ELITE EIGHT
UNION IS NO.
Most of the time, being everybody's pre
season pick to championship
is akin to getting the kiss of death. Teams
seldom live up to such fofty billings,
twitching as they bite the dust in their quest
for a title. So along comes Virgnia Union, a
team that survived all the hoopla and met
every challenge face-to-face.
After four months of proving their worth,
the Panthers boogied back to Richmond
with the national championship trophy in
hand after smacking Bridgeport
(Conn.) 100-75 in the Division II
finals^ Springfield. Mass.
It wasn't much different in Springfield.
In three games, opponents never found the
found the range - collectiviely (mis)firing at
35 percent accuracy.
In the finals, the defense set the tone as
the Purple Knights shot just 32.6 percent
from the floor.
One key item for the champs was the
success they had in smothering Lambert
Shell, who finished the game as Bridgeport's
all-time scoring leader (3,001 career points).
Jones wore the glove as protection for the
stitches in his shooting hand. That injury
occured during the South Atlantic Regionals
two weeks prior to the Elite Eight Jones
delivered a game-high 19 points and 11
rebounds and joined Johnson as a member
of the all-tournament team.
, But even with those two grabbing most
of the spotlight, Union, which shot 57.3
percent from the field, got lots of help from
lots of people.
Sporting shaved heads as a
symbol of team solidarity, the
Panthers can proclaim themselves
the undisputed genies of college
roundball.
So much for the kiss of death.
The Panthers' celebration didn't
reach a peak until they returned
home. First there was a parade on .
campus, then another one Jn
downtown Richmond, followed by a
visit to the Governor's mansion,
courtesy of an invitation from
Virgina Governor Doug Wilder, a
Union alumnus.
"This has been a very rewarding
year," says Dave Robbins, Virginia
Union coach. "It's a big relief to win
because so much was expected of us
all year."
Union took care of some serious
business at the Elite Eight These are
the main ingredeints that make up
the VU championship recipe:
?A forbidding defense that
nullifies, frustrates, and otherwise
disarms the deadliest of shooters;
?A small fleet of wide bodies who
would do any football team proud.
Life in the paint against Union is
extremely tough and you don't get
many rebounds;
? Offensive balance - the Panthers have
nine people who could be the team's leading
scorer on any given night
But while Union was the team that
rejected losing, Robbins is quick to note that
in spite of the final scores, his team's
journey to the promised land was not
necessarily a smooth one. Says Robbins:
"The first game was a dogfight. In the
second game, we led by 17 but went flat
during the last five minutes. And even in the
finals, we didn't run away with it until late
in the first half."
Defense, though, was oh so prominent
Entering the Elite Eight, Union led the
nation in field goal percentage defense at
.375.
St (Ala.) 59
VtrgW? ItiM iS^SSiwIwiM' tW
VirBinia Union 100 Birdg^^Conn.) 75
Shell, who averaged 23.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg for
the season, was limited in part, by a severe
ankle sprain that hampered his mobility, and
by Union's defensive efforts. For the game.
Shell had 1 1 points , hitting four of 14 shots.
For all intents and purposes, the title
game was over with about 16 minutes left to
play in the second half. Union built a 14
point lead and at no time appeared to be
vulnerbale to any of Bridgeport's comeback
attempts.
Union was just too strong. Elite Eight
MVP Derrick Johnson was dominant
enough with 17 points, nine rebounds and
six blocked shots in the finals. But Johnson
was far from being a solo act Reggie Jones
produced meaningful numbers with his
Michael Jackson imitation, the only missing
element being a set of rhinestones for Jones'
glove.
Backup center Robert McKie, the
6-7, 260 pounds bull elephant,
contributed 14 points and seven
rebounds in 15 minutes playing time
and Troy Phillips finished with 11
points and five boards. Walter Hurd,
the team's leading scorer at 15.4 ppg,
played the most complete game of his
career, adding 10 points and a very
impressive 10 assists. Warren Peebles
factored into the total with nine points
and nine assists.
That kind of balance is rare, but for
Union it's standard fare. In the semis,
Peebles led the way vs. Cal State
Bakersfield with 19 points and four
assists. Against Kentucky Wfcsleyan,
Tim Davis and Mike Matthews came
off the bench to contribute 16 and 13
j?ints respectively. Davis went seven
for seven from the field in 13 minutes
and Matthews did his damage in 21
minutes of playing time.
Union's emphasis on low post play
differs from Robbins' approach in past
years when his Panthers favored the
racehorse pace and scored 90 + points
a game. For Robbins, it's a matter of
showcasing Union's major asset.
"You should change your style
according to what type of players you
have," says Robbins^.^Any^coachwho
doesn't do that isn't worth his salt.
When you have big strong guys, you
better use them."
Robbins has taken Union to greater
heights because his players have completely
embraced his philosophy. And in so many
instances, it's the little things that help make
the difference.
You'll rarely see the guards take a shot on
the fast break if there are no teammates in
position to get the rebound. Neither will you
observe a non-ballhandler trying to beat the
press with the dribble. These guys know
their roles. Robbins won't let them forget
"Aside from our depth, what helped us
was the players understanding that being
selfish hurts our team. If our people do
what they're capable of doing, nobody will
beat us, except us. I push my players to the
limit If they can handle me, then the games
are easy."
- Craig T. Greenlee
Virginia Union packs a lot of power Inside the
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second time that Union has won the national t
team may bo the best In school history. Fact Is
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a national championship tesm.