Haney Hearing the Sounds of Success
A basketball game is music to Villa Park senior Justin Haney’s ears.
If you’re in the stands tonight when the Spartans host Canyon with first place at stake in the Century League, don’t be surprised if you hear Haney humming a tune as he races up and down the court. Music ranging from the Beastie Boys to Bach has influenced his play for years.
“Music is always a factor in my game,” he said. “If I didn’t have music, I don’t know what I would do.”
It’s common during pregame warmups to see players wearing headphones. Haney wears them, too, but he also uses music to help him get into the flow of a game as it unfolds.
“I make up beats in my head,” the 6-foot-1-inch point guard said. “I find a rhythm that relaxes me, but it doesn’t necessarily take the nervousness out of me.”
Haney was 6 years old when he began playing piano. Though he took lessons, including classical training for five years, he pretty much limits his recitals now to family get-togethers. His favorite music to listen to is anything by Bach, but he also enjoys rap music, explaining that its bass beat often mimics the percussion of classical music.
Lately, Haney has turned up the volume of his on-court performances. He scored 37 points in a victory over Foothill and 15 against Santa Ana Valley.
Villa Park Coach Kevin Reynolds says when Haney gets in a groove, the entire team benefits.
“He’s our X-factor,” Reynolds said. “When he’s playing well, we are a really good team. He’s such a phenomenal athlete, he can take us to the next level. But like all athletes, the last phase of being a great player is being consistent.”
Haney, who transferred to Villa Park from Canyon midway through the 1997-98 basketball season, won’t talk much about the reasons he changed schools other than to say he had always admired Villa Park’s style of play. He said he was also glad to be back with his childhood playmate, Alex Will, the Spartans’ other starting guard who is one of the county’s top three-point shooters.
The Spartans, three-time defending league champions, are 13-7 overall and 4-0 in the Century League.
Haney said he is looking forward to playing against Canyon (11-6, 4-0). Last year, Villa Park swept the two-game series. Haney, a reserve on that Spartan team, took some verbal abuse from the Canyon followers and his former teammates when he got into the games. He says he was so wrapped up in seeing that Villa Park won, he might not have performed at his best.
“This time I want to be at the top level of my game,” Haney said. “I feel like I want to put my complete heart into [tonight’s] game.”
Will said Haney, if he puts his mind to it, can do just about anything.
“Sometimes I don’t know what goes through that guy’s head,” Will said. “He’s really intelligent. He scored something like 1,500 on his SAT test [actually, 1,420]. He has all A’s and is taking nothing but honors classes.
“He’s real explosive,” Will continued. “When he first came here, he gave us energy off the bench. He’s been a big plus for us starting at point guard this year. He just needs to be more consistent. Everyone knows he has what it takes.”