WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Some days Winston-Salem State (WSSU) head coach Corey Thompson can be found sitting in the dark at C.E. Gaines Center, pinching himself over the fact he’s now in charge at his HBCU. But those moments are fleeting as the season gets closer.
“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Thompson told HBCU Gameday. “But I also know, too — we’ve got to come in and be able to do what we supposed to do and protect the legacy.”
Thompson trotted his new look team out onto the court at the Gaines Center on Friday night for “Ram Madness,” the annual introduction to the basketball season. This season’s event truly had a new feeling.
Not only are Thompson and assistants Alphonza Kee and Tony Jones new to the Ramily — so is 85 percent of the team team. Only four players from last season’s team are back this season — and only Jeremy Dixon saw significant playing time under now-departed Cleo Hill Jr. and his coaching staff.
The rest of the team is made up of newcomers. Among them are two sophomores from Charlotte — Jaiden Thompson and Wesley Tubbs. Both players committed to WSSU prior to Hill heading up to Division I HBCU Maryland-Eastern Shore. While some committed players followed him to the MEAC school, Thompson and Tubbs decided to stick around. That was big for Thompson, who says he went to work securing those commitments as soon as his introductory press conference was over.
“Just had to re-recruit those guys over again,” Thompson said. “But the thing about it is, they love WSSU. They love the program, but they love Winston-Salem State. And so it was an easy, easy sell for me to keep them here. But both of those guys are going to be really key for us this year.”
Thompson was a highly-regarded guard at Central Cabarrus High School. He signed with Charleston Southern and was named to the Big South All-Rookie Team, but decided to hit the portal and committed to WSSU. Tubbs, a 6’7 wing, was a three-star member of the 2023 class with offers from some big time schools before heading to prep school.
“Jaiden really running the show, doing a good job at a point guard position, and Wesley just being very, diverse can play multiple positions,” Thompson said. “Can guard multiple positions. So we’re excited about keeping those two guys on.”
Joining Thompson on the staff are Thompson and Jones. Thompson worked as Kee’s assistant at Fayetteville State for several years before going to Saint Paul’s High School where he added Jones as an assistant following his stint as interim head coach at UNC Pembroke.
“I’ve been coaching for a long time, and it’s all about relationships, for me,” Thompson said. “So just being getting coaches that I know personally, building relationships with. Both from assistant coaches have a college head coaching experience.”
WSSU was picked to finish fifth in the 12 team CIAA this season despite so many new pieces. Thompson, the first former WSSU player to coach at the school, credits that prediction to the legacy and recent success of his HBCU. Cleo Hill Jr. won 90 games and two titles in his five seasons at WSSU, and Thompson knows first hand the expectations remain high at 601 S. MLK Dr.
“As I talked about and what we’re said in Baltimore, tradition don’t win games games. You’re right tradition does not win games. But what it helps you do is also lay the foundation. And understand that coming in — there’s expectation. And so knowing that expectation here at WSSU is to win, you got to know that coming in. So you know we’ve been able to bring in some great guys I’m excited about that. But most importantly you know we got some guys that buy into the team that’s bought into the concept.”
After all, “Protect The Legacy” isn’t written on the walls of the C.E. Gaines Center for nothing.