Around the CIAA With BV Sports' Bonitta Best
Tourney Ripe for Surprises
By Bonitta Best, AOL Black Voices CIAA Columnist,
Posted: 2007-02-26 08:54:08
The CIAA Basketball Tournament kicks off Monday at the
Charlotte Bobcats Arena with the women's division. The
men begin play on Wednesday.
The week promises to be as exciting as ever. The cliché is as old as time but still true: It's anybody's ball game.
For the women, the hottest team heading in tournament play is North Carolina Central. The Lady Eagles, the No. 1 seed, have won 14 straight games and look as fresh as they did in December. The only thing that can derail NCCU is the pressure to win it all in its last season of CIAA play.
Of course, Shaw and Elizabeth City State might have a say in who cuts down the nets on March 3. The Lady Bears are the four-time defending champions but have hit a few nasty road bumps this season. Still, Shaw is not giving up its crown without a fight.
The Lady Vikings was the surefire favorite to win it all in the preseason. But after winning 11 of 12 games at one point, ECSU lost three straight and its No. 1 seeding. The team also lost Tiffany Smith during those losses. If a healthy Smith returns and the Lady Vikings remember their one-point loss in the semifinals to Johnson C. Smith last year, they might right the ship before it's too late.
EASTERN DIVISION
Virginia Union (18-4, 15-4)
The Panthers are in familiar territory as the No. 1 seed. Union is seeking its fourth straight title and a third straight trip to the D-2 national championship. The Panthers didnt dominate teams as in years past, but coach Dave Robbins got the most out of a young and slightly inexperienced team. Robbins says winning the CIAA tournament is better than winning a national title, so you know what that means. Look out!
Grade: A
Virginia State (19-7, 14-5)
The Trojans are the surprise team of the season to everyone but coach Tony Collins. Picked to finish third in the East, and that was only because the division is so weak outside of Union and Bowie State, Collins had his team on an eight-game winning streak at one point. The Trojans are definitely the team of the future with the right man at the helm. Collins should be coach of the year.
Grade: B+
Bowie State (15-9, 11-9)
The Bulldogs have the best player in the league in Gil Goodrich, as voted on by the coaches, but they are playing some lousy ball. Bowie, who once was the No. 1 seed, lost four of its last five games. Why? Because when Goodrich is on, everybody is on; when Goodrich is off, everybody is off. Teams have adjusted to defending Goodrich and it's affected the whole team.
Grade: C+
Elizabeth City State (12-14, 8-11)
The Vikings have not changed from their roller-coaster ways. You never know which team is going to show up from game to game. But they did show top-ranked St. Augustine's the door last year so anything's possible.
Grade: D+
Saint Paul's (11-15, 7-12) The Tigers' record is quite deceptive. They have quality wins over Bowie, VSU and Fayetteville State. Nobody wants to play them in the first round -- NOBODY!
Grade: D+
Shaw (3-24, 1-19)
On that same note, EVERYBODY would like to have Shaw in the first round. The Bears have a lot of work to do.
Grade: F
WESTERN DIVISION
J.C. Smith (15-8, 13-6)
Coach Steve Joyner has the Golden Bulls peaking at the right time. Smith is on a five-game winning streak after giving FSU its first division loss of the season last week. Joyner, who has one championship in 19 years, wants another one -- BAD. And what better place to win it than at home in Charlotte.
Grade: B
St. Aug's (18-8, 14-6)
After back-to-back losses to FSU and BSU, St. Aug's has gotten its offense and defense back on track. Antonio Fitzgerald, Chip Neeley and Nicholas King are the most potent weapons in the league when theyre on. And they need to be on for the Falcons to win it all.
Grade: B
Fayetteville State (14-12, 11-9)
Despite losing two straight to Smith and St. Aug's, coach Sam Hanger has done an outstanding job and should also be a candidate for coach of the year. No one expected the Broncos to be in the thick of the division race. Hanger is not a screamer on the sideline but he gets the job done.
Grade: B-
N.C. Central (12-13, 8-11)
At one point the Eagles couldn't beat themselves, let alone an opponent. A three-game win streak was snapped by Union, but coach Henry Dickerson has the team playing much better ball than last month. Will NCCU's farewell tour end with a ring? No.
Livingstone (7-18, 5-14)
Coach James Stinson has to be asking himself where he went wrong. In his first season at LC, he was kicking behind like drunken fraternity brothers on a piñata. Now, one win is cause for a standing ovation. He won't fix the problem this week.
Grade: D-
The week promises to be as exciting as ever. The cliché is as old as time but still true: It's anybody's ball game.
For the women, the hottest team heading in tournament play is North Carolina Central. The Lady Eagles, the No. 1 seed, have won 14 straight games and look as fresh as they did in December. The only thing that can derail NCCU is the pressure to win it all in its last season of CIAA play.
Of course, Shaw and Elizabeth City State might have a say in who cuts down the nets on March 3. The Lady Bears are the four-time defending champions but have hit a few nasty road bumps this season. Still, Shaw is not giving up its crown without a fight.
The Lady Vikings was the surefire favorite to win it all in the preseason. But after winning 11 of 12 games at one point, ECSU lost three straight and its No. 1 seeding. The team also lost Tiffany Smith during those losses. If a healthy Smith returns and the Lady Vikings remember their one-point loss in the semifinals to Johnson C. Smith last year, they might right the ship before it's too late.
EASTERN DIVISION
Virginia Union (18-4, 15-4)
The Panthers are in familiar territory as the No. 1 seed. Union is seeking its fourth straight title and a third straight trip to the D-2 national championship. The Panthers didnt dominate teams as in years past, but coach Dave Robbins got the most out of a young and slightly inexperienced team. Robbins says winning the CIAA tournament is better than winning a national title, so you know what that means. Look out!
Grade: A
Virginia State (19-7, 14-5)
The Trojans are the surprise team of the season to everyone but coach Tony Collins. Picked to finish third in the East, and that was only because the division is so weak outside of Union and Bowie State, Collins had his team on an eight-game winning streak at one point. The Trojans are definitely the team of the future with the right man at the helm. Collins should be coach of the year.
Grade: B+
Bowie State (15-9, 11-9)
The Bulldogs have the best player in the league in Gil Goodrich, as voted on by the coaches, but they are playing some lousy ball. Bowie, who once was the No. 1 seed, lost four of its last five games. Why? Because when Goodrich is on, everybody is on; when Goodrich is off, everybody is off. Teams have adjusted to defending Goodrich and it's affected the whole team.
Grade: C+
Elizabeth City State (12-14, 8-11)
The Vikings have not changed from their roller-coaster ways. You never know which team is going to show up from game to game. But they did show top-ranked St. Augustine's the door last year so anything's possible.
Grade: D+
Saint Paul's (11-15, 7-12) The Tigers' record is quite deceptive. They have quality wins over Bowie, VSU and Fayetteville State. Nobody wants to play them in the first round -- NOBODY!
Grade: D+
Shaw (3-24, 1-19)
On that same note, EVERYBODY would like to have Shaw in the first round. The Bears have a lot of work to do.
Grade: F
WESTERN DIVISION
J.C. Smith (15-8, 13-6)
Coach Steve Joyner has the Golden Bulls peaking at the right time. Smith is on a five-game winning streak after giving FSU its first division loss of the season last week. Joyner, who has one championship in 19 years, wants another one -- BAD. And what better place to win it than at home in Charlotte.
Grade: B
St. Aug's (18-8, 14-6)
After back-to-back losses to FSU and BSU, St. Aug's has gotten its offense and defense back on track. Antonio Fitzgerald, Chip Neeley and Nicholas King are the most potent weapons in the league when theyre on. And they need to be on for the Falcons to win it all.
Grade: B
Fayetteville State (14-12, 11-9)
Despite losing two straight to Smith and St. Aug's, coach Sam Hanger has done an outstanding job and should also be a candidate for coach of the year. No one expected the Broncos to be in the thick of the division race. Hanger is not a screamer on the sideline but he gets the job done.
Grade: B-
N.C. Central (12-13, 8-11)
At one point the Eagles couldn't beat themselves, let alone an opponent. A three-game win streak was snapped by Union, but coach Henry Dickerson has the team playing much better ball than last month. Will NCCU's farewell tour end with a ring? No.
Livingstone (7-18, 5-14)
Coach James Stinson has to be asking himself where he went wrong. In his first season at LC, he was kicking behind like drunken fraternity brothers on a piñata. Now, one win is cause for a standing ovation. He won't fix the problem this week.
Grade: D-
2005-06-09 12:23:55
