Off-Court Troubles Can’t Slow Coleman Down on the Court

What kind of year has it been for Derrick Coleman? Well, that depends. If you’re talking basketball, then break out the thesaurus and start looking up superlatives.

“I think I’m having a great season,” said Coleman, who as a junior has established himself as one of the premier players in college basketball, a major reason why Syracuse is ranked fifth in the nation.

Coleman’s life away from the game hasn’t been so great. You might call it tumultuous. In the past year, he has experienced tragedy and controversy.

In October, a close friend was gunned down while sitting in a parked car on a Detroit street, the second time in 16 months that one of Coleman’s friends from home had been murdered.

Then, in December, Coleman was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and harassment in connection with a campus fracas and apartment break-in.

Since the arrest, a highly publicized story in the Syracuse area, Coleman has shunned the local media, reinforcing his image as an enigmatic college star.

So, Derrick, what kind of year has it been?

“It’s been an up and down year for me,” said Coleman, referring to off-the-court events. “Sometimes I get real frustrated. I get frustrated off the court, on the court, with the coaches, frustrated with everything. But every obstacle that’s been put in front of me, I’ve always overcome it.”

Coleman, described by teammates as an introvert off the court, has encountered many obstacles since arriving on campus as a heralded recruit. Most have been self-imposed--notably his arrest--resulting in an outcry from fans and criticism from the media.

For instance:

He quit the Olympic trials last summer after surviving the cut to 48; he was the central figure in two bench-clearing brawls last season; during a practice last year, he responded to a heckling spectator with an obscene gesture, and he made a fuss before the season after being told he would be moved from power forward, his natural position, to center.

And, as if that weren’t enough, he has lived with the burden of having missed a free throw with 28 seconds left that may have cost Syracuse the 1987 National Collegiate Athletic Assn. tournament championship against Indiana.

Headlines, always headlines.

“He hasn’t been affected by all that stuff,” Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said. “He has answered the critics with his play.”

Said Coleman: “I don’t understand it. I’ve lived up to every expectation that’s been written about me, so what do they want?”

There’s no denying Coleman’s basketball skills. At 6-foot-9, he can rebound with anyone, run the court like a 6-footer, handle the ball with the proficiency of a guard and shoot better than most players his height. No doubt about it, he’s the complete package. That’s why he’s projected as a National Basketball Assn. lottery pick--yes, even if he decides to turn pro after this season, a strong possibility.

“I don’t know what he can’t do,” said Stu Inman, director of player personnel for the Miami Heat. “He can run, jump, shoot, pass. We all see a big-time talent. In time, he’s going to be a very good NBA player.”

In his first two seasons, Coleman was known mostly as a rebounder. He set the Big East freshman rebounding record and last season was the conference’s second-leading rebounder, 10th nationally.

This season, with center Rony Seikaly having gone to the NBA, Coleman has assumed a larger role. Much to his dismay, he had to play center. He also was asked to do more scoring. His response? He’s fourth in the nation in rebounding (11.7) and blocked shots (3.7), and his scoring average has jumped from 13.5 to 17.8.

“He’s shooting the ball better from the 15-foot range, which has made people come up on him and that’s opened his passing skills,” Boeheim said. Harry Hairston, the former Laker who coached Coleman at Detroit’s Northern High School, finds it remarkable that Coleman has played so well under the adversity.

“He was just getting over the first murder when his other friend was killed,” Hairston said. “Derrick gets a lot of flak, but he’s done everything they’ve asked. How would you feel if your best friend was killed and you were standing next to him? Those people (in Syracuse) are being very insensitive to him.”

In June, 1987, Coleman and his friend, Clarence Scott, were walking on a Detroit street when a man pulled a gun from a briefcase and shot Scott, 17, in the chest at close range. It occurred two blocks from Coleman’s house on the west side of town. Coleman wore a black armband last season in memory of Scott.

Five months ago, Darryl Dixon, 20, was shot once in the head, execution-style, while sitting with his girlfriend in a parked car. “Those guys were like brothers to me,” Coleman said. “It was like a death in the family. It took me a while to get over it, and I still think about it every day.”

His troubles continued. Two months after Dixon’s death, Coleman was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, and harassment, a violation, for his role in brawls outside a dance sponsored by a fraternity at the student center, and the subsequent break-ins at two frat members’ apartments.

Coleman admitted in court that “I punched a guy,” but he didn’t admit to specific acts regarding the break-in. Coleman, who could have received up to six months in the county jail, plea-bargained and was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. He also was required to make restitution, believed to be less than $250, for property damage.

“If it happened to a regular student, it would’ve been just another fight on campus,” Coleman said. “But me, with the reputation I have as an all-star, it gets blown out of proportion.”