OJ Mayo is scratching his way to the top of the NBA as a Grizzly. Black Kool-Aid is running rough shot over the college ranks with new running mates John and Boogie, and I have no clue what Chris Early is doing, probably 5 to 10.(just kidding, the former Oklahoma signee is plugging away at UT-Chattanooga after some off-court issues) The Highlanders of Huntington High sure wish they still had them. The team who used to dazzle crowds at Veteran's Memorial and the Henderson Center, and who entertained audiences on the ESPN(Who is funding Al Kaeda) family of networks is far from the former national power it used to be, it is not even the big dog in it's WV High School conference. Hell, they are not even the biggest dog in their own backyard anymore. That destinction belongs to Huntington Prep, an all-star, limitless potential, AAU with mid-terms team that has brought, or maybe more applicable kept, Division 1 level breeding grounds in the Tri-State. Rob Fulford, long time Prep coach formerly of Mountain State Prep in Beckley,WV, has created an atmosphere that will be beneficary, not only to players, but to fans and all others in the area with interest in local basketball.
Remeniscent of barnstorming teams like,well, The Harlem Globtrotters or Bingo Long's Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, they take their show on the road. That practice is not uncommon amongst prep teams of this nature, as they go from state to state playing the nations other top notch programs and various tournaments. It's all about exposure and revenue, and The Express, as they are called, is no different.
In their first year, they have amassed a collection of mid-major ready talent and a few big conference projects. Rick Pitino has secured the services of Justin Coleman, a 6'5'' Forward from Richmond, VA, for the Dirty Ones next season. Pitino and assistant Walter McCarty came to Ashland on Sunday to check on their recruits progress. HPA was in town hosting another Basketball-centric educational front, The Rise Academy, at Boyd County Middle School. It's a good thing that Huntington Prep made an appearance on that gym floor, lord knows when another good team will touch it. Another face who has become a familiar one to the Express is that of Donnie Jones, the current head man at Marshall.
Remeniscent of barnstorming teams like,well, The Harlem Globtrotters or Bingo Long's Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, they take their show on the road. That practice is not uncommon amongst prep teams of this nature, as they go from state to state playing the nations other top notch programs and various tournaments. It's all about exposure and revenue, and The Express, as they are called, is no different.
In their first year, they have amassed a collection of mid-major ready talent and a few big conference projects. Rick Pitino has secured the services of Justin Coleman, a 6'5'' Forward from Richmond, VA, for the Dirty Ones next season. Pitino and assistant Walter McCarty came to Ashland on Sunday to check on their recruits progress. HPA was in town hosting another Basketball-centric educational front, The Rise Academy, at Boyd County Middle School. It's a good thing that Huntington Prep made an appearance on that gym floor, lord knows when another good team will touch it. Another face who has become a familiar one to the Express is that of Donnie Jones, the current head man at Marshall.
He must love the pipeline he now has right outside his front door to bring in more players like projected 2011 #1 pick and current Herd freshman Hasan Whiteside.
Jones was touted as being a man who could turn Marshall into a dominant Mid-Major, and a master recruiter. As an assistant at Florida, he is heralded as being responsible for assembling the peices to the back to back National Champion Gators' teams. Now, he may not have to travel quite as far to get sought after recruits. His recruiting trail just travels a few blocks. It's that familiarity that may give Jones the advantage in landing some of the stars who will pass through Huntington Prep.
And, there is Gorgui Sy Dieng.
And, there is Gorgui Sy Dieng.
The 6'10'' center from the Senegal,former home to most nerver racking ball-handler in Kentucky history, Jules Camara, has drawn alot of attention from schools all over the country, including our own John Calipari making a trip to check him out. He is a very raw, unpolished project, but with a helluva upside.
Rounding out the rest of the roster are players from locales such as Baltimore, Toronto, Jacksonville, Miami, France, Serbia, Antigua, Africa, Rock Hill,SC, and the lone 'native', 6'4'' guard Phil Grant of Beckley, WV, which may not count as being that native in all actuallity.
They have not shyed away from playing the other powerhouse 'schools' either. They balanced a National schedule by mixing in some local teams. Now, on paper, and on the floor, the local schools are out-classed by a longshot. But, area schools, real high schools, have valuable tool in their posession by HPA being here. They get to test their mettle against some of the best in the country, and also get the added bonus of putting their goods on display for the scouts watching the NBDL team. Tug Valley, Cabell Midland, Tates Creek out of Lexington and the Todd Mayo-less South Point all had their time on the floor with the Express.One has to wonder if a showdown between the two teams who call Huntington home will ever go down. Aside from playing the powerhouses, the HPA also schedules many small colleges and throws in some Division 1 JV squads, like the JV squad from Virginia Tech, which granted is comprised of under-classmen bench warmers and walk-ons.
HPA has played all the *ahem* schools that produce Mcdonald's All Americans year in and year out. They brought perenial power Findlay Prep, out of Las Vegas to town. Findlay Prep is the school that current UK sophomore DeAndre Liggins finished his high school career after transfering from public school in Chicago, which is what most players of this caliber do. They lost to Patterson(NJ)Catholic in an overtime thriller in Wheeling, WV. Patterson has won several National Titles, and is noted for being coached by Bobby Hurley of Duke fame's father,umm Mr. Hurley, and has produced dozens of NCAA and NBA talent over the years,including the not able to live up to expectations, Roderick Rhodes. Then of course they have tangled with the school most associated with this type of thing, Oak Hill Academy, from Mouth of Wilson,VA. Some familiar names to Cats fans that have came from OHA, by way of other high schools are Keith Bogans, Ron Mercer and Rajon Rondo, and of course is where Carmelo Anthony got his text-book on.
If you have never witnessed a 'high school' game of this caliber, nor have you tuned in to the hundreds of games of this type televised on ESPN U throughout the year, one could liken this to the games and rabid atmosphere of the OJ Mayo show during his stay at Rose Hill and The Huntington High runs with Patterson and Early on his teams. If you caught the North College Hill game against Ironton when Walker was still alowed to be a kid, you can gauge on that. It is trully unreal.
But, when you get bit by that bug and the fever, which has made fools of many people who obsess over high school and AAU 'mix-tapes' on the interent and post on various recruiting websites, let's keep in mind they are kids. And if you knew as much about their abilities as you think you do, you wouldn't be hovering over monitors and trash talking high school kids abilities on message boards, you would be at the games. Getting paid to feed animals like yourself garbage on the internet.
Coach Cal said it best, "I don't watch videos of players. I go to the games."
Rounding out the rest of the roster are players from locales such as Baltimore, Toronto, Jacksonville, Miami, France, Serbia, Antigua, Africa, Rock Hill,SC, and the lone 'native', 6'4'' guard Phil Grant of Beckley, WV, which may not count as being that native in all actuallity.
They have not shyed away from playing the other powerhouse 'schools' either. They balanced a National schedule by mixing in some local teams. Now, on paper, and on the floor, the local schools are out-classed by a longshot. But, area schools, real high schools, have valuable tool in their posession by HPA being here. They get to test their mettle against some of the best in the country, and also get the added bonus of putting their goods on display for the scouts watching the NBDL team. Tug Valley, Cabell Midland, Tates Creek out of Lexington and the Todd Mayo-less South Point all had their time on the floor with the Express.One has to wonder if a showdown between the two teams who call Huntington home will ever go down. Aside from playing the powerhouses, the HPA also schedules many small colleges and throws in some Division 1 JV squads, like the JV squad from Virginia Tech, which granted is comprised of under-classmen bench warmers and walk-ons.
HPA has played all the *ahem* schools that produce Mcdonald's All Americans year in and year out. They brought perenial power Findlay Prep, out of Las Vegas to town. Findlay Prep is the school that current UK sophomore DeAndre Liggins finished his high school career after transfering from public school in Chicago, which is what most players of this caliber do. They lost to Patterson(NJ)Catholic in an overtime thriller in Wheeling, WV. Patterson has won several National Titles, and is noted for being coached by Bobby Hurley of Duke fame's father,umm Mr. Hurley, and has produced dozens of NCAA and NBA talent over the years,including the not able to live up to expectations, Roderick Rhodes. Then of course they have tangled with the school most associated with this type of thing, Oak Hill Academy, from Mouth of Wilson,VA. Some familiar names to Cats fans that have came from OHA, by way of other high schools are Keith Bogans, Ron Mercer and Rajon Rondo, and of course is where Carmelo Anthony got his text-book on.
If you have never witnessed a 'high school' game of this caliber, nor have you tuned in to the hundreds of games of this type televised on ESPN U throughout the year, one could liken this to the games and rabid atmosphere of the OJ Mayo show during his stay at Rose Hill and The Huntington High runs with Patterson and Early on his teams. If you caught the North College Hill game against Ironton when Walker was still alowed to be a kid, you can gauge on that. It is trully unreal.
But, when you get bit by that bug and the fever, which has made fools of many people who obsess over high school and AAU 'mix-tapes' on the interent and post on various recruiting websites, let's keep in mind they are kids. And if you knew as much about their abilities as you think you do, you wouldn't be hovering over monitors and trash talking high school kids abilities on message boards, you would be at the games. Getting paid to feed animals like yourself garbage on the internet.
Coach Cal said it best, "I don't watch videos of players. I go to the games."
1 comment:
excellent research Gilbert. When do we start the TV side?
Josh Coleman
64/60 Commissioner
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