THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 11, 1995 TAG: 9501110537
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 118 lines
Old Dominion basketball coach Jeff Capel looked at the stat sheet following the Arizona State game Saturday and finally saw what he's been looking for from his two centers.
Senior David Harvey and junior backup Derrick Parker combined for 10 points and 13 rebounds.
When Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year Odell Hodge was lost for the season five weeks ago, Capel said Harvey and Parker needed to combine for double-figure scoring, seven or eight rebounds per game and be a force defensively. For the first time in seven games - and just the second time in nine games without Hodge - they reached the goal.
``This was a great effort on their part and I hope they carry it into the conference,'' Capel said after the 19-point loss at Arizona State. ``That's exactly what we need to get from them every night. They didn't back away, they competed and they contested shots.''
Capel hasn't been able to say that often about his two big men from Atlanta. Three nights earlier, he partly attributed a blowout loss at St. Joseph's to being ``out-manned in the post.'' Capel said Harvey had played well against No. 1 North Carolina, ``but against St. Joe's, he kind of disappeared.''
Consistency is what Capel hopes the duo develops during conference play, which begins tonight when ODU hosts UNC Wilmington at Scope at 7:35. Since Hodge's injury, Harvey has averaged 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds while Parker has averaged 2.4 and 2.5.
The Monarchs often have been one-dimensional with the outside threat of Petey Sessoms and, at times, Mike Jones. A team without both an outside and inside offense is much easier to defend, as ODU - 5-8 and loser of five in a row - has discovered.
``The thing that's disappointed me is sometimes they don't rise to the challenge,'' Capel said of Harvey and Parker. ``They back away from the challenge instead of standing in there and making a stand and battling.''
The challenges have been immense, starting with a couple future NBA first-round draft picks in North Carolina's Rasheed Wallace and Arizona State's Mario Bennett. Wyoming, Tulane, St. Joseph's and Hawaii also had quality post games. The schedule was designed with the premise Hodge would be battling inside for ODU.
The Monarchs have played probably six teams minus Hodge that have better inside games than they will face in the CAA. UNC Wilmington may have the CAA's best post play.
``We've struggled playing against some of the better teams, but it's going to help us in the long run,'' said Parker, a junior.
Harvey agreed, but Capel isn't so sure. He said a less-challenging assignment every night would have enabled Harvey and Parker to develop their skills and confidence.
``I really think I'm progressing every game,'' said Harvey, who will graduate in May with a degree in counseling and human services. Harvey hopes to work with battered and abused children or in the juvenile courts system.
``I've really gained confidence of the team,'' Harvey said. ``Playing against good post players I think is really going to help me when we play in the CAA.
``It has had its ups and downs. It's been rough, but me and Derrick, we've got to keep our heads up.''
That was hard for Harvey to do after the overtime loss to Tulane, when he made 1 of 10 free throws. Since then, he's gone 9 of 19 from the line, bringing his foul shooting accuracy up to 35 percent.
``When you go to the line, you've got to tell yourself you're going to make them,'' Harvey said. ``Before, I was like, `Oh man, I'm at the free throw line again.' ''
Harvey has started five of the last nine games and averaged 25 minutes of play, compared to Parker's 16 1/2 minutes. Capel said the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Harvey has a great body for a power game, but at times tends to be too much of a finesse player.
``He needs to play big,'' Capel said. ``He's done that at times, but there are times he doesn't.''
The coaches have worked with Harvey on going strong to the basket and developing more offensive moves. Capel said ODU needs a presence in the post to keep defenses honest.
``Right now, Petey is a marked man,'' Harvey said. ``He's our No. 1 option and everyone is going to extend out on him. We have to make them respect us inside.''
The 6-9, 210-pound Parker was a highly respected player coming out of high school. But he has played sparingly at ODU, and is often tentative offensively.
``If we can get his confidence up, he'll be a heck of a player,'' teammate Mike Jones said.
``Offensively, he's got a lot of work to do,'' Capel said. ``He's got to work on his hands. But he's a kid who's a freshman as far as playing - he hasn't hardly played in two years.''
Harvey said teammates call Parker ``Handyman'' because he is so adept at fixing things, particularly electronics. When Mario Mullen bought a stereo for his mother, he had Parker hook it up.
Parker has found it more difficult to be Mr. Fixit for ODU.
``Odell did a lot for our team and he has some big shoes to fill,'' Parker said. ``With my past playing time, I really wasn't ready for it. But I'm gradually improving mentally and physically. I still think I'm like a year or year and a half behind because I didn't play my freshman year.''
ODU doesn't have a year to wait.
No CAA team established itself as a force in the pre-conference schedule. Even without Hodge, the Monarchs have a chance to fulfill preseason predictions and win the league. But to do so, the two big guys have to come up bigger.
``It's ironic, because at the beginning of the season there was not much focus on those guys,'' Capel said. ``But now, together, they're almost the key, because they have to provide a presence inside. One day you're not that important, and the next day you're maybe more important than you want to be. They just have to rise to the challenge.'' ILLUSTRATION: PAUL AIKEN/Staff
David Harvey
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/Staff
Derrick Parker
by CNB