THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 17, 1995 TAG: 9505170199
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 115 lines
The NCAA spring basketball signing period ended Tuesday with Virginia and North Carolina the apparent winners of the ACC recruiting war.
But neither school was celebrating yet as they wait to learn if two prize recruits qualify academically.
The Tar Heels, whose Final Four team was ripped apart when sophomores Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace decided on pro careers, signed two of the nation's top-rated prospects, 6-10 Antawn Jamison of Charlotte and 6-6 Vince Carter of Daytona Beach.
Jamison is still trying to meet entrance requirements, though, and the Tar Heels failed to land three other big players on their wish list.
Six-foot-10 Melvin Whitaker opted for Virginia, 6-10 Randell Jackson decided at the last minute on Florida State, and 6-11 Kevin Garnett, rated the No. 1 high school center, says he will go directly to the pros if he fails to qualify academically for a major school.
Garnett, a cousin of North Carolina freshman Shammond Williams, still has the Heels on his list, along with South Carolina and Michigan.
Jackson, the No. 3-rated high school center, surprised even his high school coach, Scott Spinelli, by picking Florida State over North Carolina following a weekend visit to Tallahassee.
``Everybody thought he was leaning toward UNC,'' Spinelli said.
Jackson has not yet qualified academically and may end up at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas if he fails get into Florida State.
UNLV, unlike ACC schools, can accept players who fail to qualify for their freshman seasons.
Whitaker, who is Virginia's highest-rated center signee since Ralph Sampson, is another recruit still trying to meet entrance requirements.
The Garner, N.C., native who attended Oak Hill Academy at Mouth of Wilson, Va., initially picked Virginia over North Carolina State and stuck with the decision despite a late rush by North Carolina coach Dean Smith.
``I knew all along Virginia was the place for me,'' Whitaker said. ``I like the players and the kind of guys they are.''
Virginia fans can't help but like Whitaker, whose strengths are defense, rebounding, and shot-blocking.
Recruiting analyst Brick Oettinger predicted in a column for The Poop Sheet that Whitaker could be the ``prime-time center'' who makes Virginia a potential Final Four team.
Virginia coach Jeff Jones signed three other players who provide a solid foundation for the next four years.
Six-foot-5 Courtney Alexander of Durham, N.C., and 6-7 Darryl Presley of Hyattsville, Md., are highly rated and were impressive recently when they teamed in the Converse All-America game in Columbia, S.C.
The Cavaliers' fourth recruit is Scott Johnson, a 6-10 power forward from Marietta, Ga., who may not be as ready to play as the other signees.
When evaluations are complete, Virginia's recruiting class could rank among the top 10 nationally. But Jones cautions that fans shouldn't expect too much too soon.
``We have learned from the past about getting carried away with any kind of recruiting rankings,'' Jones said.
Jones, though, gets excited himself when he talks about Whitaker.
``He has only scratched the surface of what is yet to come,'' Jones said.
``He really is ready to blossom as a player. He has a tremendous amount of physical gifts. He is a great runner, great leaper, and has got a body that will continue to get stronger with work in the weight room.''
Jones believes Whitaker can be a very good offensive player, too.
``He is very hungry and determined to do that,'' Jones said. ``He has good hands and finishes well around the basket.''
Alexander, an outstanding scorer and good ballhandler, also could become an impact player if teamed on the perimeter with returning guards Harold Deane and Curtis Staples.
One recruiting publication rated Alexander the 25th-best high school prospect in the nation.
Despite missing out on one of the big men it was courting, North Carolina helped to compensate for the sudden losses of Stackhouse and Wallace by signing Carter, Jamison, and 6-8 Ademola Oiculaga, a Nigerian who played scholastically in Germany.
But last year's Carolina team was one of Smith's thinnest, and he will encounter a more severe situation next season with Jeff McGinnis and Dante Calabria being the only experienced players returning.
Duke, which tumbled to the ACC basement last season, also failed to get all the help it needed.
The perimeter-rich Blue Devils, who lose inside starters Cherokee Parks and Erik Meek, signed 6-10 Taymon Domzalski, a highly rated prospect from New Mexico Military Institute, and Matt Christensen, a 6-10 project from Belmont, Mass.
The recruiting catch was so skimpy the Blue Devils welcomed Rashown McLeod, their first transfer in coach Mike Krzyzewski's era.
The 6-9 forward from St. John's will sit next season, then have two years of eligibility remaining.
Maryland failed to get the big man it wanted to replace Joe Smith, also going pro after his sophomore year, but signed one of the nation's top point guards, Terrell Stokes, of Philadelphia.
Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins, whose reputation as an ace recruiter had slipped the last three years, signed point guard Stephon Marbury, the No. 3-rated player in the nation, and 6-7 Juan Gaston, a highly rated power forward.
But Cremins allowed California to sneak into the Atlanta suburbs to sign 6-9 Shareef Abdur-Rahim, one of the nation's top-rated power forwards.
Clemson's Rick Barnes signed seven players, and there is a surprising amount of quality in the quantity.
The biggest catches were 6-7 Tony Christie and 6-9 Andrius Jurkunas, both of St. John's at Prospect Hall in Frederick, Md., whose team had a 22-1 record.
Christie was rated 31st and Jurkunas 56th nationally by one recruiting guide. Harold Jamison, a 6-9 center, was ranked 52nd.
Wake Forest's top recruits were Joe Amonett, a 6-5 guard, who was the player of the year in Tennessee while averaging 33.5 points, and 6-9 William Stringfellow, who averaged 18 points and 14 rebounds for Anderson High School in Austin, Texas. Anderson finished second in Texas with a 35-2 record.
North Carolina State out-recruited the Deacons for 6-8 power forward Tyrone Outlaw of Roxboro, N.C., and added Danny Strong of Spartanburg Junior College. by CNB