McAfee coached for more than wins

The Wichita Sports Hall of Fame inducts 10 individuals and a team.

When David Norwood was asked to talk about Arthur McAfee Jr., his former coach at Morehouse College, Norwood didn't say one word about basketball. He said nothing of McAfee's knowledge of the sport, about McAfee's 518 career victories. Didn't reference McAfee's induction into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday.

When Norwood talked about McAfee, he spoke solely of him as a person. "Coach Mac, he gave me a second chance. He was an individual that really gave me a chance to be the person I am today," said Norwood, a 1990 Heights High graduate. McAfee allowed Norwood to walk on in 1992, less than a year after Norwood got out of jail for selling drugs.

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Tavon Waters transferring to FSU

Every athlete dreams of taking their game to the next level. Former Wayne County prep standout Tavon Waters is getting that chance. Waters recently announced that he will be leaving Brunswick Community College, and enrolling at perennial Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association power Fayetteville State University. The move is the culmination of hard work, prowess and perseverance.

"I know that Fayetteville State is a place where I can be successful," said Waters, who played at Goldsboro High and Wayne Country Day. "It's a place where I can help keep the spotlight on basketball. "I have a really close family, and I wanted to go to a place where they could come and watch me play ... a place that would allow me to be close to home."

After completing a successful high school career at Wayne Country Day, the combo-guard weighed all of his collegiate options. Eventually he found a home within coach Walter Shaw's highly-successful program at Brunswick.

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A 6-foot-7-inch seaman plays on all-Navy basketball team

Tolbert said he would like to apply to attend Virginia State University on a Navy scholarship, where he could play and finish his education.

NORFOLK, Va. - Seaman Sam Tolbert needed to get to another, quieter compartment in his ship. There was one obvious way: through the bulkhead, a manhole-size cutout about 3 feet off the deck. Tolbert tucked his head, coiled up his 6-foot-7-inch frame and aimed for the hole. Swish.

A train of visitors bumped and rattled through behind him. He explained his deft moves: "I'm used to it." The Navy is not perfectly designed for the big and tall sailor. But for Tolbert, it is a path to further his basketball education.

At 21, he is a two-time member of the all-Navy basketball team. He's a force at military gyms and aboard the amphibious ship Bataan.

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This seaman should be a great acquisition for VSU Trojans Basketball.

Neal inducted into Hall of Fame

Johnson C. Smith University alumnus Fred “Curly” Neal was among eight inductees at the 45th annual North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame held at the North Raleigh Hilton on May 17. Neal became the 253rd member of the prestigious Hall of Fame and joins the likes of other HOF members from the CIAA such as Sam Jones (1969), Dr. Leroy Walker (1975), Clarence “Big House” Gaines (1978), Bobby Vaughan (1992), John McLendon (1994), and George Williams (2000) to name a few.



While at Johnson C. Smith University, Neal earned All-CIAA honors in 1961 and 1963. In his senior year, he averaged 23.1 points per game and led his team to the CIAA title. Neal went on to play in 6,000 games, over 22 years, with the Harlem Globetrotters. He traveled millions of miles, performed in 97 countries as a dribbling sensation. Neal continues to work with the Globetrotters in their Public Relations Department.

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Perry High's Burgess signs with Fort Valley State

PERRY --Kim Burgess already had the royal blue and gold of Fort Valley State running through her veins. On Tuesday, she made it official when the Perry High basketball player signed a letter of intent to play at one of the top Division II programs.

"My mom (Paula King) went there," Burgess said. "My grandmother had nine kids and of those nine, seven went to Fort Valley State. So it was kind of natural to go there."
Burgess also got to know the program very well by participating in group and individual camps conducted by the coaching staff.

The one thing that is up in the air is what position she will play. At 5-foot-10, she was a little smaller than the average high school center. But she still managed to finish her senior season with 164 blocks.

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