THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 19, 1995 TAG: 9503190157
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Nansemond River's Antoine Willie erased the name of former University of Virginia standout Bryant Stith from the record book Saturday. But it was current University of Virginia player Harold Deane to whom Willie drew the most comparison.
Willie, a 6-foot sophomore guard, scored 30 points in the Warriors' 84-57 victory over Northside in the Group AA boys state final, giving him 91 points for the three-game tournament. Stith (Brunswick High, 1988) and former Northside player Walt Derey (1992) shared the previous tournament record with 83 points.
``He plays a lot like Harold Deane,'' said Northside coach Bill Pope. ``Harold was such a power player. He loved the contact. Antoine doesn't mind the contact. But Antoine seems a little faster than Harold, believe it or not.
``They got a lot of big points out of him at crucial times.''
What leads to the comparisons with Deane is that Willie shoots a two-handed jump shot, much as Deane did during his career at Matoaca High.
Prepping for a year at Fork Union, Deane altered his two-hander to the more accepted one-handed jumper he shoots today. Pope saw no reason why Willie can't eventually do the same.
``Guys always have to adapt their game to the level they are at,'' Pope said. ``He's an athlete and he will.''
``That's how I've shot since I was young,'' Willie said. ``People say it's funny looking. If it's to my benefit, I'll change it.''
Willie tied Stith's and Derey's record with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter when he buried a long 3-pointer, giving him 22 points for the afternoon. It also gave Nansemond River a 48-33 lead and marked the end of Northside's chances.
Willie broke the record two minutes later, scoring on a bucket-and-free-throw three-point play.
``Some of our players knew I had a chance to break the record if I could get a certain amount of points,'' Willie said. ``But I was thinking about winning the game, not breaking the record. Still, it's a great compliment.''
Northside guard Justin Porterfield, who drew the unenviable task of guarding Willie, had another compliment waiting at game's end.
``I don't remember guarding anyone who works as hard to get open as he does,'' Porterfield said. ``And his team works just as hard to help him get open. They give him about three good screens each possession. Then he shoots the lights out.''
Willie definitely shot it often Saturday, He attempted 29 field goals, making 11. But three of those conversions were 3-pointers and he has a knack for getting to the foul line, where he hit 5 of 8.
``Once he touches it, things happen,'' Nansemond River coach Spencer Mayfield said. ``They (opponents) have got to be aware of where he is with the ball.
``If you back off, he's going to burn you. . . . How do you cover a kid like that?''
Pope saw little wrong with Willie's shot selection, particularly since Willie usually waits for teammates to get into offensive rebounding position. Three of his misses led to Warriors stickback baskets.
``Shooters, the really good ones, are always looking for that next shot,'' Pope said.
Willie's tournament performance went miles toward earning him Group AA player of the year honors. He has already been named Region I player of the year and last week made The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star All-Tidewater first team. He finished the year averaging 28 points a game.
Pope said what other high school coaches are probably thinking.
``He's just a sophomore?'' Pope said. ``He needs to go hardship.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Antoine Willie beat the Group AA tournament record of 83 points
shared by former U.Va. standout Bryant Stith.
by CNB