ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 8, 1996 TAG: 9602080025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: COLLEGE NOTEBOOK
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
Employees of a Charlottesville department store said they were disappointed when charges were not pressed against two Virginia men's basketball players, according to The Cavalier Daily.
Freshmen Scott Johnson and Darryl Presley were suspended for one game in December for what was termed a violation of team rules, although there have been unconfirmed reports that the offense was shoplifting.
The student newspaper said it had obtained a memorandum revealing that Johnson had stuffed a shirt into his pants during a visit to the Leggett's at Barrack's Road on Dec. 16. Total value of the shoplifted material was placed at more than $200.
Virginia coach Jeff Jones has declined comment on the specifics of the case, which could subject the players to UVa honor committee action, if another student makes an accusation. The honor committee has only one sanction, expulsion; however, various criteria must be met, including whether an act is serious enough to merit explusion.
ROANOKE CONNECTION: George Gervin, elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this week, played his final college game against Roanoke College in 1972, when the Maroons defeated Eastern Michigan 99-73 en rout to the NCAA College Division championship.
In his final act as a collegian, Gervin was ejected after punching Roanoke star Jay Piccola, who was knocked unconscious. Current Maroons coach Page Moir, whose father was the Roanoke coach, was an 11-year-old spectator at the event in Evansville, Ind.
``There had been some contact under the basket,'' the younger Moir related, ``and Gervin threw a punch at [Piccola] and missed. Jay stuck out his hand and, when Gervin turned around, he thought they were going to shake. Instead, Gervin just decked him.''
Coach Jim Dutcher was so upset by the incident that he said none of the Eastern Michigan players would play for him again and resigned on the spot. Dutcher later resurfaced at Minnesota, but Gervin did not return for his senior year, signing with an agent shortly after the tournament.
HALL RELIEVED: Ricky Hall, formerly a member of Page Moir's staff, is out as coach of the Shreveport Storm of the Continental Basketball Association. Hall, formerly the team's player personnel director, had taken over as coach midway through the 1994-95 season.
Declining attendance had prohibited the Storm from spending the kind of money for players that makes some of the better-drawing franchises successful. Ted Jeffries, who played center for Virginia from 1989-93, has been one of the team's best players.
Hall, a Cave Spring High School graduate and former Virginia Tech football player, remained in the Shreveport area and is hopeful of landing another CBA job. Ownership wasn't dissatisfied with Hall, Moir said, so much as it felt a change was needed for change's sake. The Storm is 1-7 since making the move.
IN THE ACC: Florida State junior James Collins had scored in double figures in 49 consecutive games, an ACC high, before he was held to held eight by Curtis Staples and others Saturday in Virginia's 64-59 victory over the Seminoles. Georgia Tech freshman Stephon Marbury has the longest current streak at 23 games - every college game in which he has played.
Freshman Jay Heaps, the second-leading scorer for Duke's NCAA men's soccer runner-up, is one of four walk-ons added by Blue Devils' basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. Duke is down to eight scholarship players, including former walk-on and ex-soccer recruit Stan Brunson.
AROUND THE STATE: James Madison coach Lefty Driesell, whose last losing season was in his first year at Davidson in 1960-61, already has suffered more losses this season than in any of his 34 seasons as a major-college coach.
The Dukes (5-17) had lost six straight games, 10 of 11 and 14 of 16 going into Wednesday night's game with Richmond in Harrisonburg. Driesell has blamed unproductive recruiting for JMU's slide, which includes 10 double-digit losses and three by 20 or more.
Mario Mullen, the top returning scorer from the Old Dominion team that won the Colonial Athletic Association championship, hardly gets off the bench these days. Mullen has suffered a recurrence of the disc problems that required surgery before the 1993-94 season.
LOCAL UPDATE: Radford University shortstop Kelly Dampeer, a junior from Northside High School, has been projected as the Big South Conference Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball magazine. Dampeer batted .358 and hit a school-record 16 home runs for the Highlanders last season.
Ashley Moore, a Campbell University sophomore from Lord Botetourt, is starting and averaging 10.9 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Lady Camels. Moore had 17 points and 11 rebounds against Georgia State for one of her two double-doubles this year.
LENGTH: Medium: 87 linesby CNB