Chucky Atkins

[Guest BasketBull.]

Early Signing Period Begins

KEVIN THOMAS, BRIAN LANDMAN. St. Petersburg Times.Nov 14, 1991

South Florida scored big with 6-3 guard Chris Coleman, a Street & Smith's All-America candidate from Stevenson High in Prairie View, Ill. Coleman averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists last year.

USF also signed Orlando Evans point guard Chucky Atkins, named the top playmaker at the Howard Garfinkel 5-Star Camp last summer.

"There's no question that Chris Coleman is the kind of player who can have a major impact," USF coach Bobby Paschal said. And Atkins "is quick, a leader and a good shooter."

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Bulls' Atkins Measures Up, Despite Smallness In Stature

BRIAN LANDMAN. St. Petersburg Times. Nov 29, 1992.

Chucky Atkins is so diminutive, slender and boyish looking, you'd swear he couldn't possibly be old enough to drive.

That's why he's driven.

"I have something to prove to myself," said Atkins, a freshman who will be the University of South Florida's starting point guard in the season opener Tuesday against Bethune-Cookman College.

"All my life, I've been the smallest player out there. But my old man always told me I could do whatever I wanted to do and don't let anything get in your way. Height. Weight. Strength. Nothing."

Although a mere 5 foot 10, 160 pounds, he confidently shouts instructions, unabashedly pulls up for transition three-point jump shots, deftly zips the ball to open teammates, and fearlessly drives the lane.

In the Bulls' two exhibition games, Atkins was 11-for-15 shooting from the floor (73.3 percent), including 5-of-7 from three-point range. He added 11 assists and committed only three turnovers in 42 minutes.

"He ran the team well," Florida Stars guard Mike Dean said of Atkins after losing to USF 112-97. "He was composed. He has a nice shot and he was very, very intelligent on the court. I didn't realize he was a freshman. He sure didn't play like a freshman."

No one's going to confuse the Florida Stars, a team composed mainly of former Stetson and Florida Southern players, with the Florida Gators. Still, USF coach Bobby Paschal has only one starter back from last year's NCAA Tournament team and is counting heavily on freshmen and sophomores, so no team or win is taken for granted.

"I wouldn't say Chucky has surprised us," Paschal said. "We knew he was a good player. But to play and practice with the kind of poise he has shown this early is very pleasing, and you don't expect it."

But maybe Paschal could have predicted it from Atkins, 18, a former Orlando Evans High star who's been around the sport his entire life.

His father Kenneth bought him a regulation-sized basketball for his first birthday. For Christmas that year, Atkins, whose real name is also Kenneth but was instantly called Chucky just like his father, ignored his new Tonka truck and only played with a Dr. J indoor basketball game.

When the elder Atkins went to Cumberland College in Kentucky to play basketball, he took his wife Sylvia and son with him. And his son accompanied him to almost every practice and game.

"At 3, he could dribble the ball the length of the floor with one hand," his father said. "Basketball wasn't something I forced on him, he just grew up with it."

By the time he was in the first grade, Atkins used any free time to squeeze in a game.

"We even played before school," he said. "There was a basket right across from the bus stop. The bus came at about 8 and we'd get out there at 7:15 and run when we saw the bus coming."

Atkins eventually began playing with older, bigger players in the Orlando recreational leagues. Not surprisingly, the impish Atkins was "used and abused."

That didn't last long as he continued to work at his game to the exclusion of almost everything else. On his 16th birthday, his father expected to take him to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

"He said he couldn't then because he had a game," the elder Atkins said.

The work paid off.

Atkins averaged 13.4 points and 4.0 assists a game as a junior, and the following summer, he distinguished himself during the Howard Garfinkel 5-Star Camp in Pittsburgh.

"He won the playmaker award in the all-star game, but he did very well that whole week," said Garfinkel, who added that the camp included Greg Newton, a 6-11 center from Canada who recently signed with Duke.

Paschal said Atkins' strength, or lack thereof, was a concern, but he said Atkins' knowledge of the game and court awareness could offset that, pointing to the success of small point guards such as Muggsy Bogues at Charlotte.

After signing early with USF, Atkins averaged 18.0 points and 4.0 assists a game as a senior, was selected to the state all-star game and was named an honorable mention All-American by USA Today.

"He has that certain quality about him - confidence," said USF senior guard Derrick Sharp. "Everyone says he looks like a little kid - I call him Little Man or Little Guy or Slim in drills - but he's mentally tough and he knows he can get the job done."

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Chucky's In Love With His Game

JOHN C. COTEY. St. Petersburg Times. Nov 19, 1995.

Chucky Atkins can dominate a game if he wants to.

Chucky Atkins can dribble past a defender, or shoot a three in his face. And don't bother trying to guard Chucky Atkins, lest you find comfort in futility.

So says Chucky Atkins.

Confident? Cocky? Maybe both. If the swagger isn't a giveaway, then the indifferent tone and I-don't-care honesty is. Call it what you will, he says, but for the standout USF point guard, it's just a matter of Chucky being Chucky.

"It all depends on how you look at it," he said. "People who don't really like me think I'm cocky. But people who know basketball take it as confidence."

People who know basketball know Atkins. The senior enters the 1995-96 season as perhaps the most hyped Bulls player ever. He led USF to one of its most successful seasons last year. He was named to the All-Conference USA preseason first team. And Athlon sports magazine put Atkins on its cover, under the headline "The Best Player in Florida."

But it was his performance as a member of the U.S. National Team at the World University Games this summer that truly helped shape Atkins' confidence and reputation.

"I thought that he was the biggest surprise out there," said George Raveling, the former Southern Cal and Iowa coach. "He came from being just a name on the list to being a prime-time point guard."

North Carolina-Charlotte coach Jeff Mullins, who was on the selection committee, echoed Raveling's statements, impressed too that Atkins made the team despite some of the bigger names in camp.

"He really earned his way on the team," Mullins said. "He didn't go as a household name. He went as a long shot."

Atkins made the team over such notable point guards as UCLA's Cameron Dollar, Stanford's Brevin Knight and Illinois' Kiwane Garris. The Bulls star picked up a gold medal while splitting time with Georgetown's Allen Iverson.

"I saw him go up against the premier point guards in the country," Raveling said. "I saw him play defense on Brevin Knight and Cameron Dollar. He went head-to-head with the best in America and did enough to show Bobby Paschal that he didn't waste a scholarship on Chucky."

Atkins has been the truest point guard for the Bulls, taking over the position which Paschal found hardest to fill before Atkins' arrival from Orlando Evans High School.

Atkins averaged career-highs in points ( 16.8 ) and assists (6.4) last season in leading USF to an 18-12 record and a berth in the NIT quarterfinals. He likely will become the school's all-time leader in assists.

"When people say where are the true point guards, I think Chucky Atkins has to be one of those," Mullins said. "He is one of the half a dozen or so truly great point guards in the country."

While his size (5 feet 11, 160 pounds) always has been a concern, his speed is an advantage on the perimeter, where teams have trouble guarding him. He promises he's even faster this year. His ball-handling and passing can be spectacular. And his shooting continues to improve.

"We knew Chucky was an extremely good player," Paschal said. "But there are a lot of qualities he has that you don't know he has until you're around him. He has great desire. And he works as hard as any player that we've had."

Despite burgeoning confidence, Atkins isn't about to nap on his laurels. He knows everyone will be watching this year, expecting bigger things and bigger games.

"That's fine with me," Atkins said, shrugging. "If I meet my own expectations, I'll far exceed everybody else's."

Those expectations include the NBA. Six players have been drafted from USF, but none in the first or second rounds. Charlie Bradley, the school's all-time leading scorer, and Willie Redden were third-round picks. None stuck in the NBA.

"I've thought about it, but I don't dwell on it," Atkins said. "Everybody dreams about making the NBA."

According to Raveling, Atkins will make it in the NBA. Iverson is expected to be a high choice when he goes pro, and while lacking the Georgetown sophomore's explosiveness, Atkins compares favorably.

"Allen is more explosive and has better size," Raveling said, "but Chucky, at this point, his experience shows a lot. Allen is more of a riverboat gambler. Chucky is more of a corporate CEO."

And his first order of business?

"I just want to go out and dominate," Atkins said. "I think we have a great chance of being more than people think we can be. Everyone's picking us last. They're going to be wrong."

So says Chucky Atkins.

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South Florida takes out UF

JOHN C. COTEY. St. Petersburg Times. Nov 29, 1995

There had been something strangely different about the USF men's basketball team this year.

Through two exhibitions, one season opener and half of Tuesday night's 73-58 win over Florida, something wasn't right.

Donzel Rush knew what it was.

Him.

"I felt it was time I contributed," said the 6-foot-9 Bulls center.

In the second half, that's just what he did.

After Florida tied the game on the second half's first basket, Rush took command and powered the Bulls to a surprisingly easy victory before 8,197 fans at the Sun Dome.

"They just whipped us," Florida coach Lon Kruger said.

Rush scored 14 of his 16 points points in the second half and keyed the 23-8 run that gave the Bulls (2-0) control of the game.

He added eight rebounds in the final half, a far cry from his 2-point, 1-rebound first half and his near silence so far this season.

"I think he played very much tonight like he did last season," said coach Bobby Paschal, who added that Rush had been slowed so much by an illness that he "literally crawled off the floor after practice he was so weak."

On Tuesday, he was too strong for Dametri Hill, who Rush was matched up with for much the game.

Hill's soft hook tied the score at 39 in the second half. Rush answered that with a dunk and was fouled, then hit his own soft hook with the left hand as USF moved to a 50-42 edge.

After a Dan Williams basket, Rush rebounded Luka Jovanovic's air-balled three-point try and put it back in to key a 12-3 run. USF wasn't challenged thereafter, and finished with a 44-34 edge on the boards as James Harper had his second straight 15-rebound effort.

"They beat us on the boards very soundly during that (second-half) stretch," Florida coach Lon Kruger said. "I thought they were much quicker to the ball and to the rebounds. We were watching while they were jumping."

Hill (7 points, 1 rebound) did more watching than he would have liked. He picked up his third and fourth fouls within two minutes of each other, sending him to the bench with 15:08 left in the game. He checked back in with just over 10 minutes remaining, promptly was outquicked to a loose ball by Harper and fouled out.

"We didn't expect to dominate inside," said Rush, "but we felt we had to."

In the first half, USF did its damage from the outside. It trailed 13-6 after turning the ball over five times its first seven trips up the court as Greg Stolt scored seven points. But Chucky Atkins, who finished with a game-high 24 points, hit a runner and two quick three-pointers, and Brian Lamb hit a three as USF moved ahead 17-13.

Brian Thompson (11 points) hit a free throw, but Atkins hit another three, and Lamb and Eric Kinslow had layins. After a Florida basket, Atkins hit his fourth three-pointer in the first half to cap a 22-3 Bull run.

The USF point guard blamed the excitement of playing Florida for the Bulls' shaky start.

"Everyone was hyped," said Atkins, who also had six rebounds and four assists. "During introductions I was about to cry I was so ready, so hyped to play."

Hill scored five of his points to help the Gators (1-1) get within 33-32. But they never took the lead, and a Pat Lawrence baseline dunk helped ensure the Bulls a 39-37 halftime lead.

The win over Florida was the first for Rush and Atkins.

"This was a big game," Rush said. "I mean, it is the first time we beat them. That's big."

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Atkins, Paschal Leave as Winners

JOHN C. COTEY. St. Petersburg Times. Mar 3, 1996.

Chucky Atkins had played one of his best games, scored the most points he ever had at home, led USF to a win, and the only thing remaining was the goodbye.

So with 34 seconds left, Atkins strolled to halfcourt during a timeout, knelt down, and kissed the Sun Dome floor goodbye.

Just like he had moments earlier to Alabama-Birmingham.

"It was my last game and I wanted to go out in style," Atkins said, "and I did."

With a Sun Dome career-high 30 points, Atkins also went out a winner as did fellow seniors Donzel Rush and Pat Lawrence and departing coach Bobby Paschal with the Bulls' 73-64 win before a homecoming crowd of 7,087 Saturday night.

Atkins, already the school's all-time leading three-point shooter, added five more in nine attempts and sank 11 of 13 free throws to help the Bulls close out a bumpy season in style.

"I think Chucky Atkins was brilliant," UAB coach Gene Bartow said. "He had a phenomenal night."

Atkins put USF ahead to stay at 41-39 with a three-pointer at the 14:42 mark of the second half. His shot kicked off a 12-1 run that allowed the Bulls to seize control of a tight game.

During the run, James Harper got an alley-oop jam off Atkins' pass after a steal from UAB, and a couple of Brian Lamb steals set up other baskets. USF held UAB without a field goal, and may have played its best six-minute stint of the season in forging a 50-40 lead.

"I think it was (our best), as of late," Atkins said. "Somewhere in the second half we have always let down and it's the other team that goes on a 12-0 run. That's usually where we lose the game."

Lamb and Atkins combined to outscore the UAB tandem of Cedric Dixon and Chad Jones 41-18 as the Blazer pair only shot 7-of-21 from the floor and 2-of-10 from three-point range.

"I think Brian deserves tremendous credit for tonight," said Paschal, who resigned Thursday. "They did a lot of things. I thought they clearly showed some confidence-type leadership at that point in time."

USF was able to open a 57-44 lead with 8:26 left, mainly off transition buckets. But once they began to try to milk the clock, the Blazers were able to chip away at the lead, getting it down to 61-56 on two Norman Williams free throws with 4:55 left.

But as he has so many times in his career at USF, Atkins saved the night. He converted two free throws, then with 2:52 left drained a three-pointer to push the lead back to 66-56.

"You never expect that the other team is going to fold," Paschal said. "So what has to happen down the stretch in a tough ballgame is you have to make the plays. That's what our guys did tonight."

USF, which outshot UAB 48-27 percent in the second half, looked jittery early. It took nearly six minutes for the Bulls to get their first field goal. They missed their first nine shots, and connected on only two of their first six free throws. But Harper tipped in Rush's missed free throw with 14:35 left in the half to make it 8-4.

C-USA's leading scorer, Carlos Williams, was held to 14 points.