Oct. 20, 2005
PRINCESS ANNE, MD - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Men's Basketball Team was among the eight teams with a preseason All-MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Team member for the 2005-2006 season.
Senior forward/center Tim Parham (6-9, 240 lbs., Chicago, Ill./Ellsworth C.C.) was named to the Preseason Men's Basketball All-Conference Second Team. Parham Led the MEAC last season in rebounding with almost ten rebounds per game as well as double doubles with 13. Parham made national headlines when he entered into the NBA draft but withdrew his name to return to the Hawks for his senior season.
Joining Parham on the squad were first teamers Antonio Webb (BCC), Jahsha Bluntt (Del. St.), Tony Tate (FAMU), Thurman Zimmerman (SCSU) and Preseason player of the year, Bruce Brown (Hampton). On the second team with Parham were: Jeff Granger (Hampton), Tony Murphy (Norfolk State), Darius Glover (FAMU) and Brian Mason (SCSU).
Parham was also the highlight in many of the nation's preseason college basketball magazines. The headline of him entering and then withdrawing his name from the NBA draft was the talk of many magazines including Sporting News, Athlon Sports and Street & Smith's College Basketball. While Sporting News and Street & Smith predicted an 11th place finish by the Hawks, the Sporting News tagged them tenth.
It was Street & Smith's College Basketball that gave the Hawk faithful something to hope for, naming Qavotstaraj Waddell (6-11, 240 lbs., Norfolk, Va. Coastal Christian Academy), the Preseason top newcomer in the conference.
"I think we have something here," said Head Coach Larry Lessett. "Getting Q [Waddell] named as the top newcomer and of course, having Tim [Parham] back means that we can really get something done here at UMES. I think we have a lot of the right tools in place," he added.
