Another View by Charles Hallman
The Minnesota Gopher women’s basketball team plays Prairie View A&M December 20, its second of two meetings this season against Black college teams. Jackson State played at The Barn December 11.
The Gopher men’s team hosts Morgan State on December 29, its second of two meetings with Black college teams. Minnesota defeated Bethune-Cookman at home December 1.
All these Black schools are Division I. But historically, the local mainstream PWM’s (primarily white media) have all but ignored the HBCUs, or basically dismissed them. This was lately the case when Jackson State came to town last week, and most assuredly it will happen again.
“I would say maybe they’re not as educated, maybe not as aware. It’s a lack of awareness, that’s what I would say,” stated Margaret Richards, in her first year at JSU. She spoke to the MSR, the only local reporter there, after their game against the Gophers.
“We have young ladies that compete at this level, can make it competitive,” continued the Tigers HC. “We have competitive young ladies that are going to the last minute, as we did.”
As she reflected on the 81-43 Minnesota victory, Richards pointed out, “We could have folded because it was a large margin. But we didn’t. It was almost even in the 4th quarter.”
Minnesota only outscored Jackson State 16-14 in the fourth quarter after the Gophers outscored the visitors in double figures in the first two quarters but only outscored them by nine (23-12) in the third quarter.
“I think the purpose of these games for us is to see a variety of styles of play,” Gopher Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said to the MSR before the season. Such teams as Jackson State and Prairie View, despite being snubbed by the PWM, deserve more than a passing mention.
“The teams that are coming in are competitive teams, and their intention is to come in and compete and be in the position at the end of the game. It’s our intention to do the same thing—two teams battling,” added Coach P, as she is commonly known.
The Tigers have won the SWAC regular season title the last five seasons and were tournament champions three of the last four years. Before coming to the Tigers, Richards guided Alabama A&M to nearly 100 wins in eight years and six SWAC tournament appearances.
We asked her why she chose to come to Jackson State. The 19-year collegiate coaching veteran who was hired in May, replacing Tomekia Reed, who was hired by Charlotte. Before her coaching career took off, Richards played at Nebraska (1999-2004) and earned her communication studies degree there in 2003.
“Number one, the administration is unbelievable,” said Richards. “I work for an AD that’s second to none,” she said of Ashley Robinson, who Richards called “a coach’s AD. He’s very supportive
“I think it’s the place where people win and you can win. I think this was God’s calling…and when God is calling, you gotta move.”
Richards’ Tigers, off to a slow start thus far this season with only one victory to their credit, “is definitely still a work in progress,” she said. “But I do think we have made progress each and every game. I’m staying positive. I’m staying to the course.
“I am being disciplined myself as I’m telling and teaching my young ladies to do so as well each and every game,” said the coach. “It’s all been a learning curve for each and every one of us, but I’m excited to coach each and every day.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.