Ahead of the Game

Dickinson learning system quickly

Drew Wilson / senior photographer Freshman Lesley Dickinson is a key component to the Dukes' young squad this year. She currently ranks in the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring average, while being named CAA Rookie of the Week three times already.

Success was never a problem for freshman guard Lesley Dickinson while growing up.

At age 5, Dickinson was so bright she skipped first grade. Her classroom accomplishments continued in high school, where she finished 14th in her graduating class with an above-90 percent average for all four years. Her success rolled over onto the basketball court as well, where she played for Christ the King High School in Queens Village, N.Y., which was ranked seventh in the nation in the final USA Today rankings her senior season.

Dickinson's success on and off the court earned her a basketball scholarship to JMU, an accomplishment she lists as her greatest achievement. Yet, once practice started in the fall, things weren't as easy as in the past, she recalled.

"People tell you that it's Division I and it's a big difference," Dickinson said. "It is a big difference. Preseason, with all the running and lifting weights, is unlike anything. People can tell you and tell you and tell you all they want, but until you experience it, it's unlike anything any high school player has ever experienced."

That adjustment to Division I basketball took a while for Dickinson.

"I don't feel like I wasn't trying, but maybe I just had to adjust," she said. "Some days I would come in and my body just wasn't working with me, and I would have to try to push through that."

By the end of the preseason, Dickinson's hard work began to pay off, and in the days leading up to the first game, her performance caught the eye of Coach Kenny Brooks and the coaching staff.

"She did struggle a little bit at the beginning, just like all the other freshmen," Brooks recalled. "I still had no idea what my starting lineup was going to be three days before the first game — and she wasn't penciled in. Then, the last three days before practice leading up to the Jacksonville State University game, she had great practices and she earned a starting spot — and she hasn't let it go ever since."

Dickinson is one of only two players to start all 18 games for the Dukes this season, and already has earned Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week honors three times. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game. In the CAA, Dickinson is tied for seventh in scoring.

The 5-foot-10-inch forward also leads the Dukes in 3-point percentage (36.9 percent), steals (31), and minutes played (34.1 minutes a game). She is second in assists with 48.

In CAA play, Dickinson is in the top 10 in assists per game and free-throw percentage.

With several teammates suffering from injuries this season, Brooks has called on Dickinson to play point guard, shooting guard and small forward.

"She's exceeded my expectations," Brooks said. "I knew she was a good player. When we signed her, I knew that was a really good catch for us. But, I didn't have any idea that she would adjust to the physical game as well as she has."

Dickinson even said she exceeded her own expectations.

"Not to say that I am pleased with where I am at — because I still want to get better — but I honestly didn't think I was going to adjust as well as I have," she said. "I am happy that I have, but I attribute it back to working hard."

A perfect fit

With her current success on the court against some of the top teams in the conference, it might be easy to overlook the fact that Dickinson doesn't turn 18 until tomorrow.

Brooks said he is fortunate to have landed Dickinson because if she hadn't skipped first grade, she still would be playing high school ball. "Who knows — if she was still playing for Christ the King High School, she might be one of the top recruits in the country."

Dickinson said she was aware of what could have been if she hadn't skipped a grade. However, she is happy with how things have turned out.

"I've thought about if I didn't skip a grade and where I would be," she said. "But, it's made me grow up faster being 17 and in college. Not a lot of people can say that, so I think that it's helped me with maturity level. That will help me after basketball, when I get into the real world and the business world.

"I think about it, but I can't even explain how happy I am with the situation I have here," Dickinson added. "I've said it before, but I can't really see myself anywhere else. I'm glad, throughout the whole recruiting process, that I ended up here."

Dickinson said she chose JMU over schools such as Hofstra University and the University of Alabama-Birmingham because of the relationship she developed with Assistant Coach Kim Hairston, as well as Brooks, who also was an assistant coach at the time.

"I felt really comfortable and I knew they would take care of me and help me grow as a person and a player," Dickinson said.

The opportunity to play immediately was one of the biggest attractions about JMU.

"That was a good selling point in the recruiting process," Brooks said. "We knew going into the recruiting season that we were going to have to have a really good class because we were losing an outstanding class with Shanna Price ('03), Nadine Morgan ('03) and Jess Cichowicz ('03). So we knew we were going to have to replace them with quality players.

"I think that was appealing to a lot of the kids that we signed," he added. "As a result, Lesley came in and took advantage of the opportunity."

Dickinson also said the campus environment drew her to JMU since it wasn't in a big city. She said that appealed to her laid-back personality. A change in scenery was another reason Dickinson left New York.

"I don't think anyone wants to be in their own backyard when they go to college," she said. "Some people do, but I think part of the whole college experience is getting away and being on your own and being responsible."

Brooks said, "It's a great fit. She wanted to get away from New York, so coming down here, it is a great place for her to blossom."

Dickinson also liked JMU's academics, something on which she prides herself.

"All my life, my parents have preached to me about my schoolwork, and that I am not just an athlete — I'm a student athlete," she said. "So, if I didn't get the grades, I wouldn't be able to play.

"I've been gifted," Dickinson added. "Honestly, a lot of it comes easy to me. I probably don't work as hard as I should work in school. But, I'm lucky that a lot of it does come easy to me."

An accounting major, Dickinson hates missing homework.

"I can't just put a homework assignment aside. I feel like I have to do it. If I don't do it, I feel like I'm behind. I don't hate school as much as the next person. I actually like going to school and learning."

Her knack for picking things up quickly also has translated onto the basketball court.

"The coaches can tell her something, and she can pick it up and improve on it," red-shirt senior guard Jody LeRose said.

Dickinson said, "I think I have a gift where I'm able to understand things. They don't have to be told to me a thousand times. Usually, after a few times, I can get it or if someone maps it out for me, I can get it. That's helped me on the court and off the court."

Dickinson said she has learned a lot with the help of the coaching staff.

"Coach Hairston has really helped me a lot in developing as a player," Dickinson said. "I've only been here for five months or so, but I think I've really grown a lot as a player. Just the thought of continuing to work hard and continuing to grow with the experience and all that comes with it really excites me."
Dickinson's willingness to get better is a quality Brooks likes to see in players.

"She's going to get better because she wants to get better," he said. "She's always in here wanting to watch film or out on the floor working on some of those little things to help her game.

"She's one of those special kind of players," he added.

Taking on a new role

Brooks met with Dickinson for over an hour last Friday in his office to discuss her role as a team leader. He said the two have talked about it before, but that was the first "serious" meeting in which he demanded her leadership.

A leadership role is something that's new to Dickinson. In high school, she was the team's third leading scorer, Brooks said. As the Dukes' leading scorer and the player who is on the floor the most, Brooks said other players look to her for leadership.

"We look to Lesley to score a lot," freshman forward Shirley McCall said. "We rely on her, especially when we are down sometimes to take some of those jump shots and make them. So sometimes it is a lot of pressure on her being a leader of the freshmen."

Becoming vocal will be an adjustment for Dickinson, who is described as a quiet and reserved person by her teammates. However, she is ready to accept the challenge.

"I'm prepared to step up and be more of a vocal leader if that's what we need," Dickinson said.

She knows she has to keep improving her game to lead by example as well. The No. 1 thing on her list is decreasing her turnovers.

"I lead the team in scoring, but I don't know if people know I also lead the team in turnovers," said Dickinson, who has 94 turnovers this season. "My No. 1 priority is to take care of the ball. If you don't have the ball, you can't score, you can't do anything. That's just giving the team other opportunities."

Dickinson also wants to get better on defense.

"I think that is something I need," she said. "Really, I have been able to get away throughout my career. No one has really ridden me on defense. But, that will make me more of a complete player."

The final word

"I started out on a good note, and that's kind of the scary part," Dickinson said. "I think people's expectations are kind of high now. At times, I do feel some pressure, but I think my future here — the sky's the limit, both for my future and the team's future. I think we're talented, and the league is wide-open.

"I think that anything is possible," she added.