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13Ai
Cljarlotte
SPORTS
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1997
Bulls hope to build spring fever
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
T he last thing Johnson C.
Smith football coach Daryl
McNeill expects to do this
spring is rest on last year’s lau
rels.
The Golden BuUs, who start
spring drills Monday, are coming
off a 7-3, season. Smith’s best in
14 years. McNeill, though,
knows no one can afford to get
complacent.
“Just like any business, you’re
judged year in and year out” he
said. “You just say to yourself
that what happened last year
can easily be turned
aroimd...You can’t live off last
year.”
'The first order of business will
be replacing 10 starters fiom
Hornets
keep
buzzing
By Karl Petraroja
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
The season just keeps getting
better and better for the
Charlotte Hornets.
They reached 40 wins faster
than any team in iranchise his
tory by knocking off Miami
Sunday at the Charlotte
Coliseum. With 19 games to
play, the Hornets (41-22) are on
pace to better the fi-anchise’s 50-
win season of two years ago. For
veteran point guard Muggsy
Bogues, an original Hornet, he’d
love to reach that mark again.
“That would be special for me,
considering we had a team that
was considered a contender and
it seems that we gave that
away,” he said. “We got a new
group of guys and we’re doing
pretty much the same thing.
Considering I’ve been away from
basketball last year and consid
ering the things Tve been going
through just makes it that much
more special.”
The other original Hornet,
shooting guard DeU Curry, has
been playing the last few weeks
with a face mask to protect a
broken nose. That hasn’t slowed
him — or his teammates — down.
“I think everyone has fit into
their roles now,” he said. “We
have guys not trying to do what
they shouldn’t do, everybody
knows their roles and their jobs
and they go out and do it every
night.”
Another factor that’s helped
Charlotte in the last two months
is the bench. The Horiiets have
won 23 of their last 29 and the
bench has contributed.
“We’ve got one of the strongest
benches now,” Bogues said. “The
guys we got can score a lot of
points in short minutes.
“Rickey Pierce can come in and
get you 20 points in 15 minutes
just like DeU Curry and Donald
Royal can come in and give you
some very complimentary min
utes...and with Matt (Geiger)
back and "Ibny Delk playing as
weU as he is, that just adds a lot
to our baU club. It gives us a lot
of weapons.”
Charlotte coach Dave Cowens
has the luxury of looking down
See HORNETS on page 15A
last year’s team. McNeUl’s chal
lenge up to the April 12
intrasquad scrimmage wUl be
figuring who wUl step into those
positions.
“We feel like we have some tal
ent that can fiU some holes,” he
said. “As much as we can (get
repetitions for) them during the
spring and faU, we should be
able to tell what we
have...Offensively and defen
sively, that’s what spring is aU
about - learning your person
nel.”
Smith’s defense faces a major
overhaul, with six starters grad
uating. McNeiU must replace
the entire secondary as weU as
the BuUs’ leading tacklers in
linebackers Larcoy McRae and
Shawn Preston.
“That’s an area (where) we sit
back and say that’s where things
have to change for us to have a
good season,” McNeiU said.
The defensive line is in good
shape with Androne Hatchett,
’lyrone Dimery and Ian 'Ibm-
Johnson returning. Harry Gary,
who can play safety and Hne-
backer, is back as weU.
“Hopefully, their leadership
wUl help the defense,” McNeiU
said.
The offense is in a better posi
tion, with only four seniors leav
ing. Last year, Smith depended
on defense and special teams to
set the pace, but the offense wiU
have to carry more of the load in
the spring.
“We know offensively we
should be further along,”
McNeiU said. “But you can’t put
a stamp on where your leader
ship is going to come fi'om.”
The BuUs lose both starting
receivers, but former West
Mecklenburg High standout
Dontae Henderton starts driUs
as an incumbent with Gerald
Brown and George Jenkins
working to win the other spot.
After starting the first three
games in place of Brandon
Armstrong last year, Henderson
wUl get a chance to become the
prime target. He’s got some
speed, turning in a 4.5-second
time in the 40-yard dash in the
offseason.
“We’re hoping Dontae takes
over and takes control,” McNeiU
said. “We’re hoping he’s taken
some from. Brandon and some
from Reggie (Lawrence) and
uses this as a chance to establish
See JCSU Page 15A
PHOTO/HERBERT L. WHITE
Former West Mecklenburg standout Dontae Henderson (82) starts
spring drills as a starting receiver for Johnson C. Smith.
First stop: Arizona
UNCC quest for
NCAA title begins
By Karl Petraroja
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
UNC Charlotte basketball
coach Melvin Watkins has come
full circle.
Watkins has gone to the NCAA
tournament as a point guard
and assistant coach. Now he’s in
for the first time as a head coach
with the 49ers (21-8).
UNCC is a long way from
home, playing in the West
Regional in Tucson, Ariz.,
against the No. 10 seeded
Georgetown Hoyas from the Big
East. Watkins couldn’t be happi
er for his yoimg team, which is
the No. 7 seed.
“Our kids deserve it,” he said.
“They worked hard aU year long
and now we get a httle bit of a
reward! HopefuUy we can go out
there and represent the univer
sity and this city and our com
munity very weU.”
The 49ers won the White
Division of Conference USA and
advanced to the tournament
final before losing to Marquette.
UNCC’s tournament success
likely secured the 49ers a place
in the tournament.
“We just wanted in,” Watkins
said. “The people were (talking)
about seeds and aU that but that
wasn’t important to me. What
we want to do is just to get in
and as this program continues to
grow, when we get a little more
tradition, then we start worry
ing about trying to be a one seed
somewhere.”
The 49ers left Wednesday for
Tticson a determined and confi
dence squad.
“Right now we could have been
the 16th seed, it didn’t make any
difference,” Watkins said. “We’re
going out with a lot of purpose
and a lot of focus and trying to
win a basketball game.”
Junior freshman DeMarco
Johnson was a freshman two
years ago when the 49ers last
made the NCAAfield. He’s eager
to give it another shot and facing
a physical team like
See NCAA on page 15A
PHOTO/WADE NASH
UNC Charlotte guard Sean Colson (right) will lead the 49ers against Georgetown In Tucson, ArIz.
Mills last deal keeps him with Carolina
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Sam Mills (51) will lead Carolina’s defense for two more seasons.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sam Mills’ first two seasons
with the Carolina Panthers were
so good, he’s back for more.
Mills, an unrestricted free
agent who will be 38 in June,
signed a two-year contract last
week. Mills had told the team he
wanted to a two-year deal and
then plans to retire after the
1998 season, and a statement he
released through the Panthers
indicated he got his wish.
“Although it took a little time,
I always felt it would work out.
and it worked best for both
sides,” he said. “This is the team
that I belong with, and I’m
happy to play the rest of my
career in the Carolinas.”
Mills was the emotional leader
of a Carolina defense that fin
ished first in the NFL in sacks
and third-down efficiency and
second in points allowed, help
ing the Panthers advance to the
NFC title game.
The 5-foot-9, 232-pound inside
linebacker had 138 tackles, a
career-high 5 1/2 sacks, one
interception and two fumble
recoveries, one of which he
returned for a touchdown.
Named to his fifth Pro Bowl,
Mills became the oldest non
kicker ever selected as a starter
in the postseason all-star con
test.
Mflls had 130 tackles in 1995
as well as a career-high five
interceptions, 4 1/2 sacks, six
forced fumbles and four fumble
recoveries.
Mills routinely works out at
Ericsson Stadium on the play-
See MILLS on page 15A
They
got
next
Pro basketball
offers options for
women athletes
By Kurl Hente
THE WA.SHINt;TON PO.ST
Like any college athlete,
George Washington’s Tajama
Abraham is concerned with her
team’s success. Like any college
senior, Abraham also is con
cerned with her own.
As one of the preeminent
women’s basketball players in
the nation, the 6-foot-3 Abraham
is someone the two new women’s
pro leagues - the American
Basketball League and the
Women’s National Basketball
Association - have their eyes on.
'The New York franchise of the
WNBA has sent a scout to sever
al of Abraham’s games.
Prospective agents have queried
Colonials coach Joe McKeown
about her future.
It’s a far different time from
the days when a star women’s
basketball player did not have
domestic professional options
after graduation, and it’s made
Abraham’s senior year a chal
lenging one. As George
Washington’s top player,
Abraham is the linchpin to her
team’s success. But Abraham
has to consider that flashier sta
tistics and more individual acco
lades could improve her position
for the professional level.
“I don’t know whether to say
there’s more pressm-e or not,”
she said recently. “Coach
[McKeown] has completely elim
inated them. In a way, it’s just
my senior year, and that’s a lot of
pressure in itself. IPs my last
opportunity at the Final Four.
“But then I have to say it’s my
senior year, but it’s not the end.
It’s exciting and a tremendous
incentive. We’re a very lucky
crop of players.”
Actually, in the words of one of
the pioneers of women’s basket
ball, Carol Blazejowski, “They’re
pretty danm lucky.”
Blazejowski dominated
women’s college basketball in
the late 1970s when her school,
tiny Montclair State in New
Jersey, was one of its titans. Her
senior year was spent aiming for
a national championship, pon
dering the fledgling pro league
at the time - the short-lived
Women’s Basketball League,
and dreaming of a snot on the
1980 Olympic team.
These days, the Basketball
Hall of Famer is the general
manager of the New York fran
chise in the WNBA. Working
with the scouting department of
the New York Knicks, she’s stud
ied Abraham and her game.
See PRO LEAGUE on page 15A