THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507130217
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 58 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
After Elizabeth City State University's men's basketball team suffered through a painful 8-21 campaign in 1994-95, new head coach Barry Hamler is out to put the Vikings back on the map.
Everything about the program is changing from the coaching staff and the players to the community involvement and even the basketball offices themselves.
Hamler is retaining assistant coach Alfred Johnson but plans to bring in some outside coaches. As for last year's returning starters, nobody's job is safe.
``There is no starting five,'' Hamler said from his office this past week as work crews renovated the basketball program's new offices on the second floor of the Vaughan Center. ``You earn your position. You have to make yourself the best player that you possibly can.''
Returning point guard Albert Bell, shooting guard Jermaine Smoak, and forward Bernard Cooper started last year. But Hamler has gone out and picked up some recruits that will challenge for starting roles right off the bat. These include 6-foot-9 1/2 Xavier Wise of West Charlotte; 6-foot-1 point guard Tim Williams from Texas; 6-foot-10 1/2 Vershawn Eley, a transfer from Tulane University; 6-foot-1 Walter Wright, who averaged over 25 points per game at Essex Community College in Baltimore; and 6-foot-7 1/2 Kenneth Miller, a transfer from UNC-Greensboro.
Hamler is concerned about adding ``good citizens'' and good students to his squad. For example, Wise had a 3.3 grade point average and over 1,100 on the SAT tests and Williams had over a 3.4 GPA and over 1,050 on his SAT's.
``We're not going to recruit anybody that you wouldn't allow your daughter to take to the prom,'' Hamler quipped. ``I'm not recruiting anyone without a family visit first. It's not a grab bag situation. We're going to make every effort to make sure they are good human beings.''
Hamler also hopes for success off the court as well. He wants his team to become involved with ECSU's 16-county service area so that people in the area will become involved with the team. Hamler is planning programs with youth groups, corporate institutions, civic organizations, and religious institutions in the area.
Hamler, who coached at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, said fans will be entertained by a tough man-to-man defense and a controlled, up-tempo offense. The players will be in shape and disciplined.
``I never had one player with a technical foul in eight years at Booker T. Washington,'' Hamler said.
ECSU has been up and down the last few years and has had its share of controversy on and off the court. But Hamler said he wants to build a winning tradition at ECSU.
``We're not here to have a roller coaster-type program,'' he said. ``That comes with people who are dedicated to earn a degree and to perform on the basketball court. It's important to understand that we are going to do business in a different manner.'' by CNB