In Union County, Weddington fans will see a new Grant Hamilton this season
Grant Hamilton isn’t the same kind of basketball player he was a year ago at this time.
That comes from none other than Grant Hamilton himself.
“I spent the summer working on broadening my game,” said Hamilton, a 6-2 senior guard who will be a key to Weddington’s hopes this season.
Don’t worry. If you like to see Hamilton rain 3’s on the basket, like he did so often last season, that’s still in her repertoire.
“But what happens when the 3 isn’t falling?” Hamilton asked. “You need more to your game.”
That’s why he spent the offseason working on taking the ball to the basket, and on improving his defense. His summer “classroom” was on the CP3 all-star team featuring some of the Charlotte area’s other top players — North Mecklenburg’s Isaiah Evans, Myers Park’s Bishop Boswell, Northwood’s Drake Powell.
“Playing with CP3 was really good for me,” he said. “I learned a lot.”
He learned to take a mid-range jump shot or slash to the basket. And he learned a little more about defense.
“Being a shooter — that’s what I’m known for,” said Hamilton, who averaged 16 points a game last season at Weddington and shot around 40 percent from 3-point range. “But I also know that when I get to the college level, it will be tougher. I’ll need to fall back on other parts of my game.”
He said college coaches told him to work on his defense. So he did a lot of that.
“I think this year will be a big year for me defensively,” he said.
Hamilton said there are no secrets to being a good defender.
“You need a mentality that ‘this guy isn’t going to score on me,’ ” he said. “It’s a mindset. But stamina is also very important. You’ve got to be in shape.”
Still, at the end of the day, Hamilton’s biggest weapon is his long-distance shot.
In a game last December against Carolina International, Hamilton hit 12 times from 3-point range and set a school single-game record with 45 points.
“I hit my first shot in that game, and I thought it would be a big night,” he recalled. “But then my second shot hit the backboard. It wasn’t good.”
What happens in a case like that?
“You need a next-shot mentality,” he said. “You need a short memory. Forget about the miss. Concentrate on making the next shot.”
That’s what he did against Carolina International, and the shots kept falling.
“It was ridiculous,” he said of the 45-point total. “Just about everything went in that night.”
Hamilton grew up in Union County playing both football and basketball, and enjoying them equally.
“By the time I got to middle school, it was basketball only,” he said. “That was my sport.”
He had a standout junior varsity season as a sophomore, leading the team in most statistical categories. At the end of the season, he was called up to the varsity – just in time to join an unbeaten team headed for the 4A state championship.
That gave him a chance to play a few games under then-Weddington head coach Gary Ellington.
“It was a great experience, playing for Coach and playing on a team that bonded together so well,” he said.
That’s why he was elated when Ellington returned as head coach this season, after spending last year as a college assistant.
“I’ve never had a chance to play a full season under him,” Hamilton said. “I’m really looking forward to this.”
The feeling is mutual, Ellington said.
“I’ve known Grant since he was that high,” Ellington said, pointing to a spot about 4 feet high. “He’s a great kid. I’m glad I have a chance to coach him.”
Hamilton said Ellington already is turning the Warriors into a cohesive team.
“Coach talked to us about the championship team, and what we have to do,” Hamilton said. “We’re getting closer. We’re hanging out together. If we decide we’re going to play basketball together, we make sure everyone has a ride.”
Hamilton, who carries a 3.6 grade-point average, said he plans to play basketball in college. He already has two offers and is getting interest from several other schools.
“I know what I need to do, if I want to play in college,” he said. “And it starts with helping our team have the best season possible.”
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
