Advice from Rasheed Wallace helps West Catholic swingman get back on track
By TED SILARY
silaryt@phillynews.com
It's doubtful Rasheed Wallace will ever replace Dear Abby as a source for sound advice.
Contrary to what his endless technical fouls and outrageous statements might suggest, though, the bad-boy Portland Trailblazer from Philly and Simon Gratz High does have a clue about proper behavior, and he's not afraid to ream out those who deserve it.
Don't believe that? Check with Hakeem Townsend.
Townsend, a 6-3, 185-pound senior, is a swingman for West Catholic High's basketball team. He is also Wallace's first cousin.
Last winter, when Townsend missed the entire season due to academic ineligibility, 'Sheed was among the steamed.
"He said he was pretty disappointed in me, that there was no excuse for letting something like that happen," Townsend said. "He said that's how it goes: If you don't do your classwork, you don't get to play basketball.
"I'm usually a good student [he has scored 980 on the SAT]. I just got lazy for a while. I didn't do what I was supposed to. I was mad at myself and my mom [Jacqueline] was mad at me, too. She stayed on me. Had me on punishment. I couldn't leave the house for a while."
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In Wallace, Townsend has a friend as well as a cousin. The two talk pretty much every other week and Wallace has been generous in the gift-giving department.
"He's given me a lot of video games, jerseys, that kind of stuff," said Townsend, who lives near 55th and Master and has applied to Millersville, Cabrini and Albright. "And last summer, he had me out to Portland to spend 2 weeks with him. He showed me all around. Whenever I can, I watch his games on TV. We have a satellite dish."
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