Audenried wins by a Nock

SING SOME hymns. Listen to the sermon. Fight off recruiting bids by the coach of a prominent Public League basketball team.

Such was life every Sunday last offseason for Qaadir Nock, who's now a senior at Charles Audenried Charter and continues to star as a wing guard.

"Every week, he tried to talk to me," Nock said. "Nah, I never tried to avoid him. He's a good man. We're friendly.

"I did give a little bit of thought to going to his school. But I knew he already had a lot of good players. Plus, I'm very happy here. I didn't think it would be fair to leave. I get along great with all my teammates and I have a nice relationship with my coach [Wali Smith]."

Tuesday, Nock and the other seniors played their final home for Audenried, hard by the Schuylkill Expressway at the western edge of South Philly, and the experience wound up being pleasant.

After receiving a painted game ball, framed picture and flowers to present to his mother, the 6-foot, 145-pound Nock contributed 20 points and four rebounds as the Rockets quelled Julia Masterman, 66-61, in Division C.

. . . And an economical shooting day he had. Nock sniped 8-for-13 overall and 4-for-9 from beyond the arc. He missed his only free throw.

"Usually I start off games by taking the ball to the rack," Nock said. "I just like it that way. Taking those shorter shots helps to get me in the flow and then I started stepping out from there."

Um, his first seven attempts were treys.

"Yeah, I know," he said, smiling. "They were giving me the room, so I felt I had to take them."

In its first go-round at a regular public high school, Audenried was quite the mess. Violence and underachivement were staples and when Nock told buddies he was headed there, some shook their head in disgust.

He had to fill them in: The place was now a charter, under the Universal umbrella, and was housed in a new building. The school had only ninth- and 10th-graders when Nock enrolled, and last year sent its first graduates into the world.

"I'm glad I'm here," said Nock, who lives in the area of 24th and Jackson. "It's a nice environment. People are friendly and the teachers work with you. They show patience and do everything they can to bring us along. They never give up on us."

Nock, meanwhile, sometimes gives up on himself. When it comes to trying to add weight, that is.

"I eat a lot and lift weights, but it never seems to show," he said. "See? I'm still skinny. I'll go for like 5 months really trying to stick to a program that'll improve my strength . . . then I'll just slip away from it. Once the season is over, I'll try again."

Thomas "T.J." Thompkins (11 points), Kerry Scott and Jameer Johnson (10 apiece) also scored in double figures for the Rockets. Scott (15) and Thompkins (eight) led in rebounds while Tyreese Allen distributed eight assists. Also, Kylil Harris had all seven of his points and three of his four steals down the stretch.

For Masterman, which used just six players, Mike Sturdivant drove, drove and drove some more for 28 points (though he did add three treys). Jack Christmas banged for 16 points and 20 rebounds and Harry Taggart added 16 boards. Gary Bryant managed 12 points.

After the Blue Dragons drew within 64-61 on Sturdivant's left-wing triple, Allen converted a one-and-one at 5.4. Masterman killed its chances by going 8-for-19 at the line over the final 8 minutes.

Nock's brother, Monir, played football for Southern, but Qaadir gravitated toward basketball because of his little-guy fascination with Allen Iverson, he says. He now intends to spend a prep school year somewhere in Washington, D.C., or Virginia (he has family there) with the hope of drawing Division I attention. His projected career focus is sports management.

Nock still attends church every Sunday. Does he see the formerly pesky coach?

"Nah, he goes to a different church now," he said. "He's trying to become a preacher."