Eric Salley grew up in Colleton County.

He spent the last few years of his high school career living just off Augusta Highway. He dreamed of being a North Carolina Tar Heel. Emulated Raymond Felton, making “swish, swish” noises with his mouth when he crossed over on the basketball court after hearing that the former Latta, UNC and current Charlotte Bobcat star did the same because he thought it made him faster. He went to the Nike Peach Jam in North Augusta, as a spectator, watched then high schooler Ty Lawson dribble his way around the competition, fell in love with his style of play, and just about lost it on a trip to the concession stand when he turned around to find the head Tar Heel himself, Roy Williams, standing behind him.

Salley’s dream was big, and there was little reason for him not to think it would come true especially after that magical senior season in which he earned Region 8-AAAA player of the year honors as well as North-South All-Star honors. Along the way, he managed to lead the once woeful Colleton County High School basketball team to 18-regular season wins en route to a region championship. But, when it came time to pick a school, North Carolina wasn’t offering. There were a few JUCOs, and whispers that then Winthrop coach Gregg Marshall wanted the 6-foot guard to head off to a particular school with the idea that in two years he would be an Eagle.

That was three years ago. Tuesday morning, Salley boarded a bus just after 8 a.m. with the Claflin Panthers (23-2) headed to Birmingham, Ala. to take part in the SIAC basketball tournament. The Panthers, the top seed in the SIAC and ranked seventh in the NABC Poll, will tip-off at 8 p.m. tonight against the winner of Wednesday night’s game between Miles College and Tuskegee in the Fair Park Arena

Getting Salley was a coup for the Panthers. The former high school star sat out his freshman year dealing with academic issues, but in this, his third year at the school and in his second year of used eligibility, he’s developed into a fire-starter off the bench for the Panthers. In just over 20 minutes of play per game, Salley is averaging 11 points per game, second best on the team. He is the team’s leading 3-point shooter, firing .353 from behind the arc. There were other routes, other dreams, but Salley’s happy to be where he’s at.

“It’s been good,” he said of his time at the school. “It’s small. Everybody knows everybody and in a lot of ways it’s just like high school.

“When I first came here, it was during the season, and I didn’t really want to come here,” he added. “The game I went to they lost bad, but coach talked to me and told me he had a lot of people coming in.”

And, Claflin was persistent. In fact, Salley played quite a few games his senior year under the watchful eye of the Claflin coaching staff. They followed him to the North-South game, stayed on him, kept promising. Players were coming. The NCAA was coming.

One of those players was Ernest Sinkfield. At 13.8 points per game, the senior is the Panthers leading scorer. Behind Salley, he’s the team’s second best 3-point shooter, and Claflin got him through persistence ... and luck. A product of Atlanta’s East Coweta High School, Sinkfield found himself at Denmark Tech for JUCO ball. Claflin head coach Ron Woodard found Sinkfield during a scrimmage between the Panthers and Denmark Tech.

“We scrimmaged them one night and I killed it,” Sinkfield said. “Coach talked to me after that and he got me up here.”

And, then there’s the unique story of Benjamin Lawmann. He’s another one of those players Woodard promised was coming and he came the farthest. “Big Ben” hails from South London ... England. The forward, who pitches in eight points per game, was a member of England’s National Basketball team when he was told to take his game to America.

“I was told by numerous coaches that if I came to America to play collegiate basketball it would help me become more physical,” Lawmann said in his heavy accent. “I played Junior College ball for a year in Detroit and my name circulated there.”

Lawmann had something setup with Elizabeth City State University, but when that didn’t work out, Woodard stepped in and snapped him up.

“It’s been great,” Lawmann said. “(Woodard) keeps me on my toes everyday. He definitely brings the best out in me.”

And, that’s been the key -- Woodard, the SIAC’s coach of the year, and his assistant, Terrance Jenkins. They were the men making the promises. They promised players and they produced. They promised the NCAA and that came to fruition. And, they’ve spent the past several years getting the Panthers ready to make this, their first postseason push. Win the SIAC tournament, and the chacnes of hosting an NCAA Division II playoff game multiply. That’s why a little over halfway through Monday night’s practice at the Jonas T. Kennedy Center, Woodard stopped everything.

“Your half-assing,” he yelled at his team. “Stop half-assing it. At the moment you half-ass it, take a break ... that’s the moment you get hurt.”

It’s a common thing in the Panthers’ intense, defensive-minded practices.

“Fiery!” Lawmann said with a laugh. “Fiery aint’ the word for it. When you walk onto that court, you have to be on point. He can tell you the meanest things to get you ready.”

Salley learned that the hard way. Prized recruit and all, he drew the ire of Woodard early in one of his first practices with the team.

“I threw it off the backboard to myself,” Salley said. “And, the next time down I threw it off the backboard to one of our big men who missed the dunk.

“He just started yelling at me,” he added. “But, when it was all done, he told me he does that to see how people will react. He just does it to see if it can make you better. If it doesn’t ... maybe next year you want be here.”

“Coach Woodard is a great coach to play for and a great person,” Sinkfield said. “We might gripe, but we all know he is helping us. He’s going to bring you back. No matter how angry or frustrated you get ... he wants you to be serious, but he can make you laugh and know it’s all good. That’s a great coach.”

A great coach that has his players right where he promised they would be.

“No, not at all,” Sinkfield said. “I never expected us to be this good. That first year, it was real tough. No fans would show up to the games. Last year, we were on a roll and people still weren’t coming. They’d always come for the Benedict game, but I think this year, people are finally starting to realize we are doing something positive.”

Claflin girls play today

The Pantherettes will also be in action at 10 a.m. Thursday in the SIAC tournanment.

Claflin (14-11, 12-10) enter the tournament as a fourth seed and will face the Tuskegee, the five seed, after The Tigerettes defeated Lane 64-50 Wednesday night.

T&D Sports Editor Brian Linder can be reached via e-mail at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553. Check out his blog, Welcome to Linderland, at www.thetandd.com.

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