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Spartans' Shelton dominant on the boards

 
University of Tampa junior center Duke Shelton averages 13.3 points per game.
University of Tampa junior center Duke Shelton averages 13.3 points per game.
Published Dec. 21, 2016

TAMPA — University of Tampa men's basketball junior center Duke Shelton is known for playing with ferocious desire. Although his offensive game sometimes needs polish, his non-stop work ethic pays off with eye-popping rebound totals.

His secret?

See ball.

Get ball.

"Rebounding is a mind-set," said Shelton, a 6-foot-8, 220-pounder who boosted his team-leading rebounding total of 10.2 per game with an 18-board effort against Puerto Rico Bayamon. "It's about heart and effort. I think rebounding shows how much you want it. It tells people how much you really want to play this game. It's motivating."

Shelton actually has multiple motivations.

Eventually, he'd like to explore professional basketball opportunities overseas.

He wants to be a team leader and show the way for younger players. That happened for him when he showed up at UT from Ocala Vanguard High School as a relatively scrawny 195-pounder who needed work.

Most of all, he wants to set an example.

Shelton, who is majoring in human performance, is on schedule to become the first person from his family to earn a college degree. He wants to be a positive influence for the women in his life.

There are many.

There's his mother, LaTrina, a housekeeper at an Ocala hotel who long ago won his admiration for her ability to keep the family together as a single mom. Then there are his five younger sisters — Laniha (16), Adrena (13), Sanaya (9), Aniyah (7) and Tameena (4).

Four of them attended his senior night at Vanguard and he responded with a 23-point, 16-rebound performance. Sometimes they get down to UT and watch their big brother. He feels their love.

"I know they look up to me," said Shelton, who doesn't see his father often, but maintains a relationship through phone calls. "They're always calling and texting. They don't necessarily say, 'Duke, this is how we feel about you,' but I always feel their energy. It was a little unusual, me being the only guy in the house, but I think it gave me certain advantages."

Although Shelton makes some jokes — "Sometimes, I've got to get out of there and get with my fellas … I can only take so much," he said — he believes the female influence has made him a better person.

"I think my intuition has gotten better," said Shelton, who averages 13.3 points per game. "Women are better with their feelings than men. Being around it, that rubs off on you.

"I've definitely learned to be gentle, most definitely. If I'm not, they let me know. 'Hey, don't talk to me like that.' I think I've learned how to express myself. Whatever is going on in my head, I can share it with you."

Shelton likes to write. Sometimes, it's a poem. Other times, it's a letter to his younger self. He often reflects on the good fortune that helped keep him on a good path. Some of his childhood friends have been killed through gun violence. A few others died in a car accident. He thinks about all of them and knows he has found an opportunity that they will never enjoy.

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"I tell him all the time, 'Your mother is going to be proud of you when you graduate from college,' " UT coach Richard Schmidt said. "He just smiles.

"He needs to improve his offense. He needs to keep getting stronger because he's going up against guys who are bigger and wider. Duke plays hard. He keeps getting better. He's a bit of a late bloomer."

Better late than never.

His given name is Othniel Akeem. But his mother always called him "Dew." The kids at school misunderstood. The name became "Duke." Shelton just went with it.

It's a good basketball name and he has grown into it.

"I'm usually smaller than the other guys (he is guarding)," Shelton said. "I'm used to that. I try to beat them with speed, but I can get kind of bruised up.

"They get me down in the paint and try to get me to react. I just keep my character and laugh if they're trying to get into my head. I have to remember why I'm there. My team needs me. I keep playing."

And so he does.

"When a guy knows how to play hard all the time, that's something to build on," Schmidt said. "Duke's effort is obvious. He's using it to get somewhere, to achieve his goals. You have to admire that."