College Notebook Pickup games I By DAVID BULLA Chfontett Sports Editor A 3-foot-7, 150-pound bear of a man, Fernandez "Bumpy" Griffin pulls up five feet front the top of the key and slingshots the I ball through the basket. Griffin, the diminutive, behind-the-scenes dynimo of the Winston-Salem State athletic program, surprises no one with his accurate long-range touch. WSSU's equipment manager and sports information director playkl point guard for Reynolds High School a decade before we had even heard the same Tyrone Bogues. In 1973 he and his Denton teammates advanced to the state 4-A championship, where they lost to powerful Reicsville. That Ram team featured Melvin Wa&ins, * who would start on UNC Cha lotte's Final Four team in 1977. " liaf Reidsville team is generally conside td the most talented state champion sine Atkins in '69," Griffin said recently. "Th y just had too much for us." Ji dging from the size differential, one wou d think that Griffin would be no match In C i?r?:L? " ' ? >vi Di^jiuuse uames, the Rams' 41-y ar athletic director and basketball coac i. But the resourceful Griffin has been mat hing Gaines barb for barb since the forr er was a freshman at WSSU in 1973. Instea of playing basketball, Griffin chose to be ( aines' statistician, equipment manager and ight-hand man. " didn't get an athletic scholarship," the Win iton-Salem native said. "So I would hav< had to play freshman ball - we still had jayv ? then. I had the confidence to play, but it made more sense to help Coach bees ise 1 had to pay my way through school and I could get some work-study (mone^J wor ;ing for Bighouse." G riffin was so good as a stat and equipmer ; man that Gaines decided to retain him afte he completed work on his degree. Wh e he's been a prominent figure in a WS 1U athletic program that produces consistc it champions in the revenue-making spoi ts, there's still a little of the player in nimf 5o the ubiquitous Griffin opens Whkaker Gym four nights a week for pickup basketball from late May until mid-August. On these nights the gym that witnessed all of thoas bombs by Earl Monroe comes alive agaiji. Only now Griffin, Luther "Ticky" icW.Mrr* w , r *' > .? ;; VV:- *? Big Apple Spotlight Local stars to pla By KENNETH RAYMOND Chronicle Sports Writer ? The Big Apple League has been z intfted to participate in an all stj r| basketball tournament in ; .Jeague Commissioner Walter Li Funderburk has been asked by Bi li Shelton, director of comf"ty service for the YMCA in pH| lotte, to form a team of allfrom the league to par- j||||^HI tidt&ate in the NBA-Coca Cnln Y ^CA Pro-Am Tournament, r ^ M w ibh begins Saturday at 4:30 p. ri. at Johnson C. Smith U iyersity. It will continue for th eie consecutive weekends, en- ... . di g Aug. 3. Wa" .Tm surprised and honored weilofthe thi t they asked us to get involv- p . t4?. ed " Funderburk said. "It makes c?! > ^ * .? ? , . Golden St< m< j feel that we are really doing w... so .ething special here." Hawks a'nc he tournament will feature a tie SuperS ha dful of outstanding players to play in 1 wh > are now active in the Na- Eight te tic lal Basketball Association. Three tean PL yers such as Walter Davis of Charlotte thrking on the weights Events include the 1 eggins, Kevin Thomn. 100 meter* ?nn dm i Parks and Elbert mile, 4x100 and 4x400 long jump. For more informatic k Series thony L. Boerio at 121 n City Track Club is If you have a sports ummer track series at desire to publish, call t rest on Wednesday cle sports depart tarting July 23. 723-844S. I? am little-big man and no scorebooks. Each night Griffin puts together two roughly equal teams to getthings started. The winner stays on the floor, . while Griffin makes another fivesome | among the waiting players. Since individuals make their own calls, Griffin arbitrates in case of a controversial call. ~ 11 The cardinal rule is that Griffin surrounds ] j himself with enough talent to keep the court \i for a few games. The Ram assistant coach ;j will help younger players to improve a I weakness and to remember to play within the j team concept. |j "One guy doesn't win a game," said Grif- \ fin, who also has the wisdom to sideline S himself from time to time. "It takes five guys playing together to win. You have to || u - - nave a gooa work etliic and be willing to dive on the floor for a loose ball.*' For the half-dozen WSSU players who are in summer school, the Whitaker Gym sessions offer the closest thing they have to legal organized ball. NCAA rules prohibit them from playing in unsanctioned leagues, and since Griffin is an assistant coach, he does not play on the same team as current WSSU players. The closest sanctioned league is in , Greensboro and that requires transportation, which is in small supply for these college students. So they hang out at the old j gym waiting for Bumpy to put them into one of the pickup games. "The older guys try to teach us the fun- ! damentals that will help us in the season." said Charlie Spell, the point guard from ! Fayetteville. "I talk tc^JTicky a lot, and he ! tells me to penetrate more and dish off. But I ! think one of the big things 1 learn in the sum- ! mer is not to get into any bad habits." One such habit would be mixing it up with { Carlos Terry, the former WSSU and ] Washington Bullet big man. On the nights | Terry's around, the level of play under the | boards picks up a notch. j Getting into these pickup games requires j some patience. Guys come in off the street, j but they usually have to wait a few nights j and must learn to talk Griffin's language. | "If 1 had said the thing was open, we'd ; have to get organized and get sanctioned," | he said. "Then we'd have to collect dues and j | stuff like that. Actually, I've thought about j doing that, but most of us work and that 11 Please see page B11 iirn J I? m ^ * < " SX3BSC???_ chronicle Oood Luck I Grandslammers i In Kentucky ? Reggie Parker | j Llbarty*Lincoln*Mercury, Inc. 1 1500 Peters Creek Parkway $ (919) 72S-Q411 | eaawicaaiKaaattcaiN NH HIT WN ?K Congratulations Grandslammers State Tennis Champions aShtaial Occasion*. ' * viowera, Cards & Gifts (919)724-0334 93 Now Walkartown Road Jatway Shopping Center . Congratulations Grandslammers Our State Tennis Champs Jr. M.D. :; / >' 620 Dunleith Ave. ^ ] | /X 723-6552 aoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooeoooQooooooooooooj1 } r ''C' ' . Ii i . < ' <: I V. i % ' -/> >? > . ' O^IITj iiiiuui iiiMin GBURN STATION tO 'W. 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