May 12, 2010
The Dom(inator)
In olden days, there was the infantry. The archers and those on horseback—the specialists—came next. But atop the organizational pyramid stood the general, the commander who both directed and participated. In basketball parlance (a different yet similar framework as the military of yore), the latter is called the floor leader. For the Drew Gooden Soldiers 17U elite squad and Coach Bill Mellis at Salesian High, this role is fulfilled by Dominic "DA" Artis.
Ranked No. 10 on the NorCalPreps list of 2012 recruits, the 5-foot-11 Artis and his Pride teammates just finished a 32-3 season. With Desmond Simmons heading to Seattle, Artis will carry the mantle as the face and engineer of the squad. He is humble but prepared, a starter since his freshman season.
Here’s Salesian Coach Bill Mellis on his leader: "Dom really came into his own in the last year or so. He asserted himself more and did some good scoring knocking down jumpers for us. He knows when to be a scorer and when to be a distributor. We want him to continue his growth in running a team."
As for Artis the person, Mellis said, "All the kids at school like him. He is a bit of a prankster and likes to have fun."
With club ball entering full swing, Artis is also maximizing his game. Damany Hendrix of the Soldiers offered this about Artis: "He is having a very great summer. Playing behind all these great guards has given him an edge and in turn he is playing out of his mind. I take him to some open gyms with me at Cal Maritime and he lights it up. We went to Stanford a couple of weekends ago and played against their guys and he played very well. He’s a hard worker and a great kid."
How did it all begin? According to Artis, "I started playing basketball with my uncle -- Derrick Artis -- at age four. He has always been with me and is my biggest basketball influence."
The result is ballhandling described as polished alongside a stop on a dime and release shot and all topped by fluent floor vision.
Asked for his best basketball moment, Artis quickly responded with "definitely winning the state championship [against Bishop Montgomery] my freshman year."
As for the next level, it’s early and Artis "is looking for the best fit." He is drawing interest from Stanford, California, New Mexico, Arizona, UTEP and Washington State among others.
Right now, Artis is looking to major in biology or "something in that area." He currently sports a 3.8 grade point average. His style preference is joining a team that gets up-and-down the floor.
As for upcoming goals, it’s a twinbill: "a Nike Peach Jam Championship and another state championship."
Ultimately, Artis sees his role as "getting everyone involved and on the right path."
Maybe the definition of a ‘facilitator’ should be enlarged to encompass the subjects of basketball and the military.