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Cap City Ballerz - Battle of the Ballerz Breast Cancer Tournament

2012-03-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

Cap City Ballerz

Battle of the Ballerz Breast Cancer Tournament

CCB 2012 Breast Cancer Tournament

The CCB 2012 Breast Cancer Tournament will be held:

When: Saturday, May 5, 2012

Where: U-turn Sports Performance Academy
2101 Maywill Drive
Richmond, Virginia 23230

Contact: Star or Eric Wills

(804)647-9277

Great Breast Cancer Awareness event. Portion of proceeds donated to Va. Breast Cancer Foundation. 3 games at U-turn’s 4 Court Facility with a Cafe on site. We’re asking all teams to wear something pink in honor of Breast Cancer.

Deadline 4/21/2012

Kendall Marshall sets ACC single-season assist record

2012-03-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Kendall Marshall

UNC

sets single-season ACC assist record

ALL-MET ELITE

Kendall Marshall, a sophomore point guard at North Carolina, became the ACC's all-time single-season assist leader during UNC's 85-69 victory against Maryland.

Marshall finished the game with 12 assists, giving him 311 for the season. Craig Neal, the former Georgia Tech point guard, had long held the conference record after finishing the 1987-88 season with 303 assists.

KENDALL MARSHALL

BISHOP O'CONNELL HS.

ARLINGTON VA.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/10/3085582/heels-marshall-sets-single-season.html#storylink=cpy

ALL-MET ELITE ANNOUNCEMENTS

2012-03-09T09:48:00.002-08:00

ALL-MET ELITE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AAU BASKETBALL: South River Shooters will be holding tryouts and registrations for boys and girls 2nd to 11th grade. Practices held in the Edgewater area.
For information and to register,
visit
www.southrivershooters.com
or
email Mike Hebb at mhebbsr@comcast.net

HOOPKIDZ BASKETBALL: HoopKidz Instructional Basketball sessions for boys and girls, ages 3 to 13, comes to Truxtun Park Recreation Center beginning March 16.
For information, visit www.hoopkidz.com or email info@hoopkidz.com.

MAGO VISTA BASKETBALL: Mago Vista Basketball will participate in the Anne Arundel County Spring Basketball League with competitive teams being offered at the 9-14-year-old age brackets. Tryouts and practices will begin the second week in March. Games are played on Sundays. Practices are offered each week but players participating in an in-season sport are not required to attend all spring basketball practices. Mago Vista is also looking for a few high level players to play on a 8th grade A level team.
For more information, email magovistabasketball@yahoo.com

Loudoun Elite Basketball Organization - Tryouts

2012-03-09T09:18:00.001-08:00

Loudoun Elite Basketball Organization

Tryouts

The Loudoun Elite Basketball Organization, are in need of players for our 15U and 17U teams. They are based out of Loudoun County, VA in Sterling. They will be holding two shoot arounds this weekend at

Claude Moore Recreation Center in Sterling, VA

on Saturday, March 10 at 6:30 PM

and Sunday March 11 at 6:30 PM.

Any interested players/parents can contact

Tracy Williams
Founder/17U Head Coach
The Loudoun Elite Basketball Organization
571.205.6254

http://www.loudounelite.org

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Loudoun-Elite-AAU-Basketball-Program/88297013124?ref=ts

http://twitter.com/LoudounElite

Television Schedule Set for Fourth Annual ESPNHS National High School Invitational Basketball Tournament

2012-03-08T09:01:00.001-08:00

Television Schedule Set for Fourth Annual ESPNHS National High School Invitational Basketball Tournament

15 Hours of Game Action on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU
The ESPNHS National High School Invitational (NHSI) basketball tournament – 10 games of boys’ and girls’ single-elimination tournaments with some of the nation’s top teams – will air live on ESPN networks Thursday – Saturday, March 29-31 from the campus of Georgetown Preparatory School in Bethesda, Md. Six games will air on ESPNU with three on ESPN2 and the Boy’s Championship on ESPN from the school’s Hanley Center for Athletic Excellence. The fourth annual event is produced by ESPN in conjunction with Paragon Marketing Group.
Adam Amin will call the boys’ games with Paul Biancardi, ESPN's national director of high school basketball recruiting, providing analysis and David Telep reporting from the sidelines. Former Duke star Abby Waner will serve as analyst for the girls telecasts with Eamon McAnaney handling play-by-play duties. Participating teams will be announced at a later date.
The 2012 NHSI television schedule (subject to change):

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Talent	Network
Thurs, Mar 29	2 p.m.	Boys QF Game 1	Amin, Biancardi, Telep	ESPNU
	4 p.m.	Boys QF Game 2	Amin, Biancardi, Telep	ESPNU
	6 p.m.	Boys QF Game 3	Amin, Biancardi, Telep	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	Boys QF Game 4	Amin, Biancardi, Telep	ESPNU
Fri, Mar 30	11:30 a.m.	Boys Semifinals Game 1	Amin, Biancardi, Telep	ESPN2
	1:30 p.m.	Boys Semifinals Game 2	Amin, Biancardi, Telep	ESPN2
	3:30 p.m.	Girls Semifinals Game 1	McAnaney, Waner	ESPNU
	5:30 p.m.	Girls Semifinals Game 2	McAnaney, Waner	ESPNU
Sat, Mar 31	12 p.m.	Girls Championship	McAnaney, Waner	ESPN2
	2 p.m.	Boys Championship	Amin, Biancardi, Telep	ESPN

All NHSI telecasts on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will also be available online through ESPN3 and WatchESPN.
ESPNHS NHSI tickets are available now at NHSIHoops.com and the Georgetown Prep box office (day of game only).

Participants in Fourth Annual ESPNHS National High School Invitational Selected

2012-03-08T08:56:00.001-08:00

Standout players: Justin Anderson, SF - #55 on ESPNU 100, Ishmail Wainright, SF - #27 on ESPNU Super 60
Notes: Defending 2011 ESPNHS NHSI Champions.
Montverde Academy
Coach: Kevin Boyle
Standout players: Anthony J.P. Cortesia, SF - #64 on ESPNU 100, Kasey Hill, PG - #18 on ESPNU Super 60, Dakari Johnson, C - #5 on ESPNU Terrific 25, DeAngelo Russell, SG - #14 on ESPNU Terrific 25

Coolidge

Coach: Vaughn Jones

Standout players: Maurice Jeffers, F, Khalen Cumberlander, G
Notes: Coolidge beat Montrose Christian by two points in January and they finished the season as the DCIAA Champions.

ALL-MET ELITE ANNOUNCEMENTS

2012-03-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

ALL-MET ELITE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BasketballBeltway Ballers plans tryouts for its boys AAU 4th through 8th grades teams. Call 410-977-4337 or visit www.beltwayballers.com.

The D.C. Assault U-12 and U-13 boys basketball teams plan tryouts. Call 301-440-8755.

The Maryland Lakers Youth Basketball Organization seeks boys for U-8 teams. Call 301-556-3117.

Meade Youth Basketball Association seeks
girls (10 to 13 years old)
and
boys (7 to 12) for its AAU spring teams.
Tryouts and registrations are planned for
Seven Oaks Elementary School in Odenton.
Girls are March 13
Boys are March 20.
Visit http://www.mybawildcats.org/
or call 410-903-4927.

The PG All-Stars basketball program seeks 11th grade boys for its AAU season. Call Dorman at 703-200-9814 or email pgallstars@verizon.net.

Hoop Summit roster announced

2012-03-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

Hoop Summit roster announced

USA Basketball announced Tuesday the lineup for its 2012 Junior National Select Team, which will compete in the Nike Hoop Summit in April

National Player of the Year candidates Kyle Anderson of St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) and Shabazz Muhammad of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) headline the 10-man roster. Recently re-classified center and defensive ace Nerlens Noel was also included on the squad.

Kevin Boyle of Montverde Academy (Fla.) is the head coach of the squad and will be assisted by Mike Jones of DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).
Other members of the team include: Archie Goodwin, Sylvan Hills (Sherwood, Ark.); Gary Harris, Hamilto Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.); Mitch McGary, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.); Marcus Paige, Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa); Tony Parker, Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.); Rasheed Sulaimon, Strake Jesuit (Houston); Kaleb Tarczewski, St. Mark's (Southborough, Mass.).

The Nike Hoop Summit will be played April 7 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. Fox Sports Net will broadcast the event live at 7 p.m. PDT. The Junior National Select Team will face the World Team, which has included NBA stars like Dirk Nowitzski, San Antonio's Tony Parker and Nicolas Batum in past years.

Virginia Venom Tip Off Season With Tourney Title

2012-03-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

Virginia Venom Tip Off Season With

Tourney Title

BY - Will Armbruster

The 14-and-under Virginia Venom AAU basketball team opened its season by capturing championship medals at the 2012 Colonial Cup held at Williamsburg's Hornsby Middle School this past weekend.

The Venom completed a 4-0 sweep of the eight-team tournament with wins against Richmond Metro, 42-40; the Richmond Warriors, 60-50; Toano Storm, 50-43; and the Richmond Warriors again, this time 50-45, in the championship game.

Fifty-two teams from different age groups competed over the weekend. The Venom's 4th grade team also finished runners-up in the 10-and-under bracket.

Both squads, along with the three Venom high-school teams, will compete in the touted Nike Youth Elite Invitational held at the Boo Williams Sportsplex March 23-25, followed by the Under Armour Invitational at VCU March 30-31.

Pictured to the left is the Venom 14-and-under championship team. The roster is made up of players from York, Queens Lake and Berkeley Middle Schools: Elijah Rice (#12), Matt Slade (#32), Luc Lipcious (#44), Andre Lipcious (#20), Mark Lipscomb (#5), Daniel Jones (#3), Dejaun Mccray (#25), Lofton Jones (#1), Nate Carroll (#24), Danjah Taylor (#21), Holden Lipsomb (#2)

ALL-MET ELITE ANNOUNCEMENTS

2012-03-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

ALL-MET ELITE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Marauder Nation plays tryouts for boys 14 and older for 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Call 202-286-5594 or visit http://www.marylandmarudersbball.com/.

The Mid-Atlantic Select AAU boys U-15, U-16 and U-17 teams plan tryouts for 6:30 p.m. (U-15), 8 p.m. (U-16 and U-17) at 3310 Gateshead Manor Way, Silver Spring. Call 240-413-0974 or 301-633-9997.

2012 Clover Classic March 17-18

2012-03-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

2012 Clover Classic March 17-18

ROANOKE ROAR

Tournament play will be held Saturday and Sunday.

Entry fee is $200 or take advatange of our stay and play for free if you stay at one of our participating hotels.

For more information visit

www.roanokeroar.com

or call

540.793.1196

D.C CITY TITLE BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

2012-03-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

D.C CITY TITLE

BOYS BASKETBALL

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

ALL-MET ELITE

The Abe Pollin City Title Game will be played March 20 at the Verizon Center,

No. 1 Paul VI Catholic will play No. 8 Coolidge

in the boys’ game at

7:30 p.m.

Back 2 the Basket Power Basketball - Tryouts

2012-03-06T10:22:00.001-08:00

Back 2 the Basket Power Basketball

Tryouts

If you want to be apart of the National Championship Winning team, here is your chance to show us what you've got!
Boys age 14-17 only
When: March 24, 2012 and March 31, 2012
Where: Jewish Community Center Owings Mills
3506 Gwynnbrook Ave Owings Mills, MD 21117
Time: Doors open at 9:30AM for more info contact

Wonda Oliver (Team Administrator)
Email: wondaoliver@yahoo.com
or 443-421-2268

Jelleff Boys & Girls Club Championship Weekend - ALL- MET ELITE

2012-03-06T09:31:00.004-08:00

Jelleff

Boys & Girls Club

Championship

Weekend

Schedule

Friday, March 9th

5:00pm 6th Grade East Dragons vs. Cavaliers

6:00pm 6th Grade West Red Bulls vs. Cavaliers

7:00pm 6th Grade West Cougars vs. Raptors

8:00pm 8th Grade East Wizards vs. Jammers

Saturday, March 10th

8:30am 5th Grade West Bruins vs. GDS

9:30am 5th Grade West Hyenas vs. Key School

10:30am 5th Grade West Red Devils vs. Suns

11:30am 5th Grade West Eagles vs. Blizzard

12:30pm 5th Grade East Bears vs. Victors

1:30pm 5th Grade East Orangemen vs. Wizards

2:30pm 5th Grade East Eagles vs. Cougars

3:30pm 6th Grade West Sonic Thunder vs. Devils

4:30pm 8th Grade West Cardinals vs. Honey Badgers

5:30pm 8th Grade East Bombers vs. Losing Team from Wizards vs. Jammers

Sunday, March 11th

12:30pm 8th Grade West Sonics vs. Pancake House

1:30pm 6th Grade East Spartans vs. Owls

2:30pm 8th Grade West Blasters vs. Winning Team from Cardinals vs. Honey Badgers

3:30pm 8th Grade East Geckos vs. Winning Team from Wizards vs. Jammers

4:30pm 9th Grade Magic vs. Los Barbaros

5:30pm 9th Grade Dawgs vs. Wild Things

6:30pm SSR’s Coyotes vs. Lakers

2012-03-06T07:12:00.000-08:00

A.S.S.I.S.T.

5TH ANNUAL Bring Your A- Game

Unsigned Senior

Basketball Showcase

Bring Your A- Game Unsigned Senior Basketball Showcase (Richmond, VA) (Top Unsigned Seniors in Virginia Area and outside of Virginia) Girls (March 15, 2012) Boys (March 17, 2012) Registration – 4:00pm Education Seminar – 4:30pm Games – 5:00pm-9:30 pm Registration – 8:30am Education Seminar – 9:15am Games – 10:00am-330pm Location Clover Hill High School 13301 Kelly Green Lane Midlothian, VA 23112 (College Coaches will be in attendance) Event Includes: • Warm ups and Drills (conducted by Tom Clark, Gym Rat Basketball Services) • Assist Game T-Shirt for each player • 3-games guaranteed for each player

To Register:

Step 1: Email the following information to wcarter@assiststudentathletes.com or wcarterasa@yahoo.com Full name, Grade, Height, High School, Position, Student & Parent Telephone #

Step 2: Upon receipt of your information ASSIST will send a waiver form to you via Email.

Step 3: Bring $45 registration fee and waiver form to the clinic on the day of the event.

**** Registration Deadline: March 12, 2012****

For more information contact:

William Carter:

804-397-3261wcarter@assiststudentathletes.com

Website:

www.assiststudentathletes.com

WASHINGTON D.C NATIVE BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2012-03-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON D.C NATIVE

BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR

THOMAS ROBINSON

RIVERDALE BAPTIST

Upper Marlboro, MD

ALL-MET ELITE

Player of the Year

Thomas Robinson

Kansas

Forward

The junior forward from Washington, D.C., averaged 18 points per game this season, a career best accompanied by his 11.9 rebounds per game. He led the conference in rebounding and has the Jayhawks ranked in the top five in the country. Kansas will be the No. 1 seed when the Big 12 Conference tournament kicks off, and if KU finishes strong, the Jayhawks will be looking at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament as well. Robinson is also being considered as one of the leading candidates for NCAA Player of the Year.

2012 VIRGINIA ELITE TEAM TRYOUT SCHEDULE

2012-03-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

2012 VIRGINIA ELITE TEAM TRYOUT

SCHEDULE

Virginia Elite AAU Team Tryouts Boys

Friday - March 9th @ 7pm

Sat - March 10th @ 4pm

Sun - March 11th @ 3pm

the NZone, Chantilly,VA

DeMatha Basketball Camp- July 16-20th 2012

2012-03-05T05:48:00.002-08:00

DeMatha Basketball Camp

July 16-20th
2012

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Please consider joining us at the DeMatha Basketball Camp this summer. The “Montgomery County week” is July 16-20. This is the 3ird year DeMatha will be offering free roundtrip bus transportation from St. Bart’s in Bethesda to camp. The Bus will depart St. Bart’s at 8:30 AM sharp and return close to 5:00 PM. The last 2 years all 28 seats on the bus were claimed quickly with kids from St. Bart’s, Pyle, Wood Acres, Summerset, Mater Dei, Little Flower, Holy Redeemer, The Heights, de Chantal, Blessed Sacrament, and a few more. If you are interested I encourage you to registrar as early as your family calendars allow. Simply print and fill out the attached flier, include $200.00, and clearly print MoCo BUS on your check.

This camp stresses the “FUNdamentals “ for boys and girls ages 7-14 of all skill levels. The camp is held in a brand new air conditioned 8 basket facility and in the 6 basket Historic Wootten “Old Gym”. It is run every day, all day by the DeMatha Varsity Head Coach Mike Jones and his staff.

M.A.D.E BASKETBALL - TRYOUT ANNOUNCEMENT

2012-03-05T05:01:00.002-08:00

M.A.D.E BASKETBALL

TRYOUT ANNOUNCEMENT

BOYS - 2012 Spring Evaluations Dates and Times
All players should attend both sessionsSee below for 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade girls tryouts

K, 1^st and 2^nd grade
Wednesday, February 29^th and March 7^thWayside Elementary School
6pm to 7pm

3^rd and 4^th grade
Monday, March 5^thFrost Middle School
6pm to 8pm

4th Grade Only
Friday, March 9^thWalt Whitman H.S. (Aux)
7pm to 8:30pm

3rd Grade ONLY Tuesday, March 6th
Farmland Elementary School
6pm to 8pm

5^th and 6^th grade
Friday, March 2^ndWalt Whitman H.S. (Aux)
7pm to 8:30pm
Monday, March 5th Watkins Mill HS
7pm to 9pm

$20.00 for Non-M.A.D.E. Members

BASKETBALL ANNOUNCEMENTS - ALL-MET ELITE

2012-03-04T06:56:00.000-08:00

BASKETBALL ANNOUNCEMENTS

ALL-MET ELITE

HOOPKIDZ BASKETBALL: HoopKidz Instructional Basketball sessions for boys and girls, ages 3 to 13, comes to Truxtun Park Recreation Center beginning March 16.
For information, visit www.hoopkidz.com or email info@hoopkidz.com

MAGO VISTA BASKETBALL: Mago Vista Basketball will participate in the Anne Arundel County Spring Basketball League with competitive teams being offered at the 9-14-year-old age brackets. Tryouts and practices will begin the second week in March. Games are played on Sundays. Practices are offered each week but players participating in an in season sport are not required to attend all spring basketball practices. Mago Vista is also looking for a few high level players to play on a 8th grade A level team.
For more information, email magovistabasketball@yahoo.com

MAYS BASKETBALL: Maryland Academy of Youth Sports Spring/Summer basketball
program for 9th grade/15U AAU boys' basketball tryouts will be conducted on
Monday, March 5 at Marley Middle School in Glen Burnie. Tryouts will
begin at 8 p.m. MAYS summer schedule will include tournaments where
college scouts will be present. Visit www.leaguelineup.com/maysbasketball
or contact Bruce Spruell 443-694-1084.

BROADNECK BASKETBALL: Registration is now open for spring basketball. B.A.Y.S. will place competitive boys and girls teams - ages 9-14 - in the Anne Arundel County spring league with games beginning the first week of March. Games will played on Sundays. To register or to get more information, visit www.broadneckyouthsports.com

MAGO VISTA BASKETBALL: The organization will participate in the Anne Arundel County Spring Basketball League with competitive teams being offered at the 10U, 12U and 13-14-year-old age brackets. Tryouts and practices will begin the second week in March. Games are played on Sundays. Mago Vista is also looking for a few high-level players to play on an 8th grade A level team.
For more information, email magovistabasketball@yahoo.com

SOUTH RIVER SHOOTERS - TRYOUTS

2012-03-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

SOUTH RIVER SHOOTERS

TRYOUTS

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Second Annual All-American Championship Roster Announced

2012-03-02T18:01:00.001-08:00

Second Annual All-American Championship Roster Announced

ALL-MET ELITE

EDITION

Nate Britt

Rosters were announced Thursday for the second annual All-American Championship, scheduled for April 1 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. The event is unique among postseason showcase games as some of the nation's top juniors join college-bound seniors for a doubleheader.

The first game of the doubleheader will match the West vs. the East, followed by the North vs. the South. Tip is 3 p.m. EST (2 p.m. CST). Each game will be aired live on ESPN3 with a rebroadcast of the doubleheader beginning at 9 p.m. EST on ESPNU.

East Team
Name, Hgt., Year, Pos., School – College
Nate Britt, 6-1, Jr., G, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) – North Carolina
Omar Calhoun, 6-3, Sr., G, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) – Connecticut
DaJuan Coleman, 6-9, Sr., C, Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.) – Syracuse
Jerami Grant, 6-7, Sr., F, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) – Syracuse
Ricardo Ledo, 6-6, Sr., G, South Kent (Conn.) – Providence
Mitch McGary, 6-10, Sr., C, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) – Michigan
Nerlens Noel, 6-10, Sr., C, Tilton School (Tilton, N.H.) – Undecided
Chris Obekpa, 6-8, Sr., C, Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.) – Undecided
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, 6-3, Sr., G, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) – Georgetown
Kaleb Tarczewski, 7-0, Sr., C, St. Mark's (Southborough, Mass.) – Arizona

Prep Teams: The changing landscape of high school basketball

2012-03-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

Prep Teams

The changing landscape of high school basketball

By - Paul Sjoberg

Private high schools have been pulling top athletic talent for years. Often luring under privileged students to play sports for their schools. Boarding schools do this on the regular for basketball in particular. An example of this is Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Oak Hill has had 22 players make it to the NBA overall including some pretty famous names: Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley, Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Jennings, and Josh Smith. What Oak Hill does is considered old school now. There is a relatively new phenomena in high school education and athletics popping up all over the country….
What do Huntington Prep (West Virginia), Findlay Prep (Nevada), and La Jolla Prep (California) all have in common? For one they ALL have top level basketball talent, players with Division I and NBA talent written all over them. But probably most shocking is that these three organizations don’t have any teachers. In fact, they are not “real” college prep high schools. They aren’t purposefully deceiving anyone, if you go to their websites there is no doubt what they are prepping young men to do. These independent basketball organizations are completely changing the landscape of high school basketball and college recruiting.
In a recent Washington Post article, writer Josh Barr goes into detail about the establishment of Huntington Prep in particular. We’ll summarize. Huntington Prep players attend a private Catholic High School for their education, and play for a group of coaches NOT affiliated with the Catholic High School they attend. In fact the school that Huntington Prep’s players attend has it’s own basketball team (which none of the guys play for). The benefit being portrayed is that academics are held completely separate from basketball. Teachers are not influenced to give an athlete a passing grade, and basketball coaches are free to concentrate on preparing the players for the NCAA and eventually the NBA.
The strange nuance to this whole arrangement is that Huntington Prep (as an organization) pays for the players education, room, and board. Many of these basketball prep organizations are filing paperwork as non-profits. Guess what? In the case of Findlay Prep in particular…the NCAA has given the green light to this.

TRY-OUT ANNOUNCEMENTS

2012-03-01T08:27:00.001-08:00

TRY-OUT

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ALL-MET ELITE

TRY-OUT ANNOUNCEMENTS

BasketballThe Blazing Bulls seek boys basketball players (ages 14 and 15) for its 2012 AAU season. Tryouts are 7 to 9 p.m. on Fridays through March 9 at Samuel Ogle Middle School in Bowie.
Call 240-988-8639.

The D.C. Assault U-12 and U-13 boys basketball teams plan tryouts.
Call 301-440-8755.

The D.C. Hoyas AAU boys basketball plans tryouts for its 9th and 10th grade teams for 3 (9th graders) and 4 p.m. (10th graders) Saturday at the Capital Sports Complex in District Heights.
Call 202-629-7700.

The Maryland Panthers basketball teams seek 7th and 8th grade boys and 6th and 7th grade girls.
Call 301-807-8857 or email smokeycoach@yahoo.com.

Meade Youth Basketball Association seeks girls (10 to 13 years old) and boys (7 to 12) for its AAU spring teams. Tryouts and registrations are planned for Seven Oaks Elementary School in Odenton. Girls are March 13, boys are March 20.
Visit www.mybawildcats.org or call 410-903-4927.

The PG All-Stars basketball program seeks 11th grade boys for its AAU season.
Call Dorman at 703-200-9814 or email pgallstars@verizon.net.

Warriors on the Rise basketball organization plans tryouts for its boys 12-to-14 year old teams at 4 p.m. Saturday; and boys 15-to-17 year old teams at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Call 202-487-4316.
Girls in grades 6 and 7 may arrange tryouts.
Call 240-304-5198.

Q/A with Jamal Lewis - Sidwell Friends

2012-02-29T08:32:00.001-08:00

Jamal Lewis

Sidwell Friends

ALL-MET ELITE

Q&A with basketball recruit
Jamal Lewis
By Steven Jaffe
Lewis committed to Penn at the beginning of July, making him the first Penn basketball commit for 2012. Lewis is a 6-foot, 165-pound point guard out of Washington, D.C. He currently attends Sidwell Friends, a prestigious private school, and the same school which President Obama’s daughters attend.
Lewis already epitomizes the Quakers: Sidwell’s mascot is also a Quaker (not to be confused with the Quaker). This year, Sidwell was a co-champion of the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC). Over the past season, the up-and-coming point guard racked up 17.2 points per game, shooting over 50 percent from the floor. Lewis also showed his ability to create opportunities for his teammates, averaging 5.2 assists per game.
ESPN gives Lewis an 83 overall ranking, making him the fifth-best player out of D.C. Major programs such as Stanford and Virginia also expressed interest in Lewis. However, Quakers fans may take more satisfaction from the fact that Lewis turned down offers from Princeton, Harvard and Yale to play home games at the Palestra.

Daily Pennsylvanian: What made you pick Penn?
Jamal Lewis: Obviously Penn is a great academic school … [It’s] one of the top schools in the nation … and graduating from Penn would put me in a good spot to be successful in life. On basketball, Penn was one of the first schools to really look at me and I was really happy and really impressed with how badly they wanted me and how much they supported me throughout my high school career … I could tell that the Penn basketball program is like a family, and that’s kind of what I was looking for in a team … And obviously coach Allen, being the great player that he was, I tried to trust in him, and trusted that he would help me be the best basketball player that I could be. Overall, I thought it was a great decision for me.

DP: Is there something you particularly like about Jerome Allen’s style of coaching?
JL: I’m more impressed with his confidence — the confidence that he has in himself and that he shares with his players. I know he has the utmost respect for all his players [and] puts them in a position to win.

DP: How do you see yourself stepping up next year, especially given that Penn is losing its three most crucial players at the end of this season?
JL: Obviously Zack Rosen is a great player — probably one of the best in Penn history … But I plan on just working hard … and picking on some of the things that Zack learned … I just want to learn from these guys as much as possible and be able to help out as much as I can next year.

DP: What’s been the most inspiring moment in your career thus far?
JL: The most exciting thing about any sport is winning, and while I’ve been at Sidwell, we’ve won the MAC three times … And I just love being able to share that with my teammates. You know, working hard with them and being able to see our hard work pay off. The offseason we worked our butts off… and to see it pay off is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever been a part of.

DP: What do you see as the biggest challenge transitioning from the MAC, which isn’t known for its basketball, to playing in Division I?
JL: I’ve seen a lot of college games up close and on TV, and those guys really work hard every play, and I think that’ll be one of the biggest things that I have to adjust to: not taking some plays off. I know that’s bad, and coaches [tell us not] to do that, but even the little things like staying in your stance the whole possession, going for every rebound, loose balls — that takes incredible conditioning. I think that’ll probably be the biggest adjustment that I have to make.

DP: Right now, what is your goal for your career at Penn?
JL: Just win as many games as possible. Hopefully hang a few banners up there, win a few Ivy League championships. Making it to the tournament. I think that’s one of my main goals. I just want to help the Penn basketball program to get back on top of the Ivy League. It’s been a while, so I jut want to help Penn get back up there to the top.

WV ICE MARCH MADNESS 2012

2012-02-28T11:54:00.002-08:00

WV ICE MARCH MADNESS

BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Date: MARCH 30-APRIL 1ST

Bluefield WV

Bluefield Recreation Department

Stadium Drive

Deadline: MARCH 19, 2012

Fee: $150.00

The structure of this tournament is guaranteed to provide at least two games for each team.

BOYS AND GIRLS

3^RD Grade

4^TH Grade

5^TH Grade

6^TH-7^th Grade

8^th Grade

9^th-10^th Grade

11^th-12^th Grade

CONTACT: Tony Webster

(304) 325-9653

TONYBHA@COMCAST.NET

MAIL TO: BLUEFIELD BLAZERS

P.O. 1475

BLUEFIELD, WV 24701

Clover Classic - 2012

2012-02-28T08:57:00.001-08:00

ROANOKE ROAR

Clover Classic - 2012

Roanoke Roar has teamed up with Spectrum Sports to host the 2012 Clover Classic March 17-18. Girls and boys grades 3rd through 11th will participate. Teams from North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia have already committed to this event.

Festivities will kick off at Spectrum Sports Academy on Friday night with an 8-ft slam dunk competition and shooting contests. Tournament play will be held Saturday and Sunday.

Entry fee is $200 or take advatange of our stay and play for free if you stay at one of our participating hotels.

For more information visit--www.roanokeroar.com

or call 540.793.1196

PAUL VI WINS WCAC BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

2012-02-28T04:16:00.001-08:00

Paul VI held on to beat DeMatha, 55-54, and win its first WCAC title before 3,400 at American University’s Bender Arena. It was a thrilling finish for Paul VI (29-2), which has won 17 consecutive games and earned a date with eighth-ranked Coolidge in the Abe Pollin City Title Game, tentatively scheduled for March 12 at Verizon Center.

It’s amazing,” Paul VI Coach Glenn Farello said. “WCAC history was made tonight.”

The three meetings between the two teams — twice in the regular season and Monday night — were decided by a total of six points.

KEVIN DURANT - NBA ALL-STAR MVP GAME 2012 - ALL-MET ELITE

2012-02-27T09:58:00.001-08:00

KEVIN DURANT

NBA ALL-STAR GAME

MVP

2012

ALL-MET ELITE

MONTROSE CHRISTIAN HS.

ROCKVILLE MD.

WCAC BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

2012-02-27T04:37:00.000-08:00

WCAC

BOYS BASKETBALL

CHAMPIONSHIP

VS.

DeMatha (27-4) advanced to

Monday’s 8:30 p.m.

final at

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

against top-ranked Paul VI Catholic (28-2).

WCAC SEMI FINAL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

2012-02-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

DeMatha	Vs. Gonzaga	6:15 p.m.
St. John's	Vs. Paul VI	4:30 p.m.

A.S.S.I.S.T. - MID ATLANTIC SENIORS SHOWCASE

2012-02-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

FAIRFAX STARS 11U TRYOUTS

2012-02-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

FAIRFAX STARS

11U TRYOUTS

DCIAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

2012-02-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

DCIAA

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Theodore Roosevelt will face No. 8 Coolidge, in the boys championship game on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Coolidge.

WCAC Basketball: Tournament Schedule

2012-02-25T07:04:00.001-08:00

WCAC

Basketball

Tournament Schedule

Saturday’s Schedule (All Games at Gallaudet)
(5) Carroll at (4) St. John's 1:00 PM
(9) Good Counsel at (1) Paul VI 2:45 PM
(7) O'Connell at (2) DeMatha 4:30 PM
(6) McNamara at (3) Gonzaga 6:15 PM

Sunday, February 26, 2012 ***Home Team is the higher seed
Boys Semi-Finals at American University
4:30pm (5/4 Winner) vs (9/8 vs 1 Winner)
6:15pm (10/7 vs 2 Winner) vs (6/3 Winner)

Monday, February 27, 2012
Girls & Boys Finals at American University
6:30pm Girls Final
8:30pm Boys Final

Metro Celtics/Lady Celtics Kickoff Classic

2012-02-24T11:16:00.003-08:00

Metro Celtics/Lady Celtics Kickoff Classic

April 7-8, 2012

Prince George’s County, MD

ALL-MET ELITE

Metro Celtics/Lady Celtics Kickoff Classic
April 7-8, 2012
Prince George’s County, MD

Team Registration Fee - $275
Fee and roster due by 5:00 pm
on Friday, March 23.
Roster template can be found at
www.mysfinc.org under “Handouts”.

For additional information:
Coach D. Faulkner – (301) 254-1214
Coach Temus Winslow – (202) 627-9978
Coach Malcolm Tyson – (301) 346-4295
info@metroceltics.com

Metropolitan Youth Sports Foundation Inc.

METRO CELTICS 13U ANNOUNCEMENT

2012-02-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

Spread the word Metro Celtics 13u AAU boys basketball team is having an open competition for the final roster slot. We're looking for an experienced wingman (Guard/Forward Combo) or an experienced Center (Center must be at least 5'10). Contact Coach Brown at (202) 670-9892 or metroceltics.brown@gmail.com for more info on tryouts.

CLASSICS AAU - TRYOUTS

2012-02-24T04:42:00.004-08:00

CLASSICS AAU

TRYOUTS

ALL-MET ELITE

Spring-Summer 2012 AAU Travel and Developmental Team Tryouts
Player Evaluation Period: Mar 1 - Mar 11, 2012 for Girls & Boys in 1st thru 12th grade

Pre-Tryouts Workouts - Wed Feb 29 Newport Mill MS 630-8pm for 2nd-8thand Wed Mar 7 Newport Mill MS 630-8pm for 9th-12th.

Please NOTE: Classics AAU Basketball offers mulitple tryouts sessions on the weekend and weekdays
in grade/age groups during our tryouts period to accomodate conflicts with family, religious, and school events
so that players considering Classics AAU can make at least one tryout session. Where more than two tryouts
sessions, players are encouraged to attend at least two of the sesssions. Some grade group teams may have
very few team positions open for new players. This is not a recreational program but for the young athlete that wants to play at a higher competitive level and work hard both in and out of practice times.

CLASSICS AAU BASKETBALL

BOYS TEAMS
SPRING-SUMMER 2012 TRYOUTS SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE LINK

BELOW

http://classicsbasketball.d1scout.com/userfiles/00000004576/files/SS12TryoutsSchedCalendar21212.pdf

National Youth Basketball - REGIONAL TUNE UP

2012-02-23T08:11:00.007-08:00

National Youth Basketball
PRESENTS

“REGIONAL TUNE UP”

BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

5 Games Guaranteed

MARCH 10^TH – 11^TH

BOYS AGES 9 TO 12 (3^rd – 6^th Grade)

1st Place Trophies , Certified Officials

AAU GRADE QUALIFICATION RULES APPLY

Games will be played @ OXON HILL HS.

ENTRY FEE: $275.00

Entry and Payment deadline

For Additional Information Contact:

James Knox (240)765-9132

www.FuturePlayersBasketball.com

6th Man Sports - Tryouts

2012-02-23T05:15:00.008-08:00

6th Man Sports

Tryouts
Saturday, March 3rd
@ Bowie City Gym

4100 NORTHVIEW DR., BOWIE, MD 20716

6th grade boys: 2:00pm - 3:30pm - Court 4

7th grade boys: 3:30pm - 5:00pm - Court 4

8th grade boys: 5:00pm - 6:30pm - Court 4

9th grade boys: 4:30pm - 6:00pm - Court 1

10th grade boys: 6:00pm - 7:30pm - Court 1

11th grade boys: 7:30pm - 9:00pm - Court 1

ASSIST 5th Annual Bring Your A- Game Unsigned Senior Basketball Showcase

2012-02-23T05:01:00.003-08:00

ASSIST 5th Annual Bring Your A- Game Unsigned Senior Basketball Showcase March 17th 2012 Boys Session Clover Hill High School Richmond Va

ASSIST 5TH Annual Unsigned Senior Basketball Showcase

Boys (March 17, 2012)

Registration – 8:30am

Education Seminar – 9:15am
Games – 10:00am-330pm
Location
Clover Hill High School
13301 Kelly Green Lane
Midlothian, VA 23112

(College Coaches will be in attendance)

Event Includes:
• Warm ups and Drills (conducted by Tom Clark, Gym Rat Basketball Services)
• Assist Game T-Shirt for each player

• 3-games guaranteed for each player

Registration:
Step 1: Email the following information to wcarterasa@yahoo.com or

wcarter@assiststudentathletes.com
Full name, Grade, Height, High School, Position, Student & Parent Telephone #

Step 2: Upon receipt of your information ASSIST will send a waiver form to you via Email.
Step 3: $45 registration fee applies

MUST bring Waiver Form to the clinic on the day of sponsored event.

**** Registration Deadline: March 12, 2012****

For more information contact:
William Carter: 804-397-3261
wcarter@assiststudentathletes.com

http://www.assiststudentathletes.com/

MARYLAND FLAMES - TRYOUTS

2012-02-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

MARYLAND FLAMES

TRYOUTS

ALL-MET ELITE

Maryland Flames 2012
Spring Tryout Schedule

Please note that the Tryouts are being held at two different locations, on Saturday, 3/3 all tryouts will be held at Wootton HS in Rockville, Maryland and on Sunday 3/4 all tryouts will be held at Sandy Spring Friends School in Olney, Maryland. Please check the schedule carefully for the correct Grade Level and Tryout Times. All teams, both Boys and Girls, are now GRADE BASED in accordance with both AAU & YBOA Rules. Please arrive 30 minutes early to register.

BOYS
Sat. 3/3 Wootton HS
Rockville, MD
Sun. 3/4 Sandy Spring Friends School
Olney, MD

3rd –Onzilo Pulliam
301-879-7250
Sat. 3/3 & Sun. 3/4 –9:00 AM

4th –Tim Long
301-774-1935
Sat. 3/3 & Sun. 3/4 –9:00 AM

5th –Eric Westbury
202-258-9838
Sat. 3/3 & Sun. 3/4 –10:15 AM

6th –Tim Long
301-774-1935
Sat. 3/3 & Sun. 3/4 –11:30 AM

7th –Tom Howes
301-461-3503
Sat. 3/3 & Sun. 3/4 –12:45 PM

8th –TBA
Sat. 3/3 & Sun. 3/4 –2:00 PM
Call prior to tryouts for additional information

For additional information on coaching opportunities call
Mike Baker, 301-367-3133, or
Bill McDermott, 301-325-1295.

FAIRFAX STARS - TRYOUTS

2012-02-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

FAIRFAX STARS

TRYOUTS

ALL-MET ELITE

Boys 8

2/12 10:30am-12:30 @ Madison HS Gym 2

2/19 10:30am-12:30 @ Madison HS Gym 2

2/26 10:30am-12:30 @ McLean HS Gym 1

Boys 9

2/12 4:15-6:15 @ Falls Church HS Gym 2

2/19 10:30am-12:30 @ McLean HS Gym 2

2/26 12:15-2:15 @ Falls Church HS Gym 1

Boys 10

3/3 3:15-5:15 @ R.E. Lee HS Gym 2

3/4 8:30am-10:30am @ Madison HS Gym 2

3/11 8:30am-10:30am @ Madison HS Gym 2

Boys 11

2/21 6:45-8:15 @ Holmes MS

2/25 3:15-5:15 @ South Lakes HS court 2

2/26 10:30am-12:30 @ Madison HS Gym 1

Boys 12

2/11 11:00am-1:00 @ Frost MS Gym 1

2/12 8:30am-10:30am @ Madison HS Gym 2

2/19 8:30am-10:30am @ Madison HS Gym 2

2/ 26 8:30am-10:30am @ McLean HS Gym 1

Boys 13

2/11 9:00am-11:00am @ Frost MS Gym 1

2/18 9:00am-11:00am @ Frost MS Gym

2/19 8:30am-10:30am @ Madison HS Gym 1

2/25 7:15-9:15 @ South Lakes HS Court 1

Boys 14

2/12 10:30am-12:30 @ McLean HS Gym 1

2/18 3:15-5:15 @ R.E. Lee HS Gym 1

2/25 7:15-9:15 @ South Lakes HS Court 2

Boys 15

2/18 7:15-9:15 @ R.E. Lee HS Gym 1

2/25 5:15-7:15 @ South Lakes HS Court 1

3/3 3:15-5:15 @ R.E. Lee HS Gym 1

3/4 10:30am-12:30 @ Madison HS Gym 2

MARYLAND INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

2012-02-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

MARYLAND INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

M.I.T

RESULTS

RESULTS LINK

BELOW

https://fivestar-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/tournament/pool_schedule/1/MIT_Feb_17_-_19__2012_Results.pdf

Congrats

ALL-MET ELITE

M.I.T WINNERS

9U - TEAM TAKEOVER - WINNER

TEAM GLORY - RUNNER UP

11U - TEAM TAKEOVER - WINNER

METRO SIXERS - RUNNER UP

12U - MD SPORTS SCHOLAR - RUNNER UP

13U - TEAM TAKEOVER - RUNNER UP

14U - DC ASSAULT

JARED HARRINGTON - ALL-MET ELITE

2012-02-19T06:55:00.000-08:00

JARED HARRINGTON

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

LANHAM MD.

ALL-MET ELITE

2015

JARED HARRINGTON & KEVIN DURANT

JARED HARRINGTON

Pos: PG, SG

Height: 5'9

Class: Frosh

STATS - YTD

Points Per Game - 15.4

Assists Per Game - 3.0

Rebounds Per Game - 1.4

DUNBAR POETS - BALTIMORE'S FINEST

2012-02-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

DUNBAR POETS

BALTIMORE'S FINEST

BALTIMORE — Upon entering the storied gymnasium at Dunbar (Baltimore), you immediately notice four quilt-sized banners hanging on the left corner of the wall.

Three of those banners commemorate Dunbar's national title teams (1982-83, 1984-85 and 1991-92). The fourth, an undefeated 28-0 season in 1981-82, shows when the foundation for Dunbar's 1980s dominance was set.

For the latest and most recent group of Poets playing basketball, the banners serve as a reminder that they're part of a long-lasting legacy in Baltimore City. High school basketball has historically been a huge attraction here, considering the NBA's Baltimore Bullets only lasted from 1944-54 before moving to Washington, D.C.

The state's best college basketball program, the University of Maryland, is located in College Park, which isn't convenient for basketball fans in Charm City. But there's rarely been a shortage of young basketball talent, making the notable prep teams entertaining to watch.

Dunbar coach Cyrus Jones grew up in Baltimore and played for the Poets' varsity squad from 1989-92. As he got older, Jones would attend Dunbar basketball games, where the likes of Sam Cassell, Karl "Boobie" James and Hensley Parks became stars.

"It was the best basketball in the city," Jones said.

The brick house that Wade built

A lot of people point to the 1982-83 Dunbar team as the best high school team to ever take a floor in basketball history. The squad possessed three future 1987 NBA first round draft picks in Reggie Williams (fourth overall), Muggsy Bogues (12th overall) and Reggie Lewis (22nd overall). To prove the point of this talent-rich unit, Lewis was the sixth man on that 1982-83 team.

"I can't imagine any other basketball team assembled like the one we had," Bogues said.

The previous year's team in 1981-82 finished 28-0 and won a city championship. But it was the 1982-83 team that achieved the national notoriety of earning Dunbar's first national title, an honor USA Today bestowed upon the program.

Games weren't typically close. In a much-anticipated contest on the road against Camden (N.J.), Dunbar won by 29. Poets home games were the hottest ticket in town, as contests generally sold out and attracted thousands.

Bob Wade coached those nationally recognized teams. Wade grew up in the city and played for Dunbar under legendary coach William "Sugar" Cain, who won 485 games in 32 years, including his last 35 in a row. Described as a tough disciplinarian, Wade presided over those powerhouse Poets teams that worked well within the confines of the team concept, despite possessing such incredible individual talent.

"Teams could not press us because of the ballhandling skills of Muggsy, Reggie Williams, David Wingate (former NBA player who played on the 1981-82 team) and Gary Graham (also on the 1981-82 team)," Wade said. "That was a very special group."

Dunbar's tallest player on the 1982-83 team was Tim Dawson at 6-foot-5. But Wade said Dawson was an excellent rebounder who could compete on the boards with the bigger and longer players the Poets competed against.

Wade also attributed the team's success late in games to the way the team trained. Practices were tough. Bogues described them as "brutal." The team would begin practicing at 3:30 and sometimes wouldn't end until 8 p.m.

"(Wade) was all about details, making sure we were in the best-case scenario, had discipline and were sharp," Bogues said. "The only way to do that was by spending a lot of time with one another."

But Dunbar, located in a low-economic area of Baltimore, didn't have a weight room to assist with strength and endurance. So Wade came up with an idea to supplement weight training.

Neighborhoods in the area were being renovated and torn down, with cast-away bricks lying around the construction sites. Wade and Dunbar's managers walked with laundry baskets down to the site and collected the thrown-away bricks. When they returned, the managers wrapped old, cut-up Dunbar baseball jerseys around each brick, fastening the makeshift padding with tape.

The Poets would do shadow drills, slide drills, sprints and conditioning exercises while carrying those bricks.

"What we found is it helped those kids late in the third and fourth quarter, when you've got to reach down and play defense, get that special rebound and come up with the big block," Wade said. "It really helped them play with their hands up, strengthened their upper body and helped with endurance."

A lot of Wade's former players have since become coaches. After Bogues' 14-year NBA career, he became coach of the WNBA's Charlotte Sting before taking over the boys basketball team at United Faith Christian Academy (Charlotte, N.C.). Following his own NBA career, Williams now coaches at Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.). Other former Dunbar players, including Herman "Tree" Harried (Lake Clifton of Baltimore and Wade's son Daryl Wade (City College - Baltimore) have also become high school basketball coaches.

The Wade disciples all implement Wade's method of using bricks with endurance training for their teams.

"It helps them go after that ball when the fourth quarter comes," Bogues said.

Dunbar after Wade

In 1986, Wade left Dunbar, the school he spent a much of his life with, and accepted an offer to take over the University of Maryland's basketball program.

Replacing Wade at Dunbar was Pete Pompey, who played basketball at Frederick Douglass (Baltimore) and previously coached at Edmondson-Westside (Baltimore). There was some concern among the Dunbar alumni about hiring an outsider. But the move proved to be a success.

Pompey continued the Dunbar legacy, which was capped with a 29-0 national title season in 1991-92. That team featured Jones, who later played college basketball at West Virginia, Keith Booth, who starred at the University of Maryland and was drafted by the Chicago Bulls, and Donta Bright, who was a key contributor on the 1996 University of Massachusetts team that nearly knocked off Kentucky in the Final Four.

Dunbar earned every win it got during its 1991-92 title run. The Poets defeated Simon Gratz (Philadelphia), led by Rasheed Wallace, three times that year. It played in preseason tournaments in Pennsylvania, Hawaii and South Carolina before playing a midseason tournament in St. Louis.

The Poets defeated St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda, Calif.), which featured Jason Kidd. They also upended Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), which had former UNC star Jeff McInnis and former Virginia standout Curtis Staples.

"With the history of this school, it goes way back," Jones said. "A lot of people feel as if they beat Dunbar, they've accomplished something for the season."

But Dunbar's run as Baltimore's best would soon come to an end when the members of the Baltimore City Public Schools left the Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) and joined the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) in 1993. With the MSA dissolving, the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) was formed, which became the league for the private and Catholic schools in the state of Maryland.

The MIAA schools allow for players to live anywhere and attend the school as long as they're qualified academically. Thus, over time in the mid to late 1990s and 2000s, the private schools began attracting talent that would previously go to public schools such as Dunbar — a magnate school that allows students throughout the city to attend for a specialized health careers curriculum.

"All of the talent was flushed here," Jones said. "Now it's being spread out to the different schools within the area, others outside the area. Nothing's automatic anymore."

Wade cited Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay as an example. After spending two years at Eastern Tech (Essex, Md.), Gay transferred to Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.) before later attending college at the University of Connecticut.

"Dunbar's program fell as far as talent," Wade said. "But there's been a resurgence of talent there. Those kids are gravitating back to Dunbar because of Cyrus."

New era

After Dunbar defeated Patterson (Baltimore), which features Baltimore's top player Aquille Carr, 64-55 on Jan. 13, the Baltimore Sun placed the Poets at No. 1 in its weekly rankings. Following the game, Jones said he couldn't remember the last time Dunbar was considered the city's best.

"We haven't been here in a long, long time," Jones said after the win. "We had a lot of alumni support which helped us. Hopefully, we'll be able to stay there."

Booth, now an assistant coach with Loyola's women's basketball program, attended the game to cheer on his alma mater. Baltimore Ravens receivers Torrey Smith and LaQuan Williams (neither of which went to Dunbar) attended the game to see how Dunbar battled the city's top player in Carr.

But in this new era of Dunbar basketball, many of its players aren't growing up aware of the tradition that's taken place on the corner of Orleans Street and Central Avenue. Many don't know much about the storied basketball program until they choose to enroll and glance at the banners in the Poets' famed gymnasium.

Players come from all over the city, whereas most high school teams used to be associated with local recreation centers. Bogues said he and his friends knew they would attend Dunbar growing up. These days, that just doesn't happen. It's much like a miniature version of recruiting, where high school players in Baltimore choose which school best fits their needs for basketball and academics.

Senior point guard Donte Pretlow didn't know much about Dunbar as a child. But he chose to attend the school as he deemed it the best opportunity for him to hone his craft.

"They teach you the history," Pretlow said. "You keep hearing 'Poet Pride.' Once you're around it more you start to understand it. You see it's real. It gives you a good feeling."

Past Dunbar teams were littered with top-tier collegiate talent. The players on this squad know there isn't one player with the kind of Division 1 talent the former teams in the 80s and 90s possessed. But since Jones came back to take over the varsity squad in 2007, the players have bought into a team concept to help defeat teams that arguably possess better individual skill.

"There are no stars," senior forward Evan Singletary said. "If we don't play together we're not going to have the record we want to have."

But it's not like the Poets have been pushovers. Since joining the MPSSAA, the Poets have 13 state titles, and are the two-time defending Maryland Class 1A champions. After beginning the 2011-12 season 13-0 and achieving the city's top ranking, the Poets have since lost three games and are ranked No. 7 in the Baltimore Sun's latest poll, as of Feb. 14.

As the Poets prepare for a run at a third-consecutive state title and possible city crown, they're constantly reminded of the groundwork laid before them with just the tilt of a head. Championship banners cover two walls of the small gym, which has remained the same except for the installation of new bleachers.

With each step on the hardwood, the senior class is reminded of the history that's preceded them. Though the latest crops of basketball players have arrived unaware of the "Poet Pride" Pretlow spoke of, they leave the school with the appreciation of the tradition they've contributed to.

"I know when we get older that our kids and their kids are going to come into this gym and see our names up there," Singletary said, referring to the state title banners he and his teammates names are on. "We can tell our kids how Dunbar was."

MARYLAND INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

2012-02-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

MARYLAND INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

MIT is a three-day, competitive youth national basketball tournament for girls (newly added) & boys with a minimum of three scheduled games. Single-elimination bracket play will determine the teams to be awarded the prestigious MIT championship crown.

When does MIT take place?

February 17-19, 2012 (Established in 2008).

3rd Grade - 8th Grade Boys

Schedule link

Below

https://fivestar-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/tournament/pool_schedule/1/MIT_Feb_17_-_19__2012_Schedule.pdf

AHMAD BRADSHAW - NEW YORK GIANTS ALL-MET ELITE

2012-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

AHMAD BRADSHAW

SUPERBOWL CHAMPION

NEW YORK GIANTS

ALL-MET ELITE

BLUEFIELD VA.

Contributed photo AAU... Ahmad Bradshaw, front row, left, was part of the Bluefield Blazers AAU basketball team that won a national title in 2003 at Kutztown University. Front row, left to right: Bradshaw, Chris Hairston, Cloyd Jeffries and Kenny Bogart. Second row, left to right: Coach Tony Webster, Anthony Steptoe, Dustin Wade, Treymane Matthews, Garrett Patterson, Harry Hanly, Jose Steele, Delane Goodson, Dexter Moore, William Jackson and

Coach George Smalls.

BLUEFIELD, Va. — When Mike Watson, Bluefield, Va., town manager was asked if the town of Bluefield intended to give Ahmad Bradshaw a key to the city, he smiled and laughed.
“I saw in the paper where Ahmad received a ceremonial key to the city of New York,” Watson said. His eyes looked up as though he was watching numerical tumblers clicking. The population of New York City in the 2011 census was 8.1 million while the population of Bluefield, Va., was fewer than 5,100 in 2000.
“I don’t know if we can compete with that,” Watson said, still smiling. “Our council members might have something in mind when we meet Tuesday evening. I know one thing for sure. We’re going to have to change our sign.” The Graham High School Boosters have already placed a canvas codicil to the sign, pointing out Bradshaw’s latest accomplishment. The town is also displaying a similar statement on its electronic message board.
In 2008, the town erected a sign congratulating Bradshaw and the New York Giants for their victory in Super Bow XLII. Bradshaw was the leading rusher in that Super Bowl, just as he was in Super Bowl XLVI. Of course, last Sunday, Bradshaw scored the Super Bowl winning touchdown with less than a New York minute left in the game. The Giants beat the New England Patriots 21-17 , and Bradshaw led all rushers with 72 yards on the ground before scoring on a 6-yard run with 57 seconds remaining.
A man of few words, Bradshaw posted a two-sentence comment on his Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon. “Very blessed,” he wrote. “Thank you God!”
Tony Webster of Bluefield coached the NFL halfback during two seasons when Bradshaw played summer league basketball on the Bluefield Housing Authority’s AAU team. The Bluefield Blazers participated in tournaments from the Carolinas to Pennsylvania, and while Webster admitted that Bradshaw wasn’t the best basketball player on the team, there was no denying his athletic ability and his competitive drive.
Although Webster said Bradshaw was mostly quiet and introspective, he was capable of cranking up the intensity when the time came. “We were playing a tournament in Washington, D.C., and Ahmad must have thought that the other teams weren’t giving us any respect.
“He came in that locker room and told his teammates that the other teams thought that since we were from West Virginia, we weren’t anything,” Webster said.
“He told the kids that they were just as good as anybody else, and told them to go out and beat them all just to show them how good we were.
“The Blazers won that tournament, then we went to Kutztown University in eastern Pennsylvania and won that tournament,” Webster said. The tournament at Kutztown, Pa., was the Athletes For Better Education national tournament. “I think we only lost one game that whole year. That was some team. That bunch right there was an exceptional group of young athletes.”
Webster watched the Super Bowl at home with his family, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how strange it was for a young man from a small community to have such an impact on such a big game at a critical time.
“It’s unreal,” Webster said. “When you think about all of the people who have played in the NFL through the years and never won a championship, and you see a guy like Ahmad who has only been in the league five years and he already has two championships ... It’s a blessing. That’s all I can say.”
Webster said he looks forward to visiting with Bradshaw when he comes back to Bluefield. “He usually comes to town after the season,” Webster said. “He’s as competitive as anyone I’ve ever known, but he knows where he came from. I look forward to seeing him again.”

Rhodes is Terps' ACC Legend

2012-02-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

Rhodes is Terps' ACC Legend

JOHNNY RHODES

DUNBAR HS.

ALL-MET ELITE

Johnny Rhodes, one of the most versatile players in Atlantic Coast Conference history who helped lead Maryland back to national prominence in the mid-1990's, has been selected to the 2012 class of ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Legends.

The 12-man class was announced by Commissioner John Swofford and includes a member of the ACC's 50th Anniversary basketball team, a National Player of the Year, three former All-Americas, six former All-ACC selections, ten former NBA Draft selections - including six first-round selections - and eight players who combined for 38 years of NBA experience.

Rhodes, a native of Washington, D.C., is the ACC's career steals leader and helped Maryland make three NCAA Tournament appearances in his four-year career. He is the only player in ACC history to score over 1,700 points (1,743) with over 700 rebounds (704), 400 assists (437) and 300 steals (344).

Rhodes (1992-96), the ACC's career leader in steals, started four seasons for coach Gary Williams at Maryland, leading the Terrapins back to national prominence. An extremely versatile guard who played point or wing guard, Rhodes is the only player in ACC history to score over 1,700 points (1,743) with over 700 rebounds (704), 400 assists (437) and 300 steals (344). He helped the Terrapins post a 73-49 overall record during his four seasons in College Park, including three straight (1994, 95, 96) appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He was named to the 1993 ACC All-Freshman team, then earned 3rd-team All-ACC honors as a junior and 2nd-team All-ACC accolades as a senior in 1996. He still holds the ACC career record for steals per game (2.82), and his 110 steals and 3.7 steals per game in 1996 are still league standards. He totaled 704 rebounds in his career, the third-best mark by an ACC backcourtman, trailing only Georgia Tech's Bruce Dalrymple (744) and Florida State's Bob Sura (714). A native of Washington, D.C., Rhodes owns his own construction firm, Rhodes Construction, in the D.C. area, and is working towards starting the Johnny Rhodes Foundation.

UMass has D.C. connection

2012-02-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

UMass has D.C. connection

The zero on the jersey of Javorn Farrell is not a number to the Massachusetts guard. It's the letter 'O' and represents his favorite basketball player, Oscar "The Big O" Robertson.

How did Farrell, a 21-year-old from Woodbridge, acquire an interest in the NBA great who retired 14 years before he was born?

"I saw him on [ESPN] Classic," Farrell said. "And I thought, that's the kind of game I'd like to have."

At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Farrell has roughly the same dimensions as Robertson, though the junior is quick to admit that his skills come up way short. Still, it can't hurt to emulate the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season, as Robertson did for the Cincinnati Royals in 1961-62.

With his size and versatility, Robertson was ahead of his time. Fifty years later, the most successful college teams hoard such players.

At UMass, Farrell is one of four such players from the Washington area in the eight-man rotation of the rapidly emerging Minutemen. The others are 6-7 junior Terrell Vinson, who played at Montrose Christian and St. Frances of Baltimore, 6-9 sophomore Raphiael Putney (Woodbridge), and 6-8 freshman Maxie Esho (Henry Wise).

Using pressure defense and an up-tempo offense, UMass (17-6, 6-3) of the Atlantic 10 has clinched its first winning season under four-year coach Derek Kellogg, thanks in no small part to the D.C. four.

Saturday in an 86-75 win at George Washington, Vinson played the starring role, matching his career high with 21 points, while Farrell (11 points, four assists), Putney (eight points, eight rebounds), and Esho (five points) filled the stat sheet. The foursome combined for seven steals, five slam dunks and hit 17 of 26 shots (65.4 percent).

"What all those kids bring is they're fierce competitors," said Kellogg, a former point guard at UMass. "As a whole, the kids we've been able to get from this area have been great for our program."

There was a D.C.-area washout last year. UMass took a chance on talented but troubled point guard Daryl Traynham (Henry Wise), who started last year as a freshman but left school after he was suspended for a violation of team rules.

Helping facilitate the D.C. connection has been assistant coach Antwon Jackson, a former assistant at Paul VI and McNamara, who also coached in the D.C. Assault AAU program.

Kellogg also has local ties, assisting Jim Larranaga at George Mason from 1997-99. One of the players he coached, Allen Johnson, lived next door to Putney.

"I came here to play for coach Kellogg," Putney said. "I wanted to be part of something that was ready to take off."

Vinson, who was recruited by Maryland, Georgetown and Louisville, and Farrell, who had offers from GW and St. Bonaventure, were drawn by the prospect of playing early and now are two of the most polished Minutemen.

Putney and Esho, both rail-thin at 185 and 205 pounds respectively, were redshirted upon their arrival and are in the developmental stage. But there's no doubting their explosive ability as both had a pair of eye-opening slam dunks Saturday.

"It was great coming home, especially with a good team," Putney said.

USA Coaches Announced for 2012 Nike Hoop Summit

2012-02-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

USA Coaches Announced for

2012

Nike Hoop Summit

MIKE JONES

DEMATHA

ALL - MET ELITE

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 2, 2012) – Montverde Academy (Fla.) head coach Kevin Boyle will led the USA Junior National Select Team against the World Team in the 2012 Nike Hoop Summit, with DeMatha Catholic (Md.) head mentor Mike Jones serving as an assistant coach on the U.S. sideline.
The Nike Hoop Summit, the country’s premier annual basketball game for high-school age boys, features America’s top high school seniors playing against a World Select Team comprised of top international players 19-years-old or younger.
Nationally televised by Fox Sports Net and its regional affiliates, the 2012 Nike Hoop Summit will take place at 7 p.m. (PDT) on Saturday, April 7, 2012, at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.
The 2012 USA Basketball Junior National Select Team roster will be selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee and is expected to be announced in the next few weeks. The 2012 World Select Team is expected to be announced in March. The USA Junior National Select Team will feature 10 players, while the World Select Team is expected to consist of 11 players age 19-years-old or younger from FIBA’s five geographic zones: FIBA Africa, FIBA Americas, FIBA Asia, FIBA Europe and FIBA Oceania, with the approved sanctioning of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the world governing body of international basketball.
In addition to Ford, the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee includes: AAU appointees Ron Crawford and Boo Williams; National Federation of High Schools representatives Eric Flannery and John Olive; and athlete representative Kermit Holmes (1999 USA Pan American Games Team).

Mike Jones
A member of three previous USA Basketball coaching staffs, Jones most recently helped the USA to a gold medal as an assistant coach for the 2011 USA Men’s U16 National Team, which wrapped up a 5-0 record at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Cancun, Mexico.
In addition to acting as an assistant coach during the 2011-12 USA Basketball Men’s Development National Team’s two training camps (Oct. 9-10, 2010 and Oct. 15-16, 2011), Jones was an assistant coach for the 2004 USA Basketball Men’s Youth Development Festival East Team that finished 2-3 and collected a bronze medal.
“Coaching in the Nike Hoop Summit has been a goal for me,” Jones said. “In terms of amateur basketball, it’s close to being at the pinnacle of what I can achieve as a coach. Any time you get an opportunity to represent your country in any competition, you have to be excited about it, and I am.”
Jones currently is in his 10th season at the helm the DeMatha boys basketbal team, where he himself was a basketball player and high school student. He was hired as the interim coach in 2002-03 and given the head coach position in the following season (2003-04).
At the start of the 2011-12 season, Jones had compiled a 241-62 (.795 winning percentage) overall record as the head coach at DeMatha. Thus far in 2011-12, he has led his team to a 17-3 record this season (as of Jan. 31, 2012).

Stanford Robinson talks Terps offer

2012-02-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

Stanford Robinson

PAUL VI

talks Terps offer

ALL-MET ELITE

“Coach [Mark] Turgeon was at my game Friday and my coaches were telling me he was going to offer,” said Robinson, a 6-foot-3 junior guard at Paul VI in Fairfax, Va. “He called me on Saturday and offered. He told me he likes my style of play and definitely wants to have me at Maryland and wanted to offer a full scholarship.” Robinson, who had a strong summer on the AAU circuit last year with Team Takeover, has emerged as one of the most prized guards in the region in the 2013 class, with offers from Virginia, Pitt, Miami, Rutgers, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Villanova and others. What was it, exactly, that Turgeon saw in Robinson during his two recent scouting trips to watch the highly-sought combo guard?“He told me he liked my floor leadership, my change of pace, which I’ve been working on, and how I play the game,” he said. Robinson’s been focused on his season and wasn’t planning to check out any college games until the spring, but said he plans to head to a Maryland game sometime soon. He’s spoken on numerous occasions with assistant coach Dalonte Hill. Still, Robinson’s recruitment figures to be a competitive battle. Most of the region’s top programs have offered or expressed interest, and he’s sure to add more national suitors before making his decision; he plans to do so at the end of this summer. While Maryland is relatively new to his recruitment, Virginia’s been making a push for some time.
"Every time I turn my head, I see Coach Bennett or Coach Williford or Coach Sanchez in the stands," Robinson told Wahoos247. "I actually believe that they are at every game."
Still, he told IMS he’s got no favorites.
“As of right now, all of the schools that have offered, I’m giving them equal attention,” he said.

JERAMI GRANT DEMATHA - JORDAN BRAND CLASSIC

2012-02-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

JERAMI GRANT

DEMATHA

JORDAN BRAND CLASSIC

ALL - MET ELITE

The rosters for the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic were announced today and DeMatha Catholic High School senior Jerami Grant, a Syracuse University recruit, was one of those selected, according to a news release on jordanbrandclassic.com. The Jordan Brand Classic event is held at Warner Cable Arena on April 4 in Charlotte, N.C. and is televised nationally on ESPN. It also includes a regional game, showcasing the top prep players from the state of North Carolina, and an international game featuring 16 of the top 17-and-under players from around the world. Grant, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound swingman, Grant is producing 12.3 points per game this season for the Stags, who enter Friday's contest with St. John's (D.C.) with records of 18-3 overall and 9-2 in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. He reached double figures offensively in 17 of his team's 21 games.

Ranking the top 35 Mcdonald's All Americans of all-time

2012-01-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

Ranking the top 35 Mcdonald's All Americans

of all-time

ALL-MET ELITE

EDITION

ALONZO MOURNING

1988

COURTESY OF - ESPN

Every name on this list was an accomplished high school player, good enough to be named a McDonald's All-American. But how would you rank each of these players?

We decided to take up the task of ranking them, based strictly on high school accomplishment.

3. Alonzo Mourning, Indian River (Chesapeake, Va.), 1988
After averaging 25.2 points, 15.5 rebounds and 10.8 blocked shots per game and leading Indian River to 51 consecutive wins, Mourning was honored as Mr. Basketball USA in one of the strongest classes ever produced. How good was Mourning? Picture a Nerlens Noel-type shot-blocker who played every possession like it was his last. His future college coach, Georgetown's John Thompson, had him in for the 1988 U.S. Olympic trials and it was't a gimmick -- he was one of the last cuts.

6. Ralph Sampson, Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, Va.), 1979
The most heavily recruited player in this group, Sampson made his home state rejoice when he decided to stay home and attend Virginia instead of leaving for Kentucky. Sampson averaged 29.8 points as a senior. He went on to lead Virginia to the NIT title in 1980 and the Final Four in 1981.

RALPH SAMPSON

1979

11. Kevin Durant, Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), 2006
Durant spent his junior season at Oak Hill Academy, where he was named an All-American alongside senior teammate Jamont Gordon. The team MVP at Oak Hill that season was actually junior point guard Ty Lawson. As a senior, Durant returned closer to his native Washington, D.C., and led Montrose to a 20-2 record and No. 2 FAB 50 rating. He was considered the No. 2 prospect in his class behind center Greg Oden. While Oden was considered the more dominant player, Durant's MVP performance at the McDonald's All-American Game (25 points) was a prelude of things to come at Texas and in the NBA, where he's considered one of the game's greatest young talents. Durant's career will forever be linked with Oden's because they were chosen 1-2 in the 2007 NBA draft.

KEVIN DURANT

2006

17. Carmelo Anthony, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 2002
'Melo was a fine player at Towson Catholic in his native Baltimore as an underclassman, but his game blossomed during his senior season at Oak Hill. He led a talented team to a 32-1 record and the No. 2 ranking in the FAB 50. In one memorable game, Oak Hill beat LeBron James' St. Vincent-St. Mary's team with Anthony scoring 34 points to James' 36. At the 25th McDonald's All-American Game, Anthony flashed the talent that surely would have made him a lottery pick in the 2002 NBA draft. Anthony chose to attend college, leading Syracuse to the program's only NCAA title in 2003.

CARMELO ANTHONY

2002

24. Grant Hill, South Lakes (Reston, Va.), 1990
The smooth wing wasn't the most hyped player in his class (7-6 center Shawn Bradley of Utah was), nor was he the No. 1 prospect (that honor went to Ed O'Bannon of California), but there was no doubt Hill was an immense talent in high school. He joined a star-studded Duke team and proved to be the missing link the Blue Devils needed. Without Hill, UNLV beat Duke by 30 points in the 1990 NCAA title game but with the 6-foot-7 freshman in the lineup the next season, they upset an even better Rebels team in the national semifinals.

GRANT HILL

1990

NIKE Elite Youth Basketball

2012-01-31T16:10:00.000-08:00

NIKE Elite Youth Basketball Announces 2012 Event Schedule

Before the summer season begins, NIKE celebrates the graduating Class of 2012 with two prestigious nationally televised all-star events. Held in conjunction with USA Basketball, the NIKE Hoop Summit features a team of the top US seniors versus a world team on April 7th in Portland, Oregon. That event will be followed up by the 11^th annual Jordan Brand Classic, which is making its return to Charlotte for a second year, and will be televised live on ESPN on April 14th.

The third annual NIKE Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) tips off in Minneapolis on April 20th with the first of four regular season events featuring over 600 elite student-athletes. The league will include over 40 travel teams from around the United States and Canada with the top 24 teams qualifying for the EYBL Finals at the NIKE Peach Jam in N. Augusta, SC in July. Three of the five overall EYBL events will be held during the NCAA designated evaluation period. The regular season events will be held in Minneapolis, MN, Hampton, VA, Dallas, TX and Oakland, CA.

In June, NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Deron Williams and Amar’e Stoudemire will host their annual NIKE Skills Academies in Chicago. At each position-specific academy, the participants learn from many of the game’s top instructors, as well as the NBA stars themselves. All 80 of these players will then convene to work on team skills at the LeBron James Skills Academy, which is moving to Las Vegas from July 6-9 in order to coincide with LeBron’s commitment to the 2012 Olympic Team training camp.

The NIKE Global Challenge (July 12-15), with a move to Washington, DC, will feature the top 30 players throughout the summer representing the East, West and Midwest regions in an eight-team tournament against five of the top junior teams from around the world. At the same time in the nation’s capital, the inaugural NIKE Skills School will host over 80 elite players in a competition-driven event in front of hundreds of college coaches. The following weekend, the top 24 teams from the EYBL regular season will compete for the third league championship as part of the EYBL Finals at the NIKE Peach Jam.

Official NIKE Elite Youth Basketball Schedule

April 7 – NIKE Hoop Summit (Portland, OR)

April 14 – Jordan Brand Classic (Charlotte, NC)

April 20-22 – EYBL Session #1 (Minneapolis, MN)

April 27-29 – EYBL Session #2 (Hampton, VA)

May 11-13 – EYBL Session #3 (Dallas, TX)

May 25-28 – EYBL Session #4 (Oakland, CA)

June 7-10 – Elite 100 (Underclassmen) (St. Louis, MO)

June 21-23 – Deron Williams Skills Academy (Chicago, IL)

June 21-23 – Amar’e Stoudemire Skills Academy (Chicago, IL)

June 24-26 – Kevin Durant Skills Academy (Chicago, IL)

July 6-9 – LeBron James Skills Academy (Las Vegas, NV)

July 11-15 – NIKE Skills School (Washington, DC)

July 12-15 – NIKE Global Challenge (Washington, DC)

July 18-21 – EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam (N. Augusta, SC)

WILL FERGUSON UPDATES RECRUITMENT

2012-01-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

WILL FERGUSON

UPDATES

RECRUITMENT DURING SEASON OF CHANGE

By - Matt Whitfield

To say things have been easy this last year for Will Ferguson would be far from the truth. The lightning quick Class of 2013 point guard has switched AAU programs and now high schools all within the last year. Ferguson though feels he is playing better basketball now that he’s back to his hometown team and judging by the performance he put on Friday night against Oakton High School in a 74-61 win Friday night with a raucous crowd that was taunting him, things look that way.

“At O’Connell I butted heads with a lot of the coaches and I didn’t think I was playing the way I could….It’s something that he didn’t see in me or something that I wasn’t doing that led to this, so I just had to make that move,” said Ferguson of the early January transfer to Herndon High School.

Friday night Ferguson put on a dazzling display to point the Oakton High School fans tried everything to slow him down from screaming during free throws to taunting the Herndon star throughout. Ferguson however showed he was the best and player on the floor as he sped up and down the court with ease often times hardly contested in the paint with an impressive display of layups, runners and jump shots. At times he looked as if he was toying with the opponent, many of whom are nowhere near the caliber of a player he is.
“It’s a lot of fun here. We have a good coach and a lot of my friends and family around me,” said Ferguson of being at Herndon High School.

Ferguson’s goal with Herndon is to win the district championship and regional championship and get to the state tournament. All the while there will be a plethora of coaches watching too as Ferguson already has his share of high major interest and offers.

“[Offers are from] VCU, Miami, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Virginia, Maryland, UMASS and Seton Hall,” said Ferguson.

Ferguson also mentioned he has already taken unofficial visits to Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech. For now though Ferguson just wants to work on a few things as he has two years before he’ll likely be playing for a high major team.

“[I want to work on just] cutting down my turnovers and work on my defense. And keep getting my teammates involved as well as work on my jump shot.”

Scouts, fans and recruiters keep an eye on this junior as Will Ferguson is one to watch.

Top 25 national high school boys basketball rankings

2012-01-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

Top 25

national

high school boys basketball rankings
ALL-MET ELITE

MTD

8. (2) Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) (19-1)
No Nate Britt finally caught up with Gonzaga in a Sunday loss to St. John's (Washington, D.C.). The junior point guard and North Carolina pledge has missed the last five games. Gonzaga will have to regroup quickly as it faces No. 23 Paul VI on Tuesday.

23. (NR) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) (18-2)
With all the early-season attention going to No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 24 DeMatha, Paul VI remains as the lone unbeaten in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play.

25. (9) DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) (17-3)
It's been a disappointing two-week stretch for the Stags, but it took a 3-pointer at the buzzer for No. 23 Paul VI to knock them off Friday night. DeMatha will get a chance to avenge two of its losses – against Gonzaga on Feb. 10 and Paul VI on Feb. 19.

ANNAPOLIS DEFEATS UPPER ROOM AND PURVIS

2012-01-29T05:56:00.000-08:00

ANNAPOLIS HS.

DEFEATS

UPPER ROOM AND PURVIS

JOURDAN STICKLER

RODNEY PURVIS

Annapolis High's Delaszo Smith proved to the folks from North Carolina that outstanding premier players exist in this region as well.

Smith totaled 37 points to out-duel Upper Room Christian Academy's Rodney Purvis' 31 as the Panthers defeated the guests from North Carolina 90-83 in boys basketball yesterday. It was the third of a series of six Students & Athletes vs. Substance Abuse Games of the Week.

Purvis, a senior, is listed as the No. 6 shooting guard in the ESPNU 100 college recruiting rankings and has already signed to play at North Carolina State next season.

Smith also added eight rebounds and three steals, while Jourdan Stickler added 25 points, five rebounds and four assists. Rashawn Maclin contributed 15 points, four rebounds and three steals for Annapolis, which rebounded from a 74-71 loss to Arundel on Friday night.

MARYLAND INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

2012-01-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

MARYLAND INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

The Maryland Invitational Tournament, known in the youth basketball world simply as “MIT”. Founded in 1994 by Gary Pinkney. MIT has grown to become the country’s most competitive national youth tournament.

MIT

Presidents Day Weekend

2.17.12 – 2.19.12

4th - 8th Grade Girls & Boys Divisions

Christ Chapel Academy - point guard Stephen Brown

2012-01-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

Christ Chapel Academy

point guard

Stephen Brown

ALL-MET ELITE

It was never a given that Stephen Brown would stay at Christ Chapel Academy for his entire high school career. And no one understood that better than the school’s basketball coaches.
They recognized early on that Brown was a special talent when it came to basketball. So much so that at some point the coaches figured Brown and his family would decide that he should attend another school where the level of competition was more challenging.
But then seventh grade, his first year at the Woodbridge school, passed and then eighth and ninth. Now in the 10th grade, Brown is still at CCA, leading the basketball team to new heights by doing what he does best: scoring from all over the court and playing tenacious defense.Will he be back as a junior? That question remains. But in the meantime, Brown is content where he is and Christ Chapel head coach Clinton Simmons is glad to have his star guard for at least one more season.“I don’t think too much about it,” Simmons said. “My assistants are always telling me this might be Stephen’s last year, but he has to do what’s best for him to get a [college] scholarship. If that means going to a bigger private school, I’m all for that. I’m happy I got to coach him.” Brown and his family have been forthright about the possibility of leaving.
“We’re going to weigh our options and pray about it, and see what’s best for Steve,” said Brown’s father Stephen. “We want it to be beneficial for him at the college level.”
Brown, who is second in the area in scoring among boys with a 20.9 scoring average and leads the area with 49 3-pointers, said he considered leaving Christ Chapel over the summer to attend Bishop Ireton in Alexandria, but the family and the school couldn’t work out the financial aid to allow him to enroll there. So, he returned to CCA and has no regrets. Last year, the Lions reached the state tournament for the first time in school history and are currently on track to make it back to states again this season. The Lions are ranked No. 8 in the latest VISAA Division III poll.

Top 25 High School Basketball Rankings

2012-01-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

Top 25

National

High School Basketball Rankings

Week of

1-23-12 - 1-27-12

2. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) (17-0)
Surviving last week without junior point guard Nate Britt was impressive. Kris Jenkins stepped up with 26 points and a three at the buzzer to beat Patterson (Baltimore) on Monday and 29 more in a mid-week victory over Good Counsel (Olney, Md.).

9. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) (16-2)
Don't expect a repeat of last season, when the Stags started 12-0 only to lose nine games after the New Year. Head coach Mike Jones and his senior trio of Marcellous Bell, Jerami Grant and James Robinson are too good and too determined to let that happen.

Gonzaga defeats Dematha

2012-01-22T06:23:00.000-08:00

Gonzaga defeats Dematha

76-74

KRIS JENKINS

By - Jim Halley

Kris Jenkins scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, nailing all six of his three-point attempts, including five after intermission, to lead No. 9 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) to a 76-74 defeat of No. 3 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) at American University.
The games between the two Washington Catholic Athletic Conference rivals are usually close, but DeMatha has won three consecutive WCAC titles. Saturday, the Stags had no answer for Jenkins, who helped make up for the loss of the Eagles’ senior point guard, North Carolina recruit Nate Britt, who sat out his third consecutive game because of a calf bruise.
“He’s underrated,” said Gonzaga coach Steve Turner of Jenkins, a junior forward. “He understand his role. He’s a leader and he stepped up when we needed him. He’s been playing that way for us the last three or four weeks.”
Gonzaga (17-0) never trailed and led by as many as 10 in the first half. DeMatha (16-2) had cut the lead to 37-34 early in the third quarter when Jenkins went to work for 12 points in the quarter, including two three-pointers. A dunk by Jordan Abdur-Ra’oof gave Gonzaga a 68-51 early in the fourth quarter. From there, DeMatha’s press began to pay dividends and Stags point guard James Robinson, who led DeMatha with 25 points, drove hard to the basket at every opportunity.
“We had to keep attacking,” Robinson said. “We just came up a little bit short, but I feel like we will definitely bounce back.”
With 20 seconds left, Robinson was fouled on a fast break and hit two free throws to tie the game at 74-74. When Ra’oof had a chance for a dunk at the other end, he was fouled hard but came up and hit both free throws to ice the game.

Washington/Baltimore area is a 'hotbed' for hoops recruits

2012-01-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

Washington/Baltimore area is a 'hotbed' for hoops recruits

ARCHIVED ARTICLE
JOSH SELBY

ARTICLE LINK

BELOW

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2009-11-16-washington-baltimore-point-guards_N.htm

DEMATHA vs. GONZAGA

2012-01-21T06:12:00.000-08:00

DEMATHA

GONZAGA

BASKETBALL GAME

VS.

When: Saturday, 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Where: Bender Arena, American University

Tickets: $10. Pre-sale tickets are available at the Gonzaga athletic office (19 Eye Street, NW

RANDOLPH CHILDRESS - ALL-MET ELITE

2012-01-19T20:21:00.000-08:00

RANDOLPH CHILDRESS

ALL-MET ELITE

CLINTON MD.

Former Deacon Great Randolph Childress Joins Wake Forest Athletic Department

Childress, who will hold the title of Assistant to the Athletic Director, will serve in a number of roles, including compliance, development and student-athlete mentorship.

"We are thrilled to welcome Randolph Childress back to Wake Forest," said Wellman. "He will be a great addition to our staff and serve as an outstanding role model for our student-athletes. Randolph is one of the most beloved figures in the history of Wake Forest athletics. I have no doubt he will be a tremendous asset to our department."

Childress spent five seasons with the Wake Forest basketball program from 1990-95 and earned All-American honors as a junior in 1994 and again as a senior in 1995. He earned ACC Tournament MVP honors in 1995 after leading the Deacons to their first conference title in 33 years."It's incredible to be back. It's something I've dreamed about for quite some time," said Childress. "I don't know how often people get the chance to come back. This is a second home for me. I was born and raised in the Washington, D.C., area, and the only other city I've lived in longer is Winston-Salem. I grew up here in some respects. It's been great to see familiar faces and people that I've been friends with for quite some time."

JEROME SEAGEARS - RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

2012-01-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

JEROME SEAGEARS

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

ALL-MET ELITE

SILVER SPRING MD.

BY - TYLER BARTO

For one night, Piscataway felt more like home to Jerome Seagears than his native Silver Spring, Md. Because when the Rutgers basketball team took on visiting Notre Dame on Monday, a pair of former AAU teammates stood across from him.

Irish junior point guard Eric Atkins and redshirt freshman guard Jerian Grant, both Maryland natives, took the Louis Brown Athletic Center floor opposite Seagears for the first time.

“When [Grant] was on the line, I told him, ‘Miss these like you did in practice all the time back in 14-and-under [leagues],’” Seagears said.Seagears teamed up with Grant on Team Takeover, a Maryland-based AAU program, when the two were young teenagers. The Scarlet Knights’ starting point guard moved on years later to D.C. Assault, based out of Washington, D.C., sharing backcourt duties with Atkins in the process.

Both live a half-hour drive from Seagears.

ERIC ATKINS

NOTRE DAME

ALL-MET ELITE
COLUMBIA MD.

Ta-Ron Ayers - All-Met Elite

2012-01-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

Ta-Ron Ayers

ALL-MET ELITE

WEST VA.

BECKLEY — How ironic that one of the most electric point guards in the area, Woodrow Wilson’s Ta-Ron Ayers, gained his nickname in football.
It’s even more ironic that the Flying Eagles sophomore does all his work coming off the bench.
Never heard of Ayers?
Perhaps you’ve heard of T-Rex.
That’s his girdiron-earned nickname.
“My dad just started calling me T-Rex when I played midget league football,” Ayers said. “Football was my best sport back then. I was little and mean, and he just started calling me T-Rex.”The name stuck.
“If you go out and say Ta-Ron, chances are not a lot of people are going to know,” Ayers said. “Most people call me T-Rex. Some of my teachers call me T-Rex. It just kind of stuck. I’m used to it. I really like it.”
That Ayers comes off the bench after starting last year doesn’t really faze the 5-foot-8 highlight-reel passer.
After all, Woodrow Wilson is undefeated (8-0) and took over the No. 1 spot in Class AAA this week.
“It was a good experience to start as a freshman, and I thought it was a pretty good accomplishment because not too many people do that,” Ayers said. “We’re winning and that’s the important thing. I remember somebody told me that Jamel Bradley (a star on the 1997 and 1998 state championship teams) came off the bench for a while and he went on to be one of the best players ever from Woodrow.”
It’s a goal that Ayers is shooting for himself, outside of the fact that his ultimate goal is getting Woodrow the championship that has eluded the Flying Eagles since 2008.
It is no surprise that basketball has become Ayers’ calling card.
It runs in the family.
Ayers, who moved to Beckley from Hinton in seventh grade, is the cousin of Summers County’s Candace Brown, who is the leading girls scorer in the nation.
“I probably had a basketball in my hands before I could walk,” Ayers said. “The whole family plays basketball. It’s just a family tradition-type thing.”
Ayers is fourth on the team in scoring this season at 12.4 points per game. He is also averaging about five assists.
“He brings a lot of energy for us off the bench,” Woodrow Wilson coach Ron Kidd said. “He brings a lot of excitement. He has done an excellent job for us. A lot of what he does is natural ability. He’s been a good teammate and is becoming a leader.”
He has also gained a bit of notoriety around the southeast as an elite AAU player.
He played for Boo Williams’ AAU Summer Basketball League, which is one of the top leagues in the East, housing former stars like Allen Iverson.
Ayers was the MVP of the league in his age group as an eighth-grader.
“He told me he wanted me to come and play for his AAU team and bring it back to the way it was when Allen Iverson played,” Ayers said. “I thought that was one of the best compliments I ever received.”
Despite his sophomore status, Ayers has already been contacted by several Division I schools, including West Virginia and Virginia Tech.
He visited WVU Saturday.
“I love WVU but I also like Virginia Tech,” Ayers said. “They are both close to home. A lot of teams are showing some interest. I have plenty of time to see what happens.”
Woodrow Wilson, coming off a win over then-No. 7 George Washington, will put its winning streak and ranking on the line tonight when the Flying Eagles travel to South Charleston.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Ayers said. “They are always good and it should be a great game.”

Keith Booth Wants Long Career In Coaching

2012-01-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

Keith Booth Wants Long Career In Coaching

ALL-MET ELITE

BALTIMORE MD.

Keith Booth is back on a Maryland basketball court.

Booth, who spent the last seven seasons as an assistant on Gary Williams' staff in College Park, has moved on to become an assistant basketball coach for the Loyola University women's program. It didn't take long for Booth to decide he wanted to remain in coaching after last year's announcement of Williams' retirement.

"I knew right away I wanted to be involved in the game of basketball," he said. "I've been involved with basketball since age 8. Over the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to help out with my 15-year-old daughter's AAU team and an opportunity here at Loyola presented itself.

I had the opportunity to meet with coach Joe Logan over lunch. His philosophy and the way that he develops players is how I was brought up and taught to play the game. So when he offered me the position, I accepted it right away."

Booth, a high school star at Dunbar, a college All-American at Maryland and an NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, has had his share of career highlights on the court, but his most recent standout memory comes from his coaching days with Williams.

"The 2010 year," he said, "to not be picked in anybody's top three, to win the ACC championship, that whole overall experience that year. To watch guys come in as freshmen like Greivis Vasquez and Landon Milbourne, those guys, Eric Hayes. To watch those guys develop and to go out with an ACC championship, really stands out overall."

Booth, who came back to Maryland to coach in a program he helped Williams build during his playing days, was just as shocked as everyone else to learn the Williams era was coming to an end following the 2010-11 season.

"When you think about University of Maryland basketball, coach Williams has been the face of Maryland basketball for the past 22 years," Booth said. "When he decided to retire, it was definitely a shock to everyone, when you can be in a program that long and have the success he's had."

Booth is on a one-year deal at Loyola and is looking forward to a bright career and, maybe one day, a head coaching position.

"Every assistant coach wants to be a head coach one day," he said. "If you don't want to be a head coach, then you should get out of the game."

Booth, who played for Pete Pompey at Dunbar and Phil Jackson on the Chicago Bulls, preached the philosophy that "every day is another day to get better, from a coaching standpoint and a playing standpoint. That is the enjoyment you get from coaching, to develop players and watch them mature."

Raphiael Putney - UMASS

2012-01-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

Raphiael Putney

UMASS

ALL-MET ELITE

WOODBRIDGE VA.

AMHERST - In the ways that matter most these days, Raphiael Putney is a media star.
Better yet, the University of Massachusetts sophomore forward refuses to act like one.
"First time ever on YouTube for me,'' said Putney, whose throwdown dunk against Saint Joseph's on Saturday became a viral sensation.
The public is speaking, and more and more, Putney is the object of their interest.
With averages of 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game, the 6-foot-9, 178-pounder is making an impact in a variety of ways.
The numbers are rising, but that does not fully explain why Putney has captured the imagination of the fans at the Mullins Center.
An unmistakeable package of long arms and legs that seem to come from all directions, Putney is one of the most entertaining Minutemen in years.
"He's about 6-10. His wingspan is 7-4. He's long and athletic, and can help us with blocks and dunks,'' forward Terrell Vinson said.
His dunk against Saint Joseph's drew 1,300 hits in its first 12 hours on YouTube. By Monday night, the 66-second video had 2,721 views.
The dunk was also named the nation's No. 8 play of the day by ESPN. That came after a deluge of tweets and Facebook postings.
The object of this affection and fascination sat out his freshman year to build strength. Putney's rail-thin body made him a late bloomer as a high school player in Woodbridge, Va.
In his junior year of high school, a key season for recruiting, Putney averaged a modest nine points a game. But something was there.
"I saw him play at Reebok's camp, all-star games and the AAU circuit,'' said Vinson, who grew up in Baltimore, Md.
Intrigued by Putney's potential, UMass coach Derek Kellogg took a chance. The scope of the dividends are now being realized.
"He can be so good. My expectations for him are through the roof,'' Kellogg said.
Hard work in the weight room has added strength to a game that thrives on diversity.
Putney is shooting 3-pointers at 38 percent. Looking to assume more post presence, he has a 7.2 rebounding average over his last five games.
When he grabs seven boards a game, Putney's game gets its highest grades from Kellogg.
"I haven't ever liked the weight room, but I had to do it and here, they've made it fun,'' Putney said.
Putney's favorite player is Kevin Durant. At UMass, his game is occasionally being compared to another tall, slender forward - Marcus Camby.
"I never really paid attention to Camby until I came up here,'' Putney said.
No rational comparison would equate the level of Putney's game to Camby's, but their styles are similar.
Each player has relied on agility and mobility, rather than muscle.
"It's fun seeing Putney on the break. The way I pass to guys from long range, he can get it (with agility and reach),'' point guard Chaz Williams said.
What is easily overlooked in the video, which features Williams' between-the-legs pass to set up Putney's fast-break dunk, was when it happened.
It came with UMass trailing 20-8. The mood-changing play sparked a comeback that ended with a 71-62 victory, lifting the Minutemen into a first-place tie in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Bringing that type of energy is what Putney thinks he does best.
"I feed off the crowd. Especially this year, they've been into the games and helped us when we needed it,'' he said.
"I'm getting stronger, too. I'm following the advice of the coaches, and I am improving.''

6th Man MLK Tournament results

2012-01-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

6th Man MLK Tournament results

BOYS
4th Grade
1st: Team Glory
2nd: MTB
5th grade
1st: Metro Sixers
2nd: MD Finest
6th grade
1st: 6th Man Warriors
2nd: MD Finest
7th grade
1st: DC Assault
2nd: Team Takeover
8th grade
1st: Team Takeover (Stevens)
2nd: Emery Elite

Gonzaga Defeats Patterson

2012-01-17T04:16:00.000-08:00

Gonzaga Defeats Patterson

Kris Jenkins

Nearly 3,000 people packed Coolidge’s gym Monday night to watch a marquee matchup between third-ranked Gonzaga and its standout junior guard Nate Britt against Patterson, the Maryland 4A finalist and the top-ranked team in the Baltimore Sun, and its electrifying guard Aquille Carr.
But instead what they saw was a Britt-less Gonzaga team fight back from a 17-point deficit, take its first lead with 1 minute 39 seconds left and finish with a 75-73 win in the MLK Hoopfest Showcase on a game-winning three-pointer by forward Kris Jenkins.

Bishop Gorman knocks off Dematha

2012-01-17T04:09:00.000-08:00

Bishop Gorman knocks off Dematha

Shabazz Muhammed

Shabazz Muhammad left no doubt with the Hoophall Classic crowd Monday afternoon why he is the nation's top-rated high school boys basketball player.

Muhammad scored 37 points to lead Bishop Gorman High School to a 73-65 win over No. 3 DeMatha Catholic at the nation's top high school showcase at Springfield College.

Dematha vs. Bishop Gorman

2012-01-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

Dematha

vs.

Bishop Gorman

The 2012 Spalding Hoophall Classic, planned for Jan. 12-16, should be just another installment of what many consider the best high school basketball invitational in the country.

This year's event will feature 12 of the top 24 teams in the ESPN Rise preseason national rankings.

The event will increase to five days with additional local matchups on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 12-13. The weekend slate is chock full of must-see regional and national matchups.

Saturday, Jan. 14, will see Oak Hill take on Prestonwood Christian Academy (TX). Kuran Iverson, the No. 7-ranked small forward in the class of 2013 and Northwest Catholic (CT) will take No. 13 DeMatha Catholic to wrap up action.

Sunday's schedule includes a full slate of prep schools and will conclude with the ever-impressive Skills Challenge.

On Monday., viewers will be treated to four matchups, involving some of the country's best teams. No. 9 St. Anthony and No. 2 Miller Grove kick things off at 11 a.m. DeMatha Catholic and No. 7 Bishop Gorman will play at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m., top-ranked Simeon and No. 8 Findlay Prep will do battle. No. 24 Christ the King (NY) and No. 6 Mater Dei will play at 5 p.m.

UDC FIREBIRDS - ALL-MET ELITE

2012-01-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

UDC FIREBIRDS

Nigel Munson

All-MET

DEMATHA

By - HARRY JAFFE

The University of the District of Columbia might still be irrelevant in some quarters of the capital city, but the school's basketball team is becoming painfully relevant to competitors in the East Coast Conference of the NCAA'S Division II.

Halfway through the season, the Firebirds are undefeated in the conference with 11 straight wins. Their only loss was to Duquesne, a Division I team that didn't crush them. Not bad for a squad that racked up a 1-20 record three seasons ago.

"We're nationally ranked," says Jeff Ruland, who took over the coaching job in 2009, a year when his team was so depleted he had to play part of one game with four players. Now it's ranked 22 in the nation. "I think that's unbelievable."

True believers are starting to predict the Firebirds might win their conference and get an automatic bid to the NCAA II tournament. Think of it as a "Back Road to the Final Four" -- or mini-March Madness.

Reaching the championship, mini or major, would bring a measure of respect to a local institution that has been disrespected for decades. The city's land grant college, on precious ground above the Van Ness Metro on Connecticut Avenue, still has a reputation as second-rate, at best. Its concrete buildings have the look of Soviet-era Moscow. The Arts and Sciences Library looks like the head of a giant concrete Transformer. The buildings could use some ivy, but grass in the quad would help. UDC has a strong nursing program and a well-respected law school. That's about it.

President Allen Sessoms insists things are looking up for UDC. He's brought on Ken Bain, a well-known expert in college curriculum and teaching techniques, as provost. Next week UDC breaks ground on a $40 million student center. "This has to grow into a national university," Sessoms likes to say, on a par with state universities in Virginia and Maryland, but that's a bit of a pipe dream. Check back in a decade.

You can check back much sooner to see if the Firebirds are still atop their conference, which includes C.W. Post and the University of Bridgeport. Ruland is bent on the team's resurrection. A local star from his days with the Washington Bullets in the 1980s, Ruland has four seniors playing at the top of their games. Nigel Munson is the local standout. He played for DeMatha and Virginia Tech before transferring to UDC. Brandon Herbert is another transfer who's scorching the net.

D.C. has become a hot town for college hoops. Georgetown and the University of Maryland are aiming for invites to the NCAA Division I Tournament. George Washington and American occasionally field decent teams. Perhaps it's time to add the Firebirds to the mix. Check out their schedule, show up for a game; there's plenty of room in the stands, and seats go for $5. Building a fan base is not easy.

"You win and they will come," says Ruland, who's midway through a five-year contract. "It's good basketball."

6th Man Sports 2012 MLK TOURNAMENT

2012-01-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

6th MAN SPORTS

2012 MLK

TOURNAMENT

LOCATIONS:

Boys 4th - 6th grade, Girls 5th - 8th grade:
2103 Reckford Armory (University of Maryland at College Park)
College Park, MD 20742
Boys 7th - 8th grade:
Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex (Bowie State University)
1400 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, MD

WEBSITE
&
SCHEDULE LINK BELOW

http://www.go6thman.com/

AQUILLE CARR - COMMITS TO SETON HALL

2012-01-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

AQUILLE CARR

COMMITS TO

SETON HALL

"The school revolves around the point guard," Carr said. "It's not a top Big East school but it can be turned around by a big player, one that I want to become. I talked to the coaches and I figured that it was the right fit for me." Carr chose the Pirates over Baylor, Maryland, Memphis, South Florida and Towson. He said he's developed a bond with Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard, who took over the Pirates in 2010.

"He's been straight up with me," Carr said. "He showed me what he expected. I told him what I wanted to do at the school. He told me I met the requirements and that it was a deal for me."

NATE BRITT VS. AQUILLE CARR

2012-01-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

MLK Hoop Classic:

Gonzaga vs. Patterson
CALVIN COOLIDGE SHS
WASHINGTON D.C.

Jan 16 8:30 PM

NATE BRITT

AQUILLE CARR

CURTIS MALONE - DC. ASSAULT

2012-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

CURTIS MALONE

PRESIDENT / FOUNDER

DC. ASSAULT

ALL-MET ELTE

Curtis Malone is co-founder and president of DC Assault, Incorporated, a select basketball program that plays in elite AAU Tournaments across the country. Malone founded DC Assault in 1993 with Troy Weaver. The organization’s mission then and still remains the same, to identify top basketball talent, boys ages 8-17 in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area, and provide them with the opportunity to develop their basketball talents while fostering sportsmanship, leadership and academic excellence. Since its inception, DC Assault has been a formidable contender at every level of the game. Malone has built a top-tier organization, surrounding himself with an excellent staff that consists of former teachers, counselors, and vice principals in the Washington, D.C. area. In addition to winning numerous championship titles each year, he has produced several McDonald's All-Americans; helped over a hundred young men obtain full athletic scholarships to universities around the country; and has had several individuals play at the professional level.

WILL RASSMAN - GONZAGA

2012-01-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

WILL RASSMAN

GONZAGA

ALL-MET ELITE

BY - JOSH BARR

But one key to the Eagles’ 11-0 start has been the play of unheralded center Will Rassman, who had played little before this season. Rassman has signed a letter-of-intent to play for Loyola (Md.), but it remained to be seen if he could produce when thrust into the starting lineup. The 6-foot-8 senior, though, has not disappointed. Rassman is physical and effective in the post and on Thursday night put together a solid all-around performance, with eight points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and three steals as fourth-ranked Gonzaga beat ninth-ranked O’Connell, 50-36.

“He’s an example of a guy who puts in the work and it pays off at the end,” said Gonzaga Coach Steve Turner, whose team is traveling Friday to Wheeling, W.Va., where it plays Whitney Young of Chicago in the Cancer Research Classic, a 10 p.m. game Saturday on ESPNU. “In August, he did not take off. AAU is done, summer league is done and guys take off. He hit the weight room and came back 15 pounds stronger. He wanted to play. We were telling him all offseason he was going to have to play big if we’re going to make a run at it. “Most of the focus is on Kris and Nate and I look to exploit that and use that to my [advantage] to go backdoor and play under the radar,” Rassman said. “Last year I was behind Ben [Dickinson] and Oliver [Ellison]. This year, being a senior, it’s my job to step up as a big man and help my team.”

DaQUAN COOK - ALL-MET ELITE

2012-01-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

DaQUAN COOK
ST. FRANCES HS.

BALTIMORE MD.

ALL-MET ELITE

DaQuan Cook, a senior that has signed to play at UNLV in the fall, can play either guard positions. He’s athletic, possesses good court vision, can put up points in a hurry, and is just a great all-round performer. He returns to St. Frances for his senior season after starring last season at Digital Harbor, where he averaged 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 rebounds, while leading his team to the Class 2A state championship.

UNDER ARMOUR BASKETBALL

2012-01-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

UNDER ARMOUR

BASKETBALL

BY - FRANKLYN CALLE

Since launching its basketball division in 2008, Under Amour has gone from being just another new brand in the sport to one of the most visible, recognized and active names in the world of high school basketball. UA has also taken a piece of the pie at the college ranks and even recently formed a new partnership with the NBA. At the prep level, 37 of the top high school basketball programs currently don Under Armour uniforms and footwear. The logo isn’t just visible on teams. Some of the top events in the high school circuit, such as the City of Palms Classic, NBPA Camp, Elite 24, I-95 Challenge and UA Best of the Best are also sponsored by the Baltimore-based company.

But last year a new event was introduced that may very well be on its way to joining the list of most prestigious showcases in the season calendar. On a freezing January weekend in Milwaukee, WI eight of the top teams in the nation converged for the inaugural Brandon Jennings Invitational. The Milwaukee Bucks star, who became the first Under Armour basketball endorser in 2008, was known in his prep days for being one of the most exciting players around, with his lavish moves and winner mentality.

“The whole point of it is to create a buzz of what Under Armour basketball is about at the high school level,” says Ted Gladue, Under Armour’s Senior Manager of Sports Marketing. “I think last year was a fantastic year one. I think we built a lot of equity that we can feed of. Essentially, just bringing our best high school basketball programs in a space where we can showcase a lot of our product and footwear mainly, but built something pretty special where teams would want to be with us. And this is our gift back sort to speak. When they leave Milwaukee, we want them to know what Under Armour basketball is all about and how progressive and innovative we are, and leave there with a notion that Under Armour basketball is for real and we’re here.”

Basketball is only a fraction of what this event is all about. The players will partake in a variety of activities that will lead up to the main event on Saturday. Most teams are expected to arrive by Thursday night. The next morning, all teams will get a chance to get some practice in and run-throughs. Then, legendary Maryland head basketball coach Gary Williams will address the participants about how to mentally approach the game of basketball as a player. Gladue points out that the Under Armour “Are You From Here?” national campaign is not quite in the literal sense but about being in that right mindset. And that’s exactly what Williams will look to preach to the kids—the definition of hard work, character, integrity, and being a good teammate, among other things.

In addition to Williams, UA is planning a workshop where the kids will learn about managing their brand, specifically in terms of social media and how they should portray themselves on and off the court. The players will also learn some of the fundamentals of personal finance. All participants will end Friday with a night out to Dave & Buster’s.

This year, the event expanded to 10 teams. Considering the rapid pace at which UA has been growing in the prep scene and the amount of nationally ranked programs that are now under the company, it has become quite a challenge for the brand to select which teams are to participate in the annual showcase. As for Under Armour, they’ll continue enjoying their climb in the game of basketball by staying involved at the grassroots level with events like the one taking place this weekend at Marquette University High School. “Here we are, three and half years in. We’re in it now. I think we’ve proven ourselves from a service and product standpoint—the way we cater to these programs, people know and see how we treat people,” says Glague. “I don’t think its anymore of a selling point now, it’s just about making sure people are representing our brand well. That’s the number one component for my group and myself. Lets make sure people represent us well. Our product speaks for itself. I don’t think it’s about selling it per say but you’re still competing with brands that have been around for a while.”

QUINN COOK - HEATING UP

2012-01-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

QUINN COOK - HEATING UP

DUKE UNIVERSITY

ALL-MET ELITE

By Robbi Pickeral

COOK HEATING UP: Duke freshman point guard Quinn Cook has come on strong of late, and hasn’t committed a turnover in his past 62 minutes on the floor (during the first half of the Blue Devils’ win against UNC Greensboro on Dec. 19). The reserve is averaging 12 points, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals in his past three games.
“He’s the best passer we have on the perimeter,’’ Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He’s a natural point guard [with] his ability to run the team, pass, defend the ball. Basically do what a point guard’s supposed to do in a traditional sense. He’s gotten a lot better, a lot stronger, he’s healthy. Hopefully he’ll continue to show that improvement. He’s played really well since coming back from Christmas. He did well before that, but he’s playing much better after Christmas.”

KEITH STEVENS - TEAM TAKEOVER

2012-01-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

KEITH STEVENS

TEAM TAKEOVER

PRESIDENT / FOUNDER

Team Takeover (DC) Youth Organization is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit association committed to making a positive difference in the lives of athletes, ages 8-18. Utilizing the rigors of athletic competition, our aim is to improve athletic and academic skills, while enhancing important life skills such as self-discipline, positive relationship building, attention to detail and good sportsmanship. Participants within our program play year round in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), Grassroots Basketball of America (GBOA), and national and regional leagues and tournaments; to ensure that we develop well-rounded youth athletes, we provide ambitious programs of academic enrichment and community service.

With success, oftentimes expansion, opportunity and/or change is sure to follow. As the high school division grew, it became apparent that it was time to amicably part ways. This separation spawned the second chapter, the beginning of a new entity, ranging from 17U through 8U. Team Takeover presented by Nike was born….with a chip on its shoulder….vision in its eyes….a sense of purpose on its mind. “It has begun”……

BOO WILLIAMS - ALL-MET ELITE

2012-01-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

BOO WILLIAMS
HAMPTON VA.

ALL-MET ELITE

Boo Williams, lives and grew up in Hampton, Virginia. He was a basketball star at Phoebus High School and went on to play at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, where he was later inducted to the school’s Hall of Fame. The 6-foot, eight-inch power forward went on to play professional basketball in Europe. Williams is an insurance agent for State Farm Insurance, and is nationally and internationally known as an ambassador and consultant for youth basketball and youth sports. In 1982 he started a high school AAU basketball program, the Boo Williams Summer League. Founded with four teams, there are now more than 165 teams and more than 2,000 male and female players. Williams helps recruit players from around the country that participate in tournaments here and abroad. His Summer League, which is sponsored by Nike, has won several national championships and attracted some of the nation’s best players. Hundreds have received basketball scholarships and many have gone on to become college, Olympic and professional stars. Williams currently is the AAU Chairman of Boys Basketball and on the USA/ABA Cadet Committee for Development of Future Olympians. He was Disney Wide World Sports Volunteer of the Year in 2001. The Boo Williams Sportsplex provides a 135,000 square foot, $13.5 million facility for a wide range of indoor youth sports, including basketball, volleyball, track and field, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics and many other youth sports and activities.

CLEVELAND MELVIN - ALL - MET ELITE

2012-01-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

CLEVELAND MELVIN

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

ALL - MET ELITE
BALTIMORE MD.

Cleveland Melvin tells no great tales — yet.

No tales of surviving the life in East Baltimore, Md., the neighborhood near urban ground zero for such happy TV fare as "Homicide: Life on the Street," "The Wire" and "The Corner."

No stories about the glory of DePaul basketball past — long past. No self-aggrandizement acknowledging being last season's Big East Rookie of the Year, an accolade achieved innumerable xBox reloads ago by the likes of NBA nobility-to-be including Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Patrick Ewing. Melvin is both buying in and selling. At a listed 6 feet 8 and 205 pounds with boing-like spring, he is a notably instinctive talent who remains very much a work-in-progress.

With the ball from 12 feet in, he nudges the untouchable continuum of the quick-and-done that stretches back from Tayshaun Prince to Bernard King. His unorthodoxy and will enable him to score from unbelievable positions.

Beyond 12 feet, he is — well, he is a work in progress. And that work checklist includes: jump shot, footwork and strength. Melvin has made an art of quietly fitting in since he was a lad in East Baltimore. Some would suggest it has been a survival skill.

"Cleve showed up at the (Cecil-Kirk) Center as one of the shyest 12-year-olds I'd ever seen," said Anthony "Dudie" Lewis, later Melvin's AAU coach. "But he was tall and lanky and I had coached his father (Cleveland Sr.). He was also respectful and wanted to play the game. So we got started."

By his final year at Lake Clifton High School, Melvin averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds as the Lakers finished 29-0 with city and state titles.

Then, it was a year at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass.

"For maturation, because of that 'No Child Left Behind' (stuff)," Lewis said.

"I had to get my SATs up," Melvin said.

While at Notre Dame, he took a Halloween weekend visit to DePaul in 2009 but orally committed to Connecticut. When coach Jim Calhoun insisted he would be developed as a power forward at UConn, he decommitted.

"If I am to play at a higher level, I think it will be as a wing," Melvin said. He soared so high that he was named conference Rookie of the Year despite missing the final four games of the season with a broken thumb. He finished averaging 17.4 points per game in Big East play (14.3 overall) and shooting 52 percent.

RECRUITING UPDATE - TROY WILLIAMS

2012-01-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

RECRUITING UPDATE

TROY WILLIAMS

PHOEBUS HS

HAMPTON VA.

By - MAZZOLINI

Besides North Carolina the 6’6″/190 lbs young man out of Phoebus High School (Hampton, VA) is looking at Kentucky, Georgetown, Villanova and Virginia Tech. Williams said this to CBSSports.com via a text message…
“They’re schools that play my style of play, and they’re also not that far for my family,”
CBS has him as a five star prospect, while ranking him eighth in his class. Over at Scout.com he is also listed as a five stars player, second at his position and eighth overall. Over at the other scouting site, Rivals.com the junior is ranked 14th overall and is only a four star candidate, and finally at ESPN Williams is seen as five star player, ranked 8th as well. From what I have read of this young man he has a lot of good sides to his game, which include his athleticism and versatility. His long arms allow him to be a factor on both sides of the ball, either going to the basket strong or locking down on a defender down low. While his play in the paint seems to be NCAA ready the shot from outside needs work, but if that does improve he could be a top notch wing player. I am sure that the recruiting war for this player is going to heat up soon and I will try to keep an eye (or ear) on it as it develops.

RECRUITING UPDATE - JOSH HART

2012-01-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

RECRUITING UPDATE

JOSH HART

SIDWELL FRIENDS HS
WASHINGTON D.C.

BY- ALEX SCHWARTZ

Josh Hart, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound shooting guard, turned in one of the day’s most impressive performances, leading Sidwell Friends (DC) to a win over Atlantic City (NJ). The smooth scorer first listed a quartet of schools: Georgetown, North Carolina State, Penn State and Marquette.

“Those are the ones that show me the most interest right now,” Hart said, noting that all of them have offered.
The class of 2013 prospect also listed VCU, UMass, Villanova, Drexel, St. Joseph’s, Xavier, Penn and Virginia. Of those, Hart said that he has offers from the Rams, Minutemen, Musketeers and Quakers.
“No, not really right now,” Hart said of whether he has a favorite. “Just, I’m kinda just focusing on school right now and or season. Every now and then I catch some of the games and I think.”
Hart, who was wearing a Georgetown hat after coming out of the locker room postgame, has an idea of when he will be making his college choice, but it is by no means set in stone.
“Probably next fall,” Hart said. “Like I was saying, school is the most important [thing]. I just have to make sure I’m locked in academic-wise [and then I will] . . . sit down in the fall.”
Hart talked about some of the things that he will be looking for in a school as he inches towards a college choice.
“Probably just—I like to play up-tempo offense, but also people [who] can execute in halfcourt [settings] because college is not like AAU,” Hart said, also adding, “good fans, great coaching staff.”
On whether location will be a factor for him as well, Hart remarked, “Not really, it’s more that [it will be] based on me, what I’m comfortable in.”
Hart, who spent his freshman year at Wheaton (MD), also spoke a bit about his individual game.
“I think right now, probably being a slasher,” Hart said of the primary strength of his game.
As for his main weakness, he commented, “One thing I wanna . . . improve for the next level is [my game from] midrange.”

School (City, State)	2011-2012 Record	ESPNHS POWERADE FAB 50 Ranking
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)	29-1	2
St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.)*	29-1	10
Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.)	20-2	11
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fl.)	21-3	14
Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach, Fl.)	30-2	16
La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	26-2	25
Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.)	31-3
Coolidge (Washington, D.C.)**	30-8