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Layup drill

By TIMES STAFF
Published January 25, 2007

Keep an eye on. . .

Central at Nature Coast, girls basketball

When: Tonight, 7:30

Why: Central entered its first meeting of the season against Nature Coast hoping to hand the Sharks their first county loss. Nature Coast responded by winning 83-58. Don't let the 25-point gap fool you though. Central is a talented team that features the county's leading scorer in Ronisha Browdy (16.8 points per game) and the county's leading rebounder in Tikeisi Relaford (8.8 rebounds per game). Nature Coast sophomore Shareka Maner, one of the county's top players, missed the first matchup against Central while serving a suspension. It should be interesting to see how her presence impacts the game.

Central at Hernando, boys basketball

When: Tonight, 7:30

Why: Central has won just two games all season, but one of them was against Hernando, which fell to the Bears 71-54 on Jan. 4. To stop Central, the Leopards must figure out a way to stop Darryn Frazier, a sophomore who leads the county in scoring (19.1 ppg) and torched Hernando for 34 points and nine rebounds the first time around.

District tournaments, girls basketball

When: All next week

Why: Nature Coast and Central both have a shot at advancing to the state playoffs out of their respective districts. Check out Sunday's sports section for a complete breakdown of the upcoming action.

Alumni Update

Alex Ruoff, So., G, West Virginia

Though the Mountaineers (14-4) have lost three of four and fallen out of the top 25, Ruoff has played well, scoring double digits in three of his past four games. The former Central standout scored a season-high 21 points in a loss to Cincinnati on Jan. 20. He is second on the team in minutes per game (31.2) and is averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. His assist-to-turnover ration is an impressive 2.5 to 1, and he is shooting just over 35 percent from 3-point range.

Kyle Swanston, So., F, James Madison

The Dukes (6-12) recently snapped a four-game losing streak and have won back-to-back games for the third time this season. Swanston, a former Hernando standout, scored 10 points in 23 minutes against Old Dominion Jan. 17, his first double-digit scoring effort since Nov. 22. For the season, he is averaging 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He is shooting just under 31 percent from 3-point range.

Bernice Mosby, Sr., F, Baylor

The former Hernando star has been added to the watchlist for the Wade Trophy, awarded each year to the top player in women's college basketball. Mosby is one of 29 players on the watchlist. She leads the No. 11 Bears (16-3), averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

News and Notes

The year 1987 was marked by a number of historic events. Ronald Reagan had prostate surgery. Al Unser won his fourth Indianapolis 500. And the Dusky Seaside Sparrow officially became extinct.

But topping them all, at least in the minds of those who were involved, was the Hernando boys basketball team, which tied a school record with 25 wins before losing to Tampa Jesuit in the championship game of the district tournament.

The 20th anniversary of that team will be honored before Saturday's Hernando-Nature Coast game at Hernando.

"What stands out the most in thinking back on that time was just the unique opportunity that we had to play together as long as we did," said Tim Mann, a point guard who led the team in scoring that year. The synergy we developed over the years, playing together: today that isn't always the case."

Current Hernando coach Jeff Laing was one of seven seniors on that squad, which finished 25-5 and went 15-1 in the district.

"We had seven seniors on there that all played together since eighth grade," Laing said. "It was just great chemistry amongst all those guys and we were able to go out there and execute and the wins kept on coming."

Also on that team was a sophomore named Jason Sartor, who went on to become Hernando's all-time leading scorer.

"Winding up as the all-time leading scorer wasn't something I envisioned then," Sartor said.

WATCH OUT FOR SOUTH SUMTER: Likely the fourth or fifth seed once the district tournament starts, nobody seems to want to face South Sumter. The Raiders are hosting the tournament, and Hernando coach Jeff Laing says they are the most athletic team in the district.

"I don't want to see them in our bracket," said Nature Coast coach Travis Priddy, whose Sharks fell to South Sumter on Friday.

SILVESTRI COULD BE BACK: According to Priddy, injured guard Joe Silvestri has a doctor's appointment Monday, and the team is holding out hope he will play in the Class 4A, District 8 tournament. Silvestri broke his collar bone a couple of weeks ago in a game against Hudson.

CENTRAL PLAYING WELL: Night and day might not do enough to describe the difference in Central between the beginning of the season and now. Though the Bears have just two wins, they are starting to play first-year coach Eric Hayes' brand of ball. Central played Springstead tough, knocked off Hernando, and sophomore guard Darryn Frazier is one of the best players in the county. Senior Louis Piccolo has provided much-needed scoring as well.

TONIGHT

Boys Basketball

Central at Hernando

Girls Basketball

Central at Nature Coast

FRIDAY

Boys basketball

Hudson at Springstead

SATURDAY

Boys Basketball

Nature Coast at Hernando

Central at Ridgewood

TUESDAY

Boys Basketball

Nature Coast at Central

Springstead at St. Pete Catholic

Girls Basketball

Class 4A, District 8 Tournament (all games at Nature Coast)

No. 8 Springstead vs. No. 1 Nature Coast

No. 2 Pasco vs. No. 7 Zephyrhills

WEDNESDAY

Girls Basketball

Class 4A, District 8 Tournament (all games at Nature Coast)

No. 4 South Sumter vs. No. 5 Hernando

No. 3 Gulf vs. No. 6 Hudson

Our weekly look at Hernando County basketball by Times staff writers David Murphy and Kellie Dixon

[Last modified January 25, 2007, 06:31:08]