At first glance, Michael Oralls looks like a football player in basketball shorts. And at times, his play on the court does resemble that of a lead fullback.
If you're in his path toward a loose ball, he'll knock you on your keister to gain possession for the Purple Tornado. It's "supreme effort" said Oralls' basketball coach, Tom Collier.
"He plays with so much passion and heart, and nothing he does is an attempt to hurt another player," Collier said of his senior swingman. "He'll knock you over, but he'll also be the first person to help you up. The way he is on the court is the exact opposite off how he is off the court. He's the nicest kid; polite, soft spoken. Off the court, he has great standards and virtues that he lives by."
On the hardwood, Oralls is the second leading scorer on the three-time defending Section IV champion Tornado. While teammate and leading scorer Zan Stewart is slick with flashy skills, Oralls is a blue collar guy whose methods defy convention.
Nicely said, he's a tad unorthodox with his offensive game utilizing an array of floaters, baby hook shots, and putback baskets over bigger men that leave one scratching his head. Some of his shots fly in the face of the physical laws of gravity.
"He took a shot in a game that hit the bottom of the rim, then rolled up and over and into the basket," Collier said. "How does that happen? It's something I've never seen before, but like I've said before, with Michael Oralls, he makes the impossible happen. He just has that knack."
Oralls came into the basketball season slowed by injuries from a grueling football season. He scored way below his expected averaged, but has turned it up in the home stretch. With every game gaining importance, Oralls has found that scoring touch averaging 19.5 points a game over his last four to earn Matthews Ford and Planet Preowned Athlete of the Week honors.
