DATE: Tuesday, November 11, 1997            TAG: 9711110448

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   42 lines

POINT GUARD FROM CHICAGO SAYS HE'LL PLAY AT ODU

Old Dominion has landed a point guard from Chicago who was also being recruited by Illinois and DePaul.

Pierre Greene said he took official visits to and had scholarship offers from both schools, but will sign a binding letter of intent with ODU Wednesday, the first day of the fall signing period for basketball recruits. Greene fills ODU's second and final scholarship slot.

``Coach (Jeff) Capel will give me a chance to play right away,'' Greene said. ``He said he'll give me until I'm a junior at Old Dominion before he recruits another point guard. And I like the city, it's warm.''

The 6-foot-2 Greene plays point guard for Chicago Simeon High School, but can play either guard spot. He said he averaged 16 points, five assists, two steals and three rebounds a game last season. Greene has yet to meet the standardized test score requirement to be eligible under NCAA freshman eligibility guidelines.

Greene got his first look at Hampton Roads and the Monarchs got their first look at him during the Virginia Prep Exposure AAU basketball tournament in July at Virginia Wesleyan.

Iowa-based recruiting analyst Van Coleman said Greene has good quickness, court vision and 3-point shooting range.

``He's a borderline high major player,'' Coleman said. ``He's a kid who could become a very good player - a Conference USA type kid. He's a good, solid recruit for the Colonial.''

Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons of All Star Sports in Lenoir, N.C., said he would probably rate Greene among the 100-200 best players in the nation. Gibbons likened Greene's talent to that of ODU freshman guard Michael Williams.

Gibbons said it's a bit of a recruiting coup for the Monarchs just to get Greene signed early. Simeon coach Bob Hambric is notorious in recruiting circles as being difficult to deal with.

Greene is the Monarchs' second verbal commitment of the fall. Dimari Thompkins, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Fla., verbally committed last month. He also made an official recruiting visit to Marshall.

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