THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 22, 1995 TAG: 9503220562
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LOUISVILLE, KY. LENGTH: Long : 122 lines
Completing the unlikely journey from all-anonymous to All-American, Norfolk State's Corey Williams was voted to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II All-American team.
Williams, a 6-8 senior, narrowly missed being named Division II player of the year. That honor went to Stan Gouard of Southern Indiana.
``It feels great to be acknowledged as one of the top players in America,'' Williams said. ``I'd like to thank everybody who voted for me, and thank my teammates.''
Williams is averaging 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Last month he was voted CIAA player of the year.
Just four years ago, the 25-year-old senior was unloading trucks at a supermarket in his native Elizabeth, N.J. He had been a junior college All-American at Essex County College, but did not have the grades to receive a Division I scholarship.
Williams came to Norfolk State in 1992-93 and sat out a year to work on his grades. Last season, his first of organized basketball in four years, he averaged 23 points and 7.9 rebounds.
``It's been a long road for him,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said. ``I'm very proud of the fact that he's an All-American, he truly deserves it.''
Williams is Norfolk State's first NABC All-American since Ralph Tally in 1987.
POOR MOUTHING: Considering the setting - a national championship tournament - Tuesday afternoon's coaches' press conference had a strange theme: adversity.
Every coach, it seemed, talked about his team overcoming some obstacle to reach the Elite Eight.
None, however, could top the tale told by Cal-Riverside's John Masi.
The Highlanders, the Western Region champions, lost seven players this year, and still managed to finish 24-5.
``I'll run them down for you,'' Masi said, repeating the story for at least the fourth time.
Player number one, a juco transfer, ``wanted to shoot 20 or 30 times per game,'' Masi said.
``It didn't take him long to find another program.''
Another two players simply quit. Then a walk-on quit. Next, the team's starting center, told he could not miss a practice to pick up his girlfriend at the airport, went anyway.
``We haven't seen him since,'' Masi said.
To top things off, the starting point guard and the backup center, flunked off the team.
``That's seven,'' Masi said. ``Three starters.''
Masi said he's always believed in using a lot of players. With just nine scholarship players left, he's had to amend that philosophy.
``Everbody seems to be talking about us going home early,'' Masi said. ``I don't blame them. If I were to look at our team, I'd probably laugh, too.''
TIDBITS: Five of the eight teams here are making return appearances. One team that isn't is Cal-Bakersfield, which has won the last two tournaments. coach Bruce Pearl, a former assistant at Iowa, said the difference is off the court. ``They fly and we take buses,'' Pearl said. ``Coming from Iowa, I was amazed at how good the players are.''. ... Most of the coaches said they were glad to be in Louisville after more than a decade in Springfield, Mass. ``This is basketball country,'' Bernard said.
ELITE EIGHT NOTES
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Completing the unlikely journey from all-anonymous to All-American, Norfolk State's Corey Williams was voted to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II All-American team.
Williams, a 6-8 senior, narrowly missed being named Division II player of the year. That honor went to Stan Gouard of Southern Indiana.
``It feels great to be acknowledged as one of the top players in America,'' Williams said. ``I'd like to thank everybody who voted for me, and thank my teammates.''
Williams is averaging 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Last month he was voted CIAA player of the year.
Just four years ago, the 25-year-old senior was unloading trucks at a supermarket in his native Elizabeth, N.J. He had been a junior college All-American at Essex County College, but did not have the grades to receive a Division I scholarship.
Williams came to Norfolk State in 1992-93 and sat out a year to work on his grades. Last season, his first of organized basketball in four years, he averaged 23 points and 7.9 rebounds.
``It's been a long road for him,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said. ``I'm very proud of the fact that he's an All-American, he truly deserves it.''
Williams is Norfolk State's first NABC All-American since Ralph Tally in 1987.
POOR MOUTHING: Considering the setting - a national championship tournament - Tuesday afternoon's coaches' press conference had a strange theme: adversity.
Every coach, it seemed, talked about his team overcoming some obstacle to reach the Elite Eight.
None, however, could top the tale told by Cal-Riverside's John Masi.
The Highlanders, the Western Region champions, lost seven players this year, and still managed to finish 24-5.
``I'll run them down for you,'' Masi said, repeating the story for at least the fourth time.
Player number one, a juco transfer, ``wanted to shoot 20 or 30 times per game,'' Masi said.
``It didn't take him long to find another program.''
Another two players simply quit. Then a walk-on quit. Next, the team's starting center, told he could not miss a practice to pick up his girlfriend at the airport, went anyway.
``We haven't seen him since,'' Masi said.
To top things off, the starting point guard and the backup center, flunked off the team.
``That's seven,'' Masi said. ``Three starters.''
Masi said he's always believed in using a lot of players. With just nine scholarship players left, he's had to amend that philosophy.
``Everbody seems to be talking about us going home early,'' Masi said. ``I don't blame them. If I were to look at our team, I'd probably laugh, too.''
TIDBITS: Five of the eight teams here are making return appearances. One team that isn't is Cal-Bakersfield, which has won the last two tournaments. coach Bruce Pearl, a former assistant at Iowa, said the difference is off the court. ``They fly and we take buses,'' Pearl said. ``Coming from Iowa, I was amazed at how good the players are.''. ... Most of the coaches said they were glad to be in Louisville after more than a decade in Springfield, Mass. ``This is basketball country,'' Bernard said. by CNB