THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 15, 1996 TAG: 9610150421
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: 79 lines
Virginia point guard Harold Deane, who has been on leave of absence since June following his arrest on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest, will be back with the team when practice opens today, coach Jeff Jones said Monday.
Deane has been working out with the team since September, but an announcement on his status had not been made.
Jones declined to elaborate on his decision, saying only that Deane will be at practice.
``Obviously there's been a conscious decision on my part, and on the part of the team, that we aren't going to dwell on those things,'' Jones said.
Deane, Virginia's leading scorer last year, missed the team's trip to Europe in August, but has been participating in conditioning drills since school began.
``I've been through a lot from last year to now,'' he said. ``I'm just ready for the season to start.''
Deane was convicted in August on the charges, and sentenced to two 30-day jail sentences. The jail time was suspended pending two years of good behavior.
Deane is appealing the convictions, and is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 21 in Charlottesville Circuit Court.
Deane was arrested following a disturbance outside a Charlottesville night club April 13. According to police, Deane yelled and pushed two police officers when he was refused admission to a party that was overbooked.
Deane said the time off helped him ``get myself together.
``Image is a lot to me. I don't want anybody to think of me in a negative way. Everybody makes mistakes. Nobody is perfect. You just have to watch what's going on, and be conscious of what's around you.''
Deane is one of four starters returning from a team that finished 12-15 last year and endured a long off-season, full of off-court problems.
Deane was one of three Cavaliers to have run-ins with the law last year. Freshmen Darryl Presley and Scott Johnson pleaded guilty to petty larceny charges in connection with a shoplifting incident in April. Both players have transferred.
In addition, Melvin Whitaker, a highly-touted recruit, was charged with malicious wounding after slashing a Virginia football player during a pick-up game in February.
Jones said he prefers to look forward, not back.
``I'm aware that there's interest in those topics,'' Jones said. ``But it absolutely serves no purpose on our part to go back and re-hash them.
``Through all the things that happened last year, you certainly wonder if there was something you could have done better or differently.''
Jones said he couldn't think of anything he would do differently. But he will ``emphasize and reemphasize'' the importance of good behavior to his team once again.
``Do I expect for things like that to happen again? Absolutely not,'' he said.
On the court, Virginia's big problems last year were a lack of inside scoring and rebounding. The Cavaliers addressed those needs by signing three inside players, 6-10 swing men Kris Hunter and Craig McAndrew and 6-8 forward Colin Ducharme.
Ducharme, in particular, has impressed with physical play during pickup games. But Jones said all three should help.
``We're going to look a whole lot better going through airports,'' Jones said. ``We're bigger.''
The problems weren't limited to the frontcourt. Deane, who said he tried to do too much last year, shot just 34.4 percent from the field. Backcourt mate Curtis Staples shot just 37 percent.
Staples said he regained his confidence and shooting touch during the European swing. He said Deane would be improved as well.
``You're going to see a more determined Harold Deane this season,'' Staples said. ``You're going to see the Harold Deane you saw two years ago.''
Coming off that season, Deane and the Cavaliers had high expectations. Last year at this time, ESPN filmed a ``midnight madness'' segment in Charlottesville.
There will be no ``midnight madness'' this year. Staples said players prefer it that way.
``We're underdogs again, just like always.'' ILLUSTRATION: FILE PHOTO
Harold Deane, left, has been on leave of absence since June
following his arrest on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest. by CNB