Local Coaches Proud to Have HBCU Roundball Classic in Houston.
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Posted By: S. Moore on December 13, 2022 A hoops hotbed will help put a spotlight on HBCU basketball this week, as the second annual Coaches Vs. Racism HBCU Roundball Classic comes to Houston. The University of Houston will kick off the event on Tuesday at the Fertitta Center against North Carolina A&T, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. The final two games will be played Saturday at James M. Delmar Fieldhouse, with Prairie View A&M taking on Montana at 11:50 a.m. and Texas Tech facing Jackson State at 3 p.m. Coaches Vs. Racism—a national nonprofit that aims to lead the charge to end systemic racism through sports—hosts the event, which aims to "amplify awareness of incredible athletic talent from all schools, placing an emphasis on HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) who traditionally lack resources and equipment and are routinely overlooked by professional talent scouts." Jackson State, North Carolina A&T and Prairie View A&M are the HBCUs participating in this year's event. Darryl Woods, the executive director of Coaches Vs. Racism, goes way back with Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson. Woods played at Washington State for Sampson, who was just beginning his Division I coaching career at the time. "The brains behind it was actually one of my former players. He was in my very first recruiting class at Washington State University, back in the late 80s. Darryl Woods, who I'm very proud of," Sampson said. "I stay in contact with a lot of players from just about all my stops, and it's one of my great joys in life to be a part of those guys' lives." This connection led to the Cougars taking part in this week's HBCU Roundball Classic, which was held in Washington D.C. in its inaugural year. When asked about why it's important to be a part of events like this and organizations such as Coaches Vs. Racism, Sampson was straightforward in his response: "So you'll ask that question. Keep it alive." "We're always dealing with so many issues in our country, but they don't come and go. Racism is every day," Sampson added. "People deal with that, whether that's in the workplace or their personal lives. Being able to keep a discussion about it, you never know when somebody is going to hear it. Everybody hears about it, but you never know when a person is going to listen, and make a difference in somebody else's life. "I think that's what the goal is—take it from just being a discussion to a reality for someone. That's why I've always not been afraid to talk about it publicly. It's very uncomfortable for a lot of people, and I get that. But it still needs to be brought to attention, and talked about and discussed. You never know if it's going to impact somebody's life without that discussion." With Prairie View A&M located less than an hour northwest of Houston, Panthers head coach and former UH player Byron Smith is looking forward to the opportunity to spotlight HBCU basketball in the Bayou City. "For me and my program, I'm really excited," Smith said. "Prairie View is about 40-45 minutes outside of Houston. People look at it like we're in a different state, but we are part of the Houston basketball community, so it's big." Smith has deep roots in Houston—whether it be as a player with the Cougars in the late 1980s and early 1990s, or his time coaching on the Houston AAU circuit and as an assistant at UH and Texas Southern. As a result, he sees the value in using one of the largest cities in the country as a platform for HBCU basketball. "I think it's huge. Houston is a hotbed for talent, from the professional level to high school, AAU and college. It's just a great place to be," Smith said. "I don't think Darryl could have found a better place to have this event, so I'm really excited about that. I'm looking forward to a good turnout for our game." Sampson has used his platform as the coach of one of the top five teams in the country to show appreciation for HBCUs, as well as the efforts to bring more attention to them, on numerous occasions this season. He praised the Pac-12 for their scheduling partnership with the SWAC after a game against Texas Southern last month, and recently spoke highly of both Smith and TSU coach Johnny Jones. The veteran coach also hasn't shied away from the topic of racism. Sampson wore a shirt with "Eracism" emblazoned across the front during a game against Norfolk State two weeks back, and although that was in support of a separate organization from Coaches Vs. Racism, he views the message all the same—and continues to urge those who will listen to keep having conversations about the subject. "That's a totally different effort, but it's synonymous with the same thing," Sampson said. "Just fight the fight, man. Doing what you can, and wishing you could do more." SOURCE Chron If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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