THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 7, 1996 TAG: 9608070431
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 81 lines
Old Dominion basketball coaches returned from a month of recruiting last week. Apparently it was a month invested in the long-range future rather than the near future.
``We spent most of the summer looking at young kids,'' coach Jeff Capel said. ``For the first time I went to the (AAU) 16-and-under and 15-and-under tournaments. Those are the kids we are focusing on, the kids who are rising juniors and sophomores.''
With recruit Michael Williams unable to meet the freshman eligibility guidelines, the Monarchs will have 12 scholarship players next season. Seven of them will be sophomores or freshmen, so ODU's immediate needs are minimal.
``We're in a position where we can afford to be careful and very, very selective,'' Capel said. ``We're looking at some big kids we can bring in and maybe redshirt them.''
ODU has two scholarships to give with Odell Hodge and E.J. Sherod the only rising seniors.
Brett Harper, a star at Kecoughtan High School who played one year of junior college basketball, could claim one of those two spots. Capel declined to talk about Harper.
Harper - a 6-foot-3 guard who played one year at Hagerstown (Md.) Junior College - was accepted by ODU last week and will pay his own way this school year. He will not be able to practice or play with the Monarchs this season, but if he is in good academic standing in the spring Harper likely will get a full basketball scholarship. Harper would have three years of eligibility at ODU.
WILLIAMS IN THE WINGS: Williams' failure to meet the standardized test score requirement is a blow to ODU, which could have used help at point guard. The 6-1 guard from Thomasville, Ga., will play this season at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. If he makes the test score requirement, he would join ODU's 1997-98 team.
David Bice, Williams' high school coach, said Williams attempted to meet the required score on the SAT and ACT six or seven times.
``We expected him to come in and challenge for playing time immediately, but it didn't work out,'' Capel said. ``He struggled with the test. His grade point average is great. We'll just have to adjust.
``It hurts our depth at that position, the other kids will just have to get ready to play.''
Capel said the point guard will be manned again by Brion Dunlap - ``He's started two years; it's his position to lose,'' Capel said - while Mike Byers and Sherod are also candidates.
The Monarchs will have to recruit Williams again, although it doesn't appear it will be a hard sell.
RATINGS GAME: Virginia Tech and Virginia football are receiving high marks in several preseason rankings.
In a sample of 10 preseason top 25s - Football News, Street & Smith's, The Sporting News, Athlon, GamePlan, Preview Sports College Football, Inside Sports, Lindy's, Bob Griese's College Sports and the Football Writers Association of America - Virginia Tech is ranked by all but Lindy's and Virginia is listed in six rankings. East Carolina eked into three of the rankings.
The Hokies are in the top 15 in five rankings. Preview Sports College Football has them 10th. Virginia's highest ranking is No. 15 by Inside Sports.
Hokie freshmen players report Saturday, while Cavalier freshmen report Sunday.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS: ODU rising sophomores Byers and Cal Bowdler will leave Friday for an 11-day tour of Europe as members of a People-to-People all-star squad. The team will play seven games against teams from France, the Netherlands and Belgium. Charleston Southern assistant Mark de Barros will coach the team.
``It's a great opportunity for them,'' Capel said. ``Any time you can gain experience like that, it's good for them.''
TOURNEY REDUX: The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference basketball tournament, which had a three-year run at Scope from 1992-94, is returning to Norfolk next March.
MEAC Commissioner Charles Harris is expected to make the announcement today, according to sources. Both the men's and women's tournaments will be held at Norfolk State's Echols Arena. Norfolk State will join the MEAC in the 1997-98 season.
Hampton University becomes a MEAC member this season. But under NCAA rules, neither school can receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament for eight years.
Whether the MEAC will allow Norfolk State and Hampton to play in its men's tournament anyway - and possibly forfeit an NCAA bid - was unclear Tuesday. MEMO: Staff writer Ed Miller contributed to this report. by CNB