tyson chandler daily news

SoCal High School & Prep Report

MLK Challenge: Tyson Chandler
Article in Daily News--(January 20,1998)

The Los Angeles Daily News does not have a website. Other than buying a copy of the printed paper (which you can still get for a quarter, and which we would highly recommend you do today), there's no way to preserve for "net posterity" in the ether some of the great stuff which appears there, written either by Vincent Bonsignore or Jim Ingrahm, both of whom cover prep and high school hoops for the paper. Used to be Sondheimer's gig, but now that he's over at the LA Times, these two guys are stepping up the coverage, and doing a great job. Yesterday they were both at the MLK Challenge at Pauley (we didn't see Sondheimer though, but that doesn't mean he wasn't there, but only Gary Klein of the Times, who we sat next to at the press table at center court, got a byline from the Times).

In any event, because some of the stuff they write at the DN is so special, and because most of you will have no way of getting this information, we're going to reproduce, in total and word for word, Vincent's article on Tyson Chandler and Jim Ingrahm's take on the tournament (or really an exhibition), and why it's so special. Here's Vincent's article first, which we reproduce (this is for the lawyers at the DN) solely for educational purposes and with no actual or expected remuneration or compensation from anyone of any kind. . . i.e., it's free and "fair use"--at least that's what the Ninth Circuit tells us. So here it is:

Is He the Next Kareem?
7-foot Dominguez Freshman Has Unlimited Potential

by Vincent Bonsignore
Daily News

Common sense tells you it's premature to label Dominguez High's Tyson Chandler anything more than what he is: a 15-year old freshman.

But then you watch the 7-footer play and conventional wisdom goes right out the window. It's the way he gracefully runs the floor and the body control he displays when he catches a pass in the low post and turns and shoots.

It's the sophistication and skill level not normally seen in a big man so young. The footwork on defense and fluid movement on offense.

As you watch him play in the fourth annual Martin Luther King Holiday Challenge at Pauley Pavilion on Monday against Westchester, names stat popping into your head as points of reference. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, perhaps? Or maybe Patrick Ewing? Shaquille O'Neal even comes to mind.

You remind yourself that Chandler hasn't even completed his first year in high school, but it is impossible not to compare him to the dominating centers who have come before him.

How good was Kareem as a high school freshman? Could Ewing block shots as Chandler can as a ninth-grader?

You keep in mind that Chandler has three more years left in high school and that he's just a mere baby, not old enough to drive a car.

But talk to any scout or coach and ask them to recall a center at a similar age as good as Chandler and blank looks come over their faces. The point is, few people can remember any freshman as polished as Chandler.

Dominguez coach Russell Otis, who has groomed an eventual NBA standout, Cedric Ceballos, and has Kentucky-bound senior Tayshaun Prince on this year's team, is convinced that Chandler is the real deal.

"What sets him apart is that he's a 7-footer that has the agility and athletic ability of somebody that's 6 foot," said Otis. "The way he plays and moves, I wonder if he even realizes he's a 7-footer."

For basketball fans, there is nothing more intriguing than a young big man who can play. Good guards come a dime a dozen and few really stand out to the casual observer. We can locate a 6-foot-7 forward on just about any high school team in town.

But a 7-footer who can run the floor, catch a pass in traffic and dunk over three players? Now that is a rare commodity indeed. Chandler, generally regarded as the top freshman in the country, is exactly that.

The Dons have a roster that includes Prince, a wonderfully gifted 6-foot-8 forward, and Jason Thomas, a nationally regarded prep quarterback and basketball player.

Yet Chandler is the most talked about player on the team. And the interest is not limited to Southern California.

When the Dons travel to out-of-state tournaments, fans line up for autographs and local papers are interested in talking to him. In fact, "60 Minutes" recently featured Chandler on a piece about the wars between shoe companies.

In a way, the growing attention is a double-edged sward. The recognition is flattering and warranted. But Otis worries that too much can be a bad thing. So the veteran coach has set restrictions on Chandler interviews and closely monitors his young phenom so that his schoolwork doesn't suffer.

Otis has been around long enough to realize that the pressures of being the latest sports marvel can chew up even the most talented youngster. He isn't about to let that happen to Chandler.

"I promised his mother that I would look after him and make sure this stuff doesn't get out of hand," Otis said.

As good as Chandler is now, he really only begun to scratch the surface. Unlike many of his teammates, he didn't grow up playing basketball year-round on travel teams and summer clubs. He needs to work on his upper-body strength and overall feel for the game, but you don't have to watch long to realize he has the potential to be special.

Time will tell how special, but the safe bet is that Chandler is a name to remember.