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Asbury playing through it all

USF forward rebounds from knee surgery.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 13, 2001

[Times photo: Toni L. Sandys] South Florida senior Chonsey Asbury plays in pain every day and has the respect of everyone on his team. "The guy is amazing," USF coach Seth Greenberg said.

TAMPA -- Eighty-four days ago, Chonsey Asbury had arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. He was uncertain how it would affect his senior season.

Three nights ago, ignoring the nagging pain in his knee, Asbury scored a season-best 18 and had four rebounds for the South Florida men's basketball team in a win over Conference USA foe Charlotte.

That, say Asbury's coach and teammates, is the essence of the 22-year-old forward from Fort Lauderdale: a consummate team player who wants to help in any way, regardless of how he feels.

"The guy is amazing," USF coach Seth Greenberg said. "He's in pain every day. He's been through a full circle of emotions. He came off the bench his freshman year, then he was inserted into the starting lineup and he was our go-to guy. Then each season his role has changed -- due to some of the players that we brought into the program and to his substantial injuries. And that's hard. Now he's dealing with the pain and injury ... and his role change and embracing it and taking pride in it."

Asbury is hurting constantly -- his knees the victim of years of tendinitis and the recent surgery. He suffered from ankle problems and a hyperextended elbow last season. But he battles the pain with a staunch desire to make USF a winner.

He never feels it once he hits the court.

"I can say that every day I play in pain," Asbury said in his very polite and soft-spoken manner. "It's in the joints and it hurts, but I just play through it. I guess once the game starts, mentally I block it out and go play as hard as I can. When the game starts, the pain just kind of goes away until I'm walking around again and I can feel it." After a season hampered by a constantly changing role and injuries, Asbury was sure this was going to be his year. He was healthy, heading into his senior season, and the Bulls were predicted to be better than ever before.

Then the preseason rolled around and the pain began.

"It was pretty bad," Asbury said. "We were doing preseason conditioning and it kind of flared up on me out of the blue. ... It was swollen and I was in so much pain I could barely walk on it."

Asbury had surgery Oct. 21 to repair the damage. He expected to be out for a couple weeks, but it took longer. It was hard on Asbury and everybody else.

"He's like a big brother to everybody," senior teammate Cedric Smith said. "When he saw us out there not doing the things that he would do if he was out there, he felt bad and wanted to be out there helping us. When he was injured, that's the thing he was going through. Now we're getting our old Chonsey back. He's the nasty, tough defensive Chonsey that we know." "

Asbury feels like he's back, too. But it hasn't been easy. He returned in the season-opening tournament in Alaska without any practice. During his rehabilitation, he gained 15 pounds. He was lifting weights daily, but that's not the same as running up and down a court.

And then there was the fight going on in his head.

"That was my first time sitting out during the season," Asbury said. "It was tough being on the sideline seeing the guys practicing and I couldn't be out there supporting them. It took a lot out of me mentally. I got injured last year and ... I thought I was going to get a chance to step in and do some things to really help the team and then everything just stopped. I was thinking, what am I going to do next? What's going to happen next?"

What has happened is Asbury has worked hard to get back to his old form. He had two points in the season-opening game. When he's not scoring, he's contributing in other ways.

"My role is just doing the little things," he said. "That's what I've been doing since Day 1: rebounding, defense and if there is an opportunity to score, that's what I try to do. I try to just go out and do what I can to help the team."

That attitude isn't lost on those around him.

"I love him," Greenberg said. "He's special. I know him so well now. I know when he gives me those one-word answers that something is wrong. I can almost look him in the eye and figure out where he's coming from that day. Chonsey is going to be successful. If he can deal with the ups and downs and diversity of his career, he's going to be successful."

And what about playing in pain?

"I think it's worth it," Asbury said. "It's a sacrifice, but to be a good team you need players to step up and do big things. I'll just have to fight through the pain. We have about 15 or 16 more games in the regular season and I think I can make it happen. I think I can work it out."

Tonight: USF vs. Tulane

WHEN/WHERE: 7:30; USF Sun Dome, Tampa.

RADIO: WQYK-AM 1010.

RECORDS: Tulane 7-7, 0-2 C-USA; USF 10-4, 2-0.

COACHES: Tulane -- Shawn Finney (first season). USF -- Seth Greenberg (66-64, fifth season; 171-134 overall).

KEY PLAYERS: Tulane -- Brandon Spann, 6-1, So. G (18.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg); Ledaryl Billingsley, 6-7. Sr. F (16.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg); Linton Johnson, 6-8, Jr. F (14 ppg, 7.5 rpg); Brandon Brown, 6-8, So. F (12.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg). USF -- Altron Jackson, 6-6, Jr. F (18.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg); B.B. Waldon, 6-8, Jr. F (18.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg); Cedric Smith, 6-6, Sr. F (10.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg).

NOTES: These teams know how to shoot. Tulane is first in field-goal percentage (.479) in C-USA and the Bulls are second (.471). This should be the second straight Bulls opponent to test their strong defense. Charlotte, which played USF Wednesday night, leads the league in scoring offense; the Green Wave is second (77.4), with four averaging double figures. But Tulane is coming off a three-point overtime loss Wednesday night to Louisville. The Bulls' last outing was one of its most impressive of the season. About its only Achilles' heal: free-throw shooting. USF is last in C-USA at 60 percent. -- Compiled by Antonya English.

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