Friday, September 9, 2011

Ex-ODU standout joins NSU staff to help defense

Norfolk, VA - Norfolk State's post players won't shake hands with each other anymore. Norfolk native and Old Dominion great Wilson Washington, hired as a part-time men's basketball coach for the Spartans on Thursday, plans to ban the practice.

"My four and my five guys don't shake hands, they exchange forearms," Washington said. "It's about embracing contact. The step after that is initiating contact. If we do that, it won't take long for our defense to improve."

Washington, 56, played high school basketball at Booker T. Washington and was a three-time All-American at Old Dominion, twice at the Division II level and once at Division I, then went on to play two years in the NBA with Philadelphia and New Jersey.

Washington averaged 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds during his pro years and, while at ODU, collected nearly as many rebounds (1,011) as points (1,366), while also blocking 363 shots. He had four career triple-doubles. His jersey number, 52, has been retired at ODU and he led the Monarchs to a Division II national championship in 1975.

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