The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Ball of energy
Strickland plays with drive, confidence
By Tom Perkins, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: January 10, 2008
As a 12-year-old playing street ball in Canton, Antonice Strickland found herself squaring off with guys in high school and men 20 years her senior.
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Strickland's dad took her to play in a summer league at a park with men twice her size, but, to everyone's surprise, she held her own.
"Those guys on the other teams were like 'Wow! She plays hard!'" recalls her father Anthony Strickland. "We just went out there and played and that's when I knew she wanted to compete and would compete.
"Her drive came from playing around me and her brother. She was always little, but she always wanted to play and she got better."
It was a formative time for her game and is apparent on Willow Run's varsity team where her energy and work ethic has earned her the nickname of "Tasmanian Devil" by the coaches and the respect of teammates and opponents.
"I'm very competitive, so when I'm on the court, I'm out to get the win," Strickland explains. "Even if I'm not having a good game, I'm still out to play hard."
She cites two games from last season where this attitude paid dividends.
Down one point with the final seconds ticking off the clock against Fordson, Strickland had largely been a non-factor throughout the game. She got an in bound pass at the top of the key, drove and laid in the winning shot.
"I was excited because I had only scored eight points and was really down, but if I have a bad game I'm going to keep going, and I did," she says.
The same mentality earned her a season high 30 points against a strong Woodhaven team. The Flyers trailed all game but finally mounted a late comeback. Their efforts came up two points short, but Strickland's play was integral to the comeback on several levels.
"I think most of the girls follow her lead," head coach Anthony Johnson says. "Usually, when she's playing well, the rest of the girls are playing well, and when she's not, we're all a little down. She is hands down the most energetic player on our team, and I see our younger players following her lead, which is good."
Johnson says he expects a lot from his star, and last year she averaged 18 points and 19 rebounds, and this year is averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds.
"I'm little and nobody believes me about the rebounds," Strickland says, but that she can control the boards is no surprise to Johnson.
"She's not real big, but she's excellent at rebounding," he says. "But I think that's because she plays with a lot of energy She'll dive on the floor where other players will shy away, but Anotnice will do it whenever."
Strickland's stats and play have attracted the attention of several local universities, and she says her primary aim for the season is to refine her game.
"I just really want to get better with guard play," she says. "I want to get better at being an all-around guard for college."
Johnson doesn't believe Strickland will have any problems in college, both on the court or off.
"The thing that I'm most proud of with her is her grades," Johnson says. "She is an honor student and has been her whole high school year career."
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for the View/Courier. He can be reached at trperkins@gmail.com.
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