Monday, July 18, 2011

George McClellan Invitational Wrap Ups: Houston, TX

My man, Jimmy Hicks of RCS Sports has been tweeting all week about his hospitatlity room at the GMI in Houston, TX.  He's got his swag on about his home cookin' and family gumbo recipe etc.  While he's touting what's on the menu he's serving up another kind of Houston home cooking that's much harder to digest....bias with the officials.  Texas D1 is beat up and short handed at this event with Adam Perez returning from an ankle injury, starter Matt Gramling out with a groin injury (resting for Las Vegas) and 2012 P 6'8" Shelby Lane at a high academic camp in Boston, MA.

On Wednesday evening the Texas D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio had a marquee matchup with Franchize All Stars who feature 2012 stud Wannah Bail from the Bahamas. With 2012 F 6'9" Connor Lammert's stock going through the roof a wide assortment of coaches were on hand to watch the talented 16 year old youngster do his thing. They included old work mates, Coach Billy Gillispie of Texas Tech and his former understudy, Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams who popped in on the Golden Eagles Lear jet to court Lammert.

Franchize All Stars 55  Texas D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio 54  Overtime
A battle of heavyweights went back and forth with Texas D1 having threechances to win the game in both regulation ad overtime.  Inexplicably no fouls were called on obvious hacks, until the ball went to the other end of the court where Franchize's Wannah Bail was "fouled" with no time on the clock in OT, and managed on free throw for the W.  Thankfully, college coaches can see through all of that. 
2012 Uche Ofoegbu of San Antonio Stevens
2012 WG Uche Ofoegbu who is garnering plenty of mid to high major looks himself led Texas D1 with 14 points.  Lammert scored 13 points (11 of them coming in the 2nd half) and scrappy wing, 2012 Jeffrey Rodewald of San Antonio Alamo Heights added 12 in the loss.

Texas D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio 76  Starting 5 Phenoms 68
Texas D1 had a double digit lead for most of the contest but a resilient Starting 5 squadlept hitting three pointers to keep within reach.  2012 Connor Lammert dominated and had 26 points in the victory.
2012 Connor Lammert of San Antonio Churchill
Texas D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio  85   Gulf Coast Blue Chips  70
An athletic Gulf Coast Blue Chips team gave up too many points in transition as Texas D1 had 6 players in double figures.  Jeffrey Rodewald led the way with 19 points, Uche Ofoegbu (16), Connor Lammert (16), 2012 Adam Perez (11), 2012 Michael Hardge (10) and 2012 Carter Josephs (10) as the D1 Ambassadors showed their depth.
2012 Jeffrey Rodewald of San Antonio Alamo Heights
Team Sneed  54  Texas D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio  52
The D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio came out flat for the first time in the live period. The team held double digit leads throughout the game but lost a tough one at the buzzer to a long athletic Team Sneed. group. Down to 7 healthy players due to nagging injuries and a high academic camp commitment by 6'8 post Shelby Lane the D1 Ambassadors group simply ran out of gas.  Texas D1 was led by Jeffrey Rodewald with 16 points, followed by Uche Ofoegbu with 12, Connor Lammert with 11 and Carter Josephs with 6.

The D1 Ambassadors head back to San Antonio for a few days or rest and preparation before heading to Las Vegas next Thursday to participate in the Las Vegas Live Tournament where they are super pooled along with the high powered California Supreme team out of Los Angeles. From there the San Antonio squad will finish off the live period by traveling to Long Beach to participate in the elite invitation only GBOA Challenge Of Champions event held by Dinos Trigonis and Fullcourt Press.