Gold Rush: Player Profile - Steve Lepore
2/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2003
By Jay Reddick
The only time the word "point" appears in Steve Lepore's preseason bio, it's referring to scoring.
That's because before this season, the 6-foot-5 senior had never played point guard for any team at any level. Not college, not high school, not AAU ball, not even grade school.
"When I was younger, I was always the tallest guy, so I played the post," Lepore said. "As I got older, I've usually played guard but never point guard."
That all changed Jan. 12, when Justin Gray suffered a broken jaw in a game at Duke. Suddenly, Wake Forest needed another ballhandler, and the next day, coach Skip Prosser called a meeting with Lepore. Ever since then, when starting point guard Taron Downey has needed rest, Lepore has been his replacement.
"It was a matter of necessity," the player said. "It wasn't something I asked for, but I have accepted it and done my best."
Lepore's visions of his senior year in college have changed several times over the years. Three seasons ago, his dreams were likely to include a degree from Northwestern and a role as a star for the Wildcats basketball team. But Lepore transferred out of the Wildcats program, landing with Dave Odom and Wake Forest in 2000.
He spent his transfer year as a practice workhorse, helping Odom and the Deacons as a scout team member. Then Odom left and Prosser came aboard, meaning Lepore would have to prove himself to his third head coach in three years.
"I don't think I've ever played for the same complete staff two years in a row," Lepore said. "It teaches you a lot. You have to adjust to new systems and what different guys like."
So Lepore came into last season figuring on being a role player and sharpshooter for Prosser's Deacons, and he did that relatively well, netting about one 3-pointer per game and increasing his playing time to about 18 minutes per game by the end of the ACC season.
Then, in one moment, his vision was altered again. In the first round of the ACC Tournament against Georgia Tech, Lepore suffered a ruptured patella tendon, and his senior year became a chorus of rehabilitation and pain. Instead of challenging for a starting job in October, he was on the sidelines.
To his credit, Lepore has made the most of his mishap. The player who says he wants to remain in sports after he graduates became a de facto coach, cajoling and teaching Gray and his other young teammates among the guards. His return to active play was slow, and he still hasn't reached the 18-minutes-per-game clip again, but as one of two seniors, Lepore has undeniably been important.
"My role's gotten bigger on the court, but it's been just as important to help the younger guys," Lepore said. "I hope I can keep helping the team win."
Lepore said he still goes through rehabilitation on his knee for up to three hours a week, and the pain, in his knee and his hip (thanks to overcompensation), hasn't stopped and may never end.
"I'm not sure it'll completely go away," Lepore said. "I had tendinitis in the knee for three years before this, so it hasn't been without pain for a long time. But they said that to get completely better, it would take a year, and that's March, so...."
The Deacons were in first place at the ACC's midpoint, so Lepore must be doing something right, but he gives most of the credit to roommate and fellow senior Josh Howard and the rest of the team.
"I haven't had that much to do with it, but it's been nice to win," Lepore said. "I've done pretty well. I've had some bad turnovers, but I guess that's part of the process (of learning point guard). I don't know my stats, but I guess I've helped."
Even when Lepore couldn't help physically, his mind for the game has been a boon for Wake Forest. That's why it pays to listen to his analysis of the stretch drive in the ACC.
"Once everyone makes adjustments and knows the other guy's tendencies, it comes down to who plays better, who executes," Lepore said. "That's why we did so well in the first half - when we executed (offensively), we played well, and when we didn't, we made up for it with defense and rebounding. If that stays constant, it comes down to guys making big plays. Josh has done that all year, and everybody else has had their moments."
Lepore hopes he still has some moments left at Wake Forest, and he'll make a point of enjoying them.