January 16, 2008
Dominique Hamilton, then and now
Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said, "I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen." He didn’t have Dominique Hamilton in mind but he could have.
Some players enjoy a meteoric rise in the prep rankings, coming out of seemingly nowhere due to raw athletic ability. But a number of those flame out for various reasons, among them an unwillingness to put in the time and effort to hone skills and continue their refinement. Those who use the building block method in developing their potential -- hard work, repetition and a willingness to be coached -- may not rise as rapidly in the public and recruiting consciousness but often still see their endeavors rewarded.
Hamilton is an example of what hard work can accomplish
Such is the case with the 6-foot-2 Hamilton of Piedmont High who announced in November that she was accepting a basketball scholarship to play at and attend San Jose State University in 2008-2009.
She was someone who had dabbled so to speak with basketball during middle school. Even when at Berkeley High as an underclasswoman, she "liked" basketball but wasn’t consumed by being on the hardwood. But she began noticing that friends and acquaintances were earning college basketball scholarships and that caught her attention. In her words, she then "took it to heart" and, after transferring to Piedmont High for her junior season, began a full-fledged effort to improve her skills.
Here’s her Piedmont High coach Bryan Gardere: "When her family moved to Piedmont, Dominique wanted to get serious about basketball and put a lot of time and effort into it." Gardere added, "She’s asking to get into the gym on Friday nights during football games. How can I say no to someone that serious? She is the most improved player from one year to the next that I’ve ever coached."
That effort and resulting improvement caught the attention of a number of schools but it eventually came down to USF and SJSU. Hamilton liked both but "I felt more comfortable with San Jose State and really connected with Pam DeCosta," the new head coach for the Lady Spartans.
Per Gardere, it’s a very good match. "Dominique will be a contributor at a high level, she’s physical , a space eater and I think she will do a wonderful job for them," he said. In fact, such has been Hamilton’s on-court evolution that in a recent NIKE holiday tournament in Arizona, Gardere had 12-15 D-1 coaches asking him about Hamilton. This after her not being considered a D-1 players two years ago. Gardere offered, "The sky’s the limit for her."
Asked what she was looking for in a coach, Hamilton replied "Someone who will help in developing my skills to get me to the next level and someone who gets the players to play as a team."
It didn’t hurt that San Jose State was located appropriately. "I didn’t want to be too close to home but also not too far away," Hamilton said. Solid academics also played a role as sports management is of interest as a possible major for Hamilton and is offered at SJSU. Hamilton also has interest in a pre-med curriculum with the idea of possibly becoming a pediatrician. Her high school academics are in order, presenting no eligibility issues.
She self describes her best skill as rebounding while simultaneously offering that her ballhandling is an area she is working to improve. A post player in high school, Hamilton expects to also see time as a power forward on the collegiate level and to be facing the basket in some offensive sets.
She is well aware of the sea change in moving from the prep to college level stating "the speed of the game is so much quicker and every player is skilled."
When queried about where she sees herself five or ten years from now, she answered "Maybe playing in the WNBA or overseas or utilizing whatever my college degree will be."
Moreau Catholic’s 6-3 Malia Nahinu -- who is Arizona-bound next year -- was Hamilton’s choice as her toughest opponent. "She’s taller than me and has great skills."
This, as she puts it, "tall, funny, life of the party, easy to talk to" young woman is now toiling hard to make the list of toughest opponents for those teams Piedmont High encounters this season.
Don’t bet against her work ethic.