Doku, Sam
Washington Informer
02-12-2003
The head coach of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) men's
basketball team, Michael McLeese has now overcome his transition jitters
after leaving high school basketball to coach at the college level.
Last season, McLeese experienced his first winning season in college when
he led UDC to an 18-9 record after going six years with losing
records--four years at Howard and his first couple of years at UDC.
This season, McLeese's Firebirds are demonstrating the Spartan fighting
spirit reminiscent of his Dunbar High days where he amassed four DCIAA
titles, three city-wide titles and a high school world championship title
in Athens, Greece in 1993. His record at Dunbar stood at 220 games with an
astounding 180 wins and 40 losses.
The Firebirds have compiled a 15-5 record, and one of the recent wins
included erasing a 22-point first half deficit to beat Virginia State
University on the road 77-67 in the presence of UDC president Dr. William
Pollard last week.
'At Howard, it took me sometime to put a winning team together but
ironically, the same year that I felt I had assembled a good team, I was
fired. At UDC, after working with the players I came to meet, I have
managed to put a solid team together this year, and we'll make it to the
playoffs,' assured McLeese who last week was inducted into the D.C. Hall of
Fame for his sporting contributions to the community. In 1988, McLeese was
legendary Georgetown University basketball head coach, John Thompson's
assistant when he coached the national team in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
With the support of Pollard, himself a basketball coach, McLeese is
inspired to send the Firebirds to the playoffs for the first time since
1983, a year in which they narrowly failed to retain the national title
they had won a year earlier.
This season, the player leading the Firebirds march to conquest is 6'3'
forward, Rasheim Wright, a sophomore from Allen Iverson's Philadelphia.
Wright is averaging 21 points, nine rebounds, a steal, and an assist a
game.
'Rasheim is one of the most athletic players I've coached,' said McLeese of
his marquee player. 'If he continues to work hard, he can take his game to
the next level because athletically, he is top shot in our division.'
McLeese is assisted by Robert L. Cherry from Morgan State University who is
the assistant head coach while Zach Suber and Hollis Johnson serve as
assistant coaches.
But the Firebirds' success is not dependent on the talent of Wright alone.
Another Philadelphia native, junior Tim Rawls, a 6'4' forward is
contributing 17 points, eight rebounds and a steal a game; Dion Thompson
from Alexandria, VA is a 6'4' junior who dishes out 11 points and three
rebounds a game as a guard; and Thomas Jackson from Palmer Park, MD gets
nine points, three rebounds, two steals and four assists a game as a guard.
Quincy Tarpley, the only senior on the team, contributes six points a game.
Other players on the team are point guard Christopher Turner, guard Kenny
Wilson, center Hassan Diabi, forward Brandon West, forward Charles Wilson,
guard Aaron Parsons, guard Adeyinka Edwards, and guard David Felix.
The Firebirds are undefeated at home this season and they will welcome
Pittsburgh-Johnstown University to Van Ness on Saturday, February 8 at 2:00
p.m. For more information, call Bernard Payton at 202-274-5024.
Pollard is also interested in bringing football back to UDC, but he is yet
to raise the $500,000 needed for the program to take off.
Article copyright Washington Informer.
V.39;
Washington Informer
02-12-2003
The head coach of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) men's
basketball team, Michael McLeese has now overcome his transition jitters
after leaving high school basketball to coach at the college level.
Last season, McLeese experienced his first winning season in college when
he led UDC to an 18-9 record after going six years with losing
records--four years at Howard and his first couple of years at UDC.
This season, McLeese's Firebirds are demonstrating the Spartan fighting
spirit reminiscent of his Dunbar High days where he amassed four DCIAA
titles, three city-wide titles and a high school world championship title
in Athens, Greece in 1993. His record at Dunbar stood at 220 games with an
astounding 180 wins and 40 losses.
The Firebirds have compiled a 15-5 record, and one of the recent wins
included erasing a 22-point first half deficit to beat Virginia State
University on the road 77-67 in the presence of UDC president Dr. William
Pollard last week.
'At Howard, it took me sometime to put a winning team together but
ironically, the same year that I felt I had assembled a good team, I was
fired. At UDC, after working with the players I came to meet, I have
managed to put a solid team together this year, and we'll make it to the
playoffs,' assured McLeese who last week was inducted into the D.C. Hall of
Fame for his sporting contributions to the community. In 1988, McLeese was
legendary Georgetown University basketball head coach, John Thompson's
assistant when he coached the national team in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
With the support of Pollard, himself a basketball coach, McLeese is
inspired to send the Firebirds to the playoffs for the first time since
1983, a year in which they narrowly failed to retain the national title
they had won a year earlier.
This season, the player leading the Firebirds march to conquest is 6'3'
forward, Rasheim Wright, a sophomore from Allen Iverson's Philadelphia.
Wright is averaging 21 points, nine rebounds, a steal, and an assist a
game.
'Rasheim is one of the most athletic players I've coached,' said McLeese of
his marquee player. 'If he continues to work hard, he can take his game to
the next level because athletically, he is top shot in our division.'
McLeese is assisted by Robert L. Cherry from Morgan State University who is
the assistant head coach while Zach Suber and Hollis Johnson serve as
assistant coaches.
But the Firebirds' success is not dependent on the talent of Wright alone.
Another Philadelphia native, junior Tim Rawls, a 6'4' forward is
contributing 17 points, eight rebounds and a steal a game; Dion Thompson
from Alexandria, VA is a 6'4' junior who dishes out 11 points and three
rebounds a game as a guard; and Thomas Jackson from Palmer Park, MD gets
nine points, three rebounds, two steals and four assists a game as a guard.
Quincy Tarpley, the only senior on the team, contributes six points a game.
Other players on the team are point guard Christopher Turner, guard Kenny
Wilson, center Hassan Diabi, forward Brandon West, forward Charles Wilson,
guard Aaron Parsons, guard Adeyinka Edwards, and guard David Felix.
The Firebirds are undefeated at home this season and they will welcome
Pittsburgh-Johnstown University to Van Ness on Saturday, February 8 at 2:00
p.m. For more information, call Bernard Payton at 202-274-5024.
Pollard is also interested in bringing football back to UDC, but he is yet
to raise the $500,000 needed for the program to take off.
Article copyright Washington Informer.
V.39;
