The first (of many to come??) Lucas Holiday Xplosion wrapped up on Tuesday at the M.O. Campbell Center and there were some interesting sights on and off the court.
* * * * *
For the second consecutive game, Atascocita was able to hang tough with a national opponent, Mt. Zion Academy, but came up just a little short, losing 53-50. Mt. Zion rebounded from their Monday loss to Christian Life to head back to Durham 1-1 for their two-day efforts.
Atascocita lost both their games (by a combined total of 8 points), which drops their season record to 6-12 as they now prepare for the District 19-5A schedule.
Like the Eagles, Strake Jesuit came up short for the second consecutive night. The Norcross Blue Devils used an 11-0 run late in the second quarter and an 11-2 run to end the third quarter to create a large enough cushion that propelled them to a 61-46 win over the Crusaders.
Rasheed Sulaimon again led Strake with 19 points, but the Crusaders couldn’t shut down the duo of Jeremy Lamb (G, 6’2” senior, 26 points) and Marty Johnson (G, 6’1” senior, 12 points).
* * * * *
After watching the Crusaders for the second day in a row, my impression is that the difference between this year’s squad and last year’s state semifinalist is basically in the way the teams finish off their dribble penetration moves on offense.
Last year, with Joey Brooks and Tim Frazier able to slash and finish off drives to the bucket, the Crusaders were unstoppable; this year—or least over the last two days—Strake had trouble finishing off those drives. The opportunities to cut to the basket on the dribble were still there. The Crusaders just couldn’t put the ball in the hole.
Plus, with the ability to collapse the opponent’s defense on those types of drives, they had reliable outside shooters in Stevie Rogers and Frazier to kick the ball out to for wide open looks, many from outside the arc. I didn’t see that with this year’s team.
As I mentioned in Monday’s post, Coach Jones has an inexperienced crew on his hands. But Jones and his staff are good basketball technicians. That generally means that, as the experience comes, the team will respond to the good coaching and by the end of the season will look much different than the team that started in November.
Right now, going into the District 18-5A season, Strake is at 7-9. They will have a tough time in district against the Alief teams (Elsik almost beat Bellaire for the HISD tournament title), and Memorial and Stratford will be tough too, but don’t be shocked if the Crusaders wind up with a playoff berth in mid-February.
* * * * *
By good fortune, I had the opportunity to meet Jamaal Greene, an assistant hoops coach at Midland College, during the tournament. The Chaparrals happened to be the top-ranked JuCo team in America right now and they just completed a successful tournament in Las Vegas before Christmas. With his team on the traditional JuCo holiday break, Greene was in town to see some of the individual talent on display the local holiday tournaments.
He mentioned the name of Jonathan Simmons from Smiley High School (who I believe played in the final edition of the Houston vs. The Nation tournament a couple of years ago, if memory serves me correctly). After graduating from Smiley, Simmons went to Paris Junior College in northeast Texas, but has since transferred to Midland. And, according to Greene, he is getting some NCAA D-1 looks from multiple schools.
(I would’ve put in a pitch for Andre Hollins, the impressive-looking junior from White Station, TN, but I doubt the schools closer to his home would let him get anywhere near Midland.)
Greene and I got to talk a little hoops sitting courtside during the evening and he was great to visit with. He and I seemed to have some similar opinions about some of the individual talent on the floor, as well as the way some of the in-game situations were managed. So, our discussion prompted me to try to learn a little more about the Midland College program. There’s some very interesting history associated with the program.
For Houston-area fans, I’d call Midland College the San Jac of west Texas. Through the years, there have been many NCAA players who played there first, as well as a handful of NBA players. Spud Webb and Mookie Blaylock both played at Midland. So did Harold ‘The Show’ Arceneaux (one of the all-time great names in hoops history). The Chaps are two-time NJCAA national champions (1982, 2007).
But, maybe the most interesting bit of trivia he told me involved their home court. Midland College plays in the 5,500-seat Al Langford Chaparral Center. As their website states, it is arguably the nicest JuCo arena in the nation. And the rest of their athletic facilities appear to be first-rate too. That has to make Midland an attractive destination for aspiring players. (That, and getting to go to Vegas!)
Now, all they need is for Legacy Sports Network to open a West Texas bureau and start broadcasting their games...and I'll volunteer for any Vegas trip...
By the way, according to Greene, the Chaps start 2010 right here in the Houston area, playing a pair of games over the weekend at San Jacinto College (which is definitely NOT a 5,500-seat facility). On Saturday, January 2, they play the Lone Star-Cy Fair Ducks and on January 3, they take on Lone Star-Tomball. It might be a good opportunity for folks in the area to see some good JuCo hoops.
* * * * *
Prestonwood Christian, maybe the top TAPPS team in the state, got a dose of the top 5A team in the state—Bellaire—in the third game of the night. PCA got off to a good early start and was able to play toe-to-toe with the Cardinals for about a half. But Bellaire’s running game wore down the Lions in the second half and the Cardinals picked up their second win in as many days with a 49-35 victory.
Sebastian Douglas, Sheldon McClellan and Toby Oyedeji all scored in double-figures for Bruce Glover’s squad that moves its season record to 18-1.
The noticeable difference from Monday for Prestonwood was that Bellaire managed to shut down Jason Pospichal. Pospichal, who scored 17 points against Strake with five three-pointers, was held to seven points on Tuesday. He scored four of the Lions’ first six points and then was held scoreless until he hit his only three with 4:35 to go in the fourth quarter.
Still, there should be no doubt that Prestonwood should be considered the team to beat in the TAPPS classification this year. With a young, and large, presence in the low blocks, this team will only improve as the season wears on.
* * * * *
White Station and Christian Life Academy (or is it Christian Life Center Academy?) finished up the evening, and the Xplosion ended with a bang. On the strength of a 16-2 run in the final three minutes of the game, White Station came from behind to defeat Christian Life, 87-86. The previously-mentioned Andre Hollins sunk a free throw with 1.2 seconds on the clock to deliver the victory over a shocked Cougar squad.
* * * * *
Thanks to their entertaining comeback, the Spartans also earned their fans who came to Houston my unofficial title as Best Team Supporters at the two-day event. While none of the schools had a large contingency of followers, including all four Houston-area teams, the White Station boosters were without question the easiest to find during their team’s games.
To say they were vocal would be an understatement. To say they loved the Houston-area referees who officiated their games would be a lie. But to say that they were extremely pleased with the come-from-behind win would be completely true. I know, because I heard it with my own ears.
* * * * *
I hope this event will become a successful holiday showcase, but crowds were sparse again on Tuesday and I believe it is probably because a lot of people in the Houston area just didn’t know about it. The promoters of LHX 2010 will need to ramp up the advance buzz to get some folks out to watch some quality hoops. Fortunately, looking at my calendar for next year, I’m available to help if they need it!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Lucas Xplosion: Day 1 recap
The first edition of the Lucas Holiday Xplosion and Athletic Conference got underway on Monday and it had a lot of the old feel of the Academy National Invitational that used to occupy the same building, the Campbell Center in Aldine ISD, at this time of year.
As mentioned in previous posts, it is smaller in scale than the Academy, which generally boasted eight teams in a 'Texas' division and eight teams in a 'National' division, but its organizers insist that this is just the beginning for what they hope will become a nationally-recognized holiday destination for teams from across the country.
Crowds were sparse for the opening day, but everyone associated with the event seemed pleased with the way the day went. On the floor, there were a pair of very competitive games, a couple of blowouts and plenty of familiar faces in the crowd.
* * * * *
Familiar face #1: Johnnie 'The Hawk' Carter, former head of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, head coach at Hastings High School and current director of athletic services for Aldine ISD.
Carter's resume is impressive. He played at Carthage High School and East Texas Baptist. His coaching stops include assistant's roles at Cushing High School, Grambling University and Forest Brook High School, and head coaching positions at Aldine MacArthur, Lufkin and Hastings. Those Bears' teams won four district titles and appeared in four regional tournaments. He had a 465-246 career record.
Carter is also the only member of the Texas Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted in 1998) that I can say I know.
On Monday, as a representative of the host Aldine ISD, he was all over the Campbell Center taking care of behind-the-scenes issues, but allowed himself to sit and watch portions of a couple of games. As Atascocita took on Norcross High out of Georgia, I asked him if he missed the sidelines at all.
"At times like this, yeah," he answered with a smile. Which, to me, means he only misses it about 30-40 nights a year...and you can live with that if the other 325-335 nights were difficult to endure.
* * * * *
Familiar faces #2-3: Wayne Jones, head coach, and Ray Marshall, assistant coach, of the Strake Jesuit Crusaders. It was good to see those two men...for the first time this season. I had the privilege of following them throughout their run to the Class 5A state tournament in 2008-09. The Crusaders went undefeated until running into the DeSoto Eagles in the state semifinal.
We reminisced about that weekend last March for a few minutes. Both Jones and Marshall understand how special that team and season were. But they also know it is now just a piece of history.
I asked Jones if his prolific trio--Brooks, Frazier and Rogers--have called him since beginning their college careers. He said they definitely have. He's proud of the fact that, as a freshman, Frazier starts for Penn State and that Brooks had a nice game for Notre Dame against Bucknell recently.
Will this year's Strake team repeat last season's success? If you ask him about that, Jones won't specifically say no, but he is a realist: "We're just so young this season."
* * * * *
On the floor on Monday...
Christian Life Center Academy, from the north side of town, easily defeated Mt. Zion Academy out of Durham NC, 77-56. The previously-heralded Chris Coleman was held to four points by Mt. Zion, which happens to be Tracy McGrady's alma mater. (I didn't spot T-Mac in the crowd, though.)
The Atascocita Eagles hung tough with the Norcross Blue Devils, but fell 52-47. Neither team shot the ball very well, which was as much a tribute to the good defense played on both ends as anything else. For Atascocita, Everrette Pleasant (F, 6'5", junior) has the look of an athlete. For Norcross, Victor Nickerson (C, 6'6", junior) and Marty Johnson (G, 6'1", senior) led the way.
Against Prestonwood Christian, Jones' Strake Jesuit Crusaders looked as young and inexperienced as he said they were. The PCA Lions rolled out to an early lead and increased it every quarter to claim a 59-39 win. Elliott Franshaw (C, 6'7", senior), one of only three returning players from last year's squad, got into early foul trouble, had to spend a lot of time on the bench and fouled out with over six minutes to go in the game.
Without him, Strake had no answer for the twin-tower duo of Zach Peters (C, 6'9", sophomore) and Julius Randle (F, 6'8", freshman), who each poured in 16 points. They combined with senior Jason Pospichal, who added 17 points (included five three-point buckets), to deliver the win. Rasheed Sulaimon scored 23 for the Crusaders in defeat.
The nightcap featured a pair of top-ranked teams in the Bellaire Cardinals and White Station Spartans from the northern part of the metropolitan Memphis area. Early on, it looked like Bellaire might win in a rout. The Cardinals scored the first six points of the game and led 21-11 after one period.
But White Station, defending Tennessee state champs, got into a rhythm beginning in the second and held even with Bellaire in the second quarter, before outscoring them in the second half to eventually take a 61-60 lead with just over six minutes to go in the game.
But Bellaire rebounded, led by Toby Oyedeji's 29 points, and pulled out a 72-68 win. A pair of free throws by Shelden McClellan with 0:34 to go sealed the victory.
White Station's All-American guard Joe Jackson recovered from a rough first quarter to lead the Spartans with 22 points. Andre Hollins (G, 6'3", junior) also scored 22 points and Nino Johnson added 17.
* * * * *
The showcase wraps up on Tuesday with games featuring Mt. Zion vs. Atascocita (3:30 pm), Norcross vs. Strake Jesuit (5:00 pm), Prestonwood Christian vs. Bellaire (6:30 pm) and Christian Life vs. White Station (8:00 pm).
As mentioned in previous posts, it is smaller in scale than the Academy, which generally boasted eight teams in a 'Texas' division and eight teams in a 'National' division, but its organizers insist that this is just the beginning for what they hope will become a nationally-recognized holiday destination for teams from across the country.
Crowds were sparse for the opening day, but everyone associated with the event seemed pleased with the way the day went. On the floor, there were a pair of very competitive games, a couple of blowouts and plenty of familiar faces in the crowd.
* * * * *
Familiar face #1: Johnnie 'The Hawk' Carter, former head of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, head coach at Hastings High School and current director of athletic services for Aldine ISD.
Carter's resume is impressive. He played at Carthage High School and East Texas Baptist. His coaching stops include assistant's roles at Cushing High School, Grambling University and Forest Brook High School, and head coaching positions at Aldine MacArthur, Lufkin and Hastings. Those Bears' teams won four district titles and appeared in four regional tournaments. He had a 465-246 career record.
Carter is also the only member of the Texas Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted in 1998) that I can say I know.
On Monday, as a representative of the host Aldine ISD, he was all over the Campbell Center taking care of behind-the-scenes issues, but allowed himself to sit and watch portions of a couple of games. As Atascocita took on Norcross High out of Georgia, I asked him if he missed the sidelines at all.
"At times like this, yeah," he answered with a smile. Which, to me, means he only misses it about 30-40 nights a year...and you can live with that if the other 325-335 nights were difficult to endure.
* * * * *
Familiar faces #2-3: Wayne Jones, head coach, and Ray Marshall, assistant coach, of the Strake Jesuit Crusaders. It was good to see those two men...for the first time this season. I had the privilege of following them throughout their run to the Class 5A state tournament in 2008-09. The Crusaders went undefeated until running into the DeSoto Eagles in the state semifinal.
We reminisced about that weekend last March for a few minutes. Both Jones and Marshall understand how special that team and season were. But they also know it is now just a piece of history.
I asked Jones if his prolific trio--Brooks, Frazier and Rogers--have called him since beginning their college careers. He said they definitely have. He's proud of the fact that, as a freshman, Frazier starts for Penn State and that Brooks had a nice game for Notre Dame against Bucknell recently.
Will this year's Strake team repeat last season's success? If you ask him about that, Jones won't specifically say no, but he is a realist: "We're just so young this season."
* * * * *
On the floor on Monday...
Christian Life Center Academy, from the north side of town, easily defeated Mt. Zion Academy out of Durham NC, 77-56. The previously-heralded Chris Coleman was held to four points by Mt. Zion, which happens to be Tracy McGrady's alma mater. (I didn't spot T-Mac in the crowd, though.)
The Atascocita Eagles hung tough with the Norcross Blue Devils, but fell 52-47. Neither team shot the ball very well, which was as much a tribute to the good defense played on both ends as anything else. For Atascocita, Everrette Pleasant (F, 6'5", junior) has the look of an athlete. For Norcross, Victor Nickerson (C, 6'6", junior) and Marty Johnson (G, 6'1", senior) led the way.
Against Prestonwood Christian, Jones' Strake Jesuit Crusaders looked as young and inexperienced as he said they were. The PCA Lions rolled out to an early lead and increased it every quarter to claim a 59-39 win. Elliott Franshaw (C, 6'7", senior), one of only three returning players from last year's squad, got into early foul trouble, had to spend a lot of time on the bench and fouled out with over six minutes to go in the game.
Without him, Strake had no answer for the twin-tower duo of Zach Peters (C, 6'9", sophomore) and Julius Randle (F, 6'8", freshman), who each poured in 16 points. They combined with senior Jason Pospichal, who added 17 points (included five three-point buckets), to deliver the win. Rasheed Sulaimon scored 23 for the Crusaders in defeat.
The nightcap featured a pair of top-ranked teams in the Bellaire Cardinals and White Station Spartans from the northern part of the metropolitan Memphis area. Early on, it looked like Bellaire might win in a rout. The Cardinals scored the first six points of the game and led 21-11 after one period.
But White Station, defending Tennessee state champs, got into a rhythm beginning in the second and held even with Bellaire in the second quarter, before outscoring them in the second half to eventually take a 61-60 lead with just over six minutes to go in the game.
But Bellaire rebounded, led by Toby Oyedeji's 29 points, and pulled out a 72-68 win. A pair of free throws by Shelden McClellan with 0:34 to go sealed the victory.
White Station's All-American guard Joe Jackson recovered from a rough first quarter to lead the Spartans with 22 points. Andre Hollins (G, 6'3", junior) also scored 22 points and Nino Johnson added 17.
* * * * *
The showcase wraps up on Tuesday with games featuring Mt. Zion vs. Atascocita (3:30 pm), Norcross vs. Strake Jesuit (5:00 pm), Prestonwood Christian vs. Bellaire (6:30 pm) and Christian Life vs. White Station (8:00 pm).
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Lucas' Hoops 'Xplosion' returning a holiday showcase to the area
For several years, Houston area basketball fans always had an outlet for watching potential future stars play in the Academy National Invitational Tournament at the M.O. Campbell Center in the Aldine ISD during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Hal Pastner, a local hoops legend and father of Memphis University head coach Josh Pastner, was the driving force behind that showcase.
Over the years, players like Kendrick Perkins, Jason Wingate, Shelden Williams, Tywon Lawson, Gary Johnson, B.J. Holmes, D.J. Augustin, and many more took the floor at the Campbell Center to give Houston hoops fans a holiday treat of seeing stars before they became stars.
When Pastner ended his affiliation with Vision Sports (the producers of the Academy and the subsequent Houston vs. The Nation showcase) the tournament went by the boards as well, leaving a void.
So another Houston-area legend, John Lucas, is trying to fill that void by creating a new holiday showcase that will feature local teams against teams from around the nation over a two-day period. While starting out smaller in scale than the Academy, with four Houston-area high school teams and four national high school teams, the John Lucas Holiday Xplosion will also allow some Houston middle school teams an opportunity to play on a larger stage.
The showcase takes place on Monday, December 28, and Tuesday, December 29. Each day’s session will begin at 9:00 AM with four middle school games. The high school squads are featured in the afternoon/evening sessions.
Lucas’ inaugural field of teams should boast some serious talent.
Of the four local teams in the field, the Bellaire Cardinals are the team with the most national prominence, ranked at No. 50 nationally by Rivals 100. Bruce Glover’s team is out of the gate in 2009-10 with a 16-1 record. Their only loss was a one-point defeat to Lancaster on the Friday after Thanksgiving. They will bring a 10-game winning streak into Monday’s game that includes their recent championship in the HISD tournament.
Strake Jesuit, last year’s Class 5A state semifinalists, are 7-7 through the early portion of their schedule. Wayne Jones has to come up with a combination on the floor to replace a talented trio that has moved on to the NCAA Division I ranks: Joey Brooks (Notre Dame), Tim Frazier (Penn State) and Steven Rogers (Rice).
Atascocita (6-10) and Christian Life Center Academy round out the Houston-area foursome. While we don’t know much about CLCA, we do know that the Cougars feature 6’9” junior post player Chris Coleman. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Coleman is already commanding some attention from D-I recruiters.
Coleman was recruited by Isiah Thomas at Florida International University and had committed to that school, but decommitted in September. Also of interest to note is that Coleman played last year at Mt. Zion Christian (NC), which happens to be CLC’s opponent on Monday.
The national field that those teams will face should be impressive and entertaining to watch.
The White Station Spartans out of the Memphis TN area give the tournament a defending state champion. The Spartans are the defending Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class AAA (largest classification) state champions, following up a season as state runner-up in 2007-08. Under head coach Jesus Patino, in his fifth season (110-45), they are the eighth-ranked team in USA Today’s Super 25 South Region rankings.
Led by senior guard Joe Jackson, who averages 34.5 points per game and is committed to Memphis, White Station will come to town with a 7-1 record to start the 2009-10 season and regarded by many as a favorite to repeat as TSSAA champions again. Jackson, who was last year’s state tournament MVP as a junior, is ranked by Rivals.com as their No. 5 point guard.
White Station plays Bellaire on Monday at 8:30 pm, in what promises to be an extremely competitive matchup. On Tuesday, the Spartans take on Christian Life Center Academy.
The Norcross (GA) Blue Devils are another traditional basketball powerhouse that will be in the field. Norcross was the three-time Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA state champion from 2006 to 2008 before falling in the regional final round last year.
The Blue Devils, under second-year head coach Jesse McMillan (34-5), should have a size advantage on almost any team they play. Of the 15 players on the Norcross roster, eight are listed as 6’4” or taller.
Norcross has a season record of 7-2 and is at No. 56 in the current Rivals 100 basketball rankings. They will play Atascocita on Monday and Strake Jesuit on Tuesday.
The Warriors of Mount Zion Christian Academy from Durham, NC, come straight from the heart of hoops country. While they’ve struggled early, with a 5-9 record heading to Houston, it will be interesting to see how they approach their aforementioned Monday game against former teammate Coleman.
Prestonwood Christian, from the North Dallas/Plano area and the TAPPS Class 5A state runner-up from 2008-09, rounds out the field. Much of the roster from that team returns for the 2009-10 season and the Lions are a favorite to pick up a TAPPS state championship because of that. PCA (14-2) is big in low blocks, featuring a front line of 6’9” Zach Peters, 6’8” Julius Randle and 6’5” Aaron Wyatt. Jason Pospichal is a sharpshooter from the outside.
Prestonwood will be tested during the Holiday Xplosion. The team opens against Strake Jesuit on Monday and finishes with Bellaire on Tuesday.
Perhaps the thing that differentiates the Lucas tournament from others is the accompanying conference-style seminars and workshops that are offered in conjunction with the showcase games. A variety of topics of interest to players, coaches and parents of aspiring athletes are included and will be discussed on-site during the two-day event.
Although currently an assistant coach on the Los Angeles Clippers' staff, Lucas is currently slated to deliver the opening address of the conference on Monday morning.
Over the years, players like Kendrick Perkins, Jason Wingate, Shelden Williams, Tywon Lawson, Gary Johnson, B.J. Holmes, D.J. Augustin, and many more took the floor at the Campbell Center to give Houston hoops fans a holiday treat of seeing stars before they became stars.
When Pastner ended his affiliation with Vision Sports (the producers of the Academy and the subsequent Houston vs. The Nation showcase) the tournament went by the boards as well, leaving a void.
So another Houston-area legend, John Lucas, is trying to fill that void by creating a new holiday showcase that will feature local teams against teams from around the nation over a two-day period. While starting out smaller in scale than the Academy, with four Houston-area high school teams and four national high school teams, the John Lucas Holiday Xplosion will also allow some Houston middle school teams an opportunity to play on a larger stage.
The showcase takes place on Monday, December 28, and Tuesday, December 29. Each day’s session will begin at 9:00 AM with four middle school games. The high school squads are featured in the afternoon/evening sessions.
Lucas’ inaugural field of teams should boast some serious talent.
Of the four local teams in the field, the Bellaire Cardinals are the team with the most national prominence, ranked at No. 50 nationally by Rivals 100. Bruce Glover’s team is out of the gate in 2009-10 with a 16-1 record. Their only loss was a one-point defeat to Lancaster on the Friday after Thanksgiving. They will bring a 10-game winning streak into Monday’s game that includes their recent championship in the HISD tournament.
Strake Jesuit, last year’s Class 5A state semifinalists, are 7-7 through the early portion of their schedule. Wayne Jones has to come up with a combination on the floor to replace a talented trio that has moved on to the NCAA Division I ranks: Joey Brooks (Notre Dame), Tim Frazier (Penn State) and Steven Rogers (Rice).
Atascocita (6-10) and Christian Life Center Academy round out the Houston-area foursome. While we don’t know much about CLCA, we do know that the Cougars feature 6’9” junior post player Chris Coleman. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Coleman is already commanding some attention from D-I recruiters.
Coleman was recruited by Isiah Thomas at Florida International University and had committed to that school, but decommitted in September. Also of interest to note is that Coleman played last year at Mt. Zion Christian (NC), which happens to be CLC’s opponent on Monday.
The national field that those teams will face should be impressive and entertaining to watch.
The White Station Spartans out of the Memphis TN area give the tournament a defending state champion. The Spartans are the defending Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class AAA (largest classification) state champions, following up a season as state runner-up in 2007-08. Under head coach Jesus Patino, in his fifth season (110-45), they are the eighth-ranked team in USA Today’s Super 25 South Region rankings.
Led by senior guard Joe Jackson, who averages 34.5 points per game and is committed to Memphis, White Station will come to town with a 7-1 record to start the 2009-10 season and regarded by many as a favorite to repeat as TSSAA champions again. Jackson, who was last year’s state tournament MVP as a junior, is ranked by Rivals.com as their No. 5 point guard.
White Station plays Bellaire on Monday at 8:30 pm, in what promises to be an extremely competitive matchup. On Tuesday, the Spartans take on Christian Life Center Academy.
The Norcross (GA) Blue Devils are another traditional basketball powerhouse that will be in the field. Norcross was the three-time Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA state champion from 2006 to 2008 before falling in the regional final round last year.
The Blue Devils, under second-year head coach Jesse McMillan (34-5), should have a size advantage on almost any team they play. Of the 15 players on the Norcross roster, eight are listed as 6’4” or taller.
Norcross has a season record of 7-2 and is at No. 56 in the current Rivals 100 basketball rankings. They will play Atascocita on Monday and Strake Jesuit on Tuesday.
The Warriors of Mount Zion Christian Academy from Durham, NC, come straight from the heart of hoops country. While they’ve struggled early, with a 5-9 record heading to Houston, it will be interesting to see how they approach their aforementioned Monday game against former teammate Coleman.
Prestonwood Christian, from the North Dallas/Plano area and the TAPPS Class 5A state runner-up from 2008-09, rounds out the field. Much of the roster from that team returns for the 2009-10 season and the Lions are a favorite to pick up a TAPPS state championship because of that. PCA (14-2) is big in low blocks, featuring a front line of 6’9” Zach Peters, 6’8” Julius Randle and 6’5” Aaron Wyatt. Jason Pospichal is a sharpshooter from the outside.
Prestonwood will be tested during the Holiday Xplosion. The team opens against Strake Jesuit on Monday and finishes with Bellaire on Tuesday.
Perhaps the thing that differentiates the Lucas tournament from others is the accompanying conference-style seminars and workshops that are offered in conjunction with the showcase games. A variety of topics of interest to players, coaches and parents of aspiring athletes are included and will be discussed on-site during the two-day event.
Although currently an assistant coach on the Los Angeles Clippers' staff, Lucas is currently slated to deliver the opening address of the conference on Monday morning.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Prepping for an Abilene 'two-peat' and other lasting memories from Championship Saturday
First, allow me to wish each and every one of you a joyful Christmas and holiday season! Be safe and make the effort to treasure people more than things in your lives.
* * * * *
My lasting impression of FSN's coverage of the UIL Class 5A Division 2 Championship on Saturday night? Let me sum it up this way:
Dear Ahmad Brooks...we have a word in the English language for a 'two-peat': REPEAT.
PS--try not to gush too much over your boys winning the state championship. Fox Sports Southwest did hire you for a statewide broadcast. Seeing your grinning mug on the Abilene sideline just a few feet from the head coach as the seconds ticked off probably wasn't the lasting image they wanted their viewers to see.
You've got from now till December 18, 2010 to celebrate. You should've kept your journalistic demeanor and composure about 30 minutes longer.
Seriously, he said, 'two-peat' in attempting to ask Ronnell Sims about the prospects of returning to San Antonio (or wherever) next season, as if he's not scared to pay Pat Riley for copyright infringement.
By the way, Ahmad Brooks went to the University of Texas, whose football team is on the verge of trying to one-peat a national championship in football.
* * * * *
On the fields this past Saturday, there were several actual participants who left some lasting impressions too.
For me, Abilene's Herschel Sims' 60-yard TD run in the fourth quarter against Katy will always stick with me. Although outgained by his cousin Ronnell in the game, I thought Herschel's jaunt that iced the game for the Eagles was a thing of beauty. First he showed speed to get into the secondary and then, more impressively, he made three Tiger defenders miss him altogether.
A couple of weekends ago, I talked ad nauseum on the air about Brandon Carter of Euless Trinity. The guy was a one-man wrecking crew against Stony Point in the semifinal, and his TD catch in OT of the 5A Division 1 Championship in OT against Austin Westlake will be a lasting legacy that will be hard for him to top, no matter how long he continues to play the game. Of course, there ARE those among us who don't believe it was a catch at all...and that should only enhance the legend in the years ahead.
In the Class 4A Division 2 Championship, Aledo sophomore Jonathan Gray burst onto the statewide stage with 252 rushing yards and four TDs in Aledo's win over Brenham. During the game, the Metroplex-based broadcast team gushed so much over Gray, I had to check to make sure I wasn't watching Trey Williams of Dekaney. Still, it was an impressive performance in a huge game.
In Class 3A, the McCoy family failed in the first leg of the high school state championship/college national championship couplet. Graham lost to Carthage in a close game, 13-12. Perhaps that bodes well for the Crimson Tide of Alabama on January 7. (Some of you have mentioned that you think I'm obsessed with the Longhorns losing. Let me dispel that notion...oh wait, no, I DO want them to lose. All true Aggies will be shouting, 'Roll Tide!' that night.)
Actually, THE big game is in Shreveport this year on Monday afternoon. (Which reminds me, I will have to recount my experience at the 1981 Independence Bowl in the days ahead. Preview: I was 20 years old and had more money than brains at the time! But the Ags won that icy evening over Oklahoma State, 33-16.)
* * * * *
Again, Merry Christmas, everyone, and remember what the season is all about!
* * * * *
My lasting impression of FSN's coverage of the UIL Class 5A Division 2 Championship on Saturday night? Let me sum it up this way:
Dear Ahmad Brooks...we have a word in the English language for a 'two-peat': REPEAT.
PS--try not to gush too much over your boys winning the state championship. Fox Sports Southwest did hire you for a statewide broadcast. Seeing your grinning mug on the Abilene sideline just a few feet from the head coach as the seconds ticked off probably wasn't the lasting image they wanted their viewers to see.
You've got from now till December 18, 2010 to celebrate. You should've kept your journalistic demeanor and composure about 30 minutes longer.
Seriously, he said, 'two-peat' in attempting to ask Ronnell Sims about the prospects of returning to San Antonio (or wherever) next season, as if he's not scared to pay Pat Riley for copyright infringement.
By the way, Ahmad Brooks went to the University of Texas, whose football team is on the verge of trying to one-peat a national championship in football.
* * * * *
On the fields this past Saturday, there were several actual participants who left some lasting impressions too.
For me, Abilene's Herschel Sims' 60-yard TD run in the fourth quarter against Katy will always stick with me. Although outgained by his cousin Ronnell in the game, I thought Herschel's jaunt that iced the game for the Eagles was a thing of beauty. First he showed speed to get into the secondary and then, more impressively, he made three Tiger defenders miss him altogether.
A couple of weekends ago, I talked ad nauseum on the air about Brandon Carter of Euless Trinity. The guy was a one-man wrecking crew against Stony Point in the semifinal, and his TD catch in OT of the 5A Division 1 Championship in OT against Austin Westlake will be a lasting legacy that will be hard for him to top, no matter how long he continues to play the game. Of course, there ARE those among us who don't believe it was a catch at all...and that should only enhance the legend in the years ahead.
In the Class 4A Division 2 Championship, Aledo sophomore Jonathan Gray burst onto the statewide stage with 252 rushing yards and four TDs in Aledo's win over Brenham. During the game, the Metroplex-based broadcast team gushed so much over Gray, I had to check to make sure I wasn't watching Trey Williams of Dekaney. Still, it was an impressive performance in a huge game.
In Class 3A, the McCoy family failed in the first leg of the high school state championship/college national championship couplet. Graham lost to Carthage in a close game, 13-12. Perhaps that bodes well for the Crimson Tide of Alabama on January 7. (Some of you have mentioned that you think I'm obsessed with the Longhorns losing. Let me dispel that notion...oh wait, no, I DO want them to lose. All true Aggies will be shouting, 'Roll Tide!' that night.)
Actually, THE big game is in Shreveport this year on Monday afternoon. (Which reminds me, I will have to recount my experience at the 1981 Independence Bowl in the days ahead. Preview: I was 20 years old and had more money than brains at the time! But the Ags won that icy evening over Oklahoma State, 33-16.)
* * * * *
Again, Merry Christmas, everyone, and remember what the season is all about!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Championship Saturday...
I won't personally be on-hand for the Class 5A state championships today. That will be the first time I will have missed a 5A championship since 2004. But I am already making plans to be back in 2010...to start a new streak!
For the record, I'm going to go with Austin Westlake in the Division 1 final over Euless Trinity. And, in the Division 2 final, I will go with the Katy Tigers in a dogfight over the Abilene Eagles; however, I won't be surprised at all if it goes the opposite way. Everyone in the Houston area knows about Katy. Abilene is just as good.
* * * * *
Did you know that Alabama was the first state to officially recognize Christmas as an official holiday? It says so right here. And here. And here. I'm trying to interpret that as a bad sign for the UT Fightin' McCoys in the BCS Championship Game, but haven't been able to so far. However, it does solidify the universally-held opinion that the state of Alabama is always progressive.
* * * * *
Have you noticed that there's no Houston-area over-the-air radio for the Katy-Abilene game? What happened there? Katy fans deserve better than that. In fact, all Houston high school fans deserve better.
On the final Saturday night before Christmas, it isn't outlandish to assume that many interested people, who could not make it to San Antonio, will be away from both a TV or the Internet while trying to finish shopping or heading to holiday parties. It seems like someone would have or could have made an effort to negotiate some local radio coverage to provide a service to those folks.
Sure, that broadcast would cost money to air, but it also would generate advertising revenues for the network that delivered the broadcast. And, one thing I know about the Katy faithful: they will support the Tigers. Advertisers would not have been hard to find.
So, it's a mystery as to why there's no over-the-air station in Houston carrying the Katy-Abilene broadcast. In fact, the exclusive carrier of Katy ISD football will not even be providing a webcast from San Antonio. So, even if you're a Katy fan and have Internet access, you don't have an outlet to be your 'home' broadcast provider. That also makes Katy the only school in any classification that does not have any kind of audio-only broadcast of their championship game.
There must be something going on that we don't know about...
There will be an Abilene radio broadcast that can be heard on the web here.
* * * * *
There's an interesting high school hoops showcase coming up after Christmas in the Houston area. The John Lucas Holiday Explosion and Athletic Conference will feature some local high school teams in showcase games against teams from around the country. The top-ranked Bellaire Cardinals headline the Houston-area teams, which also include last year's 5A state semifinalist Strake Jesuit along with Atascocita and Christian Life Center Academy.
I'll give more details about this showcase in an upcoming blog post, but if you were a fan of the old Academy Invitational Tournament and it's short-lived successor, The Houston vs. the Nation Tournament, you'll want to spend a couple of days at the Campbell Center in north Houston.
* * * * *
We'll recap the football championships next week.
For the record, I'm going to go with Austin Westlake in the Division 1 final over Euless Trinity. And, in the Division 2 final, I will go with the Katy Tigers in a dogfight over the Abilene Eagles; however, I won't be surprised at all if it goes the opposite way. Everyone in the Houston area knows about Katy. Abilene is just as good.
* * * * *
Did you know that Alabama was the first state to officially recognize Christmas as an official holiday? It says so right here. And here. And here. I'm trying to interpret that as a bad sign for the UT Fightin' McCoys in the BCS Championship Game, but haven't been able to so far. However, it does solidify the universally-held opinion that the state of Alabama is always progressive.
* * * * *
Have you noticed that there's no Houston-area over-the-air radio for the Katy-Abilene game? What happened there? Katy fans deserve better than that. In fact, all Houston high school fans deserve better.
On the final Saturday night before Christmas, it isn't outlandish to assume that many interested people, who could not make it to San Antonio, will be away from both a TV or the Internet while trying to finish shopping or heading to holiday parties. It seems like someone would have or could have made an effort to negotiate some local radio coverage to provide a service to those folks.
Sure, that broadcast would cost money to air, but it also would generate advertising revenues for the network that delivered the broadcast. And, one thing I know about the Katy faithful: they will support the Tigers. Advertisers would not have been hard to find.
So, it's a mystery as to why there's no over-the-air station in Houston carrying the Katy-Abilene broadcast. In fact, the exclusive carrier of Katy ISD football will not even be providing a webcast from San Antonio. So, even if you're a Katy fan and have Internet access, you don't have an outlet to be your 'home' broadcast provider. That also makes Katy the only school in any classification that does not have any kind of audio-only broadcast of their championship game.
There must be something going on that we don't know about...
There will be an Abilene radio broadcast that can be heard on the web here.
* * * * *
There's an interesting high school hoops showcase coming up after Christmas in the Houston area. The John Lucas Holiday Explosion and Athletic Conference will feature some local high school teams in showcase games against teams from around the country. The top-ranked Bellaire Cardinals headline the Houston-area teams, which also include last year's 5A state semifinalist Strake Jesuit along with Atascocita and Christian Life Center Academy.
I'll give more details about this showcase in an upcoming blog post, but if you were a fan of the old Academy Invitational Tournament and it's short-lived successor, The Houston vs. the Nation Tournament, you'll want to spend a couple of days at the Campbell Center in north Houston.
* * * * *
We'll recap the football championships next week.
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