THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 30, 1994 TAG: 9407300407
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Anyone who watched him tear up city leagues, 3-on-3 tournaments and the Hampton Roads Pro-Am the past two years had to wonder why Darren Sanderlin wasn't making a living playing basketball somewhere.
Sanderlin wondered himself.
Then one night in May, he got a call from Gerald Oliver, who was coaching the Halifax entry in the National Basketball League, a Canadian pro league.
``He told me they needed a point guard,'' Sanderlin said. ``It happened overnight, which was like a blessing from the Lord.''
Sanderlin left his job at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and was in Nova Scotia the next day. The following night he was running the team.
Since then, prospects have picked up considerably for the former Norfolk State star, who is back in town playing in the Pro-Am, where he is two-time MVP.
Sanderlin left Canada earlier this month to play in the Charlotte Hornets rookie and free-agent camp. The 6-foot guard survived a midweek cut, and played for the Hornets in the Southern Rookie Review in Palm Beach, Fla.
Sanderlin may or may not be invited back to an NBA camp this fall, but after years of spinning his wheels, he's put himself on the league's list of prospects.
``It definitely was a step forward because basically I was nowhere as far as being known in the system,'' Sanderlin said. ``Now my name is a little bit out there.''
``He's really moved up his status in the basketball world,'' Oliver said.
Leonard Harris, a former rival of Sanderlin's at Virginia State, recommended Sanderlin to Oliver. The coach made a couple of other calls before contacting Sanderlin.
``When I called for him, his mother said he was . . . working out. So I knew he was the kind of guy I could count on,'' Oliver said.
Sanderlin stepped in and led Halifax to a 16-6 record. The day after he left for Charlotte, the league folded.
The NBL was Canadian in location only. There was no limit on the number of Americans per team, and the league had a smattering of players with NBA experience.
``The talent was as good as the CBA,'' Oliver said.
Meanwhile, Wayne Hoffler, executive director of the Pro-Am, was angling to get Sanderlin an invitation to Charlotte. Hoffler pitched Sanderlin to Hornets director of player personnel Dave Twardzik at an Elizabeth City/Norfolk State game Twardzik was scouting. Sanderlin's agent, Tom Weirich, also contacted Twardzik.
Twardzik bit, and Sanderlin got a week in Charlotte. He scored 11 points in Charlotte's Black-Teal inter-squad game, and averaged 3.3 points in Orlando, in games against Miami, Orlando and Atlanta.
``They know I haven't played on the professional level before. They also know when I came out of school (1990),'' Sanderlin said. ``They thought that I was a definite talent, but would like to see me play on the professional level.''
Sanderlin would like to see himself at that level, too, whether it's in the Continental Basketball Association or overseas.
At 26, he knows time is not on his side. ``I'm really looking for this year to make something happen,'' Sanderlin said.
Oliver, who has coached in a number of pro leagues, is hoping to land a CBA job this fall. If he does, he wants Sanderlin on his team.
The advantage of the CBA is that players are a phone call away from the NBA. The money is often better overseas, especially in Europe.
``We really want to grab the first opportunity,'' Sanderlin said.
PRO-AM NOTES: Saturday is the final day of the regular season in both the men's and women's divisions. The women's playoffs start Monday, and the men's begin Tuesday. . . . Thursday night's games might have been the best of the summer. In the opener, the University of Alabama's Damon Bacote scored 39 points to lead the Rockets over Service Master in double overtime. Wake Forest signee Tony Rutland led Service Master with 37, while Old Dominion's Odell Hodge had 34. In the nightcap, Maryland's Joe Smith pumped in 45 for the Hornets, but it wasn't enough to hold off Silent Force, which got 37 points from CBA player Milton Bell. Smith's Hornets are in first place heading into the playoffs. by CNB