Butch Harmon
Sports Scene
Heading into the season, the big question surrounding the Lansing Eastern basketball team was how the Quakers would replace the production of former all-stater LaDontae Henton.
A four-year veteran who is currently playing basketball for Providence College, Henton was a two-time all-stater who averaged 28 points and 17 rebounds per game last year.
Lansing Eastern head coach Rod Watts planned to use the committee approach, and so far this season the results have been what he wanted. An unselfish attitude abounds on the team, and with everyone pulling in the same direction, the Quakers have risen to No. 3 in the Class A state rankings.
“Things have really come together well,” Watts said. “We have pretty good team chemistry right now. Guys are stepping up in their efforts and production.”
Eastern has a number of players stepping up, paced by senior Fredrick Edmonds. Edmonds, 6 feet 4 inches tall and with plenty of athletic ability, has a game similar to Henton’s and is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding this season.
Edmonds has plenty of help in lighting up the scoreboard. Senior guard Amari George is Eastern’s second-leading scorer and is averaging 18 points per game. Junior guard Brian Morton has also picked up the scoring pace and is pouring in 15 points per game.
Putting the Quaker offense in motion is junior point guard Cha Cha Tucker. Entering his third year as a varsity starter, Tucker turns the ignition on the Quaker offense.
“His game is really developing,” Watts said. “He is averaging 11 points and eight and a half assists per game, which is about where we need him. Those eight and a half assists work out to 16 or 17 points a game, and he is averaging 11 points. Together that is about 28 points, which is right in the ball park of where he needs to be for us to be successful.”
The Quakers are also receiving strong play from Darryl Thompson, a senior who is one of the most versatile players on the team.
“Darryl has really stepped up his game,” Watts said. “He is contributing in so many different ways, in a lot of ways that don‘t show up in the paper on Wednesdays or Saturdays. His effort and what he provides is priceless. He is a 5’10” guard, but he plays all five positions and he plays them well. He’s a guard by height but a big man by heart.”
The Quakers are also receiving key contributions from P.J. Washington.
“P.J. is our defensive specialist,” Watts said. “He is our spearhead on defense. We don’t look for points from P.J.; he does a great job of playing and leading our defense.”
As the Quakers begin the second half of the season, Watts is looking for the team to build on what it accomplished during the first half.
“We have to keep doing the things we’ve been doing,” Watts said. “We have to keep building on the momentum and what we‘ve been doing, and that is team chemistry and camaraderie.”