‘Possibilities’ Abound with LeMoyne-Owen Basketball

by Dr. Jesse F. McClure
Special to the Tri-State Defender

Although William Anderson is the men’s basketball coach of a small college team, he has large ambitions. He thinks that his team at The Lemoyne-Owen College could be a factor in the NCAA Division 2 Championship picture at season’s end.

Anderson’s team began the season by playing exhibition games against the University of Memphis Tigers and the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, which are both Division 1 powerhouses. LeMoyne-Owen lost both games but gained confidence, visibility and experience. Anderson, who also serves as the college’s athletic director, was pleased with the substantial payments received from those games. “These dollars are really helpful to our program,” he said.

Last year, the men’s team won the S.I.A.C. conference tournament and Andersen is building upon that strong foundation. He points to sophomore forward DeAndre Gant, a scoring machine who heralds from Detroit, a favorite recruiting spot of LeMoyne-Owen coaching legend Jerry Johnson.

Anderson said the Magicians also will count on senior guards Maurice Mickens and LaDarius Johnson to be major contributors this year. Sophomore Calvin Stoudemire, the 6’6” brother of Phoenix Suns star Amare Stoudemire, is expected to bring some needed front-court power to this year’s team.

Anderson beamed when speaking of Chris Noel, a 5’7” guard from Harlem, N.Y. “Noel is our Christmas gift. He plays like a New Yorker and he can be a really valuable member of our team.”

Memphis high school legend, Taurean “T-Head” Moy, returns to the team as a walk-on player this season. Moy was one of the most prolific scorers in Memphis prep basketball history. Anderson says that Moy, whose college career was sidetracked by legal issues, “has done everything we have asked of him. He has been a model citizen and he still has a beautiful shooting stroke.”

The Lady Magicians

The LeMoyne-Owen women’s team is also poised to have an exciting year. Anderson, who coached the women’s team from 2000-09, thinks the new Lady Magicians’ coach, Myquita Mackey, “is ready to build a solid program.” Mackey, a former LeMoyne-Owen star player, thinks she has “some of the “pieces in place to be competitive this year.”

Mackey is especially proud of 5’9” guard Shonice Sprouse, a Memphis native who transferred from McNeese State in Louisiana.

Jasmine Massey, a 5’5”junior guard from Memphis’ Booker T. Washington High School, should be another leader of this year’s Lady Magicians.

Coach Mackey also thinks that another McNeese State transfer, Ryen Hurd, will be a valuable addition. She expects solid contributions from former Southwest Tennessee Community College star Ashley Mason. Mackey, who played for Coach Andrea Martre at Southwest Community College before transferring to LeMoyne-Owen, hopes Mason is the first of many Southwest   players who will find their way to the LOC campus.

Anderson says this could be an exciting year for both the women and men basketball teams at LeMoyne-Owen.

“This is my dream job and I am excited by the possibilities we have here,” he says.

Stylistics Turn The LeMoyne-Owen College Gala Into a Time-Travel Affair

While only two of the Stylistics’ original members remain, the group’s crowd-pleasing sound still was strong during a performance at Minglewood Hall last Saturday. (Photos by Earl Stanback) by Dr. Jesse F. McClure Special to the Tri-State Defender At Minglewood Hall in Midtown last Saturday night, the calendar seemed to have turned back to the early 1970’s. And the timekeepers were the Stylistics. The Philadelphia “doo wop” group brought many in the audience of more than 500 to the dance floor, with many others singing along as the group moved smoothly through an array of memorable songs during the 39th Annual Gala of The LeMoyne-Owen College. LOC President Johnnie B. Watson and his wife seemed right in their element as they danced to the sounds of one of Philadelphia’s famous soul groups. The Stylistics are celebrating their forty-first year as a group. While only two of the group’s original members remain, the sound seems unchanged. The Stylistics are known for tunes such as ”Betcha By Golly Wow,” “Stop Look Listen to Your Heart,” “Break Up to Make Up,” and their most popular recording, “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” ”The Stylistics have always been and will always be all about love songs,” Herbert Murrell, one of the original group members, told the audience. The Gala is part The LeMoyne-Owen College’s fund-raising effort on behalf of the United Negro College Fund. In addition to the evening’s entertainment, the program included two presentations of the college’s Beacon of Hope Award. The first went to Tennessee Rep. Lois Deberry, who is the Speaker Pro Tem of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Deberry, who is a LOC graduate, was recognized for tireless advocacy on behalf of African-American citizens in the state of Tennessee. The Tri-State Bank of Memphis was the other Beacon of Hope Award recipient. Two historic leaders of Memphis’ African-American community – Dr. J.E. Walker and his son, A. Maceo Walker – founded the bank in 1946. Tri-State Bank was honored for its pioneering efforts to provide home financing to African-American prospective homeowners. During the civil rights protests of the 1950’s and 1960’s, the bank provided bail money to activists who were arrested. In addition the bank was cited for its financing of African American churches and its commitment to help African-American farmers, historically black colleges and other community organizations.

No Hank Aaron, No Problem at Namesake Golf Tournament

By Tri-State Defender Newsroom | Published  08/27/2009 |   Bob Simpson, Lionel Hollins, Penny Hardaway and Roger Brown

by Dr. Jesse F. McClure Special to the Tri-State Defender   When more than 140 players teed off at the annual Hank Aaron Celebrity Sports Weekend Golf Tournament at Quail Ridge Golf Course last Friday (Aug. 21), one person was notably absent – baseball great and tournament namesake Hank Aaron. Aaron lent his name to the tournament more than fifteen years ago to help raise funds for LeMoyne-Owen College and the United Negro College Fund. “Hank has usually been present but recently he has restricted his travel as a result of his age and busy schedule,” said Bob Simpson, tournament chairman and a State Farm Insurance agent. Simpson said that while Aaron was missed, a number of celebrities stepped in to pinch-hit for the Hall of Fame slugger. David Porter, the Grammy winning musician and song writing partner of the late Isaac Hayes, stood in for Aaron as the tournament’s host. Porter, who has been inducted into the National Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, is also a passionate golfer. The tournament’s all-star lineup included Memphis’ own NBA greats, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and Elliott Perry. Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and former NFL standout Stanley Morgan were on hand, as was former Los Angeles Dodger and two-time National League batting champion Tommy Davis. The Hank Aaron Tournament has its roots in the Ad In Tennis Association of Memphis and the association’s commitment to give back to the Memphis community. More than 25 years ago, the association first sponsored an annual tennis tournament to raise funds for a number of Memphis area charitable organizations that served African Americans. “After a few years, the tennis club realized that we could raise a lot more money from a golf tournament than a tennis outing,” said Simpson. “There a lot more golfers in Memphis than tennis players. There are also a lot more golf courses than tennis facilities.” The association also decided to focus its efforts on supporting LeMoyne-Owen College because it was “such a vital resource to the Memphis community.” This year’s tournament was sponsored by Comcast, with Otha Brannon, one of its executives, taking care of all the logistics of the tournament. NIKE provided commemorative shirts and hats to all the participants. A team from Harrah’s Casinos won the tournament’s first flight, while a team from AT&T finished first in the second flight. Simpson closed out the awards luncheon with this quip: “ I know that the Memphis Grizzlies are going to have a winning season because I saw Coach Hollins play golf today and it is clear that he must be concentrating on basketball because his golf game needs a lot of help.”

Pioneering African American Policeman: A Beacon of Hope

Published  08/27/2009

by Dr. Jesse F. McClure Special to the Tri-State DefenderSeated at a table near the front at the 39th annual The LeMoyne-Owen College Gala Saturday night, retired Memphis Police captain Elmo Samuel Berkley suffered a massive heart attack just about the time guests were told that the buffet lines were open. Despite the valiant efforts of paramedics, the 83-year-old Berkley passed away. Retired Capt. Elmo Samuel Berkley was a Memphis Police Department pioneer. (Courtesy photo) With his death, a man who was a major part of Memphis history and the history of African Americans in the South moved on. Capt. Berkley, a veteran of the United States Navy, was a member of the second group of African Americans hired by the Memphis Police Department. The first African officers were hired in 1948. Starting with his appointment in 1951 and serving more than 41 years as a policeman, Berkley saw dramatic change in his city and in the MPD. In the early days of his service as a policeman, African-American officers were not allowed to arrest white people. All they could do was try to surround white suspects until a white policeman arrived to make the arrest. They called this stall technique, “the magic circle.” By the time he retired, Berkley had risen to the rank of captain and the city he had served was about to come under the direction of the first African American elected to serve as mayor. African Americans were able to serve at the highest levels of the MPD, including as director. Berkley will be buried with full honors from the Memphis Police Department. Roger Brown, director of special events at The LeMoyne Owen College, worked closely with the retired police captain for many years.  He called Berkley “Mr. LeMoyne-Owen” for the many years and many hours Berkley had given to raise funds for the historical college. “Despite his advanced age and illness, Captain Berkley had attended every weekly planning meeting for this year’s 39th Annual (The) LeMoyne-Owen College (LOC) Gala for the past three months,” said Brown. That was to be expected since Berkley had supported every one of the previous 38 Gala fund-raisers. In addition, Brown said, “Captain Berkley supported the Baptist International Tea for 50 years,” which is another LOC fund-raising effort. Berkley himself had attended Henderson Business College. Berkley was also devoted to his church, the Greater White Stone Baptist Church. There he served as a deacon (emeritus) and as the church clerk (emeritus). He was seated at the Gala table sponsored by the church on Saturday. It is said that Berkley always got his church to buy its table early,  so that he could sit close to the stage. LOC President Johnnie B. Watson told a television interviewer that as a youngster growing up in Memphis, Berkley’s service with the police force showed him and his friends that more doors were opening up for African Americans in the city. For Watson and many other African Americans in Memphis, Captain Berkley was a “Beacon of Hope” – the name of the award the college bestows at the Gala each year. Capt. Berkley leaves his wife, Dorothy Biggs Berkley, and two sons, Steven W. Berkley and Lyndon Berkley.

New Memphis City Schools A.D. says ‘It’s all about the kids’

By Dr. Jesse F. McClure | Published 07/30/2008

David “Smokey” Gaines is the new Athletic Director for the Memphis City Schools. For Gaines, his new position is but the latest stop in a journey that has taken him all over the world.

For the past three years, Gaines – a former Harlem Globetrotter – served as men’s basketball coach and athletic director at LeMoyne-Owen College. While he enjoyed his time at his alma mater, Gaines said, “I am really excited about working with youngsters who attend Memphis City Schools and having the opportunity to improve their lives. It is all about the kids.”

Gaines is replacing long time city schools’ athletic director, Wayne Weedon. Gaines’ assistant will be Northside High School athletic director and girls’ basketball coach Donald Holmes. Both men declined to comment on any of the past controversies surrounding athletic programs in the city schools.

“I am only looking forward and not backwards,” Gaines said, referring to Memphis City Schools.

Gaines, however, does look back to trace the connection between education and athletics in his life. “All of the successes I have had in my life are a result of my education and my education has come because of my involvement with athletics,” he said.

He wants students to succeed both in their schoolwork and in their sports.

“Too many athletes are not succeeding in school and do not have options after they finish playing. I had options and I want all our student athletes to have options.”

Gaines earned his Bachelor of Science degree at LeMoyne-Owen and a Master of Arts degree at Eastern Michigan University.

Parents can expect to hear from Gaines whosaid he will try to get them more involved with the school system’s athletic programs. And while Gaines said it is too early for him to get specific about program changes, he’s looking forward to working with the Memphis Redbirds in supporting baseball and softball programs.

Gaines and Holmes are both avid golfers and would like to get younger students learning to play. Gaines says they will explore opportunities to work with the First Tee program in Memphis.

A native of Detroit, Gaines first came to Memphis in 1959 to attend LeMoyne -Owen and play basketball for legendary coach Jerry C. Johnson. After leaving LeMoyne-Owen, Gaines became a world traveler, playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. He was the Globetrotters’ “dribbling whiz” before “Curly” Neal.

After almost four years with the Globetrotters, Gaines played in the old American Basketball Association (ABA) for a season. He returned to Memphis when his playing days ended and spent a year as an assistant coach at LeMoyne-Owen. Later, he served as an elementary teacher, high school teacher and as an athletic director for a Job Corps program.

Gaines big break came in 1973 when he joined then University of Detroit head basketball coach and current ESPN basketball analyst, Dick Vitale. After serving four years as Vitale’s assistant, Gaines became head coach at Detroit in 1977. He had two successful seasons in Detroit and joined the ranks of John Thompson, Fred Snowden and George Raveling as one of the few African-American head coaches at Division 1 colleges.

In 1979, Gaines left Detroit to become head basketball coach at San Diego State University. He broke the hearts of many Memphis Tiger fans when he successfully recruited West Memphis high school basketball star,Michael Cage. At the time, most observers thought Cage would take the short trip across the river to play for the Tigers.

“When Michael saw the San Diego State campus, the ocean and students sun bathing, I knew he would be playing for me,” said Gaines.

Cage became a star at San Diego State followed by a long and successful career in the NBA.

In 1987, Gaines left coaching to become an assistant athletic director at San Diego State. Two years later, he joined the NBA’s Denver Nuggets as a professional scout. He left the Nuggets in 1994 and until moving to Memphis in 2005, headed a number of business ventures in San Diego and Las Vegas.

“All of my experiences will help me in my new position with the Memphis City Schools,” Gaines said.

David