*Photo taken by 'Kwame Olds Photography'

Twitter: @_HandlesCrazzy

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Man, the Skyhawks at L.C. Bird High School (Chesterfield, VA) have been showing out this season! Up until a 74-61 loss at Monacan High School last night (1/30), the team had won ten straight in this month of January; now sitting at 13-3 overall. On top of that, their lowest scoring victory, out of the last ten, was by 19 points. Starting off the New Year in such a dominant fashion would serve as the ultimate desire for any team; I'm interested to see how long the Skyhawks finish off these last few weeks of the regular season. Honestly, however, their success hasn't come off as that big of a surprise. They returned a majority of their key players from the 2017-18 group that went 18-3 last winter. With one of the more talented starting lineups in the 804, I personally feel this team can go as far as the 2017 state championship squad. They have a collection of physical gifts, team defense, and confident shot-making that indicates why they've held a top-3 area ranking all season. Within that starting five is Corbin Slayton '19, whom most may consider the Skyhawks' top shooter and shot-creator.

Standing at 6'1,' Slayton plays as the main shooting guard for the team while his back court floor general, Tyler Henderson '20, runs the show. He arrived as a new face for L.C. Bird last season and took little time to start filling up the scoring column. This year, he's played most of the same role, currently as the team's third-leading scorer with 12.3 points a night. He's had the right approach to his senior season thus far: staying humble but also confident.

'I think I've been playing well,' Slayton acknowledged. 'We have a team where everybody can score and you never know who's going to have a good shooting/scoring night. When I start to really feel it, my teammates and coaches make sure I get the ball in positions where I can score from.'

I had the privilege of witnessing one of Slayton's 'good nights' a few weeks ago on January 7th when L.C. Bird hosted Monacan; the season's first matchup between the two programs. In a dominant win, Slayton stood out as his team's leading scorer, pouring in a highly efficient game-high 21 points. In the first half, he led all scorers and only missed one shot. I really liked what I saw in the senior guard's smooth offensive game; he can produce from all three-levels. His pull-up jumper looked the best, as his quick feet allow him to stay on balance and rise in the mid-range area. Aside from putting the ball in the basket, Slayton also caught my eye in grabbing seven rebounds. He has a solid frame on him and showed a toughness in sticking his nose in the paint to go after rebounds as a guard. When considering how well his team has been playing, Slayton can point out two focuses which he feels have been the key.

'I think it's all happened because of our defense and how we share the ball.'

Hard to argue with that. L.C. Bird has one of those rosters with an undeniable grouping of talent and the chemistry glues everything together. I also took note of their aggressive defense and willingness to make the extra pass at all times during the first Monacan game. Still, even with good work done in those areas, the Skyhawks can also indicate a source of motivation that has played some part in their season success. Last February, the team lost in the 5B regional first round of the playoffs to Highland Springs High School, a team they had beaten handedly two weeks prior to. I remember L.C. Bird veteran forward Mack Burgett '19 expressing a small bit of his frustration when he brought that up to me months ago during my interview with him. Now, Slayton has reiterated that early postseason loss as one that fueled both himself and his teammates.

'That loss definitely stuck in our heads for a while. Last year, we had a team that I know could've went all the way. Losing that game gave us all sorts of motivation for this season; it started back when we worked all throughout the summer. So, this year we have a chance redeem ourselves. I really think we have the team for it this year.'

For those who have not had the chance to watch L.C. Bird in action yet, they'll make a short trip to the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center (Richmond, VA) this Saturday to participate in the 'Coaches for the Cure' showcase this Saturday (2/2), presented by Team Loaded AAU. I'm looking forward to covering this one' five well-matched games will take place and the Skyhawks will have the night cap against John Marshall High School.

'I remember playing in that last year. We did good, got a win against Oscar Smith High School.'

After that takes place, not too many games remain until playoff basketball arrives. That's always the time when things start getting interesting. In order for his varsity squad to continue their regular-season success into the postseason, Slayton knows which end of the floor will be most imperative in terms of focus.

'We just have to keep working on the defensive end and get that as perfect as possible. It's started in practice, as (head) Coach Manns focuses mainly on both set and transition defense. Offensively, we just need to continue in sharing the ball and making good decisions.'

In terms of his own status with recruitment, Slayton currently hold two Division II offers. West Virginia Wesleyan offered back in July after the guard put on a strong showing in L.C. Bird's hosted summer league. Bluefield State College came calling not too long ago in November.

'Things were going kind of slow at first but it's starting to pick up a little bit. I just want to go somewhere where my teachers, coaches, and teammates will all push me to be the best I can be. I hope to be around a team that works hard and makes each other better every day. I just want to be around a team full of winners.'

Even at this young age, Slayton also has an idea of what he plans of studying once he enrolls on a campus.

'I'm looking to go into sports management and business.'

No sense of rushing things right now, however. Both the high school postseason and next phase of college will happen when they happen. For now, I'm confident Slayton will continue to act as one of the main anchors for his Skyhawks and enjoy his last few months as a regular high school senior when not on the hardwood.

'Senior year's going great' everything is starting to fall in play. My grades are looking good; I have A's and B's. When I'm not playing ball, I just do typical things like chilling, hanging with my friends, and sleeping.'

Coaches, I feel that Slayton's skill and feel for the game will make him a steal at the next-level. As he mentioned earlier, most night don't require him to carry the scoring load as L.C. Bird has plenty of bucket-getters on their squad: Burgett, Henderson, Jamon Battle '19, and Lance Monteiro '19, to name a few. Still, even on a talent-filled roster, Slayton stands out with his ease to create and shoot at efficient rates. His three-level scoring attributes and demeanor makes him one to watch once the state tournament gets here. I'm looking forward to see what he and the Skyhawks have to pull out of their bag.

Ok ok, so where does Corbin Slayton see himself in ten years'

'Hopefully playing professional basketball somewhere; either overseas or in the NBA. That, or I could myself as a sports agent, helping other athletes out.'

 

 

 

 

 

Remember, you can catch Slayton and L.C. Bird this Saturday at the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center in their 8pm contest against John Marshall High School! I'm sure plenty of 804 audience members will step out to check some good hoops.