3B
SPORTSA'he Charlotte Post
Thursday, January 9,1997
Johnson feels best basketball lies ahead
Continued from page IB
physically strong, he needs to be
in the best of shape because we
think he can score. As you look
at the next level, it’s a one-on-
one game. Here, he’s getting
double-teamed and triple-
teamed and he still gives us 19
points a game.”
Johnson, who starred at North
Mecklenburg Hi^ before trans
ferring to Fork Union Academy
in Virginia, had several college
scholarship offers but decided
UNCC was the biest place for
him. Playing baU at home w£is a
factor, especially for a program
trying to establish major inroads
in the shadows of the ACC.
“I chose to come back home
because I wanted to be close to
my family,” he said. “If I can’t do
jt in Charlotte, I can’t do it any
where, so I felt that coming
home and trying to turn this pro
gram aroimd, that’s what I
wanted to do.
“It’s been all good for me, play
ing in front of the home crowd. I
can look up at my people every
home game and know they’re
there and that adds to me play
ing well.”
Watkins, who recruited
Johnson to UNCC, has been a
stead3dng influence as well.
Coach and player have a close
relationship to the point where
Johnson hangs out at Watkins’
home to spend time with his
family. They talk often about
basketball, but conversations
don’t always end there.
“I think DeMarco’s a special
kid,” Watkins said. “He comes to
you for advice. He knows he can
coimt on me having played col
lege basketball, so I can share
some things with him and that’s
what I want to do. He doesn’t
mind asking questions, and I
sure don’t mind giving advice.
We talk about more than basket
ball. We talk about the skills of
life.”
“Me and coach talk on a regu
lar basis,” Johnson said. “He
tells me so many things. We’ve
been close since Tve came to
school here. He’s told me a lot of
things and he’s stuck behind
me.
UNCC, which pla3rs Memphis
Thursday, has retooled vmder
Watkins, who’s in his first sea
son as head coach. VWth 7-2 cen
ter Alexander Kuehl patrolling
the paint and perimeter shooters
like Roderick Howard, former
Independence High standout
Andre Davis and Sean Colson in
the backcourt, the 49ers have
weapons to contend in the
CUSA. Johnson, though, is the
main man, UNCC’s consistent
force.
“There’s definitely more play
ers that can take the load off
me,” he said. “They stiU expect
me to be the go-to guy, and Fm
just trying to five up to the
billing everybody’s giving me
and try to go out and play tough
every night.”
Road beckons Smith
By Herbet L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Johnson C. Smith bsisketball
coach Steve Joyner doesn’t mind
having his Golden Bulls travel.
As a matter of fact, he’s looking
forward to it.
Smith (4-6) is young, but
.shows signs of growing up after
consecutive upsets of Virginia
Union and Elizabeth City State
in CIAA play. After beating
perennial power Union 74-71 in
Richmond, Va., Joyner isn’t leery
about traveling. If anything, it
should make Smith better.
“I think it’s good,” he said. “By
the time we get here after play
ing a number of games on the
road, we will have matured as a
basketball team and we’ll use
our home court advantage as an
advantage.”
After struggling to a 2-6 mark
to start the season. Smith pulled
off its second CIAA upset in as
many games Monday, beating
Elizabeth City State 90-80 at
Brayboy Gym. Four Bulls scored
in double figures, led by CIAA
player of the week Marcus
Wright’s 24 points. Alex
Thompson pitched in with 21
(Mints and Christopher Reese
added 19 as Smith improved its
conference mark to 2-2. Walt
Wright paced Elizabeth City
with 16 points.
The Bulls, who knocked off
Virginia Union for the first time
under Joyner, played confidently
against the VDdngs. Despite a
poor start that tlueatened to
worsen. Smith’s improvement
can be traced to better chemistry
between coaches and players.
“It’s a new attitude,” Joyner
said. “I think we’re finally jelling
together. We had a lot of new
people who didn’t jeU on the
court or with the coaches. We
have a new attitude, a new
approach about what we’re try
ing to do, and believing in each
other and ourselves.”
Once the Bulls grasped
Joyner’s philosophy, they started
playing better.
“We just said we’re going to
band together and whatever
happens, happens,” 'Thompson
said. “We’re
going to go out
and play
defense and
play as a
team.”
Smith has
found success
using a three-
gueird offense
with Wright
and Reese as
the shooters.
When they’re
the perimeter,
to accoimt for
Joyner
hitting from
defenses have
them. That leaves Thompson,
one of the CIAA’s top scorers
with a 19 points per game
avrage, with more room to oper
ate in the paint.
“Our philosophy (is) to work
inside out,” Thompson said.
“Once the inside game opened
up, the outside game will be
there.”
Now that Reese, Wright and
'Thompson have established
themselves as scoring threats.
Smith’s offense has been less
predictable in recent games.
'Their improvement has coincid
ed with the BuUs, Jo3mer said.
“Without a doubt those three
guys from the offensive stand
point have been our big hitters,”
Joyner said. “As long as they
continue, the way way our talent
pool is now, we’re most effective
when we put both of them on the
court and go to a three-guard
offense.”
L.A. Dodgers for sale
By Denise Levin
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES - The team
picture of the 1965 World Series
champion Los Angeles Dodgers
smiles down on the sawdust-cov
ered floor of the famous
Philippe’s Restaurant, standing
in the shadows of Chavez
Ravine.
People have flocked to this
restaurant for decades to feast
on the world famous french dip
sandwiches - as long as they’ve
fought traffic up the ravine to
enjoy a day of baseball and
Dodger Dogs.
As news spread throughout
the restaurant Monday of the
impending sale of the Dodgers
by Peter O’Malley, eyes grew
wide with disbelief
“I can’t believe it,” Janet Klein
said as her hand flew to her
chest and her chin dropped. A
native New Yorker, Klein admit
ted she never transferred her
loyalty from the Brookl3m
Dodgers to the Los Angeles team
when they moved west in 1957.
However, noting that former
manager 'Ibm Lasorda “was the
team,” players and fans adapted
when he resigned his post last
July, Klein said.
“TheyTl adapt to whoever owns
them too,” she added.
Many fans predicted team
ownership will go the way of
most other major sports teams -
to a big corporation.
“It would be hard to replace a
personality like the O’Malleys,”
retired school teacher James
See DODGERS Page 4B
w
f-**’
W' ■
h *■'
s
'..I,
l&f ■;
/
PAYIMSS^
CAR RENTAL
Holliday Auto Rentals, Inc.
a/b/a Payless Car Rental
Join the^Championshlp Club’
~ Call for more Infol ,
3 locations:
1931 Roosevelt
Hwy.
College Park, Ga
30337
(404) 788-2120
4204 Rental Car Rd.
Charlotte, N.C.
28214
(704) 359-4640
1100 Jetport Rd.
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
29577
(803) 448-3737
Bring this ad in for 10% discount on any rental. Expires
12/31/96
PHOTO/WAOE NASH
DeMarco Johnson leads UNCC In scoring and rebounds
•l t
Panthers. Yo\ire
On To The NFC Championship Game!
After a record seven wins their first season, the
Panthers are giving us a second season that
won’t be forgotten. Seven players were selected
to the Pro Bowl. And Dom Capers was honored
as coach of the year.
The Panthers also dethroned perennial NFC
West champion San Francisco to capture the
division. Now they’ve beaten last year’s Super
Bowl champion Dallas to advance to the NFC
Conference Championship.
Panthers, your success and teamwork inspire
the entire community. Good luck. Win the NFC
Championship, then bring the Super Bowl tro
phy home to the Carolinas!
NarionsBank^
Official Bank of the Carolina Panthers.
NationsBank, N.A. Q1997 NationsBank Corporation.