NBDL doubleheader
Published on December 20, 2002 under NBA G League (G League)
Fayetteville Patriots News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., December 19, 2002 â Campbell University men's basketball coach Billy Lee asked his players to stay after practice on Nov. 5. No one was in trouble. Lee did not require the players to run any extra sprints, work on their jump shots or develop more post moves. He just wanted them to watch.
The Fayetteville Patriots held an intra-squad scrimmage at Campbell University's Carter Gymnasium on Nov. 5. Lee wanted his players to have a chance to see the Patriots not so much for just the pleasure of watching a game, but he thought it was a good education tool for the college students.
"I wanted them to see the talent level,'' Lee said. "Then I wanted them to realize that these are guys who are still trying to make it to the NBA. "It gave our guys some perspective.
If the talent level is this high on the Fayetteville Patriots and they're not in the NBA, imagine what it takes to make it to the next level. I think it showed our guys just how much harder they need to work."
The Fighting Camels and Patriots will once again be in the same building. But this time the Camels (3-3) will be showcasing their talent as well. The Camels take on the unbeaten East Carolina Pirates 5 p.m., Saturday at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville.
Tickets for the Patriots game will earn fans admission into the Pirates-Camels game. Tickets start at $6.
The Patriots (8-6) â winners of five straight games -- will follow with a scheduled 7:30 p.m. game against the Mobile Revelers.
Whether what his players saw in November will help the Camels on Saturday is not certain. But Lee sees many advantages to making the trip.
"It gives more of our fans a chance to see us,'' said Lee whose home games are played at Carter which holds about 900 people. "And our guys are really going to get a test against a really good ECU team. I'm excited about coming back to Fayetteville."
Lee is eager to see Terrell McIntyre play again. Lee recruited the 5-foot-9 guard when McIntyre played at Hoke County High School. Lee said he knew McIntyre was an ACC caliber player. He was just hoping others would fail to realize it.
The trip to Fayetteville will also give Lee a chance to reunite with Patriots coach Jeff Capel. The two coached against each other when Lee was at Pembroke State (now UNC Pembroke) and Capel coached at Fayetteville State.
"I hope the people support the Fayetteville team,'' Lee said. "I think Terrell is an NBA caliber player and the talent level is really top notch. And for the NBA to be associated with Fayetteville is also a great thing."
Lee is not the only one excited about the trip to Fayetteville. Tarick Johnson, a 6-foot-4 junior guard, is a 2000 graduate of Douglas Byrd High School. Johnson led the Mid-South 4-A Conference in scoring as a senior when he averaged 23.3 points per game. He also earned first-team all-conference honors his senior season.
This season he leads the Camels in scoring at 16.2 points per game, and hit a game-winning 3-pointer to beat Francis Marion at the buzzer on Nov. 23.
"I know a lot of friends from my high school will be there on Saturday night, but I've just got to block all that out. But it's always good to go home and play in your hometown."
The Patriots return to the Crown on Dec. 27 to face the Asheville Altitude on Like Mike Night. The first 2,000 fans receive a Like Mike Poster from the motion picture "Like Mike," starring rapper Lil' Bow Wow.
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