Family comes first for Quincy Pondexter

SYRACUSE, N.Y. —

Myisha Pondexter remembers being a teenager and having to fight boys on the playgrounds of Fresno, Calif., so her kid brother could play basketball.

They refused to let Quincy on the court because he was too small, but his big sister could be persuasive.

"I would be Quincy's bodyguard," she explained. "And if it called for fighting, then that's what it called for. That's how it is with us. I'm very protective of him.

"He was going to play. He was going to get his chance. And somebody had to make sure that happened."

Quincy Pondexter, now a 6-foot-6 senior at Washington, laughs when recalling the story. Yet long before he led a stunning, late-season turnaround that has propelled the Huskies to the NCAA men's basketball tournament's Sweet 16, his family was the guiding force in his life.

His family has always come first.

"Ever since I can remember, my family has had my back," said Washington's All-Pac-10 forward. "And it's not just my sister. It's my dad, my mom, my brother, everybody. Whatever I needed, they gave it. They did it.

"They provided me so much support. It's crazy. We're a really close family."

The Pondexters have been a fixture throughout his Washington Huskies career.

They were in Seattle last December when Quincy donned a pair of ballet tights and danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet's "Nutcracker."

They were in Los Angeles, wearing his No. 20 jersey, when he led the Huskies to a Pac-10 tournament title.

They were in San Jose, Calif., where "Q-Pon" hit the game-winning, last-second shot to beat Marquette in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

And they'll gather once again in Syracuse, N.Y., for Thursday's East Regional semifinals between the No. 11 Huskies and No. 2 West Virginia.

"It means a lot to me when I run out on the court and look over and see them there," Pondexter said. "I feel really good when they're around. It gives me a comfort level to play well."

There were times when his parents, Roscoe and Doris, weren't sure if Quincy's college career would have such a storybook ending.

Pondexter considered leaving Washington after losing his starting job early in his sophomore season. Making matters worse, three teammates from his recruiting class — Spencer Hawes, Phil Nelson and Adrian Oliver — had left the UW.

But Roscoe had other ideas for his youngest son.

In 1974, Roscoe and his brother Cliff left Long Beach State after Roscoe's junior year and entered the NBA draft. Roscoe was taken by Boston, didn't sign a contract and played 10 years in Italy and Argentina. Cliff, picked by Chicago, played three seasons in the NBA.

After his playing days he worked as a corrections officer (Doris still has that job) and now is a security guard.

Roscoe wanted more for his youngest son.

"It was Quincy's decision to make. The only thing I did was listen mostly," Roscoe said. "What I said was simple: 'Why leave the big stage and opportunity you have in the Pac-10?'

"Keep punching. It will be OK. Keep at it. He didn't have the same hardships I had at the time. So whatever you need, we'll take care of."

Cellphone, clothes and spending money? Pondexter's family provided it.

But more than anything, he needed them. Quincy Pondexter needed their counsel and he needed to be around them.

"You go through so many ups and downs in this game, and there came a time when you hit a point where you don't know how you're going to pull through it," Pondexter said. "That's where your family comes in."

Myisha, 28, said she, her older brother, Jason, and her parents have sacrificed to attend every game.

"It has been a big commitment," she said. "I was a shopaholic. I have now reformed. I've learned to penny pinch. I've learned to use coupons."

Pondexter said it's impossible to measure the impact his family's support has had on his season.

Without them, he wouldn't have been able to lead the Huskies in scoring and rebounding or carry Washington (26-9) to the Sweet 16. He wouldn't be an NBA prospect expected to be chosen in the first or second round of the NBA draft in June.

And he wouldn't have become the team leader that he has matured into since arriving on campus.

"Quincy has taken full advantage of the college experience," coach Lorenzo Romar said. "He's been remarkable. He's been our captain and it hasn't always been easy for him because he's had many expectations.

"You could almost see it on his face how badly he wanted to lead this team back to the NCAA tournament and, at times, he just didn't know how."

The Huskies are a tight-knit group, yet Pondexter, their only senior and who turned 22 this month, sometimes stands apart. If Romar is a father figure for this team, then Pondexter is the eldest son.

"Quincy is a little older than the rest of his teammates and he's been like a big brother," sophomore guard Darnell Gant said. "Maybe at times it's hard for him to relate to the younger guys because he's been through some things the rest of us haven't."

Pondexter admits he has felt the separation as the young Huskies struggled through a season that seemed headed nowhere before finally jelling.

"I've done whatever I had to do to get these guys to this point," he said. "On any team, you're going to have different personalities, but the beauty of this team is we put aside everything else and worked to make this team as good as it can be."

No matter what happens Thursday, Roscoe said his son's UW career is a success because he is scheduled to complete requirements for a sociology degree this week.

"We'll be there," Roscoe said of Thursday's game at the Carrier Dome. "Quincy thinks we're doing it for him and that's kind of true. But every parent wants to be there for the biggest moments in their children's lives."

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com