Another twist in Teel saga

Vernon Teel’s odd journey is taking another detour. From leading the city in scoring as a senior at Flushing to playing two seasons at Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina, to one year at Long Island University, and now to Globe Institute of Technology.
Yes, that is right, Teel, a St. Albans native, is leaving Division I basketball for junior college. As is often the case, there is a method to the talented 6-foot-3 guard’s madness - after a year at Globe, he will return as part of a better program. “I felt I could play higher,” he said.
As his former AAU coach, Roberto Diaz said, “Vernon is just being Vernon.”
There are many ways to interpret that line, similar to the way Red Sox fans describe the gregarious All-Star outfielder Manny Ramirez. For Teel, it is a compliment, referring to his work ethic and nonstop motor, but also a slight dig at his inflated opinion of himself.
LIU went out on a limb for Teel, granting him a year to work out with the basketball team and improve his grades while nobody else would look at him because of his iffy academic standing. That was in part due to Laurinburg, one of 22 prep schools that were cleared by the NCAA only for prospects entering college in the fall of 2006. However, those players were flagged by the NCAA and forced to sit out a season.
“They really wanted me to stay, but I didn’t think LIU was the perfect fit for me,” Teel said. “I didn’t get a chance to pick a school; LIU chose me because of my situation. I still thank LIU for giving me an opportunity and a chance.”
Teel said he would have stayed at the Brooklyn school if he were eligible for even a few games. But watching the losing - the Blackbirds went 12-19 last year - made him yearn for a more fruitful destination.
Teel said he has drawn interest from major Division I schools such as Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, DePaul, West Virginia and Minnesota, although he is picking between Rhode Island and UNC Charlotte.
“I don’t want to go to high, where I could get recruited over,” he said. “I want to play somewhere I can compete and win.”
In many ways, the year away from the court was a positive - it forced him to grow up. At Flushing, his grades were poor, so despite his ability with a basketball in his hands, college was not a realistic option. Now instead of playing video games, he studies in his free time, as proven by his 3.0 grade point average at LIU. He thinks about ways to make money after basketball through his business management major and marketing minor.
“Vernon is headed in a positive direction,” close friend Nate Blue said. “He did what he had to do at LIU. … Vernon will be a Division 1 player. The one thing coming out of Flushing, his grades were never solid; now they are. … He’s become a stronger person than he was a year or two ago.”
Finally his career seems to be on the right track, even if it has included a few surprising detours. Teel, it seems, will not turn into a cautionary tale.
“I’ll be back,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll make it to the NBA and hopefully I’ll play overseas. Just as long as I make money playing basketball to take care of my family.”