February,1995 |
A Bridgeport Basketball Legend,
McLeod Dismisses the Peanut Gallery
By Tassanee Faust
Everybody is eager to find out if the Boys Basketball team will make it to the State Tournament or if they will continue the winless tradition they began last year with a disappointing 0-20 record.
Last year Head Coach Barry McCleod lost his two best players to ineligibility and the team never recovered. Senior Michael Rose hopes to have a leadership role on the team this year: "As seniors I feel that Joseph Fountain, Terrence Johnson, Shawn Campbell, and I should be leaders because this is our last year. We should take control."
Fountain, a talented center, was clearly the most consistent player on last year's squad. Central will look for a big contribution from junior guard Richard Ijeh. "Sometimes he gets nervous on the court, but he's the quickest kid in the state," said coach Jeff D'Orio. Central may also get a big lift from several talented freshmen, transfer students, and newly eligible players. They will need someone to hit the three and someone to help Fountain bang the boards.
When McCleod was asked to respond to criticism of his coaching he said, "As far as opinions from the peanut gallery, who cares? I feel there are two kinds of athletes, pretenders and contenders. Pretenders are the ones who pump everything up and don't do anything to help out, while the contenders don't brag but just do what they have to do."
When asked his opinion of McLeod, Jomo Crawford responded, "I think he's pretty good. He is a tough and strict coach." Michael Rose added "I think he is a dedicated coach. I feel that he's misunderstood by other people."
McLeod is a big part of Bridgeport's rich basketball tradition both as a player and a coach. A schoolboy legend, he went on to star with Robert Parish at Centennary and was part of the coaching staff which led Sacred Heart to a NCAA Division II championship.
