University of Virginia Library

Wahoos Face Blue Devils
In First Conference Game

By Bill Buck
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Photo By Rich Wright

Forwards John Gidding (1.), Mike Wilkes Battle For Rebound In Action Against George Washington

Cavalier Big Men Will Have Tougher Assignment Tonight In University Hall Against Duke's Denton

The once defeated Duke Blue
Devils come to roost in Charlottesville
once again to do battle tonight
with the Virginia Cavaliers in what
will be the initial Atlantic Coast
Conference game for both teams.

Vic Bubas, who in his ninth
season is the dean of ACC basketball
coaches, brings a seasoned team
to University Hall. He has ten lettermen
returning from last year's
22-6 season plus the addition of
two highly touted sophomores,
guard Dick De Venzio and center
Randy Denton.

Duke has won three games thus
far this season while losing only
once. They defeated VPI, Alabama,
and Princeton, but lost Monday
night to a strong Michigan quintet
in Durham. The Cavaliers are 1-1,
beating Richmond and losing to
undefeated George Washington.
They also lost the services of their
star and play maker Chip Case, who
suffered torn cartilage in his right
knee and underwent a successful
operation Sunday morning in University
Hospital.

Duke lost three starters via graduation
from last year's team. The
ACC's top rebounder and third
adding scorer Mike Lewis will be a
tough man to replace. Gone also are
starters Joe Kennedy, who averaged
12 points a game, and guard Ron
Wendelin, who dirtied their offense.

However, the latter two players
should be adequately replaced.
Guard Dave Golden will be back to
try to improve on his 13.1 average.
He is a deft outside shooter from
anywhere on the court. Don't be
surprised to see some thirty-five
foot shots rocketed toward the
basket, and don't be surprised if
they just happen to drop through
the nets.

Kennedy's replacement should
come pretty easy to Bubas since 6-7
forward Steve Vandenberg seems
ready to have a big year. Last year
Vandenberg scored at an 11.9 clip
while averaging nine rebounds per
game. His 220 pound frame adds
plenty of needed weight under the
boards.

The third starting position this
year appears to have been won by
6-2 C.B. Claiborne. He has only
seen limited action the last two
years but seems to be coming into
his own this year. Though only 6-2
his leaping ability will augment the
Duke rebounding reserves.

The biggest asset of the Duke
team this season may be the promising
sophomores that Vic Bubas
stole away from the 100 or so
colleges that recruited them two
years ago.

Last year North Carolina had
the sophomore of the year in Charlie
Scott, but this year it should be
a toss-up between De Venzio and
Denton. The 5-10 De Venzio had a
fabulous Freshman season. He led
the Blue Imps to one of their best
seasons in the history of the school.
This is not surprising since he was
voted the number one player in
Pennsylvania his senior year in high
school.

The high school players who
have won this award in the past
years have gone on to star in college
and the pros. Such names as Wilt
Chamberlain, Larry Miller, and
Lenny Chapel will be hard to forget.
De Venzio should also be hard
to forget. Though only 5-10 he is
an exciting ball handler and a fine
floor general. Both he and Golden
will be taking aim on the basket
from almost any angle and any
distance.

If De Venzio does not perform
up to his expectations, Randy Denton
will undoubtedly come to the
Blue Devil's rescue. Denton is a
6-10, 250 lb. rebounder from
Ralrigh. He had an exceptional
freshman year along with De
Venzio, and along with Rusty Clark
of North Carolina will probably be
the Conferences top rebounders. He
has a better outside shot than does
Clark and should keep the defenses
honest.

Sports Illustrated ranked Duke
in the 20th position in the nation
according to their pre-season scouting
reports. Coach Bubas may not
agree with this. He is a little pessimistic
about losing three starters
since they are being replaced by
two sophomores. "You can't expect
a sophomore to go in and take
over where a senior left off," says
Bubas. These two sophomores are
no ordinary sophomores, and Bubas
will admit this. "De Venzio and
Denton both had strong freshman
years. Dick's ball handling and
Randy's rebounding are a coach's
dream." Summing up this year's
team Bubas said, "This team might
have the best versatility of changing
the tempo of the game of any team
I've ever coached here at Duke."

If pessimistic Vic Bubas feels
this way, Coach Bill Gibson and his
Cavaliers better be extra sharp tonight
in University Hall.