Newspapers / Winston-Salem State University Student … / Dec. 1, 1994, edition 1 / Page 6
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The News Argus December 1994 - Page 6 — SPORTS Snowden Plans To Revive WSSU's Basketball Tradition BY WILUAM HORTON Staff Writer Winston-Salem State University has a rich history in basketball tradition. Although the program has declined in recent years. Head Basketball Coach Thomas Snowden is looking to revive that tradition. In his second year as head coach of the WSSU' Mens Basketball Team, Snowden hopes to improve on the 10-17 record that the team posted last season. The Rams are looking to play .500 basketball or better and finishing in the upper echelon of the division. To reach that goal, the Rams will have to play very tough defense to create easy baskets on the offensive end of the floor. “Defense is what makes offense,” Snowden says. At the helm of the Ram Attack will be senior point guard Patrick Herron. Herron, a sophomore shooting guard and Phenizee Ransom will be called upon to hit outside snots ana to open up me insiae game. That means post players like senior. Donnell Middleton; junior, Kenneth Power; and 7’0” Mayik Deng could put up some very impressive numbers. Juniors Earlon Martin and William Gray will also be major contributors to the team. “Basketball is a highly position game,” coach Snowden said. “We (coaching staff) must recruit players to play certain positions. But these players must possess certain qualities to play these positions. We recruited for specific positions in need of the team.” Newcomers to the team include 6’9 freshmen William Wolf from Fayetville, 6’3 sophomore transfer Eric Dark and 6’8 John Salley, a transfer student from Wyoming. With these talented players. Coach Snowden is expecting good things from the team. He urges WSSU students to come out and support the team. “As a student here at WSSU or anywhere, win, lose, or draw, support your team to the fullest,” Snowden said. “I remember my grandmother told me, ‘Thomas, you are only as goou as me people who support yoii.” Out of all of the places Snowden has coached, he says that “WSSU is second to none in fan support, be it on the field or on the court.” So put on your WSSU gear and cheer both the men and women’s basketball teams to victory. Coach Thomas Snowden Lady Rams Have A New Coach BY WILLIAM HORTON Suff Writer Believe it or not, college basketball season is upon us once again! Even though it seems more emphasis is placed on the men’s teams, the women’s teams work just as hard as the men do to have a successful season. This is also true for the Lady Rams basketball team, who opened the season with their first practice on October 15. First year Head Coach Debra Clark, hopes to improve the 8-17 record that the Lady Rams posted last season. This 32- year-old, 1984 Hampton University alumna played basketball at her alma mater. She received her MA in Sports Administration from Penn State in 1986. After finishing her graduate program, she taught one year in the Virginia Beach Public School system. She then became an assistant coach for Norfolk State University’s women’s basketball team. During Clark’s seven years at Norfolk State, the team won three Cl A A Championships, made a 1992 Final Four appearance, and made the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Tournament in 1994. Clark hopes to bring that winning Head Coach Debra Clark formula here to WSSU. She plans on changing from the conservative half-court game from last season, to a more up tempo game this season. Since The Lady Rams had great preseason conditioning, they plan to be ready to play in the up tempo pace. The player responsible for dictating the tempo and running the offense will be Natasha Buford, whom Clark calls, “A steady point guard.” The Lady Rams will also be looking for Kendra Horne, who was chosen for the preseason all CIAA team, to pick up where she left off last year as the team’s leading scorer. Other players to watch out for are post player Denttra Parks, 5’8 shooting guard Chellia Nelson who Clark describes as, “An exciting player to watch;” and sophomore post player Keisha Butler, whom according to Clark has, “Excellent skills and is a hard worker in everything she does.” The only freshman on the team is Dalma Vasquez, who tried out for the team and was selected as a walk-on. Coach Clark and assistant coach Tr^ey Bobbitt are shooting for at least a .500 season, which would mean the Lady Rams would have to win half of their games. With only three seniors on the team, the future looks very bright for Lady Rams Basketball. “I think the ladies will be exciting to watch and we would like the support of cL^"‘Thcommunity,” said Clark. Their first home game will be November 26, in the Gaines Center at Basketball Season Begins BY TOLLY CARR Sports Editor With the football season over, sports fans are now turning ihcir attention to the basketball. Winston-Salem State University fans are no different! They arc anticipating the 1994-95 season. The Rams are coached by second year Head Coach Thomas “Fox” Snowden who is looking to improve on his team’s 10-17 record from a year ago. The Rams will have one of the strongest back courts in the CIAA with point guard Patrick “Pearl” Herron and preseason All-CIAA shooting guard Phenizee Ransom. Last year Herron led the CIAA in steals and assists while Ransom was named the freshman of the year in the CIAA. The Rams also have three point specialist William "Monte” Gray and a pair of newcomers, Eric Dark and John Salley, who have looked effective from the perimeter in preseason workouts. Barring any drastic turn around, Herron should be one of the leagues leaders in steals and assists and Ransom is looking to improve upon a 17.5 points per game average from last year. The key to the Ram’s success will probably lie in the effectiveness in the big men down low. Darnell Middleton has proven himself to be an effective rebounder down low and works hard to score around the basket, but he will not be able to carry the front line by himself. That is where Mayiik Deng comes in to play. This 7-1 center must be able to play aggressive and be a force on defense and the boards. The Rams will not rely on Deng to score a lot of points but whatever he can contribute on offense will be a blessing for the Rams. Bernard Powers, a 6-6 forward, was quite a surprise for the Rams last year with his valiant second efforts and follow up shots and he should be a contributing factor down low. William Wolf, a 6-9 freshman from Fayetteville, who shows a lot of potential and if he develops could provide some relief for Middleton, Powers and Deng. At Midnight Madness, which was held on Oct. 7, Coach Snowden said that See page 7
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