UNT Men's Bball Headed to National Tournament

[UNTLifer]

Intramural basketball heads to nationals

Ashley Hyder

Daily Reporter

March 30, 2004

In the midst of the nationally televised NCAA tournament, a group of NT students will take part in a similar tournament, a first for NT intramural teams.

This is the first time in school history that an NT intramural basketball team has gone to the national championship.

Nova-Kane will be traveling to Florida on April 22 to play in a national tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports Arena. The three-day tournament will feature talent from all over the country.

"It's almost no words to express how I felt," said Sheldon Tate, Fort Worth junior, who serves as both the coach and a player for the winning team.

Nova-Kane has competed in a number of games to make it to nationals, including playing in tournaments at NT, the University of Houston and Texas Christian University.

While this is the first time an NT team has progressed to this level in intramurals, Nova-Kane has been around for about five years. The concept of Nova-Kane is attributed to Tranell Walker, an NT student who is now paralyzed.

"It's like when you go to the dentist, and they inject you with novacane. You don't feel the effects at first, but wait long enough and it will kick in," said Tate.

"That's our approach with others teams, we eventually wear them down."

Other team members are also excited about the tournament.

"This is my first trip to Florida, so I'm really excited," said Obi Ezem, Dallas freshman.

Marcus Levels, Fort Worth junior, said he expects the team to do well because it has good chemistry and knows how to work together.

"Nobody's selfish and no one's out for themselves," Levels said. "We are all about winning."