written by: Shane Thomas

When the Valdosta State men’s basketball team took the floor Nov. 11 for its season opener, there were several new players for fans to become acquainted with.

The Blazers were victorious that night led by one of their newcomers, an undersized yet speedy point guard named Larry Stone.
Generously listed at 5-feet-10 and weighing in at 165 pounds, the junior put up solid numbers in his VSU debut; 13 points, five assists and two turnovers in 29 minutes.
Those numbers don’t tell Stone’s entire story.

During the final minutes, with the Blazers already leading by 31 points, a loose ball rolled toward the scorer’s table.
As his signature dreadlock dangled, it was Stone, who outran an opposing player to dive head-first to recover the ball.
“It’s great to see kids make those plays because that means it’s a habit,” head coach Mike Helfer said after the game. “It’s not for the crowd, or for one play, it’s a habit when you’re up that many points. That was the best thing for me—he is going to be diving on the floor for the entire season so that’s what made me happy.”

Sacrificing his body and his game for the team has been a key for the Blazers this season.

Stone, a four-year starter at T.C. Howe Academy in Indianapolis, Ind., before playing one year for Division I IUPUI, started the first three games of the season before senior guard Jeremy McKay took over at the point.

“As a sixth man, you can see what’s going on and how you can impact the game,” Stone said. “If I’m on the sidelines I can hear coach yell out to guys what he wants. It wasn’t a big transition—any way I can help the team win, that’s my job.”
It is easy to point out Stone’s lack of height, but often the smallest player on the floor has come up the biggest with the game on the line; in the last two minutes of regulation and overtime this season, Stone has made a team-best 19-of-20 free throws.

“You know you’re bringing in a really, really good player that’s probably good enough to start,” Helfer said of Stone. “Larry’s such a great kid. He knows he’s going to play a lot of minutes and especially at the end with him making those free throws. For a coach to have confidence in a kid to step up and make them is really important.”
A transfer from Indian Hills Junior College, Stone is one of the guards in the Blazers’ back court along with McKay and fellow junior Jalen Crawford.

“It’s like a triple-headed monster,” Stone said. “Jalen’s a big, physical guard. Me and Jeremy are the quicker, stronger guards and we can really get after guys as far as our speed and quickness in the full court. It’s a big advantage and any given night, any one of us can go off.”
Stone finished his high school career at T.C. Howe as the school’s all-time leading scorer before coming to VSU.

Playing on a team with four players averaging double figures per game, Stone has no problem to taking a back seat to make his teammates better.

“I’m more of a true, pass-first point guard,” Stone said.   “I understand everybody has to get the touches. The game isn’t about who gets the shots, it’s about the open man. If we believe in each other the way I believe in my teammates, I believe we can make a run [in the conference tournament].”

This article was written by Shane Thomas.