WSSl Women's Basketball
New Coach Likes Fast Pace
By JEROME RICHARD
' Chronicle Sports Writer
The players on this year's Win
ston-Salem* State University
women's basketball team better be
in shape because new head coach
Debra Clark likes a fast pace.
j . "We want to keep it a fast
paced game offensively and defen
sively," said Clark, who is in her
first year as a head coach after a
seven-year stint as the top assistant
at Norfolk State. "We naturally have
to rebound and we want to go from -
offense to defense as fast as we can
and visa versa.
"The players are used to a
slower pace where they walk the
ball up the court and at first they
were not quite sure about what to
do, but they have adjusted pretty ?
well. They've been receptive and
caught on to what we are trying to
do." i
i ? ? ?? ?. ? - .
Clark believes she has the ath
letes to play an up-tempo style,
though the Lady Rams will have to
overcome their lack of height in
order to get the ball offjthe board to
trigger tjie transition game.
"We have good athletes, good
quickness and speed, and we run the
floor well," said Clark, who will try
to improve upon last year's 7 18
record of Stenson Conley, her pre
decessor. "We have the talent to hit
the outside shct or go inside."
The long-range shooting is in
the capable hands of Kendra Home,
an All-CTAA preseason selection at
guard. Horn averaged 19 points per
game last year .ind Clark thinks
Home can score nvre this year.
. "I feel confident she can do that
(19 points per game) and more/' the
first-year coach said of the 5-8
senior. "We'll al so look to cnellia
Nelson, a transier trom Louisburg.
to help witn the outside shooting.
On the inside we'll rely on Denettra
Parker (6-2 junior center, 10.8 ppg.
6.4 rpg) and Keisha Butler (5-10
sophomore forward, 8.IJ ppg. team
high 7.6 rpgh Parker is a force
inside and we would like to >ec her
double her points and rebounds
from last year. Butler is a quiet,
steady player and will get the job
done. She has improved a great deal
from last year and we will rely on
her on the inside."
?
Baeking up Parker, at center
will be Chasity "Whitaker. while
Butler will be spelled by Sharon
Allen ancTNikita Clement at for
ward. Horne will get relief from
t J
Dalma Vasquez at shooting guard.
Handling the point guard duties will
be the trio of Natasha Bulbrd. Mani
ta Broaddus and Diva Wilson, while
the small forward spot will be the
domain of Nelson and Shavonda
Smith.
Parker and Butler are the Ranis
only big players and the Rams laek
of size: concerns Clark.
"We are small overall st4 we'
will have to emphasize rebounding
position." she said. "We'll be small
er than most ol iyiir opponents."
Clark 's strategy for overcoming
the height disadvantage is to press
tull court using both a man-to-man
and zone. x . ' .
^'We don't want to be too pre
dictable, ' she: said, noting that the
man-to-man is the primary defense
and she'll call for a 2-3 zone on ,
occasion. "With pur style of pla\ we
can t get by with just five players,
so we need others to st^p up."
So tar. Clark has been
impressed with her team's work
ethic and inside and outside balance,
but she' is concerned about institut
ing a new style, and even more con
cerned about the Rams' anemic free
throw shooting.
"Since we are playing a new
style there mightbe more turnovers '
than we would like to see. but that is
? n. ? 1 J
understandable as the players get
Used to me anil me to them. If we
could improve our free throw shoot
ing that would be a great asset. "j
CIAA 1994-95 Women's Preseason
Predicted Order
of Finish
NORTHERN DfV.
Norfolk Slate
Bowie State
Hampton
Virginia State
Virgiiiia Uni<m
Prespasnn AII-f^TAA
plizabeth City State
St. Paul's
SOUTHERN DIV.
I
Favetteville State
St. Augustine'*. _
Name If
Kendra Home
Christina HoUins
w a *
Kristi Greene
LaTina Bullock
* * ' v * lv ?
Lisa Riek
fKendra White
Felicia Adams
Shani Bauldrick
Kachellc 1 Merer
School
WSSU
Fayette\lUe
I Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk
l\ .
Va* State
Shaw
1 1 a nipt on
Si Augustine's
AlVita Williams
\- 'avettevilie
Shaw
J. C. Smith
WSSU ,
NCCUi
Livingstone
Brandi Lemmons
Salema Coaxum
RoLnnda Dent
Bowie St.
J.C Smith
Norfolk
Pre-game ritual reflects front page 1 7
situations, how they respond to
adversity, and the teaching of my
children is extremely important,
even though I don't get to do as
much as I would like. My wife ?
Cheryl does a great job with them
and she^ spends a lot more time with
"them than I doTbut they are very
important to me." '
Caldwell spends long hours
toiling in the pressure cooker of big
time college football. He has the
added element of being the first
black head football coach in the his
tory of the Atlantic Coast Confer
ence. That distinction does not add
extra pressure, he says, but it is not
one that he fakes lightly either.
"I do have some responsibility.
I have responsibility to my family. 1
v have to make sure, first and fore
most, that I'm a good husband and a
good father. 1 thbik that takes a
good role model and quality leader
ship," Caldwell said. "Being in the
position I'm in professionally, I'm
one of a very, very select few and
obviously we are all hoping that
there are going to be more of us to
get an opportunity to be head foot
ball coaches at the Division I level.
To some extent that will depend on
how well some of us do that arc in
this position. I think it is sad that so
. ?
many very, very qualified individu
als might he judged by the prece
dent I set. especially if you look at
the antithesis of that. I've been
asked on several occasions if I felt
any pressure knowing that it I don't
do well that some schools across the
country will sa\ the> aren't going to
hire an African-American -because
look what happened at school A or
school B.
"1 say how come that never
happens when you look at- the
reverse of that. .Will school B sa\
we'll never hire another Caucasian
v
because look at what so and so did. I
don't think that is how it should he
determined. The job we do here \a ill
have some bearing upon the stan
dards set by other universities and
the decisions made by other institu
tions. but by no means do I think
that it is fair. We'll have great sue
cess at Wake Forest. It does not.
mean that someone else at another
school, simply because he is an
African- American, can .do what 1
was able to do. So you ha\ e to look
at the reverse of the situation also."
? Caldwell is a man of piwadove^r
On the one hand he makes his living
in an emotional, violent game pep
pered with big ego's. \et comes
across in interviews as reserved.
controlled and calm.
Halt of that outward calm may
bo attributed to deep religious con
victions dating back to his child
hood. The religious roots run deep
throughout the Caldwell clan. All of
Caldwell's siblings .tic m the min
istr\ and his brother parrel I is a
nationally-known evangelist in Fort
Vi aync. Indiana.
"We have severaJ ministers in
our taiitiih." he said. "It goes way
back, it is a deep tradition. The
church has been a very, ver\ strong
driving force in' our li\es and much
of our act i\ ities grow fng up focused
m and around the working of the
church and the gospel. It is still
very, ven important tome."
been called to the ministry, he. says
there are similarities between coach
ing and the call of tfw cloth.
"I tell m> brother we both have
been given the opportunity to lead,
guide, direct, and be looked upon as
an example." Caldwell said. "Our
position shouldn't be taken lightly. 1
alwsy7*j<4vC with rn\ brother and tell
him my congregation is probabh a
little more faithful than his because
every time 1 call a -meeting, they are
all there."
Dream
from page 1 7
from bigger schools) and make just
as many sacrifices."
The Trophy, named for Gram
bling State coach Eddie Robinson,
will be presented on Dec. 8 at the
Omni Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. Robin
son is the most winning coach in
college football history and could
become the first to win 400 games.
The Robinson Trophy is the brain
child of Reggie Rutherford. Presi
dent of the Rutherford Group, a Los
Angeles-based production compa
ny.
"As we define our business, we
feel we're in the recognition busi
ness." says Herff Jones Vice Presi
dent Joe Slaughter. "We specialize
in the academic community, but
when we view an individual like
Eddie Robinson, he has contributed
not only to academics but societ> in
general. If there is an outstanding
contributor of our generation, he's
one of them. We're delighted to
honor a life that has touched so
many lives. This is a tremendous
opportunity for "us to he associated
with an outstanding gentlemen."
Jeah Riggin-s. President of
Black Music for Arista Records.,
said sponsoring- the Robinson Tro
phy was a natural fit. "In our indus
try. we normalK celebrate' Black
Histor> month and Black Music
month." said Riggins. Co-Chair of
the Robinson' Trophy aw-ard ceremo
ny. "It makes more sense to invest
in young people. We need to quit
doing things just because we've
always done them and do thing's that
make sense."
US Air was the first sponsor to
sign on with the Robinson Troph>
The airline was alreadv invoJuu m
several sponsorship program*
"Because I was alreadv involved tn
a wide variety ot sponsorships, theft*
was no compelling need to- take on
another." explained Shirley Hender
son. US Air Director of I'rbun' Mar
keting. Yet when Mr. Rutherford
came to US Air. \1s. Henderson was
more than receptive. "Wh\ not take
on another project." she said. "If I
don't, who's going to do it.1 Reggie
presented a good case."
Rutherford en\ isions the Robin
son Trophs becoming iiist as presti
gious as the Heisrnan Trophy. The
corporate sponsors share his-\ision.
"1 see no reason wh\ it can't
when you look at the people who
would have v.up this award in the
past had therv been one and how
the\ ha\ e. gone on to have such a
great impact professionally and in
the world. sa\#s Slau ghter of Herft
lones.* Visit, our v<?. i\. i>. much
more aware ot the impact ot Coach
Ri.bmson as opposed 10 the gentle
men ? lolm Hewn. in ? th Heisman i>>
H.iniCvi aMc'
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