Photos by Timothy Ramsey
Hornet affiliate player Perry Ellis, left, hams it up with head coach Noel Gillespie during media day.
Hornets D-League team gearing up for season
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
The basketball season is upon us once again. The
NBA season just tipped off and now it's time for the NBA
Development League (D-League) to do the same. The
Charlotte Hornets will unveil its newly formed D-league
team the Greensboro Swarm this season.
The NBA D-League is the NBA's official minor
league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers and
front office staff for the NBA while acting as the league's
research and development laboratory. The D-League
began play during the 2001-02 season and is entering its
16th season. The league currently has 22 singly affiliated
teams.
The Swarm, an expansion franchise, opened training
camp on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Included in the 15-man ros
ter are three affiliate players of the Hornets - Perry Ellis,
Rasheed Sulaimon and Mike Tobey.
Head Coach Noel Gillespie says he wants to "hit the
ground running" with his team and has high expectations
not only for the affiliated players but the entire roster.
"Obviously, as you can see it's all coming together,"
said Gillespie. "It was a vision about putting a team in
Greensboro, and now we have the actual players, coaches
and uniforms. We are so happy to get started."
Gillespie thinks having affiliate players from the
Hornets on the roster will help set the tone for the locker
room and play on the floor. He says they will help devel
op the culture on the floor the Hornets are looking for.
The Swarm training camp roster is sprinkled with a
few veterans along with a lot of youth and draft picks. He
says the time his three affiliate players spent with the
Hornets will be invaluable.
Perry Ellis, Hornets affiliate player, said that playing
at a major program like Kansas for four years under head
coach Bill Self helped him grow tremendously. He is
recently coming off injury and is now 100 percent and
eager to get on the court.
"The thing I always focus on is making sure I go as
hard as I can," said Ellis. "Since coach was around during
training camp with the Hornets, I got the chance to work
with him and he's a smart guy. I'm just excited just to
play and let's see what happens."
Former NBA player and native North Carolinian
Damien Wilkins is on the roster. He says he had the
opportunity to play overseas for more money but the
opportunity to play close to his home was too enticing.
Wilkins is the son of 13-year NBA veteran Gerald
Wilkins and nephew of NBA All Star Dominique Wilkins.
"I probably have more experience than any of these
guys, but every day you try to leam and get better,"
Wilkins said. "I'm here to provide leadership, also to play
and play well and help this team be as good as we can be."
He says his goal is to learn and get better and eventu
ally make it back to the NBA. He said the tricky part is
aligning your goal of making it to the NBA with what the
team wants to accomplish on the D-league level.
The Swarm training camp will last until Nov. 11.
Officials will have to trim their roster to 13, including
their assigned players from the NBA before the end of
camp. The team will play their first game Saturday, Nov.
12, against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at the Greensboro
Coliseum. The schedule for the D-league is 50 games as
compared to the 82 game NBA season.
Head coach Noel
Gillespie is embarking
on his first head coach'
ing position on the pro
fessional level.
Former NBA player
Damien Wilkins is one
of the veterans on the
team looking to get back
to the league.
Swarm forward Perry
Ellis wants to return to
his stellar form fte
showed at Kansas to get
back to the NBA.
f
WSSU Rams hold on for win over Fayetteville State
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
FAYETTEVILLE,
N.C. - Winston-Salem
State University (WSSU)
rode the back of sopho
more running back
Kerrion Moore, who fin
ished the day with 259 all
purpose yards, and the
defense rose to the occa
sion in the second half, as
the Rams came away with
a 28-21 road win over
Fayetteville State (FSU) at
Luther "Nick Jeralds
Stadium.
After a scoreless and
defensive first quarter,
Winston-Salem State
would finally break the
scoreless tie with 1:04
left before halftime,
when Rod Tinsley
would find an open
Anthony Rook in the
back of the end zone, for a
IS yard touchdown pass
and catch to give the Rams
a 7-0 lead.
The FSU Broncos
would not waste any time
in answering the Rams
score, as Brian Walker
would return the kickoff
99 yards for a score to tie
the game with 45 seconds
remaining before the half.
WSSU would begin
their drive with just 37
seconds left before half
time, and on the first play,
Rod Tinsley would find an
open Demeeko Jones
down the middle for a 42
yard completion. Two
plays later, Tinsley would
find Canard Brown in the
corner of the end zone for
a 33 yard touchdown, to
give the Rams a 14-7
advantage heading into the
locker room at the half.
Coming out for the
second half, the
Fayetteville State Broncos
marched down the field in
nine plays, covering 33
yards, before stalling and
settling for a 27 yard
David Lamb field goal, to
cut the WSSU lead to 14
10.
The Rams would
regroup and with 4:36 left
in the third quarter. Rod
, Tinsley would hook up
with Kerrion Moore for
the play of the game.
Tinsley would hit Moore
on a crossing route, and
Kerrion Moore would do
the rest. Moore raced up
the right sideline, hurdling
a Bronco defender, and
finishing off the pass 70
yards later with a touch
down, moving the Rams to
a 21-10 lead.
Midway through the
fourth quarter, Justus
Pickett would score from
one yard out, and Will
Johnson would connect on
the PAT to seemingly put
the game away with a 28
10 advantage.
But on this day, in a
rivalry game, it's never
over until the clock hits
triple zeros. The FSU
Broncos would march
down the field and with
2:23 left to play, DeMarius
Davis would find Marquez
Beeks for an eight-yard
touchdown pass, to cut the
lead to 28-18.
The Broncos would
attempt and recover the
ensuing onside kick, and
with 59 second left, David
Lamb would hit a 25-yard
field goal to cut the lead to
28-21.
FSU would attempt a
second onside kick, but
this time, the Broncos
would be called for illegal
touching, as they recov
ered the ball before it went
10 yards, giving the ball to
the Rams, and allowing
them to run out the clock
for the 28-21 win.
Kerrion Moore had his
best day ever at WSSU, as
he finished the game with
122 rushing yards on 19
carries, and Justus Pickett
ran for 45 yards on nine
carries with one touch
down. Rod Tinsley rushed
five times for 25 yards and
Xavier Quick also rushed
five times for 16 yards.
Kerrion Moore led the
Rams receivers with seven
catches for 116 yards and
one ESPN Top Ten touch
down pass and catch.
Moore caught a crossing
pass, and hurdled a Bronco
defender and raced 70
yards for a touchdown
down the right sideline.
Demeeko Jones finished
with three catches for 45
yards, and Canard Brown
had two catches for 40
yards and one touchdown.
Anthony Rook finished
with three catches for 30
yards and one touchdown.
Quincy Jackson (18 yds),
and Michael Benis (2 yds)
each finished with one
catch.
Cameron Sullivan led
the Ram defenders with
11 tackles and 1.5 tackles
for a loss, and Jarrell
Bright had nine tackles,
2.5 tackles for a loss and
two sacks. Jayron Rankin
had an outstanding day,
finishing with eight tack
les, two tackles for a loss
and an interception.
Braxton Daye seven tack
les and 0.5 tackle for a
loss, while lyrell
Flemming had five tack
les, Xavier Gregory also
had five tackles 1.5 tackles
for a loss and one tackle
and one pass breakup. PJ
Clyburn also picked up
five tackles and De'Andre
Blevins had four tackles,
as did Amyl Smith and
Jack Nimmons. Smith
also picked up 0.5 sack
and 0.5 tackles for a loss.
Winston-Salem State
will immediately turn their
attention to the CIAA
Championship Game, and
its opponent, Bowie State
University. Bowie State
defeated Elizabeth City
State University, 56-7 on
Saturday to secure the
Northern Division.
28-21
WSSU championship game to air on TV
WSSU and Bowie State University will compete for the CIAA
Championship crown on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Salem Stadium in
Salem, Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will
air nationwide on the ASPiRE Network.
' % ? ...
Provided by WSSU
Kerrion Moore, No. 26, had his best day ever at Winston-Salem State University
during the game against Fayetteville State on Saturday.
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