
DATE: Thursday, November 20, 1997           TAG: 9711210976

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SERIES: NORFOLK STATE

        A SEASON ON THE ROAD

        DAY 1

        The Norfolk State men's basketball team will spend most of this

        season, its first at the Division I level, traveling. The Spartans

        have 19 away games and will spend nearly 50 days on the road -

        including stops in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Wyoming and Colorado.

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: LOS ANGELES                       LENGTH:   85 lines

NSU'S CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' IS ONLY ABOUT VICTORIES PLAYERS SAY THEY'RE ALL BUSINESS AS TREK BEGINS.

Kevin Perry noticed it first, and told Mihajlo Delic, who told Damian Woolfolk, and so on and so on and so on. ...

Before long, nine members of the Norfolk State men's basketball team had secured window seats on the half-filled flight and were sitting with their foreheads pressed against the glass as the aircraft made its descent.

The object of their attention - the landscape of Los Angeles, first stop on the ``Spartans Across America'' tour. Home of Hollywood and Disneyland, swimming pools and movie stars, sunshine and - ``Hey coach,'' Perry said. ``What time's practice?''

From the many newcomers on the team to the tough and far-flung nature of the schedule, there are a lot of reasons to wonder about how well the Spartans can fare in their first season as a Division I basketball team.

Lack of passion for the game, however, is not one of them.

``Basketball's what got us here,'' said reserve point guard Kenny Brown, who has known a few things about traveling since visiting Alaska as a member of the Booker T. Washington High basketball team a few years ago. ``Sightseeing and stuff like that is nice, but we're here to take care of business.''

So despite a schedule which will send them to California, Colorado, Wyoming, Hawaii and New York all before the New Year, these Spartans exude a surprising yet somewhat charming naivete about the non-basketball options such travel presents. When forward Greg Jones was asked what he planned to bring to such an exotic locale like Hawaii, the sophomore mulled it over for a few seconds, then replied, ``Focus and determination.''

Then again, such single-mindedness might not be such a bad idea given the 25-point shellacking they took in their season opener Tuesday night against St. Francis (Pa.). Nothing went right for the Spartans, who performed like the basketball equivalent of actors who spent weeks rehearsing their parts, then forgot all their lines as soon as the opening night curtain went up.

``The worst game I've ever played,'' said Perry, the point guard who finished with more turnovers (3) than field goals and assists combined (2).

Of course, the players can't forget they're also college students. Academic advisor Joyce Dedmon, part of the 19-member Norfolk State entourage here, won't let them forget.

Dedmon has assignment sheets from the teachers of every player, and will either fax or mail the work back to the school. She'll conduct classes every day for up to three hours - ``or longer if necessary.'' She'll even administer tests.

``It's better to keep up than catch up,'' Dedmon said. ``That's my motto.''

The strong focus on books and basketball isn't the only thing the Spartans have going for them on this trip. The players live in the same wing of the same dorm and seem to genuinely like each other. Most of the players have done some traveling before.

And their play is bound to improve - even the Spartans themselves agree it would be hard to sink below their performance on opening night.

``I believe we have just as much talent as a lot of these other Division I schools. Now we just have to go out and show it.''

``Showtime'' for the Spartans begins Friday, when they visit Pepperdine. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot

NSU coach Mike Bernard checks his bags at Norfolk International

Airport on Wednesday. The team will play four games out West before

returning on Nov. 29.

Graphic

NSU ITINERARY

Wednesday, Nov. 19: Flew to Los Angeles

Thursday, Nov. 20: In Los Angeles

Friday, Nov. 21: Game vs. Pepperdine