230013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
THE HOKIE POINT GUARD is making name for himself after sitting out last season.
Talk about moving from the outhouse to the penthouse.
Indeed, when it comes to college basketball transfer tickets, it would be hard to top Troy Manns' deal.
Twenty-one months after escaping perennial loser George Mason University, Manns now finds himself residing in basketball Utopia, playing an integral role for 11th-ranked Virginia Tech.
``I've got no complaints, believe me,'' said Manns, a former star at Roanoke's Patrick Henry High School.
``I knew Virginia Tech was a team on the rise. After going through what I've been through, it's really great to be a part of something like this.''
After starting slowly, Manns has come on strong in his backup point guard role for Tech (11-1 overall, 4-0 Atlantic-10).
After scoring just 19 points and shooting 26 percent in Tech's first eight games, the 6-foot-1 junior hit 11 of 16 shots and scored 30 points as the Hokies opened conference play with victories over Duquesne and La Salle. Despite playing only 17 minutes a game, Manns leads the Hokies with 40 assists.
Manns' quickness and his ability to dribble, penetrate and break down defenses has added another dimension to Bill Foster's arsenal.
``Troy gives us a different look when he's in there,'' Foster said. ``Not to mention the fact he can get after it on defense, too.''
Defense. That's one word Manns didn't hear much in his two years in Paul Westhead's run-and-gun game at George Mason.
Another word Manns didn't hear much was win. The Patriots lost 20 games in each of Manns' two seasons at the Colonial Athletic Association school.
``I had to leave George Mason,'' he said. ``It was just time. I guess I was just burned out. I was tired of losing so much, and the atmosphere there was just so negative that I said, `I've got to go, I can't stand being here.'
``It got real frustrating playing knowing that people on your team didn't feel you had a chance to win.''
Manns' original transfer papers had him ticketed for Old Dominion. But that plan fell through when ODU coach Oliver Purnell took the Dayton job after the 1993-94 season.
``When Coach Purnell left ODU, I was kind of stuck,'' Manns said. ``I hadn't contacted any other schools because I had always wanted to play for him ever since he was at Radford.''
Woody Deans, Manns' coach at PH, then came to his former player's cause. Manns said Deans sent out letters to all the area colleges notifying them of Manns' plight.
``I just figured the biggest one that called me back,'' said Manns, ``I would give 'em the most answers.''
When Tech called a week later, it didn't take Manns long to make up his mind. He said ``yes'' in a hurry.
Then came the toughest part of the transfer deal - sitting out a year. Last winter, for the first time since he was 5, Manns didn't play organized basketball.
Manns had to watch on the bench in street clothes as the Hokies rolled to a school-record 25 victories and a National Invitation Tournament title.
``It was a first, and it was very tough for me,'' said Manns, who also suffered through a bout of tonsillitis last January.
``There were times on the bench like when I said to myself, `God, I'm never going to get a chance to play.'''
Eligible again when Tech started preseason practice last October, Manns still had to wonder if he would play. There was little question that senior Shawn Good would be Tech's No.1 point guard. Plus, Manns was looking up at sophomore Myron Guillory, who came up big in Tech's win over Marquette in the NIT title game.
``That had to be tough for Troy,'' Foster said. ``Not only had he sat for a year after playing all his life, but he was behind a guy [Good] who had logged a million minutes last year.
``That took some patience on his account. I think he's handled the situation well. Like everybody else, he would like to play more. But he's learned his role and he accepts it. Now that he's at that point, I think he's only going to get better.''
Manns, who averaged 11 points a game and 142 assists a season in his two years as a starter at GMU, attributed his slow start to trying to do too much too fast.
``I was pressing too hard,'' he said. ``I got kind of down because I knew what kind of player I was.
``I guess I was just trying to make an impact and show people I could play on this level.''
Manns, getting his confidence back, finally got over the hump on Jan.10 in Pittsburgh, keying Tech's 88-69 victory over Duquesne with 15 second-half points, making 4-of-4 3-pointers.
In Tech's next game, against La Salle, Manns again scored 15 second-half points and registered six assists for the second straight outing.
``Those two games helped my confidence and took a lot of the pressure off,'' Manns said.
``I knew it would take time. I just had to be patient and be ready when my number was called.
``If you're [a] good basketball player you can't doubt yourself. If you do, so will everybody else.''
Right now, nobody is doubting Troy Manns.
``I guess people had doubted that I could play on this level, because, I mean, I went to George Mason out of high school,'' Manns said.
``VMI was the only other school that had looked at me. I had hoped Tech would, but it didn't.
``But now I'm here, playing on a great team that's winning. And really, that's all that matters.''
LENGTH: Long : 110 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. After toughing it out for twoby CNBseasons at lowly George Mason and sitting out last season at Tech,
Troy Manns is making an impact as the No. 1 Hokies' backup point
guard this season. color.