By Staff
By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
ROBERSONVILLE — There are a lot of different ways to interpret being compared to Dennis Rodman, but when Roanoke basketball coach Darryl Pittman likens Dyquail Lloyd to the radical rebounder, he does it with the highest regard.
When he wasn’t wearing a dress or kicking a cameraman, Rodman was leading the Pistons and Bulls to NBA titles with his dominant defense and brilliant board work - which brings us back to Lloyd.
The Roanoke senior’s willingness to do the dirty work, combined with his ability to play all five positions - and playing them well, led the Redskins to a 26-3 record and the Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament championships. It also led the Washington Daily News to select Lloyd as the Player of the Year.
Lloyd averaged a double-double for the season, putting up 15 points per game while ripping down 12 rebounds a night, not to mention four assists and two steals per game.
Lloyd said he was honored to get the nod over some of the area’s other top players such as Plymouth’s Angelo Sharpless, and Terra Ceia’s Mychal Parker and Bradley Van Staalduinen.
While Lloyd’s points per game may not be as high as some of the area’s premium players, it’s important to note that he shared the ball with three other double-digit scorers in Kenneth Hyman (14 ppg), Alonza Higgs (15 ppg) and Altonio Higgs (10 ppg).
It’s also noteworthy that Lloyd cleaned more glass than a New York City window cleaner, as he led the state in total rebounds.
Heading into the season, Pittman knew his squad had enough firepower to burn most teams on a nightly basis, but what he needed was a pit bull on the boards. So Pittman proposed a challenge to his senior forward.
The year Bennett led the state in rebounds, he grabbed 343 boards; Lloyd pulled down 342.
It’s in that anecdote that you begin to understand what sets Lloyd apart from other players. It’s his ability to rise to the occasion, coupled with his desire to succeed.
Lloyd’s determination was never more evident than in the postseason, where he put up a double-double in four out of Roanoke’s five playoff games.
Lloyd finished the postseason averaging nearly 18 points, while pulling down his customary 12 rebounds.
The Redskins’ forward said he and his teammates picked up their play because they didn’t want the season to come to an end.
While Lloyd may rebound like Rodman, it’s what he does once he snags the ball out of the air that sets him apart from other players. Because most bigs handle the rock like a boulder, power forwards and centers are taught to get the ball to the guards as soon as possible to start the fastbreak. That’s not the case for Lloyd.
At six-foot-three-inches tall, Lloyd is big enough to battle prep post players, but not too tall where he loses his handle. The result: a one man fastbreak.
With the versatile Lloyd patrolling the paint, the Redskins’ guards had more freedom to cheat down the court knowing Lloyd can make the outlet pass or start the break on his own, making him a nightmare in transition.
Lloyd’s next transition will be from high school to college. While he is not sure which school he will attend, Lloyd said he is interested in playing basketball next season and plans on majoring in computer engineering.