Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Dustin Illingworth

Tony Altobelli

After countless games of double and sometimes triple coverage,

Newport Harbor High’s boys basketball player Dustin Illingworth

experienced something almost alien to him.

One-on-one coverage.

This was the case for the Sailors’ senior at last week’s Carson City

Capital Classic, where he faced teams that had never seen his or the

team’s style of play.

“It was so nice having all that room down there,” Illingworth said

with a smile. “I almost didn’t know how to react to it.”

Apparently, he’s a fast learner, averaging 28 points and 12 rebounds a

game, leading the Sailors to the tournament title, while taking home the

tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.

His best game came at the perfect time, scoring 31 points and grabbing

11 rebounds in the 61-59 overtime win against previously-unbeaten Kennedy

High of Sacramento in the championship game.

“I had never gotten an MVP award in a tournament before,” Illingworth

said. “It was so great picking up that award after we had won the

tournament. We really played well out there.”

According to Coach Larry Hirst, it was a typical Illingworth

performance at just the right time.

“It’s so hard to rate his performances because he works so hard every

game,” Hirst said. “He does so many things out there both with and

without the ball.”

Playing in his fourth year at the varsity level, Illingworth has had

to stay one step ahead of his Sea View League competition by learning

different moves in order to find breathing room under the basket.

It helps to have a 6-foot-7 coach with a ton of playing experience to

go to for pointers.

“Coach Hirst has taught me everything I know,” Illingworth said. “I’ve

got at least seven different fakes and moves that I can go to and he’s

been great at helping me to perfect them.”

Hirst points the finger toward Dustin’s family and upbringing for his

toughness and work ethic. “That inside fire that he has is something you

can’t coach,” Hirst said. “He’s got that deep desire to win and a passion

for the game that’s been with him long before I got a hold of him.”

Illingworth agrees.

“I have a very strong family bond,” he said. “I grew going to a strict

Catholic school where they instilled that do-whatever-it-takes attitude

in me. I guess I’ve brought that into my basketball game.”

Now in his senior season, Illingworth has also donned the cap as one

of the team leaders, something that he has accepted and is constantly

working to improve.

“Each year that I’ve been here, there has always been a senior to step

up and be the leader,” Illingworth said. “This year, I’ve tried to step

up more and be that leader out there.”

So is it easy going into each game knowing that two or maybe three

players will be following your every move?

“It takes a lot of mental preparation with each game,” Illingworth

said. “We’ve been taught to ‘adapt and adjust’ to what’s going on out

there. I just have to tell myself ahead of time so it isn’t a big shock

when it happens.”

To further prepare for his poundings, Illingworth bulked up during the

off-season to compete with the bigger guys, enabling him to use another

weapon: power.

“If I’m playing a smaller guy, I can post him up better with my size,”

Illingworth said. “But if I’m up against a bigger guy, which is usually

the case, I can still use quickness to get around him.”

A leader off the court as well, Illingworth has a 3.8 grade point

average and looks to perhaps play a little further south after Newport.

“I’ve been talking with UC San Diego a lot,” Illingworth said. “They

have an outstanding program and I would love to play and go to school

there.

For fun, Dustin?

“I guess you could call me a computer geek,” he said with a laugh. “I

love playing computer games, like Dreamcast and stuff. I also play some

beach volleyball and do some body surfing on the weekends.”