9 PoR the Week of July 16 through July 22, 2002
? k.
Imp
w
WELL
SUITED
Photo by Eric Moore
MITCHELL: JC Smith
grad adds a new crop of
NBA hoopsters to his
stable of clients.
IT NC A&T HIRES FORMER PLAYER OF THE
YEAR AS NEW WOMEN'S B-BALL COACH
UNDER THE BANNER
WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
UAPB FIRES HOOP COACHES:
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff w ill not reappoint
] |- -3S3T- 1 ?" ?
naroia nievtns as men s head
basketball coach and Kenneth
Conley as women's head basket
ball coach for the 2002-2003 acad
emic year, according to Chancellor
Lawrence A. Davis, Jr. "We
appreciate the services and sacri
fices made by both Coach Conley
and Coach Blevins," said Davis.
"The transition from NAIA to
NCAA Division I competition has
been difficult. However, as we
anticipate the appointment of an
auiicuc utrector ana otner current challenges, it is impera
tive thai we make changes." Blevins had served as the men's
coach for the past seven years and compiled a 36-147 over
all record, including a 14-74 mark in the Southwestern
Athletic Conference. Conley, who became the women's
coach 11 years ago. compiled an 86-183 overall record and
17-69 SWAC ledger. He had only three winning seasons
during his tenure: 16-9 in 1991-92; 13-10 in 1994-95 and
15-9 in 1995-96. A former Golden Lion basketball standout.
Blevins was the first UAPB player drafted into the National
Basketball Association when the New York Knicks selected
him in the second round after a stellar senior season in
1965. His coaching tenure was highlighted by UAPB's 66
64 upset victory over the University of Houston in 19%.
Before taking over as head women's coach in June. 1991.
Conley was an assistant coach for the men's team for five
years. A native of Pine Bluff. Conley was a four-year starter
for the Golden Lions and earned NAIA All-District recog
nition for three years from 1979 to 1981.
UAP8 Photo
BLEVINS: Out as
head men's hoops
coach at UAPB
after seven years.
HU PENALTY REDUCTION: The
NCAA Division i Infractions Appeals Committee has
reduced the period, of probation against Howard
University from five years to three. The university's proba
tionary period will end November 27.2004. The Division I
Committee on Infractions issued the findings and penalties
on November 27. 2001. The case involved the baseball, ,
men's and women's basketball, and men's and Women's
swimming programs, specifically violation of bylaws gov
erning recruiting, extra benefits, academic eligibility, acad
emic fraud, ethical conduct and a lack of institutional con
trol. Howard appealed the five-year probation because it
believed the Committee on Infractions failed to give ade
quate consideration to what it called "the mitigating factor
of exemplary institutional cooperation" when determining
the length of the probationary period. The University con
ducted an extensive and comprehensive investigation of its
own. which first revealed most of the violations for which it
was being penalized. The Infractions Appeals Committee
concluded that the factor of institutional cooperation was
not properly weighed and the maximum penalty of five
years probation was excessive and inappropriate. President
H. Patrick Swygert thanked the NCAA's Appeals
Committee for agreeing with the University's position and
added, "We had confidence that the appeal process would
result in the fairness that was warranted by the circum
stances. Howard runs an exceptional athletics program, and
we look forward to continuing our great tradition."
THE STAT CORNER
WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
ME AC FOOTBALL
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as chosen by conference coaches and SIDs)
1 Florida A&M (12) 254
2 N.C. A&T (2) 210
3 Hampton U. 204
4 Bethune Cookman (2) 190
5 S.C. State 134
6 Delaware State 97
7 Howard U. 84
8 Norfolk State U. 63
9 Morgan State U. 46
OAZEEZ Communications, Inc. VOL. VIII, NO. 48
LINDY'S 2002 COLLEGE FOOTBALL MAGAZINE
NCAA DIV. I-AA TOP 25 MEAC
5. Grambling State Florida A&M
16. Florida A&M SWAC
19. Hampton Grambling (West)
20. Southern Alabama State (East)
ALL-AMERICANS
First Team
WR Kris Peters. Jr., Alcorn State
PK Brian Morgan, So., Grambling
LB Tracey White, Sr., Howard
DB Rashean Mathis, Sr., B-Cookman
P Aaron Wall, Sr., Ark -Pine Bluff
Second Team
QB Casey Printers, Sr., Florida A&M
TE Chris Coleman, Sr., Alabama State
DB Chris Brown, Sr., Grambling
NCAA DIV. II TOP 25
12. Tuskegee
25. Winston-Salem State
ATHLON 2002 NATIONAL EDITION
NCAA DIV. I-AA TOP 25
7. Grambling State
8. Florida A&M
19. Jackson State
21. Hampton
24. Southern
SWAC
Jackson State (East)
Grambling State (West)
MEAC
t" Florida A&M
First round pick
Black college grad gets the nod from players on Draft Day
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
When it comes to NBA first round draft picks,
nobody lands as many as Carv Mitchell
No. he's not an NBA general manager. He's not
even an agent. But it's become a regular thing now
for the Charlotte, N. C.-based Mitchell to have the
young, high-profile bailers on his client list.
That's because in 12 years his?Cary Mitchell
Designs has developed a sterling reputation for
putting the finest threads on the young hot shots.
And we're talking about literally suiting up the best
of them for nationally televised ESPN Draft Day
coverage.
Last year Mitchell, a 1983 Johnson C. Smith
University graduate and a member of the school's
board of trustees, outfitted five of the top nine picks
- Tyson Chandler. Jason Richardson. Eddie Griffin.
Rodney White and Sagana Diop.
This year was better. He had the top four picks
in the June 26 draft - China s Yao Ming who went
first to Houston. Duke's Jay Williams and Mike
Dunleavy who went to Chicago and Golden State at
two and three, and Kansas forward Drew Gooden.
taken fourth by Memphis. Yao couldn't make it over
from China in time for the draft, but if he had he'd
have sported a number with 54-inch long cuffed
pants made by Mitchell, who measured the 7-5
stringbean back in May.
Mitchell also fixed up Maryland's .Chris
Wilcox, the eighth pick. Connecticut's Caron Butler,
the tenth selection. Missouri's Kareem Rush, who
went at 20 and junior college product Qyntel Woods
who went 21st. All were invited and showed their
stuff at Draft Day in New York.
Oregon's Fred Jones and Kentucky's Tayshaun
Prince, taken 14th and 23rd in the first round, were
also Mitchell's clients but were not invited to New
York. i
That brought his total to ten first rounders,
more than a third of the 28 taken. That makes him
the unofficial 'pick' of first rounders.
It's also bigger than the haul of eight instant
millionaires he dressed for the '97 draft that includ
ed Joe Smith and Antonio McDyess. Gooden and
Rush actually wore suits made by someone else on
Draft Day but are still his clients.
"The draft was hectic," said the 42-year old
who had just come back from Hawaii doing suits
(yellow linen ones) for 23 members of Mike Tyson's
u
entourage that the elan wore to Tyson's fight in
Memphis against Lennox Lewis.
"It got even wilder when 1 had just three days to
make a suit for Dunleavy. who made a iate decision
to keep his name in the draft."
He was also followed around at the draft by an
ESPN film crew shooting a segment for the net
work's Outside the Lines series. The show, about
fashion trends of new NBA players, aired June 30
with Mitchell as the centerpiece. The show included
interviews with a Savoy Magazine fashion editor
and Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, a Mitchell
client, about his work.
Williams, who won ESPN.com's best-dressed
poll, was decked out in a black tuxedo with a white
shirt and silver tie for the draft.
"I took the satin off the lapels so it was only on
the buttons and the trim of the pockets." said
Mitchell, aware of the fashionably competitive
nature of the affair. "It had a formal wear feel but
looked very contemporary ."
Making an early fashion statement can go a
long way to conveying just how marketable a partic
ular player might be. he said.
"Agents like it because it gives a good first
impression for both the team and potential sponsors.
That's why they call me. Sometimes I have to edu
cate the players on how important it is to look a cer
tain way."
Mitchell usually takes the measurements, sug
gests the fabric and style of the suits. He contracts
out the stitching. Suits usually start at SI, 100.
"I'm really more of a tailor/clothier." he said.
"All of the clothes are tailor-made But I also do
wardrobe consulting which means I usually put
together entire outfits."
It's helped him build a clientele of some 70
NBA players that includes superstars Gary Payton.
Tim Duncan. Vince Carter. Mourning. Baron Davis
as well as members of just about every NBA team.
It's not unusual during the season for Mitchell to hop
between four or five NBA cities per week.
Cultivating relationships with agents like
California-based Bill Duffy, who had five first round
selections and was an advisor to Yao this year, is crit
ical to Mitchell's business. Veteran agent Bill
Strickland had Woods while Raymond Brothers rep
resented Butler. All three of the agents "are African
Americans.
"Agents are usually the buffer between players
and potential suitors." said Mitchell. "That's to some degree
how my business started and how it continues to grow."
Mitchell talked about how the process of bringing Yao
from China to the NBA involved Duffy soliciting the help
of former president George W. Bush. St. (yeah. Dubya's
father) a former ambassador to China. ?
"They had to get him involved to finalize some aspect
of the negotiations." said Mitchell. "It's a huge deal, more
for the NBA than for Houston. There are 73.000 Asians in
Houston. 35,000 Chinese."
Mitchell also makes Tiger Woods' pants for Nike. "I
just sent him nine pair to take to the British Open."
He says he got his fashion sense from his father and
mother. John P. "Tiger Tom" Mitchell, was the disc jockey
at Richmond. Va.'s first black radio station. WANT, in
1938. He was a fixture in the city for 40 years.
"DJs back then were the pulse and voice of the black
community." said Mitchell. "They had to be stylish. From
the time I was three or four (years old), my father would
take me backstage at concerts with the likes of James
Brown or Curtis Mas field and the Impressions. All those
guys were fashionable dressers I've been around the enter
tainment industry, in some way or another, much of my
life."
BEHIND THE SEAMS
HARD AT WORK: In ESPN The Magazine lay
out, Mitchell (photo, top r.) straightens the tie of
Duke's Jay Williams, the second player picked
in this year's NBA Draft. He then gives his take
on the fashion sense of other top picks.
Mitchell's clients include ten of the 28 first round
picks in the Draft.
Roundtree new women's coach at NC A&T
cmv, Muunc
Special to the BCSP
North Carolina A&T named for
mer women's hoops great Saudia
Roundtree as its new head women's bas
ketball coach Monday. Roundtree. who
signed a five-year contract, was intro
duced at a packed press conference on the
school's campus.
"She brings to the university the
experience and expertise needed to build
our women's basketball program." said
Dr. James Renick. N.C. A&T's chancel
lor who was on hand for the press confer
ence.
Roundtree comes to A&T from
Morris Brown College where she had
taken over as interim head women's bas
ketball coach during the past year after
serv ing one year as an assistant. Prior to
MBC. she was basketball director for
Suwanee Sports Academy where she
organized AAU tournaments and various
individual and exposure camps for boys
and girls.
"This is fate, I'm supposed to be
here." said Roundtree. a former national
player of the year at the University of
Georgia. "I prayed about this really hard
and I'm happy and proud to be here.
"I believe in my players having an
attitude of winning, because I believe in
winning. I want to bring in players that
have my work ethic and drive. My team
will play hard every night, win or lose.
You will be proud of your team. I'm not
making any promises, because I don't
have to."
Roundtree is coming in after a some
what tumultuous year with the A&T
women's basketball program. She will suc
ceed former athletics director Dr. Alfonso
Scandrett. Jr.. who took over as head
coach of the Lady Aggies after reassigning
third-year head coach Karen Hall midway
through last season. The Lady Aggies were
6-61 under Hall's leadership and 0-13 w hen
Scandrett took over in January. They fin
ished 2-24 this season. Scandrett was sud
denly dismissed as athletic director six
weeks ago.
At Morris Brown. Roundtree com
plied a 1-17 mark after taking over from
Jackie Carruthers eight games into the
2001-02 season. The team finished w ith a
3-23 ma^k. Her only coaching victory
came against Clark-Atlanta University
(66-hl)on Jan. 14.
"We are fortunate to have someone
of Saudia's caliber join us." added Dr.
Koselle W ilson, interim athletics director
and sice chancellor for student affairs.
"She will he a superb role model for our
student-athletes."
Before taking up coaching.
Roundtree was tin outstanding athlete
enjoying success on both the college and
professional levels. She was a first round
draft choice and played in the American
Basketball League for two years with the
Atlanta Glory and Nashville Noise. During
her brief professional career she was
selected to the ABL All-Star Team. She
also served as a women's sports commen
tator for Media One.
From 1994-96. Roundtree starred at
Georgia where she led the Bulldogs to
unprecedented heights. In '96 she averaged
16.7 points and 5.6 assists pgr game in
being named the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) player of the year and consensus
national player of the year. She led Georgia
to only its second ever number one nation
al ranking and its second straight Final
Four appearance. The Bulldogs reached
the final game in '96 before losing to
Tennessee.
Before coming to Georgia. Roundtree
played for Kilgore (TX) Junior College
where she was named National Junior
College Player of the Year.
In 1996. she signed a shoe endorse
ment with Reebok International, making
her the tTrst w oman to have her own shoe
with Reebok.
She has an A.A. degree in criminal
justice from Kilgore Junior College and a
B.A. in sociology from the University of
Georgia.
Photo by Joe Daniels
HARDY AND NICHOLSON: New Lady Aggie basketball coach Saudia
floundtree (c.) is flanked by North Carolina A&T Chancellor, Dr. James
Renick (r.) and interim Athletics Director, Dr. Roselle Wilson (I.) at press con
ference announcing her appointment.