THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995                   TAG: 9507070106
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN              PAGE: 21   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, SUN SPORTS EDITOR 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   48 lines

YATES GOING TO STATE COACHES' GAME

MANY TIMES last season, the Lakeland basketball team depended on Sebastian Yates when a clutch basket or big play was needed. In the waning moments of a close game, the same thought went through everyone's mind: Get the ball to Sebastian.

``He was the man we went to in the clutch,'' Lakeland coach John Fuller said.

No wonder.

The 6-foot-3 Yates averaged 19.5 points per game and shot 40 percent from three-point range and 85 percent from the foul line.

``I wanted the ball in my hands whether the game was on the line or not,'' Yates said. ``I wanted the spotlight.''

Yates will get another chance to be in the spotlight when he plays in the Virginia High School Coaches' Association basketball all-star game July 10 at 8:30 p.m. at Hampton Coliseum.

``It's going to be great (because) there are going to be a lot of superstars there,'' he said. ``Players from (Group) AAA will be there so I'll play harder to make a name for myself.''

The name he made for himself at Lakeland took a lot of work, according to Fuller.

``He really had to work to improve his game because he's only played organized basketball for two years,'' Fuller said. ``He went from averaging 3.7 points (per game) his first year to averaging 19.5 (last year).''

Yates, who will attend Shorter Junior College in Little Rock, Ark., next year, insisted that he can do other things besides score.

``I don't just play offense,'' he said. `` I like to have a balanced game and rebound and play defense.''

Yates knows he'll have to do all of these in order to have a good all-star game.

``I'll have to score and play defense and not be a ball-hog,'' he said. ``But it'll be fun (because) it'll prepare my game for the next level.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER

Lakeland basketball star Sebastian Yates will play at the Hampton

Coliseum on July 10.

by CNB