THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 8, 1997 TAG: 9701080525
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 70 lines
Although the Norfolk State Spartans are sporting a starting five with no player over 6-foot-6, they lead the CIAA in rebounding margin at plus-9.3 after eight games.
``We've only been outrebounded once this season,'' said head coach Mike Bernard. ``These guys have compensated for a height disadvantage with a lot of hustle.''
The Spartans (5-3) open CIAA play tonight when they host Fayetteville State (4-7 overall, 1-4 in CIAA) at Echols Arena in a women's and men's doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m.
``We're not going to have anyone with impressive individual rebounding stats,'' Bernard said. ``But as a team we can outrebound people. All five people on the floor have to be going to the boards, though. Our guards have to rebound and everybody has to put a body on someone.''
Rodney Carmichael, NSU's 6-5 senior forward, is leading the team with 8.3 rebounds per game and is among the top 10 in rebounding in the CIAA. Four other players average five or more a game: 6-1 guard Maurice Whitfield (5.8 rpg), 6-8 senior Sean Blackwell (5.4 rpg), 6-6 freshman Michael Beckles (5.4 rpg) and 6-6 freshman Greg Jones (5.3 rpg).
RISING IN THE SOUTH: It's been 20 years since a Southern Division team won the CIAA men's tournament title - Winston-Salem State won it in 1977 - but early indications are that the Northern Division's dominance could be challenged.
Heading into Tuesday night's game at Shaw, North Carolina Central has streaked to an 8-0 record, even though the Eagles have 11 new faces - three junior college transfers, two redshirt freshmen and six true freshmen.
``Although this isn't my most talented team ever here, it's definitely my best,'' coach Greg Jackson said. ``This year's team doesn't need two or three balls to be happy.''
The Eagles' most glaring team statistics are a plus-7.5 rebounding average against opponents and 45.1 percent accuracy on 3-pointers.
The frontline trio of 6-7 Rasheem Grant (7.6 rebounds per game), 6-7 Carlos Carter (5.5 rpg) and 6-7 Mandrake Lewis (4.6 rpg) have led the Eagles' rebounding effort while Mike White (51.1 percent) is their leading 3-point marksman.
PANTHERS WOES: With Virginia Union sporting a 6-7 record heading into Tuesday night's game with St. Paul's, the Panthers have more losses than they had in the last two years combined.
``I told everyone they had to be fools to pick us No. 1 in the North in the preseason coaches poll,'' said coach Dave Robbins. ``Not with what we lost. But they had to put the monkey on somebody's back.''
The Panthers lost their top seven returning players. Then 6-6 forward Marquise Newbie, their top returning player, was ruled ineligible for the first semester and decided to sit out the season in favor of a full year next season. Add to that 6-9 center Ihsan Scott missing three games because of a death in his family and the Panthers' woes have magnified.
``But five of our losses are to top 20 teams,'' Robbins said. ``Don't count us out. We'll be tough at tournament time.''
HOTSHOT: The league's hottest newcomer appears to be St. Augustine's Keith Hines, a 5-11 senior point guard who transferred from Mount Olive.
Hines is averaging 6.7 assists for the Falcons (6-1, 4-0 CIAA) and leads the CIAA in 3-point accuracy at 52.2 percent. His arrival has supplanted Deep Creek High product Mike Harrington from the point position, but Falcons head coach Norvell Lee said Tuesday that he intended to experiment with a starting backcourt of Hines and Harrington.
``Mike's a more natural (shooting)guard and he's going to play a lot anyway,'' Lee said. ``Keith's just brought us experience, know how and skill. As your point guard goes, so goes your team.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Gamewatch
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