NSU's shipshape basketball walk-on

NORFOLK

The secret to practicing jump shots on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier is speed.

Clank one off the side of the rim, and it's a race to the edge to save a basketball from being lost at sea.

In the middle of the Indian Ocean, the hangar deck of the Harry S. Truman saw a lot of basketball.

"We'd clear a spot and roll out the temporary goals and play," said Brandon Wheeless, who these days is a sophomore guard at Norfolk State. "I saw three or four go over the side. You've got to be quick... or else."

Wheeless learned many things in three years as a military policeman in the Navy.

He discovered that a career in the military was his calling, that he wanted to go to college with his sights set on becoming an officer, and that he still yearned to play basketball.

That's where the Spartans came into the picture.

Wheeless, stationed at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, figured he didn't have to go far to find what he was looking for. Norfolk State offered an Army ROTC program - yes, he switched branches - and Spartans coach Anthony Evans was open to giving Wheeless a tryout.

Wheeless made the team and has played in every game this season.

"I get a lot of people who walk into my office and ask if they can play for us," Evans said. "Brandon was a little different, though. I was actually out of the office when he came by, but he dropped off film."

Robert Jones, NSU's assistant coach in charge of recruiting, watched the film. His report to Evans was to the point: "Take a look. He can help us."

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Wheeless had played in high school at Stone Mountain in Georgia and AAU ball with some of that region's better players: Virginia Tech guard Terrell Bell, Miami's DeQuan Jones and Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard.

When Wheeless enrolled at North Carolina A&T and asked Aggies coach Jerry Eaves if he could walk on there, the answer was no. After a year there, Wheeless decided he wanted to join the Navy.

"They recruited me with the promise of playing basketball for the all-Navy team," Wheeless said, grinning. "They didn't tell me the team only played three months out of the year."

It didn't matter. Wheeless and the military were a good fit. He ended up with VFA-37 - the Ragin' Bulls - guarding the squadron's F/A-18 Hornets at Oceana.

Remember the Cole? When the Ragin' Bulls were assigned to the Truman for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Wheeless was there to make sure a repeat of that tragic event didn't happen to his squadron. He often manned 50-caliber guns on the flight deck of the Truman deep into the night.

The experience calcified Wheeless' belief that a career in the military was his calling. But as an enlisted sailor, he knew his path to being an officer would be tough. So he switched branches.

This fall, Wheeless, now 22, has often set his alarm clock for 5 a.m. to make ROTC physical training sessions at 6. With basketball practice later in the day, Wheeless has been left to work double time.

Evans and NSU's Army ROTC commanding officer, L t. Col. Nicholas Anthony, said Wheeless brings effort and maturity to the table. So far, Wheeless is averaging about 10 minutes of playing time and 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds for the Spartans, who return to action Tuesday at Jacksonville State.

"Having been in the Navy already, he's much more mature than many of his classmates," Anthony said. "Some of the others in the ROTC battalion often look to him for guidance."

Anthony said Wheeless often is at the front of the pack on those early morning training runs, even though he may have been through a grueling practice the night before.

"He's simply in great shape," Anthony said.

With Wheeless attending school on an ROTC grant, he doesn't cost Evans a scholarship. Wheeless has two years of eligibility remaining and can apply for a waiver for a third.

Evans has been happy to have Wheeless around.

"We already had our so-called key players in place," Evans said. "What we needed were players to fill other spots and to add depth. Brandon works real hard at the defensive end, and he rebounds well and shoots from long-range reasonably well. Those are things we need.

"And we can use him as an example of hard work to motivate the team. They're all aware that when Brandon hits the court, it's usually his second workout of the day."

That's OK, Wheeless said. "I'm a gym rat by nature."

Even on the wind-swept hangar deck of an aircraft carrier.

Rich Radford, (757 ) 446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com