THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 17, 1994 TAG: 9412170386
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HONOLULU LENGTH: Long : 117 lines
A sweet jump shot and often sour countenance have defined Petey Sessoms' basketball career at Old Dominion.
Sessoms can still shoot the 3, but a jumper is no longer Sessoms' sole trademark as he rounds himself into an even better player than the one who has twice been selected first-team all-Colonial Athletic Association. He's also not shooting the scowl as often during his senior season. The frown hasn't exactly been turned upside down, but it's been noticeably downplayed.
Heading into ODU's late-night game Friday against Weber State in the Hawaii Nike Festival, Sessoms was first among CAA players and 16th nationally in scoring with 24.7 points per game. Of the top 50 scorers in Division I as of Monday, only one had made more 3-pointers than Sessoms' 26 this season, and only two had made more than his 49 free throws.
In addition to scoring, Sessoms is tops among CAA players in 3-pointers per game (3.7), second in rebounding (10.1) and fourth in blocked shots (1.3). In seven games, he's reached double figures in both scoring and rebounding five times. Returning CAA player of the year Odell Hodge is out for the season with a knee injury, but Sessoms may keep the award at Old Dominion.
``He hasn't had too much to scowl about,'' teammate Mike Jones said with a laugh when asked about Sessoms' happier face.
Those numbers have given coach Jeff Capel reason to smile. Sessoms' game has reached a new level after he diligently worked on the things Capel told him he needed in order to play at the next level as a pro - whether it be overseas, in the CBA or in the NBA.
``Petey was basically a one-dimensional player, just a scorer,'' Capel said. ``I think his understanding of the game has come full circle because he's doing more things.''
Capel is almost as pleased at what Sessoms isn't doing. The glowering stare, dubbed ``The Petey Look'' a couple years ago by his teammates, is much more infrequent.
Capel deemed it detrimental last summer when he and the new staff got 10 days to practice with the players prior to a tour of France. An attitude adjustment was in order for Sessoms.
``One thing I noticed in France was Petey was very hard on his teammates,'' Capel said.
Teammates, referees, opposing players, coaches, media members - all have seen it in the past. Drop a pass, make a bad call, commit a hard foul, criticize, ask the wrong question . . . prepare for The Petey Look.
Capel convinced Sessoms being consumed by and projecting negative emotions helped neither he nor his teammates. And pro scouts would be looking at more than just his jumper.
How does he react when he's not playing well? How does he interact with teammates? How does he respond to coaching?
For a scout making notes at courtside, the scowl could contribute to a foul assessment.
Sessoms has a new outlook and a new look this year. ``He's changed his attitude a lot,'' junior Derrick Parker said. ``He's learned how to communicate with his teammates better than in the past.''
Sessoms has become more of a stoic on the court, looking much the same after dropping in a 3-pointer as he does after a teammate drops one of his passes out of bounds.
``Not many people are looking for a (Dennis) Rodman,'' Capel said. ``He's learned to give praise, and before he wasn't doing that. And he's learned that he's not perfect, either, so it's made him more tolerant of his teammates.''
Sessoms' biggest lesson in his own imperfection came at Southern Illinois. The Monarchs had trimmed what once was a 22-point lead to 11. A foul was called on a teammate and Sessoms didn't agree. He told the ref so, and was slapped with a technical. The Salukis turned it into a six-point play, killing ODU's comeback.
Since then, Sessoms has been working hard to keep his focus.
``Sometimes I almost lose it,'' Sessoms said of his adjusted demeanor. ``It's hard when you've been doing something so long and you're so accustomed to it.''
Sessoms is doing other things he once was unaccustomed to. Now he puts the ball on the floor and goes to the basket when a defender plays him tight. The 6-foot-7 Sessoms began working on that last season and there's still room for improvement, but he's become increasingly confident in his ballhandling.
Capel said Sessoms was a threat to make a 3-pointer from beyond the arc his first three seasons; now he's also a threat to score three by driving to the basket and finishing a play while drawing a foul. Sessoms' offseason weightlifting work is evident in his ability to finish, his rebounding and his shot-blocking.
The first week of September, Sessoms weighed 183 pounds and was measured at 11.2 percent body fat. After six weeks of dedicated weight training, he weighed 196 pounds and measured 10.2 percent body fat. That was on Oct. 14, the day before practice started.
The coaches quickly noticed that Sessoms was stronger and more assertive. ``He competes in practice just like he does in games,'' ODU assistant Jim Corrigan said. ``Sometimes you wanna say, `Hey, settle down, it's just practice.' ''
Sessoms has always been able to stick the jumper, as his scoring averages at Portsmouth's Cradock High School (21.6 points per game as a sophomore, 26.6 as a junior and 32.4 as a senior) and college (16.9 ppg as a sophomore, 16 as a junior) attest.
But he knew he needed more to make a career out of basketball.
``I would always put off trying to get better,'' Sessoms said. ``I always had the jump shot, so I always put off working with weights and put off working on taking the ball to the hole. I always knew I had to work on those things. Coach Capel said it was up to me whether I wanted to make it to the next level.''
Sessoms would love for that to be the top level - the NBA. Capel said he thinks Sessoms is a European player who has a chance to work his way into the NBA after a few years of improvement.
Sessoms sat courtside after practice in one arena last summer in France, remarking that it wouldn't be bad playing in Europe, where Americans often command six-figure salaries.
``His eyes are open,'' Capel said. ``He's doing the things he needs to do to have a chance.'' ILLUSTRATION: JIM WALKER/Staff
Going into Friday's late game in Hawaii, Petey Sessoms' 24.7 scoring
average was 16th in the nation in Division 1.
by CNB