ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 30, 1996 TAG: 9604300073
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Radford never knew until Monday that its proximity to Virginia Tech would be a benefit in men's basketball recruiting.
The Highlanders received a commitment from 6-foot-8, 200-pound Ryan Charles, whose twin brother, Tom, will be a freshman in the fall at Tech.
``I think it may have had a lot to do with Ryan going to Radford,'' said Tim Llewellyn, the boys' basketball coach at Clover Hill in Midlothian. ``I think the family liked the idea of being able to see both sons on the same visit.''
Tom Charles did not play basketball at Clover Hill, where his brother averaged 21.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots.
``If you stood them side by side, you wouldn't even know they were brothers,'' Llewellyn said.
Ryan Charles, who has a 3.9 grade-point average and scored 1,200 on the SAT, committed to Radford after visiting Davidson this past weekend. He also took trips to VMI and UNC Wilmington.
``He played center for me,'' Llewellyn said, ``but he probably could be a forward in college. I wouldn't let him shoot 3-pointers - we didn't have anybody else taller than 6-3 - but, in time, he could have that kind of range in college.''
Charles is Radford's third men's basketball signee, all this spring. Earlier, the Highlanders had landed All-Tidewater point guard Rian Everett from Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach and 6-4 John Belt from Fairmont, W.Va., by way of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham.
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