By Jules Cantor, ’11, Sports Editor
“Basket by DJ Wingfield!” CCDS fans should get used to hearing those four words, because freshman basketball player DJ Wingfield is simply electric. The son of former UC Bearcats star Dontonio Wingfield, DJ is a new freshman who has the ability to score the ball inside as well as from long range. He is also an outstanding passer, which is unusual for a player who can score as prolifically as Wingfield can. With senior point guard Lawrence Ervin suffering from a torn ACL, Wingfield has amassed the bulk of the ball handling duties. Wingfield leads the Indians in almost every major offensive and defensive category, including points, assists, rebounds, blocked shots, and steals. Thus, Wingfield has emerged as a statistical leader on the team. Nevertheless, the modest freshman insists that the real leaders of the team are seniors Rob Klug and Rameez Khan. He declared, “I wouldn’t say I’m a leader just yet. I’m just trying to step up.” To this point, he has done just that. With the exception of the game against Summit of Jan. 8, Wingfield has not been held below 16 points. He has also posted numerous double-double performances in which he had double digit statistics in both points and rebounds.
Wingfield is regarded as one of the top players in Ohio for the class of 2013, and there is certainly no doubt why. The freshman stands tall at 6 feet 3 inches, and is a spectacular athlete. While he is already succeeding on the court this year, he certainly has unlimited potential. When asked what his goals were for the next four years, Wingfield nonchalantly answered, “I’m not sure. I’m just trying to take things day by day.” While Wingfield is living in the present, it is certainly hard not to wonder what the future has in store for the CCDS basketball program. With freshmen talents such as Wingfield and Chance Alldred, another new student, as well as a middle school program that is on the rise, it is a future that certainly looks bright. What Indians fans can certainly expect to see for the remainder of the season, as well as in future seasons, is exciting basketball with DJ at the helm.
However, basketball only tells part of the story for DJ. For many, making the jump from any school, let alone a large public school like Walnut Hills where DJ was an 8th grader last year, and coming to CCDS can be a daunting adjustment. However, DJ has hit the ground running, and is excelling both on basketball court and in the classroom. DJ explained, “Country Day is very academic, and I’m trying to do well in school, so it’s the right school for me.” As Coach Howard Brownstein told Kurt Stubbs of JJHuddle.com, DJ is “a great kid that is very quiet and polite.” He also added that “my older guys really like him.” Overall, it should be a very exciting four years watching DJ grow as an individual, a teammate, and a valued member of the CCDS community.
Photo of DJ Wingfield by Ilana Habib, ’11
