Washington, D.C.:
The nation’s high school basketball capital
article quotes
ALL-MET ELITE
Junior Etou - O'Connell HS.
“Playing AAU, I saw [the D.C. area] was the best competition in the country and I thought it would be the best place to grow as a player,” said Etou, who is averaging 15.3 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knights this season. “The guys play harder and have more skills here.”
Marcus Dickerson - Paul VI HS.
“Before I started playing in high school, I knew the talent level in this area was high with guys like Kevin Durant playing at Montrose [Christian] and all the WCAC schools around, so there’s sort of a responsibility to live up to what they accomplished in high school,” said Derrickson, who averages a team-high 12.6 points. “Beating Oak Hill felt good. Nobody wants anybody to come in and outcompete them because we take pride in representing this area.”
Stu Vetter - Montrose Christian HS. Head Coach
“When I started at Flint Hill, we just wanted to be a solid basketball team in our area,” said Vetter, who now coaches at Montrose Christian. “When the USA Today poll started, we happened to have a few good players and Dennis Scott helped make us into a national power. Once that attention comes, you find good players want to play at good programs and this area is fortunate to have a lot of great programs.”
Dan Harwood - Magruder HS. Head Coach
“Schools in this area are still in the business of educating kids,” longtime Magruder Coach Dan Harwood said. “Not that the private schools here don’t get transfers, but when kids enroll in the DeMathas and Gonzagas, they know they are joining a program where the coach is in the building, the academic foundation is strong and there’s an opportunity for these kids to build a team chemistry that can allow you to reach that national level.”
Glenn Farello - Paul VI HS. Head Coach
“I had a college coach tell me he’s never seen a team play as fast as we do,” Paul VI Coach Glenn Farello said. “Kids learn how to go through the grind and we want kids who aren’t ‘me’ players but are about team, like the Spurs in the NBA or the Patriots in the NFL. In those ways, they are ready to make an immediate impact when they get to the college level.”
Mark Turgeon - University of Maryland Head Coach
“People in this area love basketball and to me, that’s what makes this area unique, because kids play year-round and specialize in the sport,” Turgeon said. “There are lots of good coaches and good players, and it’s nice to have quality kids in our backyard where I don’t always have to get on a plane to see good talent.”
Paul Biancardi - ESPN
“You see Steve Turner from Gonzaga and Mike Jones from DeMatha coaching at the Chris Paul camp and guys like Stu Vetter and the Woottens have their camps, too,” said Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s director of basketball recruiting. “These guys are always looking for ways to improve and the players see that and feed off that because they want to improve and already love the game.”
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