Reserved Yacoubou is loud presence on defense

Guard is the perfect position for the guarded Achraf Yacoubou.

Long Island Lutheran's 6-5 senior isn't a showman like former teammate Tobias Harris. He isn't as accomplished as Tyreke Evans, last year's NBA Rookie of the Year who Yacoubou played with as a freshman at American Christian Academy in Pennsylvania. He doesn't have the pizzazz of current Hills West star Tavon Sledge, his friend from the AAU circuit.

The best part of Yacoubou's game is his in-your-face defense, something rare in a standout high school player.

He likes to guard more than just the ball.

Yacoubou will talk about his game - how he's trying to improve his ballhandling and three-point shooting. But finding your way into his soul is more like breaking a full-court press than taking him off-the-dribble.

Ask him what he likes to do off the court, Yacoubou answers "work out and watch TV.'' But it takes him about two minutes and countless "ums'' and "ahs'' to come up with "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' as his favorite show.

Inquire about where his unique name came from, and Yacoubou says his mom. But he doesn't know its meaning or origin, except to say "it's African.''

Question him about why he committed to a college (Villanova) before his junior season and here's what Yacoubou answers about the recruiting process: "At first, the feeling is 'Whoa, this is so exciting.' But after a while, it gets tiring. And your phone bill goes up.''

Ask him about choosing Villanova, and Yacoubou will tell you how he likes that it's a Catholic school and the "family-type struc- true'' of the basketball team.

Finally, a small window into his thoughts.

Yacoubou admits he doesn't go to church every week, but acknowledges religion is important to him and that he enjoys the atmosphere at religious institutions.

Though he maintains a relationship with his parents, the Bronx native lives with an extended family in Brookville. It's not far from Lutheran's Glen Head campus, but a long way from the circus of the New York City basketball scene. "It's a great place,'' Yacoubou says of his school.

The complexity of the intelligent yet reticent 18-year-old doesn't quite range from A-Z, but certainly from A (Achraf) to Y (Yacoubou).

"He's very businesslike,'' said second-year Lutheran coach John Buck. "He's very mature. It's like he's 30 years old, so I talk to him as a peer.''

One problem - Buck is only 26.

The coach is a Lutheran grad who walked on at Wake Forest, where he earned four varsity letters and served as team captain his senior year. He knows firsthand what Yacoubou has to do to thrive in a big-time college environment.

"There's really no substitute for the pace of the college game,'' Buck said. "But [Yacoubou's] already so strong that I feel he'll adjust pretty well. He's the type of player who wants to steal it, dunk it and then steal it again.''

In Yacoubou's three seasons at Lutheran, there's been plenty of upheaval, especially the coming and going of the Harris brothers, and the move from Brian Carey to Buck as head coach. With five returning seniors and Buck's system already in place, Yacoubou is free to lead the Crusaders in search of their second Federation title in three seasons.

"I feel like things are a lot more stable,'' Yacoubou said. "We know each other's games and each other's spots. The expectation is to be the best we can be. If we make it far and lose, at least we know we played together.''

Yacoubou, last year's Sandler Award winner (given to the top player in Nassau), has averaged 20.5 points per game, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his first two seasons at Lutheran.

This season, Yacoubou has returned to the gym with not only a diverse set of offensive skills but also with a pair of bulging biceps. He's recorded a double-double in each of the team's first three games, including a 35-point, 16-rebound performance in an overtime win over St. Raymond's - one of the top teams in the state - last weekend.

"This is a young man who is very well prepared to play in the Big East,'' Villanova coach Jay Wright wrote in an e-mail to Newsday. "We're extremely excited about his future as a Villanova guard.''

He should be - Yacoubou has this guarding thing down pat.