Bob Rager immediately knew T.J. Heatherington was the right choice to start at point guard.

Rager, the Point Park University men's basketball coach, actually believes the freshman was brought into this world to run the floor for the Pioneers.

"The thing about a true point guard is they're born a point guard, just like they say about quarterbacks [in football]," said Rager, a Munhall native who is in his 21st season at the helm of the Point Park program.

"I'm sure he came out at birth and told the doctor he loves to dribble and take it to the hoop.

"Point guards are natural leaders; they're born for that role and T.J. was born for the role. He sees the floor and is well aware of everything. That's the essence of his game and he knows it and he's fearless."

Heatherington, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound freshman from McKeesport, was a two-time all-state selection in basketball and football at Serra Catholic.

In basketball, he was a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette East Fab 5 pick and averaged 25 points per game during his senior year for the Eagles. Last year, he led Serra to the WPIAL Class A final by scoring a single-game district-record 50 points in the semifinals.

And Heatherington is trying to continue that pace at the NAIA collegiate level. Through five games this season, he is averaging 14.4 points and 4.2 assists for the Pioneers (3-4). He has had to sit out two Pioneers games with an ankle injury.

Heatherington scored 20 points in his collegiate debut against Rochester and followed up with 17 the following night at Miami-Hamilton.

"I was a little surprised [by those numbers]," said Heatherington, who guided Serra Catholic to WPIAL and PIAA championships during his junior year. "I didn't know how the start of the season was going to go and I hoped for the best.

"I'm just happy we're winning against some good teams because it's going to help in the long run once we start our conference play."

He played just five minutes against St. Joseph's College the third game before suffering an ankle injury that forced him to miss the Pioneers' next contest against Ohio Valley University.

"That was tough because it was the first game I've ever missed because of an injury," Heatherington said. "I've had sprained ankles in the past and it's never been anything to worry about. I usually just need some time to rest it and then I'm fine."

Heatherington bounced right back by scoring 26 points at Penn State-Fayette. He re-injured his ankle Friday night, however, and played just 15 minutes against Trevecca Nazarene in the first round of the Cedarville (Ohio) Tournament. Heatherington sat out Saturday night during Point Park's 84-68 win over Rio Grande and his status is day-to-day.

"He was able to come back real quick [after he first sprained the ankle]," Rager said. "He's a tough kid and he knows what to do with resting it and doing the right things, like not pushing himself and icing it properly."

Heatherington has still been a fine addition to a Point Park team that went 12-16 overall and 4-9 in the NAIA American Mideast Conference last season.

"I like to run and T.J. can do that," said Rager, whose teams led the nation in scoring in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and were third in the country in 2007-08. "He's perfect for our system. I want to put the ball in his hands and push it [up the court].

"He's going to have a lot of turnovers, but I can accept that because I want him out there pushing the ball and throwing it all over the place. That's the style I want to play and it's the style my players like playing."

Heatherington has embraced his role.

"As long as we're winning, I'm happy," he said. "I like driving down the court, finding the open shooters and concentrating on the flow of the game."

Like any college freshman, Heatherington continues to adjust to the transition from playing at the high school level.

"The game's a lot faster," he said. "The guys on the court are all bigger and stronger, so that's something different. It was difficult [playing against bigger opponents] at first, but it seems like with each week and every game, it's getting a little easier."

Rager has noticed Heatherington's steady improvements.

"At first, I noticed a lot of his shots were getting blocked," Rager said. "You have to adjust to that when you come from high school and you're driving to the hoop every time. He's starting to learn when to kick the ball out and realizing you can't drive to the hoop every time; you have to stop in the paint and make a decision."

Rager believes Heatherington has a bright future at the college level. He's also hoping to add another Heatherington to his lineup next season.

"We're hot on his brother [Serra senior], Robbie," he said. "He's the top guy on our list. I'm sure I'm going see a few more Serra games this year.

"These two guys enjoy the game and that's what we're looking for. It's great to find people who have that passion and they both have it."

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