In one month, Fred Warrick has gone from being a student at Philadelphia Community College to a starting forward on Coppin State's basketball team.
Warrick joined the Eagles the last week of December after completing graduation requirements at Philadelphia CC. He had been the 1995 NJCAA Region 19 Most Valuable Player after averaging 27.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists, and shooting 45.6 percent from three-point range at Essex County College in Newark, N.J.
Warrick made his first start Jan. 15 in a 76-70 loss to North Carolina A&T that ended Coppin's home-court winning streak, the longest in the nation, at 42 games. He scored 14 points in his next start, last Saturday's 81-61 rout of Hampton, and had 19 points and a team-high eight rebounds in Monday's 85-79 win at UMES.
"He brought another offensive weapon," said coach Fang Mitchell. "What was happening was, teams were starting to concentrate a lot on [Antoine] Brockington on the outside and [Terquin] Mott on the inside. With him in there right now, it gives us more balance and I was looking for balance all along."
Another change in the Coppin lineup was the insertion of freshman Troy Lewis (Randallstown High School) at point guard against A&T, replacing junior Danny Singletary, who had started the first 10 games.
"Troy was playing pretty good for us and all he really needed was a little more confidence," Mitchell said. "Putting him in as the starting point guard will give him some confidence and allow him to carry us through this season."
Tar Heels elusive
Towson State athletic director Wayne Edwards still is hopeful of getting North Carolina to play at the Towson Center, perhaps as soon as 1998. But so far, discussions with Tar Heels associate athletic director Dick Baddour haven't brought the desired result.
To make North Carolina's visit a reality, Towson State would have to play at least one game in Chapel Hill. Edwards has been trying to arrange a date there next season, but the Tar Heels don't have an opening.
"Based on that, nothing is going forward," Edwards said. "They're looking at whether they're going to make changes in their existing schedule or if this would start a year later. If we can't arrange something soon, we'll have to schedule another game."
At first, Edwards wanted North Carolina to come to the Towson Center next season for the home opener, but coach Dean Smith said the first game would have to be in Chapel Hill. Since then, Michigan has agreed to play at the Towson Center on Nov. 24, with the Tigers going to Ann Arbor in 1998, 2000 and 2001.
Powell, Albert star
Loyola College's men's and women's basketball teams have struggled all season, but two players have made scoring look easy of late.
Junior guard Mike Powell was named Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week, averaging 35.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in wins over Siena and Niagara. He also shot 68 percent from the field, 67 percent from three-point range and 91 percent from the line, and set career highs with 35 points against Siena and 36 against Niagara.
Senior forward Lynn Albert was chosen the MAAC's co-Player of the Week, sharing the honor with Canisius guard Heather Fiore. Albert averaged 27.3 points and shot 57 percent in three games, and scored a career-high 31 points in a loss to Canisius. She also scored her 1,000th career point this week.
Miscellaneous
Morgan State will open the 1997 football season at coach Stump Mitchell's alma mater, The Citadel, on Sept. 6. The teams never have met. Sophomore center Lenny Barber (Annapolis), who recently quit UMBC's basketball team, has transferred to Mount Aloysius, a former junior college in Cresson, Pa., that became a four-year college this year. Western Maryland junior guard/forward Katie Haley began the week as the Green Terror's career leader in free throws made (254) and attempted (351). She made 20 of 23 attempts last week, including the last 19, and was tied with Johns Hopkins' Julie Anderson for the Centennial Conference scoring lead at 18.2 ppg. Towson State's gymnastics team, ranked No. 25 in preseason, competes against No. 24 Ohio State today at 1 p.m. at the Towson Center.
Pub Date: 1/25/97
