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Bowie State Men Grab Top Spot

LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor

NCAA Div. II black college basketball teams have to do a lot to get by their Div. I brethren in the BCSP rankings. In the 2002-03 hoops season, the Bowie State Bulldogs got it done.

Bowie State won the CIAA title over Virginia Union, beat Presbyterian to take the South Atlantic Region championship and last Thursday got within one game of the D-2 title game.

Bowie State's run mirrors Shaw's of a year ago ­ the schools' first-ever CIAA and South Atlantic Region championships right down to their 84-64 defeat at the hands of Div. II power Kentucky Wesleyan in the national semifinals.

Bowie State (30-5) proved if you can load up your team with what is essentially Div. I talent, you can be as good as anyone in black college basketball. That's what makes them, like Shaw a year ago, the top pick in the final BCSP men's Top Ten.

In four seasons under head coach Luke D'Alessio, the Bulldogs have gone from the outhouse to the penthouse ­ from 30 years without even a winning record to the kings of black college basketball. That alone earns D'Alessio the coach of the year distinction.

Cy Alexander did another masterful job leading South Carolina State (20-11) to both the regular season and tournament titles in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Con-ference. His ability to blend a group of talented newcomers into his system allowed the Bulldogs to dethrone Hampton (19-11) after a two-year run atop the conference. Alexander's Bulldogs are #2 in our ranking while Hampton is fourth.

Texas Southern (18-13) led for most of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season before slipping at the end but regrouped to give second-year head coach Ronnie Courtney his first tourney title. The Tigers hold down the third spot.

After a couple years out of the spotlight, Dave Robbins got Virginia Union (18-11) back in the thick of things, finishing atop the CIAA E. Div., making it to the conference championship game and getting a bid to the South Atlantic Regional. The Panthers complete the top five.

Alcorn State made a late run at the SWAC title, losing in the tournament finals to almost send legendary coach Dave Whitney out with a bang. The Braves (14-19) finished behind first-year coach Jerry Francis and Prairie View (17-12) in our second five. The Panthers won the SWAC regular season crown before losing to the wily veteran (Whitney) in the SWAC tournament.

Shaw (21-9), Miss. Valley State (15-14) and J. C. Smith (20-9) round out the Top Ten.

FINAL BCSP MEN'S TOP TEN

1. BOWIE STATE (30-5) - First-ever CIAA and South Atlantic Region titles and Div. II Final Four appearance earns Bulldogs their first BCSP top final ranking.

2. S. C. STATE (20-11) - Won MEAC regular season and tournament titles before losing in first round of NCAA Div. I Tournament to top-seed Oklahoma in East Regional.

3. TEXAS SOUTHERN (18-13) - Eeked out win in tough SWAC Tourney after tying for third in regular season. Lost in NCAA Div. I play-in game to UNC-Asheville.

4. HAMPTON (19-11) - MEAC regular season and tournament runner-up to SC State.

5. VIRGINIA UNION (18-11) - CIAA E. Div. champ and Tournament runner-up, lost in first round of South Atlantic Regional to Kennesaw State.

6. PRAIRIE VIEW (17-12) - SWAC regular season champ, lost in tournament semis to Alcorn State.

7. ALCORN STATE (14-19) - In Dave Whitney's final go-round, took down 2nd-seed Alabama State and top-seed Prairie View in SWAC Tourney before losing to Texas Southern in finals.

8. SHAW (21-9) - Bowed out in CIAA quarters to St. Augustine's, came back to beat JC Smith in South Atlantic Region, then lost to Presbyterian in Region semifinals.

9. MISS. VALLEY STATE (15-14) - Second place in SWAC regular season, lost in tournament semifinals to Texas Southern.

10. J. C. SMITH (20-9) - Lost in CIAA Tourney semis to Bowie State, and quarters of South Atlantic Region to Shaw.

© 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.