He’s pretty easy to recognize around the practice court at St. John’s. Just look for the impressive athletic specimen that somehow manages to put on a show every time he sees the ball, let alone touches it. A swingman by trade, he is able to play all but one position on the floor; a versatility that belies his tender age and inexperience. Then again, age is just a number for Dwayne Polee, because if you looked at him for the first time, you’d swear he was doing this at this level for years instead of preparing for the first official contest of his young career as the only freshman of the St. John’s roster.
Having grown up in a city filled with superstars, the Los Angeles native Polee displays an unwavering sense of composure both on and off the court. It’s hard to believe that a first-year player has come this far so fast, but Polee has prepared strenuously (in his own words) for the Johnnies’ season opener tomorrow morning (on the East Coast; while the game actually tips off at 11pm tonight) in California against St. Mary’s. Polee has simply stated that he is “just trying to get his feet wet” on the court as he will join ten seniors to take on the Gaels in the official Red Storm debut of not only Polee, but also new head coach Steve Lavin.
Polee told me without hesitation that the seniors have taught him a great deal since signing his letter of intent to play for the Johnnies, and in the 100-42 exhibition victory over Westmont College, Polee not only was one of five players in double figures with 12 points; he also started the game in a mild surprise to both fans and media in attendance, as no one really expected the newcomer to see such a large share of minutes. However, Polee shared this important nugget at the postgame press conference that night, and again mentioned it to me this past weekend:
“They don’t treat me like a freshman, they treat me like a regular player”
That mindset of Polee being able to mesh with a senior-laden squad without any stigma of being the new guy is probably the biggest and most notable source of the quiet confidence Polee seems to exude just as naturally as his basketball talent. Yet as St. John’s is on the precipice of their biggest game in years, there is still a major chunk of the Red Storm fan base in awe of Polee being unfazed by the moment; perhaps unsure of how he has remained calm in the face of an event that would intimidate many on the surface. However, it really is not unusual for Polee to act as he does; and I say this because I’ve been there myself.
Three years ago, I was still a senior at St. John’s, and had finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life after several years of deliberation. I wanted to be a broadcaster, and that paved the way for my introduction to the irreplaceable part of my life I like to call WSJU Radio. After over a month of co-hosting a sports talk show, my first play-by-play assignment came in the second game of the 2007-08 season as the Johnnies played host to Sacred Heart University from Carnesecca Arena.
Normally, going behind the microphone is an experience that can make anyone nervous; but as I prepared for my debut that day, I felt like I would be just fine for whatever would be thrown at me. The same quiet confidence that Dwayne Polee has exhibited leading up to his first game was what I displayed prior to my first game; and despite the fact that playing the game and calling the game are two different worlds, the feeling is no different. Knowing you can do something and feeling like you can do it well is undoubtedly the best form of support you can have, because it gives you a sense of empowerment. It’s like you can take over the world if you tried, and it will be intriguing to see just how much Polee embraces the moment. We all know he will, but the degree to which he does it remains to be seen.
