Roosevelt star's long journey ends at Kentucky

Roosevelt star's long journey ends at Kentucky
Dodson settles into role with second-ranked, undefeated Wildcats
by Terron Hampton | Staff Writer
http://www.gazette.net/stories/01212010/greespo151056_32551.php



Had everything gone to plan, Eleanor Roosevelt High School graduate Darnell Dodson would be in the midst of a college basketball career at the University of Pittsburgh.

The college basketball career has happened, but Dodson's journey has taken a different path, ending not with Pittsburgh, but with one of the nation's most hallowed programs at the University of Kentucky. And that's just fine with Dodson, who is averaging 7.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and has hit 24 3-pointers, tied for second most on the team, as the Wildcats have amassed an 18-0 record and No. 2 national ranking, as of press time.

Dodson's career at Pittsburgh ended before it even began because he did not meet NCAA Clearinghouse academic standards. The Clearinghouse requires that all incoming Division I freshman achieve minimum grade point averages in certain core courses and also attain certain minimum scores on the SAT or ACT exam in order to be eligible for athletics. The Clearinghouse uses a sliding scale, where different SAT and ACT scores are required depending on the athletes' overall GPA.

Dodson excelled in his prep career at Roosevelt, graduating as the school's all-time leading scorer after averaging 29.1 points per game as a senior. As he wrapped up his senior season at Roosevelt, Dodson earned his second consecutive Gazette-Star All County First Team selection and appeared headed for Pittsburgh. Dodson even went to be with the team briefly during the summer of 2007 before being ruled ineligible to play at the Division I level.

"I learned that there's going to be consequences in everything in life," Dodson said. "The Clearinghouse basically said that I didn't handle business while I was in school. I had to pay."

Brendan O'Connell, who coached Dodson for three seasons at Roosevelt, said Dodson ran into a dilemma many athletes encounter.

"Darnell was never a troublemaker or anything like that," O'Connell said. "Like a lot of other kids, I don't think he took his first couple of years in high school as seriously as he should have. The way the Clearinghouse works, it's tough in some aspects."

Unable to play at Pittsburgh, Dodson headed to Miami Dade College, a community college in Florida, where he played the 2008-09 season and averaged nearly 15.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and was named to the All-Southern Conference team. Under Miami Dade coach Matt Eisele, Dodson's father David said Darnell made the most of a trying situation.

"I always say that you wouldn't know if he were up by 10 [points] or down by 10 judging by the look on his face," David Dodson said. "His emotions don't sway much. That's the way I go about things and I hope that's instilled in him. You just have to deal with what's in front of you. Sometimes things do happen for a reason, and sometimes things turn out for the better."

Dodson originally planned to play for coach John Calipari at the University of Memphis, but when Calipari took the Kentucky job last summer, Dodson followed him. The Wildcats have one of the most talented rosters in the nation, including highly-regarded freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins and junior Patrick Patterson. Dodson's role has been hitting perimeter shots and using his 6-foot-6, 200-pound frame to be a rebounding presence. The Wildcats are expected to make a strong push for a national title this season.

"It's been a great experience," Dodson said. "This is where I wanted to be at and the time has come for me and I'm glad I'm here."

I really like Dodson. He is going to get hot in a big game when we need someone to step up.