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Spalding's Gay develops into elite recruit

Posted by Michael Glick at Jul 24, 2003 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
By CRAIG ANDERSON Staff Writer July 25, 2003 Rave reviews are pouring in as 16-year-old Rudy Gay plays through the summer circuit for high school basketball stars. Fresh off a sparkling performance at last week's Nike All-American Camp in Indianapolis, Archbishop Spalding's 6-foot-8, 212-pound rising senior is considered one of the elite young talents in the United States. ESPN.com had the East Baltimore native ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the nation this week. Depending on who you read, he's somewhere in the top 10 at least. College coaches and talent evaluators love Gay's long, athletic body, which is filling out thanks to focused work in the weight room. He's starting to show eye-catching perimeter skills after playing close to the basket in his younger years. So what's next for the Baltimore native? Rumors and possible scenarios abound as his final year of high school approaches. Gay isn't tipping his hand, so the speculation heads a variety of ways. These days, college basketball fans can get their fill of offseason news and innuendo through various Internet-based recruiting services. He could commit to Maryland next month, following former prep teammate and 7-foot center Will Bowers to College Park. He's regarded as the Terrapins' No. 1 target and coach Gary Williams has been a regular at summer events. "Rudy is the next great player from the area, and he's Maryland's primary recruit," said Keith Cavanaugh, publisher of Terrapin Times, a magazine devoted to covering Maryland athletics. "It's unusual for Gary to be at so many games for one player, so that says a lot about his interest." The second strong choice appears to be Connecticut, boosted by coach Jim Calhoun's strong in-school visit last spring and a tradition of developing talented wing players like Richard Hamilton and Ray Allen into NBA stars. Then there's defending national champion Syracuse, which has its own local connection of sorts. Baltimore's Carmelo Anthony was the main man for the Orangemen last year, and grew up on the same basketball courts. "I've played against Carmelo a couple times," Gay said. "He's a cool guy. I know him, he knows me, but it's not like we're good friends or anything." Given time for more development, Gay could reach the same lofty heights. He's a great mix of still-blossoming talent and skills already tested by the best prospects around. "He's the real deal, the complete package," Cavanaugh said. "Rudy is a world class athlete, and is probably a better runner and jumper than Carmelo. "Carmelo's advantage is in his strength and savvy. He knows what to do with the ball better, but Rudy is quickly closing the gap. He's only 16 and that's the great thing about him. "Rudy is good enough that in a year or two he can be in the league (NBA)." A fourth possibility is Villanova, which has former Spalding point guard Derrick Snowden on its roster. Less than a week ago, coaches from North Carolina, Louisville, Arizona and Florida called prep coach Mike Glick to express interest in the sweepstakes. Gay has played it so coy when asked about his future plans that even his high school mentor isn't sure what will happen. "At this point I couldn't tell you if Rudy is leaning one way or another," Glick said. "He's had a lot of nice possibilities thrown his way and is taking his time to make the best choice. I'd like to see him decide sooner rather than later so he has his first choice of schools." Gay discounts the rumors that he'll play his senior year at prestigious Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, known for turning out top-flight collegiate prospects annually. Coach Steve Smith made several appearances during his Ban The Brick summer league games in Washington, D.C., but is still just an outsider in the race for the budding superstar. "I like where I'm at (Spalding)," Gay said. "I don't think there's much chance of that (transferring to Oak Hill) happening." Glick is glad to hear his star is still enjoying his stay in Anne Arundel County. The Cavaliers will be loaded next season, led by 6-5 small forward Lawrence Dixon and 6-2 point guard Justin Castleberry. Both are juniors and made the all-star game at the recent Eastern Invitational that's a notch below the Nike camp. Senior center Jason Loughry, 6-11, and guard Jesse Brooks also figure to draw collegiate interest, and 6-4 sophomore varsity newcomer Johanna Jones is a prospect to watch. "I know that Rudy enjoys being a student at Spalding very much," Glick said. "He wants to go to the prom and he wants to stay a part of the student body. His reasons for coming here were to play with talented teammates in his right position and face a national-scale schedule. "He's been able to do all that and has fit in very well with the school's community." Gay's summer season continues later this month in Orlando, Fla., playing with his Cecil Kirk squad in the AAU national championships.
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Gay makes a name for himself at Nike camp

Posted by Michael Glick at Jul 12, 2003 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
By Mike DeCourcy - SportingNews.com July 9, 2003 INDIANAPOLIS -- This story almost seems too convenient, too perfectly scripted. Rudy Gay and Carmelo Anthony come from the same area of Baltimore. They are friends. Each benefits from an extraordinary growth spurt. Each becomes a prime Syracuse recruiting target. Each arrives quietly in the summer before his senior year of high school, with a general acknowledgement of his promise as a basketball player, but without any hyperventilating from the opinion-making talent scouts. We know how Anthony's story turned out. Is this where the parallels end? So that's the pitch. But the thing is, once Gay starts to play at the Nike All-America Camp, the contrivances no longer matter. What matters is, he is really good. He is much better than most of the recruiting analysts have allowed themselves to believe. And while that ties directly to Anthony's experience in the summer of 2001, Gay is more concerned with trying to establish himself than duplicating his buddy's experience. "I just want to dominate, show people I can be one of the top people in the class," Gay said. "All I can do is work hard. I want to succeed, and I'm going to do whatever is necessary to do it. If it's putting up 500 shots, working on my handle by myself, lifting weights . . ." Gay stood only 5-11 in the summer before his freshman year of high school but quickly grew to 6-4. Last July at the Nike Camp, he was 6-6. The two inches he added since have been a blessing on the basketball court, "But it's hard having to buy new clothes all the time." Syracuse appears to be the leading school in Gay's recruitment, given the occasional nudging delivered by Anthony when the two have played ball together. But Connecticut, Maryland, Indiana, Villanova, Georgetown and NC State are still in the hunt. College coaches weren't allowed in to Monday evening's Nike scrimmages. The open evaluation period started Tuesday. My, what a show they missed from Gay. He stands 6-8 and a very lean 204 pounds and will be a senior at Archbishop Spaulding High in Baltimore County. He is an uncommon breed of basketball prospect: a true small forward. We rarely see players now with the combination of dribbling, shooting and passing skills that work on the perimeter and the toughness to rebound and defend along the baseline. That's one reason Anthony excelled in the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Most colleges have abandoned the small forward position and gone with taller guards in that spot in order to keep three long-distance shooting threats on the floor. Thus nearly every player who defended Anthony was three or four inches shorter. Kansas didn't control him in the championship game until it finally employed 6-10 All-American center Nick Collison to handle the job. Gay showed at the Nike camp he also could be that sort of player. Although he lacks Anthony's pure power, he is a more electric athlete. Gay is a capable ballhandler and shooter, though, and plays with the same rare unselfishness. "They say our games are alike -- I don't know," Gay said. "Probably the closest thing is the mid-range game." The Nike camp has more big bodies than in recent seasons, but stretching the roster to 180 players means guys like Gay too often are forced to perform out of position. Gay was basically his team's center in Monday's scrimmage, although he did not allow that to restrict him on offense. He started his dazzling display by sticking an effortless 3-pointer from near the top of the key. That was followed by a smart decision during a 2-on-1 break, when he drew a defender and fed a teammate for a layup rather than forcing the shot himself. He used his long arms and quick jumping to pull down two impressive offensive rebounds in traffic. From the foul line, he flipped a quick pass through the center of the key that got teammate Matt Shaw a layup. Oh, there was more. He nailed an 8-foot baseline jumper from behind the corner of the backboard, just like Tim Duncan in the NBA Finals. He made a defensive mistake when trying to guard powerful center prospect Ra'Sean Dickey -- a 250-pounder -- by slipping too high as the ball was entered into the post. Dickey had a clear path as he turned toward the baseline. What should have been an easy score, though, was swatted into the metal bleachers as Gay recovered and blocked the shot with an amazing burst of athleticism. If there are more than 10 players in the class of 2004 who could put on a show like this, these seniors should get their own expansion franchise in the ACC. In other words, Gay is dramatically underrated. Should he continue to perform with this sort of hunger and energy, he will close the summer as one of the most coveted recruits in college basketball. He brings one more quality that NCAA teams should desire: his roots. The past two tournament most outstanding players -- Anthony and Maryland's Juan Dixon -- came from his area. Said Gay: "I guess I've got to hurry up and go to college, right?" The coaches who scout him surely will agree. Updated on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2003 1:24 pm EDT By Mike DeCourcy - SportingNews.com INDIANAPOLIS -- This story almost seems too convenient, too perfectly scripted. Rudy Gay and Carmelo Anthony come from the same area of Baltimore. They are friends. Each benefits from an extraordinary growth spurt. Each becomes a prime Syracuse recruiting target. Each arrives quietly in the summer before his senior year of high school, with a general acknowledgement of his promise as a basketball player, but without any hyperventilating from the opinion-making talent scouts. We know how Anthony's story turned out. Is this where the parallels end? ADVERTISEMENT So that's the pitch. But the thing is, once Gay starts to play at the Nike All-America Camp, the contrivances no longer matter. What matters is, he is really good. He is much better than most of the recruiting analysts have allowed themselves to believe. And while that ties directly to Anthony's experience in the summer of 2001, Gay is more concerned with trying to establish himself than duplicating his buddy's experience. "I just want to dominate, show people I can be one of the top people in the class," Gay said. "All I can do is work hard. I want to succeed, and I'm going to do whatever is necessary to do it. If it's putting up 500 shots, working on my handle by myself, lifting weights . . ." Gay stood only 5-11 in the summer before his freshman year of high school but quickly grew to 6-4. Last July at the Nike Camp, he was 6-6. The two inches he added since have been a blessing on the basketball court, "But it's hard having to buy new clothes all the time." Syracuse appears to be the leading school in Gay's recruitment, given the occasional nudging delivered by Anthony when the two have played ball together. But Connecticut, Maryland, Indiana, Villanova, Georgetown and NC State are still in the hunt. College coaches weren't allowed in to Monday evening's Nike scrimmages. The open evaluation period started Tuesday. My, what a show they missed from Gay. He stands 6-8 and a very lean 204 pounds and will be a senior at Archbishop Spaulding High in Baltimore County. He is an uncommon breed of basketball prospect: a true small forward. We rarely see players now with the combination of dribbling, shooting and passing skills that work on the perimeter and the toughness to rebound and defend along the baseline. That's one reason Anthony excelled in the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Most colleges have abandoned the small forward position and gone with taller guards in that spot in order to keep three long-distance shooting threats on the floor. Thus nearly every player who defended Anthony was three or four inches shorter. Kansas didn't control him in the championship game until it finally employed 6-10 All-American center Nick Collison to handle the job. Gay showed at the Nike camp he also could be that sort of player. Although he lacks Anthony's pure power, he is a more electric athlete. Gay is a capable ballhandler and shooter, though, and plays with the same rare unselfishness. "They say our games are alike -- I don't know," Gay said. "Probably the closest thing is the mid-range game." The Nike camp has more big bodies than in recent seasons, but stretching the roster to 180 players means guys like Gay too often are forced to perform out of position. Gay was basically his team's center in Monday's scrimmage, although he did not allow that to restrict him on offense. He started his dazzling display by sticking an effortless 3-pointer from near the top of the key. That was followed by a smart decision during a 2-on-1 break, when he drew a defender and fed a teammate for a layup rather than forcing the shot himself. He used his long arms and quick jumping to pull down two impressive offensive rebounds in traffic. From the foul line, he flipped a quick pass through the center of the key that got teammate Matt Shaw a layup. Oh, there was more. He nailed an 8-foot baseline jumper from behind the corner of the backboard, just like Tim Duncan in the NBA Finals. He made a defensive mistake when trying to guard powerful center prospect Ra'Sean Dickey -- a 250-pounder -- by slipping too high as the ball was entered into the post. Dickey had a clear path as he turned toward the baseline. What should have been an easy score, though, was swatted into the metal bleachers as Gay recovered and blocked the shot with an amazing burst of athleticism. If there are more than 10 players in the class of 2004 who could put on a show like this, these seniors should get their own expansion franchise in the ACC. In other words, Gay is dramatically underrated. Should he continue to perform with this sort of hunger and energy, he will close the summer as one of the most coveted recruits in college basketball. He brings one more quality that NCAA teams should desire: his roots. The past two tournament most outstanding players -- Anthony and Maryland's Juan Dixon -- came from his area. Said Gay: "I guess I've got to hurry up and go to college, right?" The coaches who scout him surely will agree. Senior writer Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for Sporting News. Email him at decourcy@sportingnews.com. Updated on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2003 1:24 pm EDT Em
The HOOPSCOOP ONLINE by Clark Frances Friday, July 11, 2003 The final rankings are complete from the NIKE All-American Camp and the easy winner as the #1-ranked player in camp was 6'8 Rudy Gay from Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD, who did everything but sell tickets on the final evening. Not only is Gay a big time athlete with a killer mentality inside, but he also plays every minute like it will be his last, can step out and hit the mid-range jumper, and is terrific in transition. And, when many of the other top players in camp had either left or wanted leave, Gay just continued to play better. Thursday, July 10, 2003 The results are in from the third day at the NIKE All-American Camp and the #1-ranked player in camp - 6'8 Rudy Gay from Severn (Archbishop Spalding) MD - gets the nod based on consistency. Did you know that Gay finished ranked #2 in camp on the first day behind 6'9 D.J. White from Tuscalooa (Hillcrest) AL, ranked #2 in camp on the second day behind 6'9 Brian Johnson from Arlington (Bishop O'Connell) VA, and ranked #2 in camp on the third day behind 6'8 Al Jefferson from Prentiss (H.S) MS? TOP PLAYERS AT THE NIKE ALL-AMERICAN CAMP by Clark Frances from Hoop Scoops Rank Player Height Class Position Hometown (High School) State 1. RUDY GAY 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spalding) MD 2. Al Jefferson 6'8 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS 3. Brian Johnson 6'9 2004 C Arlington (Bishop O'Connell) VA 4. Joe Crawford 6'3 2004 2G Detroit (Renaissance) MI 5. Isaiah Swann 6'3 2004 2G Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA --------------------------------------------------------------------- From Prep Stars Online AT NIKE: IT'S MESS WITH GAY DAY July 7, 2003 by Prep Stars INDIANAPOLIS -- Rudy Gay nearly got the lead of this report Sunday night, and there was no way he was going to be deprived of it two days in a row. Based strictly on performance, Gay almost unquestionably has been the best player so far at Nike. The 6-7, 204-pound combo forward always has been a top run/jump athlete, and now it appears he's sewn up whatever holes there were in his game. more.... --------------------------------------------------------------------- RivalsHoops: 2004 Power Forward RivalsHoops.com | last sorted on 7/7/2003 Name Pos. Rating Ht/Wt Hometown Schools 1 Dwight Howard F 6-10/225 Atlanta (GA) Southwest Atlanta Christian list 2 Joshua Smith F 6-9/210 Powder Spring (GA) Mceachern Indiana 3 Glen Davis F 6-8/345 Baton Rouge (LA) University Lab list 4 Mike Williams F 6-7/225 Camden (AL) Wilcox Central Texas 5 D.J. White F 6-9/230 Tuscaloosa (AL) Hillcrest Indiana 6 Marvin Williams, Jr. F 6-8/215 Bremerton (WA) Bremerton North Carolina 7 Rudy Gay F 6-8/205 Capitol Heights (MD) Archbishop Spalding list RivalsHoops 2004: The Rivals150 RivalsHoops.com | last sorted on 7/7/2003 Compiled and updated by the staff of RivalsHoops.com, The Rivals 150 is the premier ranking of the top basketball prospects in the nation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- All-Nike Camp 2003 First Team MOP: Rudy Gay, 6-8, 204 WF (2004), Baltimore County (Md.) Archbishop Spaulding HS 2. Al Jefferson, 6-9, 255 PF (2004), Prentiss (Miss.) HS 3. Martell Webster, 6-7, 215 WG (2005), Seattle Prep 4. Malik Hairston, 6-5, 190 WG (2004), Detroit (Renaissance) 5. Darnell Jackson, 6-8, 235 F/C (2004), Midwest City (Okla.) HS 6. Corey Brewer, 6-7, 174 WG (2004), Portland (Tenn.) HS 7. Brian Johnson, 6-8, 240 PF (2004), Glenarden (Md.) O’Connell HS 8. Jordan Farmar, 6-2, 171 PG (2004), Van Nuys (Calif.) Taft HS 9. Jason Rich, 6-2, 183 CG (2004), Orlando (Dr. Phillips) 10. Greg Oden, 6-11, 215 C (2006), Indianapolis (Lawrence North) 2003 Nike All-American Camp Awards Top Senior (2004): RUDY GAY, 6-8 WF Top Junior (2005): Martell Webster, 6-7 WG Top Sophomore (2006): Greg Oden, 6-11 C Best Shot blocker: RUDY GAY, 6-8 WF (2004) Best Athlete: Rico Tucker, 6-0 CG (2004) Best Shooter: Brandon Myers, 6-5 SG (2004) Best Passer: Jordan Farmar, 6-2 PG (2004) Best Playmaker: Mike Gerrity, 6-0 PG (2005) Best Dunker: Rico Tucker, 6-0 CG (2004) Best Rebounder: Mohamed Tangara, 6-9 PF (2004) Best Defender: Alex Gordon, 5-10 PG (2004) Best Leaders: Jordan Farmar and Jason Rich, 6-2 CG (2004) --------------------------------------------------------------------- As of July 7, 2003 Name Pos. Rating Ht/Wt Hometown Schools 1 Shaun Livingston G 6-6/170 Peoria (IL) Peoria Central list Nation's top playmaker ... great handle ... sees the floor well 2 Dwight Howard F 6-10/225 Atlanta (GA) Southwest Atlanta Christian list Excellent NBA potential ... Great frame ... long arms and good offensively around the basket 3 Al Jefferson C 6-9/260 Prentiss (MS) Prentiss Arkansas Dominates opposing big men ... picked right up where he left off as a junior 4 Joshua Smith F 6-9/210 Powder Spring (GA) Mceachern Indiana Big forward with small forward skills ... explosive 5 Sebastian Telfair G 6-0/160 New York (NY) Lincoln list Creative with great handle ... exciting player to watch 6 Glen Davis F 6-8/345 Baton Rouge (LA) University Lab list AAU circuits most dominating player to date 7 Malik Hairston G 6-5/190 Detroit (MI) Renaissance list 8 Mike Williams F 6-7/225 Camden (AL) Wilcox Central Texas 9 D.J. White F 6-9/230 Tuscaloosa (AL) Hillcrest Indiana Proto-typical college power forward ... does everything well 10 Darius Washington, Jr. G 6-0/165 Orlando (FL) Edgewater Memphis Prolific scorer ... undersized shooting guard that can play some point ... great athlete 11 Daniel Gibson G 6-2/200 Houston (TX) Jones Texas 12 Marvin Williams, Jr. F 6-8/215 Bremerton (WA) Bremerton North Carolina Impressive near the basket ... strong and physical 13 Shawne Williams F 6-9/215 Memphis (TN) Hamilton Memphis 14 LaMarcus Aldridge C 6-11/215 Dallas (TX) Seagoville Texas Long and athletic ... room to grow ... potential is the key 15 Earl Smith F 6-5/180 Clarksburg (NJ) St. Benedict's Prep (NJ) list 16 Rudy Gay F 6-8/205 Capitol Heights (MD) Archbishop Spalding -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clark Frances Hoop Scoop National Rankings (July 5, 2003) Rank Player Height Class Position Hometown (High School) State College 1. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY 2. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA 3. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Arkansas 4. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL 5. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI 6. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Indiana 7. Darius Washington 6'0 2004 PG Orlando (Edgewater) FL Memphis 8. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA 9. Mike Williams 6'8 2004 PF Camden (Wilcox Central) AL Texas 10. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA North Carolina 11. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Texas 12. Churchill Odia 6'6 2004 PG Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD 13. Joe Crawford 6'3 2004 2G Detroit (Renaissance) MI Michigan 14. Brian Johnson 6'9 2004 PF Arlington (Bishop O'Connell) VA 15. Randolph Morris 7'0 2004 C Fairburn (Landmark Christian) GA 16. Glenn Davis 6'8 2004 C Baton Rouge (University Lab) LA 17. Earl "J.R."Smith*** 6'6 2004 2G Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ 18. DeMarcus Nelson 6'2 2004 PG Sacramento (Sheldon) CA Duke 19. Jawann McClellan 6'5 2004 WF Houston (Milby) TX Arizona 20. LaMarcus Aldridge 6'10 2004 C Dallas (Seogoville) TX Texas 21. Arron Afflalo 6'4 2004 2G Compton (Centennial) CA UCLA 22. Isaiah Swann*** 6'3 2004 2G Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA 23. A.J. Price 6'2 2004 PG Amityville (H.S.) NY 24. Robert Swift 7'0 2004 C Bakersfield (Highland) CA Southern Cal 25. Juan Diego Tellos Palacios 6'8 2004 PF Centereach (Our Savior New American) NY 26. Justin Cerasoli 6'5 2004 PG Aurora (West Aurora) IL 27. Robert Vaden 6'5 2004 WF Indianapolis (Pike) IN Indiana 28. Jason Horton 6'1 2004 PG Cedar Hill (H.S.) TX 29. Cedric Simmons 6'9 2004 PF Shallotte (West Brunswick) NC N.C. State 30. Kyle Lowry 5'11 2004 PG Philadelphia (Cardinal Dougherty) PA 31. Russell Robinson 6'3 2004 2G New York (Rice) NY 32. John Lucky 6'5 2004 PG Waterbury (Sacred Heart) CT 33. JamesOn Curry 6'2 2004 2G Mebane (Eastern Alamance) NC North Carolina 34. Bryce Taylor 6'4 2004 2G North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA Oregon 35. RUDY GAY 6'8 2004 PF Severn (Archbishop Spaulding) MD CLASS OF -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2004 TOP 100 RANKING From Hoop Master 1 Shaun Livingston 6-7 PG Central Peoria, IL Arizona Duke Illinois Florida 2 Dwight Howard 6-11 PF Southwest Atl. Christian Atlanta, GA Alabama Duke Tennessee Kentucky Florida Florida State Georgia Georgia Tech Indiana Louisville North Carolina North Carolina State Texas Notre Dame Oklahoma Syracuse Virginia Wake Forest 3 Glen Davis 6-8 C University Lab Baton Rouge, LA Arizona Auburn Connecticut Cincinnati Kentucky Florida State Georgia Indiana Louisville LSU Marquette Miami (FL) North Carolina Mississippi State Tulane 4 Al Jefferson 6-9 C Prentiss Prentiss, MS ARKANSAS 5 D.J. White 6-8 PF Hillcrest Tuscaloosa, AL INDIANA 6 Earl 'JR' Smith 6-6 WF St. Benedict's Newark, NJ Connecticut Cincinnati Miami (FL) North Carolina North Carolina State Pittsburgh Seton Hall Syracuse Villanova 7 Mike Williams 6-8 PF Wilcox Central Camden, AL TEXAS 8 LaMarcus Aldridge 6-11 C Seagoville Dallas, TX TEXAS 9 Marvin Williams 6-8 WF Bremerton Bremerton, WA Arizona Duke Washington Kansas North Carolina Oregon UCLA 10 Joshua Smith 6-9 PF McEachern Powder Springs, GA INDIANA 11 Sebastian Telfair 6-0 PG Lincoln Brooklyn, NY Arizona Connecticut Duke Kentucky Georgia Tech Iowa State Louisville Pittsburgh Syracuse UCLA 12 Daniel Gibson 6-3 WG Jesse Jones Houston, TX TEXAS 13 Malik Hairston 6-6 WG Renaissance Detroit, MI Connecticut Kentucky Indiana Kansas Michigan State Missouri Ohio State UCLA 14 Jordan Farmar 6-1 PG Taft Woodland Hills, CA UCLA 15 Darius Washington 5-11 PG Edgewater Orlando, FL MEMPHIS 16 Jason Horton 6-0 PG Cedar Hill Cedar Hill, TX Arizona State Arkansas Florida Florida State Kansas Missouri 17 Robert Swift 6-11 C Highland Bakersfield, CA USC 18 Arron Afflalo 6-4 WG Centennial Compton, CA UCLA 19 Randolph Morris 6-10 C Landmark Christian Fairburn, GA Tennessee Kentucky Georgia Georgia Tech Louisville Notre Dame 20 Joe Crawford 6-4 WG Renaissance Detroit, MI Michigan Kentucky Kansas Missouri North Carolina Syracuse 21 RUDY GAY 6-8 PF Archbishop Spalding Severn, MD Arizona Connecticut Maryland North Carolina State Syracuse Villanova Virginia
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Varsity 2003 Summer Schedule

Posted by Michael Glick at Jul 6, 2003 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
All Ban the Brick summer league games will played at St. Albans High school in NW Washington DC........... Schedule/Results: WON 5/30 vs. DeMatha +10 WON 6/1 vs. Bishop O'Connell (VA) + 8 Fri 6/13 & Sat 6/14 Villanova Team Camp WON 6/15 vs. Garfield (VA) +12 WON 6/20 vs. Northwestern +16 And 1 Tournament WON 6/20 vs. McNamara + 8 And 1 Tournament Quarterfinals WON 6/21 vs. DeMatha + 25 And 1 Tournament Semifinals Loss 6/21 vs. Oxon Hill -5 2 OT And 1 Tournament Championship WON 6/27 vs. Robinson (VA) + 12 Loss 6/28 vs. Paul VI (VA) -5 Loss 6/29 vs. Gonzaga (DC) -11 WON 7/5 vs. Hayfield (VA) +12 WON 7/6 vs. Potomac (VA) +11 WON 7/13 vs. Edison (VA) +17 WON 7/18 vs. Whitman + 22 Sat 7/19 Ban The Brick All-Star Game TBA Fri 7/25 Ban the Brick PLAYOFFS at 8:45 vs ???
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Spalding Falls in And 1 Championship in 2 OT

Posted by Michael Glick at Jun 23, 2003 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Oxon Hill Captures And 1 Tournament Title -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Thomas MDVarsity.com Magazine Staff Down 5 points with :31.6 left in regulation, it looked like curtains for Oxon Hill in their And 1 Tournament Championship match with Spalding. The Clippers weren’t ready to exit stage left or right as losers and rallied to tie the game, eventually winning in double overtime, 56-51. Oxon Hill now advances to play next Saturday in Philadelphia, where they’ll meet up with that region’s champion. Spalding could all but taste the championship waters before they evaporated. Oxon Hill’s swarming defense forced Spalding into turnovers, which ultimately did them in. In the crucial, end of regulation sequence, Oxon Hill’s Frank Gerald hit 2-2 free throws to cut it to 51-48 Spalding with :31.6 left. With under :20 left to play, Spalding tried to break Oxon Hill’s full court press. With few options at his disposal, Rudy Gay turned up court with the ball, heading down the middle of the backcourt. From behind, Carlton Williams was able to get a hand on the ball and knock it out. The Clippers pounced on the ball and took over with :14.1 left and trailing 51-48. In the half court set, Oxon Hill worked it to Will Gill in the left corner and Gill gave the ever-growing crowd a thrill, bottoming out a three-pointer to tie it at 51 with :02.7 left. The truncated overtime periods went 2:00. That meant that for once, winning the jump ball actually mattered. Neither team was able to score in the first OT. The song remained the same in the second OT, until the :38.9 mark when Oxon Hill’s Rob Robinson came up with a tip follow. The Clippers took a 53-51 lead and sank 3 free throws down the stretch to provide the final margin. Overall, both teams played with tremendous intensity and effort. Rudy Gay was a stat sheet stuffer, with 14 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks and some highlight reel slams. Oxon Hill was able to hold the pre-season all-American to 6-18 shooting from the floor. Jesse Brooks and Justin Castleberry added 11 points a piece for Spalding. Both were very adept at penetrating and getting points in the lane. Brooks had 4 assists and 6 rebounds. Castleberry had 5 rebounds. One thing Spalding didn’t get much of was any kind of perimeter threat. They made 1 of 8 from three-point land. Oxon Hill got a team high 14 points from Gill. Jeremy Johnson was a worker bee extraordinaire, scoring 13 points, grabbing a team high 8 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists. Frank Gerald was right there with him, contributing 12 points and 7 assists. Robinson provided the game winning points, which were 2 of his 7 for the game, and the follow also counts as one of his 5 rebounds. While Spalding was plagued by turnovers and not much of a threat from three, Oxon Hill was less than perfect from the free throw line, where they went 8-16. Either team could’ve sealed the game with a better performance in those categories and that is something there coaching staffs will point out to them. Oxon Hill was guided by summer coach Duane Moore, while Spalding was coached by capable assistant Andrew Sachs. Both did great jobs getting their teams through the tournament. Come from behinds were the theme of the day for Oxon Hill. In the semi-finals, they trailed a Brian Johnson-less O’Connell by 13 before rallying to win 58-54. Spalding had a much easier time, winning big over a quality DeMatha team. For some reason, Spalding just isn’t a good match-up for the Stags. The WCAC was well represented by tough squads from McNamara, Paul VI and St. John’s as well. McNamara and Paul VI played a nail-biter Sunday afternoon, that I believe the Mustangs were able to win. Both sides competed very hard, reflecting the nature of their head coaches. St. John’s hammered a Springbrook team that had two things working against them- number two option Louis Brookins is sitting the tournament out with an injured wrist and the other factor seemed to be disinterest. The Blue Devils beat St. John’s earlier this year at the High Point summer league, but today the Johnnies came out thirsty. They have an impressive lineup of players that are long and lean. They all seem to be able to cover the floor well. I was particularly impressed by Duane Anderson’s ability to run the floor and play in the half court. His long arms make him very effective. Freshman Nolan Smith looked nothing like a freshman, starting in the SJC backcourt. Suitland was also able to play well for stretches after a disappointing opening round loss to Chambersburg, PA.