Friday, January 19, 2001
No. 1 Winton Woods looks beyond unbeaten mark
Transfer Riley may help Warriors extend postseason
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Robert Hite
(Dick Swaim photos)
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The scenario is the same as last season — the Winton Woods boys basketball team is undefeated at 10-0.
The Warriors, who finished 20-0 last regular season, were voted No. 1 in the Enquirer's coaches poll for the first time this week after St. Xavier lost to Elder.
While the Warriors are halfway to matching last season's perfect regular season, they hope their postseason lasts longer than a year ago.
The Warriors were upset by a Hamilton team with a losing record, 53-51, in the Division I sectional championship.
Some wondered if the competition in the Fort Ancient Valley Conference Buckeye division failed to prepare the Warriors for postseason play.
“We can't control how people feel about us or the schedule,” Winton Woods coach David Lumpkin said. “But we can control how hard we play and practice.”
DeForrest Riley
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After losing 11 seniors and returning only two starters (Robert Hite and P.J. Mills), Lumpkin wasn't sure how good his team could be until DeForrest Riley, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound junior transfer from Monroe, La., enrolled in October.
“When DeForrest arrived, I knew we would be good, real good,” Lumpkin said. “The JV team went 19-1 last year and we had a lot of good players coming up.”
During the past four summers, Riley lived in Forest Park with his father and played on a Cincinnati AAU team with Hite, the Warriors' leading scorer with an 18-point average.
“DeForrest went back to Louisiana and played a few games,” Lumpkin said. “But, after talking it over with the coach, they decided it would be better in Cincinnati because he wasn't being challenged.”
Riley has compiled a 4.0 grade-point average while averaging 12 points and six assists.
“I heard about DeForrest but had never seen him play,” Lumpkin said. “He's very unselfish and the complete package. Every night, I receive compliments about him. Until Friday, he hadn't taken a bad shot.”
Riley and Hite are two of four starters averaging in double figures. A fifth, sophomore C.J. Anderson, averages nine points. The other double-figure scorers are Byron Fields (11 ppg.) and Mills (15 ppg.).
Although Winton Woods isn't as big on the inside as last season, Mills, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound senior, has been excellent, averaging more than seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
“P.J. had two breakout games last week with double-doubles,” Lumpkin said. “He's a tremendous scorer with his back to the basket. It gives us the advantage of getting the ball inside and scoring.”
While Mills gets it done on the inside, Hite, Riley, Fields and Anderson are excellent outside shooters.
“We're a better offensive team because of our outside shooters,” Lumpkin said. “Last year, we saw a lot of gimmick defenses to stop Robert, but this season teams are playing us straight up.”
A run-and-gun team, Winton Woods averages nearly 75 points an outing while holding opponents to fewer than 50 points.
Hite and Riley haven't gone unnoticed by college recruiters. Together, they have made unofficial visits to Purdue, Ohio State, Xavier and UC.
“Robert is such an outstanding shooter, I sometimes get on him to shoot more,” Lumpkin said. “But he is uncomfortable shooting more, and I want him to be comfortable with his game.”
With only one senior starter (Mills), Winton Woods is a team to be watched the next two seasons.
“I told our guys we're in the driver's seat,” Lumpkin said. “They must remain focused and play hard and aggressive. Whether we repeat as city champions is beyond our control.”
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