Basketball: To stat-sheet stuffer, winning is what matters (01-05-07)
By Chuck McGill (Daily Staff Writer)
BERRYVILLE — Christian Waters is a rare breed.
In an era of me-first athletes and score-first mentalities, Clarke County's unselfish center offers a refreshing perspective on box scores and stat lines.
"I'd rather be successful and win than score points," Waters said Wednesday. "If it takes me not scoring to win, that's what I'm going to do."
Soak that statement in. Even though that mind-set guarantees Waters will never be perceived as the star, his contributions are still recognized by his teammates and coach.
"Sometimes," coach Brent Emmart said, "I think we take him for granted."
Waters, a senior, was an integral part of Clarke County's Group A state championship team last season. The Eagles lost four key players to graduation, and as a result, Waters' role in the offense was increased. The misperception is that a more prominent role in the offense equates to more points.
"People get on me when I don't score," he said. "They act like they are mad that I'm not scoring; I just want to win."
Truth be told, Waters can score. His long wingspan wreaks havoc on defense, but it also enables him to play much larger than his 6-foot-4 frame. Clarke has been particularly effective in fast-break situations, often started by a Waters block or rebound and a quick outlet pass.
He said he can play both forward positions, center and — if necessary — point guard, although he would prefer not to be forced into the latter.
"I realized that if I was going to be successful, I had to be good at different things," he said. "I knew I had to step up my game when I made it to varsity."
Waters' education as a basketball player began when he was 5 years old. His uncle, Terry Fairfax, ran basketball camps and taught him how to dribble and shoot. He soon learned that, by shooting, you could score, and scoring earned the glory.
"I used to only care about points," he said. "I soon realized that I shouldn't care about that."
As Waters matured on the court, he crossed paths with another strong basketball influence: Emmart.
When Waters ascended to the varsity team as a junior last year, he was greeted by Emmart, a strong personality with a fervent coaching demeanor. Emmart vowed to whip Waters into shape, pushed him in the weight room and battled with him in the low post during practice.
"In the beginning, we bumped heads a lot," Emmart said. "I pushed him. We didn't see eye-to-eye. I think now he understands what it takes."
Waters' contributions extend beyond the basketball court, where he is as respected for his locker room presence as his talents on the hardwood.
"He's a great leader," guard Chandler Rhoads said. "He's positive toward everybody in the locker room. He's very unselfish, very likable and a friend to everyone on the team."
Rhoads says it's not uncommon for Waters to intervene when there is a quarrel on the team.
"He'll always step in and say, 'Guys, stop that,'" Rhoads said. "He knows when to step in and is good at maintaining team camaraderie."
That camaraderie is also fostered by his willingness to distribute the basketball, although he doesn't fit the mold of a classic distributor. A significant part of Clarke County's offense has Waters receiving the ball in the post and using his long arms and vision to find an open guard on the perimeter.
His indifference to scoring is supported by his individual statistics this season. He is averaging 9.4 points per game, but he has assisted on more baskets (41) than he has made (37).
"It's very typical nowadays for kids to look at the scorebook and see how many points they scored," Emmart said.
Waters, on the other hand, cares about what Emmart calls "team stats," which include rebounds, assists and charges taken. Waters is averaging 12.2 rebounds and 7.3 blocked shots.
"[Emmart] is always talking about team stats," Waters said. "One day, I realized that I worry about that more now."
In a Dec. 28 victory against Briar Woods, Waters narrowly missed an unconventional triple-double with 13 blocks, 12 rebounds and nine assists. He scored only five points in the game.
He can, however, score when the team needs it. Waters scored 16 points in a come-from-behind victory against Strasburg last week and followed that with 22 points in another victory against the Rams on Wednesday.
"He's a stat-sheet stuffer," Emmart said after Waters scored 22 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked six shots. "How can I ask for anything more than that?"
Waters hopes to continue his playing career at the collegiate level. He said he would like to follow in Emmart's footsteps and coach basketball, perhaps imparting his own team-first mind-set on the next generation of players.
"I just want to coach and work with kids," he said. "Anything I can do to help kids and be around basketball would be good."
