Hoops parade makes 2004 debut
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Virginia Union, with 25-year head coach Dave Robbins at the helm, has begun the season at 7-0 and is ranked 23rd in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Div. II poll. The great start has the Panthers atop the first BCSP Men's Top Ten released this week.
Robbins' Panthers lost to Bowie State in last year's Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title game. They also lost in the first round of the Div. II South Atlantic Region playoffs to finish at 18-11, fifth in the final BCSP ranking. The Panthers played their final game without Robbins after the veteran coach had heart bypass surgery shortly after the CIAA tournament. He has returned to the bench this season in good health.
The Panthers have gotten to 7-0 without the services of 6-6 all-CIAA forward Duan Crockett, last year's scoring leader who sat out the first semester with academic troubles. Robbins and the Panthers found out Monday that Crockett will not play for VUU this season.
Ably stepping into Crockett's shoes so far has been 6-4 junior college transfer Darius Hargrove, a former Virginia 2A High School player of the year, who leads the Panthers in scoring at 16 points per game. Six-nine transfer John Toombs has filled in admirably for departed all-CIAA center Wayne Wallace. Toombs is averaging just 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game but got 23 points and 11 rebounds in a win over J. C. Smith Saturday.
Point guard Luqman Jaaber (11.6 ppg.), forward Ralph Brown (10.6 ppg.) and Antwan Walton (14.4 ppg.) give VUU four double-figure scorers.
Lafayette Stribling's 6-2 Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State, one of the favorites in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, hold down the No. 2 spot. MVSU is one of only two teams in the SWAC that emerged from their non-conference schedule with a winning record.
The Delta Devils are led by SWAC preseason Player of the Year, Attarrius Norwood, who is averaging 16 points through eight games and Willie Neal, who leads the SWAC in rebounding at 9.4 per game. The Delta Devils finished the 2002-03 season at 15-14, ranked ninth in the BCSP Top Ten.
Defending SWAC champion Texas Southern is off to a 6-5 start under third-year coach Ronnie Courtney. Point guard Sean Walker (12.5 ppg.) leads three Tigers in double figures. The Tigers (18-13) rode their SWAC title and NCAA appearance to a third-place finish in last year's final rankings.
Coppin State (5-9) has surprisingly gotten off to the best start in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference, posting an early 3-0 league mark including a win at home over favorite, Florida A&M. Head coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell is playing without promising guard Deke Thompson who decided to transfer, but is getting outstanding play from MEAC preseseason player of the year, Jimmy Boykins (15.5 ppg., 3.46 3FG pg.) and newcomer Nicholas King (11.0 ppg., 4.7 rpg.).
Rounding out the top five is another surprise team, Phillip Stitt's 10-2 Rams of Winston-Salem State, who have played without the services of scoring leader, Jay Maynard who had been sidelined since the opening game with shin surgery. Maynard returned Saturday to score 17 points as the Rams dominated No. 7 ranked (Div. II) Queens College, 76-56.
Defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Morehouse leads the second five with a 6-1 mark. The Maroon Tigers return all-SIAC guard Brandon Childs and all-SIAC forward Ronald Thompson and got back former SIAC player of the year, guard Darius Wade, who has missed most of the last two seasons.
Bowie State finished the 2002-03 season with a sparkling 30-5 record, its first CIAA and South Atlantic Region championship and Div. II semifinal appearance and as the BCSP No. 1 team. Head coach Luke D'Alessio lost seven seniors from that squad but has re-tooled with high-scoring guards Anton Jenifer (23.0 ppg.) and Allen Van Norden (16.6 ppg.) leading the charge. Two others score in double figures. The Bulldogs are at 9-2, including a loss to WSSU, and are ranked seventh.
At No. 8 is the University of the District of Columbia led by 6-4 scoring machine, Rashiem Wright, who is currently second in the nation (Div. II) at 28.9 points per game. Mike McLeese's troops lost to Bowie State en route to their 9-3 start.
St. Augustine's (7-2) is three ponts away from a perfect 9-0 start and grabs the ninth position. The Falcons lost to Bowie State 84-82 and fell to Morris College 69-68. Desmond Peoples's 21.6 points per game ranks second in CIAA scoring while his 13.8 rebounds per game leads the conference and all of Div. II. Damien Daniels (19.6 ppg.) has given SAC a scorer to replace departed CIAA Player of the Year, Patrick Pope.
Closing out the Top Ten is Jackson State (4-7), who is playing well under new coach Tevester Anderson. The Tigers are getting solid play from backcourt mates Ishmael Joyce (15.1 ppg.) and K. C. Cavette (12.0 ppg.).
The women's Top Ten will premier next week.
© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.