University of Virginia Library

On The Inside

Parkhill, Gerard
Impress
Pro Scout

With Doug Doughty

THEY FINALLY LET GUS GERARD PLAY
BASKETBALL THE OTHER NIGHT and, for the first time in
quite a while, the Cavaliers saw just how much of an asset the
6-7 second-year leaper can be to this year's team. The beeline
jumpers, twisting-around-the-basket layups, soaring rebounds
and powerful blocked shots haven't been quite as prominent
lately as they were at the start of the season.

Gerard's getting in foul trouble has been no new
development. Periodically during his first year the
Cavayearling star was forced to sit down. Even earlier this year
there were all indications that Gerard would find fouling a
hazard. But, it's impossible to imagine some of the bad luck
that he has been getting lately.

In the monumental win over North Carolina, Gerard picked
up two fouls in the first minute and 27 seconds of the first
half, sat out much of the rest of the period, coughed up two
more fouls in the first five minutes of the second half, sat out
some more, and then fouled out with 6:40 remaining.

NOT THAT GERARD ISN'T AN AGGRESSIVE PLAYER
but he was getting no benefit of the doubt at Chapel Hill. The
first call made against him was the most dubious, in that
Gerard did not even touch the player he supposedly violated.
Other calls were almost as ludicrous, as you would see a mass
of arms, some elbows flying, a bit of shoving and Gerard
reappearing with arm held high, victim of another foul.

Gerard played twenty-two minutes against Carolina but,
under the burden of not extending himself with foul five just
around the corner, he managed only two points and nine
rebounds. Clemson was just as bad for Gerard, who lasted
three minutes until he picked up his first foul, sat out the rest
of the half, and then managed to stay around 15 minutes in
the second half.

HAD GERARD BEEN ABLE TO PLAY THE ENTIRE
GAME, it is quite likely that the Cavaliers would have bested
the Tigers. With Gus out, Dave Angel was able to run
roughshod over the smaller Virginia players assigned to cover
him. Gerard led a Virginia spurt midway through the second
period, but his absence in the last 4:47 of the game was
injurious to the Wahoo cause.

Gerard's 20-point, 12-rebound performance against West
Virginia did not go unappreciated. Draff Young, Assistant
General Manager and Chief Scout of the Kansas-City-Omaha
Kings was in attendance at the game and was pleased with
Gerard, in addition to Barry Parkhill and the Mountaineers'
Warren Baker, the players he was most interested in.

BAKER, THE WVU FRESHMAN, is just a pipe dream for
any team other than those willing to prove he's a hardship
case. Baker, who has formally come out and said that he wants
a college education more than anything else in the world, had
quite a night for himself. The smooth 6-7 southpaw was 12 of
24 from the field and 5 of 10 from the line for 29 points.
Quite reasonably, he was the only thread that kept the
Mountaineers in the ballgame.

As good as Baker looked, it was Parkhill that Young was
after. "We need a team-type player, we give-and-go and
pick-and-roll a lot", explained Young, "and to me, Barry
Parkhill plays basketball the way the game should be played.
What impresses me most is the way he's always looking for
cutters, setting up the back-door pass, and looking for his
teammates while he's dribbling the ball. He can also pass well
with either hand."

"WILL PARKHILL BE DRAFTED IN THE FIRST
ROUND?"

"ANY TEAM COULD USE BARRY PARKHILL RIGHT
NOW. In all probability he's a first-round pick. We need a big
man...but I'm sure Barry Parkhill can learn to be a pro-type
ball player."

Unconcerned about Parkhill's supposed shooting "slump",
Young said "that's not one of our biggest concerns. The kid
has to settle himself down. He's been under great pressure.
Every team's watching him and guarding him tight...
box-on-ones, double and triple teams". I looked at his
percentages from last year, 43, or 45 per cent. And he shot
about the same the year before."

"I KEEP A SHOT CHART FOR ALL THESE GAMES.
Parkhill was missing from 25 feet and sometimes he was
rushing his shots. I'd have to watch Parkhill some more, but
when he was missing, it seemed that he was falling away. I
tried to watch for that, but every time I concentrated, he put
the ball in the hoop."

YOUNG WAS SLIGHTLY CRITICAL OF WALLY
WALKER, "I didn't see him put the ball on the floor from
20-feet and make a move to end up with a beautiful basket...
but, from the fact that he's a freshman, these things will fall in
place. Walker's going to become a hell of a basketball player."
Comparing Walker and N.C. State's David Thompson, Young
mused, "They both make the same mistakes. Walker's quicker
and faster. Thompson's stronger and more powerful."