NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Getting a chance to play in the Coretta Scott King Classic has special meaning for Ohio State senior Chance Gray.
Her great grandfather Benjamin Hooks worked with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr and was onetime executive director of the NAACP. Gray remembered when she was young hearing stories from Hooks, who died in 2010.
“He was a civil rights leader, a judge, a lawyer, he was from Memphis,” Gray said Sunday. “He worked very closely
with Doctor King. There's a lot of history and my family was glad that he was part of that history.”
Gray's team — the No. 14 Buckeyes — faces 10th-ranked TCU on Monday in the opener of the women's basketball doubleheader. Fifth-ranked Vanderbilt plays No. 8 Michigan in the second game.
It's the second year of the doubleheader that's played at the Prudential Center.
“The Coretta Scott King Classic is a testament to the enduring power of my mother’s legacy,” said Bernice King, CEO of The King Center. “She believed deeply in the transformative nature of education and public engagement, and this event continues to bring that vision to life for a new generation of athletes, fans and leaders.”
Gray got a chance to talk with Bernice King on a Zoom last month and learn more about the namesake of the doubleheader.
“It means a lot to just hear about Coretta Scott King and all the history that she had and how big of an impact she had behind MLK,” Gray said. “If it wasn't for her he wouldn't have been able to do all the things that he did.”
Michigan star Syla Swords was on the same Zoom as Gray and was left impressed hearing more about Coretta Scott King.
“A lot of it went unrecognized and was behind the scenes, but it doesn't mean that her impact wasn't there” said Swords, who is from Canada. “I'm not from here but have a lot to learn about American history. Being in the basketball community whether you're Canadian or American you're surrounded by Black excellence. Basketball is built by Black excellence, perfected by Black excellence.”
The two games will be nationally televised and the importance of playing on MLK Day wasn't lost on Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph. For years when she played at and was an assistant coach at UConn, the Huskies would play games that day.
Now in her fifth year at Vanderbilt as the head coach her team has the opportunity again to compete on this holiday.
“We weren’t ready yet for a game like this in January (in the past),” Ralph said. “ So to know that my team is ready ... to play on a great stage, national televised game in New York City (area) for such an amazing cause is really special for us. It's a reminder that we’re moving in the right direction.”
Vanderbilt took advantage of its time in the area, going to dinner in New York on Saturday night and seeing the Lion King.
Michigan will be spending a few days in the area as the Wolverines face Rutgers on Thursday. With the winter storm that hit the area Sunday, Michigan's flight was delayed and were only able to get in a short practice.
TCU beat Arizona on Saturday, so had a short turnaround playing early on Monday. Horned Frogs coach Mark Campbell likened it to the NCAA Tournament with the quick turnaround.
“He said that to us yesterday and it makes sense,” said TCU guard Donovyn Hunter. “This could definitely help us get prepared for the NCAAs with the short turnaround and playing a really good team.”
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