Future Appears to Be Slam Dunk for Stanback
As Chace Stanback of Fairfax drove to the basket after intercepting a pass, he saw Jerard Moret of Westchester racing toward him in an attempt to block his shot.
Stanback, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, had never dunked over a defender during a game. Now, with more than 1,100 fans packed into Fairfax’s gym, Stanback jammed the ball one-handed over Moret, producing a deafening roar from excited Lion fans.
“It was all adrenaline,†Stanback would say later.
Coach Harvey Kitani smiled and thought about the future.
“It was a glimpse of what we’re all going to witness later on,†he said.
At 15, Stanback could be the next great Fairfax basketball player, joining the likes of Chris Mills, Sean Higgins, Craig Smith, Josh Shipp and Jamal Boykin.
“I told people he can be as good as any player we’ve had,†Kitani said.
The middle of February is when talented sophomores start to show whether they are ready to become outstanding juniors, and Stanback is clearly on his way.
He scored a career-high 28 points against Venice two weeks ago. Last week, after his dunk against top-ranked Westchester, he came back down the court and made a three-pointer from the top of the key.
An ankle injury knocked him out of the game in the second half of the Lions’ 66-62 defeat. He rested his ankle Thursday night as third-seeded Fairfax (22-4) defeated Palisades, 83-44, in a City Section playoff opener.
Friends were still buzzing about last week’s dunk against Westchester the next day on campus. At nutrition, several tried to re-create Stanback’s slam.
“One guy played me and one guy played Moret,†Stanback said. “I was laughing.â€
Stanback’s versatility is what intrigues such college coaches as Roy Williams of North Carolina and Lute Olson of Arizona. Both made visits in the last year to see Stanback play.
“That’s what makes him unique,†Kitani said. “He can hit the three. He can dribble the ball. He can do everything. The great thing with him is he’s not afraid to get after it on the defensive end.â€
Stanback, averaging 13.1 points, was a key reserve on last year’s Division I state championship team, gaining valuable minutes of experience. This season, he has moved into the starting lineup and become a critical contributor.
“I’m starting to get comfortable,†he said. “Last year, I wasn’t very comfortable and wasn’t confident in what I was doing.â€
During the summer, he worked out four days a week, practicing his shooting. On Saturday mornings, he’d run at Venice Beach. He’s not afraid to work until he’s exhausted.
Adjusting to his changing body continues to take place. His steadily improving performances could be the result of finally feeling free from growing pains.
“My growth is slowing down, so my knees have stopped hurting, and that’s helped me get off the ground,†he said.
Not that Stanback has finished growing.
“When I was younger, my dad said the doctor told him I’d be 6-9 at the least,†he said.
Stanback got his first name from his mother, who liked Chase Manhattan Bank and spelled it Chace.
He has family living in North Carolina and likes to return each summer because he enjoys going trout fishing at a local lake.
Friends might tease him about his fishing interests, but he has lots of patience in testing out his fishing skills.
“It’s fun for me because when I was little, I used to do it all the time,†he said. “I just have fun casting and bringing it back in.â€
Fairfax players know that one day Stanback could be the biggest fish around.
“He’s going to make a huge run for us in the playoffs,†said Boykin, Fairfax’s Duke-bound center. “He plays as if he has something to prove even though that’s not the case.â€
At a minimum, his dunk against Westchester might have been a turning point in pushing Stanback to a different level.
“It was great,†he said. “I was surprised at myself because I had never done that before. Now I feel I can go up against anybody.â€
Eric Sondheimer can be reached at [email protected]
