RODNEY ELLIOT ACCEPTS COACHING JOB AT MT. ZION HS.- ALL-MET ELITE

RODNEY ELLIOT

ACCEPTS

 COACHING

JOB AT

MT. ZION HS.

ALL-MET ELITE

DUNBAR HS.

BALTIMORE MD.

 

Mt. Zion is located in northeast Baltimore, not far from Morgan State University, and home now to 14 members of this year's basketball team. Among them are Markus Oliphant of Arundel High School in Gambrills and Anthony Bennett of Aberdeen.

They play their games at the Carmelo Anthony Recreation Center in east Baltimore. RodneyElliott and Brian Scott are Rodrick Harrison's assistant coaches.

"We feel we have a lot to offer as coaches," Scott said. "Everybody knows Rodney played at Maryland, went to some NBA camps, had a great career overseas. Coach Harrison was a Division I point guard at UMBC, played Division II basketball at Barton College. So these kids are getting a lot of experienced advice. So when they leave our program, we feel they'll be prepared to play at the next level."

Elliott said the coaches' goal was to draw players from within a 50-mile radius of Baltimore.
"If they think they have the ability to play at the next level, we want to know who they are," Elliott said. "It's giving them that extra year -- that extra year to get stronger, get faster, and learning the college game as quickly as possible is big, because that transition from high school to college is very different."

Harrison said the coaches wanted to give kids the opportunity to mature academically and athletically.

"It's a great opportunity for not only the kids here in Baltimore and the Maryland area, but also from around the East Coast," he said. "We even have a kid from Australia (6-foot-9 forward Jon Janssen). We want to improve their grades and SAT scores so maybe they have the opportunity to receive a free scholarship to play ball."