Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 14, 1993 TAG: 9304140032
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
IVERSON'S STAR ON THE RISE
This time a year ago, Allen Iverson had begun to establish a reputation as a basketball player at the state level, but he hardly was the talk of the nation.As a sophomore, Iverson didn't make the all-state first or second teams. This year, as a junior, he was a first-team Parade All-American.
"We knew we had something special, but not to this degree," said coach Mike Bailey from Bethel High School in Hampton. "As a sophomore, he had unbelievable talent, but not all the parts had come together."
They definitely came together this year, when Iverson, a 6-foot-1 guard, led Bethel to the Group AAA state championship in basketball after being the quarterback who led the Bruins to the Division 5 state football title.
For his exploits this winter, Iverson is the choice as Mr. Basketball in Virginia by the Roanoke Times & World-News. He is joined by another Hampton player, La'Keshia Frett from Phoebus High School, who is the newspaper's first Miss Basketball.
Phoebus compiled a 110-8 record in Frett's four years on the varsity team, including a Group AAA championship in 1992, when she was a junior. Although Phoebus got only as far as the state semifinals this year, Frett raised her scoring average from 29 points per game to 34.1.
"A lot of people think she's one of the best [girls'] players of all time," Phoebus coach Mike Tallon said after returning from the Naismith banquet in Atlanta, where Frett was recognized as national player of the year. "She's by far the best player to come out of Virginia."
It would be difficult to make the same claim for Iverson because of the college All-Americans and National Basketball Association all-stars to come from Virginia. Iverson is the third junior to be chosen Mr. Basketball, joining Kevin Madden from Robert E. Lee in Staunton and Alonzo Mourning from Indian River in Chesapeake.
The choice for the title came down to Iverson and another first-team Parade selection, 6-10 Joey Beard from Reston High School in South Lakes. Beard, who signed a letter-of-intent with Duke in the fall, had 35 points and 27 rebounds in a Northern Region tournament victory over T.C. Williams.
Another first-team Parade All-American, 6-6 Jerry Stackhouse from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, was not considered because his home is in Kinston, N.C. However, Stackhouse heads the Roanoke Times & World-News' list of the top 15 prospects in the state.
Stackhouse scored 25.6 points per game in helping lead Oak Hill to a 36-0 record and the No. 3 ranking in the country according to USA Today. He demonstrated a rare combination of power and finesse, with 164 dunks and 60 3-point field goals.
"I'm not sure how many 3-pointers he shot - or needed to shoot - before he got here," Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said. "But his strongest suit, which a lot of people don't know, may be his passing. I think it will really show up at the next level."
The same goes for Oak Hill point guard Jeff McInnis, who will join Stackhouse at North Carolina next year. McInnis played on Oak Hill teams that went 70-2 over the past two seasons, and he accumulated more than 700 assists. He was second on the team in scoring both years.
"We don't have a lot of games that are close at the end," Smith said, "but nobody handles that situation better [than McInnis]. The best thing I can say for him is that other good players like to play with him."
The top five also includes Maryland signee Joe Smith from Maury High in Norfolk, described by coach Jack Baker as "fundamentally the best player I've ever coached." Smith, a 6-9 forward, scored 37 of Maury's 50 points in a state tournament loss to Bethel.
The only non-ACC signee in the top five is Hampton High swingman Damon Bacote, who was averaging 31.1 points when he learned in mid-February that he had a broken wrist and was lost for the season. Bacote, who scored 51 points in one early season game, signed with Richmond in November.
"He'll be a star at that level," Hampton coach Walter Brower said. "I've seen some ACC guards who can't do what he can. He's always been a tremendous offensive rebounder, but he has really stepped up his outside game."
Iverson averaged 31.6 points, with a high of 46, but that doesn't begin to describe how he can take over when a game is on the line. Iverson brought Bethel back from a 17-point deficit to defeat Woodbridge 72-65 in overtime in the state semifinals.
"He has a flair for the dramatic," Coach Bailey said. "Allen is, by nature, a survivor. When it comes crunch time, he not only does things to put you in position to win, he wins it for you."
Only 13 players in the state have signed letters-of-intent or made oral commitments heading into the spring signing period that starts today. That number does not include Sleeper of the Year Julio Cruz, a 7-foot Venezuelan who was declared academically ineligible this past season at J.I. Burton High School in Norton.