56625713
"You can’t be intimidated when you come from Philly,” DeShon Minnis said Tuesday via phone from Lubbock, Texas.
The 6-foot-3 guard signed his National Letter of Intent with Texas Tech University Sept. 7 and will use his fearless attitude to ignite a resurgence for the Red Raiders, members of the powerful Big 12 Conference.
The collected baller, who hails from 16th and Catharine streets, chose the school from an impressive pool of candidates, including Marquette, St. John’s and West Virginia universities. He will join a team bursting with newness, as he and eight other freshmen will receive instruction from first-year head coach Billy Gillispie.
“We are a young team, and we’re ready to run teams out of the gym,” he said of matching his skills with the style of Gillispie, who will guide his third Texas squad after stops at The University of Texas El Paso and Texas A & M University.
Minnis also feels prepared to excel in his studies. Following his June graduation from Atlantic Christian School in Egg Harbor, N.J., he took reading courses to become academically eligible. He learned of his status earlier this month and rewarded Texas Tech for encouraging his endeavors.
“The school stuck with me, so I chose to go there,” he said of becoming an inhabitant of the Lone Star State.
Minnis made no visits to the institution, which became aware of him through numerous contacts, including Atlantic Christian’s head coach Tom Piotrowski. Under the La Salle University alumnus, who played for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers in 1983-’84, Minnis excelled. His junior year yielded averages of 17.1 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game. He earned National Christian School Athletic Association Northeast Super Regional and Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference honors for his efforts that year and for his senior year, when his averages were 18.5 points, six assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals per contest. His swan song earned him third team NCSAA high school All-America designation.
His Garden State prowess followed an equally impressive two years at South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St. His sophomore year brought the Lower Moyamensing facility the Public League Class AAAA title, with Minnis putting up 15-point and four-assist averages. His exploits landed him on Division A’s First Team and fostered a philosophy he still cherishes.
“I’ve always felt I have to prove myself, to show I am better than the other guys,” he said.
Playing at Texas Tech’s United Spirit Arena and dealing with the noise from road foes’ fans will definitely test his resolve.
“Noooo,” he said of having any trepidation about facing notable opponents such as Kansas State University and the universities of Kansas and Texas. “I need to bring my top game every night because those guys are not coming to play around and neither am I.”
Gillispie, who won the Big 12’s Coach of the Year award in ’05 and ’07 and shared the Southeastern Conference honors while at the University of Kentucky in ’08, lauded Minnis on the school’s website.
“He is a strong and very versatile player who is highly regarded,” the coach said. “He has the ability to play more than one position, and he is the type of guy that we like to coach.”
Minnis has enjoyed talks with Gillispie and respects the coach’s views on his playing multiple positions. He wishes, however, to be the primary ballhandler.
“I want to play point guard because I love to distribute and because I am a big guard, I can push myself to the rim after grabbing rebounds,” he said. “It’s all about having fun.”
Minnis began a full slate of classes right after touching down in Lubbock. Undecided on a major, he is building his classroom confidence with daily tutoring.
“My goal is to finish with a high grade-point-average,” he said of making his first semester a triumphant one.
Gillispie will need Minnis’ basketball intelligence quotient to be high-reaching if the Red Raiders are to scare the likes of the Kansas Jayhawks, perennial national championship contenders and winners of the last seven regular season conference titles. Under legend Bob Knight, the Texas bunch made four NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in ’04-’05.
However, fans have been waiting for another NCAA berth since ’07 and last year saw their unit fail to qualify for any postseason play. Their school’s 19 losses represented the highest tally in a decade and led to the firing of Pat Knight, the son and successor of Bob.
“I am excited about putting the past behind us,” Minnis said of maintaining his and Gillispie’s reputations as winners.
Two dates with Kansas await Minnis and his mates, and he anticipates the Feb. 18 clash at the Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks have compiled a stellar 353-26 record over the last 25 years.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that place is the loudest gym,” he said.
With his mammoth confidence, Minnis may roar more loudly if the Red Raiders can execute their athleticism and confuse the Jayhawks, who lost Marcus and Markieff Morris, products of Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., to the NBA Draft. Regardless of the opposition, the young man, whose nickname “Biggie” reflects his childhood love for Wendy’s French fries, hopes to be a big shot.
“People have us picked to finish last,” he said. “I want to help us to prove we should be higher.”
Moving from Philadelphia to New Jersey meant Minnis had to adjust to not seeing sidewalks, he confessed. In Texas, he has had to deal with dry heat but owned up to no homesickness.
“I think of Philly, though, but I’m here doing my thing,” he said. “I’m meeting people every day and growing with each experience.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
56625708
56625718
