Bert Whittington IV values Allen Hester’s opinion quite highly.
Upon a suggestion by Hester that he join his junior college teammate at Ohio, the point guard did not hesitate to follow his teammate of two years, committing to the Bobcats despite not even visiting the campus.
“It was kind of risky with me not knowing the atmosphere of the surroundings,” Whittington said. “I had faith and trust in him that he wouldn’t steer me wrong and I’d be in a good position.”
Coach Tim O’Shea said Hester’s decision to ink with the Bobcats was clearly a deciding factor in Whittington’s commitment to Ohio.
“When the opportunity came to get a scholarship here, Bert felt comfortable based on Allen’s visit here and Allen’s opinion of the school to join him.”
Whittington’s choice to join Hester on the Bobcats extended their run as teammates for two more seasons after two years together at Ohlone College, a junior college in Fremont, Calif. that also produced former Ohio standout guard Mychal Green.
Hester can still remember the first time he encountered his teammate, playing in a summer league game the summer before his freshman season at Ohlone.
“We didn’t have a point guard,” Hester said. “We had won maybe one game out of the whole summer, and he comes in jacking (up shots) and shooting (every time) he sees (the ball).
“I knew he was going to be something, but I didn’t know what to expect when I first saw him.”
Whittington said he found Hester to be an incredible athlete when he first encountered the 6-foot-1 guard.
“I saw him dunking and doing all kinds of crazy stuff,” he said. “I knew there was going to be a good chemistry between the two of us because I like to run up and down the floor and I know if I give him the ball early, he can dunk on somebody.”
While playing at Ohlone, the two experienced much success at the junior college level, which included a 28-win season last year.
“All I know is winning,” Hester said. “I came from high school winning a state championship to a (junior college) that won 50 games in two years. That’s all we know and one of the reasons why I chose this school.”
Since coming to Ohio, the two acknowledged that their relationship has grown tremendously, especially off the court, where they share an apartment.
“No doubt about it, if you see him you’ll probably see me,” Hester said. “That’s a lifelong friend right now. You could say we’re a one-two punch.”
Whittington added that coming from the same environment helps the two relate to each other, especially when they are having problems like homesickness.
“Whenever I’m feeling good or he’s feeling down I try to help him out,” Whittington said. “And it’s vice versa. Whenever he has problems, I’m going to help him and whenever I have problems he’s going to help me.”
BracketBuster matchup announced
Ohio will play George Mason in its BracketBuster game Saturday, Feb. 23, ESPN announced yesterday. The Patriots, who have won six of their past seven games, are tied for second in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 16-6 record and made a trip to the NCAA Final Four in 2006.
“I’m really excited,” O’Shea said. “Because they made it to the Final Four two years ago everybody’s heard of them, and depending on the time of the game being right I’m hoping we can get (an attendance) close to 11,000 or 12,000.”
ESPN will reveal times and networks airing each game Feb. 11. Other Mid-American Conference BracketBuster games include Kent State at St. Mary’s, VCU at Akron and Miami at Valparaiso.
The Bobcats will also play at George Mason next season as part of the BracketBuster agreement.
Injury update
Whittington did not participate in contact drills in yesterday’s practice but O’Shea said he expects him to be ready for Ohio’s game at Eastern Michigan Wednesday. Whittington suffered a hip pointer against Central Michigan.
O’Shea said Mike Allen’s shoulder injury may be a nagging problem but that it isn’t too serious. Allen strained his shoulder when he was intentionally fouled by a Central Michigan player last week.
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