THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 18, 1997 TAG: 9701180924
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. LENGTH: 58 lines
Barry Hamler cannot escape Hampton Roads.
From the many coaches and administrators in the cafeteria to sports information director Kirt Campbell Hamler - a Virginia Beach resident - is surrounded by a host of Hampton Roads transplants.
And outside the former Booker T. Washington High coach's office sits a trio of athletes - center Vershawn Eley, forward Marcus Riddick and guard Ryan Taylor - also from Hampton Roads. And while the journey from high school to the CIAA was indirect, the group is among the keys to ECSU's emergence in the Northern Division.
``I didn't know that much about Elizabeth City State,'' Taylor, a Hagerstown (Md.) College transfer and Tallwood High graduate, confessed.
Neither did Eley, a product of Hampton's Kecoughtan High, or Riddick, a Bayside graduate, when coming out of high school.
Now, they're teaching outsiders about ECSU - specifically that the Vikings are no longer a conference doormat.
ECSU (7-3, 4-1 CIAA) would maintain its second-place standing in the division with a victory over Norfolk State (8-4, 3-1) at Echols Arena tonight (8 p.m., WVBT).
Taylor has emerged as the biggest offensive threat of the trio. However, he didn't seem so appealing sitting on the bench during the Hampton Roads Pro-Am Summer League.
``Against the better judgment of my assistants, we signed him and thank God we did,'' Hamler said. ``When he truly learns the system, watch out.''
Obviously Hamler, who has reconstructed a team that was 8-19 the year before he took over, knew best. Taylor, a junior, is the team's second-leading scorer (14.4 points per game) and is shooting 46 percent from the field. He's not bad from the charity stripe either, hitting 20 of 21 free throws.
Eley, a transfer from Tulane, has played in only five games, but averages seven points.
And then there's Riddick. The future star of Elizabeth City State and the CIAA. The guy who will make people think about Bobby Dandridge and Earl ``The Pearl'' Monroe before his career is over, Hamler said.
``Marcus will be the best player who ever played at Elizabeth City State to this point,'' said Hamler, who has been singing the praises of the 6-foot-8 1/2 freshman before the season began.
Riddick, highly regarded because of his athleticism, averages 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds a game, second on a team that has a basic philosophy for success.
``Basically the unity,'' Eley said. ``We have to listen to our coach. As a team, we are in a circle and we can't let anyone get in that circle and contaminate that circle.
``If we are a circle, we will work as one.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Virginia Beach resident Barry Hamler rebuilt Elizabeth City's
basketball program with Hampton Roads recruits.
[Color photo of Barry Hamler appears on p. C1]