Aug. 14, 2011
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Lillie Black is finally getting her wish.
Ten years after leaving Baylor to pursue a pro basketball career that took him to Italy, South Korea, Germany, North Dakota and Finland, her son, Terry Black, graduated Saturday with a degree in general studies.
"That's been a pretty big goal of mine since I left here," said the 33-year-old Black, who returned to school last fall to complete the last 30 hours of his degree plan. "My dad passed away two years ago. And my mom, school was always important to her. She cared about the sports, but the school part was the most important thing to her."
Black is one of 17 current or former Baylor student-athletes who are receiving their diplomas at the summer commencement ceremony at the Ferrell Center - a list that includes Golden State Warriors forward Ekpe Udoh, former track All-American DeAna Carson and football's Philip Blake, Jake Jackson and John Jones.
"That first day, I was kind of paranoid about how much older I was than the kids," Black said. "And just listening in on some of the conversations, it's a little bit different than the conversations I have nowadays. But I've adapted pretty well to it. I get along with everybody in my classes, as well as the professors. The age thing is not that big in school. Now, when I come around basketball, the guys always let me know I'm a little older than I am."
Two years out of the game, the 6-foot-6 forward could still "hold my own a little bit" when he worked out with the team. "But it will take me a couple days to recover."
"The last two years, I've been out of basketball and really didn't watch that much basketball," said Black, a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2001 who was named to Baylor's 17-man All-Centennial Basketball Team five years later. "But just to come back into it now and be welcomed with open arms by coach (Scott) Drew and all the guys here has been great. They're a good group of guys to come out and play with and just be around. They're a fun group."
"We had a similar situation when David Wesley was here two years ago," Drew said. "It's a great resource and he's a great role model for current players, because those guys can explain how quick time goes and to enjoy and take advantage of what you have. And they can also explain the importance of studying, so you don't have to come back and get your degree later."
A two-time junior college All-American at Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, Black left his mark on the Baylor basketball program in just two years. He's the all-time leader in career steals per game (2.55), third in career steals (153) and fourth in career field goal percentage (.591).
Still considered one of the most impressive dunkers ever in the college game, Black had six dunks and scored a team-high 20 points in a shocking 85-77 win over sixth-ranked Kansas on Feb. 12, 2001, before a Ferrell Center crowd of 9,523 and a national ESPN2 audience.
"I don't think I did (realize how big it was at the time)," Black said. "I was caught up in the moment. And here we are 10 years later, and it's still a game that people bring up. At the time, I I knew it was kind of big. I just didn't realize how big it was."
That team went on to upset top-seeded and seventh-ranked Iowa State, 62-49, in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championships and ended an 11-year playoff drought with a bid to the National Invitation Tournament. In his final collegiate game, Black had 22 points and eight rebounds in an 83-73 loss to New Mexico at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M.
After an appearance with the Chicago Bulls' summer league team, Black started a pro career that took him all over Europe. Other than a brief stint with the Dakota Wizards in the Continental Basketball Association, Black's playing career was overseas, finishing up with the 2007-08 season in Finland.
"I've kind of been everywhere and seen it all," Black said, who played for a regular-season champion in South Korea in 2004. "I made some money, spent some money, got to see a lot of different countries. It was a lot of fun. I met a lot of different people, a lot of people I still keep in contact with. It was a good deal."
But when he finally walked away from it, Black said, "it was pretty easy."
"Your marriage isn't really where it needs to be when one person's here and the other person's there," said Black, who married former Baylor soccer player Jennifer Cavalle. "Another deciding factor was the death of my father. I was just unmotivated to play. And then the last thing was my son (Anthony) was starting school. The chips kind of fell into place where they needed to be and the timing was right."
Black and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons, Anthony (6) and Beckham (2). While Terry helped coach Anthony's basketball team, Beckham will probably follow in his mother's footsteps and play soccer. "With a name like Beckham, you have to play soccer," he said.
While he has spent the last few years managing Valvoline Instant Oil Change outlets in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Black said he plans to try to get into coaching after getting his degree.
"My main focus is just getting the degree," he said. "I don't know for sure what I'll do after I graduate. But for me, that would be the biggest reward is just walking across the stage."
