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WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 2 | 2011
February 2, 2011
NUBIAN MESSAGE
ISSUE 13
SENTINEL OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AT NC STATE SINCE 1992
WWW.NCSU.EDU/NUBIAN
Wolfpack Basketball Progress Report CJ Guion
GRADE: CThe NC State Wolfpack Basketball team has found itself in the usual place that it has been located in the last several years residing at the bottom half of the ACC rankings. The team seems to be like the “Little Red Engine that could.” Just as soon as the team begins to push up over the hill it slides back down to the bottom. The team was projected to do well in the preseason rankings with the three incoming freshman (Ryan Harrow, C.J. Leslie, and Lorenzo Brown) which would make it a possible high contender in the ACC. That fate has yet to be seen as the Wolfpack is more than half way through the season with little hopes of receiving a bid into the NCAA Tournament unless a miracle falls from the sky and the teams wins the rest of its games. The Wolfpack began the season with a decent start in a subpar strength of schedule. The
team has had close games here and there but along the way they have suffered close losses with the addition of a couple of blowouts from the likes of Wisconsin, Duke, and Carolina. As it stands right now the team sits at 2-5 in the ACC, 12-9 overall. The team currently has a .44 Field Goal Pct., .34 3 point field goal pct., and averages 12.7 turnovers per game. The basketball team appears to be one that has only been able to play one-half games. In one game they are able to have an effective first half and in another game they are only capable of providing a good second half. They have not been able to be consistent throughout a 40 minute time span. This was evident in their game against Duke a couple of weeks ago when the Wolfpack had a miserable first half but were able to recharge and produce a run in the second half when it was too late. From watching a game it is very clear that the team has a lot of potential, but they can’t seem to find easy baskets and consistently commit silly turnovers. At the beginning of the season the team started off without the assistance of big man Tracy Smith who
was out with a knee injury, and was without the energetic freshman Ryan Harrow Saturday in their poor performance against rival North Carolina. It was evident that the team was severely missing the presence of one of its key players. Freshman Lorenzo Brown was able to take up some of the slack in the game without the starting point guard even though the team was unsuccessful in Chapel Hill. The team had so many open opportunities to capitalize against the Tarheels in the game on Saturday, but was never able to make a run and grab down defensive boards. It appeared that after the late second-half run by UNC, the team began to give up. In the previous game against Clemson, the pack let go of a 19 point lead. One issue is that the Wolfpack has not been able to find a consistent Point Guard to control the ball up and down the court. Some players are attempting to make long distance shots that should not be shooting from the perimeter. Leslie has had several decent games here and there, but has not appeared to live up to the hype. Maybe it’s just one of those times
BASKETBALL see page 7
In
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2011 Honda Battle of the Bands Yolanda Ray
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United States Pg.3 Question of the Week: “What did you think
President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union Address?” Pg.8 of
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At 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, approximately 60,000 anxious spectators filled the Georgia Dome in anticipation for the ninth annual Honda Battle of the Bands. The journey began months ago with 45 HBCUs from all regions of the nation, competing for a coveted spot in the annual showcase. Band directors, school presidents, and online fans were responsible for the selection process. In November 2010 eight of the nation’s top historically black college and university marching bands were selected to showcase their precise drills and beautiful compositions. This year’s line-up included Virginia State University’s “Marching Trojan Explosion,” South Carolina State University’s “Marching 101,” Albany State University’s “Marching Rams Show Band,” Jackson State University’s “Sonic Boom of the South,” Bethune Cookman University’s “Marching Wildcats,” Clark Atlanta University’s “Mighty Marching Panthers,” Winston- Salem State University’s “Red Sea of Sound,” and Tennessee State University “Aristocrat of Bands.” Each band had the opportunity to perform for 12 minutes, showcasing musicianship, dancing ability, and creativeness. Fans song along to tunes old and new including hits from Lloyd, Wale, and Chaka Kahn. This event satisfied the appetites of all people; young, old, black and white. Another highlight of the event was the special guest performance of Hip-hop artist and actor Bow Wow. Krystal Roberts, a junior in Business Administration, attended the 2011 Honda Battle of the Bands this past weekend for the very first time. The success of the event is evident as she reflected on her experience. Krystal stated, “I really enjoyed the visuals that each band presented on the field. However, I wish they would have in-
vited more bands.” The event was phenomenal and shed a positive light on the African American sense of pride, leadership, and comradeship. Although the name often time suggest that this is a competition, it is not. The Honda Battle of the Bands is nothing more than a showcase of young African Americans talent. Senior Manager, Office of Inclusion and Diversity for American Honda, Marc Burt affirmed that, "This event is about celebrating the abilities and brilliance of young people coming out of the nation's black colleges. The discipline and drive these student-musicians exhibit both on and off the field are phenomenal, and Honda is pleased to be able to contribute to the music education programs that help foster the artistic and academic growth of these students." The Honda Battle of the Bands showcase is very significant to the African American people and our heritage and culture. It is extremely important because it is the first and only national scholarship program that highlights music education in historically black colleges and universities. Each year Honda awards HBCUs music programs $205,000 in the form of scholarships. This year at the invitational showcase, every participating university was presented with $20,000 and an additional $1,000 for participating in the pre-qualifying celebration tour. In addition to grant monies, Honda’s exquisite program also includes an internship opportunity through the Fox Music Experience. This year a student musician was selected for a summer internship at Twentieth Century Fox studios in Los Angeles, California. The young man selected will be learning film and television music production. The Honda Battle of the Bands Recruitment Fair is also an excellent opportunity for young people to meet with musicians and admissions to discuss educational requirements and scholarship resources.