Monday, March 19, 2012
Nova controlled the first half, ending it with a 35-30 lead, which was only trimmed thanks to a buzzer beating three from Delaney. Izzet played limited minutes at the 3 and 4 spots, putting up 2 points, 1 assist, and a steal.
The Hokies came out hot and within minutes were out to a 39-37 lead. The Hokies held the lead for the majority of the 2nd half. With 2 minutes to go, Izzet checked back into the game. The Hokies were up 59-57. This was the first time Coach Greenburg had put Wilky in at a clutch situation. He wanted his length out on the floor, Izzet had already had a big block earlier this half.
With just over a minute to play, Izzet had the ball on the perimeter with a man in his face. He pulled up for the 3. Coach opened his mouth ready to shout in frustration. Wilky's shot hit the bottom of the net, giving VA Tech the 64-58 lead. In the final seconds, the Hokies held a 1 point lead. The Wildcats wanted to foul, but the Hokies worked the ball around. It wound up in Izzet's hands, who ran down court before being fouled with 2 seconds remaining. He sunk the shots, and the Hokies held on.
| Virginia Tech Hokies at Villanova Wildcats | |||
| Nov 27, | 1ST | 2ND | SCORE |
| Virginia Tech (2-1) | 30 | 40 | 70 |
| Villanova (3-2) | 35 | 32 | 67 |
| Virginia Tech Hokies | ||||||||||
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| W. Izzet | 14 | 4-5 | 2-2 | 4-4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | |
| Villanova Wildcats |
Wilky lead his team in assists, and tied for the leading scorer. He was making his name known. He still had a lot of work to do, though. He struggled finishing inside against stronger defenders.
Going into the first ACC conference game of the season, Virginia Tech (6-2) was battling the 8-1 Wake Forest Demon Deacons. This would be the game where Wilky really started to find his game. While it ended in a loss, the game possibly did wonders for the development of Wilky Izzet. With a career high 23 points, he wasn't afraid to shoot, and the shots he did take were good looks. He made use of his minutes, doing this in only 15 minutes.
It would be hard to crack the starting line-up this season, with the SF position being occupied by Terrell Bell, the senior and team's 2nd leading scorer. Wilky was making a case though, that he could be put in at the 4 over the junior Davila. That would require Wilky showing coach Greenburg that he had developed a better inside game. While he was a great rebounder, Izzet was still having troubling putting a body on heavier players and his 215 lb frame was being pushed around on the offensive side. For now he'd have to be content being the 6th man, providing a spark of energy off the bench.
| Virginia Tech Hokies at Wake Forest Demon Deacons | |||
| Nov 31, | 1ST | 2ND | SCORE |
| Virginia Tech (6-2) | 41 | 37 | 78 |
| Wake Forest (8-1) | 37 | 42 | 79 |
| Virginia Tech Hokies | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| W. Izzet | 15 | 10-15 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 23 | ||
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons |
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Press Conference
"After giving a few schools a lot of serious consideration, I finally decided that Virginia Tech was the right school for me. I'll have ample opportunities to play, so long as I work hard, and I'm on a team that has great potential. I'm proud to forever call myself a Hokie."
It was a lot to take in, moving onto the campus. While his new friends were obsessed with finding the best party spots and extracurricular activities, Wilky was admiring the beauty of the campus. Simple things that the others took for granted were new luxuries for him.
Adjusting to the college life was easy. Wilky, for the first time, felt right at home. He was nervous about basketball season, though. By the time classes started, the Hokies and Coach Greenburg were already comfortable with the gym and weight room. The college game was different, Wilky could already tell from the practices. Where as in high school he was used to being able to slack off and get by on being taller and more athletic than his teammates, here he had to fight every second. He realized he wasn't a highly touted recruit, and would have to impress coach during these hard hours to earn each minute he was going to get during the games.
Though competitive on the court, the players had a tight relationship off the court. Veteran Jeff Allen was the team prankster. Star point guard Malcolm Delaney, while cocky on the court, was easy going and fun to be around off it. Izzet's fellow freshman in particular developed a special bond, as they were all new and looking for new friends.
As the Hokies got ready for their first game of the season against Elon, the starting line-up was posted. It could already be assumed through practice, but this confirmed it. Wilky would be coming off the bench, at least for the first part of the season. Likely as the 7th man.
November 16 rolled around and the season tipped-off.
Wilky sat nervously on the bench, when midway through the 1st half Coach Greenburg called his named. He jogged to the scorer's table and tore off his warm-up, unveiling the maroon #15. When the buzzer sounded and he stepped onto the court, basketball instincts took over and the butterflies disappeared.
On the first VT possession, Izzet fired a pass to the wing for a 3. His first assist. The game was close, being a one or two possession contest at all times. The Hokies were even finding themselves behind the undermatched Phoenix at times. Izzet was contributing with solid defense, and notching a few boards and assists. He was afraid he would never get his first shot to fall. After starting 0-3, he knew he had to not force shots. But he found himself with a wide open jumper 16 feet out, just to the right of the key. He took the shot and closed his eyes. Swish. The first 2 points of his NCAA career.
Shortly after, the starting SF checked back in and Wilky held his spot on the bench through the end of the half. The Hokies were tied in a game that shouldn't be close, 31-31.
Coming out of the half, the Hookies were hot. Delaney and Bell were stroking it from long range, and the defense was forcing turnover after turnover. The Hookies were on what would eventually be an 18-0 run. Izzet checked in during this run and contributed a few buckets of his own. He got a nice feed to finish inside, and even hit a three of his own. Izzet came back to finish the game along with other reserves, long after the outcome had been determined. Izzet's first game was a solid one, though he knew there was room for improvement.
| Elon Phoenix at Virginia Tech Hokies | |||
| Nov 16, | 1ST | 2ND | SCORE |
| Elon (0-0) | 31 | 20 | 51 |
| Virginia Tech (0-0) | 31 | 45 | 76 |
| Elon Phoenix |
| Virginia Tech Hokies | ||||||||||
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| Wilky Izzet | 11 | 4-10 | 1-1 | 5 | 4 | 9 | ||||
1.)
+Favorite school growing up.
+One of the best coaches in the nation.
-Will have to compete with fellow SF recruit James Bell
2.)
+Could easily start as Freshman
+Would love to play in nation's capital
-Small conference with little exposure
3.)
+Yearly NCAA tournament competitors
+Nice mix of playing early time and program prestige
-New coach
4.)
+History of NBA legends
+Early playing time
-Have struggled in recent years
-Weird mascot
5.)
+Decent distance away from home could be exciting
+Solid PT in nation's best conference
-Consistently one of the worst teams in the Big 10
6.)
+Cool uniforms
Let your voice be heard. Help Wilky decide what college to attend.
Posted on March 17, 2012 at 01:34 AM.
This will be a series following the story of Wilky Izzet, from his final days as a senior in High School, through his college days (CH 2K8) all the way to (hopefully) making the NBA.-----------------
The dream started the from the time Willard "Wilky" Izzet picked up the ball and was dunking on the Fisher Price hoop in the living room. There's nothing unique about it. It's a situation almost any boy growing up in America has envisioned. You're going to make it to the league, you're going to be the best who ever played. The dream continues playing out in our minds until we reach that moment where reality slaps you in the face and you come to grips with the fact that you're going to have to start looking at other career paths. For some of us that moment comes sooner than others.
No one ever told Wilky he wasn't going to make it. Growing up, he was always one of the tallest in his class. Not only that, but he could do something with that height. From grade school his gift was inevitable. The other boys envied him, but little did they know how badly Izzet envied them. Few from his neighborhood were particularly wealthy, but money and materials wasn't what he sought. He longed for a sense of belonging. To have just one loving parent like the ones who picked his friends up for school. Basketball was the only thing he had.
Born in Woodhaven, Michigan, Wilky and his mother moved to Burke, Virginia after his dad disappeared and his mother found a new job. His relationship with his mother was never strong. From the earliest his memory can go back, he recalls fierce scoldings from her, and the harsh treatment continued throughout his childhood. At 14, Wilky had had enough of her treatment. Had seen enough new men claiming to be his dad. Had heard enough of being told to put down the ball because it wasn't going to get him anywhere.
At 14, Wilky packed his bags and ran. He spent nights at the park, at the subway, wherever he could go to be safe. It wasn't hard to feel safer on the street than in his home. He got himself up and walked to school every morning. This lasted for a couple months, up until his freshman year was about to begin. That's when his living condition was discovered by Darnell Green, a junior, starter on the Varsity basketball team.
Green had grown up in a similar situation to Izzet, and was emancipated at 16. He had a job at a fast food restaurant to pay for a small place while still attending school. He couldn't let Wilky live on the street so he invited him to stay. The two developed a strong bond. Wilky got a job to help pay the rent, and Green provided the father figure that had never been in Wilky's life.
The relationship carried to the court. Wilky earned his minutes off the bench, and Darnell was one of the toughest SF's in the area. Next season, Wilky had grown to 6'6" and had worked his way up to be the starting PF as a sophomore. Wilky played well, but didn't have an outstanding role. It was Green's senior leadership that notched them the easy conference title. Junior year is when Wilky shined, averaging 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. However, the team finished with a 17-8 record.
Senior year is when tragedy struck. Green and Izzet had continued living together. Green had been promoted to manager and decided college was out of the question. He was good at basketball, but not good enough for D1. He could've played for a smaller school, but opted to stay and watch out for Izzet. Just weeks before Wilky's senior season openor, Darnell Green was gunned down at the age of 20.
Wilky was devastated. His one great friend was now gone forever. He would never get over it, but the only way he could ease his mind was on the court.
Now averaging 20, 9, and 2, and leading the team to a 21-3 record, Wilky Izzet was getting serious looks from colleges. He wasn't one of the top #100 recruits in the nation, but he was a piece that many top colleges would love to add depth to their roster.
Coming in at 6'7" he would be expected to play the SF, and possibly some minutes at PF, different from the PF/C role he played in high school, and he'd be expected to improve his perimeter game.
Top 10 Colleges (no order):
George Mason
Villanova
Wake Forest
NC State
Norfolk State
Virginia Tech
Notre Dame
Georgia Tech
Iowa
Gonzaga
Play along by recruiting Wilky to your favorite college
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Name: Myles Zeller
Position: HB
College: Memphis
Height: 6-1
Weight: 231
---April 25, 2004
Here I am, sitting at home on my couch. Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Hopeful but skeptical. We're into the sixth round now. Jammal Lord is going off the board Houston.
Time keeps ticking. The suspense is killing me. I step outside and go for a stroll down my street. Pine Bluff, Arkansas, famous for high crime rates. I remember my childhood here. The images I wish I could forget. But you can't run from your past, this avenue I walk on is what made me who I am.
I was one of the lucky ones. I had the gift of playing football. I'm lucky because that took me out of here. I didn't go to Notre Dame, and USC wasn't knocking on my door. Even the big schools around here didn't give me a single look. I wasn't SEC bound. But the University of Memphis gave me a shot, a full ride. It's by no means a safe city in its own right, but that campus was was a clean place.
I had a good career with the Tigers. A 3 year starter, earned 2 All-C-USA team honors. I specialized in short yardage bang-for-your-buck situations. But was it good enough to make it in the league?
After getting daps from old friends in the neighborhood I head back home. There was no buzz from my phone but I couldn't help but watch the TV, just waiting for my name. My teammate went. DE Eric Taylor, 212 overall pick to the Steelers. I was happy for him and couldn't imagine what it felt like. When would I find out?
*Tick*
That moment never came.
I was down, but I realized my dreams weren't over. I could still make it as an undrafted free agent. I'd just have to prove everybody wrong like I have done my whole life.
----
Note from author: Let me know if you're interested in following this at all. If no one is, I'll just continue this on my own without wasting the time to type up the updates.
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