Acadiana Prep, LA 67 San Antonio Brackenridge 57

2009 6'7" P William Nelson and 2010 6'2"G Tramel White of Acadiana Prep, LA We're here at the Northside ISD Tournament catching the game between the Acadiana Prep Eagles from Opelousas , Louisiana and the San Antonio Brackenridge Eagles. Brack is consistently one of the best teams in the San Antonio area, and Coach Hooi along with Coach Bogges at Alamo Heights and Stan Leech at Boerne Champion is one of the top coaches in the 4A ranks in this area.


From looking at the pregame, the kids from Louisiana are bigger and more athletic so Brack should have their hands full. The shooting of Lyron Henderson is keeping Brack close. Lanky 2010 Omar Guerrero has 6 for Brack and shows a lot of potential to be a very good player once he puts strength on his frame. He has 10 at the half. Acadiana standouts are Tramel White with 14 and William Nelson with 9.


Halftime Acadiana 35 SA Brackenridge 29

Guerrero has taken the more physical Louisiana kids to the high post and hit two straight soft jumpers and the Brack kids have gone up by 1, 39-38 with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Inexplicably the Acadiana Coach David Barham which has the superior athletes took the air out of the ball for the last 2:30 of the 3rd quarter. It may come back to haunt him later. Cordona shows nice poise for a 2011 making shots and several nifty dishes.

Entering the 4th Quarter Brack 44 Acadiana 42

Guerrero has just fouled out with 5 minutes left in the game. We'll see what kind of depth Brack can bring in the post. A monster slam by Acadiana's Big William Nelson has just confirmed this concern. With Guerrero gone in the paint, it's going to be tough sledding for Brack down the stretch. A quick trey ball by Jakial Senegal and it's now 56-52 Acadiana with 3:30 left to play. Nelson has just fouled out with 2 minutes left. It's an 8 point lead for the Louisianans with 1 minute left. It's now all about the free throws. Looks like Coach Barham knows his stuff after all..lol

Acadiana will face off against San Antonio Stevens tonight in one semi final, while San Antonio Clark plays Keller Central in the other bracket.

Final Acadiana Prep, LA 67 San Antonio Brackenridge 57

Player Spotlight: 2009 Garrett Hamilton

16-5A Round Rock Westwood will go as far as 2009 SG Garrett Hamilton can lead them. He has shown great improvement from last season to this. Hamilton has above average 3 point range, and an improved ability to get to the rack. Has taken rebounding seriously from the guard spot. Needs to continue to increase his footspeed. Contact Coach Max Ivany for further recruiting information at 512-791-5455 or TexasBasketball@aol.com

School: Round Rock Westwood (UIL 16-5A)

Club Team: Texas D-1 Ambassadors

GPA: 3.8 SAT 1260

Parents: Mark & Paulette Hamilton

Player Spotlight: 2009 Evan Gilliland

2009 G 5'11" Evan Gilliland is one of the better unsigned seniors in the Cen Tex/San Antonio area. He is a superior 3 point shooter, can get to the rack, and even more importantly can pull up for the mid range shot while maintaining good body control. In short he is a natural scorer who can fill it up. At 5'11" he will have to make a conscious transition to being a point. He handles the ball well enough and has good vision. Will need to work on defensive footspeed to handle smaller guards at the D-1 level. Nothing that won't be fixed with continued hard work though. Contact Coach Max for further recruiting info. 512-791-5455 or TexasBasketball@aol.com

School: Austin St' Stephen's HS (Southwest Preparatory Conference)

Club Team: Texas D-1 Ambassadors

GPA 3.0 SAT 1150

Parents: David Gilliland & Laquita Hamilton

Bryan 96 Pflugerville Hendrickson 54

Left To Right: Bryan HS 2012 J. Mychal Reese, 2009 Terrance Wilbert, 2009 Jonathan Allen

Tonight TexasBasketballinc.com and TexasRecruit.com are in the house to catch the Pflugerville Hendrickson v. Bryan matchup. All games are important to it's participants and fans, but this one bears particular watching as it is the long awaited high school debut of J. Mychal Reese, long considered the #1 player in the country in the Class of 2012.

Before the game gets underway it's I wanted to thank Coach jim Reid for allowing me courtside to report on the game, and even more important to say thank you for all the prayers that were directed to Bryan Head Coach John Reese who underwent heart surgery just a couple of weeks ago. He'll be on the sideline in a more subdued role, but still offering leadership to the Vikings and his son. This has been a heck of a ride for the family as all the hoopla over Young Reese has continued to grow. I've personally been around for a lot of it and it's amazing how composed this youngster has remained and how much of a nice "ordinary" kid he continues to be. It's a testament to him and his family.

Hendrickson is an athletic bunch but they'll be shorthanded tonight as Coach Jim Reid is missing starters Marquisse Dunn and Jordan Harris as the Hawks are still in the football playoffs. As Coach Reese likes to say, they'll get off the bus pressing. But Bryan is also a mystery as they'll have a smaller enrollment than ever because of the opening of Bryan Rudder HS which has bled off some of the talent. Look for Senior F 6'5" Terrance Wilbert , and 2009 Cory Burleson to have a big game for the Vikings.

Starters

Hendrickson Hawks

2009 #0 Adam Nwazo

2011 #3 Jalen Washington

2011 #12 Fernando Rivera

2010 #23 Tony Thompson

2009 #44 Dwayne Coleman

Bryan Vikings

2009 #3 Josh Ford

2012 #11 J. Mychal Reese

2009 #12 Jonathan Allen

2009 #23 Cory Burleson

2009 #32 Terrance Wilbert

1st Quarter Bryan 28 Hendrickson 7

Bryan has raced out to a 15-3 lead halfway through the quarter on 3 triples and a rim rattling dunk by Wilbert. Reese is looking composed and hit his first shot as a high school player, knocking down the three ball and hitting two free throws. Timeout Hendrickson as the Vikings lead 21-5. Young Reese had a near perfect quarter. 2-2 from the 3 point line. 3-3 from the charity stripe and 1-2 from short range, including an and one.

Bryan: Reese 11 pts Wilbert 7 pts

Hendrickson: Nwazo 2 pts

2nd Quarter Bryan 55 Hendrickson 23

Terrance "Tall T" Wilbert is playing like a man possessed. He has two big dunks, this time freaking the oop off a sweet pass from Reese and then denying a dunk at the other end by Nwazo. No doubt Hendrickson will be solid when their footballers come back, but they are getting outworked in their own house. The Hawks coaches are noticably ticked off at the mediocre effort. Nwazo seems like the only one who's playing with an attitude and isn't intimidated by the Vikings frenetic style of play.

Reese 21 points on 5-6 shooting and 8-9 from the free throw line.

Jonathan Allen 17 points 3 triples

Wilbert 9 pts with 2 dunks.

Nwazo 7 pts

3rd Quarter Bryan 77 Hendrickson 46

2011 Jalen Harris is starting to compete for the Hawks. He has knocked down three straight three balls. Wilbert is in foul trouble with 4. Bryan is not the same team without his presence on the boards as they have a bunch of cookie cutter 5'10"-6'1" guys.

Reese 26 pts

Allen 23 pts

Nwazo 12 pts

Harris 7 pts

4th Quarter (Final) Bryan 96 Hendrickson 54

Reese 30 pts

Allen 25 pts

Nwazo 12 pts

Harris 10 pts

Reese went 9-12 from the field and 9-11 from the free throw line in his debut. What has always impressed me about J. Mike is he never seems to break a sweat or get out of control. His shot selection was always in the flow of the game, looking to run the offense and get team mates their looks. If Jonathan Allen can shoot the ball anywhere near his accuracy shown tonight the Vikes are going to be mega-tough again this year. Some things never change. I encourage any of you Cen Tex fans to get out and watch young Reese as he plays his 120 nor so games over the next four seasons.

Austin St. Stephens 75 Round Rock Westwood 57

Round Rock Westwood Starters

2010 #3 David Johnstone
2010 #11 Brian Jones
2009 # 23 Garrett Hamilton
2009 #24 Michael Cunningham
2011 #25 Heru Martin

Austin St. Stephen's Starters

2009 #11 Evan Gilliland
2009 #24 D.J Stephens
2011 #5 Geoff Livsey
2009 #31 Mike Williams
2009 #15 Alec Engling

TexasBasketballinc.com and TexasRecruit.com are in the house tonight at Round Rock Westwood HS for the opening of the 2008-09 Texas High School basketball season for the game between the Westwood Warriors and the St. Stephen's Spartans. Westwood is coached by Brad Hastings and St. Stephen's by 1st year man LaMont King who played for Louisiana Tech. Both teams are on the smallish side tonight as St. Stephen's Ben Carpenter is sidelined with a broken finger and Westwood is missing 4 players from a combination of grades and suspension due to social issues. A special thanks to Coach Hastings for allowing me to report from my vantage point at the scorer's table.

1st Quarter Westwood 18 St. Stephen's 17

Both teams seem committed to pressure, with Westwood going exclusively full court. Westwood has subbed 5 in, 5 out for the 1st quarter and are pressuring full court. Both teams are making mental as well as physical errors as is to be expected in the early season. St. Stephen's is using a variety of full and half court traps. Westwood 2009 Garrett Hamilton has poured in 11 points, including 3 triples while St. Stephen's 2009 Evan Gilliland has scored 7 for the Spartans.

2nd Quarter St. Stephen's 30 Westwood 28

St. Stephen's G Evan Gilliland has picked up his 2nd charge early in the 2nd quarter, giving an early test to the Spartans depth. Other than Hamilton, Westwood's other perimeter shot selection/execution has quite frankly been horrible. The quarter has been riddled by silly fouls, with guys reaching in and going over the back. Action has been at the free throw line and not in the flow of the game. Gilliland and Hamilton both have 13 at the half.

3rd Quarter St. Stephen's 52 Westwood 40

At the moment St. Stephen's is the superior team in transition and on the boards, but are inconsistent in finishing. Westwood is living by the three point shot, complemented by Hamilton's all around play from the perimeter and in his ability to penetrate to the paint, getting to the hole and his hard nosed defense. With 2:52 left in the 3rd Hamilton has picked up his 4th foul for Westwood. This is where the game will be lost or won., based on the play of the Westwood guards. Turnovers on four straight Westwood possessions has pushed the lead from 4 points to 12 to end the quarter. Hamilton leads all scorers with 20, and Gilliland has 17.

Final St. Stephen's 75 Westwood 57

Senior Alec Engling (son of former Dripping Spring Coach Mark Engling) busted a 3 to start the quarter, giving the Spartans a 15 point lead. With 6 minutes left in the game St. Stephen's is now spreading the floor and Westwood is being forced to chase. Westwood's short bench is becoming evident as the game has worn on and St. Stephen's is now getting more layups and 2nd chance points. St. Stephen's is subbing freely allowing all their bench players to get a little PT.

St. Stephen's

Gilliland 24
Engling 13
Johnson 13

Westwood

Hamilton 21
Jones 13

Player Spotlight: Dylan Cox Cedar Park HS Class of 2011

Without question, one of the best Division 1 dual sport prospects in Cen Tex in the Class of 2011 is Cedar Park HS Wide Receiver/Shooting Guard 6'3" Dylan Cox. Cox has a 6'5" wingspan which serves him well on the gridiron and the hardwood. Blessed with soft hands he catches most everything thrown his way and has as smooth a perimeter stroke as the Class of 2011 has to offer.

Parents: Kenny & Cheryl Cox

Brother: Dustin Cox was also a 3 year varsity basketball starter for Cedar Park from 2003-2005.

Sister: Kirsten was a a 3 year varsity basketball starter for Cedar Park from 2004-2006 and played basketball from 2006-2008 at San jacinto North JC

Academics: Nominated for National Honor Society. AP courses and a current GPA of 4.5 on a scale of 5.

CLUB BASKETBALL TEAM: Texas D-1 Ambassadors

Led the 2011 Texas D-1 Ambassadors Austin squad coached by elder brother Dustin in every conceivable category from the shooting guard position!

Scoring (17.9ppg), rebounds (6.1), assists (2.6) , blocks (0.9) and steals (1.7)!

As a varsity starter for Cedar Park HS in football Dylan caught 10 passes for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns in what is primarily a run oriented offense that's passing game tends to throw underneath to the backs.

"Dylan runs crisp precise routes, has hands like glue and with superior leaping ability and body control is fearless in going up high over the middle willing to take contact to catch the ball in traffic." Coach T.J. Garza

“Dylan is not only a gifted basketball player with a highly diversified skill set, he also is extremely well-grounded team first kind of player. He shows a quality of self-motivation for improvement and practice that is second to none. This trait truly makes him and his team mates around him better as a result. His actions and leadership on and off the court are exemplary and should carry him a long way in basketball and in life.".....Coach Max

National Signing Day For Basketball November 12th

Wednesday, November 12th was what is known as the "Early Signing Day" for NCAA basketball. Based upon my personal knowledge and cross referencing with what was reported by the Austin American-Statesman and the San Antonio Express News there were 8 young men who signed their National Letter of Intent (NLOI) from the Cen Tex/South Texas area.

I am very proud that all 8 of these kids played for the Texas D-1 Ambassadors over the years. Coincidence? This number of signess is higher than it has been in most seasons, but is not near the level it ought to be. We have work to do here in the area. The players overall need to become tougher mentally and be more committed, the club coaches need to do a better job and finally the high school coaches need to step it up as well. It takes a community to raise a child, as the saying goes. By contrast, the Greater Houston area had 40 early signings, as reported by RCSSports.com

Top Right: 2009 6'8" Osas Ebomwonyi of Pflugerville HS. Lamar University Cardinals (Southland Conference) Shown above with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors going high above the rim against Team Arizona, the lanky "Sauce" is a late bloomer with a tremendous upside. His offensive game is still developing, but he is an above average rebounder who is a very quick leaper for a Big. His strength at the moment is his ability to block shots. Osas broke his leg about 3 weeks ago, but is well on his way to mending and being in the Pflugerville lineup by Christmas. He had multiple offers including Sam Houston State, Montana State, UT-Arlington and others but chose the Lamar Cardinals. A good portion of the reason is that despite his leg injury the Lamar staff never waivered in their offer.

Middle Left: 2009 5'10" Kendric Robinson of San Antonio Southwest HS. UT-San Antonio(Southland Conference) Shown above in his Texas D-1 Ambassadors uniform blowing past a defender at the Duel in the Desert. Kendric spent 5 seasons as a member of the Texas D-1 Ambassadors. He is the best pure shooter to come out of this area since A.J. Abrams of the University of Texas. Kendric is on pace to break NBA player Devin Brown's career scoring record for the City of San Antonio. Kendric's first college offer came as a high school freshman when then Texas A&M Coach Billy Gillispie invited Robinson to become an Aggie. According to Rivals.com Kendric is the top signeee in all the Southland Conference this year. Coach Brooks Thompson's UT-San Antonio Roadrunners have gotten a steal in the local product. Kendric wanted to stay close to home and play in front of friends and family.

Middle Middle: 2009 6'5" Jordan Jahr of Austin Lake Travis HS. Air Force (Mountain West Conference) Shown above with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors #23 contesting a shot against the Illinois Fire. Jordan spent his final summer with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors and chose the Air Force Academy for academic as well as athletic reasons. He was also recruited by Navy, and many of the California schools. Jahr is an excellent shooter with deep range. He can play a physical game when he puts his mind to it and will be a strong rebounding wing/guard for the Air Force Falcons.

Middle Right: Signing day at Pflugerville HS. Standing from left, T'J. Garza, Coach Mike Murphy, Coach Max Ivany. Seated 2009 PG Jonathan Garza and 2009 6'8" Osas Ebomwonyi. 2009 5'10" PG Jonathan Garza Lamar University (Southland Conference) is a great get for the Lamar Cardinals. Garza is the quickest guard in the Cen Tex area with a capable 3 point shot and an above average pull up jumper as he drives to the lane. he has a knack for raising the level of his game as the competition heats up.

Middle Left: John Henson formerly of Round Rock HS, now in Tampa, FL. University of North Carolina (Atlantic Coast Conference). Having had an opportunity to coach John as he evolved from a 6'1" WG to a 6'10" W/P was one of the most exciting things I've ever been associated with. In terms of pure potential John is the best player I've ever had a chance to have a personal relationship with. He has an ungodly wingspan which makes him the top shot blocker in the country, NBA range on his three pointer which is incredible for a big man and an assortment of soft shots and low post moves with either hand that makes him unstoppable. look for John to play one year, two tops for UNC Coach Roy Williams before he takes his game to the NBA as a lottery pick. John received his first college offer in April of 2007 after a game at the Houston Pearland Classic from Baylor University. From that moment on my phone blew up as the top programs in the country offered. Texas, Florida, Ohio State, UCLA, and on and on they inquired and courted him. In the summer of 2007 the Texas D-1 Ambassadors were followed around at every game by an entourage of 150 plus coaches primarily because of henson and fellow big man Cory Jefferson. The Tar Heels wrapped up the top recruiting class in the country in 2009 with Henson as it's centerpiece.

Bottom Right: 2009 6'9" Cory Jefferson of Killeen HS. Baylor University (Big XII Conference). Cory spent 4 seasons with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors where he developed from a skinny kid to one of the most accomplished post players in the country. Cory committed verbally a year ago to Baylor University and unlike many kids who give early verbals kept solid with the Bears, signing with them on Wednesday. Many of the high majors continued to court Cory but Baylor was the right fit because of proximity to his Killeen home and also that it was a faith based school with a rising basketball rep. Jefferson is now the top shot blocker in the State after the departure of the aforementioned Henson to Florida. Cory's game has developed to the point where his perimeter shot has become more reliable and coupled with his superior rebounding shot blocking and rebounding should have him as a big contributor to Baylor as a freshman. Look for Cory to make money playing the game after he completes his education.

2009 5'9" Jordan Brickman of San Antonio Clark HS Navy (Patriot League) Brickman played the spring session with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors and was recruited by high academic schools like Liberty. The Midshipmen will be getting a scoring PG who is a crafty player who can get his shot off in traffic. A streaky shooter, Brickman is capable of knocking down many 3 pointers in one game.

Top Left: 2009 6'4" Jonathan Landry of San Antonio Madison HS. Coppin State (Mid East Athletic Conference). Jonathan is an explosive, superior athlete who has played the post but will eventually make the transition to the wing at the collegiate level. He played with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors in his sophomore year. Coppin State gets a very good prospect who could end up being a star in the MEAC.

2009 6'2" G Garrett Brown of Angleton committed to Dartmouth (Ivy league). Garrett spent the spring session this year with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors. Brown is a scoring point with great insight into the game ands should have a very productive career in the Ivy League.

Congratulations to all these players and their families.

San Antonio Madison Boys HS Preview

Left: 2009 W 6'4" Travis Smith Right: 2009 6'4" W/P Jonathan Landry (sporting his Coppin State gear)

I caught the scrimmages between Kerrville, San Antonio Lanier, San Antonio Lee and San Antonio Madison this past Saturday. Lanier was scrappy. Kerrville was without it's best player, 2010 Jonathan Perry who is out for about 5-6 weeks after having his medial meniscus operated on last Wednesday. They'll be a different team when they get their leader back. Lee has already been previewed here at an earlier date. I expect them to make the playoffs.

It was great seeing Lee Head Coach Tommy Hines back on the bench after having undegone open heart surgery just 3 weeks ago!

Congratulations to 2009 Jonathan Landry of Madison who committed to D-1 Coppin State who competes in the Mid East Athletic Conference. At the moment he's an undersized post, but his athletic potential can have him playing at a high collegiate level as his skill set continues to develop. He's explosive and had a couple of rim rattling dunks on Saturday. Now that his Pop, John is back from Iraq, he's seeing that the best training opportunities are available for his son. He's one of the nicest, most respectful kids you'll ever want to meet. He's the product of a great family that I've gotten to know pretty well over the years as both Jonathan and his younger brother (part of our Texas D-1 Ambassadors 2012 crew that lost the championship game at AAU Nationals) have been part of our organization. He finished up his club career with a team out of San Antonio.

Coach John Valenzuela's Madison Mavericks are shooting for their 3rd straight trip to the Drum for a crack at the 5A State Championship. Wagner, McAllen, several other San Antonio schools as well as Pflugerville, Westlake and Bowie will all be trying to dethrone the South Region Champs. This should be the strongest group of schools to ever represent this region which notoriouly has taken a back seat to the Houston and Dallas schools in the past. The boys from DFW and Houston would be advised not to take them for granted this year.

In addition to Landry, Madison will get Senior leadership at the off guard spot from 2009 Cameron Catlett an athletic lefty that can get to the rack. At the wing will also be another Senior in 2009 6'4" Travis Smith. He's battled injuries over the last two seasons but when healthy is a real talent. Expect him to sign with a Southland Conference school in the spring signing period.

The question mark for Madison will be how much their point guard 2010 5'11" Jamaal Johnson develops and matures as the year progresses. I saw him for the first time Saturday and came away impressed by his athleticism. He has a great basketball body. In fact, the Mavs are as buff a crew of high schoolers that I've seen. Looks like they all have taken the weight room extremely serious for this coming season.

The recruiting gem of the program is 2010 6'7" Steven Baird. Baird has an assortment of low post moves that will allow him to excel at the high school level, but when coupled with above average athleticism, a nice mid range shot, the ability to fire it up deep and to put the ball on the floor and get out on the break it all comes together to make him a high level national prospect similar to 2010 6'8" Daniel Alexander of Dripping Springs. Baird already has high major offers in his pocket, heading into his junior campaign. If he plays with a tenacity all season long then Madison is my pick to get to Austin.

Madison has a couple of key reserves I really like in 2009 6'3" Kevin Simmons who is a bouncy wing, and 2010 6'8" Jason Saleen who shows great promise as an up and coming post man.

With all the talent outlined above, it seems like a no brainer that they'll have a big season. I love the mix here; Landry's power, Catlett's ability to slash, Smith's length, Bairds ability to rebound shoot and post up, as well as put the ball on the floor. In concert with Coach Valenzuela's up tempo pressing system their depth will be another strength of this squad.

UT San Antonio 78 Mary Hardin Baylor 64

UMHB Senior 6'5" F David Ray

Tonight I popped in to the UT-San Antonio Convocation Center to catch the exhibition basketball game between the Roadrunners and Divsion III Mary-Hardin Baylor. I was motivated to spend my Thursday evening there for several reasons. First, I wanted to see what our local D-1 school would look like this year under Coach Brooks Thompson. Secondly, I figured driving 30 minutes to support my son's new team mates was the thing to do. After all, I made 8 trips to Mobile, AL last season driving 1400 miles round trip to watch my boy chase his hoop dreams. Thirdly, I wanted to watch four different former Texas D-1 Ambassadors players compete in the same game. (UTSA's Jr. Leslie Jackson and Chip Ivany (redshirt sophomore) & UMHB's Frosh Andrew Graves and Soph Ryan Clark.)

As I settled in to watch the game, the story I quickly decided to concentrate on was the Mary Hardin Baylor kids. There'll be plenty of other opportunities to concentrate on the D-1 Roadrunners as the season progresses. I sat next to San Antonio Spurs legend Johnny Moore and chatted hoops. In front of me was long time basketball friend Joe Phillips and his family who were there to cheer on his UMHB freshman son, Sterling Phillips. To the left of me were two delightful people who turned out to be the parents of the hardest working kid on the floor tonight, UMHB Senior David Ray.

The game was close for 3/4 of the game, with UMHB holding a 1 point halftime lead. As should be, the Roadrunners pulled away in the last 8 minutes. Devin Gibson of UTSA was clearly the most talented player on the floor and he proved it by dropping 22 points. UTSA heads to Stillwater, Ok next week to open their season v. Oklahoma State. They will have their hands full with the Cowboys.

The singular key difference between D-1 and D-3 players is OVERALL atleticism, and length and 13 scholarship athletes. Having said that, I was impressed by UMHB's desire to compete and the commitment by kids who get little notoriety and play purely for the love of the game. (For those of you not familiar, there are no athletic scholarships at the D-3 level, only grant money and reward for academic proficiency.)

You might ask why a D-3 could compete to a great degree with a D-1 program? In my opinion the answer is simple. There are a huge number of gifted basketball players and only so many D-1 scollies to go around. Sure, the 6'10" blue chippers are easy to find but trust me folks the difference is minimal when it comes to the last couple of kids on a D-1 bench and the first few off the D-3 bench. As most coaches will tell you, the world is full of 6'0" guards.

I believe there are 3 factors that affect how these more "marginal" guys are chosen to get the coveted D-1 "free ride"?

1. Did the player suit up for a high quality, well connected summer program? 60%

2. Is the player being "marketed" by a reputable company that assists in recruiting? 20%

3. Is the player's high school coach going the extra mile to get his player's recruited? 20%

Not always, but USUALLY one or more of the above factors (or a lack thereof) will decide what collegiate level the player eventually rises to.

As mentioned earlier the hardest working player on the floor was San Antonio Churchill grad, Senior David Ray. A little undersized at 6'5" he battled inside all night against the bigger UTSA squad and came away with the only double-double of the night for either side. 10 points and 10 boards. After the game, I caught up with him for a minute, congratulated him on a nice game and asked how his academics were going. He politely responded that he was a double major (finance & economics) and would likely pursue an MBA after his career at UMHB ends. Education players, that's what it's REALLY all about!

Kudos also go out to UMHB Frosh PG Sterling Phillips who played 15 minutes and scored 9 points. He was aggressive going to the hole as was witnessed by his going 7-9 from the charity stripe.

Top Combine Performers Boys Class of 2009

2009 Joel Smith
2009 A.D. Jones
2009 Ryan Springer
2009 D.J. Stephens
2009 Austin Mosley

Top Combine Performers Class of 2009 By The Numbers

Wingspan

1. D.J. Stephens 6'11"
2. Freddie Parks 6'8.5"
2. A.D. Jones 6'8.5"
4. Zack Mims 6'6.5"
5. Ryan Springer 6'6"

20 Yard Dash

1. Raheem Odomes 2.45 seconds
2. D.J. Stephens 2.48 seconds
3. Austin Mosley 2.58 seconds
4. Kenneth Haggar 2.60 seconds
5. Kendal McDonald 2.71 seconds

Vertical Leap

1. D. J. Stephens 41.8"
2. Kenneth Hagger 38.0"
3. Freddie Parks 34.0"
4.Raheem Odomes 31.8"
5. Austin Mosely 30.3"

Standing Broad Jump

1. D.J. Stephens 10'5"

2. Kenneth Hagger 10'0"

3. Raheem Odomes 8'8"

4. Ryan Springer 8'0"

5. Austin Mosely 7'11"

Pro Agility Shuttle

1. Kenneth Hagger 4.47 seconds

2. Austin Mosely 4.63 seconds

3. Raheem Odomes 4.78 seconds

3. D.J. Stephens 4.78 seconds

5. Keron Felix 4.82 seconds

Hot Shot Shooting Drill

1. Zack Mims 8/10 38.34 seconds

2. D. J. Stephens 6/10 37.94 seconds

3. Austin Mosely 6/10 39.13 seconds

4. A.D. Jones 6/10 39.91 seconds

5. Kenneth Hagger 5/10 37.40 seconds