Progress Through Adversity Gastonia’S Hamilton Hopes FSU Will Play in Postseason
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The Gaston Gazette | www.GastonGazette.com CAN ASHBROOK C WIN HERE Sports Page 3C AGAIN? Friday, March 13, 2015 “ Big-time players make plays when you need them, and he’s obviously showed he’s one of those big-time players.” — Ashbrook coach Chad Duncan BIG MAN ON CAMPUS shbrook’sshbrook’s bibigg man hashas beenbeen comcominging up bibigg dduringuring tthehe GGreenreen Wave’s run to the state championship game.game. HEIGHT:HEIGHT: 6 FEET, 9 INCHESINCHES Isaiah WhaleyWhaley stands 6-foot-9, and the junior has combined Well-known 6-foot-9 NBA players include:include: A skill with his height to become Ashbrook’s top scorer, rebounder andand sshothot blocker.blocker. Whaley, nicknamed “Pork Chop” since the sixth grade, is drawing Divi- sionsion I recruiting interest, but right now all he’s focused on is Saturday’s statestate championship game against Fayetteville Terry Sanford. “It’s been an interesting run,” Whaley said. “Just trying to fi nish it outout.”.” MagicMagic Johnson KevinKevin DurantDurant LarryLarry Bird — CompiledCompiled bbyy Phillip GardnerGardner HAND:HAND: 9 1/81/8 INCHESINCN HES WINGSPAN:WINGSPAN: 7 FEET,FEET, 2 INCHESINCHES GOING FOR A RING: Ashbrook will play for its fi rst state championship in school history when it faces Fayetteville Terry Sanford 7:30 p.m. Sat- urday at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill. The Green Wave is making its fi rst state title game appearance since 1977, when it fi nished 4A run- ner-up after a one-point loss to cross-town rival Hunter Huss. TALL GGENES:ENES: Whaley says he gets his height from hihiss ggrandmother’srandmother’s side of the family, which has a number ooff 7-footers. He’s by far the tallest person in his immediate family, as his father is 6-foot-4 and his mother is 5-foot-9. COLLEGECOLLEGE OFFERS:OFFERS: With another year of hihighgh school He has an older brother who stands 6-foot-3, a younyoungerger remaining,remaining, WhaleyWhaley saidsaid hhe’lle’ll bbee ccloserloser to a cocollegellege brother in the sixth grade who’s 5-foot-10 and two shorter decisiondecision after this summer.summer. sisters,sisters, one olderolder andand one younger. GETTINGGETTING SERIOUSSERIOUS ABOUTABOUT BASKETBALL:BASKETBALL: WhaleyWhaley playedplayed basketballbasketball as a kid,kid, butbut thethe sport diddidn’tn’t mean nearnearlyly GROWTHGROWTH SSPURT:PURT: WhaleyWhaley hashas alwaysalways beenbeen tallertaller thanthan hihiss aass much to him then as it does now. “I started really peers, butbut hehe hithit a growthgrowth spurt duringduring middlemiddle school,school, gettinggetting seriousserious withwith basketballbasketball inin thethe seventhseventh grade,”grade,” sproutinsproutingg four inches to 6-foot-4 as an eieighth-grader.ghth-grader. He’s hehe said. Whaley then helped Grier reach the Gaston since growngrown fi ve more inches. CCountyounty middle school championship ggameame as an eighth-gradereighth-grader in 2012.2012. “PORK“PORK CHOP”CHOP” NICKNAME:NICKNAME: People have affectionately referred to Whaley as “Pork Chop” since the sixth ggrade,rade, when FAVORITEFAVORITE PLAYERS:PLAYERS: Wha-Wha- hishis classclass hhadad two bboysoys wwithith tthehe name IIsaiah.saiah. WhWhenen hihiss ley’sey’s favorite profession-profession- teacher learned Whaley’s favorite food was his mom’s al basketballbasketball playerplayer iiss porkpork chops,chops, the name stuck. “I used to eat them one to KobeKobe Bryant, and his two times a week,” he said, addingadding that he doesn’t eateat favoritefavorite point guardguard is KobeKobe BryantBryant JohnJohn WallWall pork chops quite as frequently now.now. JohnJohn WWall.all. “I ususeded ttoo patternpattern my game after KevinKevin Durant,” Whaley said of the Oklahoma City ThunderThunder forward.forward. “ I justjust trytry to makemake othersothers bbetter.etter. I thinkthink I’mI’m a goodgood team player.player.” — WhaleyWhaley on hihiss rolerole on tthehe team Graphic by Lauren Frame/The Gazette SHOESHOE SIZE:SIZE: 13 POINTS PER GAME: 17.7......... CAREER-HIGH: 41 REBOUNDS PER GAME: 9.1........ CAREER-HIGH: 21 BLOCKS PER GAME: 4.8......... CAREER-HIGH: 10 Progress through adversity Gastonia’s Hamilton hopes FSU will play in postseason or most ACC schools, playing in the FSU head coach. “I think we’re growing as a NIT, the CollegeInsider.com or College team and the future is bright for this program.” Basketball Invitational postseason Because of what Florida State has been basketball tournament are consid- through this year, it would’ve been hard to F ered consolation prizes. make such a statement earlier in the sea- For Florida State and its son — or even hope for a postseason bid. Gastonia head coach Leonard Particulary in mid-December when leading Hamilton, it’ll be part reward scorer (and top returnee) Aaron Thomas was and part opportunity after the kicked off the team as FSU was preparing Seminoles’ NCAA tournament to open its ACC schedule at Notre Dame. hopes ended in Thursday’s 58- Losing Thomas added to the difficulties Ham- 44 ACC quarterfinal loss to reg- ilton’s young Seminoles would already face. ular season champoin Virginia. Predictably, Florida State started out 4-5 RICHARD “We’re hoping to play and had two three-game ACC losing streaks. postseason basketball in one But for the youthful Seminoles — Associated Press WALKER who will lose only one senior (starting Duke's Justise Winslow drives to the basket against N.C. State during of the tournaments,” said their game in the ACC tournament quarterfi nals Thursday in Greensboro. Hamilton, the 1966 graduate See Page 4C for more college basketball coverage. of Highland High who is in his 13th season as >> See FSU/Page 4C THEY TWEETED IT “Great win for @GoHeels today! Did Brice Johnson do “THIS JUST IN: The Eagles offi cially sign Ryan enough to win today’s #ACCStar Award?” Mathews to a three-year deal. (via @caplannfl )” Follow @GazetteSports to see what sports people, locally and nationally, are saying. — AC Digital Network, @theACCDN — SportsCenter, @SportsCenter HOW TO REACH US: Sports News: 704-869-1841 Fax: 704-867-5751 • Mail: P.O. Box 1538 Gastonia, 28053 • Email: [email protected] • Website: www.GastonGazette.com • Page edited by Jennifer Jackson 2C Friday, March 13, 2015 www.GastonGazette.com | ! e Gazette Page edited by Gabe Whisnant SPORTS FOR SPORTS CALL-INS OR TIPS, CALL: 704-869-1841, 1843 or 1849 Long Distance 800-273-3315 SPORTS FAX 704-867-5751 HOW TO CONTACT US: ON THE WEB www.GastonGazette.com SPORTS EMAIL [email protected] FACEBOOK facebook.com/GazetteSports TWITTER @GazetteSports NBA Friday Friday Friday Friday Monday Tuesday Sunday March 22 March 29 EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE MLAX BSB WLAX vs. at at Pho. Auto W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Games vs. at at Chicago Utah L.A. International Club Martinsville Lake Erie N. Greenville St. Leo Bulls Jazz Clippers Raceway Speedway Speedway x-Atlanta 50 13 .794 — d-Golden St. 50 12 .806 — 7 p.m. 9 p.m. 10:30 p.m. 1 p.m. d-Cleveland 41 25 .621 10½ d-Memphis 45 19 .703 6 ahead 1 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Chicago 40 26 .606 11½ Houston 43 20 .683 7½ d-Toronto 38 26 .594 12½ d-Portland 41 20 .672 8½ Washington 36 28 .563 14½ L.A. Clippers 41 23 .641 10 Milwaukee 33 30 .524 17 San Antonio 40 23 .635 10½ SCOREBOARD Indiana 29 34 .460 21 Dallas 41 25 .621 11 Leaderboard ODDS ON THE AIR HIGHLIGHTS SCORE THRU Miami 29 35 .453 21½ Ok. City 35 28 .556 15½ NCAA Basketball of note Matt Weibring -7 F Big Ten Conference St. Bonaventure — NBCSN Jason Allred -6 F Charlotte 28 35 .444 22 New Orleans 36 29 .554 15½ Quarterfinals Television Patton Kizzire -6 F Boston 27 36 .429 23 Phoenix 33 32 .508 18½ FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG AUTO RACING n 7 — ACC, semifinal, North Carolina vs. Darron Stiles -6 F Brooklyn 25 38 .397 25 Utah 27 36 .429 23½ Wisconsin 15 Michigan n 3 — Sprint Cup, practice for CampingWorld. Virginia — WBTV, ESPN Tyrone Van Aswegen -6 F Purdue 6 Penn St. n Hunter Hamrick -5 16 Detroit 23 40 .365 27 Denver 23 41 .359 28 Maryland 6 Northwestern com 500 — FS1 7 — Big 12, semifinal, Baylor vs. Kansas Patrick Rodgers -5 F Orlando 21 44 .323 30 Sacramento 22 41 .349 28½ or n 4:30 — XFINITY Series, practice for Faster — ESPN2 Rick III Cochran -5 F Philadelphia 14 50 .219 36½ L.A. Lakers 17 46 .270 33½ Maryland 1½ Indiana Tougher Brighter 200 — FS1 n 7 — American Athletic, quarterfinal, Tulsa Brad Schneider -5 F New York 12 51 .190 38 Minnesota 14 48 .226 36 Michigan St. 5 Minnesota Peter Malnati -5 F or n 12:30 a.m. (Saturday) — Formula One, vs. Houston — ESPNU Andrew Landry -5 F Michigan St. 1½ Ohio St. practice for Australia Grand Prix (delayed n 7 — Big East, semifinal, Providence vs. Tommy Gainey -5 F x- clinched playoff spot; d- division leader; the top eight teams in each Atlantic 10 Conference Jeff Curl -5 F conference qualify for the playoffs. Quarterfinals tape) — NBCSN Villanova — FS1 Abraham Ancer -5 F Davidson 9 La Salle n 2 a.m. (Saturday) — Formula One, qualify- n 9 — ACC, semifinal, Duke vs. Notre Tag Ridings -5 F VCU 4 Richmond Tuesday’s late scores Atlanta at Denver, late ing for Australian Grand Prix — NBCSN Dame-Miami winner — WBTV, ESPN Dayton 4 St. Bonaventure n San Antonio 117, Toronto 107 Minnesota at Phoenix, late Rhode Island 7 Duquesne 9 — Big 12, semifinal, Iowa State vs. Okla- COLLEGE BASEBALL Utah 87, New York 82 Detroit at Golden State, late or BOXING homa-Oklahoma State winner — ESPN2 Men’s Tournament scores Rhode Island 1 George Washington n n L.A.