Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / June 5, 1986, edition 1 / Page 20
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page B4-The Chronicle, Thursd ? r' AAU Profile ii Denny is 1 By DAVID BULLA Chronicle Sports Editor When the Twice As Nice AllStars begin play in the Amateur Athletic Union Zone Tournament in Ocala, Fla., next Friday, they'll feature one of the best shooters in the state in Jeff Denny. Yet, Denny might have been looking forward to signing a professional baseball contract this week if his jump shot hadn't been discovered by recruiters in the North horsyth and last summer^ at several camps. Denny had a stellar career in youth baseball, with his teams finishing in first place nine straight seasons. He also possessed an 88-mph fastball that earned him a tryout with the Los Angeles Dodgers two years ago. 441 felt I had a pretty good chance to play college baseball or get drafted," Denny said last week during a Twice As Nice practice ^ Atkins Middle Schoof gym. 'Tfn basically a fastball pitcher, but 1 have a pretty gpod * curve and kind of got to where I could throw a screwball effectively. I guess you could say I experiment with a variety of pitches. "I still have it in the back of my mind to play baseball after I nnisn witn Dasketjpall." But the stakes in the basketball recruiting game got higher and higher as years passed. He was an all-city selection at Atkins 9-10 High School before going to North for his 11th- and 12th* f grade years. There he was the sixth man the first half of his junior season, but he had been holding his own in practice when matched against all-state forward Brian Howard. So Coach Olon Shuler turned Denny into a starter and North finished the season with a 23-2 record. Denny's game blossomed last summer at North Carolina's basketball camp. Although he injured the thuriftMHi Mi left hand the last day of campr he^oA*" tinued his outstanding play at the Five Star Camp in Pittsburgh the following week. The highlight was a second-place finish in the camp's one-on-one contest. With . efforts like that, recruiters began to take a strong interest. So Denny decided to put off his baseball career for a while. When the national signing period arrived in November, Denny committed to UNC. His signing came as a shock to some members of the state's athletic community, but the Tar Heel coaching staff had fallen for Denny's flawless shot. When the NCAA aHnntpH t V><? - W - V 1 1V l/WlV/Vlf 9-inch three-point line for the 1986-87 season, the signing of Denny seemed like a minor recruiting coup. 4<I was hoping they'd have the three-point line my senior year in Miigh school," he said. 4'But it was Up to the conferences and only a few experimented with it." Although the 6-foot-4 Denny expected to sit a good portion of his first two seasons and perhaps his third at Carolina, now he foresees getting some playing time as early as his freshman season. HIHHIWIHHimHIHHINIIIII?HWIIIHMimHIIimm Sports Profi year and was second the next. "They ran that tournament the right way, strictly by the book," he said. "It only lasted about five years, which was too bad." Hairston has had some superlative rounds and holes. He has shot scratch golf at Hillcrest and a 76 at Winston Lake. He also has two aces to his credit, the latest coming last December at Winstorf Lake. He holed a 5-wood on the 145-yard 16th. "I think it bounced one time," hn cairt **1.1111?.- --1 J vjwv/igc nuuips ?oiU inc ball was in the hole and I said, 'You have to be kidding.' " Hairston, who's in his 60s, is a three-time-a-week player who \ ay, June 5, 1986 rwice As Ni W J jBf ' ^ Hp/ Set Shots ^. _ . . . - Jeff Denny's form fairly match< Valuable Player Larry Bird (Deni file photo). ^Coach Smith has explained the situation to me, and I'll be a backup to (No. 2 guard) Jeff Lebo and (point guard) Kenny Smith. He mentioned the threepoint line as being a factor in my playing." Another factor will be the development of swingmen Kevin Madden and Steve Bucknall, both of whom were blue-chippers in high school but sat deep on the UNC bench as freshmen. 441 think I'm a better shooter than they are," said Denny, who averaged 18.7 points and shot *66 percent from the field as a senior. 44Both are much better in other aspects of the game, but 1 feel if a team goes to a zone I'll have, a pretty good chance at playing." Denny first picked up a basketball, a medium-sized ABA model, when he was 4 years old. His first shot came at his grandgested changes to improve Denny's shot: Whitey Bell, who played at North Carolina State and with the New. York Knicks, and Jack Montgomery, his seventh-grade physical education teacher. They taught him to keep his elbow in and follow through. Denny Hid thp r*?ct nuttinn in ? W....y -mmm-mm MIW I WJpuiilllg AAA , three or four hours a day shooting. "I always set goals," he said. "I would move around the perimeter and make 15 in a row before 1 moved on." During his middle school days, a fellow named Larry Bird was developing into one of the finest college players in the country at Indiana State. Denny took a quick liking to Bird's shooting form. "When he goes up for the shot, he always squares up," Denny said of the three-time National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player. "His feet are parallel to the floor and his shoulders are strniaht Hie ^Ihnu; is in and he has the ball in the palm of his hand.- He does something that's real Important and that's shoot every shot the same way." Denny's shooting ability may From Page B1 generally shoots in the 80s. That's not bad for someone who played a year of tennis as an undergraduate at Hampton InfmuwuwmnmimmnimtrtwmmtHnnwwmmmm Big Apple city Recreation Department. 4'It serves the need of young adult men who still have the urge to play. In this city you find that many young men enjoy basketball, where in another city they might spend their time playing Softball or what have you.'* Among significant league v s ice hot shot I ^ ^r Jfl I ^K L^^f* Mmjkm liwA I j V'i l5I L?fi3HHK5fi9bJE9IBMl 3S that of three-time NBA Most ny photo by James Parker; Bird, not quite match Bird's, but Twice ' As Nice Coach Ron Holl- fc; ingsworth said he ranks as one of ^ the five best shooters to ever come out of Forsyth County. "He reminds me a lot of David Morris (who played at Reynolds . J and Wake Forest)," Hollingsworth said. "He's one of the best ever out of Winston-Salem coming off the pick or shooting with his feet together." Denny returned to the sixthman role on the AAU team. He gives Twice As Nice instant of- I fense in the manner of Hall of I Famer John Havlicek. MM "He's our designated scorer," . Wi Hollingsworth said. "We start | out with our quick team to see what's available. Then we sneak him in there and turn him loose." Denny averaged 13.3 points Hj while helping the Winston-Salem team to the state 19-and-under I championship last month. H| Hollingsworth .hopes pfenny H will be at full strength next week, for the North product suffered pulled ligaments in his left ankle ^ in a pickup game at Wake Forest last month. He was in a cast until last week. But Denny's the kind of player ? who won't let an injury get in his way. He shot several hours each day he wore the cast. In addition to playing with the AAU team this summer, Denny will participate in the WinstonSalem Summer League and the East-West All-Star game at the Greensboro Coliseum in July. He has been on back-to-back Summer League-champions. While Denny will continue to to work on his jumper this summer, much of his workout time will be devoted to dribbling. 4 4 He has a little experience at the No. 2 guard," North's Shuler said. 44We played him there some his junior, year. So he needs to work on his 'ballhandling and upper-body strength." But . Denny's strength will alwavs heshoAtino In haclfpthall there's always a place for a shooter. Before his career at UNC's over, he may set the ACC m on fire with his classic shot. nnniiiiniiiHnnmnmwwiimimnwiMwiiHnniw?w stitute, didn't, do much of anything athletically for nearly two decades and never had a golf lesson. umitMtiwimttwwwiiiwMwniiimiHwiiwwwfWiwmwm From Page B1 rules: for late teams, forfeits will be called four minutes after the game's scheduled time: no addi- mm tional players can be added after June 14; if any player is ejected I from a game more than twice, he will be ineligible for the rest of the season, and all players will v I participate at their own risk as far as injuries are concerned. i n n w ? 2662-A 1984 TRANS-AM T- S-tpM 5282-A 1985 HONDA ACCORD 5532-A 1984THUNDERBIRD.... 2833-A 1985 CELEBRITY WAOC MQP-A = = WWM ?_ 1794 BWIVn RBVitfe 2-uuw, 5907-A 1984 PONTIAC BONNE 5280-A 1985 MONTE CARLO St 3802-C ? 1978 CHEVY CAPRICE 6022-A 4 1982 CUTLASS COUPE 5247-A J DODGE DAYTONJ \ 5B40-A ? \\\1985 CHEVETTE 2-door, R [ ' 'Buy from an experiei Many,. Mai I ill To Choo "You Can't B< Doi 1 KvMKRM //a W#M Fou" 'A H ^k\\\ Winston ?? ^??? We Mil first quality and discontinued merchandise from Sean distribution. "Was" prices quoted,ane the "regular" prices at which offered by catalog or in many retail stores around thi QUANTITIES AND ASSORTMENTS ARE LIMITEI FATHER'S 1 Starts Thursdi Koss? AM/FM Stereo Walkman Radio Earphones ? ^ _ Carrying Strap | ^ Case SAVE'5" TM Kiwi Shoe Shine Kit _ T> 1 l orusnes _*^Polishing Cloths Polish $ Q 11 WAS '14" NOW JT Pk.of3Hankies $350 Trim-CiitBoxer Shorts..... >150 35MM Camera (8) #79?# Disc Camera Outfit (10)... $19?? , 20-Drawer , Organizer Ideal for keeping small items such as ? _ screws, nuts and ) bolts iEKEBrJS , jrs=s'^l id. 17,000 MMes *8999 ) 2-door *8850 $7995 IN Low Milts $9688 H.T., Leodod ....... ^69^5? f" ?_ viLLELMd.d $7495 I *11,999 4-door, Loaded *2495 , Low Milos *5995 i Low Miles.. $6988, ,?> ^ id, 5,000 Miles . A *4333 m need sales staff." I I ny Others se From ( m ?at A ivntown Deal" J| | fOISESK C^r ^T??AR?l ?retail and catalog JJ URT the items were formerly CE?;!37*?N ' ) X SO HURRY IN! : DAY SALE ay, June Sth SA VE '799 Men's Leather Wallet/Belt Set ? $14 fl/ A M < * an V T^\?l t rvsiz w 1NU W JL ? MEN'S LONG-SLEEVE DRESS SHIRT ASSORTMENT- ? Assorted Fabrics, Styles and Colors SAVE ~1 Rechargeable Cordless Light ?2-Position ?? ? ? ^ ? w vva ~ ?? ? Low/High Beam J ^ ' WAS '29" NOW X r SA VE s2499 Rotomatic II Electric Rotary Shaver Pop-Up Trimmer Travel Pouch $ -g WAS \3999 NOW id Shopping Center 5-PoinU STORE HOURS: tTMCtion fiEsSaSSi MON. thru FRI. 311 and 10:00 to 9:00 ba1?5 HI SJ SATRURDAY 50 and 10:00to6:00 tolds Park ?S?5555" Sunday Road open iIH 6 > *
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 5, 1986, edition 1
20
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75