ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997 TAG: 9703130045
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM THE ROANOKE TIMES
Name an unsung hero for Liberty and Cheyney Preston comes to mind, but all he wants to talk about is another Group AA boys' basketball crown.
If points were the most important thing to Cheyney Preston, he wouldn't be as valuable as he has been this season to the Liberty boys' basketball program.
Last season, he scored 11 points when the Minutemen beat Lakeland of Suffolk to finish unbeaten and win the Group AA title. Despite some hard work during the off-season, Preston is averaging 8.4 points a game.
``I've never sat down and talked to him,'' said Liberty coach Mark Hanks, ``but he probably thought he would have averaged 14 or 15 points this year. No doubt he's capable of that.''
Instead, Preston, one of three seniors who has helped lead the Minutemen into a Group AA semifinal Friday at Liberty University, has been more valuable as a defensive stopper.
Against Salem on March 1, Preston had a couple of late steals as Liberty rallied to nip the Spartans, earning the Region III title and a more favorable draw in the opening round of the state tournament.
Does a lack of points bother Preston?
``Not at all,'' he said. ``I'm not known as a scorer. I pass up a shot to get someone else involved in the game. Most of the time, if you get someone else involved offensively, they'll help out defensively.''
Preston is proud of his defense.
``Most of the time if you take someone's main ball handler out of the game, it messes up the concept of what they're trying to do,'' he said. ``I probably work harder on and worry more about my defense than I do offense.''
Hanks said that Preston making second-team All-Seminole District this season despite not averaging double figures in scoring was quite a feat. ``That says a lot about someone when people think that much of you,'' the Liberty coach said.
Preston is not your typical perimeter defender. ``He's quick, but not necessarily as quick as some of the others we have,'' Hanks said. ``He's got really good hands out front.''
Before his steals against Salem, Preston signaled to the Liberty bench that he was tired and needed to take a rest.
``There was no dead ball, so I told him to keep playing as hard as he could until we could get him out,'' Hanks said. ``He's a very charismatic kid. He was homecoming king this year.''
Hanks said Preston is the Minutemen's king of hustle, too, based on his points system.
``It's an opinionated stat,'' the coach said. ``Cheyney by far leads the team in diving on the floor for loose balls, taking charges, sprinting back on defense and making a good save out of bounds.''
Preston realizes his career will end this weekend, regardless of the outcome of Friday's game. He wants to go out with another state championship.
``It will be tough to leave,'' Preston said. `` ... It's kind of sad, but not too said. I'll focus on winning everything. I guess I'll worry about that, and after it's over I'll be sad.''
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY THE ROANOKE TIMES. Liberty's Cheyney Prestonby CNBcan handle the ball, but the senior guard is more interested in
shutting down the opponent's best ball handler.