WINSTON-SALEM — There’s no crying in Division I basketball. Well, at least not if it isn’t the final game of your career. Maybe that’s why Radford University’s Correy Watkins didn’t just bawl his eyes out after he and his teammates were destroyed 92-52 by Wake Forest on Monday night.
Watkins certainly looked sad enough to go through a whole box of Kleenex — like he’d just watched “Love Story” and “Ole Yeller” back to back. But, instead of letting his emotions run away, 15 minutes after the sixth-ranked Demon Deacons stopped using the visiting Highlanders as punching bags, a shell-shocked Watkins sank forlornly on a folding chair at courtside, closed his eyes and tried to blink away the Joel Coliseum and all the miserable memories of Dec. 18, 2000.
Watkins, a genial 6-foot-7, 195-pound junior who played in the East-West All-Star game and led North Stanly High to the 2A state championship game three years ago — a kid that everyone roots for — had just played what may have been the worst game of his life.
The Joel Center had been a house of horrors and humiliation. Watkins had played 26 minutes and failed to scratch — hardly the sort of evening he’d imagined himself having in front of his mom and 9,000 other on-lookers in an ACC arena. Thousands more watched via Fox TV.
“I hardly know what to say,” said the Badin native, after hugging his mother and telling her he’d be home for Christmas on Friday. “We started out pretty good, but then everything went against us. Maybe if a few of our shots fall and a few of theirs don’t, it’s a different ballgame and we play them to the end. But we fell behind, got down on ourselves and didn’t stay together.”
Radford would have to play a perfect game to stay within 20 of a Wake Forest team that has bigger, faster athletes and may be one of the best three or four college teams in the land. And on this night, Radford was hardly perfect. It shot a pitiful 3-for-25 from the arc and turned the ball over 26 times. Against a team like the Deacons that’s an engraved invitation for slaughter.
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Watkins, unfortunately, was part of the rough shooting night. He hoisted two early 3-point tries when Wake’s Josh Shoemaker gave him a little daylight. Both shots rimmed out. His third 3-point attempt barely grazed the front of the iron. After that, he didn’t launch another first-half attempt even though he was on the floor for 18 minutes.
Nothing at all happened positively for Watkins for nearly 14 minutes. Then, finally, he got an assist. His first rebound didn’t come until four minutes, 37 seconds prior to halftime.
Watkins also was charged with a couple of turnovers. Twice, he made solid backdoor cuts that might have led to layups, but teammates bounced passes behind him, resulting in loose-ball melees. ACC guards can thread those passes successfully. Big South ones can’t.
On defense, Watkins, who must play the No. 4 position for the Highlanders, although he’s much better suited for the small forward spot, incurred the wrath of coach Ron Bradley several times. Shoemaker, who outweighs Watkins by 43 pounds moved him around under the boards. Darius Songaila, who is 50 pounds heavier and two inches taller, shot over him. Antwan Scott, who is about the same size as Watkins, but much quicker, spun past him for scoops, layups and one resounding slam dunk.
“It’s hard in a game like this with guys as good and big as Wake’s,” said Watkins. “I’m doing what I can to help out the team inside, but yeah, I would like to be out on the perimeter as a 3-man. Maybe we’ll finally get that 7-foot recruiting class in here one day and I can move outside.”
It’s not like Watkins can’t play. He definitely can — and against Radford’s Big South rivals like High Point, Elon and Liberty, he proves it.
But nights like last night, serve to remind everyone just how good ACC players are. Open 3-point looks in the Big South become contested 3s against a team with Wake’s quickness. The hard-working stickbacks that are available in the Big South, are non-existent for a slender player like Watkins against teams with Wake’s bulk.
Watkins had just three rebounds, two on the offensive end. On one of those, he rushed a putback over Scott and missed. On the other, he elected to toss it back out for a re-set. He attacked the basket from the perimeter just once, forcing a left-handed attempt that rattled off the rim after he was challenged by three taller Deacs.
Watkins did finish with three assists and might have had six or seven if teammates had been able to convert inside.
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Last night was devastating for Watkins, because he has had a solid career at Radford and has been generally excellent this year (9.4 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, 2.4 assists per game).
Watkins showed what he can do when he led the Highlanders to a 74-70 win over Hampton last month. In that contest, he poured in a career-best 25 points and shot 5-for-6 on 3s.
“Some of my teammates got in foul trouble in that game and I tried to provide a spark,” Watkins explained modestly. “It was just my night.”
Watkins, who has started every game this year, totalled 10 rebounds and six steals in a loss to American and scored seven straight points in a second-half run that keyed a Radford win over East Carolina.
But right now, Watkins and all the Highlanders (4-5) look road-weary. They will play 11 of their first 13 games this season away. They’ve put up 38 wins in Watkins’ first two seasons, but this year promises to be tougher.
“We play at Middle Tennessee Thursday. Then right after Christmas, we’re heading off to Montana (for the Bobcat Classic),” Watkins said, shaking his head.
Still, Watkins says Radford, which is in Roanoke, has been a good fit for him. Some of his North Stanly buddies didn’t know Radford from Ledford when he signed, but things have worked out. He plays major minutes and has done nothing to tarnish his reputation as a hard worker, good student and solid citizen.
“If I had it to do over, I believe I’d still come here,” said Watkins. “A lot of good things have happened.”
Finally, talk turns to former Comet teammates like Quentin Bryant, Britt Jernigan and Chris Hinson, all of whom are enrolled at Catawba.
“I’ll look ‘em up when I get home Friday,” said Watkins, a glimmer of a smile crossing his face for the first time. “I’ll tell ‘em that if we can just get a couple of 7-footers and move me outside, it’ll be just like it used to be for me at North Stanly.”
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Mike London is assistant sports editor of the Post.
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