By TERRY NAU

Sports winter

WOONSOCKET – Michael LaPlante, who averaged 14 points per game last winter for a Woonsocket High basketball team that finished second in the state, will attend St. Andrew’s School in Barrington beginning in September.
LaPlante, a 6-foot-41/2 small forward for the Villa Novans and an Honor Roll Student, will repeat 10th grade in order to broaden his academic foundation, said St. Andrew’s basketball coach Mike Hart.
“We do a nice job at St. Andrew’s of providing structure, both on the court and in the classroom,” Hart said on Tuesday afternoon. “We hold our students accountable for their actions, in the classroom and on the court. I think the small classes we have creates an ideal learning environment.”

LaPlante’s athletic ability attracted attention from coaches around the state last winter. While point guard Antjuan Jones (16.7 points per game) and center Michael Akinrola (15.3 ppg) were stronger scoring options, LaPlante had an ability to change games with his slashing drives to the hoop.
LaPlante’s potential certainly impressed University of Rhode Island coach Jim Baron, who watched the youngster play twice against son Billy’s Hendricken team, which barely beat Woonsocket in the state title game.
“Coach Baron offered Michael a full scholarship to URI this week,” Hart admitted. “It’s a firm offer. The sky’s the limit for Michael. If he works hard in practices and games, he has a chance to at least play in the Atlantic 10 conference. His three-point shooting ability has really improved this summer. That will make him more marketable in the guard/small forward position.”
Hart plans to turn LaPlante into a shooting guard, the same position occupied by Pawtucket’s Rakim Sanders (now a sophomore-to-be at Boston College), during his recent career at St. Andrew’s.
“I see myself as a shooting guard,” LaPlante said on Tuesday. “Coach Hart has talked to me about my shooting and my all-around game. When I dunked the ball last season, I thought that was kind of special, but I know I have to work on being a better all-around player. If the dunks come, they come, but I want it to happen in the flow of the game.”
LaPlante has spent the summer playing for the Expressions Elite basketball team.
“We’ve been playing all over the place,” he said. “We played in Pittsburgh and just got back from a trip to Florida last week.”
LaPlante said he applied to St. Andrew’s earlier this year.
“I think it’s better for my future,” he said. “I was an Honor Roll student at Woonsocket but at St. Andrew’s I will be surrounded by a lot of students who are on the same page as me. I’ll be living at home my first year and will commute. Then I hope to live on campus after that.”
Hart never saw LaPlante play for Woonsocket.
“A couple of my players told me about Michael,” said the Smithfield High School alum. “He told me later on that he wanted to apply to St. Andrew’s. I know he also had been looking at Mount Hernon Academy. I just think St. Andrew’s is a good fit for Michael. When I went to Smithfield High, we had 1,000 kids in the school. It was a good school and the teachers all work hard, the same way they do in Woonsocket. But we have smaller classes at St. Andrew’s. Sometimes there might be only eight students in a class. I think that helps break down barriers to learning.”
Hart said LaPlante was fortunate to play for Kyle Ivey-Jones, a former star at the University of Rhode Island, during his high school career.
“Kyle is a great teacher,” Hart said. “Michael has a good foundation in basketball to build upon. He’s obviously extremely athletic, he finishes on the break, he’s a ‘flasher’ on offense and he defends well. Kyle has taught him well.”
St. Andrew’s has awarded LaPlante a financial package that covers a solid portion of his tuition.
“It’s a financial need scholarship,” the coach said. “Just like the Ivy League, we try to help our students out based on their financial situation.”
LaPlante’s mother, Lori, is a single mom who is a manager of a Subway sandwich shop in North Smithfield. She is holding a fundraiser for her son from 1-4 p.m. on Aug. 16 to help defray some of the remaining academic expenses.
“We’re going to have a party at the Chaplin-Perez hall on 37 Center St.,” Lori LaPlante said. “It will cost $5 to get in. We hope a lot of people from the city can find time to attend.”