March 16, 2001
By RICK GANO
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Stanley Hill will be rooting for his alma
mater,
Iona, in the Midwest Regional.
But he'll also have an emotional spot for Ole Miss, which invited him
to the
game as a gesture to heal a 44-year-old wound from the days of segregation.
When Hill took the floor for a game against Mississippi in 1957, Ole
Miss
players walked off because they were told they couldn't play against a
black.
Iona got a 2-0 forfeit and Hill got a lesson for life, one that came
full
circle Thursday night on the eve of the Iona-Mississippi first-round game at
Kemper Arena.
Hill and his wife, Ruby, earlier accepted an invitation from
Mississippi
Chancellor Robert Khayat to be a guest of Ole Miss at the game. And on
Thursday, Hill got a game ball presented by coach Rod Barnes and signed by
the
entire Ole Miss team.
"This is an incredible feeling. I'm just proud to be here, it brings
back
history," said the 64-year-old Hill, a retired New York union leader who had
been the only black on his college team.
"It also gives me an opportunity to say to my grandkids who are 12, 9
and 6
how important history is and what has been accomplished in the last 44
years."
Shortly before tip-off that year in Owensboro, Ky., Iona's players say
they
were told that the governor of Mississippi, J.P. Coleman, had refused to let
the Rebels take the court against a school with a black player.
"I felt hurt and humiliated," Hill said.
"But the other thing that is important is that in our hotel the
Mississippi
players came in to see me and said they wanted to play and apologized for
what
happened.
"It was a tough time for me. I was only 20 years old. I learned a lot
and
understood how important it was to go from there and learn from there and
not
be bitter."
Barnes, who is black, said the gesture of inviting Hill to the game was
"something that needed to be done." He added that his players have also
learned from Hill's story.
"There have been a lot of strides at Ole Miss and in the state since
1957.
... Our kids and players and coaches have said we're sorry. ... Now let's
show
our respect for Mr. Hill," Barnes said.
---
WELCOME BACK: Ryan Humphrey, a third-team all-Big 12 player for
Oklahoma
during the 1998-99 season, is back at Kemper Arena with Notre Dame as the
Irish
make their first NCAA appearance since 1990.
Humphrey, who competed in the Big 12 tournament at Kemper with the
Sooners,
averaged 12 points and nearly nine rebounds for Notre Dame this season. He
transferred from Oklahoma following his sophomore season.
Humphrey also has something else his new teammates don't: NCAA
tournament
experience. He was with the Sooners in 1999 when they reached the regional
semifinals.
"I just really talked about the atmosphere. Everyone gets excited
around
this time," Humphrey said. "They just need to know how to control it and go
out there and have fun."
---
BUBBLE GUM: Xavier's appearance is its first in the NCAAs since 1998,
and
coach Skip Prosser's team is a bit tired of all the "bubble" conversations
every year.
"This all-compassing talk of the "bubble teams" wears on kids,
especially
when the first question asked is what affect this game has on your RPI,"
Prosser said, referring to the rating index. "All that talk tends to
minimize
some of the importance of the regular season."
Prosser has taken the Musketeers to four NCAA appearances in the last
seven
years.
