For Illinois-bound guard, Pilots a ‘part of something big’

By Rob Miech

Friday, April 3, 2009 | 2:10 a.m.

NORTH BETHESDA, Md. – A gaggle of 10- and 11-year-old girls bounded into the tiny Henderson International School gym the other day for an afternoon basketball game.

The older boys with Findlay College Prep scrawled across their practice jerseys knew their court time was about to end.

“Our relationship with the other students is a big thing,” said Findlay guard D.J. Richardson, a senior from Peoria, Ill. “We’re always friendly with them. They’re our biggest fans.”

An older man wearing a salt-and-pepper beard pointed to the boys and asked the girls if they knew who they were. Seconds later, he told them – the top high school team in the nation.

Off to the side, he patiently told the girls to watch how the boys shoot. Look closely. See how each one flicks his wrist, every time, as he releases a shot? See. Every time.

The girls gathered around the man, the father of one of them, in the first row of the bleachers and stood in silent awe. Soon enough, each girl mimicked each boy in releasing imaginary-but-feathery jumpers.

The Pilots never practiced at the same time this week in preparation for this weekend’s inaugural ESPN RISE National High School Invitational at Georgetown Prep.

During the season, they sometimes practiced at 8 p.m., or later, because the gym is booked for other students at Henderson International, the prestigious private institution with which Findlay is affiliated.

Think that happens at Oak Hill Academy (38-0), the top seed here that second-seeded Findlay (30-0) might clash with Sunday in a dramatic East vs. West championship game?

At Findlay, it always happens. The Pilots, however, never complain.

“We always have to be ready,” said Richardson. “Practice time could change at the last second, but it’s all about sharing the gym. We keep good attitudes and have fun.

“It’s all about maturing and staying humble.”

Focused and humble

For Richardson, it’s all about continuing a decades-long line of Peoria roundball prodigies.

David Booth starred at DePaul. Marcus Griffin, Sergio McClain and Frank Williams, “The Peoria 3,” guided Illinois to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAAs.

Al Smith, Howard Nathan and Shaun Livingston proudly represented Peoria, whose hot high schools include Manual, Peoria and Central, where Richardson played.

A.J. Guyton, Richardson’s summer workout partner, played at Indiana University. Curly “Boo” Johnson followed Marques Haynes to become the wizard dribbler of the Harlem GlobeTrotters for 17 years.

Richardson helped run a basketball camp for middle schoolers last summer with Booth and Johnson, and he stays in touch with them and Guyton. Johnson usually keeps his text messages short.

“Stay focused,” one read the other day. “Stay humble.”

“A lot of players out of Peoria are talented, but they don’t make it as far as they should,” Richardson said. “A perfect example is Frank Williams.”

Williams played in 86 NBA games. In nine with the Chicago Bulls, he collected more personal fouls (nine) than total points (six).

“I want to be the next player out of Peoria to go to the NBA, not that I’m thinking about that,” Richardson said. “I’m thinking about college. But I want to be in the NBA for at least 15 years. I want a career, not just play a couple of years and go to the D-League.”

Dream come true

Richardson committed to Illinois before he landed in Las Vegas, and he said plenty of Illinois fans thought he’d head west and decommit to Illinois once he gained such national exposure and acclaim.

But Richardson said his loyalty to the Illini never should have been questioned.

He signed his national letter-of-intent to Illinois last fall at Findlay and he’ll go to the campus in Champaign, Ill., in June to attend summer classes.

“At Illinois, I’m going to bring leadership and energy and defense,” Richardson said. “I’ll work hard all summer with people like Dee Brown, the types of guards I’ll have to defend.”

Before he starts thinking about playing for the Illini, though, Richardson has some work left in high school.

He left Central, where he started for three seasons, to better prepare for the rigorous demands of college, both in the classroom and on the court. Playing for a national championship at Findlay also was a major draw.

“It was real tough for me to leave my friends, the community and my family,” Richardson said. “The family was the hardest part to leave. But it’s made me more responsible. I’ve matured faster, I’m a better basketball player and a better person.

“This weekend is a big thing. It’s like a dream come true. Coming from a small city like Peoria, you never think you’d be a part of something this big. People don’t really know how big this is.”

Defensive

When Richardson returned from Peoria after a Thanksgiving break, having talked to his father and an uncle about how he’d fit in with the Pilots, he was a different player.

“Something clicked internally,” Findlay coach Mike Peck said. “He changed. He’s been the consummate pro since that time.”

Richardson, with sage advice from his elders, focused on winning, setting up the talented cast around him and defending like a demon.

His scoring average of 12.1 points is second on the Pilots, to Bradley’s 19, and Richardson is third on the squad with 47 steals. He owns the second-best assists-to-turnovers ratio of about 2-1.

He does just about everything well.

“A lot of players want to be the best scorer in the country,” Richardson said. “I always want to prove to people that I’m one of the best defenders. This season, I’ve been holding the other team’s best player to low points.

“I want to get my teammates the ball. That’s the type of player I am. I always want to see my teammates happy. When I came here, I noticed I didn’t have to put up points.”

Today, that will mean helping clamp down Noah Cottrill, a junior guard who averages about 26 points for seventh-seeded Beckley (W.V.) Mountain State Academy.

The Falcons (23-6) play the Pilots (30-0), who have sat atop the USA Today national Super 25 rankings the past few weeks, in an ESPN Invitational quarterfinal at 3 p.m. ESPNU will broadcast the game.

No doubt a bunch of grade-school girls in the Henderson foothills will be watching to cheer on the heroes who showed them how to properly flick their wrists on jump shots.

NOTES – The pilot of Southwest Flight 479 on Thursday started and ended his journey from Las Vegas to Baltimore by announcing that the Findlay team was on board and will battle for a national title this weekend at Georgetown Prep. The Pilots were applauded both times … senior guard Avery Bradley joined his teammates once the flight landed in Baltimore. Bradley took part in the McDonald’s All-American festivities in Miami, where he won the dunk competition. The West, however, lost the all-star game by 3 points to the East. On a shuttle to the rental car wing of the Baltimore airport, Bradley regaled his fellow Pilots about being able to eat whatever he wanted from McDonald’s during his five days in Miami. “Apple pies, French fries, soda, Big Macs,” he said, “and however much you wanted. I was so full.” … Richardson and junior guard Cory Joseph made the trip carrying big brown Teddy bears. Comforts from home to ease the long trip? Not quite. Richardson said he and Joseph were bringing them as presents for girlfriends whom they were meeting in Maryland.