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Boys basketball: Yancey takes over at Wallace
Updated: May 9, 2012 9:59AM
GARY — Melvin Yancey knows all about being a Gary basketball player.
He was raised in the Steel City, played in the late 1960s as a forward on the Roosevelt team and spent a great portion of his 30 years of coaching as the head coach at Bailey Middle School.
“I grew up playing on the asphalts and the school yards on the east side of Gary,” Yancey said. “Gary basketball has a rich tradition that must be enhanced and carried on.”
Hours before Monday night’s opening of practice, Yancey expressed these thoughts. But when Yancey later stepped onto the court at Lew Wallace High School, another chapter unfolded for the leader. Though he has past varsity coaching experience, this season marks his first at the helm of a Gary high school program
And he’s taking over a team in transition.
For the past six seasons the Hornets were led by Renaldo Thomas, who posted a record of 65-68 and a trip to the state finals in 2010. Last season the Hornets went 10-11 before winning another sectional title. It was a year filled with mixed emotions as Thomas wasn’t brought back and current Michigan State freshman and Indiana All-Star Branden Dawson was lost to graduation. Now nine seniors, with varying levels of experience, are looking to make a new name for themselves.
“He’s one of kind,” Yancey said of Dawson. “He’s a blue-chip player and he’s going to be sorely missed.”
That’s not to say, however, that Yancey is apprehensive of his group.
“We’re just going to take it one game at a time,” he said. “We have a lot of kids that don’t have a lot of varsity experience. But we have a lot of talent.”
Laron Counce returns as the most active player, but the 6-foot-6 center is looking to improve upon last year when he lost his starting spot.
“I didn’t really have any feelings” he said of the change. “It was just a new coach coming in. I would like to have Renaldo Thomas back, but to have my middle school coach is (also) a great feeling.”
Other hungry seniors, such as guards Leon May (Bowman transfer) and Michael Williams (who had little playing time in 2010) are also buying into Yancey’s program, which includes a man-to-man defense and multiple offensive sets.
“There’s so many different ways people can score on the team,” May said.
The offense will include both post and 3-point situations.
“We’re going to be versatile, we’re going to do both,” Williams said.
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