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Opposite attraction
Dallas Lauderdale brings an intensity to the Comets that is in direct contrast to his off-court disposition
Thursday, December 01, 2005 Eddie Dwyer
Plain Dealer Reporter
Taking a short break from last week’s preseason workouts, Solon High’s Dallas Lauderdale sat on a bench in the Comets’ locker room and talked about the two sides to his personality — the one that comes to life on the basketball court and the other that balances his everyday existence.
“Dallas Lauderdale the athlete and Dallas Lauderdale the person are two totally different people,” said the 6-9, 235-pound all-state junior post player who is being recruited by several major-college programs, including North Carolina, Syracuse and Ohio State.
“Dallas Lauderdale the athlete, to sum it all up in two words, is no mercy. If you’re my opponent, we can be friends off the court. But on the court, you’re my enemy. I’m not just saying that. On the court, I’m going to try to get after you because I just want to win. If I score two points, as long as we win, I’m happy.
“Dallas Lauderdale the person? Fun. That’s all I’m about, having fun.”
Although too humble to say so, there is much more to Lauderdale, including that part of his personality that enables him to put in perspective the attention he is receiving because of his size, strength and skills.
The son of a minister, he is, in so many ways, mature beyond his 17 years.
Family and faith
One only has to be around Lauderdale a short time to realize how much his family means to him and the role his faith plays both within the family structure and in his development as a student-athlete.
His mom, Carol, has been a close friend for years.
“People usually call me a mama’s boy,” said Lauderdale, laughing.
“When I’m not playing basketball, I’m just doing something with my mom, whether it’s just chilling with her, watching TV together with her, reading with her. Really, that’s what I do in my spare time.
“Occasionally, I will play a couple of video games with my sister or play around with my dad. When I’m not playing basketball, I’m with my family. I really don’t have a life outside of that. I just try to keep my head on straight.”
The Lauderdale family bond came to the fore a few years back, around the time Carol was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
“We all work through it together, as a family. It’s a team effort,” Lauderdale said.
The calm and courage that accompanied his words stems from a faith Lauderdale describes as undaunted.
His resolution in life and on the court is created by his faith, he says.
“Us as humans, we tend to try to do things on our own,” Lauderdale said. “Usually when we do that, we do not succeed. So we just need to look to a higher power. In my car, I have tapes of my dad’s that are spiritual and affirming, they remind me to say (a prayer) every morning.”
Honing his skills
Although his size and strength are obvious, Lauderdale realizes his game needs year-round attention.
He continues to develop during the summer as a member of the Cleveland Titans AAU team, a squad that includes such other area standouts as Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s David Lighty and Bedford’s Jason Thompson. The team is coached by Tim Hewitt, the father of Lauderdale’s Solon teammate, Patrick Hewitt.
“I try to work on my perimeter game, my outside shooting, my dribbling,” said Lauderdale, who last year averaged 19 points, 13 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. “Also, I can’t get carried away too much with my post game, because that’s not picture-perfect yet. Really [I work on] all aspects of the game, with a lot of stress on the perimeter game.”
Lauderdale is fortunate to have an uncle, Jim Chones, who was a solid NBA player. Chones not only excelled for the Cavaliers, but also was a key member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 1979-80 championship team that featured a rookie named Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Chones works with Lauderdale nearly every weekend.
“When I’m working with him, the emphasis is on my perimeter game, shooting, dribbling, going coast-to-coast and stuff like that,” Lauderdale said.
Where he stands
“Dallas is obviously a great physical talent, he has worked very, very hard to improve his game,” Comets coach Todd Van Reeth said. “But we need him to step up this year.
“He needs to understand the game if he really wants to take that step and become an elite player. It’s easy for him, with his dominant physical ability, to rely on some other things. But he has to do the little things, just like everybody else.”
Steve Valentino, Solon’s all-district senior point guard, said Lauderdale’s work ethic is one of the strongest traits “Big D” brings to the team.
“People probably doubt it, because he’s a big name and a college recruit, so he must be lazy in practice,” Valentino said. “But he’s the first one that will come to you and help you with what you are doing, and is the first one to accept any criticism that will make him better.
“Dallas knows he is not as good as he can be. But he has improved every year since his freshman year. It’s surprising, it still seems like he is growing into his body. So as soon as he gets a full grasp on that, I think he’s going to be something really special.”
The recruiting process
Lauderdale is one of the most coveted juniors in the nation. As is the case with most of the challenges and tough decisions in his young life, he has turned to his family.
“My parents are helping me get through the recruiting process,” said Lauderdale, who emphasized he would like to make a college commitment at the end of his junior season. “I get all of these letters mailed to my house, and I just give them to my dad. He organizes them and everything. So really, it hasn’t been hectic.”
A father’s tribute
Playing an integral part in his son’s future is something the minister for Mt. Hermon Baptist Church in Cleveland considers more of a privilege than a duty.
“If I could say anything about this son of mine, it is how much he cares about people,” Dallas Lauderdale Sr. said. “Dallas is always being pulled in a number of different directions. People want him to come and to say and to do things, and he is always trying to compromise so that he doesn’t hurt anybody’s feelings.
“He is always trying to mediate in differences, and is very, very sensitive to how people feel.”
Except when “Big D” meets them on the basketball court, of course.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4677
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