A little experience will go a long way

Sporting News, The, Dec 4, 1995 by Mike DeCourcy

His face does not brighten the cover of any college basketball magazine. Not even the front of the Duke media guide. Ricky Price is not yet acknowledged as one of the game's great players, but trust him when he says the word "yet" should be emphasized. "There are going to be some rising stars coming out this year," says Price, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward for the Blue Devils. "I hope to be one of those."

The vacuum that is created each spring when so many young stars declare themselves eligible for the NBA draft must be filled by someone, but it doesn't always have to be a somebody. The lists of candidates compiled by the Naismith, Wooden and RCA Player of the Year awards rarely allow for the possibility a talented player, or two or three, is likely to develop.

A year ago, it was Connecticut guard Ray Allen progressing from a sixth-man role as a freshman to 21 points a game, and Wake Forest center Tim Duncan improving from 9.8 points and 9.6 rebounds to respective averages of 16.8 and 12.5.

The college game's new stars aren't always precocious freshmen; many are guys who have come to understand how cruel and challenging the game can be. Those players must emerge from somewhere; here are some guesses:

Price. He averaged 8.1 points and shot 47 percent from the floor as a freshman, quite a difference from his 28 points (and 48-percent 3-point shooting) the year before at Serra High in Gardena, Calif.

The typical adjustments a freshman must make were compounded by an ankle injury and the sudden sabbatical taken by Coach Mike Krzyzewski at midseason. Price's injury left him "hesitant about making moves, about doing things I had done before. I wasn't going after it athletically." That clearly was not a problem as Duke won the Great Alaska Shootout last week, with Price shooting well from distance and driving the lane with uncommon flair.

"I really did some soul-searching this summer and set some high goals for myself," he says. "I want to be someone who's an impact player, who's a go-to guy, a stopper. I think I'm going to have a great season."

Sam Jacobson, Minnesota. Cottage Grove is a hockey town. Minnesota is a hockey state, at least as far as high school athletics are concerned. Jacobson, nevertheless, is every bit a basketball player.

The Gophers' 6-6 small forward averaged 7.7 points last season as a freshman reserve, but Coach Clem Haskins says, "I don't think there's any player in the country who has more talent."

Jacobson adapted slowly to Big Ten basketball because he'd been used to competing against Minnesota high school players; there's a bit of a difference in the level of play. "That's the drawback of Minnesota kids," Haskins says.

With the Gophers having lost five seniors from last year's NCAA Tournament team, Haskins will give Jacobson the offensive freedom to use his one-on-one skills and his leaping ability.

"Me and coach talked about how I'd definitely have to step up in point production, as a team leader," Jacobson says. "It's definitely a lot easier for me this year. I kind of know what's going on, and I don't have to use all that time learning plays and trying to fit in."

Austin Croshere, Providence. The 6-9 forward started just four games last season, coming off the bench to support a veteran front line. When he got in the lineup for the postseason, he averaged 24 points. During the summer, he made the U.S. team that won a gold medal at the World University Games.

Dayton Coach Oliver Purnell, an assistant coach on that team, raved after the trials about Croshere's skills. Croshere averaged 10.2 points as a sophomore but seems likely to double that--especially if he can improve on his 46-percent shooting.

Johnny Miller, Temple. He is a natural point guard, but the Owls' lack of outside scoring means he probably will play out of position again. Coach John Chancy needs his shooting and scoring, which improved so much last January and February that he produced a 30-point game -- with nine 3-pointers -- in an NCAA Tournament loss to Cincinnati.

Miller averaged 11 points and 2.1 assists. He finished his freshman year as a .345 shooter, but percentages generally skew lower in Chaney's quick-shooting system. Remember Mark Macon?

Lei men

There is at least one lesson college basketball followers never learn: A team can put only five guys on the floor at once. Poll voters went a little nuts about Kentucky and Kansas because each has the luxury of a dozen or so capable players, but Coach Roy Williams admits the Jay-hawks might measure up to their TSN No. 1 ranking more comfortably if the rules called for 10-on-10 competition.

The starting five for Villanova is as good as anyone's. And, in winning the Maui Invitational, the Wildcats got what they needed from their reserves: 13.3 points and 52-percent shooting.

The only veteran in the rotation is junior forward Zeffy Penn, who has developed a reliable jumper. Freshman Rafal Bigus, a 7-1 center, made all five of his shots in the title game, and guard Howard Brown recovered from 1-of-7 shooting in the first two games to play solidly against North Carolina.