ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 21, 1997 TAG: 9702210057
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: COMMENTARY
SOURCE: RAY COX
Congratulations.
You have just been appointed coach of a group of high school basketball all stars culled from the ranks of the New River Valley teams.
Your task is to figure out who your starting five will be and who will be coming off the bench.
The players are provided. You use them how you - the brilliant coach you are - see fit.
Don't screw it up.
Your roster:
Dorian Hendricks of Pulaski County can do just about whatever you need for him to do. He can stay out on the wing, he can work the post, he may even be able to run the offense for you in a pinch. And of course, he can score and rebound.
Philip Klaus of Blacksburg has a 6-foot-6 big man's body and the low post moves to go with it. But he can also handle the ball, score a ton, and rebound. One more skill Klaus brings to your team is a sharp eye for the open man and a deft passing touch to get him the basketball where he likes it.
Eric Lucas of Christiansburg handles the ball well, is a good free throw shooter, and knows how to quarterback a team. For good measure, he can also launch one from beyond the 3-point perimeter when he needs to. Good athlete and a good player.
John Robertson of Radford is your zone buster. The guy had 60 regular-season treys, more than anybody else in Timesland. The enemy can't pack his defense down low when Robertson is in the lineup. Don't foul him either. He's shooting between 79 percent and 80 percent from the stripe.
Another point guard to take a look at is Travis Cantrell of Floyd County. Actually, Cantrell can handle either of the guard positions. He scores 20 points a game, averages six assists, and is shooting 47.8 percent from 3-point range.
Because you never can have enough good ballhandlers, throw in Robbie Claytor of Giles. He's another scorer with point guard skills.
Mike Kazee of Christiansburg is a dependable post player who is still improving. Aside from scoring and rebounding, he brings shot swatting skills to your team.
Adam Loveday of Auburn is another big kid with a bright future. The thing you like about him is that he doesn't miss many of the shots he gets in close to the basket. He's shooting over 57 percent from the floor.
Joe Shipbaugh of Narrows is another one who can pile the points up for you. He's averaging more than 20 points per game and everybody Narrows plays zeroes in on him. Frankly, I don't know how he does it.
A couple more to throw in there are Derek Saunders and Jason Dalton of Floyd County. Saunders is more of a post player and Dalton a wing. They can both play.
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