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This article is the first in a two-part
series on Virginia Union's men's
and women's basketball teams,
which both have legitimate chances
.. , to win NCAA titles. Next issue: a
look at Union's defending national
champion women's team.
Last basketball season, Charles
Oakley packed his suitcase and went
to the NCAA Division II Final Four
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411 opiuiguciu, lviasb.
But he didn't bother to take along
his sneakers.
"Last year, I just wem to watch,"
said Oakley.
"This season, I plan to go to play.
Makin' it to Springfield, that's my
goal."
If, in face, Virginia Union University
of Richmond is to travel to Springfield
this March, Oakley will be
the one punching the ticket north.
Outside of 7-footer Earl Jones at
the University of the District of Columbia,
Oakley is likely the finest
player in all of small-college basketPage
12-January, 19845SSSS55
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ball. .
"There are two sure-fire future
pros in Division II," says UDC
Coach Wil Jones./'One is my Earl.
- The other is Oakley.
"He's 20 times better than Rich
Mahorn (former Hampton Institute
star, now with the Washington
Bullets) was as a^college junior.
Oakley may be the best power forward
in the nation, any level. He's a
rebounder personified. Awesome,
that's the word for him."
Oakley is a 6-8, 235-pound junior
from Cleveland who looks like he
was^ chiseled out of a block of
granite.
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VUU, Oakley has totaled 1,100
points and 800 rebounds. In spurring
the Panthers to a fast takeoff
this season, he has averaged 21
points and 14 rebounds.
Twice he's been selected to the allCentral
Intercollegiate Athletic
Association team. And last year he
was named CIAA Co-Player of the
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ent, The Richmond Times-Dispatch
Year along with Norfolk State's
David Pope.
Much of Oakley's talent is Godgiven.
1171.! _L _ r A ^ -
wntcn is ioriunaie, since, accor
ding to Union's sixth-year coach,
D^ygJRobbins, Oakley's only shortcoming
is motivation.
"I'm from the old school, I
guess," says Robbins. "I like the
stories about the guys who shovel
off the driveway so they can shoot.
Charles would never do that.
"If he'd just work a little harder,
there would . be no finer player
anywhere."
Although he enjoys taking an occasional
jumper from the perimeter,
Oakley's game is brute strength
underneath. Most of his scoring
- -
comes on power moves inside, and
offensive rebounds.
One wonders what he'd accomplish
if he ever began lifting
weights.
1 'Charles has worked on his legs
some in the weight room," said
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Land
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3y FRED JETER
lion's hopes for a national
ip in men's basketball rest
:ly on the shoulders of 6-8
arles Oakley ? who can be
ome when he wants to be.
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and The Richmond News-Leader.
Robbins, "but he's never gotten interested
in any upper-body work."
Even -without the use of barbells,
the 21-year-old center could give
even Lou Ferrigno a challenge for
Fold-Out of the Month honors.
?"Charles is very physical," says
Robbins. "Sometimes in practice I
have to tell him to lighten up. I'm
afraid he's gonna hurt our own people."
t)akley was all-everything at
Hayes High in Cleveland, and drew _ ^
the recruiting attention of virtually
all the Big Ten schools. However,
when his final grades came out, his
average was a tad below the 2.0
minimum requirement for NCAA
Division I.
"We have some alumni in
Cleveland, and they put in a good
word for us," says Robbins.
As durable as he is talented,
Oakley, at the beginning of the year,
had started every game Union has
played during his three seasons.