The Cavalier daily :: Friday, January 5, 1973 :: University of Virginia Library

Of course, the Cavaliers
won't be laughing. They face
their biggest challenge of the
young season against
fifth-ranked N.C. State. The
Wolfpack is one of the
favorites for the ACC
championship.

The trio of stars for the
'Pack have led State to an 8-0
record which includes a win in
North Carolina's Big Four

Barry Parkhill Shoots Over The "Newland Needle" In Last Year's Win

tournament. In fact, they have
won those eight games by an
average of 36 points.

Tall Tommy Burleson, the
"Needle", is playing better
than ever. But how can you
play badly when you're 7-4?
He is averaging nearly 18
points a game and is snaring 12
rebounds. However, in spite of
his Olympic experience and
stardom last season, Burleson
has been overshadowed by a
sophomore who is already a
legend.

Preseason All-American pick
David Thompson is known as
"The Springboard" because he
can jump 42 vertical inches.
Although he is only 6-4,
Thompson has been seen
picking coins off the top of the
backboard.

Thompson gave an
indication of his potential
when he opened the season
against Appalachian State by
scoring 33 points,
outrebounding Burleson, and
leading the team in assists.

Purdue coach Fred Schaus
bubbles that Thompson is
better than Jerry West was
when West was in college, and
that he is one of the top ten
players in the country,
including the pros.

While he isn't quite that
good, State coach Normal
Sloan says, "David is the
complete player. He is the
most talented player I've ever
been associated with."

But Thompson himself said
after the Big Four tourney,
"Our MVP is Towe". Monty
Towe is the dwarf. A
sophomore, Towe has already
asserted his leadership in the
backcourt. His lightning speed
and deft ballhandling make it
impossible to effectively press
the Wolfpack.

A State press release
described Towe as playing
defense like a shadow. The
same release disclosed that
only 1.4 percent of all major
college basketball players are
shorter than 5-9. That proves
that Towe is something special.

Towe is averaging 11.7
points per game, far behind
Thompson's 30.5 average.
Incidentally, Thompson is no
wild gunner. He is shooting 57
percent from the field and sank
his first 31 free throws of the
season before missing.

Lending a hand to these
stars will be a group of
more-than-adequate players.
The 'Pack is a terribly young
team, with only two seniors on
the squad.

Rick Holdt is well-known to
Virginia fans as the man who
preserved last year's U-Hall win
by missing a last-second shot.
Even though he can't shoot in
the final minute of a game,
Holdt is starting at forward.
The 6-6 senior is averaging 12.5
points.

Joe Cafferky lost his
playmaking role to Towe, but
he is an effective shooter and is
physically tough. The 6-
senior has been troubled this
week by illness, but should
start.

If Cafferky falters, he will
be replaced by Greg Hawkins, a
6-5 junior. Hawkins is a
transfer student from
Tennessee. Averaging 11.7, he
grabs off six rebounds a game.

Tim Stoddard, yet another
sophomore, is seeing spot
action at forward. At 6-7 and
225, Stoddard is physical
under the boards and has
pulled down seven rebounds
per contest despite his limited
playing time.

Steve Nuce is a 6-8 junior
forward who had aspirations
beaten out by Holdt. He is
hitting five points per game.

Although the odds are
against it, the Cavs are hoping
for a repeat of last year, when
they crushed a fifth-ranked
team to the tune of 78-57.
Most of us can remember that
fantastic game against
Maryland.