Broadcaster Bob Socci faces a real challenge calling Navy basketball games this season.

"For a start," said Socci, "we've got three guys on the team named Williams -- Josh, Chris and John. When they're on the floor at the same time, I have to concentrate on calling them by their full names so I don't confuse my audience.

"Then you've got a problem in the backcourt with Skip Victor and Reggie Skipworth, and what if they throw a skip pass?"

If that's not enough, Socci faces a real tongue-twister in junior forward Sitapha Savane. Try saying that five times fast.

But Socci shares his problem with Navy opponents who have had their hands full trying to stop the Midshipmen, who with a 7-2 record going into tonight's game at UMBC are off to the best start since 1986-87, when All-America center David Robinson was a senior.

The Mids suffered their only losses in a 97-88 shootout at Air

Force on Nov. 28 and Saturday's 88-70 thumping by No. 18 Auburn.

"If we can beat UMBC, we'll have won 80 percent of our games," said veteran Navy coach Don DeVoe. "I really didn't think we'd get off to this good a start.

"I knew we had the talent, but we only had two seniors returning -- Victor and Josh Williams. We've played with a lot of confidence and surprising maturity."

Victor, the Mids' captain, is the unquestioned team leader after spending the better part of his first two seasons on the JV.

The shooting guard saved Navy in last season's Patriot League final against Lafayette with a late steal. This season, he nailed a jumper at the buzzer to beat Belmont, 51-50, and scored 19 points and doled out six assists against Auburn.

Typical was his 18-point, seven-rebound performance in Monday's 85-68 victory over Dartmouth. After the Mids blew a big lead to trail 35-34, Victor reclaimed the lead and momentum by converting a pair of steals into baskets.

"Skip has emerged as a great leader," DeVoe said. "He's really got into a comfort zone. My only real question about him was whether he'd become a consistent shooter. But he's really worked to improve his shooting and range."

Victor is averaging 13 points and hitting 34 percent of his three-point attempts. He is second to Savane in rebounding (6.3) and has 29 steals in nine games.

But it's the overall team speed and balance that have allowed DeVoe more options on offense after relying heavily last season on Michael Heary's outside shooting and the inside moves of Hassan Booker.

Four players -- Savane (13.3 points), Victor, Chris Williams (10.4) and 6-foot-11 senior center Josh Williams (10.4) -- are scoring in double figures, with aggressive sophomore forward John Williams close behind at 9.6.

"Last year, we played six or seven guys and didn't have the depth we have now," said Victor. "Now we know we can go hard as long as we're out there and come back with a new wave of people."

And then there's the speed.

"With us pushing the ball up court, with myself, Skipworth and Victor on the wings, I think we can run with the best in the country," said sophomore Chris Williams, the acrobatic small forward. "We get the ball down and we attack defenses before they can even get set."

Athletically, Chris Williams is probably the most gifted of the youthful Mids. Heavily recruited as a wide receiver out of Benedictine Military in Savannah, Ga., he got little notice for his basketball skills.

"His high school basketball coach never gave us a clue about his ability," DeVoe said. "Fortunately, two of my assistants, Doug Wojcik and Emmitt Smith, saw him play in a basketball camp in Cincinnati and couldn't believe how good he was."

Despite his team's impressive start, DeVoe still has two areas of concern. He is looking for someone to serve as a backup for Skipworth, the steady sophomore point guard who leads the team in minutes (31.3) and assists (4.0).

"We also need a defensive stopper like I had in Michael Green the last four years," said DeVoe.

Pub Date: 12/23/98