THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 21, 1995 TAG: 9501210332
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Last season, Old Dominion's E.J. Sherod was a backup point guard who helped run the show. This season, he's more apt to be running into people down low.
Sherod, a 6-foot-4, 198-pound sophomore from Richmond, has emerged as the Monarch basketball team's utility man. He's played every position but center this season, with the bulk of his time coming at power forward. Going into tonight's 7:30 conference game at surprising William and Mary, Sherod leads ODU reserves in average minutes (16.1), points (4.5) and rebounds (2.8).
Sherod has spent the least time at point guard. But occasionally coach Jeff Capel has made a substitution that required Sherod to move from point guard to power forward.
``It's very unusual,'' Capel said. ``Not many players are capable of doing it and doing it well. He's done a very good job playing all those positions.''
It wasn't supposed to be this way. But everything changed when center Odell Hodge got hurt against Southern Illinois in the season's fourth game.
The coaches told Sherod during that game he would have to go in at power forward and asked if he knew the plays from that spot. He said he did.
``Which was a lie,'' Sherod said. ``I remembered a few of them.''
Sherod, who averaged just 10 minutes of action in a frustrating, injury-plagued freshman season, was ready to play anywhere under any circumstances.
``You can say that, but when the action gets going and you realize you're trying to set picks on centers, it's almost impossible,'' Sherod said. ``Either you're going to get knocked down or pushed out of the way.''
Sherod has run into a lot of new people this season.
E.J., meet Hawaii's 7-2, 300-pounder Tony Maroney.
Thud.
``It didn't do too much,'' Sherod said of the screen he set on Maroney, ``but at least I tried.''
The Monarchs have faced a host of burly big men. Sherod normally guards a small forward on defense but then plays inside on offense. But at times, he's been forced to defend a power forward.
``I'm glad it's him and not me,'' said senior guard Mike Jones, who played inside much of last season because of the back injury to Mario Mullen. ``It's a very tough job mentally because when coach gives you a new play, you've got to know it from four spots on the floor.''
Sherod is eying Jones' spot. Capel calls Sherod the heir apparent for it.
``It's his position to lose,'' Capel said. ``We've got him plugged in as our starting off-guard next year.''
But he'll need work, something Capel noticed shortly after he was hired in April that Sherod is willing to do. Capel frequently looked out his office window last summer and saw Sherod running wind sprints on his own. Capel said Sherod worked hardest among the Monarchs at offseason improvement.
A consistent jumper will be Sherod's summer project. He's 8 of 19 from 3-point range, 42 percent accuracy that is tops on the team. But he doesn't look to shoot often - Sherod averages just four attempts per game - and needs to develop confidence.
Sherod's confidence spiraled downward his freshman season. He had arthroscopic knee surgery shortly before practice began, and was hampered by back spasms. He gained weight, got out of shape and never caught up. One year after being first-team all-state at John Marshall High with averages of 18.5 points, nine rebounds and 7.2 assists, Sherod was a spot player at ODU.
``It messes with your whole life, not just basketball,'' said Sherod's father, Edmund Sherod Sr. ``He struggled last year in school. He was just down on himself. When you're down on yourself, everything else struggles as well.''
Edmund and Pat Sherod attend all ODU home games and many on the road. When they can't, E.J. usually finds a pay phone in the arena and calls them after a game.
E.J. is an only child, and Edmund said the trio is close and grew up together. Edmund, 35, is just 16 years older than his son.
E.J. toddled around after his father at Virginia Commonwealth University where Edmund was a star point guard. E.J. met several famous players in the two seasons Edmund played in the NBA - 1981-82 with New Jersey and 1982-83 with New York.
``It was just a bonus,'' E.J. said of his formative years with basketball. ``I wouldn't trade anything for it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
E.J. Sherod
by CNB