THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 17, 1996 TAG: 9603150231
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 32 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
RIAN EVERETT can be a difficult guy to figure out.
At times, the Tallwood guard hangs around the perimeter. Other times, he drives the lane. If you expect outside shooting, he takes you inside - sometimes for a house-rocking dunk. If you give him a foot or two, he burns you with rainbow 3-pointers.
And no matter what he does, Everett's face is most often without expression.
Those varied abilities were what made him one of the deadliest guards to come through the Beach District in a long time. The entire package, along with the fact that he led the Lions to back-to-back Eastern Region tournament appearances, are why district coaches voted him this season's player of the year.
Everett led the balloting for the All-Beach team and joins teammates Phillip Clay and Neil Roberts on the first unit. Green Run inside powers Wil Brooks and Plaxico Burress join Bayside scoring machine Kevin Yearwood on the first team.
Of the 16 selections that make up the Beach coaches' first-, second- and third-teams, half are senior forwards. Tallwood coach Johnny Pope was named the coach of the year by his peers.
Everett went over the 1,000-point mark this season - finishing his career with 10 games in which he scored 20 points or more. He had a career high of 27 twice - against Green Run and Kellam. He finished his final season with an 18.9 point-a-game average.
``He's like a camelion,'' Pope said. ``He has the ability to adjust to whatever the other team is doing to him, to the flow of the game, to whatever is going on in a game.
``He's a heck of an athlete and there are five Division I schools looking hard at him.''
Teammates Clay and Roberts were perfect compliments to Everett's play.
Clay was an almost impossible to stop point guard who averaged 12.8 points and had a high of 26 against Ocean Lakes.
``He's got vicious ball handling skills,'' Pope said. ``He senses how the game is going and does his thing. When we run the spread offense, I haven't seen anybody that can stop him going to the hole.''
Roberts was equally hard to stop inside, getting lost of points on drives to the basket and stick-backs of teammates misses. He averaged 18.6 an outing and had 13 games of 20 or higher. He had a high of 30 against both Cox and Green Run.
``Just an explosive ball player. A great athlete,'' Pope said.
Burress was, for the past three years, one of the most sought-after high school football players in the country and has signed with Michigan State. In basketball, he averaged 16.2 points a game and had a high of 29 against Bayside. He will be remembered for both his shot blocking and thunderous dunks.
``In my opinion, he was one of the best big men around,'' coach Mark Butts said. ``He was just solid, day in and day out. He was a great shot blocker and he clogged up the middle.''
Brooks averaged 17.0 and had a high of 32 against Tallwood.
``Just pure athleticism,'' Butts said of Brooks. ``Probably one of the best athletes I've ever coached. He was a finisher.''
Yearwood finished his career as this season's leading scorer in South Hampton Roads with a 21.9 average. He finished with 12 games of more than 20 points, four over 30 and a high of 36 against Green Run.
``He could go outside, inside and sometimes even played in the post,'' Bayside coach Ron Jenkins said. ``Most teams had to concentrate their defensive efforts on him. He was our leading 3-point shooter, a very good outside shooter.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Rian Everett, MVP
Tallwood senior
Wil Brooks
Green Run senior
Plaxico Burress
Green Run senior
Phillip Clay
Tallwood senior
Neil Roberts
Tallwood senior
Kevin Yearwood
Bayside senior
by CNB