THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 8, 1994 TAG: 9412080601
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: NORFOLK STATE NOTES
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Going on the road in Division II usually means going by bus, no matter the distance.
In the past year, Norfolk State's basketball team has hit the highway for long rides to Atlanta, Burlington, Vt., and Lowell, Mass. The Spartans will be heading to Augusta, Ga., later this month.
It can be a grueling way to travel, which is why last weekend's trip to Indianapolis was all the more enjoyable for Norfolk State.
Not only did the Spartans beat Wilberforce, 81-51, in the Indy 100 Roundball Invitational, they flew out and back, which was a nice change of pace.
``If we could use the analogy, it was like a Division I type of trip, where you go first class,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said. ``They flew us out, put us up, treated us wonderfully.''
The Spartans, ranked No. 1 in the preseason by Sports Illustrated, were a big catch for the event's sponsors, the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis Inc., a professional club. The game drew 4,500 spectators to Butler University's Hinkle Field House, with the proceeds going to local youth programs.
From a basketball perspective, the game gave Bernard a chance to clear his bench, something he'd been unable to do in the previous two games - a loss to UMass-Lowell and a close victory over North Carolina Central.
``It was important for us to get a big win,'' Bernard said. ``It allowed us to play everybody for substantial minutes.''
Everyone played, and scored, against Wilberforce. Reserve center Deng Lee had a career-high six points, along with three rebounds. Walk-on Sherman Warner scored his first career points, hitting a pair of free throws.
LINEUP SHUFFLE: Bernard has shuffled his starting lineup the past two games, moving Carnell Penn to point guard, starting Carlton Cooper at shooting guard and bringing Maurice Whitfield, who started the first two games at point guard, off the bench.
The move is partially in response to the departure of backup point guard Julian Dozier, who left school last week and has returned home to Detroit.
``He left for personal reasons and we don't expect him back,'' Bernard said.
Dozier had not scored and had just three assists in two games. His departure, however, leaves Whitfield as the team's only true point guard.
To relieve the burden on Whitfield, the plan is for Penn to play the first five minutes per game at the point. Whitfield will then come in, along with his half-brother Marvin Stinson. After that, Bernard says he'll use the best combination. So far that's been Whitfield and Penn.
Not only does the shuffling give Whitfield a break, it also gives Cooper needed minutes, Bernard said.
``We're trying to develop depth,'' he said. ``We made some changes to develop the kind of chemistry we'll need in CIAA play.''
SCOUTS EVERYWHERE: The Spartans have played four games in three states - Massachusetts, North Carolina and Indiana - and at every stop there's been an NBA scout on hand to watch forward Corey Williams.
The Boston Celtics saw Williams in Massachusetts, the Portland Trail Blazers in North Carolina and the Pacers in Indiana.
Keith Drum, the Blazers' scout, echoed Celtics scout Rick Weitzman when he said that the most important thing Williams can do is play well enough to get invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the annual showcase for NBA scouts held in April.
``If he has the kind of year he did last year, he'll get invited,'' Drum said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Coach, Mike Bernard by CNB