DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711090232
SECTION: SPECIAL                 PAGE: Z3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: 1997-98 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   47 lines

ECSU HOPING TO BUILD ON LAST YEAR'S SUCCESS

So what did Elizabeth City State do to try to improve upon a 22-7 season and a trip to Division II's Elite Eight?

It went out and landed a 5-foot-9 point guard who is so slender and unassuming he could blend into any crowded sidewalk.

That same guard, however, could also jump into the street and weave his way through rush-hour traffic without losing his dribble.

Derrick Hines, one of the top junior-college point guards from a year ago, will be handed the responsibilities of driving the Vikings back to the NCAA tournament. And if possible, driving them to a CIAA title along the way.

``God gave Derrick an extreme amount of talent,'' said ECSU coach Barry Hamler. ``He goes into the lane against all those giants and you don't think he's coming out alive. Then he comes out smiling.''

The Vikings, however, will probably have to beat St. Paul's to win the CIAA. The Tigers are picked by the league's coaches to win the Eastern Division. ECSU and Virginia Union, which struggled to a 14-15 mark a year ago, tied for second in the voting.

``St. Paul's is the team to beat, not us,'' Hamler said.

The Tigers have a Division I-caliber front line with 6-7 jumping jack Antwain Smith at power forward and 6-10 center Marco Harrison.

The Tigers visit ECSU on Jan. 22 in a game that could have huge postseason implications.

``We don't have anyone to counter Harrison in the middle,'' Hamler said.

Maybe not, but there are ways around that and they start with the best pair of forwards in the CIAA, Anthony Harris and Marcus Riddick.

Harris is a preseason All-CIAA selection and should give St. Paul's Smith a run for player of the year honors. Riddick came on in the NCAA tournament and was an All-South Atlantic Region tournament selection.

There's more than enough reason why The Sporting News ranked the Vikings No. 7 in the country in preseason.

``Rankings don't mean a whole lot to coaches,'' Hamler said. ``But when teams come in to play you and they see you're ranked, it means a whole lot to them. They usually end up giving you their best game of the season. That's why every night out is a big night for us this season.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

...ECSU's Barry Hamler. KEYWORDS: SPECIAL SECTION SUPPLEMENT BASKETBALL

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