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Rubama: Kansas’ David McCormack, Duke’s Mark Williams lead host of former 757 players with key roles on college basketball teams

larry rubama, the virginian-pilot
·5 min read

The college basketball season officially tipped off Tuesday with the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The doubleheader featured No. 3 Kansas vs. Michigan State and No. 9 Duke vs. No. 10 Kentucky, and two former Norfolk Academy players played key roles: Kansas senior forward David McCormack and Duke sophomore center Mark Williams.

They’re just two former local home-grown basketball players who are playing major college basketball this season.

For McCormack, he’s playing in his final season, but just a few years ago he was dominating the Tidewater Conference.

Then as a junior, he transferred to Oak Hill, one of the nation’s most successful high school basketball programs.

McCormack thrived there and was named a McDonald’s All-American.

At Kansas, he’s played in 92 games with 59 starts. He has 721 career points and 402 career rebounds and earned Big 12 Most Improved Player and was second-team All-Big 12.

Off the court, he has been a two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree and earned his undergraduate degree in communications studies in May.

Now he’s ready for his senior season.

“I am beyond excited, it’s a great feeling to step into the leadership role and see myself grow not only a player, but as a person as well,” said McCormack, who had 10 points and two rebounds in Tuesday’s season-opening 87-74 win over Michigan State. “It definitely feels like time has flown by, but that’s to be expected when (you’re) having fun. I have enjoyed it. And it feels like it was a short time ago that it was my first time in the (Allen) Fieldhouse.”

Much also will be expected from Williams. He played three seasons at Norfolk Academy before he transferred to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior year. He also was named a McDonald’s All-American.

As a freshman, he played in 23 games and made 15 starts. In his final 14 games, he led the team in rebounds (6.1), field-goal percentage (.684) and blocked shots (28) and was fifth in scoring (10.8) in that stretch. He was named to the ACC All-Tournament second team after he averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds in victories over Boston College and Louisville. He also was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.

Williams finished with seven rebounds, five points and three blocks in Duke’s season-opening 79-71 win over Kentucky on Tuesday night.

Elsewhere, keep an eye on N.C. State for the men and

women. The Wolfpack have redshirt sophomore wing Dereon Seabron (Lake Taylor) and freshman Aziaha James (Princess Anne).

Seabron, the 2018 All-Tidewater Player of the Year, will be one of the team’s top perimeter defenders. He appeared in 24 games last season and averaged 5.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.

James was a two-time All-Tidewater Player of the Year at Princess Anne and led the Cavaliers to three outright state titles and a share of a fourth when the 2020 postseason was canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.

“Aziaha has a scorer’s mentality. Her ability to shoot the three with range as well as get to the rim allows her to score in bunches,” Wolfpack coach Wes Moore said about James, who didn’t play in the team’s season-opening loss to top-ranked South Carolina on Tuesday. “She has the size and the strength to be a factor on the boards as well. We also like the fact that she comes from a very successful high school and travel team programs — she knows how to win.”

James isn’t the only former Princess Anne who is expected to have an impact:

  • Boston College senior guard Makayla Dickens finished second in the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage (.450) and was the team’s third-leading scorer (12.6).

  • Temple’s Jasha Clinton was the 2021 Big 5 Rookie of the Year, first team All-Big 5 and was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team.

  • Gadiva Hubbard returns as a graduate student to Minnesota where she is ranked third in team history in career 3-pointers attempted (597), sixth in career 3s made (206) and 17th in career points (1,249).

  • Xaria Wiggins transferred from Mississippi State to Auburn, and Brianna Jackson from Miami to Old Dominion.

At Longwood University, the men’s team has three former All-Tidewater players. Former Landstown star Michael Christmas, the 2019 All-Tidewater Player of the Year, transferred in from James Madison; former Green Run player DeShaun Wade, All-Tidewater in 2015, transferred in from East Carolina; and freshman Jaylani Darden, All-Tidewater in 2020, comes in from Norview. On the women’s team, the Lancers have Kyla McMakin (Ocean Lakes), Adriana Shipp (Deep Creek) and Cayla Copeland (Western Branch).

Locally, Norfolk State has Joe Bryant (Lake Taylor), Nyzaiah Chambers (Oscar Smith) and Andre Bottoms (Oscar Smith). The women, coached by Ocean Lakes grad Larry Vickers, have Tinesha Gregory (Salem), Jai McHugh (Tallwood) and Armani Franklin (Hampton HS). Old Dominion has Jackson, Ashanti Barnes-Williams (Lake Taylor) and PJ Gill (Princess Anne).

At Hampton, there are Marquis Godwin (Hampton High), Dajour Dickens (Bethel), Tyler Chatman (King’s Fork), Daniel Banister (Cape Henry) and Nylah Young (King’s Fork).

Some others to watch include: Bethune-Cookman guard Kevin Davis (Norcom); Cal Poly forward Trevon Taylor (Oscar Smith); East Tennessee State guard Allen Strothers (Menchville); Florida guards Elijah Kennedy (Green Run) and Keyontae Johnson (Norview); Hofstra guard Jalen Ray (Hampton High); Tulane guard Scott Spencer (Suffolk); Utah Valley guard Jordan Battle (Norfolk Collegiate); Virginia guard Chase Coleman (Maury); West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly (Lake Taylor); and Wichita State guard Chaunce Jenkins (Menchville).

If you know of other Division I players, let me know at larry.rubama@pilotonline.com.

Larry Rubama, 757-446-2273, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com Follow @LHRubama on Twitter.