University of Virginia Library

In New W&L Center

Cavs Face Generals Tonight In Lexington

BY JOHN MARKON

For all those who started
waiting for it after the football
team lost to Navy, the time has
finally come. Tonight at eight
in the cozy hamlet of
Lexington, Va. Cavalier
Co-Captain Scott McCandlish
will jump center against the
best Washington & Lee has to
offer and the 1971-72
basketball season will be
underway.

This year's edition of the
Cavaliers will rely for the most
part on the same players that
carried last year's squad
through the most exciting
roundball season in the
University history. Absent
from that group, aside from
four non-starters, is however,
the muscular presence of ace
forward and team captain Bill
Gerry.

Filling Big Bill's forward
spot, but not his enforcer's
role, will be ex-sixth man Jim
Hobgood. The remaining
starters will all be returners,
Co—Captains McCandlish and
Frank DeWitt on the front line
and Tim Rash and the
multi-talented Barry Parkhill
in back-court.

In Parkhill and Rash the
Cavs could have one of the
better pairs of guards in the
nation and reserves Chip Miller,
a fourth-yearman, and
second-yearmen Al Drummond
and Steve Morris provide a
depth at the position that must
have the other ACC coaches
envious.

The Wahoos are doubtless
possessed of a player of star
quality in Parkhill. The 6-3
third-yearman has almost no
weaknesses. His ball handling is
superior, he can play the tough
defense, and he can shoot in the
accustomed manner of any
ballplayer hyped by his
boosters as being nicknamed
"The Pistol." He's a pre-season
choice for All-ACC.

Rash, while he's in there, is
a good ACC-type passing guard
and floor leader. The joys of
connubial bliss have put an
extra pound or two on the
Richmond native but, after a
slow start, he seems to be
shaping up well.

Miller is usually called on
first when a third guard is
needed and can often times be
a devastating substitute. He'll
fight for playing time with
Drummond, described by
Coach Bill Gibson as having a
"fantastic" pre-season, and
little Morris, credited by his
Coach as having "seven feet of
heart."

Guards wise, then, the Cavs
appear set. With Parkhill's
scoring, defense and leadership,
Rash's playmaking and
well-timed backboard shots,
and the considerable
contributions of the other
three this is without doubt the
'Hoos strongest area.

On the wings the potential
is there for strength but only
time will tell. In one corner
will be DeWitt, an excellent
defender although a rather hot
and cold shooter. None of the
Virginia forwards is his equal
when called upon to handle the
ball.

His running mate will be
Hobgood. Jim is much slimmer
this season than last and it has
shown up in his increased
jumping and rebounding
proficiency. Like Parkhill he
also boasts a place in Gibson's
gun rack, as some insist on
referring to the 6-4
third-yearman as the
"Uniontown Rifle."

Forward depth is supplied
by rookies Bob McCurdy and
Bob McKeag and
third-yearman Larry Gerry, a
somewhat smaller copy of Big
Bill. McCurdy was last year's
freshman hotshot and, now
that he's fully recovered from a
painful hip-pointer, will see
plenty of action. His 6-8
stature could do much to take
pressure off "little guys"
DeWitt, Hobgood, Gerry and
McKeag, none of whom is over
6-5.

The aforementioned
McCandlish shapes up as this
year's key man. Coach Gibson
knows that lack of height is a
problem and, although he plans
to compensate for it, a good
campaign from his 6-10
fourth-yearman is essential.
McCandlish's back-up is 6-9
Lanny Stahurski and if he can
step in capably when
McCandlish rests the Cavs have
a big advantage.