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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2009 > March > 29 > Entry
blog: “The Gladiator” Juwan Staten Impresses LeBron
COLUMBUS — Akron St. Vincent St. Mary may have defeated Thurgood Marshall, 59-53, for the Division II state title Saturday night, but afterward everyone had praise for the Cougars’ Juwan Staten.
The 5-foot-11 junior guard won a heaping amount of respect from the 11,160 hoops fans at the Schottenstein Center, especially NBA great LeBron James, who was quite animated as he sat courtside at the game, sometimes urging the Irish players to put the clamps on Staten.
James — now the star of the Cleveland Cavs — was a similar headliner when he played for SVSM, leading the Irish to three state titles in four state tournament appearances and becoming the only prep player in Ohio history to be named Mr. Basketball three straight times.
After the game, he sought out the tearful Staten — who had game high 28 points — and as he consoled him, stressed what a “great player” he was.
Throughout the game, Staten had felt a connection to James: “I looked at him a bunch of times during the game and every time he seemed to be looking back at me.”
SVSM coach Dru Joyce — who mentored James through part of his high school career — saw a similarity between the NBA legend and the Dayton Public Schools star who has verbally committed to the University of Dayton.
“Although I didn’t believe it my first year as coach (when the James- led Irish lost their title game), I heard it said that we had a great player, but the other guys had a great team….Well, today they had a great player, but we had a great team.”
But this time the great player — with the help of some over-achieving teammates, especially DeAngelo Gates (15 points, 10 rebounds) — nearly knocked off the stronger team. And the odds certainly were against it because Marshall was without its All-City, 18 p.p.g, big man, Greg Gainey, who was sidelined with two sprained ankles.
“I knew it was a David and Goliath situation, where everyone picked them to beat us… to kill us,” Staten said. “I knew in order for us to win, I had to play a great game.
“And I remembered something my dad preaches. He said, ‘Great players step up in big games. He said you make your name during the season, but you make your fame in the tournament.”
Staten did that, especially in the first half when he made all four of his three point shots and added some tricky driving lay-ups against the bigger Irish players to head to the dressing room with 20 points.
Atintermission, Joyce told his team it would use several different players against the Marshall guard in the second half:
“I told our guys, ‘He’s not going to make those jumpers in the second half that he did in the first if we wear him down.’ And I think that’s what happened at the end when he made just one of five free throws (after making 12 for 12 in the state semifinal against Circleville Logan Elm, Friday). Nothing against him, but a physical being can only take so much.”
Staten played all 32 minutes Saturday evening and he did so with a sprained thumb ligament on his right shooting hand. After the game, he had an ice bag on the injured digit, but refused to use it as an excuse.
That didn’t surprise Marshall athletics director Carolyn Woodley: “He’s a gladiator who hates to lose. Losing is not part of his mentality. He’s a true champion.”
And that’s why James sought him out.
He saw a little of himself in the kid from Dayton.
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By sec 312
April 3, 2009 9:38 AM | Link to this
watched on TV great game Juwan, I can’t wait to see you playing at the arena, I can see you starting 4 years in a row and leading us to the NCAA