University of Virginia Library

DeWitt, McCandlish Will
Lead Roundball Drive

By JOHN MARKON

Barry Parkhill Goes Up For Two Over Guard Howard White Of Maryland

Sharpshooting Soph Sensation Will Handle Outside Responsibilities In 1972

Head basketball coach Bill
Gibson is promoting this year's
roundball team as the "Amazin'
Cavaliers", the same phrase that was
applied to last year's squad.
However, after a successful 1970-71
campaign, the Cavs may be
incapable of truly "amazing"
anyone.

Last year's team got off to a fast
start, winning nine of their first ten
and advancing into the Top Twenty
of the wire service polls. A tough
Atlantic Coast Conference road
schedule and a case of late-season
fatigue blemished the team's
won-loss record but the Cavs rallied
to reach the semi-finals in the ACC
tournament before bowing to
North Carolina, the only ACC team
Virginia did not defeat at least once
and the only squad to beat the Cavs
at University Hall all season.

Leading Gibson's forces this
year will be Co-Captains Scott
McCandlish, a 6-10 center, and
Frank DeWitt, a forward. Other
returnees from a corps of
fourth-year men that Gibson credits
with supplying much of the drive
that led to Virginia's rise as a
basketball power after several
mediocre years are guards Tim
Rash, a probable starter, and Chip
Miller.

The other backcourt starter will
almost without doubt be junior
Barry Parkhill, a man Gibson, and
quite a few other observers, rate as
the best guard in the conference.
After a rocky start last year Parkhill
came on strongly and was named to
the ACC All-Tournament team.
Defense, clutch shooting and
exceptional playmaking are all
Parkhill strong points.

Fighting for the remaining spots
of the roster will be third-year
forwards Jim Hobgood, a deadly
shooter who lettered last year, and
Larry Gerry and guard Jim Farmer.
Rising second year men include
guards Al Drummond, Keith
Suddith and little Steve Morris,
center Lanny Stahurshi, and
forwards Bob McKeag, (who can
also play guard), Steve Boettner,
and Al Cooper. Along with
Hobgood, a man almost sure to be
on the final twelve is second-year
forward Bob McCurdy, a tenacious
rebounder and inside scorer who
starred on last year's team.

Practice for the varsity and
freshmen is scheduled to begin on
October 15 with the opening game
on December 1 at Washington &

Lee. The home opener will be one
week later against Maryland with
this year's tournament being
Charleston, S.C.'s Palmetto Classic
over the Christmas Holidays.

Gibson's assistants this year will
be Chip Connor and new first-year
coach Terry Truax. Truax comes to
the University by way of Maryland,
DeMatha High School of
Hyattsville, Md. and North
Carolina, where he was employed
last year in a similar capacity.

This year's scholarship recruits
are led by front-liners Dan Gerard,
and Dan Bonner, both from
Gibson's home state of
Pennsylvania, and Spencer Graham
of Bethesda, Md. The guards are
Andrew Boninti and Brian Tully,
both from the new York City area.
All the forward and center
prospects approach or exceed 6-7
while the two guards are both in
the 6-3 range.

Gibson is currently embarked
upon a European tour under
governmental sponsorship and will
return to Charlottesville at the end
of the month. Also on the
continent is one Bill Gerry, last
year's Cavalier Captain, now
playing for the French national
team.

1,400 amazable locals have
already bought season tickets in
advance of any large advertising
campaign and, with a continuation
of strong student support, UHall
could host capacity crowds for all
games held while school is in session.

At this early date Gibson claims
to be looking forward to the season
ahead with "cautious optimism".
He said much the same thing last
year going into the season with his
team an unknown quantity. This
time around he remains cautiously
optimistic with his team recognized
as one of many title contenders in
the nation's toughest basketball
conference.