University of Virginia Library

Squires Sign Parkhill

By Randy Wert
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Barry Parkhill Shows Off His New Uniform

The Sophomore Star Will Play For The Squires Next Year

The Virginia Squires of the
American Basketball Association
signed Barry Parkhill, the
University's second-year basketball
sensation, to a multi-year contract
yesterday. The terms were not
announced.

Earl Foreman, president of the
Squires, announced that the 6′4″
guard, who was the team's fourth
round draft pick this year, came to
terms after more than three weeks
of secret bargaining.

The signing took place in
Roanoke, part of the four city
Squires operation in Virginia.

Seething Coach

But in Charlottesville, a seething
Bill Gibson, head basketball coach
at the University, vowed to keep his
team's top scorer out of
professional basketball.

Slamming his first on a basketball
office desk at a press conference,
Gibson declared:

"I don't want Barry even
watching a Squires game. He
simply will not play basketball for
them!"

Premature Draft

Gibson, who, after weathering a
scandalous "Boot the Hoot"
campaign two years ago, virtually
put his reputation as a coach
competent of producing a winner in
the hands of the former
Pennsylvania high school superstar.
With Parkhill as the nucleus of an
ambitious recruiting drive, Coach
Gibson set about fashioning the
first winning basketball season in
many years at the University.

Ambitious Drive

Now, faced with the loss of the
original cog of his growing
basketball machine, Gibson said,
"Naturally we are prepared to go to
court over this. There isn't any way
in the world they (the Squires) can
claim him as a 'hardship' case," he
stated, obviously referring to the
ABA's tactics in the recent Ralph
Simpson, Spencer Haywood, and
Johnny Neumann cases.

"If this league [the ABA] is
permitted to continue these
abhorrent player raids," he
continued with moisture forming in
his eyes, "how is a coach going to
justify devoting his life, at the
expense of his family, to building
and developing young ballplayers
into a championship team?"

Original Cog

Contacted in New York,
Foreman indicated that "we feel
that Barry is the type of ballplayer
that will be able to make a great
contribution to the Squires. With
hard work," he continued, "Barry
will become an outstanding
backcourt companion for Charlie
(Scott)?"

Great Contribution

Foreman also indicated that a
major reason for prematurely
drafting the 19 year old Virginia
sophomore was the fact that "he
will be a terrific attraction for the
fans in this state who have watched
him play this year."