SCAC Commissioner selected to PRCC Athletics Hall of Fame

SCAC Commissioner selected to PRCC Athletics Hall of Fame

(Story taken from the Pearl River Community College website)

POPLARVILLE, Miss. - Dwayne Hanberry came to Pearl River Community College from Oak Grove High School in 1983 as 6-foot-4, 150 pound basketball player without much experience. By the time he left for Oglethorpe (Ga.) University in 1986, he stood 6-8, weighed 210 pounds, and was an all-state player for the Wildcats.

"I was a late bloomer," understates Hanberry, who currently lives in Suwanee, Ga., and serves as the commissioner of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, a Division III league that includes 12 schools from nine states.

"When we did jumping drills, coach (Lawrence) Smithmeir used to tell me he couldn't slide a piece of paper under my feet when I jumped."

As Hanberry grew in height, he gained 70 pounds, got stronger and improved his game. By the time he was a sophomore, he had worked his way into the starting lineup, averaging 12 points and 8.5 rebounds a game, shooting 49 percent from the field and getting named to the All-State team.

"When I got out of high school, nobody expressed an interest in me," said Hanberry. "My dad talked to Billy Holmes (then PRC coach) and he let me walk on. They gave me a half-scholarship to stay around, keep statistics and be a student assistant coach. That sounded good to me."

Hanberry's accomplishments on the basketball court have earned him a place in the college's Sports Hall of Fame. He will be inducted Saturday, Oct. 17, during 2009 Homecoming festivities on the Pearl River campus.

He will be part of the first father-son team to be inducted into the PRC Sports Hall of Fame. His late dad, David (Goose) Hanberry, was inducted in 1994 as a standout basketball player from 1963-65.

"When Coach Smithmeir replaced Coach Holmes, I had to basically start over, but I still had two years of eligibility," said Hanberry. "I made the team and eventually broke into the starting lineup."

Hanberry's game got better his sophomore season, as did the Wildcats. He scored 24 points in a South Division win over East Central, 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Jones JC and 23 points in a win over Utica Junior College. He was the team's leading rebounder.

Hanberry also excelled as a PRCC student. He graduated with special honors (3.6 GPA) , was a member of Phi Theta Kappa and made the dean's list or president's list in every semester.

"School wise, I loved the time I had there," he said. "I had great teachers. I started out in engineering, but I switched to business."

Hanberry chose Oglethorpe University over some 15 other college offers, mainly he said, "because they were the first school to recruit me. Plus, they were in Atlanta and I wanted to get away from home."

He averaged 14 points and nine rebounds his first season, leading his team into the playoffs. Two knee surgeries kept him from playing more than six games his senior season.

After college, Hanberry began work at a men's clothing store for eight years before joining the SCAC staff as the sports information director, then moving to interim commissioner before taking over the head job.

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