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sports:
men's basketball
On-court thief
to pursue teaching
By Phil Witte
On-line Forty-Niner
When his playing
days are over and he is standing in the front of an elementary
school classroom, Michael Darrett can draw on one of his basketball
assets as an example for students not to emulate.
The 6-foot-2 point
guard is one of the most adept pickpockets in the Big West
Conference, averaging 1.77 steals per game, but this is not
a skill he is likely to impart on his students.
"Defensively,
I think Michael was one of the best players in the conference
this season," teammate Ramel "Rock" Lloyd said,
commenting on Darrett's omission from the end of season Big
West honor roll.
Darrett's career
got off to a scorching start when the transfer from Olney
Central College scored in double figures in his first three
games for Long Beach State. By the fifth game of the season,
the final round of the Big Island Invitational against Tulsa,
Darrett had played himself into the starting line-up over
incumbent Ron Johnson.
Not one to give
up his spot without a fight, Johnson worked hard and won back
his starting position and Darrett came off the bench for most
of the rest of the season.
"It's been
an up and down season, especially in the beginning getting
used to a new coach and a different style," the junior
black studies major said.
Head Coach Wayne
Morgan has been able to use Darrett and Johnson interchangeably,
having a point guard on the court at all times.
"He is a positive
asset to the program and he should continue to be an asset
next year," Morgan said. "He has really developed
this year and his game has come a long way during the conference
games. I asked him to score more lately and he has done that."
Darrett finished
the season averaging 3.47 assists per game, best on the team
and second in the Big West. His assist-to-turnover ratio of
1.76 ranked him second in the Big West and his 1.77 steals
per game were also second, but in this category he was behind
teammate Johnson.
"When we're
both on the court it's easier for both of us because what
one of us misses, the other one can pick up," Johnson
said.
Off the court,
family is so important to Darrett that it played a part in
his selection of LBSU when choosing which school to transfer
to from junior college. Georgia, Kansas State, Pittsburgh,
Mississippi State, Dayton, and LBSU recruited Darrett, but
he chose The Beach not only because of the location, but also
to be close to his grandmother, Cheryl Young, who lives in
North Hollywood.
"I wanted
to go to a school that was located somewhere I wanted to live
after graduating," Darrett said. "With the weather
here it's like summer year-round and the atmosphere here at
school is great."
Young makes the
trip south for every game and said she did a little lobbying
for Southern California when Darrett was deciding on a school.
"I took him
around Los Angeles the first time he came out when he was
seven years old," Young said. "I think the his best
game this season was against Utah State a few weeks ago when
he scored 15 points."
In addition to
having family members at every game, Darrett gets advice from
his father in Indiana before and after each game.
"My little
brother has the Internet hooked up so my father listens to
each game and he gives me pointers before the game and we
talk about my performance after every game," he said.
Darrett would like
to play professionally after graduating and would even go
overseas to realize his dream, but he also wants to teach
elementary school and coach youth basketball.
"He comes
form a family of teachers. He has threes aunts and an uncle
who were teachers and his grandfather was a principal,"
Young said. "He's very good with kids and he plays basketball
with the coach's kids all the time."
Under Morgan's
strict regimen, Darrett has been hard at work at basketball
since he came west so he has not had much of a chance to see
the sights of Southern California.
"When my girlfriend
came out for a visit last year, Rudy Williams took the two
of us, my grandmother, and Lemi Williams to Universal Studios
and some of the other sights," Darrett said.
With the little
free time he has between school and basketball, Darrett likes
to play video games and watch college and professional basketball
on television. He also likes to lighten things up when he
is with his teammates.
"Larry [Johnson]
and I like to clown around on road trips and keep everybody
laughing," Darrett said. "I don't like being bored."
Though they are
fighting for the same spot in the starting line-up on the
court, the two point guards get along fine off the court.
"We're always
competing, but we enjoy hanging out and we even like playing
against each other," Johnson said.
Whichever direction
his life takes, Darrett has kept himself grounded with his
family.
"My father
was a very accomplished basketball player and he has always
taken care of his family, and I have always looked up to him
as a role model," Darrett said.
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