THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 6, 1995 TAG: 9504060491
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Long : 127 lines
Not since Bill Walton was a schoolboy had laid-back San Diego seen a recruiting battle like the one waged four years ago over Erik Meek, a 6-foot-10 All-American from suburban Escondido.
Meek, who averaged 32 points and 14 rebounds as a senior, sorted through his many offers and chose Duke, and it looked as if his career in Durham was going to be the kind of high-five and highlight affair enjoyed by a long line of Blue Devil big men, from Mark Alarie to Danny Ferry to Christian Laettner.
But then a drunk driver swerved off an Escondido street, and Meek's career swerved off its expected path. Meek was jogging the summer before his freshman year when the car struck him, knocking him into a stop sign and leaving him with a badly punctured leg.
Instead of four years of glory, Meek ended up with three years of spot duty and - despite his team's collapse - one sweet, vindicating season, his senior year.
With his college career behind him, it's Meek's senior season that he's trying to build on, starting this week with the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
``By far it was my best year,'' Meek said last week from Durham. ``It was a year I can really use to build on.
``One of my problems has been gaining confidence in my game since my auto accident. My body is back, I feel great, and I have a chance to go out there and see what I can do.''
An expected three-month rehab for the accident turned into a two-year ordeal: Meek had to have a second operation after his freshman year to remove scar tissue around his knee, tissue that was severely limiting his flexibility and mobility.
Meek's freshman year was basically lost to the accident. Although he played 25 games, his bad wheel held him back. His sophomore year was lost to more rehabilitation from the second operation, although again, he gutted it out on the court.
``Last year (junior year) really felt like my freshman year,'' Meek said. ``I was healthy and I started trying to become a player, which I really hadn't done my first two years.''
After Meek's junior year, the Duke master plan was for him to redshirt the 1994-95 season and for the Blue Devils to turn him loose in '95-96. Meek nearly went along with it, but felt so good prior to his senior year that he decided to play.
``I felt great, and I wanted to enter into my last year feeling great,'' Meek said.
Meek's feelings carried over into his play, and although it couldn't be accurately termed great, it was far greater than anything he'd done at Duke before.
Meek, filled out at 250 pounds, averaged 10.3 points and 8.3 boards, shot 62 percent from the floor, and was a bruising presence underneath. He had eight double-doubles in ACC play, including a 16 point, 12 rebound game against North Carolina, and a 15-13 night against Georgia Tech.
He played so well this year that Meek wished he had taken a redshirt year - three years ago, as a freshman.
``I should have redshirted, I definitely should have,'' he said. ``I was a freshman, all gung ho and thinking I could beat this thing (the accident), when I really couldn't.''
The accident and rehab sessions ``toughened me up'' Meek said. That toughness came in handy this season, because while Meek's stock was rising, Duke's fortunes were falling.
The Blue Devils were 9-3 when coach Mike Krzyzewski left the team with health problems, and they finished an un-Duke-like 13-18, their worst season since 1982-83.
``I definitely feel I'm a lot stronger because of the accident, and I can handle things better because of it,'' Meek said. ``But I wasn't prepared for this.''
Meek is hoping that eventually he'll be able to look back at the big picture - his entire four years at Duke. But right now it's hard not to focus on that 13-18 record.
``The present's hard, because it's right there in front of you,'' he said.
So is the future, and whether Meek's will find him in an NBA uniform is anybody's guess. He's certainly not a sure thing, but he does bring some important things to the table: intelligence, a big body and a willingness to work.
``He's the hardest-working guy on our team,'' teammate Kenny Blakeney said.
Meek, who will graduate in May with a degree in sociology, says he'll play basketball as long as he can and then will seek a graduate degree in business.
Before he works on his MBA, though, he wants a shot at the NBA.
``(NBA players) are really strong, and they move really well,'' Meek said. ``I'm trying to develop a few more post moves, and more of a 17-foot jumper.
``But I feel great, and I feel I've got nowhere to go but up. I'm just looking forward to seeing what opportunities will come my way.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
PAUL AIKEN
Staff file
Duke's Erik Meek finally feels comfortable on the court again after
being hit by a car in 1991.
PIT AT A GLANCE
What: 43rd annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
Where: Churchland High School gym
When: 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Tonight's games: Hoechst Celanese vs. Portsmouth Sports Club, 7
p.m.; Bill Lewis Chevrolet vs. Dolsey Ltd., 9 p.m.
Admission: $6.25 with tickets on sale at gym at 6 p.m.
The squads:
Hoechst Celanese: Michael McDonald, New Orleans; Dwight Stewart,
Arkansas; Shane Kline-Ruminski, Bowling Green; Clarence Caesar,
Louisiana State; Mike Jones, Old Dominion; Jimmy King, Michigan;
Matt Maloney, Pennsylvania; Jonathan Haynes, Villanova.
Coaches: Martin Oliver and Sandy Williams.
Portsmouth Sports Club: Bryan Collins, Southwestern Louisiana;
Jaime Peterson, Pittsburgh; Reggie Jackson, Nicholls State; Jamal
Faulkner, Alabama; James Scott, St. John's; Tucker Neale, Colgate;
Derek Kellogg, Massachusetts; Frankie King, Western Carolina.
Coaches: Mike Donovan and Ron Jenkins.
Bill Lewis Chevrolet: Anthony Pelle, Fresno State; George Banks,
Texas-El Paso; Jim Potter, Idaho State; Steve Payne, Ball State;
Nate Driggers, Montavello; David Vanderpool, St. Bonaventure; Kass
Weaver, Richmond; Roderick Anderson, Texas.
Coaches: Ernest Howard and Dave Trickler.
Dolsey Ltd.: John Amaechi, Penn State; Gerard King, Nichols
State; Julius Michalik, Iowa State; Corey Williams, Norfolk State;
Ray Jackson, Michigan; Kareem Townes, LaSalle; Dan Cross, Florida;
Corey Beck, Arkansas.
Coaches: Charles Moses and Cliff Savage.
by CNB