Quantcast
Channel: USA TODAY High School Sports | USA TODAY High School Sports
Viewing all 3712 articles
Browse latest View live

Flurry of football commitments leads into start of high school practice

0
0
Four-star OL T.J. Moore was one of 24 commitments this past weekend. (Photo: 247Sports.com)

Four-star OL T.J. Moore was one of 24 commitments Monday. (Photo: 247Sports.com)

The start of two-a-days and football practice usually means a slowdown in recruits’ announcing their college commitments. One analyst described it as the “slowest two weeks of the year.”

It also corresponds to the start of the quiet period on the recruiting calendar that prevents any off-campus contact between coaches and recruits. Players can still visit campus unofficially and electronic communication is still allowed. And as of this week, a new NCAA rule allows coaches to retweet, like or otherwise approve of recruit’s social media posts.

But there has been a flurry of activity in the last few days. A total of 24 members of the Class of 2017 announced FBS commitments on Monday, six coming from players in the state of Florida.

The two most prominent commits were American Heritage (Plantation) cornerback Marco Wilson, a four-star prospect, to Florida, and Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) offensive tackle T.J. Moore, also a four-star prospect, to South Carolina.

Monday’s total follows a weekend in which more than 50 players committed between Friday and Sunday.

Either players are trying to get their decisions in or maybe there just won’t be a slowdown in the ever-going recruiting cycle.

August will feature some prominent announcements led by five-stars JaCoby Stevens of Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) on Aug. 8, Tyjon Lindsay of Centennial (Corona, Calif.) on Aug. 22 and Trevon Grimes of St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) on Aug. 24.


No. 1 Colts Neck leads three New Jersey teams in Top 10 of Preseason Super 25 girls soccer

0
0
The Colts Neck girls soccer team celebrates its state title (Photo: Peter Ackerman, Gannett New Jersey)

The Colts Neck girls soccer team celebrates its state title (Photo: Peter Ackerman, Gannett New Jersey)

Colts Neck (N.J.) ended its 2015 girls soccer season by slaying the giants, snapping Northern Highlands’ run of four consecutive state titles. Now, Colts Neck is the giant.

Led by 2015-16 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Soccer Player of the Year Frankie Tagliaferri, Colts Neck is ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY High School Sports/National Soccer Coaches Association Preseason Super 25 for fall girls soccer.

RANKINGS: Full Preseason Super 25 girls soccer rankings

Colts Neck finished last season at No. 6 after a 24-0-1 season and won its first Group III state title in school history 1-0 on Tagliaferri’s penalty kick in the 55th minute. The win came after Colts Neck lost to Northern Highlands (Allendale, N.J.) in the state final the previous year.

“Northern Highlands had been very dominant,” Tagliaferri said. “We had nothing to lose. It was a very different feelings for us in the state final than the year before.”

The big question is what’s next. Much of that will depend on how many games Tagliaferri will play. If she is selected to the U.S. Under-17 team for the World Cup, she could miss as much as four weeks.

Colts Neck also features Kayla Lee, who had five goals and 15 assists, and a defense backed by Lauren Feaster, who made 70 saves. Among the key departures is Amanda Visco, now at Rutgers, who was named ALL-USA first team and helped Colts Neck post 19 shutouts.

Defending Super 25 champion Davis (Kaysville, Utah) checks in at No. 2 in the preseason after winning the state 5A title with nine Division I players.

Northern Highlands has not fallen far and is No. 3 in the preseason. The team has graduated a potent senior class but returns Notre Dame commit Eva Hurm, who had 14 goals and 15 assists.

Massapequa, which finished No. 3 at 19-1-1, is ranked No. 4 after becoming just the fourth girls soccer program in Long Island history to win three consecutive state titles. But the team loses five players who were members of all three title teams.

Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) rounds at the Top 5 and is coming off a fourth consecutive Division I state title.

In all, 15 states are represented, led by Massachusetts. Hingham is No. 10, followed by Whitman-Hanson at No. 11, Central Catholic (Lawrence) at No. 24 and Lincoln-Sudbury at No. 25. None reached the final Super 25 last season.

New Jersey has three teams, all in the Top 10. Immaculate Heart (Washington Township) is No. 9 and should get a boost from the return of Virginia commit Rebecca Jarrett, who missed most of last season with a concussion.

The first Super 25 of the regular season is scheduled for Sept. 13. Regional rankings also begin Sept. 13.

St. Benedict's (N.J.) leads Preseason Super 25 in boys soccer

0
0
St. Benedict's Prep shared the Super 25 national title last season (Photo: St. Benedict's Prep)

St. Benedict’s Prep shared the Super 25 national title last season (Photo: St. Benedict’s Prep)

St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) returns only three starters from a team that shared the Super 25 national championship with St. Ignatius (Cleveland) last fall.

That might give a coach pause, but not Gray Bees coach Jim Wandling. Nine national titles will do that.

“We try to create a culture, year after year, with guys buying into the same tradition and rituals,” he said. “Although the faces may change, we expect the players to invest themselves in the culture, the training programs and the preparation, and then the product will also be of high quality.”

Adding to the expectations: the No. 1 ranking in the USA TODAY High School Sports/National Soccer Coaches Association Preseason Super 25 for boys fall soccer.

RANKINGS: Full Super 25 Boys Soccer Preseason rankings

“We’re certainly aware of who we are and we’re certainly aware of our history,” Wandling said. “We lean on that. We use the fact that we’ll have a big bullseye on our jersey as one of the top programs in the country. We’re going to face difficult challenges game in and game out because everyone likes to be the team that knocks off St. Benedict’s.”

Among the faces who are gone are 20 seniors who played together at the youth and club levels as well as high school. That includes Gatorade New Jersey State Player of the Year Johnny Antunes. Last season, the team never trailed during an 18-0 run.

The returning starters are Mickey George, Joey Alba and Louis Silva and they are joined by a number of high-quality transfers. “I think they will help round out a very solid first 11,” Wandling said.

Among the transfers are Michael Tahiru from Ghana and Celio Martins from Brazil.

“We think (Martins) will add his name to the list of special players to have come through St. Benedict’s in the last 25 years,” Wandling said. “We’re really excited about what he can do going forward.”

Stephen Milhoan (Photo: St. Ignatius HS)

Stephen Milhoan (Photo: St. Ignatius High School)

Coming off a co-Super 25 championship, St. Ignatius returns 13 players, including seven starters from a team that went 22-0-1 and won the school’s second consecutive and seventh Ohio large school state championship.

Chief among the returnees is senior Stephen Milhoan, the reigning Gatorade Ohio State Player of the Year.

Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) is No. 3 after finishing at that spot in the 2015 Super 25. Wesleyan won its second consecutive NCISAA 3A state title and fourth crown in the last five years.

Marquette University High in Milwaukee is No. 4 and Chaminade (Mineola, N.Y.) rounds out the Top 5 after finishing seventh to end last season.

In all, 20 states are represented in the Preseason Super 25. New York leads with three teams: Chaminade, No. 12 Walt Whitman (South Huntington) and No. 22 Brentwood. New Jersey, Wisconsin and Ohio each has two teams.

The first Super 25 of the regular season is scheduled for Sept. 13. Regional rankings also begin Sept. 13.

VIDEO: Elite recruits put on dunk show at adidas Nations

0
0

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — As good as the displays of athleticism were during the championship game of the Adidas Nations event Monday night, the dunks during warmups were spectacular.

Take a look at some of what we saw from Team Harden, made up of seven of the top 20 players in the nation, in video shot by David Schmulenson from USA TODAY Sports.

Team Harden won the title with a 123-96 victory against Team Canada. You can read more on the game here.

 

Peyton Glavine, son of two-time Cy Young winner, commits to Auburn baseball

0
0

Peyton Glavine, the son of Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Glavine, has committed to play baseball at Auburn.

Peyton, a left-handed pitcher for Blessed Trinity Catholic in Alpharetta, Ga., announced his commitment via Twitter.

Peyton Glavine was 6-0 with a 0.80 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings pitched as a junior. He also plays the outfield.

Tom Glavine won 305 games in a 22-year big-league career that included two Cy Young awards. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Obviously, Dad was proud.

Top 2017 recruit Gary Trent Jr. trims list to five; package with Wendell Carter still in play?

0
0

Gary Trent Jr., who announced last month he would transfer from Apple Valley (Minn.) to Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), revealed his top five college choices on Twitter Tuesday.

Particularly of note is Trent’s insistence that he and fellow five-star Wendell Carter will be a package deal in college, something he wrote about in a blog post for USA TODAY High School Sports a couple weeks ago.

“Wendell (Carter) and I are still planning to play together in college; we’re actually planning some visits together to a couple schools and we’ll plan some without each other,” Trent wrote. “At the end of the day we want to play with each other; we feel like we’d be a great 1-2 punch, but we’ll do what’s best for us and our families too.

“I would bet on us playing together though.”

MORE: Trent, Carter still eyeing package deal for college

Carter is down to eight schools, and is also considering Kentucky, Duke, and Arizona.

Trent plans to decide this fall, while Carter hasn’t announced a decision date.

Top 20 recruit Austin Wiley to transfer to Florida prep school

0
0
Austin Wiley (Photo: USA Basketball)

Austin Wiley (Photo: USA Basketball)

Austin Wiley is the next high-profile basketball recruit to leave his high school for a prep school in another state.

Wiley, an Auburn commit ranked as the No. 18 prospect in the Class of 2017 by the 247Sports Composite, will leave Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.) for a prep school in Florida, his mother told AL.com. She declined to identify the school.

Wiley, a 6-11 power forward, averaged21.7 points and 12.1 rebounds last season for Spain Park, which reached the state Class 7A final. He played this summer on the U.S. team that won gold at the U17 World Championships.

“Trust me, it was not an easy decision,” Vickie Wiley told AL.com. “Austin is a kid who loved Spain Park and his teammates. At some point, for him to stay on this path, we as a family saw a need to help him step up and do the right things so he can be successful. We’re really looking forward to this next step. We truly feel like this is best for him.”

Among the factors in the decision seem to be the ability to play a national schedule and restrictions for public schools on practice time. Schools in Alabama cannot begin practice until mid-October. Prep schools are not under similar limits.

“it’s academics and basketball from the first day until the day he leaves,” Spain Park coach Donnie Quinn told the Hoover Sun.  “I just think he doesn’t think he sees enough days (in high school basketball) to work at it and to improve himself.”

Quinn, however, said there are no hard feelings.

“It’s been a great blessing to coach him,” he said. “We’re going to support him no matter what he does.”

USA Baseball 12U domination: Four games, three no-hitters

0
0

USA Baseball’s 12U National Team has been so dominant in the early going at the COPABE Pan Am “A” Championships in Mexico that it has posted no-hitters in three of the first four games. Yep, four games, three no-hitters.

The Americans have outscored the opposition 74-7 and had all four games shortened by the mercy rule.

In the opener, the U.S. beat Argentina 20-0 in a game stopped after three innings. Tyler Avery, Christopher Scinta and Owen Egan each threw an innings in the victory. Avery struck out the side in the first inning.

In the second game, the Americans downed Honduras 21-0 in a game shortened to three innings. Brandon Barriera, Ryder Douglas and Aidan Miller each threw an inning and combined for five strikeouts.

Nicaragua finally got a hit, as Melvin Perez led off the game with a single. But after allowing six runs in the second inning, the U.S. team settled in and posted a 17-7 victory in five innings.

On Tuesday, the U.S. team beat Brazil 16-0 in a five-inning game with Avery getting the victory. He pitched three innings and struck out eight of the 11 batters he faced with one walk. Dawson Campbell pitched two innings with two strikeouts.


No. 1 point guard Trevon Duval on summer ball, prep school and goals

0
0

Trevon Duval, the No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2017, has had quite the summer, capped by winning the adidas Nations championship with Team Harden this week.

Duval, from Advanced Prep (Dallas), also became the first player to win an Under Armour Association title and a Nike Peach Jam title, two of the most elusive titles of the summer. Duval won the UA final with WE-R1 from Delaware this summer and the Peach Jam title in 2014 while running with Playaz Basketball Club (N.J.).

USA TODAY Sports’ David Schmulenson caught up with Duval this week at adidas Nations to talk about his summer and more:

Q: What was the best part of the experience at adidas Nations?

A: Playing with such great players, all of the top 25 in the rankings are here, and getting some of the insight from the NBA players. Chauncey Billups talked to me a lot this week and gave me some input on the game.

MORE FROM DUVAL: Read his blog for USA TODAY High School Sports

Q: What was the best moment of your summer?

A: I would say winning the UA (Under Armour Association) finals. That was my goal for the summer and I achieved that goal.

Q: Is the summer ball, AAU and all-star camp experience more beneficial than high school ball during the season?

A: This type of basketball is fun. Honestly, when I’m having fun, I’m getting better. Playing in the summertime is bettering me as a player.

WATCH: Elite players put on dunk show at adidas Nations

Q: What are the benefits of playing at a prep school vs traditional high school?

The competition we play all over the country. We play everywhere. Going to a prep school that plays that type of schedule helps me get better.

Q: Where do you think you’ll be in 10 years?

A: I think I should be in the NBA.

San Antonio community mourns the death of HS athlete

0
0

A Churchill (San Antonio) High baseball and football player died earlier this week, rocking a local community.

According to MySanAntonio.com, Josh Pollard died early Tuesday. The cause of his death has not been made public.

“He was a tremendous young man,” Churchill football coach Ron Harris told the website. “As a coach, he was everything you wanted in a player in terms of a student and an athlete and a commitment to his teammates. He was one of those kinds of kids who was in a good mood and always had a smile on his face.”

Numerous friends of Pollard’s posted touching memorials on Twitter.

Pollard was preparing to begin his senior year of high school this fall.

Police: Calif. HS AD, 15-year-old fled to Nev. after girl's family discovered relationship

0
0

The athletic director at a Calif. high school was arrested Wednesday in Nevada after police say he and a 15-year-old student fled after the girl’s family discovered the two were in a relationship.

Juan Ivan Barajas, 36, is the athletic director at San Gabriel Mission High, where the 15-year-old is a student. The girl’s family initially believed she was taken against her will, but police say she left with him of her own volition.

Barajas and the teen were found Tuesday in Henderson, Nev., and he was taken into custody.

The student, police say, is safe.

“She was placed in a shelter awaiting pickup by her mother,” LAPD spokeswoman Rosario Herrera said, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

The pair allegedly fled July 29 after her family learned of the relationship.

Barajas, who could face charges in both states, is being held for suspicion of statutory sexual seduction or having sex with a minor. His bond was set at $60,000.

Five-star 2018 SG Keldon Johnson transfers to Huntington Prep

0
0

Keldon Johnson, a five-star guard from South Hill, Va., will play his junior season at Huntington Prep, the school announced Wednesday on Twitter.

The 6-6 prospect formerly played at Park View High in Virginia.

Johnson, who recently received an offer from Indiana, is the 19th-ranked player according to the 247Sports Composite.

He becomes the latest in a string of basketball stars heading to prep school, joining the likes of Gary Trent Jr. (Findlay Prep), Rechon Black (Montverde Academy), and others.

DeAndre Ayton, one of the top players in class of 2017, recaps adidas Nations and summer ball

0
0

DeAndre Ayton, widely-considered the top player in the class of 2017, is fresh off an adidas Nations title with Team Harden.

The 7-footer from Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix has seen his recruitment heat up recently, and he has put to rest some rumblings that he may be considering playing overseas following his 2017 prep season. As of now, Ayton is being most-strongly recruited by Kansas, Kentucky, and Arizona.

USA TODAY Sports caught up with Ayton this week to talk about his summer and more:

What’s the level of competition been like at adidas Nations Tournament?

It’s very intense; there’s not as many fouls. A lot of dudes go at it, there’s a lot of talent, and it’s competitive from the beginning of the game to the end of the game. Everybody plays their hardest, and everybody plays like it’s their last game.

Best moment of your basketball summer?

Making it to the final four of the Peach Jam. It was a long road, especially since we were missing Brandon McCoy, and that’s a big part of our team. We really tried our best and we made it pretty far, but unfortunately we got eliminated.

Explaining the significance of your necklace?

This is just a little background from my mom. My mom is from Jamaica, I’m part Jamaican, so I just want to show people I’m Jamaican.

De La Salle (Calif.) basketball coach A.J. Kuhle steps down after one season

0
0
A.J. Kuhle (Photo: Twitter)

A.J. Kuhle (Photo: Twitter)

A.J. Kuhle has stepped down as boys basketball coach at De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) has stepped down after one season in which he led the team to the NorCal championship and CIF Open Division final, the school said in a news release Thursday.

Kuhle is returning to Colorado to spend more time with his family, De La Salle said in a news release. He played on Air Force’s Mountain West Conference championship team in 2003-04 and was an assistant coach at the academy and at the University of Denver before heading to California.

“We want to thank AJ for last year and continuing the tradition of excellence,” athletic director Leo Lopoz said in the news release. “AJ is a tremendous coach, on and off the court and we will miss him. We will begin the search for the next head coach immediately.”

Lopoz said the remainder of the coaching staff will handle offseason while a new coach is found.

De La Salle went 30-3 and fell to Super 25 champion Chino Hills in the Open Division final.

 

Top 2017 recruit Wendell Carter Jr. compares competition level between summer and school ball

0
0

Pace Academy’s (Atlanta) Wendell Carter Jr., one of the top players in the class of 2017, is fresh off a title at the adidas Nations with Team Harden.

USA TODAY Sports caught up with Carter to talk about his summer experience and how the competition level is different on the AAU circuit compared to his high school:

Best experience at adidas Nations?

Probably just being out here on Long Beach (Calif.). Great view, great beach, great weather, and of course there’s a lot of great competition out here.

Is the summer ball/AAU/all-star camp experience more beneficial than high school ball?

Most definitely. I think the summer games are much more competitive than my school ball. I go to a small school near Atlanta. I don’t want to downgrade anybody that I play against, but I think the competition in the summer is much better and it makes me play much better.

Best moment of your basketball summer?

Probably went I went to Spain with USA Basketball. It was a lot of fun, and I made a lot of great relationships when I was out there.


Under Armour confirms plans for Elite 24 showcase in Brooklyn

0
0
Trevon Duval (Photo: Under Armour)

Trevon Duval (Photo: Under Armour)

The Elite 24 basketball showcase is returning to Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 2 on Aug. 20, Under Armour announced.

The scene that surrounds the outdoor court overlooking the skyline of lower Manhattan is among the most picturesque anywhere for a game. The event is entering its 11th year and admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Elite 24 game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU and follows the third annual UA NEXT game that features some of the top rising freshmen from around the country at 5:15.

Rosters have not yet been revealed, although a number of players have indicated they have been invited, including the nation’s No. 1 point guard Trevon Duval.

The slam dunk and three-point contests will be held Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m. after a Jr. NBA Clinic.

“We are excited to once again bring together the nation’s 24 best high basketball players, while also introducing future talent of the game through our partnership with the Jr. NBA,” Kris Stone, Under Armour’s senior director of global sports marketing  for basketball, said in a statement. “The Elite 24 platform has always represented what’s next: the next generation gatekeepers of the game, showcasing their skills and love for competition at the highest level, against the best of the best.”

Former Elite 24 MVP Emmanuel Mudiay will be a guest judge at the Elite 24 game.

Indianapolis teacher creates 'No KD zone' in classroom: 'You will not quit on me'

0
0

Recent Oklahoma graduate and first-year teacher Tucker Hein came up with a creative way of inspiring his students: making his classroom a “No KD (Kevin Durant) zone.”

Hein told News9 in Oklahoma that he wanted to remind his students to work hard and avoid taking the easy way out. Durant, of course, opted to leave Oklahoma City and sign with Golden State this offseason.

Thanks to our friends at For the Win for bringing this to our attention

What spurred investigation into Rush Propst's head-butting incident

0
0

The one-year suspension initially levied against Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) football coach Rush Propst was unexpected, largely because of its timing — five months after he head-butted a player during a playoff game in December.

We now know what might have spurred the investigation by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, according to a report Thursday.

The suspension was eventually reduced to a public reprimand on appeal and Propst has not missed any time, but the Moultrie Observer cited an email from the county school superintendent at the time, Dr. Samuel DePaul, as the possible source of the case being escalated.

The Observer obtained the Propst file through an open records request.

DePaul wrote a letter about the incident in mid-February, detailing how the school district handled the situation. Propst was seen on camera head-butting kicker Luis Martinez who was wearing a helmet on the sideline of a game against Mill Creek (Hoschton). The butt opened a cut on Propst’s head.

Jul 15, 2016; Hoover, AL, USA; Colquitt County coach Rush Propst watches form the sidelines during the USA Football 7on7 National Championship at Hoover high school. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-135185 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

Rush Propst watches form the sidelines during the USA Football 7on7 National Championship in Hoover, Ala. (Photo: Butch Dill, USA TODAY Sports)

“Sometimes you have to get your team fired up,” Propst told USA Today Sports’ Jim Halley the day after the game. “It’s like in baseball, when you get thrown out of a game or in basketball, when you yell at at referee. At least with this, we didn’t get a penalty. I used to do that kind of thing when I was a defensive coordinator. … I’m not sore today and I feel good in how we played in the second half, especially. We scored four touchdowns and could have scored two more.”

The administration determined the matter was closed unless Propst committed another act that required discipline.

DePaul told The Observer that he considered what he wrote a “letter” and not a complaint. Records show DePaul’s submission was described as a complaint when it was forwarded to the commission staff by John Grant, the commission’s assistant director of educator ethics. Paul Shaw, who head the ethics division, said it had already received informal complaints.

“They took it and ran with it that way,” Doug Howell, Colquitt County’s interim superintendent, told The Observer. “But that was not the intention of this letter.”

The file includes Propst’s reaction to the incident in media reports, reaction — both pro and con — to the suspension, and other issues from Propst’s past.

Propst said he had “heard all along that it was an inside job,” and said he felt misled because he had been told the issue was resolved by the school after it happened. He met with the athletic director and principal days after it happened.

After the suspension was reduced, Propst said in a statement, “Our coaches, football players, cheerleaders, band, fans and entire Moultrie community have worked very hard for our success in football and I do not want their hard work and success overshadowed by this incident.”

Michael Tanks, Southwest DeKalb (Ga.) coach and Florida State star, dies at 48

0
0
Michael Tanks

Michael Tanks

Michael Tanks, a first-team All-American at Florida State in 1989 who returned to his Georgia roots to coach his high school alma mater, has died.

Tanks, the head football coach at Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, Ga.) and a 1985 SWD graduate, was at home when he suffered a stroke and had been listed in critical condition and on a ventilator at Grady Hospital, according to reports.

He died Wednesday, a day before his 49th birthday. Tanks was married with two children, including a son, Michael II, a senior defensive back and punter at Southwest DeKalb.

SW Dekalb High Athletic Director Kathy Walton said the school is “devastated” by Tanks’ death.

“He was extremely well-loved by everyone here,” Walton said Thursday. “The first impression with him was he was so genuine. He was so easy to get along with and he really cared about the kids and the parents. It’s very devastating because it was so unexpected. And he may have had his best team this season.”

Tanks played defensive line and tight end at SWD, helping the team to an undefeated season in 1984.

Following a redshirt season in 1985 at Florida State, Tanks was moved from linebacker to offensive line.

The 6-foot-1, 250-pounder developed into a key contributor for the Seminoles as a four-year letterman and two-year starter at center.

Tanks enjoyed a breakout senior season, calling the line sets and earning All-America status. He also was an Outland Trophy finalist, given to college football’s top interior lineman.

Tanks signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks but did not make the team.

After an attempt at a pro career, he returned home and to coaching. He was also the head coach at Decatur in 2005 and ’06 before becoming the head coach at Southwest DeKalb in 2013.

The team began practice Monday. An interim coach has not been named.

“He was one of my closest friends, I considered him my brother,” said former FSU teammate and NFL player Dedrick Dodge, who resides in Atlanta. “The way it happened and how it happened so fast, you feel like you were just talking to someone and then they are not here. That’s why it’s important for everybody, if you love somebody, tell them. You see how valuable life is and how short it can be.”

Contributing: Tallahassee Democrat

 

MOKAN Elite coach Rodney Perry hired at Oral Roberts

0
0

Perry_ORU_final

Rodney Perry, who coached Mokan Elite to the Nike Peach Jam championship, has accepted an assistant coaching position at Oral Roberts, the school announced.

Perry was the head coach at NAIA Avila University in Kansas City for six seasons, winning 81 games, including the program’s first 20-win season in 2015-16. He was served as a court coach for the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team training camp.

After his playing career at Missouri State, Perry began his coaching career in 1994 as an assistant in the Missouri high school system and then served as head coach at two high schools before moving to the college game. He has been on the staff at Duquesne, Western Illinois and Southwest Baptist.

“I am excited to have Rodney Perry joining our staff,” Oral Roberts coach Scott Sutton said in a statement. “He is an outstanding basketball coach but more importantly he is a great fit spiritually for ORU. He has had a lot of success at the small college and AAU levels, coaching MOKAN Elite to the prestigious Nike Peach Jam championship in July. He has tremendous contacts in the Kansas City area and throughout the AAU circuit.”

“I’m excited to be joining a great staff at a great university,” said Perry. “I am looking forward to getting started and helping this team get better on the floor and off the floor.”

Viewing all 3712 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images