Suffolk native thriving in Japan
Davante Gardner, a Suffolk native, remains a major basketball force at 31. He went to play in Japan in 2015 and rarely has looked back, using his size and skills to great benefit.
The 6-foot-8, 272-pound post player is fifth in Japan’s B League in scoring this season. He averages 20 points per game for the SeaHorses Mikawa (9-12), just six-tenths of a point behind Niigata’s league-leading Kofi Cockburn, a former college standout for Illinois.
Many high school fans first heard of Gardner from his All-Tidewater days at King’s Fork, from where he graduated in 2010 after leading the Bulldogs to the Group AAA state title in 2009. He moved on to Marquette through 2014, averaging 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds and shooting 55.7% in 127 games for the Golden Eagles — all but 19 coming off the bench.
Though he was the MVP of the 2014 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament after earning second-team All-Big East honors, Gardner wasn’t chosen in the NBA draft. But after playing in the ’14 NBA Las Vegas Summer League with the Chicago Bulls and for a year for Hyeres-Toulon in France, he has become a star in Japan.
Though he has started only nine of 21 contests this season, he has been playing almost 31 minutes per game, shooting 59.5% inside the arc, 35.8% from 3-point range and 86.4% from the freethrow line. He also contributes 7.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
Gardner often starts alongside Kyle O’Quinn, 32, a former NBA player who is a benefactor of a Norfolk State program he took to prominence. O’Quinn averages 13.9 points and 8.6 assists.
Gardner came to the Land of the Rising Sun in 2015-16 with the Nishinomiya Storks, averaging a double-double in 54 games — 27.7 points and 10.7 rebounds.
He spent the following three prolific seasons with the Nigata Albirex, finishing with scoring averages of 21.9, 28.7 and 27.5 and rebounding marks of 8.8, 9.9 and 10.9 from 2016-19.
Hokies wrestle with depth: They aren’t in next month’s Virginia Duals at Hampton Coliseum, but Virginia Tech’s Hokies have achieved a mighty wrestling feat. Ranked eighth nationally, the Hokies are ranked in all 10 classes by InterMat, which lists 33 wrestlers per weight.
Headlining that group is thirdranked 174-pounder Mekhi Lewis, who won the 2019 NCAA title at 165. Behind him: Bryce Andonian (seventh at 157), Hunter Bolen (seventh at 184), Sam Latona (10th at 133), Caleb Henson (11th at 149), Eddie Ventresca (15th at 126), Tom Crook (15th at 141), Connor Brady (22nd at 165), Andy Smith (21st at 197) and Hunter Catka (22nd at heavyweight).
ACC rival Virginia features Justin McCoy (eighth at 165), Neil Antrassian (18th at 184), Jarod Verkleeren (24th at 149) and Jake Keating (26th at 157). Oklahoma graduate student Joey Prata, a former Hokie who grew up in Yorktown, is 11th at 126.
What’s coming up
Wednesday: The Boo Williams Holiday Classic girls basketball tournament, including 40 teams, begins at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton. It will continue Thursday and Friday.
Thursday: Old Dominion’s men start Sun Belt competition with a 7 p.m. game against Arkansas State at Chartway Arena . ... The Captains Shootout comes to Christopher Newport, where the No. 7 CNU men play Cabrini at about 5 p.m. at Freeman Center in the first round. Wilmington of Ohio and Averett will open the event with a 3 p.m. game.
Friday: CNU’s women, No. 1 in the Division III coaches poll, welcome Rowan to “Captains Chaos” in the Freeman Center at 1 p.m. The CNU men will face Wilmington at 5.
Saturday: ODU’s men return to Chartway Arena for a 2 p.m. clash vs. the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.