ODU legend back where he belongs - on a Norfolk court

Underneath the right trouser leg of his black suit, Wilson Washington's calf was heavily wrapped with an elastic bandage.

"I pulled a muscle trying to run up and down the court with the kids," he said Saturday night. "Because you can't tell kids what to do; you have to show them."

At 56, Washington is back in basketball for the first time in a quarter-century as an assistant at Norfolk State, which going into tonight's game against Howard is off to its best start since moving to Division I.

Has anybody stopped to tell Norfolk State's players who Wilson Washington is? And what he once represented to basketball in Hampton Roads?

As an All-American at Old Dominion University, and the tournament MVP of the Monarchs' 1975 NCAA Division II championship run, the Norfolk native was a transcendent figure in the growth of local college basketball.

Two years after Sonny Allen's team won the national title, a Paul Webb-coached team finished 25-4 in ODU's first season in Division I. Washington played a major role in the transition, setting records for blocked shots and rebounds.

That was long ago. Norfolk State head coach Anthony Evans, from Brooklyn, N.Y., and a different generation, admits that he went on Google to acquaint himself with Washington's career prior to their initial conversations.

Now, at the risk of injuring himself, Washington is beefing up the defense. During Saturday night's victory over Maryland Eastern Shore, he recognized how much work is yet to be done.

"I was not happy with the defense at all," he said. "They shot 45 percent. We should hold people to 36-37 percent."

His mood brightened when he saw that Spartans center Kyle O'Quinn had six blocked shots.

"That's a good night," he said. "If you block one shot, you change four. If you block six, you change 24."

O'Quinn, the 6-foot-10 senior, is Washington's pet project. Already an accomplished shot blocker before Washington arrived, O'Quinn says, "He's a voice, somebody I can listen to. He's helped me block shots without fouling so much."

O'Quinn "has so many tools," Washington said. "It's an absolute joy to work with him. He made some tweaks in his play. Now he's learning to tip the ball to himself or to a teammate. He keeps the blocked shot in bounds."

When Washington was still feeling his way, prior to his first season at ODU, he benefited from the voice of Bill Russell. The retired Celtics great was on ODU's campus for a function when Washington sought his advice.

"Here's Bill Russell giving me pointers," Washington recalled. "They flat out worked. And it completely changed the way I blocked shots."

It was from Russell that he learned to control blocked shots and not slam them out of bounds. From Russell to Washington to the Norfolk State big men, the lesson is passed forward.

When he spoke with Russell, Washington was sitting out, waiting to become eligible for ODU. Originally recruited by Lefty Driesell, he transferred from Maryland after one semester.

"I was away from home for the first time," he said. "I'm 56 years old now. I understand more than ever now. But then I was a teenager."

Washington was ODU's first Division I All-American before being taken in the second round of the 1977 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He spent his second season with the New Jersey Nets, but when dealt the next year to Denver, he decided to accept the bigger paychecks being offered in Europe, playing in Rome and Amsterdam for nine years.

Returning home, he sold cars for the next 25 years. Basketball didn't re-enter his life until Evans offered the part-time position. In addition to his on-court duties, Washington helps monitor the players' class attendance.

"It's more of a lifestyle than a job," he said. "I give all of my energy to it."

Washington was an energetic player. In 81 games for ODU, he averaged 12.5 rebounds. He's most proud, of course, of his defensive dominance. At ODU, he blocked 12 shots in a single game twice.

Washington said he stays in touch with a handful of former teammates and his ODU coaches. Pulling out a cell phone, he revealed his contact list. At the top was Sonny Allen's name.

"I talk to Paul Webb, too," he said.

Not long ago, Webb and his former star player ran into one another at a Coaches vs. Cancer breakfast in Norfolk.

"He asked me if I could still get down in a defensive stance," Washington said. "I told him I sure can."

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com

Twitter@BobMolinaro