Post by garf on Jan 21, 2009 9:27:37 GMT -5
Philly paper article on a recruiting target: 6'1" senior guard Calvin Newell
For Strath Haven's Newell, basketball has helped him better his life
by Joe Santoliquito
Philadelphia Daily News
Calvin Newell had it all planned. A basketball under one arm, and a shovel in one hand. A little snow on the court wasn't going to get in his way.
Little did Newell know, slightly off in the distance someone was watching. Newell worked on some moves, between puffs of cold, white smoke coming from his mouth. The ball was slick from the wet court. His fingers were numb. He kept shooting and working.
That's what did it for Eric "Pooh" Evans. Watching Newell in the cold go over the moves and drills Evans showed him a few days before, watching Newell move that snow so he could work on his game, was enough for Evans to commit to helping him.
Newell didn't have much help before that. The gifted, 6-1 Strath Haven senior guard didn't have much of anything before Evans entered his life, and Strath Haven coach Steve Lewis gave him an opportunity to play.
Newell now finds himself quite possibly the most prolific scorer in the Philadelphia area, averaging 31 points for Strath Haven, which was 7-8 overall and 5-5 in the Central League, entering last night's game against undefeated Conestoga.
Newell has faced every junk defense opponents could throw at him, faced double and sometimes triple teams, and he still is managing to shoot around 50 percent.
He's quick and explosive with the ball; he's playing for a team with good athletes, but not exactly full-time basketball players. He has offers from Fairfield, UNC Charlotte, St. Bonaventure, Massachusetts and Robert Morris, and is receiving interest from Miami. He's already reached the 1,000-point career plateau in roughly a year of varsity basketball.
But mostly, Newell is finally settled and happy. For the first time in his life, he has perfect attendance. For the first time, he's made the honor roll, pulling up a poor GPA to 2.5 - light years from where it once was before Newell transferred from Ridley to Strath Haven in 2007.
"A year ago, my attitude was all messed up," Newell admitted. "I just gave up hope. Now I could turn around and pinpoint the time that changed my life. This time last year, I was told my first recruitment letter came in the mail. I'm getting offers and letters from a lot of schools. I was someone no one saw going to college; I didn't even see myself going to college. I didn't see a future for myself. I was at the bottom. I couldn't do anything. It was a real scary time for me."
Enter Evans, who runs Fidonce, a player development program that includes European and NBA players. The former Chester High star had heard about Newell through a relative who kept urging him to take a look at the kid.
"I worked with Calvin for a week, and a few weeks went by and I was driving through his neighborhood," Evans recalled. "I saw Calvin on the court, and it's the dead of winter. He shoveled the snow and was working on these drills I showed him. That sold me on him. He didn't even know I saw him that day until recently.
"I just brought a little bit of structure to his life. It's something I got from my grandmother. She'd take care of people all of the time. Calvin used to always ask me why was I doing this, working with him, mentoring him. He wondered how he'd pay me back. I told him he owed me to get good grades and be a productive citizen and student."
Newell just nods his head and smiles. He smiles a lot these days. He has a direction.
"I have good people around me in coach Lewis and Pooh," Newell said. "Pooh has been more than a big brother to me, he's been more like a dad. I couldn't even tell where I'd be without him. I know not here, at Strath Haven, and not playing basketball. I wouldn't be in school. I just gave up hope. I screw up, he gets on me. I get too high on myself, he puts me in my place."
Lewis sees a marked difference in the sometimes angry kid who played last year to the mature person Newell has become on and off the court.
"Actually, Calvin is really funny, and his great personality we're all starting to see now," Lewis said. "Calvin really is the kind of kid you root for. You just have the sense from all the time and commitment he gives, he's going to make it."
For Strath Haven's Newell, basketball has helped him better his life
by Joe Santoliquito
Philadelphia Daily News
Calvin Newell had it all planned. A basketball under one arm, and a shovel in one hand. A little snow on the court wasn't going to get in his way.
Little did Newell know, slightly off in the distance someone was watching. Newell worked on some moves, between puffs of cold, white smoke coming from his mouth. The ball was slick from the wet court. His fingers were numb. He kept shooting and working.
That's what did it for Eric "Pooh" Evans. Watching Newell in the cold go over the moves and drills Evans showed him a few days before, watching Newell move that snow so he could work on his game, was enough for Evans to commit to helping him.
Newell didn't have much help before that. The gifted, 6-1 Strath Haven senior guard didn't have much of anything before Evans entered his life, and Strath Haven coach Steve Lewis gave him an opportunity to play.
Newell now finds himself quite possibly the most prolific scorer in the Philadelphia area, averaging 31 points for Strath Haven, which was 7-8 overall and 5-5 in the Central League, entering last night's game against undefeated Conestoga.
Newell has faced every junk defense opponents could throw at him, faced double and sometimes triple teams, and he still is managing to shoot around 50 percent.
He's quick and explosive with the ball; he's playing for a team with good athletes, but not exactly full-time basketball players. He has offers from Fairfield, UNC Charlotte, St. Bonaventure, Massachusetts and Robert Morris, and is receiving interest from Miami. He's already reached the 1,000-point career plateau in roughly a year of varsity basketball.
But mostly, Newell is finally settled and happy. For the first time in his life, he has perfect attendance. For the first time, he's made the honor roll, pulling up a poor GPA to 2.5 - light years from where it once was before Newell transferred from Ridley to Strath Haven in 2007.
"A year ago, my attitude was all messed up," Newell admitted. "I just gave up hope. Now I could turn around and pinpoint the time that changed my life. This time last year, I was told my first recruitment letter came in the mail. I'm getting offers and letters from a lot of schools. I was someone no one saw going to college; I didn't even see myself going to college. I didn't see a future for myself. I was at the bottom. I couldn't do anything. It was a real scary time for me."
Enter Evans, who runs Fidonce, a player development program that includes European and NBA players. The former Chester High star had heard about Newell through a relative who kept urging him to take a look at the kid.
"I worked with Calvin for a week, and a few weeks went by and I was driving through his neighborhood," Evans recalled. "I saw Calvin on the court, and it's the dead of winter. He shoveled the snow and was working on these drills I showed him. That sold me on him. He didn't even know I saw him that day until recently.
"I just brought a little bit of structure to his life. It's something I got from my grandmother. She'd take care of people all of the time. Calvin used to always ask me why was I doing this, working with him, mentoring him. He wondered how he'd pay me back. I told him he owed me to get good grades and be a productive citizen and student."
Newell just nods his head and smiles. He smiles a lot these days. He has a direction.
"I have good people around me in coach Lewis and Pooh," Newell said. "Pooh has been more than a big brother to me, he's been more like a dad. I couldn't even tell where I'd be without him. I know not here, at Strath Haven, and not playing basketball. I wouldn't be in school. I just gave up hope. I screw up, he gets on me. I get too high on myself, he puts me in my place."
Lewis sees a marked difference in the sometimes angry kid who played last year to the mature person Newell has become on and off the court.
"Actually, Calvin is really funny, and his great personality we're all starting to see now," Lewis said. "Calvin really is the kind of kid you root for. You just have the sense from all the time and commitment he gives, he's going to make it."
