UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
NO ATHLETICS AT MBC: Morris Brown College
announced Monday that it has laid off all its coaches and suspended
its athletic program effective immediately in the
on-going crisis over the school's deep financial problems. The
athletics shutdown comes less than a month after the
school lost an appeal to keep its accreditation in the
wake of what is estimated to be a debt of $23 million and federal scrutiny into its
spending practices. More than 175 athletes with eligibility
remaining can either transfer to another school or stay at Morris
Brown without a scholarship or team, said Athletic Director
Russell Ellington. "Morris Brown's top priority is regaining
accreditation," acting school president Leroy
Frazier said in a prepared statement. "Following that, once the college is in
a position to offer a strong athletics program again, I
am confident that it will resume." The denial of accreditation
cut off most of the 122-year old Atlanta institution's funding,
a key source for student aid, and is likely to cause the school
to close. Some 90 percent of Morris Brown students
receive some type of financial aid. The school doubled the pace
of spring semester so it could graduate seniors in
mid-March, well before the April 2 appeal hearing could threaten
their financial aid.
BIG BEN, AGAIN: Former Virginia Union and CIAA standout "Big" Ben Wallace of Detroit has again placed his name amongst the NBA's elite by being named the league's Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Wallace, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward, became the sixth player in NBA history to win the award in back-to-back seasons as he recorded a league-leading 15.4 rebounds, the highest regular season average since Dennis Rodman's 16.1 rpg in 1996-97, 3.15 blocks (second in the NBA) and 1.42 steals per game. Wallace joins Sidney Moncrief (1982-83 1983-84), Rodman (1989-90 1990-91), Hakeem Olajuwon (1992-93 1993-94), Dikembe Mutombo (1996-97 1997-98) and Alonzo Mourning (1998-99 1999-2000) as the league's only back-to-back defensive players of the year. Wallace, who became the first undrafted player in NBA history to be voted a starter in the NBA All-Star Game, led the NBA in total rebounds (1072) and offensive rebounds (239), finished second with 833 defensive rebounds, and third with 230 total blocks. Wallace was presented with his award before Tuesday's Game 2 of the Pistons-Magic first-round playoff series by Basketball Hall of Famer and former Piston Bob Lanier. This year Wallace became the first Piston since Lanier (1973-74) to record at least 1,000 rebounds and 200 blocks in consecutive seasons.
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