Dolphins select Kendall Langford with 66th pick

By jdarlington@MiamiHerald.com

Within the first 20 minutes of the NFL Draft's second day, the Dolphins were already active enough to snag another sixth-round pick while also continuing to bolster their defensive line with a big-bodied athlete.

Miami first moved down two spots, trading away its opening-round pick in a deal with Detroit that gave the Dolphins the 176th overall selection. Then, with their new 64th pick, the Dolphins continued to bolster their defensive line by picking Kendall Langford.

Langford fits the mold of the players typically desired by vice president of football operations Bill Parcells and general manager Jeff Ireland. At 6-6, 295 pounds, he could be a good fit as a defensive end if the team goes with a 3-4 defensive scheme.

In three seasons at Hampton, Langford was known for a very aggressive style, a mean player with an impressive initial burst. He'll take a good deal of development before he's a consistent impact player.

February 19, 2008

Antwyne Frazier
Special to VirginiaPreps.com

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Cadarian Raines is a relative neophyte to high school basketball but with college coaches looking under every rock for the next impact post prospect, his time to shine may be rapidly approaching.

photo provided by the Petersburg Progress Index
Cadarian Raines

The 6-foot-8, 205-pound junior front court prospect from Petersburg, Va. averaged 14.5 points, 10 rebounds and an eye-opening 6.4 blocks during the regular season, earning Co-Player Of The Year in the Central District in Richmond.

"We were the first team to go undefeated in the District since 1993," Raines told HokieHaven.com. "My biggest improvement was my offensive moves in the post, rebounding and blocking shots.

"I have always been taught that you play defense first then the offense will come, so I take pride in blocking shots and playing defense. Don't get me wrong, I love to score but I want to help my team first."

Raines' game has improved as he has gained m ore experience and playing time.

"I really didn't start taking basketball seriously until after the ninth grade when I was going into the tenth (grade)," said Raines. "I want to work on my upper body strength and legs. I want to get more comfortable on the floor because I play better when I play against players my own size. My game seems to come out when that happens so I know I need to just work on my confidence."

Raines is finding that his recruitment is in the embryonic stages, but there are already a couple of prominent in-state programs who are starting to track his progress.

"VCU, UVa, Virginia Tech, Hampton, James Madison and Wake Forest are interested in me and Clemson and St Joe's were supposed to come in recently to watch me but weren't able to," Raines declared, noting that Clemson, the Cavaliers, Rams and Hokies are his favorite schools currently. "Hampton and James Madison have offered me. Virginia says that they like me a lot and one of their assistants has been to practice."

The Hokies are keeping things simmering with Raines as well.

"Both Coach (Seth) Greenberg and Coach (Assistant James) Johnson have already been to one of my games and Coach Johnson has watched me practice," Raines continued, adding that he has unofficially visited Virginia, VCU and Hampton, in addition to Blacksburg. "Virginia Tech is very interested in me and I am trying to schedule soon going to a game before my season is over. I went up there in the fall to a football game and had a lot of fun with the players. The coaches and everyone treated me real good."

Towering and intimidating, Petersburg's Cadarian Raines is the Mount Everest of the Central District.

Climbers beware. When it Raines, it pours.

The high-altitude (6-8, 210 pounds) junior and his gifted Crimson Wave teammates have left their foes buried in a winter-long avalanche.

"Cadarian is drawing a lot of attention," Petersburg coach William Lawson III said.

That attention includes doubleand triple-teams on the block and college scouts converging from all directions.

There's much to like about this tall tale -- starting with the Wave's 19-2 record heading into tonight's regular-season final with Prince George.

Raines represents the possibility of a triple-double each night. With the wingspan of a F-22 jet fighter plane, he has three outings with double digit points, boards and rejections.

The 17-year-old averages 13 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks.

His name is pronounced "Sa-Dare-Ree-Un," according to the 75-page Petersburg media guide.

Stepfather Paul Pritchard said: "We spell it with a "C" rather than an "S" because an aunt thought "Sadarian" looked like a girls name."

Raines' biological father is former Wave athlete Mendell Harris.

Raines wears his number on his chest, on his back . . . and on his head. He has "44" shaved into the rear of his noggin by a barber at Illusions.

Here's a Q&A with Cadarian:

What do you enjoy most about hoops?

"Defense -- blocking shots . . . if you play good D, offense comes easy."

Ever play football?

"I was a defensive end until ninth grade. Then, I got too tall for football."

Any nickname?

"C-Dot."

Who's recruiting you?

"Clemson, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia, VCU, George Mason . . . "

Goals?

"Win states."

What of a possible rematch with Highland Springs?

"We'll have to play hard; they're big and aggressive."

. . .

Interest in Raines escalated after his matchup with 6-8 junior Deshawn Painter of Booker T. Washington. Though Petersburg fell 60-58, Raines dazzled with 21 points, 12 boards and 6 blocks.

The Wave's other loss was to state No. 1 ranked Highland Springs. If form holds, the Wave-Springers rematch would be in the Central Region semifinals.

Raines began dribbling in the Petersburg recreation association at age 7 but chose not to try out at Peabody Middle. He played JV hoops as a freshman but also practiced with the varsity.

"Really, he's just starting to blossom," Lawson said. "It was between his freshman and sophomore seasons that his game took off.

Raines said, "I lived in the gym the whole summer."

Petersburg's man mountain is determined to maximize his sky-high potential. On his cell phone voice mail he says: "If I'm not playing basketball, I'm sleeping."

During his four years of playing professional basketball in Europe, Chris McNeal missed his children.

He also gained an appreciation for how well European players were taught the game.

These days, McNeal is using the skills he acquired in Europe to coach his high school-aged sons and their teammates at Hermitage High.

McNeal is an assistant on Joe Coulter's varsity staff. Oldest son, Gabe, is a two-year starter at guard for the Panthers, and Chris Jr. is a sophomore guard for the junior varsity.

Guard was not McNeal the elder's position. He was a 6-5 center at Hermitage before transferring to Oak Hill Academy his senior year. He grew to 6-8 and went on to play at the University of Pittsburgh.

Highland Springs coach George Lancaster called McNeal "a fantastic player with great, great talent . . . one of the finest ever to come out of this area," in a December 1987 story in The Richmond News Leader. The comment came after McNeal scored 37 points and grabbed a school record 24 rebounds in a 102-98 loss to the Springers.

McNeal, 37, still looks like a basketball player. He has no trouble stepping into the action with the Hermitage players.

"He is able to separate the father and coach aspects well," Coulter said.

After McNeal returned to the U.S. in 1997, he was an assistant at Hermitage, then Huguenot and Henrico, in addition to starting home improvements and sports apparel businesses.

"Gabe was 7 when I came back from overseas. I knew [teaching the game] was one thing I wanted to get into, and I couldn't wait to back to work with my kids," McNeal said. "I'm a father first. Basketball is easy. Being a father is hard."

When Gabe had academic problems at Hermitage as a freshman, McNeal sent him to Evangel Christian with the intention of having him finish high school there. Gabe did so well academically, he was given the chance to return to Hermitage.

"He had grown up so much as a person and student," Coulter said. "I knew my point guard problem was solved."

Gabe, a slender 6-3, had a solid junior season and is the Panthers' second leading scorer (10.9 ppg) as the point guard and shooting guard this season.

"His assist to turnover ratio is unbelievable," Coulter said.

The Panthers, a preseason top 10 entry, have struggled (3-8, 8-10) for a variety of reasons.

"We know we're a good team, we're just not coming out good," Gabe said. "We're definitely going to pull it together at the end."

He reminds the freshmen about the importance of good grades. He encourages his teammates. He enjoys playing for his father.

"He just loves the game. He has a passion for it," Gabe said. "He's the guy who gets us going."

McNeal, meanwhile, hasn't expected his sons to follow in his footsteps.

"Not everybody's going to be 6-8," McNeal said. "I would like for them to maximize as athletes. Enjoy it and have fun. If they get an opportunity to go to school, that would be awesome. I do know they have their books in order, and that's the most important thing."
Contact Arthur Utley at (804) 649-6559 or autley@timesdispatch.com

In the world of Douglas Freeman High athletics, the name Brinkley has been synonymous with sports other than basketball.

Bob Brinkley has been the Rebels' football coach since 1989. Oldest son, Kevin, a 2006 graduate, played football, wrestled and became a standout pole vaulter. Youngest son, Robbie, a senior, played football and wrestles.

"Brinkley" started showing up in the boys varsity basketball box scores this season, and people wondered if the family had branched out.

Nope. Josh Brinkley isn't related and is going about making a name for himself in a fine way. A 6-5 junior center, Brinkley is up from last year's junior varsity. His impact on the Rebels, ranked No. 9 in The Times-Dispatch Top 10 Poll, has been noticeable.

"You never know how someone will react [moving up from JV]," veteran Douglas Freeman coach Larry Parpart said. "He's done a really good job inside, and he is still learning his way."

Brinkley pairs inside with 6-5 senior Omari Vaughan-Nelson to give the Rebels a formidable presence on both ends of the floor.

"He's a great help to the team. He goes hard in practice, listens to the coaches and doesn't complain about a thing," Vaughan-Nelson said. "He has something like a 7-foot wing span, and I've had to learn how to shoot over him."

While Vaughan-Nelson will drift to the wing and put up a 3-pointer or two a game, Brinkley prefers the low block.

"On JV, I did my thing. Posting up, putting the ball in the basket, rebounding," Brinkley said.

He's still doing his thing while giving the Rebels a third scorer. As the result of layups, stickbacks and dunks, Brinkley leads the Rebels in scoring with 14.9 points per game. Vaughan-Nelson averages 12.9. Guard/forward Jake Eastman, one the region's top perimeter shooters, is averaging 14.4 points and has assisted on a number of buckets by the two big men after beating the defense off the dribble.

Brinkley has scored in double figures in 13 of 16 games. His highest output, 27 points, came against Dinwiddie in the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament, in which he was the top point producer. He is shooting 65 percent from the floor, averaging more than seven rebounds a game and has more than 30 blocks.

Big Josh with his ELITE SWAG before the big game.

"We're a tough team on any given night," said Evans.  "I strive on helping my team get better as the season progresses, making my teammates better and getting them more involved." 

PRINCE GEORGE - When basketball coaches talk about blue-collar players, Tyler Johnson of Prince George is one of those guys.

Johnson, a 6-3, 230-pound tight end in football, does the dirty work on the basketball court grabbing rebounds on the weak side, boxing out, going to the floor for the ball and picking up garbage points.

In last night's Central District home game against Matoaca, Johnson did his usual and also scored nine points, his second best output of the season, in the Royals' 62-40 victory.

"I felt more involved in the game than I have been," Johnson, a junior, said.

Prince George coach Bill Russell and Matoaca coach Charles Payton noticed him, too.

"I thought Tyler was all over the floor. He had one of his best games and gave us contributions offensively that he doesn't usually give," Russell said.

Aggressive on offense, Johnson scored seven points in the first quarter. The Royals took an 11-9 lead on one of Johnson's buckets and never relinquished it again.

Prince George used a 3-2 zone, and dominated the inside because of Johnson, 6-6 Andre Williamson and Treon Claiborne. Williamson grabbed 13 rebounds, and Johnson and Claiborne had five each.

What he did: The Crimson Wave's 5-9 junior guard showed big in the scoring column by ringing up 25 points in a Central District victory over Meadowbrook and by scoring 22, 24 and 12 points in three Fort Lee Invitational games. Petersburg successfully defended its title, and Scott was named most valuable player. He also contributed 13 assists and seven steals.

Age: 16

Three words that describe you best: "Hard-working, loving, passionate."

Strengths: "Energy, offense, passion."

I'm working on: "My defense."

Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese.

Favorite candy: Snickers

Best sports memory: "Being the most valuable player."

If he had one wish: "Win the state championship."

What bugs him the most: "I don't like loud talkers."

MySpace or Facebook: MySpace.

Favorite Christmas present: "A new cell phone."

One thing about you most people don't know: "I still watch cartoons."

Toughest opponent: "My peers. They pressure me."

- Arthur Utley

CADARIAN RAINES SCORES 21 PTS AND GRABS 14 REBOUNDS VS nationally ranked Deshawn Painter who only recorded 15 pts and 6 rebounds.

If Painter is ranked 22nd in the 2009 class Cadarian Raines is in the Top 21.