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http://www.thepost.mindspring.com Cljarlottc ^osit 1B SPORTS y THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1997 Growing pains Columbia, S.C., native Jermaine O’Neal says he is more mature as he enters his second NBA season. Page 4B. Hornets get the point in Wesley By Karl Petraroja FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST FORT MILL, S.C. - The Charlotte Hornets decided it was better to have David Wesley on their side rather than tiy to beat him. The 26-year old Wesley, who signed a seven-yeai- free agent deal over the summer, is poised to become the Hornets’ starting point guard, replacing incumbent Muggsy Bogues. Wesley knows hell be replacing a local legend, but still feels welcome in the Queen City, especially since for ward Anthony Mason called him Lewis wants more By John Curran THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Lennox Lewis says it’s just as well that Riddick Bowe is retired because Bowe couldn’t handle him anyway. Minutes after he retained his WBC heavyweight title with a surprisingly easy first-roimd vic tory over Andrew Golota, some one asked Lewis if he wanted Bowe. After all, Golota had over powered the former heavyweight champ in both fights before being disqualified for low blows. Lewis thought about it. Then he said: “I’ve got too much meanness built up for Riddick Bowe. It doesn’t make sense for him to come back (for a Lewis fight).” If their performances against the street- _______ fighting Pole are any indica tion, Lewis is far more dan gerous in the ring. D n Saturday, teyds knocked Golota down twice before stopping him 1:35 into the first round of their scheduled 12- rounder before 13,889 people at Convention Hall. He swarmed over the jittery Golota and knocked him down with 55 seconds elapsed after coimecting on four rights to the head. After referee Joe Cortez gave the go-ahead to resume fighting, Lewis attacked again and landed three hard rights that dropped Golota to the seat of his pants. Lewis, the 32-year-old WBC heavyweight champion from Britain, had complained that he didn’t get the respect he deserved from the U.S. media and boxing public. At 32-1, he may now. “Basically, I wanted to go out and make my statement to the World and prove I’m the best heavyweight champion on the planet,” Lewis said. He also wants to unify the championship by winning the WBA and IBF titles. It looks as if .he will get the chance. Promoter Dino Duva said he believes Lewis will fight the win ner of a Nov. 8 match at Las Vegas between WBA champion Evander Holyfield and IBF champion Michael Moorer. ..Lewis and Moorer are tied to Duva’s Main Events while -polyfield has a deal with promot er Don King, but Duva doesn't uplink that wiU be a stumbling . ^ock. However, there is an obsta cle. The IBF champion is due to .^ke a mandatory defense (gainst No. 1-ranked Vaughn Bpan, even though Moorer has successfully defended against Bean, and the WBA champion owes a mandatory defense S^ainst Orlin Norris. Lewis to sing the virtues of being a Hornet. “He was very encouraging,” Wesley said. “He basically wanted to know what I wanted to do. When players on the team and coaches and you got a full staff, the general manag er wants you here, it definite ly makes you want to come to the team.” Why wouldn’t the Hornets want Wesley Wesley? In his four-year pro career, Wesley’s best games have come against the Hornets, includ ing Nov. 22, 1995 when he tied a Boston franchise record for three- point field goals made in a game. He hit 7-of-lO on his way to a career-best 37 points, as the Celtics routed the Hornets. Wesley also scored a season- high 34 points last December against the Hornets. He brings not only scoring (16.8 points per game last season) but play-mak ing abflity (7.3 assists) and some rebounding (3.6 per game). His perimeter defense adds a dimen sion the Hornets have rarely had at point guard. He’s also very quick, as exhibited by his 2.21 steals per game last season, fifth in the NBA. Hornets head coach Dave Cowens likes Wesley’s strong defensive game. “We didn’t have it against the Knicks,” in last season’s playoffs,” Cowens said. ‘We didn’t have it against anybody, so now we get David to give it to us. ‘We got a better chance now of keeping people from penetrating and driving the lane which gets your big guys out of position...and affects so much, that you’ve got to See WESLEY on page 3B It’s fundamental: Charlotte Hornets Anthony Mason, and Glen Rice get Into some light reading during a photo session last Thursday in Fort Mill, S.C. PHOTO/HERBERT L. WHITE Johnson C. Smith defenders like cornerback Micheal Brown (10) will try to keep Livingstone’s offense in check when the teams meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Livingstone is ranked 14th in Division II and Is 6-0. Bear essentials Livingstone offers example for Johnson C. Smith to emulate By Herbert L. White first season THE CHARLOTTE POST at JCSU, hopes to get Livingstone football coach the Golden Rudy ' Abrams has what Bulls in that Johnson C. Smith’s Bill Davis position wants. some day. Livingstone’s Blue Bears, “They’ve who play Smith Saturday at got a pro- 1:30 p.m., are unbeaten, gram that’s ranked No. 14 in Division II talked about and first in the CIAA under all over the Abrams. Davis, who is in his country,” Davis Davis said. “A few years ago, Livingstone was the doormat of the CIAA. They made that commit ment to hav ing a good program and I hope we’ll Abrams do likewise.” The Bears (6-0, 3-0 CIAA) are a power because of Abrams, who turned Livingstone around with a mix of bruising offense and suffo cating defense. Tb be a model of winning consistency, especially to a rival, is high praise. “For someone to say they want their program to be See WINNING on page 3B Booster club’s mission is fund raising By Herbert L. White THE CHARLOTTE POST Johnson C. Smith’s athletic department has a simple goal this year: Raise $200,000 to support the school’s sports programs. Operation Bull’s-Eye, JCSlTs athletic booster program, is try ing to reach the figure by get ting 2,000 alumni and friends of the school to contribute $100 each. In an era of spiraling bud gets, the cost of education and sports requires a community commitment. “Our goal is to get at least 2,000 alumni, friends and sup porters of Johnson C. Smith University to invest - not give - $100 or more into our athletic program,” athletics director and football coach Bill Davis said. ‘That would help our scholarships, our travel, our recruitment. That would just help our program aU the way around.” For more information on Operation Bull’s-Eye, call the JCSU atheltics department at 378-1205. Sixer plays for raise THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHAPEL HILL - Jerry Stackhouse has much to play for in the 1997-98 NBA season. The Philadelphia 76ers shoot ing guard wants to help the team back to respectabihty after it aver aged 59 losses over the past five seasons. The Sixers are 40-124 in Stackhouse’s two professional sea sons. Then there’s Stackhouse’s con tract situation. The Sixers opted not to make a serious effort to sign him prior to the Oct. 1 early dead line. They cannot begin negotia tions until the end of the season. On July 1, Stackhouse car- become a free agent. “I’ve got to prove something t- ■ everybody,” he said. Stackhouse is intrigued by th;: huge contracts that went to fello\' third-year pros Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett in the pas', week. Wallace, the fourth selection iu the 1995 NBA Draft, worked out u six-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers for a reported $8() million. Garnett, the fifth pick, received a record $125 million over six years from the Minnesota Umberwolves. Stackhouse, who was third, just before ex-North Carolina teammate Wallace and Garnett, thinks Wallace’s contract is a decent barometer for the kind of money he can expect from the Sixers. “I think it’s great,” Stackhouse said of the Wallace and Garnett deals. “Fm never one to knock anybody for what they make.” Stackhouse compared his num bers to those of Garnett, a 6-foot- 11 forward. Garnett averagedlO.4 points and 6.3 rebounds as a rook ie, then made a jump to 17 points, 8 rebounds. He was rewarded with his first trip to the AU-Star game last season and Minnesota reached the playoffs for the first time, thanks largely to the efforts of Garnett and Stephen Marbmy. Stackhouse averaged 19.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 1995: 96, and 20.7 points and 4.2 rebounds last season. “I think (the Timberwolves) won a few more games, although 1 See STACKHOUSE on page 3B Questions for the Panthers PHOTO/WADE NASH Carolina Panthers linebacker Micheal Barrow needs to step up on defense, where Carolina has been uncharacteristically inept. By Herbert L. White THE CHARLOTTE POST 'The Carolina Panthers are a troubled team. So, naturally, there are ques tions about how they got into this 2-3 predicament, and more impor tant, how to get out of it starting Sunday in Minnesota. 1. Can this team be as good as last season’s? First, forget last season. It was special, but there’s been too much turnover to match last year’s squad. Carolina got yormger, but it lost chemistry, that elusive ingredient for winners. 2. Will they pull it together? That’s the most difficult ques tion. The warning signs of trouble were apparent during a 0-4 pre season, but they were down played. Now they’re obvious. The next four weeks will be a real test for coach Dom Capers, who is fac ing his first crisis after two suc cessful seasons. If the Panthers sweep or go 3-1, they’re in the thick of the playoff hunt. Anything less, and it’s going to be a long wait ‘til next summer. 3. Should Steve Beurlein be the starting quarterback? At this point, it probably won’t hurt, not after the putrid perfor mances Kerry Collins has put together in the last two games; Although Capers has said he probably rushed Colhns back into, action from a broken jaw too soon, the third-year pro’s troubles go ‘ beyond busted chops. He’s hang ing onto the ball too long, missing receivers and just having a bad time in general. There’s still lin gering tension in the locker room about Collins’ commitment to See PANTHERS on page 3B
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 9, 1997, edition 1
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