Boswell King says he’s happy he stuck around for one more go at college basketball.

             At 25, N.C. Central’s 6-8 senior post man could have given up the sport a couple of
             years ago and nobody would have blamed him. He graduated from high school
             almost nine years ago, and his chances of making a living as a basketball player are
             slim.

             But he decided to stay at NCCU long enough to take advantage of his final semester
             of eligibility.

             And tonight at 7:30, he and fellow big man Dekendric Perry will be honored in
             "Senior Night" ceremonies as the Eagles (7-17, 4-5 CIAA West) play CIAA Western
             Division champion and defending conference champ Johnson C. Smith (20-5, 9-0) at
             McLendon-McDougald Gym in a game televised locally on WKFT-40. He’s also only
             one semester away from graduation and said he definitely has his eyes on his
             degree in sports management.

             "The Division II rules are a good thing because I got a second chance to play, and
             that’s been great for me," said King, who has averaged 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds
             for the up-and-down Eagles since joining them for the second semester. "And I
             already knew all the guys because I’ve been on campus all this time."

             King starred for Benjamin Franklin High in Rochester, N.Y., making all-conference for
             three seasons and leading his team to a 28-2 record and the state title game as a
             senior. He averaged 18 points, 15 rebounds and six assists during his senior year
             but said he wasn’t in contention for any all-academic honors.

             "That’s why I couldn’t play Division I," said King, who added that SUNY-Potsdam was
             one of the few four-year schools to show any interest before he matriculated to
             Monroe Community College.

             King played for Monroe for three semesters, then got a call from then-NCCU
             assistant coach Ron Woodard about transferring to N.C. Central.

             He wasn’t eligible until second semester in 1998, and when he got into the lineup
             he had a double-double, scoring 10 points with 12 rebounds in an 89-69 win over
             visiting Wilberforce. But he never again had such a big game under former coach
             Greg Jackson, averaging 4.4 points and 3.7 rebounds that season.

             Then, King said, Jackson told him his services no longer were needed.

             He decided to stay at NCCU anyway.

             "I’ve just been a student," King said. "But I always wanted to work my way back
             onto the basketball team."

             Lacking much size inside, current coach Phil Spence asked King to come back out,
             knowing he could play only the second semester.

             "It didn’t take me much time to catch up," King said. "I already knew most of the
             guys."

             He said Spence has become the sort of father figure he had been lacking since his
             rec league coach, Ray Warren, died when King was 16 years old. Boswell, the
             youngest of three sons, was raised by his mother, Jewel King, with no father in the
             picture.

             "Boz has got a world of talent," Spence said. "He just has to learn to take
             advantage of his abilities on the court. But I’m definitely glad he came back for this
             semester. He’s been a joy to be around."

             Perry, the Eagles’ only other experienced player who is taller than 6-6 and weighs
             more than 200, said he was happy to see King come out to give him some help on
             the inside.

             "It helped a lot when he came back," Perry said. "I’m a lot more confident in the
             paint because he took some of the load off of me. He’s real agile and moves well, a
             real versatile player."

             Another confidante of King has been one of the players on the NCCU women’s team,
             his cousin Zakia VanHoose from Rochester.

             "We get together and talk basketball after just about every game," King said.

             VanHoose said she has enjoyed watching her cousin’s progress this season.

             "He was a little rusty when he came back, especially mentally," VanHoose said. "But
             he’s a good all-around player. What most people don’t know is how well he can
             handle the ball. He can play the point, two, three four or five."

             But where the Eagles need him is down in the lane with Perry. And with a big week
             from him next week, NCCU — which lost just 73-70 to Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte
             on Jan. 30 —might be able to do some damage in the CIAA Tournament.

             "I think it all depends on our confidence," King said. "We haven’t beaten every team
             in the league, but at least we’ve shown we can play with all of them. Now it’s all on
             us."