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Athlete of the week for February, 6th 2009

More responsibility was put on James Padgett’s broad shoulders this season. His frontcourt running mate, Justin Greene, graduated last spring and is now at Kent State. Often, Lincoln coach Dwayne (Tiny) Morton puts Padgett out there as his only big man.

“I just try to play hard every game,” he said,” and help the team however I can.”

Morton has seen improvements in every part of Padgett’s game – from defense to rebounding to his soft touch around the hoop. He is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds in 13 Brooklyn AA league games – one of the reasons the Railsplitters recently won the regular-season division crown – but Morton has been more impressed with the strides he has made as a leader.

“He’s been more vocal,” the coach said, stressing that when Padgett talks, others listen.

Padgett, a Starrett City, Brooklyn native, got involved in basketball at the age of 13 in local tournaments. He was a slow starter since his middle school, I.S. 364, didn’t have a team. He eventually found his way to Xaverian, where he won a city championship with the freshman team and ended up playing serious AAU basketball with the Juice All-Stars.

Padgett transferred from the Bay Ridge Catholic school to Coney Island’s Lincoln the fall of his junior year. He was part of a mass exodus from the school that included several teammates leaving for the Railsplitters and Boys & Girls.

The 6-foot-8 power forward couldn’t be happier about the move. He’s gotten to play with Lance Stephenson, one of the top talents in the country, and won a city and state championship last year. He also committed to Maryland, an ACC school with a rich tradition.

“I saw an opportunity for me to play on a good team that was missing big men,” he said.