Ricardo Gathers, one of nation's top players, tries to lead Riverside to another title
Andrew Astleford, Contributing writer
November 20, 2010
Riverside?s Ricardo Gathers dunks during the Class 2A championship game against Jonesboro-Hodge at the Cajundome in Lafayette in March. The victory gave the school its first basketball state championship in Gathers? first year there. - (Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune)
Ricardo Gathers gathered himself for bed until his cell phone be gan to vibrate. It was 12:01 during a morning last June, and Gathers was confused. His emerging talents were in demand.
"Who is this?" he thought before answering.
Baylor coaches were on the line, prepared to make their pitch. They sounded enthusiastic despite the late hour, with hopes that Gathers, Riverside's 6-foot-7, 235-pound junior center, would consider their school when his time came to make a college choice. Gathers had learned the price of his promise.
"It's definitely a tough task," he said. "If you're young, you can either handle it or you can't. I think I've been doing a pretty good job of handling it so far. I just want to keep coming. Where much is given, much is required. The maturity is coming into place."
Gathers returns as one of the nation's top prospects, and he hopes to guide Riverside to a second consecutive Class 2A state championship. He anticipates using this season to evolve his skills as well as showcase his leadership ability.
Gathers' first season at Riverside was memorable. Gathers, who transferred to Riverside when Reserve Christian closed after the 2008-09 school year, averaged 19.9 points and 15 rebounds per game, and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association chose him Class 2A's Outstanding Player. The Rebels went 38-6, and they never won by fewer than 20 points in the Class 2A playoffs. Riverside won its first basketball state title last March at Lafayette.
Gathers' competitive fire flickered in eighth grade. He remembers the power he felt when he started dunking the basketball. Before then, he considered himself an underdeveloped talent at Fifth Ward Elementary in Reserve. "I had always been the underdog," he said. He knew he was strong for his age, and he thought that with grit and effort he could become a force. A dream began to form.
Since, Gathers has grown into a physical player. When he stretches his left arm perpendicular to his shoulder, his chiseled biceps rivals one of a trained boxer. Riverside Coach Timmy Byrd said he holds his breath each time Gathers makes a strong move to the basket, because opponents try "to take him out." Gathers' style of play makes him vulnerable to hard fouls.
"He's a kid in a man's body," Byrd said. "Sometimes we expect more from him than probably we have a right to, but God has given him a lot of gifts and a lot of abilities.
"He's a jolly-go-lucky guy and likes to have a good time. He likes to keep it light. But when it comes time to playing in a game, he has a real good motor, and he wants to win."
Said Evan Daniels, national recruiting analyst for Scout.com: "I think the first thing you notice about Ricardo Gathers is his body, and how strong and developed he is.
"He has developed an ability to face up from 15 to 18 feet and knock down jump shots. He has a good set of hands. He is really strong around the basket."
Gathers' maturity is another strength. In the offseason, he awoke at 5 a.m. before school to lift weights at a gym located a block from his LaPlace residence. He likes to study players such as Amar'e Stoudemire and LeBron James, but he said he is careful not to pattern his game too much after another because he considers each skill set to be unique.
This season presents new challenges. Riverside will be without guard Cedric Jenkins, who averaged 19.7 points per game as a senior and signed with Southern Mississippi last April. Gathers calls the situation before him a "new task, new day" as opponents will discover if he can lead the Rebels with his calm personality.
Gathers said supporters have approached him and said, "Hey, man. You have to show them."
"He's always going to be the center of attention, and he's always going to have the target on his back as the person you are going to have to stop," Hahnville Coach Brian Lumar said. "He does a good job of not getting frustrated, and he maintains his focus."
Gathers has a renewed focus for this season. He wants to look back on this time in his life as a moment when he and his teammates left legacies for future players to follow. His name has gained recognition nationally, and he said he is prepared for the responsibilities that await a rising star.
Even if that means fielding late-night recruiting calls.
"I'm trying to accomplish something," Gathers said. "This is what I have been preparing for my whole life."?
