University of Virginia Library

VMI, Spiders To Face Cagers

By DOUG DOUGHTY

Certain to keep in shape
during the upcoming holiday
season, the Cavalier court five
face a challenging slate of five
games during the Christmas
break.

Big-Five competition within
the state will not be conducted
in a tournament this year.
Instead, regular-season play
will decide the title and to that
effect the Cavaliers meet
V.M.I. and Richmond, next
Monday and Tuesday, in
somewhat of a doubleheader at
Roanoke. The Keydets,
presumably rebuilding after a
disastrous 1-25 season, have six
sophomores on their roster and
6-7 Fred Allison returns after
missing last year with a
broken neck.

Boasting only one victory so
far this year, and starting as
many as four sophomores,
V.M.I. promises hardly the
competition that does
Richmond. The Spiders lost
two games early, including a
54-42 setback to Duke, but
Lewis Mills hopes that his
charges are on the right track
again after a come-from-behind
win over V.M.I. this weekend.

Mills' bright shining star is
junior Mike Anastasio, all
Southern Conference as a 14.3
points-per-game scoring guard
last year. Mills admits that
Anastasio looked sluggish in
the two early losses but his two
steals late in the V.M.I. game
helped cement the victory. If
Anastasio falters, Mill will have
to rely on the other juniors,
guard Roger Hatcher, forward
Joe Dauses (6-8), and center
Ray Amann (6-9).

A palmetto is a palm tree
and South Carolina is the
Palmetto State so that explains
the Cavaliers' trip to
Charleston, December 27 and
28, to perform in the Palmetto
Classic. Not as prestigious as,
let's say, a Quaker City or
Holiday Festival, the Palmetto
Classic field includes host team
the Citadel, Xavier of Ohio and
Air Force.

One of the pre-season
Southern Conference favorites,
the Citadel is still in the
running despite a loss to
William and Mary. Stepping up
from the head coaching job at
Coast Guard, George Hill
welcomes back six lettermen
for the Cadets, including, 6-8,
235 pound center John Sutor
and 6-5 senior Lout Mecktroth,
who reportedly "should
provide the scoring punch" for
the Cadets.

Xavier, 9-17 last year, also
has a new coach. Dick
Campbell coached at the
Citadel for several seasons and
that may well be why the
Musketeers were invited to
play. Xavier's MVP for the past
two seasons, Jerry Helmers,
averages 18.2 points per game
in 1970-'71 and experience
plus top sophomore talent
dictate improvements for the
Musketeers. Air Force returns
only one starter and he was
their lowest scorer on a 12-14
lineup last season. The Falcons
have to be the dark horse.