Africentric coach won't play transfer card after loss
TRob Oller
he Africentric boys basketball locker room remains decorated with championship banners and other reminders that the Nubians won the 2005 Division IV state title.
Except they didn’t. Not officially, anyway. The Ohio High School Athletic Association stripped the City League South Division school of its title soon after the state tournament ended when it learned the Nubians had played the season with an ineligible player, the result of an administrative error.
No matter, Africentric coach Mike Bates still says the Nubians won the championship.
“And the reason why is because (those kids) did it on the court,” Bates said. “We honor them because they won the game on the court.”
Flash forward from that 2005 championship to Saturday afternoon, when a state title game involving the Nubians again had people talking about tainted titles and OHSAA rules. Except this time the target of contempt was Africentric’s opponent in the Division III final: Cincinnati Deer Park.
Even before Deer Park had defeated Africentric 67-57 for its first state championship, the murmuring went like this: “Of course Deer Park should win it all. What else do you expect when nine players, including all five starters, transfer into your district over the past two seasons?”
Deer Park coach Steve Gentry, who took over a program that was 3-66 in the three years before he arrived in 2016, points out that an OHSAA investigation cleared Deer Park of any wrongdoing, at least by letter of the law.
“A lot of people think we did things the wrong way,” he said Saturday after the Wildcats wiped out an 11-point deficit by outscoring Africentric 32-14 to finish the game. “But we’re going to follow rules to the T. When these guys transferred in, we called the state and asked what did we need to do? But all year people were saying, ‘These guys don’t live here and we followed this guy home.’ What, I can’t go to my cousin's or girlfriend’s house without you saying I live somewhere else.”
In what Gentry considered an embarrassing affront, an administrator visited the coach’s home to make sure his son, starting guard Steven Gentry Jr., lived there.
“He went upstairs to make sure his bed and clothes were there. It got to that point,” Gentry said.
It also got to this point: When Deer Park subbed out its starters with 45 seconds left, a Cincinnati wag cracked, “Here come the (real) Deer Park kids.”
For Africentric fans, all the talk about Deer Park transfers must sting like one more form of injustice. But don’t count the Nubians’ coach among those feeling wronged.
True to his beliefs, Bates strongly points out that Deer Park won the game exactly where Africentric won it 13 years ago. On the floor.
“No, it doesn’t bother me at all,” Bates said. “My team is the same kids I had last year, but the fact of the matter is that on the court you have to play. In the grand scheme of things, you have to match wits and go on the court and play the doggone game. They lace them up and practice like we do. Just lace them up and go at it.”
Talk about a stand-up guy. No sour grapes. No implying Africentric got beat by cheaters. The Nubians did not win a title, but with Bates they win a ton of respect.
Let Bates’ final words sink in.
“All you really want in life is the opportunity,” he said. “Why people are so upset and angry is because they don’t feel like they get an opportunity. My team had an opportunity and (took) our shot. All we can do is try to get better.”
That’ll preach.