It was one of those plays that brings the fans to their feet and sends the opponents? heads downward. And all ittook was a look ? mere eye contact followed by a simple nod of the head.
Towson Catholic senior guard Malcolm Delaney took the ball to halfcourt, slowed his pace and lobbed the ball 40 feet, while 6-foot-10 teammate Donte Greene leapt past a Loyola defender, caught the ball and descended with full force on the rim. In the bleachers, pandemonium ensued.
But it was just a typical play for the dynamic duo. Both players are headed for major college programs upon their graduation from Towson Catholic, which currently sits near the top of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference standings with a 7-1 overall record after Tuesday?s 61-42 win at Loyola.
“We?ve been doing that since my sophomore year,” said Greene, who stood 6-foot-4 when he entered high school and was dunking in seventh grade.
The dunk was just one of a half-dozen SportsCenter-worthy throw-downs by the Owls? Syracuse-bound Greene Tuesday. After the game, a young fan approached the towering Greene and requested the star?s blue headband. Shocked, Greene obliged sheepishly.
“It shows that people are out there watching me and seeing what I do,” Greene said.
But it?s not the first time Greene has given away a headband. He?s done it before, and as the season goes along, he?s likely to do it again. With the notoriety surrounding his decision to attend Syracuse, where fellow Towson Catholic star Carmelo Anthony made his name, Greene has become a conversation starter at local gyms.
“I hear them every day,” Greene said of the comparisons to Anthony, now a small forward with the Denver Nuggets. “Every interview I do, ?Melo?s name comes up. I don?t shy away from the comparison, though. Me and ?Melo have established a relationship and he told me it?s going to come.”
Delaney, who is headed to Virginia Tech, and Greene have established a relationship with the NBA star, having each played for Team ?Melo, a national championship AAU team.
“We still talk to him when he comes to town,” Delaney said. “So we?re still close with him, personally.”
The exposure has been great for the pair. But with that exposure comes heightened attention on the court, particularly for Greene, who towers over his opponents.
“He was getting double- and triple-teamed,” Towson Catholic coach Josh Pratt said after Tuesday?s game. “I think there are times that because he?s so big and he?s such a good player ? that people expect a lot from him.”
Greene has gotten the headlines, particularly playing in a tournament last weekend in Syracuse. Meanwhile, the quiet Delaney paces the team?s offense.
“I can?t afford to lose him on the floor,” Pratt said.
Regardless of how the Owls finish in the MIAA, two of members of the flock are destined for stardom. Just like their mentor.
