Las Vegas Day One : Texas D-1 Ambassadors Report

The day started out with lots of promise.  There's no doubt that Dinos Trigonis' Inaugural Fab 48 in Las Vegas is THE place to be during the 22-25th if you're west of the Misssissippi.  There's a new sheriff in Vegas, and that's Trigonis the architect of the Pangos All American Camp.  He has clearly filled the vacuum created when Reebok cancelled their Big Time Tournament, and the train wreck that was Vision Sports couldn't get certified to hold another event in Glitter Gulch.

When I walked in the door to pick up my press credentials at 8:15AM it was standing room only in the college coaches section.  A rough count gave easily 200 D-1's crammed in to Bishop Gorman HS on Las Vegas West Side to watch all the talent.  And they were coming and going throughout the day.  The Texas D-1 Ambassadors were represented in the Super Pools by Team Hardge.

Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Team Hardge 74  Salt Lake City Prospects (UT) 64

Despite an obvious disparity in athleticism, Texas D-1 was not able to shake a hard playing, hot shooting Salt Lake Prospects group until the last few minutes of the game.  2011 WG Jonathan Perry of Fork Union (VA) by way of Kerrville, TX led the way for the D-1 Ambassadors with 15 points and 5 rebounds.  Scoring was extremely well balanced as 2011 W Jalen Washington of Pflugerville Hendrickson dropped 12 points, and 2011 PG Josiah Monroe of Bastrop notched 10 as well as hauling in 6 boards.  2011 W Allantae Faust of Harker Heights keyed the game winning run with a big three pointer and timely rebounds.  He finished with 7.

2011 Jonathan Perry

2011 Jalen Washington

Belmont Shores Gold (CA) 73 Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Team Hardge 68

A close game slipped away in the final seconds as Belmont Shores Gold hung on for a tight win.  2011 W Max Yon of San Antonio Reagan led the way for the D-1 Ambassadors with 18 points, including a monster tip dunk and two above the rim blocks.  With the Tulane staff sitting under the goal, Yon showed his off the charts athleticism to the coaches in attendance.

2011 PG Josiah Monroe may be the smallest player on the court in stature, but he played the biggest. Monroe had 17 points and should have shot 10 additional free throws as he penetrated and went fearlessly to the rim.  In the loosely officiated game, the calls simply didn't come.  2011 G Dylan Cox of Cedar Park had 8 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds & 3 blocks in the losing effort.  Texas D-1 struggled to score at times and sorely missed dynamic guard Deon Mitchell who missed the entire day with severe migraine headaches.

2011 PG Josiah Monroe

2011 W Max Yon

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At the Adidas Super 64 Tournament on the other side of town the Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Team Josephs went 1-1 on the opening day. 

Illinois Old School 67  Texas D-1 Ambassadors 55

Texas D-1 came out flat and struggled to but the ball in the hoop.  Scoring was balanced as 2011 P Clark Lammert of San Antonio Churchill had 12 and 2011 W Kyle Rutledge of San Antonio Clark also had 12 in the loss.

Texas D-1 Ambassadors 59  Inland Empire All Stars (CA) 56

2011 W Kyle Rutledge was devastating on the front of the press and had a solid effort on the boards as he notched a double double with 16 points and 10 plus rebounds.  Team Josephs is severely restricted in the latter part of the summer as 2012 P 6'9" Connor Lammert has to sit with a slight fracture in his back.

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In the Las Vegas  Swoosh Showcase, the Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Team Morse 15U crushed Canada's Drive Premier 61-33. Leading by only 6 at the half, the D-1 Ambassadors put on a 2nd half show.

Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Team Battley/Morse Heads To Vegas

Texas D-1 Ambassadors 2013-Team Battley with a roster comprised of players entirely from Killeen, TX won the Nike NIT this past weekend.  They went 5-1 defeating the Cen Tex Shooters in the championship game.

Key performers were Reynard Thomas (10ppg, 7 apg), Nashoon Hughes (14ppg), Andre Hughes (13ppg), Tyler Brown (10ppg) & Julian Battley (10ppg).

Below:  All orange, all the time as this weekend there was a Family Feud of the Texas D-1 Ambassadors. Team Battley in orange, lost to Team Morse in white. However, Team Battley beat Cen tex Shooters for the ultimate prize: The Championship.   2013 Julian Battley turns the corner (no easy task while sporting that top heavy Mohawk) past an unidentified defender as he makes his way towards the paint and a win for his squad.

Safe travels and good luck to Team Battley as they leave this morning for the 1350 mile drive in a van from Killeen, TX to Las Vegas, NV to compete in the Las Vegas Swoosh Challenge.  Team Morse will also compete in the same Las Vegas tournament.  We wish all the boys well.

Coach Max Ivany

Chase Kocher Commits To Southwestern (TX)

Austin St. Michael's Chase Kocher (below) graduated in the spring of 2009 after leading the Crusaders to the the Texas Tapps Final Four.  An outstanding floor general for Coach Mackey Smith, Kocher decided to attend the University of Alabama to be a student.  After a year away from the hardwood and having grown 4 inches since high school ended, Kocher has the itch to give college ball a whirl and he'll suit up for Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX.

Now at 6'0" Kocher should be an integral part of Southwestern's program as he'll bring a pass first mentality along with speed, quickness and tight handles to the table.  Kocher played his summer ball with the Austin Kings along with cameo appearances with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors.

Congratulations to Chase and the Kocher Family!  Coach Max

Tre Demps To The Big Ten

2011 Combo Guard 6'3" Tre Demps of San Antonio Reagan has committed to play for the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten.  Demps, (shown below with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors in Myrtle Beach, SC at the Atlantic Slam chose Northwestern because of their top tier journalism program.

I spoke with Tre's Pops, Dell Demps who is the Player Personnel Driector for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs on Friday and he indicated to me that his son now had about 20 offers and would make his final decision shortly.  I have to admit that I was a tad surprised at his decision as Tre had always indicated a preference for his native West Coast. 

In my 18 months observing Demps when he moved to San Antonio and played for San Antonio Reagan and then subsequently coached him with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors I have observed the following about his game.  At 6'3" 197lbs Tre has continued to mold himself as a player.  He gets to the rim at will and has a series of pre programmed moves where he positions himself for mid range shots that he can drop with a high percentage.  Demps also shoots the perimeter shot well.

He has battled ankle injury problems in the spring, confining him to work outs (which look like they've really helped his game).  My first peek at him in the summer of 2010 was at the beginning of June where he performed well, and looked a step faster than before at the Pangos All American Camp in Long Beach, CA.  Demps was selected to the "Cream of the Crop" all star event at Pangos. I was unable to attend either Deon Williams or LeBron's Camp but Poppa Dell Demps informed me that his son had an excellent showing at both of these elite level camps.

Tre was a pleausre to coach and always responded to instruction in a very attentive manner.  I have no doubt that he will make for an excellent player in the physical Big Ten and have a very productive career at Northwestern and beyond.  Demps will finish out his summer basketball with one of the California Pump N Run teams.  Congratulations to the Demps Family! 

Coach Max

Mississippi D-1 Ambassadors @ Peach State

The Mississippi D-1 Ambassadors were quiet during the first week of the live period because of a peculiar quirk in the great State of Mississippi.  For some reason they have their State All Star Game during the live period where the kids spend several days practicing, attend a dinner and then ultimately play the game.  From all I'm told it's a wonderful event BUT it eliminates top level Mississippi kids fom a portion of the recruiting period.  Five of our players were selected to play in this prestigious event. I'm certainly not trying to offend anyone, but it seems like it would be so much more productive if this event was moved to a date a week earlier.  Just a suggestion to my friends in one of the most talent rich states in the country. :-)

Coach Ted Hutchins was nice enough to send me the below encapsulation of the team's recent success in the Peach State Tournament.  The Mississippi D-1 Ambassadors will be heading to Orlando, FL for the AAU National Showcase.  Good luck to this talented group.  Coach Max

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The MS D1 Ambassadors competed in the Peach State Tournament in Aiken, SC on July 12-15.  The team  finished 4-2 overall and impressed a large number of college coaches with their play.  They defeated Pasadena Stars by 26, Georgia Thunder by 31, SW Florida Elite by 19, and South Carolina Kings by 29. Their two losses were 62-60 to the Southern Phenoms (MS) and to the Georgia Future Elite 73-62 in the first round of bracket play.  40 teams entered and only 16 teams qualified for bracket play.  

2011 Donovon Ross, 6'5 F (Ridgeland) (below right) garnered a lot of attention from Mid Majors such as SW Missouri State, Steven F Austin, Murray State, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee- Martin and Arkansas-Little Rock.  He averaged 17 pts and 13 rebounds a game during the tournament.  Nobody played harder than Ross, always going after the ball on both ends.  He finished SEVEN "allys" with dunks during the tournament.

2011 LeAntwan Luckett, 6'4 G (Ridgeland) (top left) maintained his top 100 national status with an outstanding performance  He averaged 21 pts, 8 rebounds and 6 assists per game!  Despite playing with a sore knee, he was able to play 27 minutes per game.  He's receiving attention from Missouri State, Murray State, UTEP, Baylor, and has offers from Mississippi State & Arkansas among others.  (Luckett also pictured below)  Twan is ranked in the Top 100 Nationally by both Rivals.com and Scout.com

2011 A J Wade, 6'3 guard, (NE Lauderdale) was a surprise player for the D-1 Ambassadors this past weekend.  The long rangy player was the best defensive guard on the team.  He locked down players from the 1 position thru the 3 position, holding the opposition's best player under single digits. Solid shooter who will get looks from mid majors in Orlando next week at the AAU National Showcase.

2012 Corey Cox, 6'4 G(Yazoo City) had a great tournament as well, scoring 18 points off the bench in the first game.  Will  be high major recruit next year, excellent shooting and intense defensive player.
2012 McDarion Abron, 6'9 center, 2011 (Canton) logged limited minutes but made a huge impact.  Was already offered a scholarship from a mid major!  Big (280 lbs) and quick on his feet, he led the D-1 Ambassadors with 3 blk shots a game.  Intimidator on the block, and a great finisher under basket.

2011 Jarron Mallory, 6'2 G (Provine) averaged 8 pts a game, with consistent 3 pt shooting.  Steven F Austin among mid majors giving him a look. 
2011 Troy Ambreau, 5'7 G (LA) Quickest player on team!  He's a game changer with his speed, solid scorer and good defender.  Was having a great tournament until knee injury sidelined him after 3rd game. 

2012 G Khari Melton, 5'9"  (East St John, LA) has a bright future.  Although he played limited minutes, he showed flashes of a smooth game and did not get intimidated by the older and stronger players. 

A special thanks go to Jarvis Summers, 6'3 guard (Provine High), and Xavier Rimmer, 6'4 guard(Piney Woods) who played great with us this tournament.  These 2 young men normally play with the Jackson Tigers, but blended in great with the D-1 Ambassadors!  Jarvis received a lot of attention from high majors such as Baylor, UTEP, MS State among others. 

Coach Ted Hutchins

Mississippi D-1 Ambassadors

Jonathan Landry Transfers To Howard JC

Jonathan Landry, San Antonio Madison's 6'5" Wing played Division One basketball briefly last season in the MEAC with Coppin State.  After 4 games where he was highly productive against Colorado and USC as a true freshman, Landry's season came crashing to an end.  Shoulder surgery was required & subsequently performed by the Baltimore Ravens surgeon. He is now fully recovered.  However, a year away from home while you're sitting around and not playing can take it's toll on a young man and homesickness set in.

The Texas D-1 Ambassadors alum made the trek up to Tulsa, OK last week to play in JuCo guru, Jerry Mullen's Top 80 event.  Landry played hard, and played well although he was hampered by a twisted ankle.  The explosive wing must have done something right though as he will ink with Howard JC in Big Spring, TX and play for one of the classiest guys in the business in Coach Mark Adams. Not only is Adams a nice guy, he's also a disciplinarian and a winner. 

Below are the 2010 National Junior College Champions, Howard College

Landry (below) led San Antonio Madison to the Drum for the State Tournament in Austin twice during his high school career.  He'll bring toughness, explosiveness and a nicely improved perimeter shot to Howard in their pursuit of back to back National Crowns.   Jonathan is the son of Mr. & Mrs. John Landry.  Congratulations Jonathan!

Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Team Cress Competes In Minnesota

My latest stop on the NCAA live circuit was with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Team Cress at the Best Buy Summer Classic in Minneapolis, MN.  It was our first time attending the event, now in it's 2nd year but we'll be sure to have it on our annual schedule as Minnesota Pump N Run guru Tom Kroshell treated the teams like kings.  This is one of the best invitational stops on the circuit. Best Buy Electronics had an entertainment room set up for the players with the latest in video game technology.  Along with the great hospitality, Kroshell provided an outstanding welcome barbecue dinner as part of the experience.   http://www.webcast50.com/ was on hand streaming games.  You can go to their site and see the Texas D-1 Ambassadors in action, including 2011 W Killeen Ellison's Jaleel William throwing down an emphatic windmill dunk!

Left to Right:  2011 Karim York (Del Valle), 2011 Jake Kocher (Austin St. Michael's), 2011 G Eric McClellan (Austin High), 2011 W Jaleel Williams (Killeen Ellison), 2013 PG Travon Landry (Bryan), 2011 P Mark Nwakamma (Leander), 2011 W Brooks Pawsat (Austin Hyde Park) & 2012 P Drew Wikelius (Austin Westlake).  Missing: 2011 W Austin Jenkins (Austin Hyde Park)

The Texas D-1 Ambassadors notched victories over Minnesota Comets, Minnesota Select, Minnesota Gamblers and Memphis Select.  Our two losses were to the Indiana Elite featuring 6'11" Marshall Plumlee (Duke), 6'10" Cody Zeller (offered by North Carolina) and 6'7" Vincent Zollo (offered by Kentucky) and Memphis Magic Elite with W Adonis Thomas, G Andre Hollins & G Terence Durham who hit 7 three pointers despite a hand in his face.

2011 W Jaleel Williams (below) had a very average tournament a few days prior in Tulsa but somehow a light clicked on and he played with a vengeance in Minnesota.  He had a dozen dunks during the tournament as he clicked with combo guard Eric McClellan on the majority of them. Williams whose talent has never been in question continues to get recruited by mid majors but with his effort in Minneapolis has regained the high major buzz first generated at John Lucas Southwest Invitational Camp in Houston on July 6th.  Look for Colorado, Washington, Washington State, Balyor, Memphis & Texas to watch him closely next week at our events in Virginia and Phoenix.

2011 W Karim York (below) continued the great play he exhibited in the GASO tournament while playing for ATX.  He averaged a double double over the duration of the Minnesota tournament. Under the watchful eye of my old friend from his days at Wyoming, Coach Sean Van Diver was on hand for every Texas D-1 Ambassadors game and the new Boise State Assistant pulled the trigger this morning and offered the lanky York a scholarship.  Congratulations to Karim and his family.  York can shoot the three, can put the rock on the deck, and is active around the rim with a nice touch.

2011 W 6'6" Austin Jenkins of Austin Hyde Park may have been the tournament's biggest winner for us as he went from unknown to garnering interest from Northern Colorado & Arkansas State.  With limited high level tournament play under his belt, Jenkins seems on the verge of "getting it".  He can shoot the three and shows a new toughness on the boards.  If this kid takes working on his game and body seriously over the next 12 months he will be this years version of former Austin Westlake player Gus Leeper who recently signed with Arkansas-Little Rock.

2011 P Mark Nwakamma (below) of Leander continues to recover from his foot surgery and despite a lack of his trademark explosiveness shows a toughness and desire to compete that continues to earn the respect of D-1 schools.  Big Mark's offensive game is beginning to gel again and he's proving to be a force on the circuit.

2011 SG Jake Kocher (below) of Austin St. Michael's continues to put up big numbers.  He had 23 points and 8 rebounds against the Memphis Magic.  Below, he takes time out of basketball to enjoy the Best Buy Player's Center as he gets his groove on with DJ Hero as his alter ego, "DJ Jazzy Jake" with help from his sidekick "Coach Max Mix A Lot".

Below: 2013 PG Travon Landry displayed tight handles and energetic defense as he played anything but that of a 15 year old against some of the country's top competition. Young Landry is catching the eye of Baylor, New Mexico & Marquette.

Below: Left to right:  Karim York, Eric McClellan, Jaleel Williams & Brooks Pawsat chill in the Best Buy Player's Lounge between games.

D-1 AMBASSADORS TEAM JAMES COMPETES IN FILA CLASSIC SUPER POOL

Team James tipped of Friday in the Cy-Fair Fila Classic. With tons of coaches being on hand such as the University of Texas, Texas A&M, University of Colorado, University of San Diego, and Kansas.  The talented group was super pooled with cy-Fair Premier, Texas Top Prospects, and the Katy Elite.

2011 G 5'5 Megan Bauer                                          2011 G 5'3 Haeley Jackson

Team James went 2-2 on the tourney & competed very well in all four games. The talented group of ladies will head west to Los Angeles to compete in the Micheal T. White summer championships. D-1 will be super pooled with TEAM VIRGINIA, MEMPHIS SELECT, AND THE ILLINOIS LADY FIRE. This should be an exciting event with over 100 coaches in attendance.

                                                         2012 W 5'10 Tabatha Richardson

2011 G 5'7 Rebeekah Knudson

Tournament Location

Dates:July 23-25, 2010
Location:Los Angeles, CA
Venues:Mater Dei High School

TX Ambassadors 2016 wins Austin Fastbreak Tournament

Team 2016 played in the 7th grade division at the Austin Youth Fastbreak tournament this past weekend. Even though they were four players short, they continued to play at a high level. The girls won the championship with 1.8 seconds left to take the victory by 1 point over the 7th grade Lady Tigers. Mykiel Burleson put on quite a performance and took home the trophy for tournament MVP!

July 8-11th Live Period Wrap Up

It's that time of the year.  The NCAA Live evalution period is in full swing and I'm like a kid in a candy shop.  Over the next couple of weeks the boys and girls Texas D-1 Ambassadors teams will be competing all over the Nation as our student athletes puruse their dreams of a college scholarship. I want to wish them safe travels as their various stops include North Carolina, South Carolina, Tulsa OK, Los Angeles CA, Phoenix AZ, Minneapolis MN and God knows where else :-). In this, my 10th year evaluating talent, it never ceases to amaze me how many talented players there are in various gyms all over the country trying to meet their goals.  I hope that all who work hard can move on to the next level!

I have split my last three days between Tulsa and Dallas, and will head to Minneapolis in the morning.  I am frustrated by a laptop which flakes on me intermittently and have not been able to post (until now) since I left home.  First stop was Jerry Mullen's High Profile Team Event/Top 120 Junior College Showcase.  Mullen's the most respected guy in the country when it comes to evaluating the wild and woolly Junior College players.  The "Jukes" really get after it and the first thing you notice is their intensity and the way their bodies are developed compared to the high school kids. Mullen's event is unique because the college coaches get to "double dip" and watch the hhigh school kids at the same venue, hence they flock their in droves.  This year's event was on the Oral Roberts University campus.

Their were several guys from Texas (and one from Louisiana) in attendance who are near and dear to my heart as they've played in the D-1 Ambassadors program at one time or another.

Hutto's Thomas Orr recently of State Fair JC (MO) was looking for a new JuCo.

Louisiana Prep's William Nelson of Baton Rouge CC was putting his skills on display for next year's anticicpated D-1 transfer.

San Antonio Madison's Jonathan Landry of Coppin State was there looking for a JC transfer opportunity. Landry tweaked his ankle early on, limiting his explosiveness but he did display his toughness by playing hard through obvious pain.

Houston Christian Life's Garland Judkins of Arizona was there looking for a new D-1 home.

Below: Arizona transfer Garland Judkins had a great showcase.

San Antonio Stephen's Brandon Thompson of Arizona State who recently transferred to South Plains JC (TX),  was honing his game.  (I expect him to sign with Texas Tech next season.)

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At Mullen's High Profile Team Tournament the Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Cress had mixed results.  One game vs. a talented MoKan team resulted in a 20 point loss but after that the kids hit their stride and beat a group from Oklahoma, Team Eleate (CA) and then a tough loss 60-57 to Team Illinois to finish up the event. 

Top Performers:

2011 SG Jake Kocher (below right) of Austin St. Michael's continues to show he can score against any level of competition and in a variety of ways on the floor.  Kocher averaged 17 ppg, and just as importantly showed his upgraded brand of defensive intensity on the defensive end of the floor.  His stock's going up, BUY now!

2012 P Drew Wikelius of Austin Westlake may be a 2012 guy, but he's showing he'll go head to head against some of the Nation's older bigs.  Wikelius at 6'6" and growing has great footwork and is extremely solid on the boards.  Now that he's healthy, Austin Westlake will continue to have a strong post presence even after the graduation of Gus Leeper (Arkansas-Little Rock). 

2013 PG Travon Landry of Bryan showed he can run a team full of older guys and can command their respect.  He did a great job of taking care of the basketball and averaged 4 assists per game.

2011 P Mark Nwakamma (below left) of Leander is coming off a 5 month injury and surgery on a badly broken foot.  He's still not near his explosive self but Nwakamma competed HARD at all times.  He had a game high 8 rebounds v Hoops Impact (OK).

Team Cress heads to Minnesota tomorrow to compete in the Best Buy Summer Classic.

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Meanwhile down in Duncanville, TX the Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Team Hardge was in the Super Pool, emerging with a 89-68 win v Danny Granger Hurricanes (NM), and an exciting 79-72 OT win v. Houston Elite.  The powerhouse Dallas Mustangs were too much to handle as they were led by future NBA lottery pick LeBryan Nash of Dallas Lincoln.  Today I caught bracket action as D1-Hardge overcame a 10 point half time deficit to beat a talented Houston Lynx team 86-84.  In the nightcap they strapped it on with the San Antonio Ro Hawks and came up short 77-73 in a knock down, drag out contest.  Hats off to the Ro Hawks, and best of luck the rest of the way.

Top Performers:

2011 PG 5'9" Josiah Monroe of Bastrop continues to play hard nosed D, while being fearless going to the hole.  His deadeye perimeter shot was off today but his hustle plays and ability to get to the free throw line against kids 6'7" and above was remarkable.

2011 PG 6'0" Deon Mitchell of Pflugerville continues to put up points with ease showing why he's a high major talent.  He averaged 16 ppg with a high of 28 v the Houston Lynx. 

2011 SG Jonathan Perry led the way with 24 points v the San Antonio Ro Hawks. 

2011 W Max Yon (below left) of San Antonio Reagan had 20 points, including two rim rattling dunks v Houston Lynx.

2011 G Dylan Cox (below right) of Cedar Park does all the dirty work on D, while rebounding and providing energy.

Team Hardge heads across Dallas to participate in the DFW Metroplex Showcase starting tomorrow afternoon.