DURHAM -- Charles Futrell already was used to helping out an N.C. Central team in trouble. 

Julius McClellan was willing to cut off most of his hair to be of service. 

And the duo, which helped the Eagles win their first CIAA football championship in 25 years in the fall, has been a big boost to the NCCU basketball team since stepping into the fray in early December. 

Second-year coach Henry Dickerson already knew this was going to be a rebuilding year, having lost four starters and both double-figure scorers off last season's 16-13 team. 

But a couple of junior-college recruits Dickerson had coming in turned out to be academically ineligible. Then 6-9 senior center Jason Hervey, a likely go-to guy this season, had a tough time recovering from knee surgery and agreed to take an injury redshirt. 

The Eagles got off to a respectable start, although it didn't show in the win column. 

Forget the 60-point exhibition blowout at No. 1 Duke. The Eagles were within single digits in an exhibition loss at East Carolina, and again three more times in Florida against teams that played in last season's NCAA Division II Tournament. 

Then they won their home opener against Shaw the day after Thanksgiving in the first round of the NCCU BC Powder Classic. 

But when the Eagles fell at home a day later, 97-59 to reigning NCAA Division II champion Virginia Union -- a team NCCU had defeated in Durham last season -- Dickerson had seen enough losing and took some emergency measures to stop the bleeding. 

Enter Futrell and McClellan. 

Futrell, a 6-6 former four-sport star from Fayetteville E.E. Smith, was a solid receiver for the football team who also stepped in as the backup quarterback. 

Nicknamed "Stix" when he was a 6-3, 140-pound high school freshman, he went the whole way calling signals in a 38-19 win over Bowie State. And he stepped in for starter Adrian Warren on obvious running plays the rest of the season. 

Between his rushing, passing and receiving, Futrell was responsible for 524 yards and eight touchdowns. 

McClellan, a 6-4 junior transfer from Coahoma (Miss.) Community College, quickly made a splash as a wide receiver, catching 17 passes for 319 yards and six touchdowns. 

Coach Rod Broadway's football team finished 10-2, the best season in school history. 

"Both of them were big-time contributors to our championship," Broadway said. "Stix showed what type athlete he is when we gave him a week to get ready for that Bowie State game. And Julius is just going to get better and better. I'm excited about having both of them on our football team." 

Dickerson said he was impressed with what he saw from both players on the football field. 

"They came off a conference championship team and understand what they have to do to compete and what it takes to win," Dickerson said of the wideouts-turned-forwards. "They really have made a difference in our team, as far as their attitude and their athletic ability goes." 

Dickerson said he talked to Futrell about joining the team after football season but had sort of left McClellan -- who played two seasons of junior college basketball -- on the back burner as a hoop prospect. 

"I was planning on coming here to play both sports," said Futrell, who also pitched and played first base and was a star high jumper at Smith but said he has since retired from spring sports. "But when [former Coach Phil Spence] found out I was planning to play football, he took away my basketball scholarship." 

Futrell, a computer science major who said he's planning to get help with graduate school bills by playing basketball after his football eligibility expires, said he chose NCCU over Fayetteville State because he wanted to go away to school. Division I-AA North Carolina A&T didn't offer him a scholarship until he already had made a solid commitment to NCCU. 

McClellan, who also played center field and was one of Florida's top prep sprinters, was a bigger recruit coming out of high school, having to turn down all the Florida I-A football powers and attend the junior college after failing to qualify academically. 

"I didn't go to class," McClellan said of his high school academic woes. "I learned my lesson about that." 

And he got another lesson from Dickerson before joining the basketball team -- he had to cut his nearly shoulder-length dreadlocks. 

It was a bigger issue to Dickerson, who wore an Afro and a full beard during his days in the NBA, than it was to McClellan, who said the haircut was no big deal. 

"His hair will grow back," said Dickerson, whose entire team has haircuts that could have passed anyone's regulations 40 years ago. "College is a time for young people to express themselves and have fun, but how you look is important. 

"When Rick Huckaby gave me my first job as an assistant coach at Marshall, the rule was that nobody could have facial hair. I had to decide whether I wanted to have a beard or be a college basketball coach." 

Unlike the biblical strongman Samson, McClellan has done fine without his hair. And Futrell is making a good case for being CIAA rookie of the year. 

Through their first seven games together, Futrell -- who now tops 200 pounds -- was averaging 13.1 points and 9.6 rebounds. McClellan is averaging 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds. 

But it wasn't so easy, even though both scored in double figures in their season debut on Dec. 2 against Lenoir-Rhyne College in Salisbury. 

After their first basketball practice of the season, each had lost his most recent meal, both acknowledged with laughter. 

"There's a difference between football shape and basketball shape," Futrell said. "When I was backup quarterback, I was doing a lot of standing at practice. Basketball doesn't let you get much rest." 

McClellan said that even though the Eagles aren't winning yet -- they were 3-9 heading into Thursday's road game with Shaw -- he's having fun being back on the court. 

"I think this team can be good and go a long way," McClellan said. 

Futrell agreed. 

"He's right," the quarterback said. "But we've got to get rid of all the 'me, me, me' attitude. When we do that, we can win a lot of games."