Randy Doss believes he has a lot to prove this year. No, he knows what he can do, but the 6-foot-5-inch senior guard from Leo High School wants to make sure others know it, too.
Doss is averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds for the 11-0 Lions, but in the last two weeks, his performances have bordered on the spectacular. That`s the reason he has been named The Tribune`s Athlete of the Month for December. Two weeks ago, he scored 25 points and grabbed 21 rebounds as Leo outlasted Providence-St. Mel 80-77. In the Kankakee Christmas tournament, Doss was a one-player wrecking crew. In four games, he had 91 points, 45 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 blocked shots and 7 steals. He was named the tournament`s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year.
”It`s not so much the points and the rebounds, but the other things he does that make Randy such a good player,” said Leo coach Jack Fitzgerald.
”Look at him play and you`ll see him whip the ball downcourt quickly. He`s always looking for a teammate and he can really hurt you on the perimeter with his shooting.”
Doss was one of the key figures in the Lions` 22-4 campaign last season. He was one of two juniors on The Tribune`s 15-player All-State team. And before the summer basketball season started, Doss was considered one of the top players in Illinois.
Then he played in the All-America camp in New Jersey, the Five-Star camp in Pennsylvania and the Prairie State Games in Champaign. And the more he played, the less college coaches liked his style.
”People were writing I was not a consistent player,” he recalled. ”But you know how those summer camps are. Everything is individual, and a lot of players knew they had to impress college coaches. I didn`t think I needed to impress anyone and I couldn`t play that kind of basketball.”
Doss` stock took a tumble. The word on Doss was this: For one reason or another, he probably wouldn`t be able to make it in college. He was either too slow, couldn`t shoot, or, as Doss said, was ”inconsistent.”
Even De Paul, Doss` first choice for college, opted to recruit his 6-6 teammate Chris Henderson. And according to Fitzgerald, the Demons could have had Doss for the price of a phone call and a direct question.
Originally, the seven finalists were Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois, De Paul, Minnesota, Marquette and Michigan State. ”I couldn`t understand why some schools backed away, but I wasn`t angry. All it did was make things easier for me,” said Doss, who decided to cast his lot with Ohio State and show the world what it could do with all those scouting reports.
”All that talk got to me,” he said. ”Yes, I was very motivated. I want to show everyone and I think I`ve proved it so far.”
Early in the season, Doss might have been concerned about people whispering about him. ”My shot was a little off and it was just because I wasn`t going straight up with the ball but was leaning,” he said. ”I might have had a couple of off games, but I think I`ve corrected things now.”
Leo is a better team this year, Doss insists, ”because we`ve got a lot more people coming off the bench who can help us. We seem to get better and better every game we play. I hope it can continue.”
The game against St. Mel, said Doss, was probably his best. ”No, I never knew I had that many rebounds, but that shows what you can do if you work hard.”
Doss` closest competition in the Athlete of the Month voting was Marcus Liberty, King`s 6-8 junior who was named the MVP in the Proviso West Holiday tournament. Liberty scored 34 points in the championship game, a 72-64 triumph over the host Panthers.
