Anna Giroir
January 15, 2007Check It Out!
January 17, 2007
Competitor. Unselfish. Leader.
All are words used by Vandebilt Catholic basketball coach Rafe Blades to describe junior point guard DeShawn Patterson. “I think he’s not only good for the basketball program, but he’s also good for the school,” said Blades.
All of those traits were on display in Vandebilt’s Terrier Classic in late November. In an incident was about more than basketball, Patterson struggled to breathe and nearly blacked out after a game against Central Lafourche on Nov. 30.
Competitor.
“I noticed tiredness,” Blades said of that night. “I kept saying, ‘DeShawn, are you tired?’ and he’s like, ‘No, no.’ Just like any good athlete’s going to do — they’re going to say they’re not tired. He looked like he was breathing hard in the first, second quarter. Which is uncharacteristic of him.
“But again, the competitor in him came out. This guy’s a really hard worker, and he doesn’t surrender easily. I saw that that night.”
According to Blades, there is still uncertainty surrounding what happened to Patterson that night. Prior to that night there were no similar occurrences, and since that night nothing has happened.
Patterson said a chest contusion hampered his breathing. “It was just a chest contusion,” he said. “I took a charge in the second quarter (against Central Lafourche), and my chest was hurting. I didn’t think anything of it, so I just kept on and went back to playing.
“It stopped me from breathing regularly,” he added, “and I had an irregular heartbeat. I’m alright, now. It was scary, but after I recovered I wanted to know if I could play the next game against Ellender. That’s all I was worried about at the time.
Unselfishness. Leadership.
Knowing how bad Patterson wanted to play Ellender, Blades held to his beliefs, and despite clearance from doctors, held Patterson out of the game against the Patriots — which took place the next night. “Ellender is a game that he had been waiting for,” explained Blades, “and probably the community, because we’d been having some success. It was tough — the doctor’s cleared him and we decided not to play him.”
Considering the uncertainty at that point, things were about more than basketball, Blades said. “I don’t think it’s right to try to preach to kids about making good decisions, and then six hours after he gets out of the hospital ask him to play a basketball game.”
Patterson took the decision in stride, sitting on bench that night. Transforming from go-to player to the team’s No. 1 fan. “That was one of the games I was really looking forward too this year, “ he said, “but, hey, move on and get ready for the rest of the season. That game is where our confidence grew. We lost to the No. 1 team in 5A by 13 points and we handled their pressure really well.”
Patterson missed just two games before Blades worked him back into the rotation in practice. And since then, the fourth-year starter has answered with one of his best seasons at Vandebilt, currently leading the team in points per game (20) and rebounds per game (9). “We want the ball in his hands when the game’s on the line,” said Blades. “We want him to have the ball. But also, on defense, we call upon him to guard the best guy on the other team. Even if we play a guy 6-feet 10-inches, DeShawn’s going to be guarding him.”
While that may seem like a mismatch for the 6-feet 4-inch Patterson, his athleticism allows him to defend guards or post players.
However, Patterson is at his best on the offensive end. While he is leading the team in scoring, Blades is most impressed with his willingness to set other players up for easy baskets. “He’s very unselfish this year,” said Blades. “A lot of times I have to talk to the guys about being ready for his passes, because they’re coming. When you don’t think it’s coming, get your hands up.”
Patterson said with teams focusing on him more than in past seasons, it’s only the smart thing to do. “People are starting to key on me more and more as I get older,” he explained, emphasizing the need for teammates offensively. “So I’m going to give the ball up, kick it out and get some good shots that way.”
Matt LeBlanc can be reached at matt@tri-parishtimes.com.
Staff photo by MATT LeBLANC • Tri-Parish Times * DeShawn Patterson is Vandebilt’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 20 points per game and 9 rebounds per game. Patterson, a junior, has received interest from a number of colleges, including Tulane, North Texas, UL-Lafayette and Nicholls State.
