Gaylord Gaining Momentum
Ron Bailey, Publisher
September 19, 2007 - After a spring/summer in which he earned a spot on i95Ballerz.com’s Reebok Headliner Camp second team and first team placement in the Metro South Summer League (VA), helped lead his high school, West Potomac High School (VA) to a spring and two summer league titles – all while orienting himself to being a full time point guard - and played AAU/travel team ball with both the Fairfax Stars and Nova United, Craig Gaylord is primed for a big senior season. In fact, it’s expected. Just ask his high school coach.
“Point guard is important, like the quarterback” opined David Houston III, West Potomac (or West Po as it’s known) of Gaylord’s new full time position. “He’ll be a big key. We have a lot of guys who can score, which will make his job a lot easier”.
Last season as the starting shooting guard on West Po’s 11-14 team that made a regional playoff tournament appearance for the first time in 10 years, Gaylord, according to Houston, dropped approximately 10 points, three assists, and three rebounds.
According to West Po's coach, David Houston, Gaylord (left), a good scorer who can shoot and get to the cup, best impacts his team "When he plays under control and in the mold of the team, he’s very good at controlling the game".
This year – a campaign in which everyone involved with West Po’s program expects to at least reach Northern Virginia’s Northern District Semifinals, held annually at George Mason University – Houston predicted around “13 to 15 points” per game from Gaylord, before adding “I suspect he’ll average in upwards of six to seven assists”. Resultantly, the West Po Wolverines “will win a lot of games” if those marks are met, concluded Houston.
To prepare himself, Gaylord, who stands 6’1”, and 175 lbs, shared during late summer, “when I’m not working out with Kevin Harris (a trainer), I’m doing two a days by myself. I get up at 10:00 (am) and I work on my game by doing drills and I leave around 12:00. I come back around 7:00 and lift weights and get some cardio in”.
Specifically, Craig focused upon “the biggest problem I had this summer” which “was shooting off the dribble”. Additionally, he shared a commitment to “trying to finish with my left hand”. Of course that personal work is in addition to his organized playing experiences.
A successful season will undoubtedly have the effect of accelerating his recruitment, which to date consists of Division II and III classified institutions, per Gaylord: “I’m getting looks from Nyack College, Shepherd University, and also Colorado - Colorado Springs - which are D-2. (And) Hamilton College, Oberlin College, Washington and Lee University, Wesleyan College, Eastern University - which are all D-3”.
Craig Gaylord and West Po’s individual likelihood for success are greatly intertwined: If the team can at least reach its area semi-finals, Gaylord will have functioned well as a point guard, and in the process generated more college scholarship interest for himself.
The stage is set. Check back with i95Ballerz.com for updates.