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http://www.thecharlottepost.com 1C CfjE Cljarlotte ^osit SPORTS THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2004 ' Black College Sports/4C Bobcats ready to go NBA shopping By C. Jemal Horton FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST Bickerstaff The Charlotte Bobcats still will be the NBA’s newest franchise by the time the league’s annual draft rolls around in late June. The Bobcats will not be the most unpre pared franchise, however. The team has been working feverishly over the past several months to prepare for the upcoming expansion draft (June 22) and the NBA draft (June 24). According to Bobcats general manager and head coach Bernie Bickerstaff, the organi zation has scouted 200- 300 NBA games, more than 400 college games, and over 100 international games. That doesn’t include numerous National Basketball Development League games and high school all-star games. The expansion draft could be moved to Jvme 23 if the NBA Finals extend to seven games, forcing the Bobcats to assemble the core of its inaugural roster on head-spinning, back-to-back days. Either way, the Bobcats are ready. “We’ve covered all the venues,” Bickerstaff said. “Our scouting staff has done a tremendous job. Everything that we have control over at this point, espe cially with the expansion draft, we’ve done. We’ve ranked all the players, we have an order of preference. We’re ready. “Whether it’s the expansion draft, whether it’s the college draft, we obvious- Please see BOBCATS/2C Impact on golf gains Sifford legend status THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAVANNAH, Sifford Ga. - Charlie Sifford broke another banier last week. Sifford, who cracked the PGA Tour’s Caucasian-only clause in 1961 and was the first black member to win on tour, has become the first black chosen for the World Golf Hall of Fame, Sifford will be inducted Nov. 15, along with 1992 U.S. Open champion Tbm Kite, Japanese star Isao Aoki and Canadian amateur Marlene Stewart Streit. “This is veiy wonderful,” Sifford said from the ceremony in Savannah, Ga, “I thank all these wonderful players for accepting me. I know I had some bad days and tough days. But it looks like everything worked out fine.” Streit is the first Canadian in the Hall of Fame. She won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur title last year at 69, Please see SIFFORD/2C Antawn Making the cut: Sting camp survival of fittest By Herbert L. White herb, while® thecharloiiepost. am FORT MILL - It won’t be easy deciding who makes the Charlotte Sting’s opening day roster. An offseason of big-name free agent acquisitions and draft picks boosted the Sting’s talent level to unprecedented levels. With only 12 roster spots avail able, competition to stick, much less earn playing time, will be intense. It started this Stinson week rvith training camp. which consists of twice-daily scrimmages. “It’s fierce right now,” guard Andrea Stinson said. “I guess you take it one day at a time, one practice at a time. One practice you’re going to be on, one practice you’ll be off. You just never know. We’re all battling for space on the roster. You just tiy to bring your best every day.” That’s a constant theme with veterans. Charlotte added frontcourt size with 6-7 Kara Welters and 6-2 Olympia Scott Richardson to bolster holdover center Tammy Sutton- Brown. 'The changes will force everyone to compete for jobs, said Charlotte Smith-Taylor, a forward who struggled with injuries last season. “I’m definitely excited. I’m definitely looking forward to contributing in a different capaci ty,” forward she said. “I think I’ve worked harder in the offseason and came in really strong and focused this training camp and looking forward to the season.” The Sting’s overhaul continued in the draft Please see STING/2C PHOTOAVADE NASH Sting forward Charlotte Smith-Taylor signs basketballs during Media Day Monday in Fort Mill, S.C. ONCE A PANTHER, AGAIN A PANTHER PHOTO/IOON MEDIA Donald Hayes, catching a pass for Carolina against Green Bay in 2001, was signed by the Panthers Tuesday. Hayes played four seasons with Carolina, including a career-best 66 catches in 2000 but struggled after leaving as a free agent in 2002. Hayes deepens receiver corps By Herbert L. White herb. whiJe@thecharloitepost. am The Carolina Panthers reached into its past to bolster its receiver corps. The Panthers agreed to terms Tuesday with veteran wide receiver Donald Hayes after signing 13 rookie free agents. 'The newcomers will join the team’s six draft choices at the season’s first mini-camp, which starts Friday. Hayes played four seasons with the Panthers, catching 132 passes for 1,855 yards and seven touchdovms in 51 games. He led the team with 52 receptions and 597 yards in 2001 after posting career highs of 66 catches, 926 receiving yaf ds and three touch downs in 2000. After the 2001 season, Hayes signed as an unrestricted free agent with New England, where he struggled, recording 12 recep tions for 133 yards and two touchdowns in 12 contests with one start. He signed as a free agent with Jacksonville in 2003 and was cut prior to the start of the regular season. C. Jemal Horton Tight genes good for Hoyas Top sixth man fine as a reserve By Jaime Aron THE ASSOCIATED PRESS « , Jamison > played high school ball at Providence. DALLAS — Six years into his NBA career, and minutes before his first playoff game, Dallas Mavericks forward “Antawn Jamison quickly discovered just how different things are this time of year. Jamison could feel Sacramento’s Arco Arena crack ling with excitement. The lights seemed brighter and the noise definitely was louder - and the starting lineups hadn’t even been announced. When they .were, Jamison wasn’t among them. For an accomplished player still in his prime at 27, the walk back to the bench could’ve drained his enthusiasm, even though he’d made that stroll 80 times this season. After all, this was the playoffs. “You want to be out there,” Jamison said Thursday. “But, then again, you know your role. You do whatever you have to do to help your team and not hxrrt your team. That’s been my mindframe all year.” While he still doesn’t like the idea of being a backup, he’s accepted it and made the most of it this season, on and off the court. He’s handled it so well that he was honored Friday as the league’s top Sixth Man.. Jamison was the fourth over all pick by Golden State in 1998. He had consecutive 50- point games in December 2000, then was traded to Dallas in August for last year’s playoff star, Nick Van Exel. Jamison was supposed to ease the scoring load on Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley while giving defenses another shooter to fear. Midway through training camp, Dallas acquired Antoine Walker to do many of the same Please see JAMISON/3C Maurice Clarett and Mike Williams suffered another setback in their bid to join the NFL. Barry Bonds, someone who adores his body more than any grown man should, con tinues to be called a steroid- abuser by much of the world. And 18-year-old Dvdght Howard said he wants to put a cross in the NBA logo - in a league comprised of Jews, Muslims and other non- Christians. Alas, none of that will ruin my emotional high. I’m so glad Georgetovm kept it all in the family and hired John Thompson III as its new basketball coach. Finally, the Hoyas are back. I definitely hate that another guy so deeply respected in the Hoya family, Craig Esherick, got fired by the school last month — espe cially after he started the season 10-0. But it’s sure good to see another guy from the family step up and take Esherick’s place. Hold on, Horton! John Thompson III isn’t from the Georgetown family! Thompson III played at Princeton, was an assistant coach at Princeton and was head coach at Princeton imtil last 'Ihesday! Ronny Thompson played at Georgetown, but not John III. Shoot, John III never even attended Georgetown University! Yeah, I know. Actually, I’m not talking about alma maters and let- terman’s jackets; this is strictly about philosophy and DNA. The days of the Hoyas being the most serious- minded college players not participating in the Ivy League or the military acad emies are back. The days when a radical hairdo by a Georgetown player was an almost-bald fade with a really long part are back. And the days when people feared Georgetovm before it even got to the gym are back. All because of those Thompson bloodlines. Family. See THOMPSON/3C 1 .T liiiliiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiilliiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiii
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 29, 2004, edition 1
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