WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
Coach Cleo Hill Jr. and WSSU Rams: A Weekend of Triumph and Unity
From Thursday to Saturday, Coach Cleo Hill Jr. and his team embarked on an action-packed weekend filled with celebration, focused practice, and triumphant moments. The weekend commenced with a heartwarming team Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, setting the tone for what was to come. Friday's practice at the Cleo Hill Sr. Physical Education building was nothing short of intense, with a supportive gathering including family, friends, mentors, and former players, all contributing to the team's preparations.Amidst the camaraderie and shared excitement, Friday night's team dinner at Applebee's was a chance for the team to bond and fuel up for what would be a remarkable Saturday.
Saturday, the pinnacle of the weekend, saw the team emerge victorious at the HBCU Harlem Renaissance Classic. Jaylen Alston's outstanding performance secured the MVP title, showcasing the team's unwavering determination and skill. Adding to the excitement was the overwhelming support from Coach Hill Jr.'s alma mater, Orange High School Tornadoes. Joined by Coach Hill Jr.'s high school team, their presence added a layer of historical significance, celebrating the enduring legacy of mentorship and success that Coach Hill Jr. continues to uphold. This weekend encapsulated more than just winning games; it was a demonstration of gratitude, unity, and the undying support of a community. Coach Cleo Hill Jr. and his team epitomize sportsmanship, teamwork, and the power of unity in achieving shared success.
Cleo Hill, Sr. Highlighted for Black History Month in NJ
What an amazing honor! My father, Cleo Hill, Sr., is being highlighted for Black History month in NJ. Read more....
JaVonte Cooke Alumni Spotlight
Former player, JaVonte Cooke, is performing exceptionally well in the G-League. He is the Alumni Spotlight for WSSU. Read more....
WSSU Men's Basketball Literacy Program
This year the men's basketball program will start its first literacy program. The program will be named after my parents Ann and the late Cleo Hill Sr. Both parents were Winston Salem Teachers and college graduates in the early 60s. Both had concentrations in elementary education in English.
The first school was Brunson Elementary school in Winston-Salem on December 12th. Our student/athletes read to a Kindergarten class (teacher, Ms. Venice Hailstock, also a WSSU alum) and we also read to a third-grade class. We thank Dr Scales for allowing us to come to the school and share a beautiful morning with their students.
WSSU participants: Assistant coach Lance Beckwith, student/athletes:, Isaac Parson, Captains Jaylon Alston and Jaylon Gibson, Senior Jaylin Parker, SAAC committee representative Stefon Mcleod and Freshman Ketron Shaw.
In the future we hope to start book drive for the program
Annual WSSU Choirs Holiday Concert
Sunday, December 4, 2022 - About last night! I had a great time assisting Maestra D'Walla Simmons Burke Sunday evening and singing RAMS with their Annual WSSU Choirs holiday concert! I had a blast! The singing Rams had a packed house in the K.R. Williams Auditorium. No, I did NOT sing but saw and heard one of the most exciting concerts in a long time. In addition to the concert, the singing Rams had a meet and greet in the lobby afterward. Please support the singing Rams and Maestra Simmons Burke as they gear up for a concert in the spring at the legendary Symphony Hall in New York!
Athletic Department Christmas Party
Friday, December 2, 2022 - Friday was a great day! Athletic department had its annual Athletic department Christmas party! The day was filled with great food, fellowship, games and prizes! In addition, there was an ugly sweater contest. John Lavander was the 1st place winner, Tyron Davis was the 2nd place winner , while the 3rd place winners were the two most handsome men in the room with the exact same sweater, myself and coach Kerry Harbor. Currently, the 3rd place winners are demanding a recount! Updates coming soon!! It was a great day for the Rams!!
HBCU Game Day Recap of WSSU vs Carolina University
HBCU Game Day Recap of WSSU @ WFU
RAM Madness Week
What a week!!! October 10th through the 16th was one heck of a ride!!!
October 10-12th
The 10th through the 12th capped off a 6-week pre-season conditioning program which was probably the best pre-season in recent memories! The guys made great gains in speed, strength and agility! I thought the guys responded in a positive manner and the chemistry got better as they bonded during their struggles. The last 3 days we brought in the reserves, as in the ARMY reserves ROTC from Wake Forest and Winston Salem! The guys were tested with new voices, new drills and new challenges! The workouts were grueling and tough but designed for teamwork and communication! It was great! Special thanks to Coach Beckwith, Wilson, Harbor, Braswell, Sgt Gaines and the Wake Forest/Winston Salem ROTC program.
October 12th
Besides getting up at 4:15 Oct 10-12th to meet the ROTC crew at 5:15, Wednesday was a huge day in my professional career. This summer, I was accepted to the Leadership Winston Program! The experience will definitely be challenging but I am confident that it will increase my knowledge of the community in which I work. Wednesday was the 1st of a two day kick off retreat! The days were filled with Leadership Winston Alumnus, great speakers, multiple breakout rooms, team bonding activities, group pairings, great food and topped off with Goose chasing prizes. I was and still am extremely excited to participate in such a great 9 month program. In addition, I am with a great group NC Fusion! I love the personality of my group and the diverse backgrounds. It will be a blast and we will accomplish a lot of assistance to the community!
October 14th
Part I
Friday was said to be the end of the week but it seemed like it was just getting started. As we prepared for official visits for recruits, we also had our annual media day training for my men's basketball team! Winston Salem States Director of communication and Media Relations Haley Gingles ran the training. We also had the assistance of our director of Athletics Etienne Thomas. I thought it was great! The players had their official uniforms on, we had our WSSU/Under Armour backdrop and interview table. We had some great interview questions for each of our student/athletes. Some of the interview questions were very tough. After each segment of interviews, Ms. Gingles and AD Thomas gave feedback on posture, tone, body language, things you should/shouldn't say, topics to stay away from etc. My student/athletes had some great questions to ask about situations during an interview that could cause nervousness or questionable answers. Again, they got great feedback. Unexpectedly, I was asked to come to the podium to sit with the students/athletes. I was running off pure fumes at this time but it was part of the training. I too was asked some tough questions but found a way to muster up some answers. I gave myself a grade of B-, but I will get better. I thought it was great for my students/athletes to receive this kind of training. I thank Ms. Gingles and AD Thomas for running this training. I also thank my staff again for setting up the training, Beckwith and Wilson!
October 14th
Part II
Friday night was RAM-Madness!!!!! And that it was. The Men's and women's basketball teams were introduced for the 2022-23 season, along with the WSSU Red and White team cheerleaders and our 2022 Women's track as CIAA CHAMPIONS! (Those rings they received were absolute fire}! Each player was announced with their own theme music, lights out, and smoke blazing! I now know I have some good dances and some very interesting and creative young men on my basketball team. I thought the songs/dances were great and the individual creative themes were great as well. My assistant coaches were also announced. I thought coach Beckwith stole the show when he had his son come out with some high-intensity dance moves! It was great. Coach Wilson Was introduced with some lower-intensity moves and then there was Head Coach Cleo Hill Jr., still running on fumes. Being the huge Jay-Z fan that I am, I came out to his song God Did! I was also driven out on a golf cart that was a smash HIT..who knew. It was great. The Red Sea of Sound, the cheerleaders (Red and White)Scarlet Lace Dance team and DJ DP were at absolute 1000!!! We had fun as well with shooting competitions vs the women's team and also a shooting competition vs the band/student body and we lost! Lol I thought it was one of the highlights of the night! The young man that made the half court winning shot was amazing!!!! Super excited and the fans went crazy! The support for our teams is UNREAL with the student body, alumni/staff and community!
Men's Basketball Annual player/family kick off
Saturday, October 8th was NOT a good day! However, it WAS a GREAT day!!! For the past two years, we were not able to have our Men's basketball player family cookout day due to Covid. However, this year it returned with a BLAST! All of the players showed and the majority of their families attended. The event was in the Bowmen gray field house/press conference room. The food was great, and all the players, families, managers, and support staff mingled! All of the players stood to introduce themselves, their hometown, major, and family members that were in attendance. In addition, this year's academic teams/coaches were introduced to the families and parents. Each one of the coaches stood and shared a few words. As I spoke to the group I emphasized the goals of Graduation, the growth of their you men that they raised, and no handing over to myself and my staff as well as this room will be the room pulling for a national championship! After all of the introductions, the event took on a whole new vibe as the DJs on their computers started dropping old-school tracks! I have quite the dancers and entertainers with this group, but the moms were the ones that kicked it all off with the electric slide! The players soon joined in! It was quite the sight for me and my staff but it was great! I received several text messages and phone calls from parents thanking me and expressing what a great event it was and a great time. They all expressed that they felt FAMILY! Although the all-stars of the dance events were probably Freshman Jeremy Dixon and All-star Dancing machine Xavier Fennell followed by his family, the MVP was coach Beckwith with the assistance of the MBB managers. Coach Beck to the event by the horns and made it Epic! I am definitely looking forward to next year's event after this National championship run! Thank you to all the players and families for your support! It is and was appreciated!
A Canceled Homecoming Surprise
Well, hurricane Ian has come and he has gone. Our Ramily homecoming was canceled in anticipation of horrible weather. However, not even a hurricane could stop the Ram faithful and Men's basketball supporters from stopping by C.E. Gaines 230! I had a great group of Rams come to my office on Friday, a few were from the 1967 National Championship team! They watched the entire practice and had inspirational words for the team afterwards and it was great!!! After attending our practice we broke bread in my office. I treated them to an NCAA occasional meal of subway 😊. We had a lot of fun. Probably the best part for me was the 1hr and 30min before practice in my office. The crew told story after story about the inner workings of the magical season. Stories about Earl Monroe, stories about coach Gaines, stories of the mood of the campus and community during the run, it was great.
As it turns out, it will be my first interview for honoring the 1967 championship team once October 15th kicks off the official season. I will explain as it gets closer to the 15th how you can support your RAMS men's basketball team. With no homecoming..it was a great day to be a part of the RAMILY!
CIAA Media Day 2022
Wednesday, September 28th - I attended the 2022 CIAA Media Day event in Baltimore, Maryland this week. Here are a few pictures and a video of my thoughts on the event and the predictions.
Men's Basketball Try-outs
Saturday, September 17th - The WSSU Men's Basketball program held its annual tryouts for the students that attend the University. Over 30 participants submitted physicals, insurance information, and other documents to the athletic training staff before they could try out. There were quite a few guards/perimeter players, but not many post players. Assistant Coach Lance Beckwith conducted the tryouts this year as Coach Wilson and I took notes and observed the participants. The participants played very hard and were very unselfish for the tryout. I had the opportunity to speak with a few of them individually when there were breaks in the action. They were well-spoken and understood that their academics was the main reason for being at WSSU. Overall, it was a good group this year. We had a few students that attended our prospect camp and are now students here at the University. My staff and I will meet this week to see if we will interview any of the participants for a possible roster spot for the 2022-23 season. My staff and I appreciate all the students that turned out and hope that they will all continue to support the RAMS if not selected.
An Inside Look at the Team
Tuesday, September 13th - Today, I sat with John Dell, a reporter for the Winston-Salem Journal, to give my perspective of our team and some key players for the 2022-2023 Season. Check out the video interview and article - Winston-Salem Journal
WSSU Career Fair
Thursday, September 15th - Today Winston Salem State University sponsored its annual Fall 2022 Career and Graduate School Expo. Businesses came from all over NC and all over the country. The event was held in DJR Gymnasium. The gym was packed with Businesses and ambitious young students dressed to a T! I spoke to a few of the vendors and they were impressed with the turnout of the students and how they presented themselves. Jashell Mitchell from Rocket Central has been to our campus multiple times and they have done well recruiting. All of the men's basketball team did attend the event with a few of the freshmen looking confused (they have time). MY seniors were in attendance with a resume in hand and grabbing business cards. While walking around, I observed some students really presenting themselves in a professional manner. It was really refreshing to see. I would like to commend WSSU for putting on a very professional first-class event!
9/11 Tribute
Saturday, September 10th - My entire staff, players, and managers visited Wake Forest University to join in with the "No Fear' Army ROTC in paying tribute to the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. We had half of our team that was not even born at the time and the other half were mere toddlers. As a staff, we tried our best to share and explain the tragedy and how the day and attack altered so many lives. There were different groups from the Winston-Salem community that participated. Also, in attendance representing WSSU was our leader and Athletic Director Etienne Thomas. AD Thomas also shared some thoughts and words before and after. We all took to the stadium stairs and began to walk and/or run. Personally, my legs were not what they used to be, but I was there for the cause. My players on the other hand did a great job with pace and enthusiasm! Coach Beckwith handled the load for the staff with younger legs. As everyone took to the stairs, on the big screen they showed images of the attack as well as all of the names of the fallen victims. I would like to thank the Army ROTC and Wake Forest University for allowing us to participate in such an honorable tribute.
“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.” — Former President Barack Obama
Pre-season Conditioning
September is here and that means WSSU Men’s basketball is in GO-MODE for Preseason conditioning for the 2022-23 season. Assistant coaches Eric Wilson and Lance Beckwith are leading the charge! Preseason will be just over 30 days this year. Workouts on the agenda will be: outside on the track, football field, stadium stairs, and boot camp work. Indoors will be: pool work, kickboxing, cycling, on-court conditioning, yoga, and now strength and conditioning. Our new strength coach is Kerry Harbor. Coach Harbor comes to us with a wealth of experience in Strength and conditioning and is not new to Winston Salem State University where he served in 2010-11. Coach has worked with several Division 1 schools and he will be a major addition to the entire athletic department. "I had a chance to watch him work with our guys for the last two weeks and I love his attention to detail and the chemistry he has with the team". We are looking to be as stronger or stronger than the teams at our level. We will also be looking to upgrade our nutrition program as well. Coach Harbor will be assisting with that as well. We have had several groups reach out to ask if we needed donations of protein powders, protein bars, fruit, etc. We definitely appreciate it. Feel free to email any ideas or assistance with nutrition.
2022-23 Academic Draft
It is that time again! The WSSU men's basketball team held its annual MBB Ac academic draft last weekend! As posted last week coach Wilson was the 2022 academic winner. The order of the draft by MBB academic rules. 1) " The team that finished in 3rd place will have the first two picks" (coach Hill - Books and Ball) followed by coach Beckwith, No Books-No Ball, and coach Wilson Easy does it picked last. Here are your WSSU Men's Basketball Academic teams:
Coach Hill
Books And Balls
KC Shaw
Jeremy Dixon
Xavier Fennell
Isaac Person
Abner Muhammad
Coach Beckwith
No Books-No Ball
Jonathan Hicklin
Nathan Springs
DyQuavis Wilkins
Jaylen Alston
Stefon Mcleod
Coach Wilson
Easy Does It
Samage Teel
Ralph Bland
Jaylon Gibson
Jarius Northam
In addition to the academic draft which was held in Hill Hall in the lecture room by PowerPoint, we had a nice lunch/occasion meal. The Draft was followed by the entire team watching the full CBS documentary Big House, The Pearl, and The Triumph of Winston-Salem State on the big screen. This was something I wanted to do all summer. Before we watched the movie, I explained to the team that this was the 55th year anniversary of the 1967 Championship team! I explained how we planned to honor and recognize the team as well. The guys understood and seemed to enjoy seeing the challenges of the team/university on and off the court. We are hoping that "55" will allow lighting to strike twice in Winston-Salem!
Men's Basketball Orientation Week
Last week was a long but successful week with my program. Since my 2nd year, my staff and I have adopted a Men's basketball orientation week. The week consists of inviting various WSSU Professionals to come and speak to my team about rules, regulations, do's, don'ts, pitfalls, scenarios, and just great advice on how to navigate the compass/community while being a student/athlete here at WSSU.
Monday,
August 22nd
The week started with Dr. Crawford Crooks and Mr. Stuart Bamby from Hill Hall in our academic success center. Dr. Crawford Crooks got straight to the point of goal setting for this year with our team's GPA. The goal is a 3.2 for the year. She challenged the group to handle their business in the classroom. Dr. Crooks also went over the rules and regulations of the study hall and gave a few scenarios. She explained to the team what was not acceptable in terms of dealing with instructors, class attendance and the pecking order of class over practice. New to athletics is Mr. Bamby. He too was straight to the point of why the student/athletes were here in the 1st place. Mr. Bamby was very direct in how he will be dealing with assignments being turned in and how he will relay that message to me and my staff. Mr. Bamby will be a great addition to the athletic department.
Tuesday,
August 23rd
John Lavender, our universities Head Athletic trainer, spoke on a variety of things: Rules and regulations of the training room in the Gaines center. He also spoke about protocol with injuries, new Covid information and overall things that needed to be done to stay healthy during the year.
Wednesday,
August 24th
We were blessed to have our Athletic Director Ms. Etienne Thomas and Associate AD Sonya Hurt. AD Thomas welcomed the newcomers to WSSU and praised the returners for making it back. Thomas also, spoke about the expectations on AND off of the court this school year. She also spoke on the importance of academics in the classroom and conduct on campus and in the community.
AD Hurt spoke on eligibility and academics. She was brief and to the point with NCAA rules that needed to be known by all in the room. Ms. Hurt also shared a few scenarios with the group so they could truly understand the importance of taking care of business in the classroom.
Dr. Jared Lamkin, who is the Mental Wellness and substance abuse counselor at WSSU, spoke with the team as well. Dr. Lamkin spoke on the challenges on the campus as well as the peer pressure. He spoke about his specific role on the campus as well as in the athletic department. He also shared scenarios and how the student/athletes should handle them as well as the coaches.
Thursday,
August 25th
Campus Chief of Police Amir Henry spoke to the Team. Straight away he asked the coaching staff to leave the room. Chief Henry was very honest and blunt with my staff and me as well as the student/athletes. After 20 min with the team, he asked the staff to come back into the room. That segment was filled with different scenarios and how to handle them. It was a great session.
Jamaul Simmons, who is the Director of Community Standards and Civility spoke to the group. Mr. Simmons spoke on University rules and regulations. In addition to the rules and regulations of the University, he tied them to how negative conduct within the community can also be detrimental. He gave scenarios of miscommunication in the dorm that can hurt you as a student. Dr. Simmons also explained how the students need to conduct themselves as leaders of the campus. He also shared a few of his experiences that turned out on the wrong end for athletes. The entire conversation was great for my program!
Friday,
August 26th
This was my day. Over the years the tone has been intense and sometimes mellow. This year was more mellow as I feel the DNA of the group. It was less of a rah-rah/get hype meeting and more informative. I introduced my coaches and support staff and a brief history of how I knew them - Coach Lance Beckwith, Coach Eric Wilson and Volunteer Administrative Assistant Ms. Arnita Miles. I always share scenarios of my family and a few things that I have been through as a player and coach. I shared a few expectations of the year but the meat of the meeting was my code of conduct/Team rules. I thought the team was receptive. My coaches spoke and then the week was done. I thought overall it was a good week of information for the new guys and a lot of updated information for the returners.
2022-2023
MOVE IN DAY
2021-22 Men's Basketball Academic Winner!
Congratulations to Coach Eric Wilson's academic team!
Each year the men's basketball team holds an academic draft where each coach drafts a student/athlete from the team. There are three teams and 3 coaches - Coach Wilson with "Easy does it", Coach Hill with "Team Books & Ball" and Coach Beckwith "No Books No Ball". Each coach will be responsible for his 5 students/athletes: study hall hours, class checks, class attendance and following up on tests/quizzes. Each team will work closely with Dr. Crawford Crooks and the new academic addition, Mr. Stuart Bamby. The team/coach with the highest GPA will be treated to an occasional meal on the house from Coach Hill. In the event the entire team gets over a 3.0 (like 2020-21), Coach Hill will sponsor an occasional meal for the entire team. This year, the team fell short of the 3.0 but Coach Wilson's team had the highest GPA, so they will get their occasional meal. In 2020-21, Coach Beckwith's team won the occasional meal. Congratulations to Team "Easy does it" and Coach Wilson!!!
This year's academic draft will be held this weekend! Stay tuned!!!!
STAFF RETREAT
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Monday, August 1st was a great start to the month! AD Etienne Thomas and the WSSU athletics department had our staff retreat and it was a blast!!! Roar' s restaurant/lounge downtown Winston-Salem was the host and they did a great job! The food was great and the activities were just as good: Virtual golf, virtual basketball and mini bowling. There was intense competition on the mini bowling lane 2! MBB Cleo "Strike" Hill, Athletic training Stephenie Davis, Regyn Davis Young and Senior staff's Karen Dunlap. With a close race Ms Davis Young barely held on to the lead vs Strike Hill for 1st place! Davis and Dunlap also held their own down the stretch.
It was a pleasant surprise to have the guest speaker be a long time friend of mine and the Hill family, Monique AJ Smith! I have known Mrs Smith for a very long time! It was great to see her in action as she has embarked on a journey of Entrepreneurship! Monique was great, introducing the department to a "successful communication workshop". We had great icebreakers and a lot of fun in our breakout groups. I felt like we learned a lot about ourselves, our management styles and how to communicate/receive communication from the different styles. I truly believe this will help the department going forward! Many thanks to Mrs Smith!!
In addition to Roars, Mrs Smith and AD Thomas, I would like to congratulate Angela Daniels and the Hospitality committee for their part in having a successful day. The day was organized, looked great and flowed very smoothly! Thanks Angii!!!
Cleo Hill Jr
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2022 NORLINA, NORTH CAROLINA AT
THE SEVEN SPRINGS FARM AND VINEYARD!
Today was a great day in Norlina, North Carolina at the Seven Springs Farm and Vineyard! The Rams scholarship fundraiser event was a success! We got great support for the day. It’s always great to fellowship with the Ramily.. great fun today!