Virginia Union tops ranking for third time
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
It's been 13 years since a black college men's team won a national basketball title and when it happened this year, it was the same team that did it then.
The only thing similar about the 1992 Virginia Union
NCAA Div. II national championship team and the
Panther squad that took the 2005 title March 26 in North Dakota, is head coach
Dave Robbins and some members of his excellent coaching staff.
And the outstanding, unparalleled play both teams exhibited on the playing floor.
Robbins continued his masterful run and further cemented his place as the class coach and program in the CIAA and in all of black college basketball over the last quarter century, winning the 13th CIAA tournament title in his 27-year career while adding his seventh South Atlantic Region crown and third Div. II national title (first in 1980).
The Panthers (30-4) stand as kings of the black college hill and atop the BCSP Hoops Top Ten for the third time in the 11-year history of this publication, also taking the top spots in 1996 (28-3) and 1998 (27-6), when they lost in the Div. II national semifinals.
As it turns out, the biggest challengers to VUU might have been teams in its own conference, the CIAA. Bowie State (2) and Winston-Salem State (1) were responsible for three of the four VUU losses this season.
By virtue of their two wins over VUU, Bowie State may have been more of a favorite to win the Div. II national title than the Panthers, having entered the postseason as the No. 1 team in the land. Luke D'Alessio's squad however could not overcome the Panthers when it counted most, in the finals of the South Atlantic Region, falling 70-64. BSU is third and WSSU sixth in our final ranking.
Above BSU at number two is Delaware State (19-14), who made a huge leap forward under head coach Greg Jackson, winning its first ever MEAC Tournament title and earning its first berth in the NCAA Div. I Tournament. Once there, Jackson and his troops did the conference proud, battling ACC champion Duke in a 57-46 loss. The Hornets earned their place behind VUU in the final ranking.
By virtue of their sweep of SWAC regular season and tournament titles under head coach L. Vann Pettaway, Alabama A&M (18-14), which also earned its first-ever NCAA Div. I Tournament berth, holds down the fourth spot. The Bulldogs lost in an opening round playoff game to Oakland.
MEAC regular season and tournament runner-up, Hampton (17-13), is fifth in our final ranking.
WSSU upset VUU in the regular season but had no magic left in the CIAA Tournament, falling to the Panthers 79-64. The Rams flamed out in the Regional quarterfinals.
South Carolina State (19-12) began the season with some impressive victories over major Div. I conference members but fell to injuries down the stretch. The Bulldogs are seventh.
SWAC regular season and tournament runner-up, Alabama State (15-15) in eighth while Coppin State (14-15), who made its usual run at the MEAC crown, falling in the tournament semifinals is ninth.
Tennessee State of the Ohio Valley Conference comes in at tenth. The Blue Tigers are experiencing a bit of a resurgence under former SC State coach Cy Alexander. The Tigers finished fifth in the OVC but took eventual conference champ Eastern Kentucky to the wire in their tournament. The Tigers also had a win over SWAC champ, Alabama A&M in the regular season.
© 2005 Azeez Communications, Inc.