Voice of the Wildcats -Nov/Dec 2021

Bethune-Cookman University • Daytona Beach, Florida

November/December 2021

B-CU hoops coaches look to score big in their first season See writters onnew hoops Janell Crayton andCrayton Mens on Coach Theus on page 2.

Readwhat what Voice VOICEsports sports writers haveopinion to say about hoopsCoaches coaches Reggie Theus and Janell page 2.Reggie BCUAthletics/Photo BCUAthletics/Photo

What's inside:

Page 2 OPINION

Page 3 NEWS

Page 4 SPORTS

2

November/December 2021

OPINION

VOICE OF THE WILDCATS

Here is what Reggie Theus brings to B-CU

The Voice of the Wildcats is written, edited and published

By Julian Bacon by members of the student body at Bethune- Voice Sports Writer Cookman University. All opinions are solely those Bethune-Cookman’s new men’s of the author. basketball coach Reggie Theus Editor Amber Courtney Online Editor Mariah Brown Assistant Online Malik Grant Layout Editor Julian Bacon Rene White Sports Writers Sidney P. Brown Julian Bacon Feature Writers Shay Myrthil Timothy Moss Alysia Briscoe Jasmeen Rivera Amber Courtney Photographers Harmony Bienemy Loron Robles Julian Bacon Social Media Harmony Bienemy Publication Director Dr. Salvador R. Victor Faculty Adviser Prof. Valerie Whitney PUBLICATION MEMBERSHIP The Voice of the Wildcats is a member of the Black College Communications Association (BCCA), College Media Advisors Association (CMA) and National Asscociation of Black Journalists (NABJ).

ADVERTISER MEMBERSHIP The Voice of the Wildcats subscribes to the 360 Youth Send Correspondence to: Editor The VOICE, Fine Arts Building Room 124 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd.

Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Phone: (386) 481-2707 voiceofthewildcats@ gmail.com

knows his way around the court having played both in college and at the professional level during his career.

Theus was named head coach of the men’s basketball team and athletic director on July 7, 2021. He will be looking to bring the Wildcats men’s basketball team to a better record than the 16-14 record from the 2019-20 season that was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team tip-offed their season Nov. 9 in Tampa against the University of South Florida.

A native of Inglewood, California, Theus started his NBA career in 1978 with the Chicago Bulls. He was selected as the 9th overall pick and was selected as an All-star twice in his career. In addition to Chicago, he played for the Kings, Hawks, Nets and the Magic.

He averaged 18.5 points and 6.3 assists totaling 19,015 points and 6,453 assists in 1,026 NBA games

Reggie Theus during his career. After retiring from basketball in 1992, he played in the 1993 Greek Cup. Theus is one of two players in NBA history to be 6 foot 6 inches tall and earn over 650 assists in a single season; the other is Magic Johnson.

His number 23 was retired from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 1997 and from Inglewood High School in 2014. He was an all-rookie first team in 1978 and an inductee into the UNLV athletics hall of fame.

Theus’ coaching career started in 2005 at New Mexico State University, turning a 6-24 team into a 16-14 team. In his second year at the helm, the Aggies won

the conference championship and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Sacramento Kings brought things full circle when they hired Theus in 2007 but he was fired in 2008.

From 2009 to 2011 he was an assistant to Kurt Rambus, then coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Theus was named head coach of the Los- Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League in 2012.

California State University Northridge hired Theus as their head coach in 2013.

His first season at the helm he led the Matadors posted a 17-18 record and lost in the conference finals.

After five seasons, Cal State Northridge and Theus parted ways.

He posted a 44-107 record while there.

Janell Crayton ushers in new era in Lady Wildcats basketball

By Sidney P. Brown Voice Sports B-CU’s new women’s basketball coach Janell Crayton brings some valuable experience to this year’s squad.

However, she has some big shoes to fill, as she is replacing longtime former head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis, who held the position for 13 straight seasons before leaving last spring to coach at George Mason University in Virginia.

During her college days, Crayton was a captain for the women’s basketball team a Davidson College (North Carolina) for her junior and senior seasons. Davidson’s mascot, ironically, also is the Wildcat.

Meanwhile, Crayton is a 2006 graduate of Davidson, where she was the Wildcats; captain two seasons and earned spots on the all-Southern Conference first team as well as the academic first team, according to published reports. After she graduated, the Atlanta native

went on to play overseas in Turkey and Czechoslovakia and also hosted youth camps there.

She coached at several different colleges before eventually arriving at Bethune- Cookman this fall. Those schools include University of North Carolina at Asheville, the College of William and Mary, Colgate University and Oglethorpe.

She also coached at another HBCU: Hampton University. During her time with the Pirates, she went three consecutive winning seasons as assistant coach and a NCAA tournament bid in the 201617 season.

Her last job was at Kennesaw State in Georgia where she worked as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Will she be able to have success at B-CU?

Janell Crayton

VOICE OF THE WILDCATS

NEWS

November/December 2021

3

Wildcats' Florida Classic Winning Streak Ends

Wildcats #12 Untareo Johnson and #24 Darnell Deas tackle a Rattler ballcarrier during the game Saturday. photos/ Julian Bacon

By Julian Bacon Voice Sports Writer Wildcats football couldn’t get out of their own way falling to the now 9-2 Florida A&M Rattlers 21- 46 in Orlando at the Florida Blue Florida Classic. The Rattlers scored 30 unanswered points during the third quarter which propelled them to the victory before a crowd of 54,198.

B-CU football, which came into the contest on a two-game winning streak after starting this season with 8 straight losses, opened from scrimmage with a deep 82-yard bomb from Devin Black (MVP for B-CU) to Daryl Powell. The Wildcats turned the ball over on their next offensive possession to BJ Bohler, who was named MVP for FAMU. On the very next play Rattlers quarterback Rasean Mckay connected with wideout Xavier Smith as he stayed in bounds and dove in after running 48 yards on the score.

The point-after attempt was blocked by defensive lineman Mason Hall then scooped up by Devuntray Hampton and returned 83 yards with a flip into the end zone, the play was called back for unsportsmanlike conduct and enforced on the kickoff.

A three and out would be the outcome of the ensuing drive for the B-CU offense.

FAMU’s offense followed with a 10-play drive capped off with a one-yard score by running back Jaylen Mccloud putting the Rattlers in the lead 7-13 late in the first quarter.

On the next offensive drive for B-CU made a quarterback switch, bringing in Shannon Patrick. Both defenses would stiffen as the second quarter went by without any points being scored.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS Both bands took the field at halftime and put on great performances despite everyone’s

biases favoring their side of the rivalry.

The Marching Wildcats made a formation symbolizing the Mary McLeod Bethune statue that is currently on display at the Daytona News-Journal accompanied by a motion graphic of Bethune on the jumbotrons and audio of her famous “I leave you, love” speech.

BACK TO THE FIELD Out of halftime, the Rattlers scored on the opening drive as Terrell Jennings swept around the right side on a 9 yards scamper taking the score to 7-19.

The Rattlers failed on the two-point attempt.

The next Wildcats drive stalled and the Rattlers threatened to score on their next drive but settled for a field goal going up 7-22 with 3 minutes left in the third.

The next drive was upended after Dylaan Lee caught a pass and while fighting for more yards was stripped of the ball by BJ Bohler.

Bohler then scooped and ran the ball back 55 yards for a FAMU touchdown extending their lead to 22, 7-29.

The next Wildcats drive was brief as well when Shannon Patrick threw an interception

to Markquese Bell. FAMU did not hesitate to add more points scoring a 38-yard touchdown run down the middle of the Wildcats defense

by Bishop Bonnett. Bonnett was penalized for climbing the endzone wall after scoring. Score then 7-36.

Another Bethune-Cookman turnover turned into Rattler points after a fumble

by Jimmie Robinson III was recovered and returned 46 yards by Rattlers’ defensive lineman Gentle Hunt for a touchdown increasing the rattler lead to 35, 7- 43 where it remained through the end of the third quarter.

The Wildcats’ first drive of the 4th quarter was capped off by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Devin Black to Kemari Averett. Averett would score again later in the 4th quarter with a top-10 worthy one-handed touchdown catch from Black. Black was named B-CU MVP finishing the game with 231 yards,10/13 with 3 touchdowns, and an interception. Darryl Powell led in receiving yards with 164 yards on 3 receptions, Averett led in receptions with 6 gaining 64 yards.

The Wildcats look to forget their 2021 season (2-9) as they head into the offseason.

Julian Bacon is a senior majoring in mass communication and native of Albany, Georgia.

4

November/December 2021 Baseball, softball teams itching for season to start After a rough year with multiple restrictions and every athletic team’s season being canceled, B-CU athletics is back in full effect.

Bethune-Cookman University’s male baseball and female softball team will both be starting their seasons in February 2022. According to both team’s roster, their seasons will stretch from February through March.

Jonathan Hernandez, B-CU head baseball coach, had landed the 2021 48th ranked JUCO class in the country, according to the JBB, a Junior-College baseball publication. The publication ranked B-CU's JUCO signing class as the 48th best in the country for this recruiting cycle. Hernandez and his staff inked 18 Junior-College players who arrived on campus this Fall in Daytona Beach.

"We are very excited about this JUCO recruiting class that we were able to put together. I am looking forward to all of our JUCO players in making an immediate impact on our baseball program here at Bethune as we transition into the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)." This year’s JUCO signing class is the highest ranked in the program history, according to the university’s athletic department.

SOFTBALL The Lady Wildcats welcomes eight players this year to a program that has won 10 Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference championship and has made 11 NCAA tournament appearances.

Finally, Wildcat alum and former softball catcher Shamaria Engram has become the first black woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science and engineering from the University of South Florida.

SPORTS EXTRA

VOICE OF THE WILDCATS

Cross-Country track team on the run

B-CU Volleyball struggle to find its mojo this season

Bethune-Cookman University’s cross-country team’s fall season is well underway.

The team traveled to Clinton, Mississippi, for the SWAC Cross Country Championship, where they finished 9th out of 12 teams.

Meanwhile, the track team has been preparing for the spring semester.

The athletes are moving on to the track and field season now that the cross-country season is over. The season runs from Jan. 15 to Jan. 18, 2022. The team will travel to Columbia, South Carolina, for a two-day meet at the University of South Carolina opener.

The Bethune-Cookman University volleyball team had a very trying season that ended Nov. 12. The team notched only six wins spread out throughout this season, they definitely had the odds stacked against them.They played in three tournaments and one invitational.

They had a two-game winning streak after defeating both Alcorn State University and Southern University. Impressively both games were played the same day withinhours of each other. We can't wait to see how you outdo yourself next season!

--------------------------By Thea Shaw

-----------------------By Alysia Briscoe

2021 Fall Graduation will mark the end of tradition Staff report Bethune-Cookman University will no longer hold both fall and spring commencement programs.

The 2021 graduation set for Dec. 11 will mark the end of ceremonies for students that graduate during the fall semester.

According to the registrar’s office, 160 students have submitted applications for the December program.

The Office of the Provost announced the change in an email sent out Nov. 11. The note stated that beginning with the 2022-2023 academic

year commencement will only take place once a year.

“The university will still confer degrees three times a year—in August, December and in May,” said Dr. William Berry, provost in the email.

“The official dates of conferral for August and December degrees will be the last date of the respective term,” Berry said.

However, the formal commencement, with caps and gowns, will only take place in the spring.

Students that finish in

the summer and the winter are invited to take part in spring commencement, according to the provost.

According to the registrar’s office, 160 students have submitted applications for the December program.